Volunteer Firefighter Relief Fund Committee

City of Norwich Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Fund Committee Minutes Regular Meeting # 128 May 13, 2013 The Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Fund Committee held a special meeting on Monday, May 13, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. in Room 209, City Hall, Norwich, Connecticut. Roll Call Members Present: Members Absent: Aldi, Robert (RA) - Town Consolidated Bergren, Alan (AB) - City Manager District Appointee – left at 5:32 pm Kochanski, Joseph (JK) - Laurel Hill VFD Benoit, Richard (RB) - Taftville VFD, Chair Marks, Brigid (BM) - Human Resources Leary, Donald (DL) - East Great Plain VFD Director, vice chair Mankowski, Karen (KM) - Occum VFD Suplita, Scott (SS) - Personnel & Pension McKeon, Robert (RM) - Immediate Past Board Appointee Chair – arrived at 5:04 pm Quinley, Thomas (TQ) - Yantic VFD, Pothier, Joshua (JP) - Deputy Comptroller, Secretary Treasurer Others Present: Art Meizner, Hooker & Holcombe (guest) Agenda Items 1. Call to Order: Richard Benoit called the meeting to order at 5:02 pm 2. Review of March 31, 2013 investment results by Art Meizner from Hooker & Holcombe Investment Advisors: A motion was made by JP to approve the quarterly report presented by Art Meizner, seconded by KM. Approved. The following is a summary of the investment report: • Fund appreciated 3.85% during the quarter ended 3/31/2013. • Art Meizner may recommend a change in some of the world bond investments to funds that can hedge against currency risk in the next meeting • RA asked what the fund earned between 3/31/13 and 5/13/13. Art Meizner will send this information to JP who will distribute it to the rest of the Committee. 3. Review of minutes from the Regular Meeting on December 3, 2012 and the Special Meeting on March 18, 2013: Motion made to accept the minutes of these meetings by RA, seconded by DL. Approved. 4. Treasurer’s report for the quarter ended March 31, 2013: Motion made to accept the Treasurer’s report by RA, seconded by DL. Approved. 5. Refund request(s): • None received 6. Approval of bills: • None received 7. New Applications for Benefits: • None received  8. Discussion of draft recommendation for City Council to bring the Tax Abatement Ordinance #1437 call and drill requirements in line with the Relief Fund’s call & drill requirements: • DL asked whether the Committee should add language about non-service-related injuries that prevent a volunteer with a history of meeting call and drill requirements each year from qualifying for tax abatement benefits. The Committee decided that this language should be left out of the ordinance for now since it is not specifically addressed in the Relief Fund ordinance either. • Motion made that the draft ordinance be forwarded to the City Council as presented (see attached) by DL, seconded by RB. Approved. 9. Discussion of vacancies on the Committee. • Committee still needs one more member. Any Town Consolidated District resident who is interested should submit a volunteer application to the City Manager’s office. 10. Adjournment: A motion was made by DL to adjourn the meeting, seconded by KM. Approved. Meeting adjourned at 5:44 pm. Respectfully submitted, joshua pothier Treasurer AN ORDINANCE AMENDING NORWICH CODE OF ORDINANCES SECTION 7-26 – “TAX ABATEMENT FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS” WHEREAS, ordinance 1437, as later amended by ordinance 1650, adopted by the Council of the City of Norwich in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes §12-81 on December 4, 2000 and codified as §7-26 of the Norwich Code of Ordinances, provides up to $1,000 abatement of taxes on the residential and/ or personal property owned by volunteer firefighters who meet certain service and training requirements; and WHEREAS, the Volunteer Firefighter Relief Fund Committee has recommended the amendments detailed below in an effort to clarify and modernize the language and make the training requirements of the tax abatement for volunteer firefighters consistent with those of the Volunteer Firefighter Relief Fund Plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Norwich, that the following amendments to §7-26 of the Norwich Code of Ordinances be and hereby are adopted. Sec. 7-26. - Tax abatement for volunteer firefighters. (a) Any member seeking an abatement must have attended a minimum of 20 percent of the years emergency calls and meets the training requirements as prescribed by the bylaws of the individual volunteer fire company 20 percent or a minimum of 20 hours of training sessions and drills (both calculated from January 1 — December 31 of each year). (b) A member who cannot perform his/her duty as a result of a department-related injury shall have their percentage of attendance adjusted according to time lost. (c) The chief of each individual volunteer fire company shall submit a notarized list and an electronic list of all eligible members, as well as their respective level of tax abatement to the Norwich Tax Collector Assessor, or the Tax Collector or Assessor of the municipality which has entered into a an interlocal agreement with the City of Norwich and in which said eligible member resides, no later than March 1st of each year, in order to be eligible for a tax abatement as to taxes due on the following July 1st on the grand list of October 1st of the preceding year. This tax abatement shall be applied only to residential property tax or personal property tax, whether such property is owned individually jointly or as tenant in common with one or more other persons. (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to imply that if an eligible member has less tax liability than their permitted amount of tax abatement, that they are entitled to receive any additional funds from the city under this section. (e) The tax collector Tax Assessor for the Town City of Norwich shall maintain a record of all taxes abated in accordance with this section. (f) The city manager is authorized to enter into, create, receive and deliver an interlocal agreement on behalf of the City of Norwich with one or more of the towns showing common boundaries with the City of Norwich to provide reciprocal tax abatements as set forth in this section for eligible members of volunteer fire departments who in a municipality subject to said intergovernmental agreement and provide volunteer services in another municipality subject to said agreement.