Finance Committee

REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MAY 3, 2016 A meeting of the Finance Committee was held on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber. Mayor Jim Donchess, Chair, presided. Members of the Committee present: Alderman-at-Large Mark S. Cookson, Vice Chair Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien Alderman June M. Caron Alderman Ken Siegel Members not in Attendance: Alderman Benjamin M. Clemons Also in Attendance: Mr. Dan Kooken, Purchasing Manager PUBLIC COMMENT - None COMMUNICATIONS From: Dan Kooken, Purchasing Manager Re: Contract Award Legacy Playground at Labine Park (Value: $233,803) MOTION BY ALDERMAN SIEGEL TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND AWARD THE CONTRACT TO D.L. KING & ASSOCIATES IN THE AMOUNT OF $233,803. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN DEPARTMENT 177, PARKS AND RECREATION; PRIOR YEAR ESCROWS, LABINE PARK ON THE QUESTION Alderman Cookson Just for clarification, have we received the contribution from the Nashua Leadership class? Mayor Donchess I think where we are is that we received a check but we have been asked not to deposit it until the contract is awarded. Alderman Cookson So by awarding this…doesn’t that seem a little backwards? Mayor Donchess Maybe I should say until the contract is approved. I think if we were to approve this contract now and we deposit the money if the money weren’t there then we wouldn’t go ahead. Alderman Cookson So they were contributing what, $165,000? Finance Committee Page 2 May 3, 2016 Mayor Donchess Yes, I think so. Alderman Cookson We made up the difference in one of our previous Finance Committee meetings, is that correct? Mayor Donchess Correct. Alderman Cookson What we had expected the difference to be? Mayor Donchess Correct. This plus the contribution gets us everything except for the carousel. There is $20,000 in the CDBG allocation for the bathrooms and there will probably be the carousel money in the budget that is being proposed. Alderman Cookson Then there was another item that was excluded from this contract that we are going to purchase. I can’t remember how it was described, some wood carpeting. Alderman Siegel It’s referred to in the contract as wood carpeting but that was taken out of this. Alderman Cookson But it indicated in the contract that we would be purchasing and installing it ourselves. Alderman Siegel The city would be responsible for the labor part of that according to the detailed contract. Alderman Cookson So that was a $20,000 item? Mayor Donchess I think it was $12,000. MOTION CARRIED Mayor Donchess The contract is approved contingent on receiving the contribution money from the Legacy Playground organization. Finance Committee Page 3 May 3, 2016 From: Dan Kooken, Purchasing Manager Re: LED Street Light Conversion Project (Value: $1,455,694) MOTION BY ALDERMAN SIEGEL TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND, CONTINGENT UPON BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN APPROVAL, AWARD THE CONTRACT TO SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,455,694. SOURCE OF FUNDING IS DEPARTMENT 161, STREET; LED LIGHTING BOND ON THE QUESTION Alderman Siegel We have been given a contract that isn’t a contract. We have been given a boiler plate city document which is not signed and there is nothing specified. There is a statement of what the items are to be delivered in this but no schedule and nothing signed. I would recommend against approving this since we are not approving a contract we are approving a boiler plate to be filled in later which seems to me to be directly contrary to what we are supposed to do as a committee. I like the idea of the LED lighting though. Mayor Donchess We can, by the next meeting, work out the specifics. We think what it will provide is work will start within about 30 days and completed within about 24 weeks. Alderman Siegel I might also point out that this is contingent upon Board of Public Works approval anyways so we can catch it at the next Finance Committee meeting pending the outcome, which is probably going to me not much in doubt. MOTION BY ALDERMAN SIEGEL TO TABLE UNTIL THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE QUESTION Alderman O’Brien I just have a question, is there still enough time to get this all done where it has to go to a second committee and summer is coming and you have a short window here. Mayor Donchess I did talk to the Director of Public Works about the issue of approving this in two weeks and they see no problem with getting this done this year with that timeframe. Alderman Siegel One remark I might make is that because this is north of $1 million it needs full Board approval so it has to go the Board of Public Works to us, having been tabled and then catch the next round of the Board of Aldermen so we will miss the next meeting and then we are two weeks out from there. Mayor Donchess Yes, so this would be approved by the Board of Aldermen on that schedule on May 24, 2016. MOTION CARRIED Finance Committee Page 4 May 3, 2016 UNFINISHED BUSINESS – None NEW BUSINESS – None RECORD OF EXPENDITURES MOTION BY ALDERMAN SIEGEL THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS COMPLIED WITH THE CITY CHARTER AND ORDINANCES PERTAINING TO THE RECORD OF EXPENDITURES FOR THE PERIOD TO APRIL 15, 2016 TO APRIL 28, 2016 ON THE QUESTION Alderman Siegel I did receive an e-mail from Mr. Kooken regarding an expenditure from Financial Services for Town Fair Tire and it seemed unusual that an expense would come from Town Fair Tire through Financial Services. Apparently it’s a refund of some registration fees and I guess I want to understand ultimately how the heck that ended up through Financial Services as opposed to the Clerk’s office. Mr. Kooken I can follow-up and get back to you on that. I spoke with John Griffin and David Fredette. I’ll go over it with you tomorrow. Alderman Siegel I just have two more items; the fire department has a $1,000 educational expense for educational assistance to the Chamber of Commerce. I’m trying to understand what the Chamber of Commerce…I thought we had specific courses that we could take. Alderman O’Brien I am going to be reaching here but I think the fire department participates in the Leadership Greater Nashua which is a program that is run by the Chamber of Commerce? Alderman Siegel That’s exactly what my presumption would be and that’s exactly why I am disappointed that we have $1,000 expenditure because I think it’s a useless program personally and I would just assume see city dollars not spent on that. That’s my opinion. I have one last item. I noticed in Community Services that there was over $1,000 spent in outreach marketing to Hippo Press and Rumbo and I’m trying to figure out why we would spend money in those two…where that would come from because the Hippo, eh, but the Rumbo is the Merrimack Valley Bilingual Paper and it seems to primarily serve Lawrence, MA. Between the two of the it’s $1,008; its $568.00 and $440.00. Mayor Donchess We can get an explanation on that but are you still moving to approve the expenditures? Alderman Siegel Yes, the money has been spent already so yes. MOTION CARRIED Finance Committee Page 5 May 3, 2016 PUBLIC COMMENT - None POSSIBLE NON-PUBLIC SESSION ADJOURNMENT MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO ADJOURN MOTION CARRIED The Finance Committee meeting was adjourned at 6:14 p.m. Alderman Ken Siegel . Committee Clerk