City Council

CITY OF LACONIA ­ CITY COUNCIL MEETING June 18, 2018 7:00 P.M. 6/18/2018 ­ Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Engler called the meeting to order at the above date and time. 2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Councilor Haynes lead the Salute to the Flag. 3. RECORDING SECRETARY Cheryl Hebert, City Clerk 4. ROLL CALL City Clerk Hebert took the roll with the following Councilors in attendance: Bruce Cheney, Henry Lipman, Mark Haynes, and Bob Hamel. Not present: David Bownes, Andrew Hosmer Mayor Engler noted four (4) Councilors are in attendance and quorum has been established. 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE Scott Myers, City Manager and Donna Woodman, Finance Director 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS 6.A. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­15, relative to making itemized appropriations for the General Fund for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing up at 7:06 pm. Gerry Bourgeious, 4 Kinsman Drive ­ G. Bourgeious has been writing the history of the Laconia Fire Department. G. Bourgeious spoke on behalf of the item brought up at a past meeting regarding putting an officer at the Laconia Middle School. G. Bourgeious feels this should be a priority and the environment is changing with shootings happening at schools every where. G. Bourgeious feels something needs to be worked out in order to get a police officer at the middle school. From a positive point of view G. Bourgeious feels an officer at the middle school would have a positive impact on the students. G. Bourgeious also expressed the ambulance service needs to stay with the fire department. He is not opposed to privatization but in this case he does not agree with it. Councilor Cheney questioned Mr. Bourgeious as to whether he read the RFP from Brewster Ambulance Service. Mr. Bourgeious admitted he did not read the RFP but knew it would be better for the City to not privatize the ambulance service. Hearing no other comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:16 pm. 6.B. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­16, relative to making itemized appropriations for anticipated Grant for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:16 pm 1 Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:16 pm. 6.C. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­17, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Sewer Fund for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:17 pm. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:17 pm. 6.D. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­18, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Water Fund for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:18 pm. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:18 pm. 6.E. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­19, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Internal Services Fund for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:19 pm. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:19 pm. 6.F. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­20, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Special Revenue Fund ­ Motorcycle Week for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:20 pm. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:20 pm. 6.G. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­21, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Special Revenue Fund ­ Ambulance Emergency Medical Services for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:21 pm. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:21 pm. 6.H. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­22, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Tax Increment Finance District ­ Downtown for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. 2 Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:21 pm.  Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:22 pm. 6.I. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­23, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Tax Increment Finance District ­ Lakeport for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:22 pm. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:23 pm. 6.J. Public Hearing for Resolution RES­2018­24, relative to making itemized appropriations for the Tax Increment Finance District ­ Weirs for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018 and terminating June 30, 2019 Notice of this public hearing was made available in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Laconia Daily Sun, Laconia City Hall, Community Center, Laconia Public Library, and SAU. Mayor Engler opened the public hearing at 7:23 pm. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Engler closed the public hearing at 7:24 pm. 7. PRESENTATIONS 7.A. General Budget Discussion Mayor Engler advised that this meeting is for the purpose of discussion of the overall budget and the intention is to not approve the budget until the regular Council Meeting scheduled for July 9, 2018. Mayor Engler also made note for the record that immediately following this meeting the Council will have a non meeting for the purpose of negotiating contracts which does not require minutes to be taken. Councilor Lipman questioned the City's assessed valuation and how accurate the number is. City Manager Myers explained the numbers presented are preliminary and the final numbers should be ready by September 1, 2018. The assessing year just ended March 31, 2018 and he is confident with the value increase due to the construction values and general sales in the area. Mayor Engler noted for the publics information the amount being discussed is the City's total taxable properties at $2,085,841,475.00. A discussion was had regarding the Adjusted no utilities, planned borrowing, interest rates, capital overlay, and carryovers. City Manager Myers updated the Council in regards to the application for a grant for a school resource officer. He stated there is a legal challenge and the process is in a freeze at this time. Once there is a decision made by a court, the process will continue. Councilor Cheney proposes the Council instruct the Police Commission to encourage the Police Department and City Manager to come up with a proposal for using the funds from their salaries account to encourage the Police Department to hire certified officers and fire department to hire experienced fire fighters in the case of new hires only that successfully complete the hiring process. This would be a savings in training costs. Councilor Cheney would like to see a Resolution drawn up and brought back to the Council for approval. Mayor Engler explained Councilor Cheneys' suggestion would need to be put into a Resolution and would need to be brought to the Council and public. Councilor Hamel likes Councilor Cheney's idea and stated when he was at the Police Academy in3the Spring the State Police offered a $5,000 hiring bonus. Councilors Haynes and Lipman are also in agreement with this proposal.  Discussion was had regarding the micro­wave towers and upgrades needed for the police departments dispatch center. Councilor Hamel suggested the City Manager having a discussion with Chief Canfield and the Belknap County Sheriffs office in regards to combining dispatch centers. Councilor Hamel would like to direct the City Manager to reduce the Fire Departments salary budget by $300,000 without reducing any personnel. Councilor Hamel would like to repurpose the $300,000 funds by transferring up to $100,000 to the Police Department for a Laconia Middle School Resource Officer and $200,000 as part of the City's $500,000 commitment to the teachers contract. Councilor Cheney would like to get input from both the City Manager and Chief Erickson in regards to Councilor Hamels proposal. City Manager Myers explained that the overtime salaries come from three different line items in the budget. One being the general fund, one from the Motorcycle Week budget and the last being from the Ambulance ­ Emergency Medical Services Fund. Making this $300,000 would only be coming from the general fund. Mayor Engler provided the Council with the following numbers in regards to the Fire Departments salary area: $225,000 Fire Department overtime $119,000 EMS Overtime $ 17,700 Motorcycle Week Overtime Mayor Engler also stated that we pay 32% on overtime Retirement Tax which totals $125,344. Therefore the total of the Salary lines not including Holiday Pay as that is a contractual item is $517,044. Councilor Hamel is proposing taking $300,000 out of the $527,044 and reprobing it, leaving $117,044, not including $120,000 of the holiday pay. If what Councilor Hamel proposes passes what would be left is $120,000 in Holiday Pay and $165,000 in the other four overtime line items, therefore leaving $265,000 in overtime funds. Councilor Cheney and Councilor Lipman agree that Chief Erickson should be present at the next Council meeting to discuss this proposal. Mayor Engler would like to see an accompanying Resolution that would direct the Fire Chief to not backfill positions on the nine person platoon above seven positions. Meaning if nine people are scheduled to work and two call out, the Chief would run the shift with only seven. Mayor Engler stated to not allow shifts to run lower than seven and higher than nine. Councilor Lipman does not want to see the Weirs Fire Station to suffer in any way due to this proposal and to add in the proposal that the Weirs Fire Station not be closed down. 8. Any other business that may come before the Council Councilor Hamel wanted to make a comment for the record that with nine public hearings this evening only one resident showed up to voice their opinions. 9. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to come before the Council and hearing no objection, Mayor Engler adjourned this meeting at 8:13 pm. Respectfully submitted by Cheryl Hebert, City Clerk 4