Common Council

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMON COUNCIL MIDDLETOWN CONNECTICUT QUESTION TO DIRECTORS at 6:00 P.M. MINUTES JULY 2, 2018 The Special Meeting, the Questions to Directors Workshop of the Common Council of the City of Middletown, was held in the Council Chamber of the Municipal Building on Monday, July 2, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. Present: Councilman Carl Chisem Councilwoman Deborah Kleckowski Councilman Gerald Daley (arrived 6:08pm) Councilman Eugene Nocera Councilman Sebastian Giuliano Councilwoman Linda Salafia Councilman Grady Faulkner, Jr. (arrived 6:08pm) Councilman Robert Santangelo Absent: Councilwoman Mary Bartolotta; Councilman Robert Blanchard; Councilman Philip Pessina; Councilman Thomas Serra; Corporation Counsel Daniel Ryan, Esq. Also Present: Council Clerk – Linda S.K. Reed Planning Cons. & Dev. Dir – Joseph Samolis Arts Coordinator - Keisha Michael Police – Capt. John Lozefski Communications _ Wayne Bartolotta Public Works Dir – William Russo Equal Opp. & Diversity – Faith Jackson Tax Assessor – Damon Braasch Finance Director Carl Erlacher Technology Serv. Dir – Bryan Skowera Fire Department -- Chief Robert Kronenberger City/Town Clerk – Ashley Flynn General Counsel -- Brig Smith, Esq. Water & Sewer Dir – Joseph Fazzino Health – Dr. Joseph Havlicek, M.D. Youth Services – Justin Carbonella Library Director – Ramona Burkey Bd. of Education, Finance – Linda MacPherson Connecticut DEEP – Lori Mathieu, Section Chief - Dept. of Public Health, Drinking Water Division Steven Wallett, Department of Public Health, Drinking Water Division Members of the Public: 2 1. Call to Order Acting Chairman, Deputy Mayor Robert Santangelo, calls the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. and leads the public in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Clerk reads the Call of the Meeting and Deputy Mayor Santangelo declares the call a legal call and the meeting a legal meeting. 2. Questions to Directors Opens Deputy Mayor Santangelo calls on Councilman Eugene Nocera. Councilman Nocera calls Public Works Director William Russo to the podium for two (2) agenda items involving the proposed transfer of funds from the grass fields account. One request involves Harbor Park project and the second item involves Palmer Field project. Councilman Nocera asks how were these JULY 2, 2018 SPECIAL COMMON COUNCIL MEETING – QUESTIONS TO DIRECTORS Page 2 savings achieved to allow for funds on hand to be available accommodate these requests, which are necessary. Public Works Director Russo replies that the budgeted number for fields - -noting that they were looking at six (6) fields at that time -- was $2.9M, which would provide for site work for six (6) new grass fields. He states that they did not have a location for those, and still do not, because in dealing with all of the leagues, there isn’t a need for them now. He explains that the reason is because of the lights added to all of the new fields. Pat Kidney Field, when done, will have lights on the hard ball field. Wilson Middle School, inside the track, is going to have lights. For Hubbard Little League, lights were put up. Country Club Road soccer has new lighting. At the end of this month, installation of the 2nd softball field at Moody School will be lighted. Together, this provides 35 extra time slots/week, and, because of the availability of these 35 slots, we do not need to build any new fields for those leagues. Councilman Nocera states that, based on his conversations with leaders of soccer and little league, they concur with that position, adding that their primary interest is in the fields: that the fields have being upgraded and moved quickly to bring in the lighting. He asks Director Russo how the lighting is working out. Director Russo replies that the lighting is helpful as it has helped the staff, who now does not need to go running all over town and, instead, can concentrate on those same area. He adds that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which the Council signed with the Board of Education, allows the City to use Middletown High hardball and softball as well as the track for walking program, so now we are in pretty good shape with field us. Now that the City uses other fields for programs, they are in good shape for field use. Councilman Nocera states that he has no further questions. Deputy Mayor Santangelo calls on Councilman Carl Chisem. Councilman Chisem has a question for Director Russo. He asks, to clarify what Councilman Nocera said, these funds basically are for what he and Councilman Nocera looked at in the field: the roof and restrooms, basically to fix up the locker room. Director Russo replies, yes, adding that art of the requested transfer will pay for the second half of the contract that is there for the football site, but, we did a site visit – Councilman Chisem and Councilman Nocera were there. He explains that the conditions of the locker room, the water damage to it, the roof, at the recommendation of the City’s Building Department, is to replace it. The block wall that is there, we will correct the water issue and make it ADA compliant which it was not before, noting that this is where the changes are to Palmer Field on the football side. Councilman Chisem thanks Director Russo, adding that he wanted this clarified for everyone. Deputy Mayor Santangelo calls on Councilman Sebastian Giuliano. Councilman Giuliano calls the City Attorney Brig Smith to the podium. He asks, relative to Item 10 A under Resolutions: there is a resolution modifying the job description of the Human Resources Manager at the Board of Education. He asks Attorney Smith how this item got here. He offers some parameters: is this a negotiated settlement; is it a reconsideration by the labor/management committee; is it some combination of both of those things or is it something altogether different. Attorney Smith replies that this job description is a combination of both. He recalls that this job description came out of the labor/management process and engendered quite a lot of discussion. It resulted in a Step 2 grievance investigation and mediation, which was determination by Director Jackson. Her recommendation, as Council may recall, was that the position come out and become a Grade 17. The labor side and the management side had a disagreement as to what that meant and how to do that. The City’s JULY 2, 2018 SPECIAL COMMON COUNCIL MEETING – QUESTIONS TO DIRECTORS Page 3 position was that this required gong back to the Labor/Management Committee and the Council, which is what the collective bargaining agreement specifies. The Union believed it could be handled more directly. It actually went to the State Labor Board and had dueling MPPs, as a result. It was negotiated. The negotiation came out that we would present this to the Labor/Management Committee and, after that recommendation, go to Council. The Labor/Management Committee looked at it and voted unanimously to approve it. It was run thru the Maximus study and is now before the Council for ratification. Councilman Giuliano replies that it is properly here and this just wraps it up. Attorney Smith replies, yes, yes. Deputy Mayor Santangelo calls on Councilman Grady Faulkner. Councilman Faulkner asks, on the same topic, is title okay; that is, was it confirmed. Attorney Smith replies that the job title did not change. Councilman Faulkner clarifies, stating that, at the Board of Education, we have a Human Resources Manager. Attorney Smith replies, yes, on the Board of Education side. Attorney Smith replies, correct. Councilman Faulkner states that, at the City, we have a Human Resources Director. Attorney Smith replies, correct. Councilman Faulkner asks if there is any issue, noting that we have been changing a lot of things and then, afterwards, people come back and challenge because they are looking at responsibilities and titles, saying that they do not match up. Attorney Smith quips, quoting Yogi Berra: Predictions are hard, especially about the future. He adds that he cannot guarantee that there won’t be, but that he doesn’t see any immediate issue because of it. Councilman Faulkner asks Attorney Smith to confirm that we (the City) are not in jeopardy of more repercussions. Attorney Smith replies that he doesn’t see any jeopardy and, of course, the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) is the CBA, so if additional changes come down the road, we have to deal with it at that time. Deputy Mayor Santangelo calls on Councilman Gerald Daley. Councilman Daley asks Planning, Conservation & Development Director Joseph Samolis to the podium. He states that he knows that the proposed resolution tonight, about replacing the sign at Harbor Park, has gone through Economic Development Committee, Public Works & Facilities Commission, and the 21st Century Park Committee. He asks Director Samolis to explain how we got to this point and what else needs to be done. Director Samolis states that this process was started by his predecessor along with the Economic Development Committee. Based on his research, the work for this replacement sign seems to date to March 8, 2016. The Economic Development Commission reviewed and discussed this item numerous times at various meetings both prior to me and with me. An RFP (Request for Proposal) was put out. Two (2) companies submitted proposals. The Commission selected SignPro to design the replacement sign for that location. During that discussion, there was talk about doing some sort of public informational aspect for this  JULY 2, 2018 SPECIAL COMMON COUNCIL MEETING – QUESTIONS TO DIRECTORS Page 4 sign so that people are aware of potential issues that are either along Route 9 or if there was a major event that the public is notified. For example, this Saturday, the City has the annual fireworks festival so there will be delays up and down Route 9 as well as River Road being closed at 7PM. The information would be disseminated to the public as part of the informational component. The final design recommended by Economic Development Commission to be forwarded, as Councilman Daley said, to various other committees for review and put forth. He notes that there are still a number of other things that have to happen. The Council is moving money from one line to another just so we know that this project can move forward, adding that it still needs to go for a Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) variance for that public informational aspect. There is provision in the Code that prohibits digital signage, so a variance is needed, so we are going to ZBA this Thursday to see if it is granted. If the variance is not granted, then the cost of the sign will come down dramatically because a major portion of the cost for that sign is for that digital information aspect. Along with that, it would probably also go to Design Review for comments. Finally, being a park improvement and there was assign there before, it would probably go thru Park Improvement and an 8-24 to Planning & Zoning just to approve, to make sure the use complies with the Plan of Conservation & Development. He summarizes, noting that these are the aspects that are left, adding that tonight’s meeting is just to put forth a budgetary line so, once the approvals are in place, the project can move forward. Councilman Daley asks, relative to the variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, if Director Samolis can confirm that this request for a variance will basically be that the sign will serve a public safety purpose. Director Samolis replies, yes. Councilman Daley states that, as Director Samolis mentioned, about a week or two ago, Route 9 was closed in both directions. If we had such a sign, we could have redirected traffic so the backup would not have been so bad for the northbound traffic. He adds that the idea of this, ZBA has granted such a variance to Westfield Fire, they have a similar sign in front of the fire station on East Street. Director Samolis replies, yes, that is correct. Councilman Daley states that there is some confusion that the cost increase -- from $21,000 to $80,000 – is a misperception, as he understands it. The $21,000 is money already in that line because it was left over from funds that were previously allocated to redo the parking lot. Director Samolis replies, yes, the parking lot and docks. Councilman Daley states that the money is there, adding that it is not that the cost of the sign increased from $21,000 to $80,000; rather, the cost has always been . . . It has always been that price and this was the lower cost proposal by some $10,000 to $15,000. He asks if this is correct. Director Samolis replies, yes, that is correct, adding that, depending on outcome of ZBA and Design Review, and PZC, the cost may go down further because of elements. Councilman Daley, replies, ok, adding that he thinks that the sign will be good service to the public. Deputy Mayor Santangelo asks if anyone else has question for any Director. 3. Questions to Directors Closes The Deputy Mayor states that, there being no further questions, the Questions to Directors session is closed.  JULY 2, 2018 SPECIAL COMMON COUNCIL MEETING – QUESTIONS TO DIRECTORS Page 5 4. Meeting adjourned Councilman Nocera moves to adjourn. Councilman Faulkner seconds the motion. The Deputy Mayor calls for the vote. It is unanimously approved with eight (8) aye votes. The Deputy Mayor states the motion passes unanimously. The meeting is adjourned at 6:18 p.m. ATTEST: LINDA S.K. REED, COMMON COUNCIL CLERK K: review/ minutes/ 18 July 2 --Question to Directors minutes – 2 July 2018