Budget Review Committee

BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE August 8, 2013 A meeting of the Budget Review Committee was held Thursday, August 8, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber. Alderman-at-Large Brian S. McCarthy, Chair, presided. Members of Committee present: Alderman-at-Large David W. Deane, Vice Chair Alderman-at-Large Jim Donchess Alderman Richard A. Dowd Members not in Attendance: Alderman-at-Large Mark S. Cookson Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire Alderman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja PUBLIC COMMENT COMMUNICATIONS – None UNFINISHED BUSINESS – None NEW BUSINESS – RESOLUTIONS R-13-127 Endorsers: Alderman-at-Large David W. Deane Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire Alderman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja Alderman June M. Caron Alderman Kathy Vitale Alderman Michael J. Tabacsko Alderman Arthur T. Craffey, Jr. Alderman-at-Large Barbara Pressly RELATIVE TO THE APPROPRIATION OF $270,000 FROM ACCOUNT #70100 “GENERAL CONTINGENCY” INTO A NEWLY CREATED EXPENDABLE TRUST FUND “DAVID W. DEANE SKATE PARK RELOCATION CONSTRUCTION” TO COVER A PORTION OF THE COST TO RELOCATE THE SKATE PARK FROM THE BRIDGE STREET SITE TO A LOCATION NOT YET DETERMINED MOTION BY ALDERMAN DEANE TO RECOMMEND FINAL PASSAGE ON THE QUESTION Alderman Deane I don’t think the numbers have changed in that area. It’s 952-5352. It’s the same number. The purpose states for the purchasing materials, equipment and services directly related to the David W. Deane Skateboard Park, hiring seasonal personnel to manage…” Chairman McCarthy I actually think we can amend that. I’d rather us keep one account than create a second one. Do you have any strong objection to that? Budget Review – 08/08/13 Page 2 Alderman Deane No. Chairman McCarthy I don’t have the exact wording of 13-127 in front of me. Alderman Deane I have it. Would you like to look at it? Chairman McCarthy Ya. What I would propose is changing the first paragraph to: “RESOLVED by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Nashua that pursuant to NH RSA 31:19-a, the City of Nashua hereby amends the purpose of the David W. Deane Skateboard Park Expendable Trust Fund to include an Item 4, Construction,” and then leave the second paragraph the same about the transfer. Alderman Deane So we’re just going to add the one word to amend the original O4-66? Chairman McCarthy Ya. Everybody understand the amendment? MOTION CARRIED TO AMEND Alderman Deane There’s going to a need for a few more dollars down the road. Chairman McCarthy I spoke to the Mayor about that. I believe when she wraps up the escrows she’ll put the additional money in. Alderman Deane What was that total? Chairman McCarthy I think she had discussed somewhere around $60,000 to bring it to $500,000 altogether. Alderman Deane That would drain the $149,247 that’s currently in there. I thought it was more like $160,000. Budget Review – 08/08/13 Page 3 Chairman McCarthy Actually what’s in there as of today is 177 something. Alderman Deane I was just going to say I thought it was. The last time I looked it was around $169,000. The park department has utilized that fund for various work. I think back in 2004 when we initially set this up the whole idea was it wasn’t going to cost the taxpayers out of operating budgets to maintain the facility, and it hasn’t. Granted those funds could have been utilized for something else. We do the same thing with Holman Stadiums, those two towers. The fund goes into a Holman account. We do the same thing at the landfill. Mine Falls Park is another perfect example. The money that’s utilized and what they are doing down there now, they’re paving some paths and things like that. Chairman McCarthy When I looked at it, we’ve gotten $170,000 ahead on the maintenance of the existing park. We’ll continue to have the salt tower revenue while we’re building the new one. By the time we need to do any maintenance operations on it after construction, the funds should be back up to a substantial number I would guess by then. Alderman Deane I would hope so. MOTION CARRIED R-13-131 Endorsers: Alderman Richard A. Dowd Alderman Diane Sheehan Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire Alderman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja Alderman June M. Caron APPROPRIATING $158,283 OF FY13 REVENUE INTO THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CAPITAL RESERVE FUND MOTION BY ALDERMAN DONCHESS TO RECOMMEND FINAL PASSAGE ON THE QUESTION Alderman McCarthy I did speak with the Mayor today about this resolution. She said her plan for next year is to escrow the FY14 money and then she’s had discussions with the school department where they will just get it into the normal budget process after this. So this is the last year we should have to move the money this way. Alderman Deane So it will be reoccurring. As of next year, it will just be reoccurring instead of going through this process. Budget Review – 08/08/13 Page 4 Chairman McCarthy Ya. Alderman Deane And the money is going to be used for what? Chairman McCarthy It’s for the upkeep of the vocational programs. Alderman Deane Computers. Chairman McCarthy And the automotive shop, all of the vocational stuff that we built at the two schools that requires maintenance. Alderman Deane What are we bringing in for revenue for classes? Chairman McCarthy I assume this is the revenue from the classes, right Alderman Dowd? Alderman Dowd Yes. Chairman McCarthy We have a substantial number of out-of-district students I think in vocational programs that we are reimbursed for. MOTION CARRIED NEW BUSINESS - ORDINANCES – None TABLED IN COMMITTEE Alderman Deane What’s the status with the police department? Chairman McCarthy I believe we received a memo from Mr. Griffin in the packet this week. Budget Review – 08/08/13 Page 5 Alderman Deane There was a shortage in payroll but they had unexpended appropriations in other line items. But the ordinance states that you can transfer out of payroll, but you can’t transfer in. Chairman McCarthy Right. Alderman Deane Is that going to have to be done legislatively? I would imagine. Chairman McCarthy I have the memo here. “During the Budget Review Committee meeting…explained to the committee the potential for the police department to expend more than the budgeted amount in payroll. IN processing the final payroll for…we have confirmed that the payroll costs in the police department will exceed the FY2013 … amount by approximately $113,000. The over expenditures in payroll are directly related to the amount spent for overtime…” Alderman Deane I’m of the belief that has to be done legislatively. Chairman McCarthy I would think so. Alderman Dowd It doesn’t sound like he’s asking for it. Alderman Deane I think they identified areas where there was surplus in their operating budget. Chairman McCarthy Why don’t we take Alderman Deane That’s not even on here. Chairman McCarthy No, R-13-118 is. Why we don’t we take care of that one. I think what we need to do with that piece of legislation is to amend the amount to $24,174 and then pass it. Then I’ll make sure we get another resolution to cover the other transfers into payroll. Budget Review – 08/08/13 Page 6 Alderman Deane Do you want to amend this to reflect that? Chairman McCarthy I don’t know what the number is. It just says “it will not be enough to eliminate the deficit in this accounting classification.” Alderman Deane It won’t be enough to eliminate? Chairman McCarthy No. We need to transfer $24,000 from contingency and then the rest is the in-department transfer but I don’t know how much that is. MOTION BY ALDERMAN DEANE TO TAKE FROM THE TABLE R-13-118 MOTION CARRIED R-13-118 Endorsers: Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire Alderman Arthur T. Craffey, Jr. Alderman Kathy Vitale Alderman Richard A. Dowd RELATIVE TO THE TRANSFER OF $33,143 FROM DEPARTMENT 194 – CONTINGENCY INTO DEPARTMENT 150 – POLICE FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING THE PAYROLL AND NON- PAYROLL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIRING OF TWO POLICE OFFICERS ABOVE THE 177 POSITIONS BUDGETED IN FY2013  Tabled 5/16/13 MOTION BY ALDERMAN MCCARTHY TO AMEND THE AMOUNT IN R-13-118 TO $24,174 MOTION CARRIED MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD TO RECOMMEND FINAL PASSAGE AS AMENDED MOTION CARRIED Chairman McCarthy Lastly for this evening, can we have a motion to take R-13-116 from the table? MOTION BY ALDERMAN DEANE TO TAKE FROM THE TABLE R-13-116 MOTION CARRIED R-13-116 Endorser: Mayor Donnalee Lozeau RELATIVE TO THE TRANSFER OF $40,000 FROM DEPARTMENT 194 – CONTINGENCY INTO THE DEPARTMENT 162 – STREET LIGHTING, GENERAL FUND OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH STREET LIGHTING ABOVE THE AMOUNT BUDGETED IN FY2013 Budget Review – 08/08/13 Page 7 MOTION BY ALDERMAN MCCARTHY TO AMEND THE AMOUNT OF $39,200 MOTION CARRIED MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD FOR FINAL PASSAGE AS AMENDED ON THE QUESTION Alderman Deane I think if I remember back I looked at that contingency line. There was like $290,000 in it when this came in. I don’t know what was in it come to think of it. I don’t remember there being over $300,000 in there because it’s coming out of contingency-general right? Chairman McCarthy It’s Department 194. Is that general contingency? Alderman Deane No, general is 70-100. MOTION CARRIED GENERAL DISCUSSION PUBLIC COMMENT REMARKS BY THE ALDERMEN POSSIBLE NON-PUBLIC SESSION ADJOURNMENT MOTION BY ALDERMAN DEANE TO ADJOURN MOTION CARRIED The meeting was declared closed at 7:20 p.m. Alderman Brian S. McCarthy, Chair Acting Committee Clerk