Public Works & Facilities Commission

PUBLIC WORKS & FACILITIES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY April 14, 2021 TIME: 6:30 P.M. Via WebEX.com MIDDLETOWN CONNECTICUT Members Present: Councilman Gene Nocera Councilman Ed McKeon Councilman Philip Pessina Councilman Darnell Ford Councilman Edward Ford Jr. Members Absent: Staff Present: William Russo, Director of Public Works Christopher M. Holden, P.E., Deputy Director of Public Works Others: Deborah Shapiro Maria Holzberg Councilman Nocera opened the Public Works & Facilities Commission meeting at 6:30 P.M. Councilman Nocera requested a motion to approve the minutes dated March 10, 2020. Councilman Pessina made a motion. The motion was seconded by Councilman McKeon and passed unanimously. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: Maria Holzberg is here to support Deborah Shapiro with the 35th Annual Historic Car Show. CORRESPONDENCE: NEW BUSINESS: a. MCHS Car Show – Middlesex County Historical Society’s 35th annual Antique Car Show and Flea Market. Dates this year would be October 3, 2021, with a rain date of October 10, 2021. They would like to use Palmer Field Parking lot for this year’s show. Councilman Pessina made a motion. Councilman McKeon seconded the motion and passed unanimously. b. LOCIP- Cleaning Washington St Veterans Monuments- Restore and renovate nine monuments at the Veterans Memorial Park. Upon observation, nine monuments were identified as in need of restoration due to showing physical signs of deteriorating and oxidizing green coloring. These needs meet the guidelines for projects eligible for Local Capital Projects Improvement Program funds, costing $6000.00. Councilman Pessina made a motion. Councilman Ford Jr. seconded the motion and passed unanimously.  c. LOCIP- Repair Marble Stairs and Stone Wall at City Hall Building- Currently the City Hall front steps create a tripping hazard along with chipped and damaged steps, and lose handrails. Staircases that have missing, loose, or damaged steps pose a danger to users and potential liabilities for the City of Middletown. The repair will include limestone, mortar and moisture barrier replacement along with stone-sealants to help protect from unwanted moistures that can lead to further cracks and stone deterioration. These needs meet the guidelines for projects eligible for Local Capital Projects Improvement Program funds, costing $ 6500.00. Councilman McKeon made a motion. Councilman Ford Jr. seconded the motion and passed unanimously. d. $500,000 bond for Emergency Sidewalk Repair- Brig Smith, General Counsel sent out an email looking for support on an upcoming Sidewalk Bond Appropriation request to repair sidewalks. Director Russo needs to do repairs to sidewalk that are not covered by existing road bonds and will be going to Council in March to seek authorization. He wants to be able to fix tripping hazards before they become claims. Councilman Pessina made a motion to have this move forward to the Finance & Government Commission. Councilman Ford Jr. seconded the motion and passed unanimously. e. Apron and Driveway Ordinance- Deputy Director Chris Holden discusses the proposed changes to the Subdivision Regulations Section 5.19- Streets and Pedestrians Circulation System. Proposed amendments would include adding new language and removing the last sentence of the ordinance. Councilman McKeon made a motion. Councilman Pessina seconded the motion and passed unanimously. f. Budget 2021-2022- Director Russo sent the Budget to the Commission ahead of time for their review before the meeting. This would also allow the Commission member to present any questions that they might have. Director Russo starts by explaining some changes on the budget that are marked off with stars. Recycling, new line item $6000.00. These funds cover the Recycling Coordinators overtime to promote recycling initiatives throughout the community. Maromas Cemetery Tree Removal addition to the budget for $ 40,000.00. It is for the removal of dead trees that are not easily accessible and require a crane to ensure no damage to the stones. Custodian position, the position was previously Part-time and reclassified to Full-time. Military Museum and Hall of Fame $10,000.00 each used for building maintenance expenses. Skating Rink Overtime $8,000.00. Yearly Contribution to Sanitation CNR $400, 000.00 has been increased in order to purchase a new sanitation truck and other needed dumpsters, waste containers, etc. for the Sanitation Department. Director Russo adds that he has a “wish list” with the following: A part-time (20 hours) Building Official and a full-time (40 hours) Park Maintainer II. Further discussion ensued. OLD BUSINESS: a. Saybrook Road Paving- Deputy Director Holden states to the Commission Cardinal should be delivering the final packet to us so we can submit to the State of CT. b. January 2020 Building Permits- the Commission reviewed their Building Permits. There were no questions. OTHER: a. January 2020 Monthly Reports- Highway Division- the Public Works & Facilities Commission reviewed their monthly reports for the Highway Division. There were no questions. b. January 2020 Overtime Reports-Parks Division – The Public Works & Facilities Commission reviewed their monthly reports for the Parks Division. There were no questions. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: As there was no further discussion, a motion was made to end the meeting by Councilman McKeon. The motion was seconded by Councilman Pessina and approved unanimously. The Public Works & Facilities Commission meeting adjourned.