Loading...
CC MTG MINUTES JUNE 20 2011 • REGULAR MEETING OF THE AGAWAM CITY COUNCIL • Minutes dated June 20, 2011 President Rheault — Please be seated. Hello? I'd like to start the meeting if yod could • please. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. (Gavel pounding over the audience noise) Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the June 20 City Council meeting. Item 1. QtiLen's Speak Time President Rheault —We have a few speakers wishing to address the Council. I noticed • that some of them have put down School Budget for the reason. I would prefer if you want the opportunity to speak will be at the Public Hearing of the budget. So rather than it be redundant and speak at the Speak Time, I will expedite it to get to the budget. Can you hear me now? I just turned Verizon on. There will be an opportunity for you to speak at the School Budget section of the budget session and that will move the meeting • along faster so if you did sign up for Speak Time if you just remain where you were and speak at the budget time is appreciated. Also, when I call at the end for you to come up if you are just in favor to sign in, if you would come forward state your name and address and there's a list at the back table so if you would print your name and address because it's very difficult for our Administrative Assistant to pick up the names and the spellings so if you would do that it would be greatly appreciated. First item on the Agenda is Citizen's Speak Time and I'm gonna call your name and it will be your choice if you want to speak here or at the budget time. Diane Juzba? All right. Alison Bessette? Speak at the budget time, okay. Shelley Borgatti-Reed? Douglas Reed? All right. Billy Chester — his is on the CPA so Billy state your name and address for the record if you would please you have up to five minutes. Billy Chester— Yes, good evening, thank you. My name is Billy Chester. I live at 320 Barry Street in Feeding Hills. I want to thank Mr. Walsh and Mr. Cichetti for sponsoring this CPA Resolution which this Council will be voting on tonight. We supposedly live in • a democracy where all the people not just a few have the right to vote on an issue. For passage of this Resolution tonight, which is the right thing to do, only puts the Resolution on the November ballot so that all the voters of Agawam can decide as to whether they want to continue to be funding these CPA funds. I'm presenting the Council a copy of a petition with 1,026 signatures representing over five percent of active and inactive voters in Agawam that want the CPA Resolution placed on the November ballot. These • signatures have been verified by the Town Clerk's office. I stand before you tonight in support of the passage of this Resolution. If you truly believe in your democracy where all the people have the right to vote on an issue, then please pass this Resolution and I thank you. • President Rheault—Thank you. Wendy Rua? Wait? John Bennett? • r John Bennett—My name is John Bennett. I live at 15G Mansion Woods Drive. I'm the 0 Chapter President for Greater Springfield of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council. I want to talk to you a little bit tonight about an act that's in the legislature right now that will affect Agawam and every community in Massachusetts. It's called an Act to Invest in our Communities and I want to start off by saying the number of budget cuts that hit especially seniors, the elderly and on most unfortunate people in this state have kept coming to the extent that we don't think we can take it any more. We thought maybe with the slowing down of the recession that maybe this year there'd be some return of services but instead we have another budget which has not just cut our services but it's also gonna affect all the communities. It's going to affect our public safety and the police and fire who provide it. It's gonna affect teachers who educate our children. It's going to affect our public workers who fix our roads and it's gonna affect the librarians who staff our libraries. We can't continue to cut to get out of budget cuts. We're suffering from the death of a thousand cuts right now and that's why this Act to Preserve our Communities has been submitted because what we need to do was find a way to increase the revenue in Massachusetts. We don't need more cuts; we need more money and the way in which we can do it without hurting the majority of our citizens is through this Act to Invest in our Communities. In the first place, we want to make sure that at least sixty percent of our population could actually see a reduction in taxes and we can do that be increasing the exemptions to the point that their tax bill will go down instead of up. At the same time, this Act proposes to raise the basic tax rate back to 5.9 % and again this will not affect sixty percent of our citizens. It will also mean that the majority of the 0 money to be raised and it could raise about $1.3 billion of additional revenue would go on the people who can afford it, primarily people whose incomes, individual incomes, are $200,000.00 or more a year. In addition the Act proposes to raise the tax on capital gains to about 8.9% again because we figure that the people who have the money should be able to pay for it and at the same time we would exempt the small savings of poor people, • people whose money's in 401k annuities who need to make sure that they don't have to pay additional taxes on that and why it's important. Again, I don't expect it's gonna go up in the legislature until this fall but it is important for all our communities at some point to let your legislators know that this is an idea whose time is come, that we need to be raising more money because all of us, all of our communities are hurting if they haven't 0 been hurting yet they will be after this budget is in effect. So I thank you for your attention and when the Bill does come up or some form of it in the fall that we'll be back at that point to talk about what the City Council can do. Thank you. President Rheault—Thank you Mr. Bennett. Priscilla Peterson? 0 Priscilla Peterson— Good evening. I'm Priscilla Peterson. For quite a few years now as a Veteran, I have put flags on the cemeteries and the one on Cooper Street goes unappreciated and has for years. It dates back to 1675 and there has never been a sign there. So at a Rotary Club meeting two years ago, I was invited to attend and it happened that Mr. Litman, the former head of Six Flags, was there and I brought a memento I had received at the dedication of the Cyclone roller coaster. It was a block of wood painted 0 • white with a corporate plaque on it saying Six Flags Cyclone. Well he was very pleased • and had never seen one. So I guess because it was so recently that I had put flags on the cemetery that I said how bad I felt that there were no signs there and so Mr. Litman immediately said well there's no reason that we couldn't do it, meaning Six Flags could make the signs. Well I said to him if you want to give me a ride home I said I'd show you the cemetery. He had never noticed it because it doesn't get any attention there. So we went up and saw the cemetery and anyway he offered that they would make the signs. So since then I had talked to other committees and nobody except the Rotarians said they could take it on and Thomas Cooper although he wasn't buried there, he was shot by the Indians in 1675 in Springfield but he managed to come to Agawam and survive long enough to warn the people. So they took shelter in three forts there, just one person was • killed as a result of his warnings so we certainly need to appreciate these people. There are quite a number of Coopers buried in that cemetery including at least two doctors and then one stone was for a little girl two years old who had been scalded to death. So I hope making you people aware of these brave people who started Agawam. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) • President Rheault—Thank you. Louis Russo? Louis Russo — Louis Russo, Highland Street, Feeding Hills. I'm the Vice Chair of the Community Preservation Committee but I am here mainly to speak as a taxpayers. I have spoken before this Council many times to support only those things that have been • proven to be beneficial not only to Agawam's taxpayers but to all of its residents. As most of you also know I have always supported the right to petition but I have also believed those being petitioned should be given the full and honest facts before being asked to sign. It appears again as it did a couple years ago that that has not necessarily been the fact. The Community Preservation Committee has and continues to be a • godsend and a boom to the citizens and also to everybody in the Town of Agawam, taxpayers, everybody, actually it has been probably the most efficiently run, brought in more money to our community, has tougher checks and balances and provides more for every single man, woman and child in Agawam. There is no other committee, commission or elected body in Agawam past or present that can make that claim. For an average $28.00 tax deductible surcharge made by Agawam's property owners, we taxpayers, meaning the Town of Agawam, has received multi-million dollars in return. Presently new legislation that has been favorably passing through our legislature may possibly offer us even more, more money than we have ever received or dreamed of receiving. Remember that is money that cannot go into the General Fund but can only be spent on specific purposes beneficial to everyone in Agawam. So put that in perspective, that is 7 1/z cents per day, 7 1/z dollars per quarter, 5 packs of cancer-causing cigarettes that go up in smoke each year, 1 % weight-gaining, briefly-enjoyed you hope meals in an average restaurant, one bottle of dangerous, inebriation-causing cheap liquor or about two movies per year not counting popcorn. Get my point? Would you rather spend $28 on stuff you don't need and is not necessarily good for you or would you rather spend it on your children and grandchildren's year-round enjoyment, your elderly parents' year- • • round comfort and safety, your neighbor's year-round educational opportunities as they • pertain to our local history. What would you rather spend $28 tax deductible dollars on? Thank you. President Rheault—Thank you Lou. Henry Kozloski? Henry Kozloski—Henry Kozloski, 102 Meadow Street, Agawam. I am the Chair of the CPA Committee. The CPA Committee supports the passage of two resolutions tonight. The first is the upgrading of the software for the historical records. The second is the funding for signs at each of the six historical cemeteries in Agawam. We'd like to thank Six Flags for their donations and thank Priscilla Peterson for her effort in getting this • project before you tonight. This shows you that one person can have a positive impact on town government. Thank you Priscilla for your work. (APPLAUSE) Now I'd like to address the CPA Resolution that's on tonight's Agenda by emphasizing the benefits of the CPA and what it has given to the citizens of Agawam. In the last several years, the Town of Agawam has done several big projects — first the Senior Center costing $6.5 million, an additional $430,000.00 for a parking lot, an ongoing sewer project and the DPW garage — all three projects were bonded, there was no state or federal aid on these projects. However, with the CPA fund the Town of Agawam has completed 22 projects all having 50% or greater matching funds that are completely paid off. If we look at the School Street Project — that was a $2.4 million project. There were three sources of revenue —the Town of Agawam CPA Fund. Our cost was 35% - not 50% - 35%. There was 2% from other Agawam agencies —the ADA, Park & Rec, and the Agawam Capital transfer for drainage, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' share — 56%, Berkshire Power 7%. If we look at the surcharge we collected about $3 million dollars — the Commonwealth's share $2.2 but we got a $500,000 self help grant of$500,000, without CPA money you would not have had that. We have earned $441,000.00 in interest • thanks to the Treasurer for a grand total of over$3.1 million which is more than what the surcharge is. The Town of Agawam...more money than the Agawam 1% surcharge. When the House bill passes and Act to Sustain Community Preservation passes in the near future, it will provide a higher annual trust fund match for each community clarifying allowance use of CPA funds, notably allowing CPA funds for rehabilitation of existing outdoor recreational facilities. We have received from the Community Preservation Committee that the CPA Bill has cleared an important committee approval at the State Capital. When Agawam first adopted the CPA, the town was only to receive 80%matching funds—not 100%. Clerk—One minute Henry. Henry Kozloski -- Since the town was one of the first communities to pass the CPA, there was a large pool of money and within five years, the town received 100% matching funds. Since then close to one hundred communities have adopted CPA — many communities saw the benefit of CPA funds and adopted CPA. West Springfield adopted CPA three years ago because they saw what Agawam had done. Without CPA funds, the • Town of Agawam will not be able to fully develop the remaining twenty acres of School Street Park or upgrade the school playgrounds with rubberized surfaces making their safer or protect our open space or preserve our historical treasurer or have safe and secure housing for the seniors. If we do not have CPA funds, all these future projects will be 100% funded from the town budget. • Clerk—That's time. Henry Kozloski— I have about ten seconds. I doubt if the town would ever fund it. The average cost of CPA is $28.56 or $7.14 a quarter. Nine members of the CPA are all volunteers — they receive no stipends. Because of the tight control of the CPA funds, • most projects in the near future will average 60% town CPA funds, 40% Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Thus when we look back, we see that the adoption of CPA has improved the quality of life for all residents of Agawam. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) President Rheault — Thank you. Peter Donah? Bill Sapelli? Okay. That concludes • Citizen's Speak Time. Item 2. Roll Call President Rheault—Barbara, please call the roll? • ROLL CALL—11 PRESENT, 0 ABSENT President Rheault—Eleven present, you have a full quorum. Item 3. Moment of Silence and the Pledge ofAlleeiance • President Rheault—Please rise for a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance. Item 4. Minutes • (a) Regular Council Meeting—June 6,2011 President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Bitzas, seconded by Councilor Rossi and Councilor Perry. Any corrections or additions? If not, voice vote is sufficient. All those in favor? Opposed? Unanimous. 0 Item 5. Declaration from Council President President Rheault — I just wanted to make one declaration under Item 5. There's obviously mixed emotion on tonight's Agenda and it's a very cool evening down there maybe but up here it's a little warm so hopefully everybody is gentleman and lady-like • and we'll get along with the hearing everyone has their own opinion and we respect it • whether we agree with it or disagree. So let us be professionals and run this very • smoothly, Item 6., Presentation of Petitions,Memorials & Remonstrances (a) Resolutions 1, TR-2011-23 -A Resolution Adopting Massachusetts General Law Chapter 32B, Section 18(Tabled 6/6/11)(Referred to Ordinance Committee) (Mayor)(To Be Withdrawn) President Rheault —I'll entertain a motion to take it off the table. Moved by Councilor ! Simpson, seconded by Councilor Messick. All those in favor? Opposed? Item's off the table. The Mayor has asked to withdraw it so—I'm sorry—Councilor Letellier abstained. The item's been withdrawn from the Agenda at the request of the Mayor. 2. TR-2011-35 -A Resolution to Revoke Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44B,Sections 3 through and including 7 of the Community Preservation Act(Referred to Ordinance Committee) (Councilors Walsh and Cichetti) President Rheault —Moved by Councilor Walsh, seconded by Councilor Simpson. The item is on the floor. This was referred to the Ordinance Committee. Councilor • Magovern? Councilor Magovern — Thank you Council President Rheault. The Ordinance Committee met and discussed this at great length with Councilor Letellier and Councilor Cichetti. We went into great discussion with it. We had several people there to talk about it and it was the concensus of our committee that there's great good that's been done by the CPA over the years. I think you've heard Mr. Kozloski talking about a few of the items that have been funded by the CPA that would not otherwise be funded. A few of my pet projects were the Smith House which was funded, you've got the Phelps School playground that's been funded, everybody has been really affected by this both the young, the old, the seniors, the historical individuals in town and after the discussion it was moved that we leave it the way that it is and do not put a positive recommendation through for this bill and it's interesting that Councilor Cichetti was one of the sponsors but after going through the discussion he also voted unanimously with the Ordinance Committee that we leave the CPA Committee the way that it is and give a negative vote to the Council. Thank you. President Rheault—Thank you. Anyone else? Councilor Simpson? Councilor Simpson -- The Ad Hoc CPA Committee met on this item also this evening and with some discussion — not too much — it was asked for clarification that this particular item was put on that if it was voted in that it would allow for this to go on the • next ballot. That was just some clarification that was made. A vote was taken at the end • of the meeting with I vote to send a positive recommendation for passage and 3 votes for a negative recommendation to not pass this. Thank you. President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Walsh? Councilor Walsh — Yes, I think the Resolution that we have, it's not a question of whether we are in favor of the CPA or not because frankly if it goes on the ballot I am more than likely going to go and vote in favor of retaining the CPA. I think it's a question of whether we're going to permit the voters to express their opinion on keeping or rejecting the CPA. The economy is much different than it was back in 2001 when we first put the CPA on the ballot and passed it. There's been a lot of unemployment,people have expressed the idea that we're getting less state money than we had originally and that they would like the opportunity to vote on whether we retained this or not. Now we can still be in favor of the CPA and vote to put this resolution before the voters. President Rheault—Councilor Bitzas? • Councilor Bitzas —Yes, Mr. President, I do agree with Councilor Walsh. It's not, a yes vote is a vote to let the people's voice speak. Let the people speak and say if they still want it or they don't want it. That's what we're doing here. This is the process that we allow the legislation to do it otherwise we cannot do it differently. So by voting yes, we • don't voting no. By voting yes, you're voting to give a voice to the people and let them decide if they want to continue fine, I'll be big supporter of it. I make so many resolutions to the floor council for you gentlemen and we be allowed to change the laws to allow more flexibility to those funds. But the last time we had over 2000 votes, we again we didn't allow the people the right to vote because of technicality of the petition-- the wording— so this is the way we can let the people decide. 2001 we pay $1.00 and the state paid $1.00. Now the taxpayers pay $1.00 and the state gives us .27 or .28 cents. So big difference so the people have the right to make their choices. So I'm not against the CPA but I'm for the people —let them decide what they want to do. Times are changing. The economy is bad. Who knows? They have the right to speak and vote. Thank you. President Rheault—Thank you. Do you want to speak Councilor Messick? Councilor Messick — Thank you. I won't be voting for this to put this on the ballot because I have some experience with Citizen's Petitions and they're a really great way to get the government to do what you would like them to do if you're putting something on the ballot. The fact that you can't or have not gathered enough properly certified signatures, I don't think should be a good reason for me to say oh, you know what, don't bother doing that work, this is a democracy, you know I'll just do it for you. So I think that if that happens and there's a ground swell of disapproval for the CPA and we have letters being written to the paper and people are expressing dissatisfaction then great. • Let's do that work and get it on the ballot but I will not be voting for it because I am a • • huge supporter of the CPA. I think this town will suffer immeasurable damage if we did not have these funds available to replace playgrounds, to make parks, to create beautiful spaces and to preserve open space. So, thank you. President Rheault—Councilor Rossi? Councilor Rossi — Thank you. I have said this before and I think it bears repeating that sitting up here and doing this work week after week, week after week, every now and then something comes along that you know has made a positive affect on this community and the CPA is just that thing. I can't think of any bill that's ever come through this City Council that had more of an impact on the community than the CPA. Without it,we have * not been able to do a lot of things that we did. Those of us who are active in the CPA have been continually working with them and for several years now I've been working with them to try to get the CPA to change to allow us to use that money for properties that we the city own and what drew attention to that was the high school football field and Dr. Czajkowski, I know she's over there shaking her head, was one of the people that we tried to work with and get some of that money to use and to get that field, that track, • and even to open it up once it got completed to the people so they could use it to walk, a lot of people used to like to walk on that track but now it's been deemed to be a hazardous condition. I believe that we still can't have home track and field meets there because it doesn't conform to safety standards by the state and I think that within a matter of time at least those of us in the system are very hopeful in a matter of time that the 75% • money guarantee from the CPA funds and attached to that will be the ability for us to use those funds for properties that were already owned for rehabilitation and I think that is a huge, huge plus. Now I understand that a Citizen's Petition will not be sufficient to take this off the table because it has to come off the same way in which it was enacted. The City .Council voted for this to go to the people, the people voted to have it, • overwhelmingly but as Councilor Messick said if there is a ground swell out there in the community that believe right now, I mean I don't know where you can get 30% interest on your money right now but if you can please give me a call, I would like to invest in it. So thirty percent of something is better than one hundred percent of nothing, at least that's my view and I think I agree with Councilor Messick if there is a ground swell out • there with people who just say I don't think 30% is worth it. I don't think there's any value in the program. I'd Iike to see it—then please send word out. Get word to the City Council and if there is, fine, but until that point, I have to agree with most of the people on this Council anyway and most of the people that I've talked to — I've never heard anybody say they wanted it removed. I know that there was a petition circulating but even those, even on the panel if you listen, they're saying they're not opposed to the program, they're just opposed to the fact that they want people to vote. I don't know if that makes sense to me but if you're in favor of it, why would you want to set up an election to have people vote knowing that most of those people on the petition probably didn't understand what they signed in the first place because I don't know if there was enough information given out. At least that's some of the information that I got back • from those who signed it and didn't quite understand it but I think we're making a • • horrible, horrible mistake if we went and eliminated this program and I will not be • supporting it. President Rheault—Councilor Bitzas? Councilor Bitzas — Yes, I don't disagree with the way that everybody spoke tonight but • the question is we let the people decide by doing this, by voting yes, don't underestimate, Councilors, the wisdom and the knowledge of the Agawam voters. They do understand. They know what is going on. Don't you think we understand if they don't understand? They know they pay taxes 1% more. They know it's not investment of 30% return? They're not. They're not investing money in the bank, money—taxpayers' money—and • they have the right to decide themselves, not us to decide for them because we know better and they don't understand. I don't buy that. I believe we have $3 million left in the CPA fund and they earn interest every single day. You still can have the option of the people to decide what to do and still have the CPA Committee to spend the money. I tried so many times to put new track at the high school with the money that we have. I was unsuccessful because the state didn't do it. I tried to do to help the seniors' housing • finally they did it after we fought and fixed it for the senior citizens. Don't tell me now that the CPA's not good, then if it's not good, people would vote in favor they have that, if they believe that. If you're afraid to put it on the ballot, then why are you afraid? Don't be afraid, let's put it down there and walk and tell the people and...-them but at least let them have the right to vote in our election, not special election, the regular • election, because so many send us the signatures and I don't understand, they signed and don't understand what they signed, I don't buy that. Thank you. President Rheault—Councilor LeteIlier? Councilor Letellier— Yes, thank you, Council President. I have to respectfully disagree with Councilor Bitzas on this one. We are not denying people their democratic rights. In fact, they do have the right to petition. By asking the Council to vote no on this one of my fears is that it will be misconstrued when it comes time to collect signatures, well the Council already said they don't want the CPA, they voted in favor of putting the • resolution on the ballot. So we're not denying the people their democratic right. Go out, get your signatures and go through the process and I certainly will respect your position. I won't vote for it but I will certainly respect that you went through the process and when this came up two years ago, I wanted to remind people that even if Agawam doesn't continue with the CPA, our residents, our taxpayers, are still going to be paying into that fund. Every deed that gets recorded, every mortgage that gets recorded, that surcharge is collected so if we say no we don't want that money, our residents are paying into the state and other people, other towns, are going to benefit from our transactions in our town and I'm not sure that that's really well explained to people. Additionally, I have to give Councilor Bitzas kudos because he is the one that did the resolution for the town to sponsor and to say that we were in support of the revisions to the CPA and under those 0 revisions we would get a 75% matching dollar for dollar amount. We have never only 0 i gotten 30 cents or 27 cents, that's not correct first of all. Second, the very item that Councilor Bitzas asked us to pass will allow us to do the rehabilitation as Councilor Rossi said and guarantees us 75%. So I want to make sure that when there's a conversation about this CPA that the correct information gets out there and not fears and the people understand what the money has done AND the fact that it's $28 and change on the average person's bill and that it is tax deductible. So I'm not voting for this. I respect the i right to petition and I suggest that you do in fact invoke your right to petition but I will not be voting for this. Thank you. President Rheault—Councilor Cichetti? + Councilor Cichetti—Yes, I just wanted to speak on behalf of this. I was a co-sponsor of this as everybody knows. After doing my homework and speaking to people in town that are involved in the CPA a little bit more than I am, they did explain to me the way it did work and I was actually misunderstanding the way it worked. There's a new bill that is going through committee that's going to give us the 75% and actually allow us to rehab things and do things along those lines so again, I will be not supporting this when we do vote. Thank you. President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Walsh? Councilor Walsh—Yes— i President Rheault— Sorry, Councilor Mineo for the first time. Councilor Mineo —I just wanted to say that I'm totally against this and I do understand everybody's right to vote however, I kind of I do agree with Councilor Rossi that I • haven't received one phone call about this —one — I could see if ten people called me or twenty people called me, I mean maybe tomorrow I'll get inundated with phone calls but up to today I haven't got one phone call, not one so the way I think if it's not broke, don't fix it. President Rheault—Councilor Walsh? Councilor Walsh — Yes, I think a lot has to do with trust in our elected officials as we look back in the year 2000, 2001 when the CPA was put into place. We assured the voters that this could be taken out after a period of five years and we're now at a period . of ten years and if you listen to us now, you're never gonna get rid of it. So the next time we come before you and say we've got this great thing for you, I think the citizens are gonna think twice about trusting in their elected officials. President Rheault—Councilor Magovern? + Councilor Magovern —Very quickly I just wanted to reiterate that in the economic times • that we're in where it's so difficult to come up with money for the extras that we'd all like to have as citizens of Agawam, the money isn't there within the budget to give us these extras. The money IS there however in CPA to give us the playscapes that we need,to give us the historical monuments that we need. $28.00 a year is something that I don't think anybody is going to miss and for one, I really am strongly in favor of the CPA. I think that again as one of the councilors said, it's one of the best things that has happened to Agawam. I would not like to see it repealed and if I had heard a ground swell of people, if I had heard anybody calling me and saying I want this repealed, I'm out and around town everyday, the only comments I have heard have been positive about the CPA. I have had one person and one person only come up and talk to me about the negative aspects of CPA and I really don't think that they had their facts straight so I for • one am totally one hundred percent in favor of CPA. I disagree with some of the spending and we make the final decisions here on the Council so it's not as if you have this fund and you get people spending it without the Council's approval so we are here to I think make the final judgment as to how that money's spent. Thank you. President Rheault—Councilor Bitzas for the final time? • Councilor Bitzas — Very short and then we have a long night. Just want to remind you that the people they don't call us some times but they know what's going on and the people they speak to us through petitions. The gentleman who came and spoke today he said over 1500 signed petitions and about two years before with about 2500 — 3000 • petitions so that's the voice of the people. Just to let you know. Thank you. President Rheault -- Barbara, will you please call the roll? A yes vote will ensure that this goes on the ballot. ROLL CALL—2 YES (Councilors Bitzas and Walsh), 9 NO President Rheault—Two yes, nine no, you've defeated the resolution. 3. TR-2011-36 -A Resolution Authorizing the Reservation and Appropriation of Funds from the Community Preservation Fund(Referred to Ad Hoc CPA Committee) (Council) President Rheault—Moved by Councilor Simpson, seconded by Councilor Perry. Item is not on for discussion. It was referred to the CPA Committee,Councilor Simpson? Councilor Simpson — Thank you. With the items we had on for the CPA tonight, I apologized to the committee we happened to overlook this one item but as Chair I see no issues with this. I'm sure any of my other members of the committee may speak if they have a problem or they have any concerns with this but I see no reason no to approve. President Rheault — For the benefit of the audience this is the Resolution that we're required to keep so much money in each of the classes of like historical, recreation, for • • the preservation of the fund and it's attached as the resolution states without going • through the length of reading it all. Any other questions from the Council? If not, Barbara, please call the roll? ROLL CALL—11 YES, O NO President Rheault—Eleven yes, you have approved the resolution. 4. TR-2011-37 -A Resolution Authorizing the Community Preservation Committee to Spend$555.00 for the Purchase of Six Cemetery Signs for the Six Historical Cemeteries of the Town of Agawam as Provided for Under the Restoration of Historic Resources Section of the Community Preservation • Act(Referred to Ad Hoc CPA Committee)(Councilor Bitzas) President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Simpson, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. Councilor Simpson? Councilor Simpson -- Yes, this item was also brought up during our meeting this evening and there was really no discussion and four votes for the positive passage of this with one absent. President Rheault—Thank you. Any other discussion on it? Councilor Messick? Councilor Messick - I think it might be nice just to mention the cemeteries that might have signs? Cooper Street Cemetery, Old Feeding Hills Cemetery, Smith Family Cemetery, Maple Grove Cemetery, Agawam Center Cemetery and Springfield Street Cemetery. President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Magovern? Councilor Magovern — I'd just like to take one second, I know she's been thanked but I want to thank Priscilla Peterson. I was at the Rotary meeting when Priscilla came and spoke about the cemeteries and I think that it's great that Priscilla has taken such active • interest in the community and the Federal Hill Street Cemetery which is how I prefer calling it otherwise the Cooper Street Cemetery, I am especially very pleased about because I have some ancestors from the 1700s that are buried in the Federal Hill Cemetery and I've wondered through that cemetery on several occasions and it is in need of preservation and a sign I think is well deserved there so I for one thank you very much Priscilla. President Rheault—Barbara, please call the roll on the resolution as attached. ROLL CALL—11 YES, O NO President Rheault—Eleven yes, you've approved the resolution. r • 5. TR-2011-38 -A Resolution Authorizing the Community Preservation Committee to Spend$7,612.00 for the Purchase and Installation of a Laser Fiche Software Upgrade to Further Update the Town Clerk's Historical Records under the Historic Preservation Section of the Community Preservation Act(Referred to Ad Hoc CPA Committee)(Councilor Bitzas) • President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Simpson, seconded by Councilor Bitzas. Councilor Simpson again? Councilor Simpson—Yes, this item was also brought up with relatively no discussion on it. It is the second part of a two-part project. The first part was done in the year 2009 and these are updates to be able to continue on with the records. So by a 4-1 absent, it was a positive recommendation to the Council to vote for this item. Thank you. President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Bitzas? • Councilor Bitzas — Yes, I am a member also of the CPA Committee and because I was late from work, I was late today and I didn't make the meeting and I would like to thank the committee for supporting those two items and I'm going to make sure that the people who are watching us tonight that we do have a $3 million plus in the fund and if you do need any ideas, anything, that you see in the town what you suggest, please come to us or • go to the CPA Committee and we're in a good cause so now seems to be you know it's not gonna be on the ballot but it does not mean it is not a good way to spend some of the money—the taxpayer's money—just encourage you to just give us a call. Thank you. President Rheault — Thank you. If you're in favor of the resolution as attached, Barbara,please call the roll? • ROLL CALL—11 YES,0 NO President Rheault--Eleven yes, you've approved the resolution as attached. • Item 7. Report of Council Committees None. Item 8. Elections • None. Item 9. Public Hearings • 1. TR-2011-31 - (PH-2011-3) A Resolution Adopting the Fiscal Year 2012 Operating(Mayor) • • • President Rheault — I now declare the public hearing open and I would invite the administration to give a brief presentation. Mayor Cohen — Good evening. This evening I'm presenting a balanced budget for Fiscal 2012. As you are aware, this has been a very difficult year and an extremely • difficult budget process. With continued cuts in state aid and the overall economic picture, my administration has been diligently evaluating the needs of our town and what our taxpayers can afford. As your Mayor, it is my responsibility to review all expenditures within the town's budget. As positions within the town became vacant, I have kept the town's needs in mind. I have not filled eight positions however, I am still confident that we will continue to offer our citizens the services that they deserve. As Mayor and Chairman of the School Committee, education is my first priority at budget time. The School Budget presented many challenges. While the School Committee budget before you tonight contains a decrease in staff, it is also $284,669.00 greater than last year. Enrollment in our school population in the past ten years has decreased 6% and 2% over the past five years. The Town Council's sub-committees have reviewed this • budget and my administration has provided them with any additional information they have requested. We are here this evening to take the next step in this process. By submitting this budget on time and balanced, I have fulfilled my primary obligation as the Mayor. As the City Council, you now have your job to do this evening. Many suggestions during this process have been made. For example, I should raise additional • taxes. I will not make proposals to raise taxes in addition to Proposition 2 1/z. Finally, I wish to touch upon the fact that this budget contains a 1% Cost of Living increase on the town side and a 1% Cost of Living increase on the school side of the budget. The Mayor as you are aware must negotiate in good faith with all bargaining units. I have done so. The Council rejected those contracts pending a funding plan which is now included in • this budget. The unions have refused to compromise with the administration in an effort to renegotiate. As Chairman of the School Committee, I also approached the Teachers' Association in an effort to save teacher's positions. They too have refused my overtures. In response to the Council's refusal to approve these contracts, those unions have filed for mediation alleging unfair labor practices and failure to negotiate in good faith. The • Council must now answer the question, what now? In closing, I wish to again to state that it's the City Council's responsibility to act on this budget as presented by the Mayor and School Committee. I refuse to place any additional burden on the taxpayers of the Town of Agawam and I urge the City Council to approve this balanced budget as presented. All of you also received the Annual Operating Budget handout. Continued reduction in aid to cities and towns Fiscal Year 2012 Local Aid is increased $718,725 0 over FY2011 but is still $734,648 lower than FY2009 and there are no additional ARRA or stimulus funding that is anticipated for FY12. The FY2011 budget restored $477,029 of the$1.8 million cut from Local Aid in FY2010, additional FY2011 ARRA or Stimulus Funding for the School Department totaled $207,338. FY2010 Local Aid was $1.8 million lower than FY2009, however FY2010 Stimulus Funding for the School • Department totaled $1.38million alleviating some of the loss in Local Aid. In this year's budget I've again not utilized any Stabilization Fund. We have new growth estimated at • $375,000 and Agawam continues to be one of only a handful of communities to never seek an override of Proposition 2 1/z. Staff reductions continue. Personnel positions were carefully reviewed in view of reduced revenues and vacancies still continue to be left open and the following positions were not budgeted. There's a half time Senior Clerk in the Clerk's Office, Treasurer's Office — an Assistant Treasurer; Inspection Services — a. half time Code Enforcement Officer;the Police Department—we share the funding of our # Animal Control Officer with West Springfield and there's a Senior Clerk position in the DPW Administration. If you look at the Free Cash used to reduce the tax burden on our citizens — back in 2003 was when the falling economy and problems continued when budgets began to be cut. We used $2.9 million of Free Cash to help stabilize the budget to this year, I have only used $1.9 million because the amount of Free Cash as we continue to cut budgets and reduce them year after year, we don't have the Free Cash and we need to be cognicent not to utilize one time's monies to fund our budget to create problem and bigger problems for the following year. The following Collective Bargaining Agreement have negotiated salary increases of 1% - the School Teachers, Town Administrative, Clerical, Police, Firefighters and Nurses. Fisca12012 Budget Highlights — School Committee Budget increased .84% - $1,082,00 for Ed Jobs, ARRA and SFSF grants have been removed from the Operating Budgets as they are no longer available. The town budget increased .82%. We retained all critical town and school services. Principal and Interest costs we have reduced by 4.18%; Benefits and Insurance have increased by almost 10% at 9.82. If you look at departmental appropriations for the past ten years, you can see Building Maintenance in yellow has stayed pretty flat with slight increases and the reason. I put Building in there is because it's shared by both School and Town. The blue line are the town appropriations for the past ten years and the red are the schools seeing that schools are the biggest percentage of our budget whereas city budgets have remained somewhat consistent along with Building Maintenance. School Department Budget — the blue bar shows the increases in school funding appropriations by the town; the red are additional funds in 2006 it was a supplemental budget of about almost $200,000 and then in the last couple of years, the ARRA Funds or stimulus funds that are no longer available for appropriation. You can see by this grid, the FY2011 budget is $33,900,000 and for FY2012 it is $284,669 increased. ARRA is gone and there is ARRA carry forward of about $550,000 that is # used in the School Budget. The town continues to pay the school portion of Property and Liability Insurance and it is anticipated that $500,000 in Circuit Breaker funds will be available to offset some of the SPED tuition. Next is Public Safety and Public Safety went up between Police and Fire $144,000 or 1.7%. The ambulance service is continued in Feeding Hills. There are four firefighters still paid out of the ambulance service and funding of one police office/school resource officer has been eliminated in the School # Department budget. Science College known as the Quinn Bill was funded at$459,521.00 and we are projected to get $9,600 back from State Aid ---that's 50% of that law and I'd love to be able to do math like that too. Public Works went up .41% or $18,000. One Senior Clerk position is still unfilled in the DPW. Capital Improvement appropriations include $400,000 in capital expenditures for public works; the Street Improvement i program $150,000; Highway Equipment $150,000 our trucks are getting old and they do get beat up with a winter like we had this year; Sidewalk Rehab $5,000; Traffic Light Improvements is $20,000; GPS Vehicle Tracking $50,000; Engineering Scanner & Printer—our old one is dying and they use it every day, it's necessary for their continued work at $25,000; weekly trash pick up is continued and yard waste pick up is also continued. Culture and Recreation went up .89%. The library budget increased by $17,489; it has to in an effort to meet the requirements set by the state for certification and as long as we go up by that amount and meet the minimum requirement then we will receive State Aid at $35,752. Park& Recreation services are maintained and the Council on Aging decreased by continued savings on utilities and related costs at the new Senior Center. Human Services went up 1%. The increase was partly the Western Hampden District Veterans Services assessment which is broken down between our district based on evaluations and that increased by $2,150 and it addresses the needs for our Agawam s veterans. The Health Department continues to fund all the full time school nurses and part time school nurses at the schools also so we have coverage in all our schools. General government went up .91% or $27,000; Data Processing the SQL Conversion included at $18,000; a vacant position of a half time Senior Clerk unfilled in the Clerk's Office and the staff reduction continued in the Treasurer/Collector's office without the • Assistant Treasurer/Collector. Debt and Principal and Interest have gone down 4.81%. School Construction Debt we refunded which has reduced the interest costs and provides a continued savings and it's also through tight fiscal management that we're able to keep our bond rating up and allow us to borrow at a lower cost. The General Fund Debt, Principal and Interest continues—the largest portion of our debt and principal and interest goes back to 1998 —school renovation and additions which is $1.3 million then followed by our Senior Center of $570,000 but we have the school additions and renovations, Agawam High School Library expansion, Middle School roof, the Jr. High/Middle School repairs,modular classrooms, the platforms,the DPW facility, Perry Lane pool and we are projecting the town-wide telephone system at $49,875 in the first year—that's on your Agenda as a new item. Benefits and Insurance increased to $13,171,199 an increase of almost $1.2 million or 9.82%. Medical Claims and Insurance includes dental, health and life insurance for both school and town, active and retirees, at an estimated cost of $8.8 million. The cost for the School Department Medical and Dental Insurance premiums is approximately $5.2 million or 60% of the annual cost. The town costs are i approximately $3.5 million or 40% of the annual cost. Medical Insurance increased $736,000 with coverage continued for retired and active employees and Pension Costs have increased $181,000. Property & Liability have not seen an increase. We left it where it has been for many years. Property & Liability Insurance includes all insurances for both town and schools. School Department contribution of$80,500 was eliminated from the School Budget last year and Personnel Department is continuing to administer 0 all Workers' Compensation claims and has done an extremely good job at it. Our Reserve Fund was originally $500,000 and it was reduced the last couple of years. At one time it was $650,000 reduced to $500,000 and then we reduced it to $400,000. This year with the snow and ice and the way it was, we had unexpected, we were under-budget which you can over-estimate; we went through all the $453,000 that was budgeted. We • also had that situation that I can't talk too much about but we have a situation with the 0 • cracked pipe which — so we are looking to increase the Reserve Fund in an effort to be conservative at best but I think it's more prudent to have that in line. The Reserve Fund is increased. It's available only through Council appropriation and for any unforeseen expenditures as we did see this year. Self-Sustaining Departments —Waste Water budget increased 4.55%; increased salaries include a portion of the Deputy Superintendent's Salary, Special Heavy Motor Equipment Operator and a Laborer; increased costs for Wastewater Treatment and Professional Services and Debt Service. These are Self- Sustaining Departments and don't have an impact on the — it does not utilize tax dollars. Water spending is up. Decreased salaries reflect moving a portion of the Deputy Superintendent's salary to the Wastewater Fund and Increased costs for water purchase and professional services. The Golf Course budget decreased by 8.36% and Capital • Improvement appropriations are Hampden County Land which is part of the land on South West Street that we purchased and the land that is now called School Street Park; street improvement program $150,000; Public Works equipment which I mentioned earlier $150,000; sidewalk rehab $5,000; traffic light improvements $20,000; GPS vehicle tracking system $50,000 which should pay for itself in the savings of gas and mileage; engineering and digital scanner which is necessary; Fire Department air compressors which is needed for their daily operation and we did have funding for some of it through Homeland Security Grant and Fire Department emergency back up generator; Fire Department cardiac monitors—it's new equipment that saves lives and the gym doors at the Jr. High School which need to be done and that concludes the budget message and I thank you. • President Rheault — Thank you Mayor Cohen. Are there any questions from the Council for the Mayor? Councilor Rossi? Councilor Rossi - Yes, Mayor, you go back you talk about the unions and the 1% • increase and it's no secret that the Council rejected those appropriations and sent them back to renegotiate and there was some mention made on the floor and I was one of them probably because I know you quoted me directly who wanted to know where those fiends were going to come from. Although I wasn't completely satisfied with your response you did say that it was gonna be in the budget and it was gonna be balanced. It'd be • difficult for me to understand all of that knowing what was cut, what wasn't and those kinds of things to make up the 1% but I think the bigger question is what are you gonna do next year? If we pass this budget, we're gonna be doubling those expenditures for next year and I don't think that anybody in this room has an idea what next year's gonna look like and I'm sure with the budget with the way it is right now and the way it has been last year, the budgets are so tight that just about everything being appropriated is • gonna be spent so our Free Cash coming in -- you mentioned you used $1.5million in Free Cash—and that our new growth was only $300,000. So that being said, that appears to me from the outside that we're spending a little bit more than we're taking in. So I'm a little concerned about that and I'd like to have you address where you intend to have that 2%come in next year if this budget is passed. • r Mayor Cohen — Councilor, that was the same question that you asked me last year, how I would do the 1% and it was done through the cooperation of department heads, the administration and everybody giving up quite a bit. It is a balanced budget so there certainly won't be more coming in than is going out. In this budget if it's passed, we will only spend what is passed and next year it would be the job of whomever the mayor is whether it be me or anybody else but through our financial conservatism, I am confident that if it is me, we will present to you another balanced budget with the 2% with the cooperation of all the cities and towns and schools and we will present the balanced budget. I can't predict what the state will give to us or what the federal government will do. I can't predict that so to give you and this year I can tell you that the Police asked for two police cruisers, they got one. We looked at all of the items that cities have asked for and they were drastically cut. I'm not gonna go through every meeting I had with every department but we cut and cut and cut and cut and reduced costs and that's what's allowed us to present this balanced budget and I am confident we will do the same next year. Councilor Rossi—Well, you see Mayor, that's what concerns me here. I know you went • to these departments and you asked these people to tighten their belts so you could give this 1% increase to these unions and apparently they have done that. I know that there has been an additional increase of cruisers which I might add were desperately needed. I have had an opportunity to take a look at those things on my own time and just walked through and took a look at those things and they're in desperately need of replacement. • Now you didn't replace one this year. I don't know how you can get away with not replacing any next year so this is what concerns me. These type of belt-tightening this year —how are we ever gonna do that when our expenditures are gonna be doubled next year? And as you said, our new growth is very low and we're now using Retained Earrings and we're using Free Cash to balance our budgets and as I think everybody • realizes using Free Cash and Retained Earnings for day-to-day operations, isn't the best scenario. Mayor Cohen —Yea, there's no Retained Earnings in the General Fund. I want to make that clear. There are no Retained Earnings in the General Fund. Councilor Rossi - I understand that. Mayor Cohen — And the Free Cash, we did utilize yes, we used to utilize a lot more. I can tell you we did get one cruiser in the budget, we are getting another one on a grant. Last year we got two new cruisers, this year we get two new cruisers,there was a time we didn't get any. So in these tight times, we are replacing the cruisers as we have in the past programs. We try to do two a year. Next year we will continue to do the same. Two in the budget or one is a grant and one in the budget as we did this year. So we'll continue to keep them updated and keep the fleet going because I too inspect them and I thank you for the time you took but I can tell you that this budget has been balanced — • next year's will too. • • ! Councilor Rossi — Okay, also you mentioned that fact that there was no additional personnel in the Police Department, yet don't we have a couple of people in the academy right now we just recently hired? Mayor Cohen — There's no additional police officers. We are still staying at our status quo at the number that we have had. Councilor Rossi—They're not new hires? Mayor Cohen—No,they are replacing people who have retired. Councilor Rossi—Oh, so we've replaced people? Mayor Cohen — We're replacing people to keep them at their same number at public safety. I did not cut the number of public safety people. Councilor Rossi — Okay. Also and I just want to touch on one thing before I go on a little bit. I know you mentioned about these School Department increase of.84% and on the town side the increase was .82% and I want to tell you I thought that was pretty decent but the point I want to make here is that the .84% increase by the school side of the budget was strictly for wage increases and staff personnel. Correct? • Mayor Cohen—I'll Iet the Superintendent answer that as she is the Superintendent and is the one who presents the budget to the School Committee. Dr. Czajkowski —Actually that's not correct, Councilor Rossi, and I know, Mr. Mayor, in your presentation you had indicated in the education section that we would be carrying over $550,000 for ARRA money and that actually is incorrect. We're actually going to be carrying over in Ed Jobs bill a total of$393,000 of which 9% of that $393,000 must go to retirement and so actually the actual carryover is $360,944. So I wanted to just make that point and then also the point with respect to the .94% increase — that takes into • account all fixed costs. We currently have twenty four students that will be going to our Lower Pioneer Educational Collaborative Program — more than what we had last year. That isn't — it's a choice that students make with their families — and that increase is $258,028. The step raises are $434,000 and the 1% increase is $225,000 so the .84% doesn't total the actual just increases of the contractual increases — there are other fixed costs increases in that number as well as Special Education tuition which is $520,000. So * that .94% what I'm trying to say does not solely account for the contractual step increases. Councilor Rossi — But aren't those other like SPED and the other one, aren't they self- sustaining? • • • Dr. Czajkowski—No. No they're not. • Councilor Rossi—You don't get tuition for those? Dr. Czajkowski — We get Circuit Breaker — we get an offset however for example the state is reducing the amount of Circuit Breaker offset to districts so while the state is in dire straights are well they're saying they can't continue to fund just as they are not funding Chapter 70—they are reducing our Special Education tuition costs. Councilor Rossi— Well, how much money did we get this year for tuition? • Dr. Czajkowski—For Special Education— Councilor Rossi—No, no, I'm talking about the tuition for choice—School Choice. Dr. Czajkowski—School Choice we bring in about $300,000 or$400,000— Councilor Rossi— Three or four hundred thousand? Dr. Czajkowski — However, we have to pay sick leave buy back and early incentive retirement—that's where we take our school choice money from to be able to pay that for teachers retiring so our sick leave buy back is close to $400,000—so that's a wash. • Councilor Rossi — So, well, it might be a wash but the money I guess I'm trying to say does not go directly into the student services, it goes into the teachers' retirement packages. • Dr. Czajkowski — That's correct. Yes, it is correct, but it's a contractual agreement that has been in place for probably the last thirty years. Councilor Rossi — I understand that. I understand the contract but I think the point I'm trying to make at is if we're bringing people in, you are getting tuition for those students, the town is obligated to educate those students okay, and sometimes that education cost is at a higher level than what we're actual getting tuition for, correct? So my point is if the town is obligated to educate those children, okay, and yet the money we're taking in for those children are going to pay for benefits for staff members, I don't know if that really makes a lot of sense to me. l thought that that money should go directly into their education. Dr. Czajkowski — I totally agree with you Councilor Rossi but based on the advice that our attorney has given us, if we were to not meet those contractual obligations, we would probably end up in mediation and arbitration which is going to be costing more than what the actual costs for the retirement are so it's very difficult, very frustrating, I understand • that but you know our hands our tied. • i Councilor Rossi — Oh, I understand, I understand and Pm not indicting you here I understand the system. I just wish we were a little bit more prudent in our negotiations a while back but I don't want to get off the track here. The unions, Mayor, you said that the unions refused any concessions, they refused to meet with you again to renegotiate and you said that they filed for mediation. Is that correct? • Councilor Rossi— Well I spoke with all of those union representatives today and none of them said that they had filed for mediation and none of them said they refused to meet with you. Now I'm having a little conflict. I'm having a little problem with that. Mayor Cohen — I can tell you that a memo was sent out to every union by our labor • attorney, Attorney Russ Dupere, and I asked them I believe it was on March 91' or 100, where we sent out a memo to every union saying we would like to sit down and renegotiate and I asked that all of you give up your 1% and every union denied giving up the 1% nor did they say they wanted to meet and there are unions that have filed for mediation because our attorney, I don't know if Attorney Dupere, maybe you could speak on it? Attorney Dupere—I can't speak to the mediation. My son Russell Dupere— President Rheault—Could you speak into the mic please? • Attorney Dupere — Yea, my son Russell Dupere generally represents Agawam. He's actually in Pittsfield this evening in mediation with the teachers in Pittsfield but I do know that the did send a correspondence to all labor organizations asking them to give up the 1% and renegotiate and the all of those requests were rejected. I don't know about • the mediation. I didn't have a direct discussion with him about that so I can't speak to that issue. Councilor Rossi — So Mr. Dupere, you don't really know if it was the unions who filed for mediation or the town? • Attorney Dupere — I don't know anything about the mediation aspect. I do know that letters were sent to the labor organizations to give up the 1%. As far as mediation, ordinarily the employer does not file for mediation. Usually it's the labor organizations. It's fairly rare for the employer to file for mediation. I've handled maybe about two thousand sets of negotiations in the public sector for school systems and municipalities • and probably among those thousands maybe five or six were filed by the employer for mediation. It's almost always the labor organization. So I'm assuming without knowing definitely that it was the labor organization here because it would be extremely unusual for something else to occur and the Mayor is confirming that the city did not file for mediation and our office would only file for mediation if the employer directed us to do it • but it's extremely rare and it's very doubtful that that would have occurred here. • • Councilor Rossi — You don't have the money in there right now to balance this and it's based on the projection that you're gonna bring back to the City Council in, I'm assuming,the middle of November for a rate increase and if that rate increase is approved then it's gonna go to the DOR and the DOR will approve it prior to the tax factor? That's the way it's gonna work? Mayor Cohen—That's how it's gonna work. Councilor Rossi — So if we approve this budget based upon this wording right here on projected earnings and a sewer increase, the City Council is voting for an increase in sewer fees? • Mayor Cohen—No. Councilor Rossi--No? What happens if we refuse the sewer increase? • Mayor Cohen—Then we go back and cut the budget. Councilor Rossi—That's what you want to do? Mayor Cohen — No, that's what we'll have to do. Is that what you want to do? That would be my question. When the sewer rate is done and we come back to you that also • will be back to you with betterments for the sewer project and part of this has to do with that. We are looking at a rate review for Water and Waste Water to come back to you to see what type of rate they predict that we will need in the future so that we can come back to you to get a rate increase. If the Council, I don't mean you personally, you the Council don't approve it, then we cut it. • Councilor Rossi— So how much would that be, do you know? Mayor Cohen — I don't have that number yet. I'm waiting for the rates. I'm going by projected numbers that Tighe & Bond has provided us. • Councilor Rossi— So we've hired Tighe & Bond to come up with a fee number? Mayor Cohen—That's correct. They do the rate surveys. Councilor Rossi— So I'm assuming that there's not enough money in Retained Earnings to subsidize this Waste Water budget? Is that the reason for the projected? Because we don't have enough Retained Earnings? Mayor Cohen—That's correct. • • • Councilor Rossi—All the Council is interested in doing is approving the funding. That's what we're interested in doing. Attorney Gioscia—I understand that. Councilor Rossi — As far as I know and I have searched a little bit on this subject, that the City Council here in Agawam is the only body that I know anywhere that gets to write a check and don't get to make the rules. I don't quite understand that. We're asked to appropriate money we have absolutely no say on how it's being spent or what is going to be done. It seems to me that people can pretty much do what they want. Now if the law says the legislative branch of government has to approve that and it has to go back . for negotiations and now we wind up in mediation, it just escapes me and I don't want to sit here and belabor the subject because I know these people have other things to do and don't want to listen to me break wind. Attorney Dupere — If I could just address that part because there's a process under the law. The process under the law is if the parties don't reach agreement, you do in fact go • to mediation. Mediation is non-binding. If the parties don't reach agreement after mediation, then it goes to fact finding. Fact finding is also non-binding except that with fact finding you do have to pay for the fact finder. For mediation you do not pay for the state mediator. If you are on the Fire & Police side, the legal process is different. You go to mediation before the Joint Labor Management Committee and they have arbitration before the Joint Labor Management Committee. So the process can continue on and on for years. I've been in negotiations with some municipalities where it took four years before we signed the contract. Councilor Rossi — Okay, Mr. Mayor, I just want to get back here about your balanced budget here. I just want to draw your attention to page six of the booklet and there's a little notation here that says "please note that this is an estimate of sewer use receipts based upon a proposed sewer user rate increase". Now if I understand this, that we're balancing this budget based upon projected increases, of sewer increases, can you tell me what that increase is? What's the sewer increase rate? • Mayor Cohen —We are currently under a rate study by Tighe & Bond and then we will be coming back to you with a rate increase. Councilor Rossi —So that increase that you're gonna be coming back to us is going to be determining whether this is gonna be balanced or not? • Mayor Cohen — It is a self-sustaining account. If you don't increase the rates, then we will balance at the end of the fiscal year and we'll cut the budget in the Waste Water. Before we set the tax rate, we'll cut the Water Department budget—sewer. • • r • Councilor Rossi — Maybe you could explain something for me in regards to 150E Section 7. The contracts were submitted to this body and this body rejected the appropriations and it was sent back to the Mayor to renegotiate and now I find myself in the position of listening to someone say that we're into mediation for those things. Is it because that those contracts were signed, that mediation has taken place? Because as I • understand 150E (7), the city is obligated to renegotiate if those appropriations are not approved by the legislative body. I don't understand how we're in mediation and we're not at the bargaining table. Attorney Dupere — Well, if I understand the situation correctly, I believe the City + Solicitor has already given legal opinions on this subject. Councilor Rossi- In regards to what? Attorney Dupere - And so you know you do have a City Solicitor with regard to the process of appropriation and it should be your City Solicitor that responds to those questions rather than myself. We do the labor contract negotiations for the city but we don't interpret your budget laws for you, that's why you have a City Solicitor. Councilor Rossi—Well, maybe we could hear from our City Solicitor? • Attorney Gioscia — With regards to the appropriations, the Council did in fact vote to reject the appropriation which was a 0 at the time, it's before you now at 1%, that's all the Council votes on. We are required to take that contract, sign it and then go to the Council for the appropriations. If the Council fails to appropriate then we have to go back to the bargaining table which the Mayor attempted .to do, that's why we're here today with the 1%. Councilor Rossi — Well, Vince, if I may, when we voted those contracts the 1% was already in place, okay, the 1% had already been in place, the 0% had already been in place and the 1%was coming up for 2012, correct, when we rejected that. • Attorney Gioscia—Correct. Councilor Rossi— But if we had approved, even if we had approved 0% appropriations, then.the 1% and the 2% in subsequent years would have followed suit in the budget, . correct? Attorney Gioscia—Correct, yes. Councilor Rossi — Correct. So by sending back the 0% even if you say it was 0%, the City Council is saying no, to go back to renegotiate, knowing that we're gonna have to pay the piper for the next two preceding years at 1% and 2%. Now, my question is when • • we sent that back, why wasn't the union brought back to the table to renegotiate and why • was the union contract signed and why are we now facing unfair labor practice and mediation? Attorney Gioscia—The law states that the contract can't go before you for appropriation until it's signed by the negotiating parties which s what occurred. I, as an attorney, nor can Mr. Dupere, compel the unions to come back to the bargaining table. Councilor Rossi— Well Section 7 says that if it's rejected by the legislative body it HAS to go back to the negotiating table. So — + Attorney Gioscia—That is correct but I cannot— Councilor Rossi—It seems to me like you are not— Attorney Gioscia — I cannot compel them to negotiate. The Mayor through Counsel forwarded a request to reopen negotiations and for them to abdicate their 1% increase and they refused to do so. Councilor Rossi—So why was the contract signed is my question? Attorney Gioscia —Because it must be signed before it goes to you for the appropriation. • Councilor Rossi — See here's my dilemma. If it's signed making it a legal document, how does a legislative branch have any say in its appropriation? Attorney Gioscia — I don't write the law, Councilor, all I can tell you is it has to be • signed by the negotiating parties and then it goes to the Council for appropriation. Councilor Rossi—And that makes it a valid contract? Attorney Gioscia — It's a contract in so far as that's what's on the bargaining table right • now. Councilor Rossi—Okay, let me move on a little bit, Mayor. Attorney Gioscia — As the Mayor stated, the Council does not negotiate, it's the Mayor's- Councilor Rossi—The Council has no interest in negotiating Mr. Gioscia. Attorney Gioscia—I'm just stating— • • Councilor Rossi — So we ran a little bit short, correct? Now, getting back to that I noticed in the Waste Water account there that we've added some people and we've got some highway equipment there - $150,000 — GPS tracking systems and those kinds of things? In the Highway Department? Mayor Cohen—Highway budget—the only capital is the sewer project. • Councilor Rossi — Yea, I understand that. Let me — did we replace the Deputy Superintendent in the Waste Water? Mayor Cohen —Yes, we did as I outlined in the presentation. A part was taken out of Water and a part was taken out of Waste Water. Councilor Rossi — So we're gonna have to increase this budget and then we're gonna have to increase the user fees, so we're gonna give them a double whammy back in November. Is there any reason why we couldn't have gotten this rate study and rate increase done a little bit earlier so we could have an understanding of how much money • we would need? Mayor Cohen —They were hired in a timely fashion and we are awaiting their numbers. That's the best I can tell you. They were hired in a timely fashion and we hoped to have the numbers prior and unfortunately we don't. They do them for all the other • surrounding communities. I'm telling you the truth. I can't tell you any more than that, Councilor. Councilor Rossi — Well, okay, I know that we use the Retained Earnings to balance the budget last year and that left us with $758 in Retained Earnings so that would have told us, that would have signaled somebody that we were running into trouble in 2012 and we needed to start bringing in some revenue and bringing in the revenue would indicate (a) a rate increase in the user fees and try to get in a little bit more money here. So we knew quite a while ago so my question is first question is why hasn't it been done a little bit earlier knowing that our Retained Earnings have been expended and we were gonna be in these kinds of straights and secondly don't we have anybody capable in here, in house, to determine what those rates are gonna be? Why do we need to pay $20,000 to have somebody come and tell us how much our rates are gonna have to be increased? Mayor Cohen — Because we felt it was very important to have somebody who is an expert in this including the Auditor, the Treasurer, myself and Mr. Golba, that sometimes they're the experts and we wanted them to give us. If next time you would like to audit it, I'd certainly like to be happy to let you do the surveys. I mean we're doing what we feel was the best for that department because they are the experts and that's why we chose them. Councilor Rossi — Well, I appreciate the offer Mayor but I'd just assume ask the questions. So I guess let me get back to it and say that those people that you're hiring from Tighe & Bond at least the one in part is a little bit of the problem. Jack Stone —a retired DPW worker from the Agawam Department is now working with Tighe & Bond; Anthony Sylvia who's now left the Town of Agawam DPW—working for Tighe & Bond - those are the people that are going to be doing our rate increases? Or at least part of them? Mayor Cohen —No they are not. It's a different group of people. They are not with that department. It's the same corporation. They are a very large corporation. Councilor Rossi — Okay and the other end of it too is I was looking at the Golf Course. The Golf Course seems to be in a little bit of trouble. I know that there was, I just got the earnings or their postings today and they seem to be a little bit short. What are we gonna do about that Mayor? I looked at it and I guess it would be up to the City Council later to make a determination but we have some expenditures over there that could have been looked at a little bit more carefully to maybe head off any kind of a problem of running into a shortfall and I guess we really don't even know if we're gonna make balance. Are we? Mayor Cohen — Well, I'm gonna have Ron Dunn come up and talk to you about his budget and we don't have any at this point, we have paid off all the debts and fees so any • monies that we do have will go in. We do have approximately almost half a million dollars in the save $400,000, we have had a very slow; it's been a very difficult year for golf. You're correct, it's been very wet and this year has been a struggle not only for again but for other golf courses and we are looking at it and I discussed it with Ron again today but he feels that the golf carts should be purchased because that's how they do business. I understand that at your meeting today, you want to cut those and that's something that if you do that's fine too I mean if that's what you feel that we should do. Councilor Rossi — Well my only thought was and I'll get to Ron here in a minute, my only thought being was that those could always come back before us at a later time should the revenue start to pickup in our Retained Earnings start to build a little bit of a bank, you could always come back with a transfer with the Council to go into those Retained Earnings for the Golf Course but Ron if you've got something to say? Ron Dunn — Well, what he just said is perfect. Obviously we've had a tough year and . we do have money but I personally would feel a little bit more comfortable if we waited a little bit just to make sure we were doing okay. Maybe we'd be doing it for next spring. Right now we've started to come back quite a bit. We've just had a pretty good weekend. Today's pretty busy for a Monday and all of a sudden we've taken in $20,000 in three days I mean that's a big deal and we've had a tough time. It was a slow start and we do need golf carts . I mean they are very important for our business. It would be like • • not buying beer. I mean you have to do it but I personally wouldn't be uncomfortable at all if we waited a little bit and then maybe in the spring we get a fleet of carts. Councilor Rossi — Well, I'm looking at the thing over here and I understand talking to the Auditor that the Department of Revenue would possibly allow us to slide if we came up a little bit short. 1 Ron Dunn—Yea. Councilor Rossi — But that's not gonna do a lot for us for next year because using the Retained Earnings that we're gonna need to use in order to make up the recovery this • year is gonna put us in a big whole for next year. Ron Dunn — I would prefer to be able to sleep at night. I would prefer, historically we've got a couple $300,000 in Retained Earnings and it's kind of an accounting thing, it goes here and there but that's what it is. This year, this fiscal year has been terrible. I'll admit it. We're in much better shape now and if the weather's good, we're doing okay • but historically we've, our entire budget, we don't, if we've got a $750,000 budget we don't spend it all unless something crazy happens. We've always been like that. Councilor Rossi—Thanks Ron. • Ron Dunn—Okay,thanks. Councilor Rossi—That's all I have for now. President Rheault—Councilor Letellier? • Councilor Letellier—Yes, thank you. I had a couple questions for Dr. Czajkowski? Do you mind coming back up? Thank you. I'm looking at the back of the School Budget book —the Revolving Accounts —and there are a couple that I had some questions about but the biggest one that I think is worth asking about is this $689,000 in the School Age • Child Care Program and I can see that you used some of the funds for things other than the ECE Center. For instance, Roberta Doering School library furniture and shelving, what else can that money be used for? That$6$9,000? Dr. Czajkowski — Well first of all we have certain limitations and anywhere there's, we have several before and after school programs that are housed not only at ECC but we • have them at some of our elementary schools as well as the Doering School. So Miss Cavanaugh, I had her contact DESI, the Department of Education, to find out how we could utilize that money. It can only be utilized, it can't be utilized for personnel, it can only be utilized for material equipment that will benefit the students that are attending that program. So for example we don't have a before and after school program at our • high school so we could not allocate any of those resources towards the high school. We • did get an okay to use it for funding for shelves for the new Doering School library because students would use that before and after school so there's certain limitations that we can only use it for students that participate in that before and after school program. Councilor Letellier — So it's all the schools except for the Jr. High and the High School, correct? i Dr. Czajkowski — Currently we have I think now we have four elementary I think? That's correct. Councilor Letellier — Okay, so are there any expenditures that are in your budget for those six schools, five schools forgive me, the four elementary, no six, ECE, four elementary and Middle School, are there any items for those schools that this $689,000 could be used for to allow you to then retain more teachers and Para-professionals? Dr. Czajkowski—That would be supplanting. Councilor Letellier—What do you mean by supplanting? Dr. Czajkowski — Supplanting meaning that you can't use money that the School Department is funded for positions and then that's the obligation of the school and the town to use money to fund those positions. You can't remove out those positions and say i we're gonna take those out of the budget and fund—okay— Councilor Letellier — That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is if you're saying it's materials and equipment that will benefit students at the locations that house the before and after school care and that's six different schools so you have $690,000 basically, are there materials and equipment that are in the budget, in the School Department budget, that could come under this $690,000 therefore freeing up money for personnel, for teachers and para-professionals? Has anyone looked at that? Dr. Czajkowski--I believe we have but I don't, I still don't believe that we can use that money for personnel. Councilor Letellier- I'm not saying use it for personnel. I'm saying use this money and then free up money. Patti Cavanaugh — We did that initially and we've only been able to identify about s $40,000 in services that are provided to children after school that are on IEPs that get extended day services so we were able to reduce the SPED budget by the $40,000 for the after school services that are provided to those students in the after school program. So it's not just for the schools, it's for the program use. One of the other things that we're looking to do, Councilor Letellier, is we're going to be piloting a lot of our new • curriculum in those after school programs, that way we can get the jump off starts using i • those funds instead of having to go to the regular budget and that's something that we can • do because we'll be using the students in the before and after school to test our new curriculum so a lot of our start up curriculum costs will be charged next year against that $689,000. We can also use it for improving the premises for example because the after school program at Phelps is there, we are able to use that to replace the gym floor at Phelps because that was identified as being not up to the standards of the after school program. The Phelps back door also needed to be replaced and a new buzzer and camera system because that's the way parents pick up their children and drop off. We were able to use those funds to replace that door which takes the burden off some of the Building Maintenance budget so we're not doing it just for the School Budget; we're also trying to do it for the Building Maintenance whenever we can. Councilor Letellier— So where do those expenditures show up on this list, well it's page 5 of 5 of the School Revolving Accounts? Patti Cavanaugh —I don't believe they're paid yet, Mrs. Letellier, that's why you're not gonna see them in this year. These are things we've got coming up — the Phelp's door, the gym floor isn't done yet so we haven't paid the bills yet—the door we're just getting quotes on and the curriculum again is something that we're forecasting for September, so they're bills that aren't paid but that's what we've identified that we can do which we cut out of the budget for this year but we haven't done it yet so you'll see the expenditures in next year's budget. Councilor Letellier—And what do you approximate those expenditures are? Patti Cavanaugh — Oh I would say right now we've spent roughly I think we're forecasting to do about$300,000 this year, that's high, but it's hard to say because I don't know until we get the cost of the startup curriculums and I don't know. Councilor Letellier — So when I look at this list it says tuition receipts through January 3 1" are $260,000.00 so that gives you about five more months of tuition because you got February, March, April, May and June so that $690,000 right now is probably a lot higher than this because you've got five more months of tuition right? I'm sorry Mrs. Jury, you have to speak into the microphone. Patti Cavanaugh — We also have expenditures for the staff, for the Operating expenditures so Rene do you know what the current budget is-- • Rene Jury--I don't. I don't know it off the top of my head. We also pay the people that work there and what we've started doing is paying, we have a tutoring program at Brady Village, we pay those after school tutors through the before and after school money because they're Jr. High students, Middle School students and we also are looking, like Mrs. Cavanaugh said, about the children on IEPs that are tutored before and after school. • • Dr. Czajkowski—So if you look at the totals here now, you look at the Director's salary, roughly $33,000.00 then there's site coordinator salaries - $42,000.00; the group leaders - $26,000.00; we just started the tutors at Brady Village — roughly around $300 and then we took the $40,000 out of the SPED budget for the extended day services that we will now out of FY12 that we will be paying for next year, we'll use the money from the before and after school program for those extended day services for the students and we • took that out of the SPED budget---probably also the gym floor which is probably gonna be roughly around $40,000 or $50,000 and then any curriculum materials that's gonna be purchased and $300,000 is pretty high, that's a high number, so it's probably more in line with$150,000 maybe $200,000. • Councilor Letellier — Because it just seems to me that this is an extensive amount of money sitting there with very limited use. Dr. Czajkowski—Absolutely. Councilor Letellier—The question is are we over-charging our families? If we have all this excess money? Dr. Czajkowski—No, not at all,not at all. Councilor Letellier—What else are we gonna use it for? Patti Cavanaugh--Well we have to keep being creative in how to spend it but no we are one of the most affordable programs in the area so our parents love our program but we just have to be more creative about how we can associate the costs of things to utilize those funds. You walk a fine line when making those decisions. Dr. Czajkowski — You know we did contact ESI and we attempted, because we looked at this money and we said here we are laying off para-professionals, laying off teachers, laying off secretaries, is there any way that we can use this money? They said absolutely not. Councilor Letellier — Oh, I understand that you can't use it for that but my thought was that maybe some effort needs to be put into looking at the rest of the budget because now that you're saying you have Jr. High students involved in tutoring, can some of whether it's upkeep, maintenance, whatever of rooms, gyms, if they're doing stuff— Dr. Czajkowski—Right. And that's what we're looking to do--- Councilor Letellier—Even playgrounds. It looks like you did some playscapes. Dr. Czajkowski—Right. The playscapes at the elementary schools, exactly. • ! Councilor Letellier — But you know $700,000 that's just sitting there is a lot of money ! so even if you pay $50,000 for that and then you've got the curriculum, you're still gonna have well over a half a million dollars in that account. Rene Jury — Miss Letellier we also will be getting, I'd forgotten, we will get appropriated for the insurance of the employees under the ASAC, they reduced by like ! $60,000 last year so that money is coming up that will be spent. Councilor Letellier— So that will come out of this money as well, it's not coming from the town side. Rene Jury—Yes. Councilor Letellier — Okay. I mean you certainly explained some of it. I don't know that— Dr. Czajkowski—We're trying to expend as much as we can and it's unfortunate that we • can't utilize that money for other needs especially at this time. Councilor Letellier -- No but what I'm saying is maybe some more, I'm not trying people how to do their job, but it would seem that it would be worth exploring what is in the budget that can be considered to count towards or against this money because whether • you can save two people, maybe three people, you know? Patti Cavanaugh — I agree with you Miss Letellier and it's more we've been able to utilize it I mean we did look at everything that we can clearly budget for, what we're mainly using this for are things that pop up during the year, we try to be very creative in ! case some unbudgeted amount comes about but it's hard as Dr. Czajkowski said because of supplanting and the rules around Revolving Funds that are set by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue to try to offset our budget. Councilor Letellier — No, I completely understand that and I was never implying that ! you could hire teachers with this money. What I'm saying is and I don't want to beat a dead horse is that in the next fiscal year maybe what you can look at what else can come out of this money because and whether we're affordable or not is not the issue, the issue is we have a lot of money sitting here that we can't do things with so I think there needs to be some creative thoughts about what can come out of one side of the budget to go to the other side. Thank you and I do have another — Miss Cavanaugh — thank you Mrs. Jury, thank you very much — I do have a question and I'm not part of the School Budget Committee but I think it's a question that needs to be asked out in the open which is that why are the cuts so directly classroom effective? (APPLAUSE) I see no cuts in administrative staff, I see no — we on the Council have gotten emails from secretaries telling us that they're gonna file unfair labor practice acts because of the way the ! secretarial staff has been re-structured. I don't know if that's true or not but we've gotten ! those emails. We get emails from teachers. We get emails from parents and I really ! would like to find out why there couldn't be other sources of money than direct affects to the classroom for cuts. Dr. Czajkowski — Well, first of all there have been reductions in personnel, in administrative personnel. When you look at personnel and you look at the whole picture of personnel and you start with Central Office, okay, both the Assistants have been reduced to Director Positions. In addition to that we've eliminated an Administrative Assistant to the Business person. We have eliminated our Curriculum Specialist that are administrative in doing curriculum work that are stipend positions which is over $100,000. Somebody has to pick up that work. We currently have mandates from the state around the common core that are coming in that we have to implement. We have a new teacher evaluation instrument that is mandated that has to come in. We have students on 504s, on IEPs, we have ESL students, administratively okay when you look at our enrollment in the High School, we are now up at over 1,400 students in the High School. If you look at surrounding, we made a decision, administratively, when we met with the administrative team, we looked at all positions. You can't run a high school • with two Assistant Principals. In this day and age if you were to step into the high school and see some of the issues that principals and assistant principals are dealing with, we how have facebook and twitter, investigations that are extremely time consuming. We have an Assistant Principal at our Doering School with seven hundred students. We can't eliminate that. We have an Assistant Principal at the Jr. High School with seven hundred • students. You can't leave that building left alone with one administrator. So we have looked at administrative positions, okay, we have by choice, the Building Principal I allow them to make decisions related to their staff. When I approached Mr. Lemanski, I said to him, your choice here a High School Resource Office or an Administrative Assistant Principal, what do you need most? He needed that third Assistant Principal. We have two D.A.R.E. Officers. My recommendation was that we take one of those D.A.R.E. Officers and make that person a High School Resource Officer rather than having two D.A.R.E. Officers to come up and be creative at least for one year to get by this. It's a safety issue at the High School. It's a building over a mile long, it's one floor and you cannot have less than three assistant principals in dealing with some of the issues that they're confronted with and dealing with now. We didn't have facebook and bullying and technology, all those things that are now extremely, extremely, that have to be investigated thoroughly. So when you say have we looked administratively? Yes we have but I also rely on the principals of buildings to talk about their specific needs and what they need, okay? Fourteen years ago, when I took over as Director of Curriculum, = Ann Favreau used to do the Director of Curriculum position, there wasn't a Director of Curriculum position. We have eliminated $100,000.00 in curriculum specialists for stipends. We have the common cord that's been mandated as I said before so have we looked at that position? Absolutely. Am I happy about laying off thirteen para- professionals, 3.8 teachers and two secretaries? Absolutely not. They ought to be placed back into the budget. This is the fourth year we've had a level funded budget yet we're i • continuing to increase our school scores, decrease our drop out rates and we need more money to operate our schools. (APPLAUSE) Councilor Letellier — I don't disagree with you Dr. Czajkowski when we had the Council meeting and we certified Free Cash at five million dollars, you were here and I said let's use some of that five million dollars to rehire some of those people in the classroom and clearly that's not happening and that's an issue that I'll be raising in my questions with the Mayor but I guess the question is is it more important to have bodies in the classroom or to have a Superintendent, an Assistant Superintendent, a Director of Business — I realize that we're changing titles but the title changes are saving what $30,000 - $40,000 in total? That's less than one teacher. Dr. Czajkowski—Councilor Letellier with all due respect, I've been fortunate to serve as the Superintendent for nine years here. We always haven't agreed on anything but I think we've done some good work together. We have made enormous progress in the last fourteen years, not because of administrators but because of teachers in the classroom and I agree with that. i Councilor Letellier—That's the point I'm trying to make. Dr. Czajkowski—I agree with that. I absolutely agree with that but there needs to be an infrastructure. You need to have people that are facilitating, people that are providing support to these teachers, people that are providing resources to these teachers and what I'm afraid of if you look at any surrounding community, you compare us to West Springfield, our scores have shot up beyond — we are closer now to East Longmeadow and Longmeadow. Our drop-out rate is 1.1%. It was 5.3% in 2004. We're keeping kids in school. Kids are dropping out. You need administrators to deal with issues that aren't being dealt with at the homes. It is very, very different and it's very, very complicated. To say that we don't need—I'm not gonna be here okay, Mr. SapeIli's gonna be left here. To tie his hands and his legs and not have a Director of Curriculum or a Business person would take ten steps back. It's not fair. The value of the leadership of this team is incredible and I know that many of you have not seen that but believe me when you see what happens in our schools today, it's very different and we need that administrative support. I'm saying we need that $1.6 million. When I first came here and I went back to 2004 and if you look at the back of the town budget, the schools were 53% of the overall budget. Go back to your 2004 budget book. From 2004 to the current 2012, in 2004 we were 53% of the budget. Councilor Letellier — But haven't we shifted some of the school expenses to the town side? So I don't think that's a fair comparison. The Mayor is nodding yes and we don't always agree. Dr. Czajkowski—No we have not. Okay, okay, but all right and I will acquiesce to say what are the ones? But we went from 53% of the budget to 46% of the budget. That's a • • significant decrease while still maintaining services, increasing scores, reducing drop-out rates. That's, I think that's something to be said for the schools. We've made a lot of progress. Why are we gonna now take, when I first came here we had four sections of first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade at every elementary school. Now we have two sections and granted we're looking very closely at positions. It's no longer, it's based on pure enrollment and we haven't replaced positions. We haven't filled retirements but yet to put 26 children in a second grade classroom is unreasonable, I think, in my opinion. Councilor Letellier — And I don't disagree and that's why I'm saying where's the balance? • Dr. Czajkowski—So I'm saying increase our school budget. Councilor Letellier — We don't have the authority to do that ma'am. If we had the authority to do that, I'd be the first on making that motion because we have over $7 million between Free Cash and the Reserve Fund even after $1.5 million's been put in so • I'll be discussing those numbers with the Mayor's side. I just feel like it doesn't seem fair to the students to have the greatest impact be in the classroom and I'm not saying Mr. Sapelli's not doing a great job, I'm not saying Ms. Cavanaugh and Miss Jury aren't doing a great job, I'm saying that when you have to make tough decisions, you seem to agree with me that it's the classroom teachers that are making the scores go up, it's the • classroom teachers that are making the drop-out rate go down, so do we restructure and change titles again and maybe buy a couple, certainly you can make a couple of cuts and buy back two or three teachers. Maybe not cut somebody's position entirely but re-post it, re-name it, change the job description, save a couple of teachers. Dr. Czajkowski— You know what I, Councilor—you know what my biggest concern is, is that we're laying off people when we're giving people raises. We're laying off people, okay? Councilor Letellier—I agree. I agree with you as well. Dr. Czajkowski—We're laying off people when other people are getting raises. That to me is unfair. Councilor Letellier — I agree with you one hundred percent. That's not the way it is in the private business world. You don't get a guaranteed raise every year so I'm not disagreeing with you but you did answer my question about the $689,000.00 and I really hope that despite my saying that we have too many administrators perhaps someone could take the time to look into that. Thank you very much and thank you Ms. Cavanaugh. • Councilor Bitzas —Point of information, Mr. President? • President Rheault—What's your point, Councilor? Councilor Bitzas—Can we allow the public hearing first so we can hear from the people, it's almost after 9:00 and we told the people to wait and then we can discuss it because we're gonna stay here all night to discuss this thing and ask questions but I think we should hear from the people first and then we can discuss it because we'll probably learn something from those people that come to us. President Rheault—I'm only following Council Rules. Councilor Letellier — I'd be happy to suspend the Council Rules to let the public speak first as long as I can finish my line of questioning when they're done. President Rheault—Sure. Councilor Letellier — I move to suspend the Council rules to allow the public to speak and then continue with the public hearing. President Rheault — Motion's on the floor by Councilor Letellier, seconded by Councilor Messick. All those in favor? Opposed? Well hello public! It's your turn. Why don't we go back in the sequence that we had you sign up in the beginning? The • First speaker would be Diane Juzba. Diane Juzba--Hi. Diane Juzba. President Rheault—I'm assuming that you are speaking in favor. Councilor Letellier—No, I wouldn't assume that. Perhaps you, and I don't mean to be disrespectful President Rheault but perhaps you should explain to the public who hasn't been here before exactly how the order of things go, people who want to speak in favor, people who want to speak opposed— ! President Rheault — Those in favor of this Council adopting the budget the way it is, speak first. Those in opposition speak after and then there'll be an opportunity to come up in name only on both sides. I'm sorry, but you've been here before so - Diane Juzba—Diane Juzba, 189 South Westfield Street, Feeding Hills. I'm here tonight as a parent, School Committee member and taxpayer to advocate for the School Budget. We've had a level funded budget for the fourth straight year and cannot afford any further cuts. Our budget is always voted on prior to the preparation to the overall town budget and this year was exceptionally difficult as we faced the fourth year of cuts in level funding. We were asked to put our trust in the fact that layoffs were faced across town departments not just in the school system but we were never given proof or • numbers of what they would be. That's personally why I voted against the School • Budget. The economy's bad right now and I understand the need for cuts but I think it needs to be equitable. The schools can't continue to be the first area to lose funding when cuts need to be made. People move to this community primarily for the schools and public safety. We're responsible for providing appropriate education at 4,200 children. We cannot do an adequate job without teachers, materials, support staff, secretaries and administrators. I'm here tonight to ask you not to make any further cuts to the school budget, to look closely at the other town departments and how this budget process is inequitable. Every year we strive to be fair and open during our budget process. We listen to our staff, parents and community. We respect the Mayor's position and how difficult it is to prepare an $81 million budget however, our primary responsibility is with the education of our students. Please take the politics out of your decision and think about the impact of losing more funding to our schools. Think as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, not as a politician. Please make a decision that is fair to kids. Instead of trying to find more areas in the School Budget to trim or do without, look at the other town departments too. The $180,000 being used to build a shed for paper could be used to replace positions. We have plenty of vacant buildings in this • town. Why are we using money to build a new one when we're losing staff in our schools? Please be responsible and make a decision that is free from politics and in the best interest of everyone. Thank you. President Rheault—Alison Bessette was next? Alison Bessette --I'm Alison Bessette. I live at 148 Roosevelt Avenue in Feeding Hills. I'm here to talk about the budget. I reviewed the FYI budget several times. After the changes the FYI budget had, the schools have adjusted and are achieving still. For example, Agawam High School's MCAS scores for tenth grade for Needs Improvement is currently about 10% but if any more cuts are made, then that Needs Improvement will increase drastically. This will result in poor academic scores. The town has been cutting the school system's budget for the last four years. To me, it's time to take a break off the schools. I do understand that cuts have to be made but the future leaders of this town are at stake, with any more cuts, the class sizes are likely to increase leaving that 10% of the students who need help, to not improve. The public school's mission statement is "children are the only future that the human race has — teach them well". I'm worried that with anymore cuts it will risk the education of the children. I ask you tonight to think of your children or any children you know and ask yourself, do I want them to become a leader with a good education? Well, for me an upcoming freshman at Agawam High School, the answer is yes. I want a great education. The more the school can help my peers and me, the more we can succeed in this economy. Remember it takes a community to make a difference. Please put the children of the community's education— don't make any more cuts to the school budgets. Thank you. President Rheault—Shelley Borgatti-Reed? • • 0 Shelley Borgatti-Reed — I'm Shelley Borgatti-Reed. I live at 10 Shelley Lane in 0 Feeding Hills. As you know, I'm a member of the School Committee, I've two children in the schools — one in third grade and one going into high school — I'm also a taxpayer and I'm a very involved parent. I'm here to tell you why I voted no to the School Budget. First of all, twenty five kids in a first grade classroom is unacceptable to me. There is not — it's not just twenty five kids. It's twenty five kids with six or seven with disabilities. I've worked in the classroom. I did an art project for two hours with twenty four students in third grade. . There was three kids with problems, behavior problems, whatever disabilities, one kid cried because he couldn't get his paper right, the other one ran around the room. There was a para-professional, me and a teacher there and I don't know how they handle it. I can't imagine teaching them a math lesson and now in our ' first grade class especially at Granger School, there's twenty five plus kids coming in, never mind how many kids are gonna move in here after. We have no way of knowing that. That is unacceptable to me. Out of the 4200 kids we have in our school, 800 of them are on IEPs or need special accommodations. They all have to be inclusive into these regular classrooms. So these twenty five kids are not just twenty five kids that were in class when we went to school, it's twenty five kids with some of them having special 0 needs. That is not an easy thing for a teacher to do. We've been asked to level fund for four years in a row. Altogether we've cut $4.2 million from our School Budget level funding it every year. I don't believe that this is fair. I think the town is responsible to fund our education. This is our town, we live here, I grew up here, this is Agawam. We can't be laying off people while other people are getting raises. That's just not what we • do here. When I was voting on the budget, I was under the assumption the town was in a financial crisis and that they were making reasonable cuts. That is not the case in my opinion. While we were voting on laying off people, other people were voting on $150,000 to build a storage shed. That is unacceptable to me. There are plenty of vacant buildings in this town that we could store stuff in. There's no reason to borrow money — 0 that $150,000 could save two teachers. Sorry, I might get a little upset. I went to the town sub-committee meeting and I heard that they were talking about possibly,cutting an additional $300,000 in addition to the $1.6 million we just cut. That too is unacceptable to me. I hear about administration. Well, I'm involved in the schools and I go to the Central Office. Has anybody been there? Those people are working on Saturdays. We need administration. You can't run a school system without administration. We've made our cuts and maybe we could make one or two more. I don't know. I don't know what these people do at the high school but I'll soon find out. I can't judge what people do unless I see but I do see what the Central Office does and all the administrators and teachers and everybody getting raises except for them — they're left out of the whole • thing and they're taking on extra duties. Rene is leaving — Rene is a big resource over there — so I'm a little upset about them constantly picking on the Central Office. Who's gonna collect all these User Fees? Somebody's got to do that. That's gonna be a full time job—bounced checks, people that can't afford it, I don't know how they're gonna do it. We are laying off a total of 20 employees and not filling eight retirements. I asked many times, is the town laying off any people? I didn't see any. Not necessary saying • they have to cuz I don't know how many Fire Department people we have or how many 0 Police Officers we have but I was under the assumption the town was in a `crisis' but yet I see building storage sheds, people riding around in town vehicles, it doesn't seem fair to me. Do I want to take it out of the classroom? Absolutely not, this is why I voted no for the budget. As a School Committee member, I'm supposed to fight for schools and that's what I'm doing. I'm fighting for everyone's kids—not just my own. So regardless of the outcome of this budget, I'm inviting all of you — anyone here —that wants to come in to 0 our schools, sit in a classroom of twenty five kids, go to the Central Office and see what they do—and then make their decision. Thank you. President Rheault—Douglas Reed? Douglas Reed --Douglas Reed, 10 .Shelley Lane, Feeding Hills. The balanced budget— how much does it really mean when we hear about a balanced budget? It makes it sound like everything is great and we should assume that all is well. In the case of the one submitted to you this year, balanced budget really doesn't mean much. With an increase over last year's budget of over $2 million, it doesn't appear that many cuts were made. But for the fourth year in a row, there's a request for the level funding of our schools. 0 Our school district is something that we can be proud of yet it is expected to be held to strict limits while other departments increase. Our children have had enough taken away from their educational system. Let's see some real cuts in other departments. Lately there's been a lot of effort to get Agawam designated a Go Green Community. The only green I've seen going is our tax dollars. I urge you to be responsible, reject this budget • and send it back. President Rheault—Wendy Rua, I'm sorry I probably mispronounced the last name. Wendy Rua—Wendy Rua, 173 North Westfield Street. Good evening Mayor Cohen and members of the Council. I debated whether or not I would speak tonight because my comments are particular to that of the School Budget. This year's been a particularly difficult year for any of our elected officials to make decisions related to who, where, what and how to cut the budget or keep it level funded during an extraordinarily challenging economic climate. Tempers have flared and there have been public comments of great disrespect, fueled by people's passionate and sometimes conflicting opinions. However, the School Committee voted and the school budget is presented to you, the City Council, as the largest component of the town budget. To any taxpayer that does not think that the school budget applies to them, I would strongly disagree. A good school system promotes a community in which people want to live, to move and to stay. As a former Agawam High School alum, I chose to return to Agawam because of the strength of the schools and I'm frustrated that I keep on hearing parents say that they are looking into other option such as home schooling, out of district placement or private education because of the struggles that they admit to having in our current public school system. I'm frustrated about the seemly political grandstanding and game playing and lack of collaboration when it comes to our Agawam children. I heard one councilor directly state to me that he would not vote in favor of the budget as is because it is not the full amount of reduction in funds as requested by the Mayor and Council. Using a quote ! that a parent made to me regarding her son, she said "my son is my district". Well, my children are my district. He sits right now in a second grade classroom of 25 students! I hear the predictions for next year, my son is in second grade right now with 25 students this year and to those who have made comments such as well, when I was in school there were 30 kids in a class well to you I ask, when is the last time you visited an elementary school classroom? When is the last time you asked an elementary school teacher to tell you about his or her challenge to teach such a diverse, integrated group of children who all have to meet testing standards. Times have changed and the leadership making the decisions and defining the future of our school system needs to listen, learn and support this generation. Our classroom are growing in size, 25 is not unusual anymore. in Granger we will be asking first graders to sit in classrooms of 26 next year—in first grade - in a year that we are also significantly reducing the numbers of Para-professionals. The kids are counting on us. If those elementary school teachers do not get time to nurture each and every child in their formative years, we will lose. We will lose not just one testing which seems to be the method by which we score the quality of the school but we will lose the excitement, the enthusiasm and the ability for teachers to plant the seeds by • which our children grow to love learning. There's tremendous change right now in our district —new Superintendent, new Principals, interim appointments, new positions being created, there is cost savings being done as determined by the leadership of each school working in collaboration with the Superintendent. I will support it as best I can but you need to do the same. Councilor Rossi, I heard you say earlier you asked about appropriations for golf courses, the DPW, the auditors, but you did not comment or question about the cutting of teachers — thank you Councilor Letellier for doing so! (APPLAUSE) In the next year, first and foremost I'm asking you to not reduce the school budget any further and also in the next year, can you strive to look more creatively and carefully at the budget? Again, Councilor Rossi, you stated earlier that the Council 0 writes the checks but you have no say in where the money is going, well can we look to next year, can you pledge to make a commitment to more transparency and collaboration between the Councils so we can work together on this budget from the beginning? 'Thank you. 0 President Rheault—Peter Donah? Peter Donah—Good evening. My name is Peter Donah. I live at 226 Lancaster Drive in Agawam. For the past fourteen years, I have been a member of the Agawam Public School Counseling Department. I'm here tonight because I was a little troubled to hear some of the comments that were made at a recent meeting about Susan Shoenberger, * Director of Counseling at Agawam Public Schools. First, let me say that as a town resident and employee, I'm happy to see that the Council is taking a hard look at ways to provide quality education for the children of Agawam. However, I would ask the Council to take a deeper look to see what Mrs. Shoenberger has meant not only to the Counseling Department but also to all the students in Agawam. When Susan arrived here • in Agawam four years ago, she found a school counseling department that was not highly • regarded in the community. Under her leadership, the Counseling Department has reached heights that we never expected to reach. Our Counseling Department is now second to none. We are looked at by others at local, state and national levels as being ahead of the curve when it comes to such issues as bully prevention. During her tenure some of the counseling staff has presented at local and state level conferences and soon to be a national conference in Seattle. Our department has two school counselors who received recognition for counseling achievement at the local level and one counselor at the state level. We have a national award winning program at our High School and the elementary programs are taking steps to attain the same recognition due to the accomplishments which have taken place at both these levels. Our Pre-K through 6 Counseling Department now has a development guidelines curriculum which is being taught once a month at all grade levels. When putting together a proactive counseling lesson or activity, our decisions are based now on data and not just what we think might be feeling good. We have become a model that other districts want to emulate. The Counseling Department under Susan's direction was well on its way to reaching its goals and objectives when Susan was able to assist in securing additional resources from a federal grant. These additional resources have certainly had a direct impact on all the students in Agawam. At a recent presentation that was given to the Pre-K to 6 administrators, the data showed how the individual and group counseling lessons and activities offered at the elementary level have reduced office discipline referrals at all schools and in one school 491/o. It also showed an increase in attendance and most importantly, an increase in student achievement. All these three areas are aligned with i the Agawam Public School district goals. We are keeping the students in the classroom, they are corning to school more often, they are receiving high test scores. Failure in these areas often is an early indicator of the likelihood of students dropping out of school at a later date. In closing, I feel comfortable in saying that these are a direct link with the goals that Susan has established in the Counseling Department under her leadership. I don't feel that we would be where we are if it wasn't for the hard work that Susan has put in to not only the Counseling Department but all the students here in Agawam. Thank you for your time. President Rheault—Bill Sapelli? Bill Sapelli —Bill Sapelli, Edgewater Road, Agawam. I'm here to speak in favor of the School Budget. For the past eight months, Dr. Czajkowski along with her administrative team have formed a budget that reflects a $1.6 million cut. That's a substantial cut. It's cuts across the district in all sorts of departments, programs, services and staff. With the restructure of Central Office alone, I know it came up with a lot of administrators and cutting administrators and Central Office alone with the restructuring, we've reduced the salaries in Central Office alone by approximately $60,000.00 which equates to approximately two teachers. There've been cuts at the elementary, at the Middle School, Jr. High, High School, there's been secretarial cuts for the first time in years — thirty some odd years that I recall —we actually have layoffs this year —approximately 18 staff • members. Along with Dr. Czajkowski, I went around to the staff to personally hand them i their letters and it wasn't a wonderful occasion. Trust me. There were very sad people, i people that have bills, people that have students in college; it was a very difficult thing to do. Administratively, a lot of people don't know what the administrators due nor should they. We have certain mandates now that are put upon us, I know we were at one of the sub-committee meetings, Councilor Magovern was speaking to these mandates and he's correct, they put these mandates on us but they don't give us the money to go along with the mandates. They're mandates now with regard to bullying, restraining, special ed, and so on and so on and those things have to be handled. It's the law and that falls usually on administrators. The teachers — they're spread thin as it is now — you've heard the numbers,the class sizes, and every year there's something more put on the teachers. This common core curriculum is coming clown — that's mandated. We have no option. We have to implement that curriculum so I'm here to say $1.6 is a significant cut and I please 0 request, I know that the Council in the past, I've been around for a while, you've been very supportive of the schools and I would hope you show your support again this evening by passing the budget as is without any further reductions. Thank you. President Rheault—Any one who would now like to speak in favor? Rosemary? • Rosemary Sandiin — Rosemary Sandlin, 90 Granger Drive, Feeding Hills, Ma. I've been a lifelong resident of Agawam and I'm speaking as a citizen living in this great community, I'm concerned that this budget is simply not correctly constructed and has short-term fixes rather than essential structural changes. This budget fails to plan for the i lack of state and federal help. We are on our own. We should be looking ahead and planning for the next budget cycle on what we're going to do to change how we budget and how we value our tax dollar. There's no easy way in this budget for our citizens to see where their tax dollars are being used and few, if any, performance indicators to measure the results. This budget is not transparent and it's hard to see the value of i certain allocations. I'm afraid that we will be dipping into the Free Cash and the Free Cash will be gone in the future. Schools are the centerpiece of our communities and our future. The students and faculty need creative solutions. There's nothing new in this budget that adds value to our schools. It seems to be more of just the same old, same old. I hope that we take the time to do it right. I hope we take the time to study the budget structure and in the future we won't be in this situation that we're in. Thank you. Michelle Connery - My name's Michelle Connery, 48 Spruce Circle, Feeding Hills, Ma. President Rheault—Could you speak a little closer to the mic, please? • Michelle Connery — Sure. Sorry. 1 just have a few comments to make. First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jimmy Cichetti for his help in trying to clean up the grounds at Granger. I understand in the budget, the town is responsible for keeping up the maintenance of trash and things on the playground. Granger's a mess. It's a mess. I'm one of the parents cleaning up beer bottles, trash; there's been dog poop all over • there. Jimmy's been working very hard to try to help get some signs up there, that's i something that you don't really see talked about in school budgets or town budgets so the i grounds are a mess on our playgrounds where our kids play so I think that's an important part of our schools. The other thing is as it's been mentioned in Granger, my son is gonna have over twenty-five kids in his first grade class. These kids are just adjusting to not having a bathroom in their own classroom, they're gonna have to leave their classroom and go to the bathroom, there's a lot of adjustments and to have over twenty- five kids is crazy and I understand that we're just talking some people just said, it's only three teachers but what about all the teachers that have not been replaced due to retirement? And the reason why he's gonna have over twenty-five kids in his first grade class is cuz there's a second grade teacher at Granger retiring. There's more kids gonna be in second grade than first grade so they're bumping a first grade teacher up. Like I think people are not talking about that and that's just very upsetting and I'm glad to see a lot of kids here because it just shouldn't be a bunch of adults and I think that some people are out of touch on what's going on. Thank you. Carl Schmalze —Hi. I'm Carl Schmalze. I live at 85 Independence Road, Feeding Hills. I know most of you people know I can't even say hello in three minutes but I'll give you a little bit. Looking at what's been going, I can't say too much about the school department budget because there's so much conflicting going on that I'm not really knowledgeable enough but the police, the fire, the DPW, the clerical — I'm in charge for the last twenty-five years on the Insurance Advisory Committee. Last year everybody took a 0 —the insurance went up about 6% or 7%. This year insurance was gonna go up • again almost 15%. Well my committee with the town came down and raised, did some serious talking, raised the co-pays to lower the rate to almost 7%. The town saved a lot of money, the employees are gonna cost more. If they use the insurance, it was the committee voted, there was only one dissention which was Bob Janik from the School Department, all the rest of the departments all voted for it to save money for the town. I don't think it's that much that we can't give the town employees a 1% raise. Now I'm retired, it doesn't affect me. I retired in January, 2010 and they still haven't filled my position so you can see why there's overtime in our department. I just urge you people to pass the budget for these municipal employees. Thank you. Bernard Calvey — Bernard Calvey (?), 46 Norris Street (?), Agawam, I rise to urge the Council to pass the budget for both the school and municipal employees as written and submitted by the Mayor. Thank you. Dr. Mary Czajkowski — Dr. Mary Czajkowski, Superintendent of Schools. First, I just want to say that as you know I'll be leaving. Next week will be my last week here in the district and I'll have my last School Committee meeting next Tuesday night and it's been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Superintendent of Schools for the last nine years and fourteen years in the district and I know that we always haven't agreed on things but I think that we've done a lot of good for our community. When I think of Henry Kozloski and the CPA, I think of our playgrounds, I think of our outdoor high school classroom that we're building; I think of the modular classrooms that you supported for i our schools and our elementary schools to have, we used to have students on stages and i now they're in classrooms. So while we've disagreed on things, we've also agreed on many things that have been good for our schools. Yesterday, Revenue Earl Eisenbach had asked me to speak at the Agawam Congregational Church and it was my fourth visit to the church to talk about how the schools and the community and the clergy are working together and there was a litany prayer that talked about governing bodies and schools and school committees and school, town councils and it focused on working together and if there's one thing, my wish, my hope would be as I leave this great community and this great school system is that the City Council and the School Committee work together and I say that no just during budget time, not when we're now here at 9:30 waiting to pass the town budget and the school budget but in September when our school's open. That you come and you spend time, you spend time in our schools, you talk with administrators, you talk with teachers, you ask us as a City Council, as a School Committee, what are your needs and I know we're facing some difficult times and the last two years have been very, very difficult. But these are children. They come to school every year, they're gonna continue to come to school every year and what I've heard in the last two years is what can you cut rather than what * are your needs? What are your needs for the children? They're not needs for me. They're not needs for the principals sitting there or the Assistant Superintendent or Directors or whatever their titles are, they're for the kids and until we come together and really talk about what are the needs of our children, that's what we're about, I think and that's what we're here for. So I implore you tonight. We have endured a $1.6 million cut. I wish there was more money. There's not and I understand that but let's not wait and be in the same position we're in next year. Let's start early. Let's start and I can tell you that our administrators would open the door to you at any time to learn what they do, spend some time with them, spend some time in our classrooms, see what the needs of the children in the classrooms are today. They're very different than they were ten years ago and I just want to say thank you. Thank you to the town, thank you to the town departments, Police Chief, Fire Chief, the relationships that I've formed and worked with and I wish you continued success. Thank you. President Rheault —Thank you and I'm sure I speak on behalf of the Council, we wish 0 you the same success and welcome to the sunshine down at the Cape — while we're up here shoveling snow. Anyone else who would like to speak in favor? Anyone who would wish to speak against what was presented? Anyone who would like to be recorded in favor by name only and where you're from. If you would, when you come to the microphone, walk back through the center aisle and there's a sign up sheet for the benefit i of our secretary so she can read—print your name and address and town that you're from —if you're in favor. Kathy Mouneimneh—Kathy Mouneimneh, Feeding Hills. Renee Jury—Renee Jury, 48 Horsham Place, in favor. • i • Sue Pettazzoni—Sue Pettazzoni, 116 Granger Drive, in favor. • President Rheault—Anyone else who would like to be recorded in favor? Anyone who would like to be recorded in opposition? Laura Fullon —Laura Fullon, 51 Vadnais Street. I'm against this budget because I think • you are asking too much for our schools. You're going way over the line here and it's time that we fix it. Thanks. Tina Nascembeni—Tina Nascembeni, 21 Parker Street, against. • Stephanie Peliegrini — Stephanie Pellegrini, 30 Nolan Lane, Feeding Hills, against cuts in the school system. I know it's a hard job to balance a budget but once again, please leave the schools alone. President Rheault — Then we'll go back to the start of the public hearing when the Council has an opportunity to ask any questions. I'd like to just ask the impact, if this • budget was approved this evening, what it would cost the average tax payer on a yearly basis. Mayor Cohen—Kevin is our Assessor and he's addressed all that and he'd be glad to tell you that information. • Kevin Baldini—Councilors you have to make certain assumptions. We assumed that the shift was the same as it was last year at 1.67 and also assume that the values were the same because we don't know that yet. If that were the case, the average single family home which was valued at$217,700 last year would go up about $100.00. That would be • the increase in this budget. President Rheault—This budget if adopted as is. Kevin Baldiini - This budget, yes. Again, everything would be the same as it was last year in terms of the shift and also in terms of values. We haven't set our values and the shift comes later when you decide on the shift. President Rheault—Thank you. Any other councilors? Councilor Letellier, I'm sorry. • Councilor Letellier -- Yes, I think my motion was as long as I could finish my line of questions. President Rheault—Oh, you're right, it's been a while. Councilor Letellier—Oh, I got a text at home that people can't hear me so I hope people • can hear me. I had one more question for either Dr. Czajkowski or someone from the • s School Committee if that's possible? Thank you and I do wish you well at the Cape and I think we will miss you although I love Mr. Sapelli and have since I knew him as a child and had him as a teacher but nonetheless. No, it's not a shot, it's okay— Dr. Czajkowski-He'll do a great job. Councilor Letellier — On to the questions. You indicated that you thought it was a shame that people were being laid off when other people were getting raises but when you look at the proposed School Budget, you have almost $700,000 in raises that were approved. It says FY12 negotiated 1% increase teachers $225,827.00; teacher union negotiated step raises $434,234.00. So the School Committee's already approved these raises, we kind of stuck- we can't, we have no, unlike the Council where we said no raises, the School Committee has already given these raises so to say that you're sad to see lay-offs when there's raises, that was the School Committee's decision to give them, we have no say over that. Dr. Czajkowski—And I have to say there were some unions that did, we did concessions and we did go back to some of them and you know we're talking with our para- professionals about possibly period coverage and coverage during classes in lieu of getting paid which would save positions so we did make some headway with some but not all of the unions. I mean we did sit down with them. I think it became when you look at the biggest union — the teachers' union — it became well, the town isn't, that's • what it was, well if the town's gonna give up their raises, we'll give up our raises and so it became this well if they do it, we'll do it and that never materialized so that was one of their reasons but we did get concessions from some of the other unions. Councilor Letellier — And is it also a 2% raise next year as well? So double these figures? Dr. Czajkowski—That's correct. Councilor Letellier— So we're gonna go from $700,000 to $1.4 million. Dr. Czajkowski — Correct and you're also gonna be starting in a deficit with the carry over which you won't have which is $390,000. Councilor Letellier—And we lose the American Relief and Recovery Money. Dr. Czajkowski — That's correct so next year you're starting with a deficit right off the get go. Councilor Letellier—And that contract's been signed for the 2013 fiscal year? • Dr. Czajkowski—That's correct. It's a three year contract. • • Councilor Letellier—Right. Dr. Czajkowski—0%, 1%, 2%. Councilor Letellier—All right. Thank you. I had a couple questions for the Mayor and actually was able to speak to Cheryl, the Auditor, Cheryl St. John, our Auditor earlier to get some of this stuff cleared up. So, it's this statement's last question, Mayor. Cheryl indicates to me that we currently have Free Cash of$4.882 million, correct? Mayor Cohen - $4882516 Councilor Letellier—And we have $3,711,994 in the Stabilization Fund? Mayor Cohen —Correct. Councilor Letellier—So that puts us at over $8 million and that Free Cash is money that was already budgeted for that we did not use, correct? Mayor Cohen-That's correct. Councilor Letellier — Okay, and this year you are proposing $1.5 million which is the • least it's been in about over ten years. Mayor Cohen—Correct. Councilor Letellier— So that would leave us with a balance of$3.332 in Free Cash after * the $1.5 million comes out. Mayor Cohen—$3.382. Councilor Letellier — Right and then when we have the Stabilization Fund we end up with $7,045,510. Is my math right, Cheryl? I think it is. I already did it twice. Yup after the $1.5 million. It's right. It's over $7 million and then I did that and I looked at the Reserve Fund. Last year the Reserve Fund put $400,000 into the budget. I'm sorry the budget put $400,000 into the Reserve. As of today, according to Cheryl, there's $386,000 left in that Reserve. That's in the print out that we received. Additionally we • have a Utility Reserve of$150,000. So that puts us at over a half a million dollars in Reserves that was budgeted last year. So far I'm right, right Cheryl? Okay. So I asked Cheryl — (off microphone conversations) you don't need to — if I'm mischaracterizing what Cheryl said, I'm sure she can tell me no. Mayor Cohen — What I'm saying is we don't use Reserve one time fund for Operating • Budgets. I've said that— • Councilor Letellier— I'm not disagreeing—may I finish my question and my statement please? I will not interrupt you, I promise. Mayor Cohen—I apologize. I thought you asked a question. I'm sorry. Councilor Letellier—Thank you. No I'm just making sure my math is right as a premise to my question. Okay. So of the $400,000 that was budgeted last year for Reserves, we currently have $386,000 which means we've only used $14,000.00. Then we have $150,000 in Utility Reserve which we've tapped about $32,000.00 according to Cheryl and we still have $54,000 in Administrative Building Utility Funds so again that gives us S over $500,000.00 in unused Reserve monies this year. So my question is if we have over $500,000 in unused Reserve funds, why are we increasing how much money is going into the Reserve Fund next year? Laurel Placzek — I'm gonna address it. I'll address that, Councilor, in regard to the Reserve Fund because Cheryl hasn't come to you for a Reserve Fund transfer but we do have deficits in regard to the cracked pipe, I'll just go there, that's about $125,000.00, no? I'm not allowed to say anything? Snow and Ice is about$85,000.00. Councilor Letellier — We haven't paid that yet? We voted to approve it a while ago. The idea if I remember correctly we had to approve it that night because the contractors were waiting. Laurel Placzek—No you voted to deficit spend. Councilor Letellier—But we haven't paid the bills yet? r Laurel Placzek— The bills have been paid but we have a deficit of$85,000.00 there so with the $400,000 in the Reserve Fund, we have $200,000+ in deficits that will close at the end of the year. The Reserve Fund closes at the end of the year so it's not any leftover amount that would be brought forward into 2012. Councilor Leteliier—No. What's not spent becomes more Free Cash for next year. Laurel Placzek—If it's not spent, yes. Councilor Letellier—Right. So— • Laurel Placzek —And our Free Cash has been going down for a couple of years. Right now we're looking at, after, if the $1.5 million is voted, there'll be $3.3 million left. As Cheryl handed the note over, "don't recommend using Reserves for Operating". • • • Councilor Letellier — And I'm not recommending using Reserves for Operating but 40 when I was doing the math, we have this $150,000 in Reserve for Utilities which Cheryl tells me we're just starting to tap now but yet under Administrative Building we have $54,000 in utility monies that hasn't been spent with one month left in the fiscal year so why isn't that$54,000 being used to pay the utilities? 0 Laurel Placzek—Well,that's where we pay our June bills, June and July. Councilor Letellier — That's not what Cheryl told me. Cheryl told me that the choice was made to make it from Regular Reserves not Utility Reserve. Laurel Placzek—Well, here, Cheryl, I don't know what you're talking about. Cheryl St. John — We're just starting to use the Reserve now. There is a hold over account that she's referring to that we haven't used. Councilor Letellier—No, no, no, I'm looking at, I'd be happy to show you. In the print • out that we get if you look at Page 3, it says Administrative Building Reserve for Utilities $150,000 of which it says $0 has been spent okay? Then on that same page Administrative Building Electricity and Heat — it says we've only used, that there's 48% left, that there's $54,000 unspent, so why would we be hitting, sorry, the reserve before we hit the main carryover account? Cheryl St. John—Well, the carryover account, the purpose of carryover is to pay, when you, the beginning of the year bills that were for June, by law we can only use the carryover for that purpose. So if we have bills from last fiscal year that come in in July that's what the carryover account is for, so that's why we've only used that amount because that's all the bills that we got at the beginning of the year for last fiscal year. Councilor Letellier — Okay, so we're gonna pay June and July from the Reserve which you told me is about$32,000 in addition to the $32,000 that's already been— Cheryl St. John -- Oh, I don't know what the amount's gonna be but we'll have to pay the month of June's bills. We pay bills through July 15''. Councilor Letellier— Okay and that other $55,000 will then become Free Cash because we can't spend it this year, right? Cheryl St. John— Yes, or it can be transferred to another account through Council if we needed it. Councilor Letellier—But we can't use it to pay this year's bills? ! Cheryl St.John —You're not supposed to. 0 Councilor Letellier—But yet we can transfer it for other things that aren't utility bills? Cheryl St. John—Yes. Councilor Letellier—Okay? Cheryl St. John — Through the Council, through the Mayor and the Council you could transfer any account to another account. Councilor Letellier— Okay. So even if we have to pay these other monies, the $85,000 for the Snow & Ice, even if it's $150,000 or $200,000, we still have over $300,000 left between the Utility Reserve and the Regular Reserve because we have $526,460 after the estimated June and July bills come in and after you've paid the heat for this out of the Reserve, so if we take another $200,000 even $250,000 out of that, we still have $250,000 of Reserves that's gonna go into Free Cash. Cheryl St.John—Yes. Councilor Letellier—So my question is why are we putting more money in Reserve next year instead of using it to offset other expenses? Every year we continue to have all this Free Cash that we're making people pay taxes on and they're not spending the money? Cheryl St. John —We could reduce the amount of Free Cash that, we use a million and a half of Free Cash to fund our budget so I mean if you wanted to reduce the budget, you could and just reduce the amount of Free Cash, it kind of washes out. Councilor Letellier—No, I'm saying why are we keep —Free Cash we've already taxes people on — Reserve is part of the next levy. So the point I'm trying to make is we're increasing the Reserve even though we can show that we're only — not between the Utility Reserve and the regular Reserve — we're not even using fifty percent of the Reserve and we have this Free Cash that's sitting out there that people having already paid taxes on, we've got 3.7 in the Stabilization Fund. I'm not saying we should spend that but even after we transfer a million and a half to this budget, we still have over $7 million in cash! Maybe that was a statement not a question, I'm sorry. I also have a question for Chris from DPW. Is Chris Golba here? Yes, thanks Chris. Thanks Chris. I'm looking at the Capital Improvement line items and I brought this to Tony's attention last year and it was his first I think full budget year and I said why haven't you spent any of your Capital Improvement money and he said oh my God I didn't know it was there so this is my question this year. How come you haven't spent any of your Capital Improvement money again this year? Chris Golba—Oh, we have. i Councilor Letellier — According to the May 31" print out, there's a lot of Capital Improvement—there's $386,000 no that's the wrong one, wait let me find the right page, page 29, let's see, there are unspent Capital Improvements of over $316,000 most of which are DPW and Grounds related. Let's see hold on. Here it is, I'm sorry, it's page 31 of the May 31" print out? Street Improvements only 12%'s been used out of the $150,000.00; Sidewalk Rehabilitation only 6%'s been used out of the $30,000; Connecticut River Walk and Bike Path 3.9%'s been used out of the $80,000; I'm not sure what GASB34 Implementation is 0% out of the $27,000; Farmland Preservation, that's not you; Sidewalk Rehabilitation 1.2% has been used, I don't, and then there's other accounts where 0 has been used. Why aren't these repairs being done if they're being budgeted for? ! Chris Golba — We're in the process of revising the report that we have from Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and we'll be using those funds for a variety of projects. We have to address some storm water issues, drainage issues that's where those funds will be coming from, additionally we're using it for street improvements in terms of the pipes, the trees, I mean we've had some serious issues with tree damage along the roads so ! we're waiting on bills for those bills to come in so we can address those issues. Councilor Letellier -- But even once we pay for those bills, if you look at these percentages, we have a lot of zeroes where, meaning nothing of your budget's been spent as of May 315t and then you have Street Improvement Program only 12%'s been spent after 11 months of the year! Sidewalk Rehab and extensions 6% of your budget's been used, I don't —I'm Chair of the Capital Improvement Budget Committee, I said yes, you know the Mayor talked about for the last two Capital Improvement budget how we want to increase the amount of money, get the streets done, get the sidewalks done, and yet two years in a row I sit here with the last budget print out we have before the budget's i supposed to be passed and the money's not being spent. I don't understand this. Chris Golba—I believe last year's money was spent. Councilor Letellier—As of the budget hearing it had not been. Mayor Cohen—It's all gone. Last year's is gone and again this year's will also be gone. We're waiting for bills to come in and we'll continue the road improvement program which includes pipe repairs on some roads and the repaving and the restructuring and I have asked him over and over and he assures me and I have to trust my department heads, he says that money will be gone by July 15 '. Councilor Letellier—I mean, I don't think anyone's not telling the truth, it's just hard to believe two years in a row, eleven months into the budget cycle, no money is showing as being spent on these very important repairs, you know we all walk on the sidewalks, our kids go to school on the sidewalks, I just, I'm having a hard time accepting that for two years in a row, after I brought it to the department's attention it still hasn't changed and I know, Chris, again, with Anthony last year, he was brand new and now you're brand new • but yet you were there under Anthony. I can't say I'm happy. Thank you very much. President Rheault—Councilor Perry? Laurel PIaczek— If I could speak to the carryovers that you're looking at on page 31 — • the $261,000 that was carried over because that was a concern last year, that has been spent 1001/6 but I specifically want to address the GASB34 implementation because the GASB requirements of tri-annual actuarial evaluations, we will be paying for an actuarial evaluation for our post-employment benefits and that will take care of that$27,000, that's kind of Cheryl and my carryover and we're gonna spend it. t' President Rheault—Councilor Perry? Councilor Perry — Yes, thank you Mr. President, through the Chair to either the Mayor or Laurel? If we look at Tab 2 on the budget, page 2, which gives the budget summary and we look down at the section of appropriations, you got General Operating Budget, • Capital Improvement, Cherry Sheets, I'm interested in 5 —Allowance for Abatements and Exemptions Overlay — we're budgeting $902,189.00 and it's basically the same amount that we budgeted in 2011. Where does this figure come from? Mayor Cohen—Yes, some of it I had told you about when I saw you Friday night but I'll let Kevin address it. Kevin Baldini—Councilor Perry this is an allowance for abatements and exemptions and it's submitted to the Department of Revenue and they look at it as a three year average, they try to do a historical average and our average over the past five years has been • $1,019,000. So we're actually down one hundred thousand. Chicopee and West Springfield which are sister cities, Chicopee is actually a little bigger, their average over the last five years have been $1.5 million and West Springfield's has been, the average has been $990,000. It's used again as a, for allowance for abatements and exemptions and Agawam has some large commercial properties that have to be accounted for. ! Councilor Perry — And I understand that, does the state require you to do that full amount? Kevin Baldini — They look at the average. We have to submit a sheet with that three year, every year we have to put our overlay in and they look at that and compare it over • the past three years to make sure that we're allowing for enough cushion, so to speak, and it is, they look at maybe 2 to 2 % % of your tax levy to come up with, that's what I calculated from West Springfield and Chicopee. Councilor Perry—Okay, so if you were to go say $500,000 instead of$900,000— • • Kevin Baldini—I think we'd have a problem setting the tax rate. • Councilor Perry—Okay, based on? Kevin Baldini—Well, they would look at that and say-- Councilor Perry—Are we that far off on our assessments? Kevin Baldini -- It's not a question of being that far off on our assessments, it's a question of being prepared if, like I said we have some large commercial properties— Councilor Perry—Oh, I understand, I understand what took place with Tennessee Gas. • Kevin Baldini—Well,I'm not even saying just Tennessee Gas,I'm just saying we have- Councilor Perry—We have Six Flags— • Kevin Baldini—Berkshire Power—right— Councilor Perry — Berkshire Power, I understand all that but I think we would have a handle on those accounts by now. Kevin Baldini—We have no control over whether they file an abatement or not. Councilor Perry --No, I fully understand that. No question, no question about that but when I look back you have the Abatement Account Reserves and when I go back from the year 2000 to present, we're putting this money aside every year in this budget and we • have a balance in that Reserve Fund of$4,160,000. Kevin Baldini—I don't know what the balance is and like I said, I don't have that figure but that's before Tennessee Gas. Councilor Perry— That's what's in there and we're paying them $900,000 that's on the book right now for the next two years. So if you take the $900,000 out, that's less than two million, you still have quite a bit of money in there that's just sitting there and here we are cutting things, and it's my understanding that with this fund, the money that is in there can be allocated basically just about anywhere if the Mayor puts it up to the Council and the Council approves it. We did that for Tuckahoe, okay? So there is according to the figures I received over $4 million in this account and I know we still have to pay the Tennessee and we've got two more years on that but again, here's money that's there, you take the $7 million in Free Cash, you've got the $4 million here but yet we're cutting and we need, I'm sorry go ahead Cheryl. • • Cheryl St. John — I do want to say that if we have an outstanding Accounts Receivable balance in either real estate or personal property, we cannot use the overlay until those balances are down to zero so we have to keep the balance on the books to cover the outstanding Accounts Receivable in case they ever come to us and need an abatement, those people that still owe us money, so I mean after the $1.8 million we pay Tennessee Gas, there's only $2.3 million and in our Receivables, I don't have the current balance at 0 the time, but actually Laurel does, but we can't go below our Receivables. So it goes individually by year so if you have a year, let's say, the year 2000 say your Receivable balance is higher than your overlay, if you're like say by the individual year if your Receivable balance is higher than your overlay you wouldn't be able to put it into Overlay Surplus and use it. Councilor Perry—And how often does that happen? Cheryl St. John — We do have Receivable balances on the books back to 2000 —that's Personal Property Councilor Perry — But there's still about two million dollars or two million plus that would be available? Cheryl St. John —No, that's just one year, we have personal property and real estate on the books a lot higher than that— • Councilor Perry—Oh, yea, I understand but after we pay Tennessee Gas, Reserve Fund there's over two million in there. Cheryl St. John — No, our Accounts Receivable balance in Real Estate and Personal Property is pretty high. I don't have a total but I can get you that information. Laurel Placzek—It's about$850,000.00 Councilor Perry—How much? $850,000? Laurel Placzek- $804,000 in Fiscal '11,this year. Councilor Perry—I'm sorry? Laurel Placzek—There's about $804,000 in Fiscal 2011 because they're delinquencies, they're demands just went out the end of May. Councilor Perry — So these figures of the four million that you had given me Cheryl is not what's actually in that account— • Cheryl St. John—No, it's in there. Councilor Perry--It's in there. Cheryl St. John—It's just that you can't utilize it until the Receivables balance is gone. Councilor Perry—Okay, and when is that determined? At the end of the fiscal year? s President Rheault—You have to speak into the mic so we can hear you please. Cheryl St. John — The Assessor can move the money into Overlay Surplus and then at that point it could be used for another purpose. Councilor Perry—Okay, thank you. Mayor Cohen — Under the law, the Assessor is the only one who can deem that the accounts can be closed or moved under the law, all necessary accounts have been cleared and the DOR sets that they would like 2 '/z % of the valuations set aside and we are actually lower than what percentage they had once requested. They've been a little bit more lenient in tough times in allowing it but I know they did question it last year through the Assessor about that number. President Rheault—Councilor Magovern? • Councilor Magovern — Thank you. The hour being late I'll try to be very brief but I have a couple of questions for Superintendent Mary Czajkowski? As you know Mary, over the years I've been very supportive of the school system. I mean I feel very, very close to the educational system in Agawam and as Mr. Sapelli said I'm aware of the mandates that we get from the state and I wish more people would become aware of what's coming out of Boston because our state mandates really hamper what we can do here as budget setters because so much of the money is mandated by the state as to what we can and can't do but by the same token in dealing with the town, we've got a very finite number of dollars that we're dealing with and I think we're in a crisis mode in spite of what was said but one of the comments that you made is that you can't run a school system without the proper administration. Well, you can't run a school system without the teachers. This in my mind is critical and we had at our sub-committee meeting, we asked the question as to why you couldn't take the two, or the administrators that you were proposing at the last School Board budget, why you couldn't take that money and * put it in the teachers instead of into more into the administration? Mr. Sapelli is very aware of the curriculum situation in this town and I just felt that he could have used some of his expertise in curriculum so that you wouldn't have had to hire another professional curriculum advisor and have a little bit more administrative money to put back into the classroom where the kids would get more benefit from? Der. Czajkowski — You know, as he indicated, first of all, being a Superintendent is a ! very complex job and it's very demanding, okay? It's 24I7. You're on call all the time and you have two elementary principals departing, you have a Director of Special Services departing, you have a Central Office administrator, a business person who has been in the district for over forty years retiring okay, you have a new Finance person coming in that has been here for one year but now because of the system and the system that's been used, is now gonna have to learn a different system and create a different system, technologically, because that's not how Mrs. Jury did her finances. You have a new Superintendent stepping into the position. Yes, he's been around. Yes, he knows curriculum but for every position that you lose, it takes three years to get that position back. We, through the administrative transition plan, between my leaving, my salary, Renee's salary, the business person that we lost, okay, the secretary that we lost, we've accounted for about $60,000. In addition to that as I said, we don't have curriculum specialists anymore. Somebody has to do that job. It's critical. I mean it's not something that I don't think you can just take Iightly and to say to one person you're gonna take all that on in these times? I think we're looking at MSBA, we're looking at a new roof for our Jr. High School. We have an Early Childhood that is a building that • needs to be renovated or at least moved. There's needs that we have within the system, I think that go beyond just curriculum issues and I think to put someone in a position like that without any support and if you walked into our Central Office today, we have one person doing payroll, we have over four hundred teachers, over 120 pars-professionals, one person doing payroll. That's it. We have all these exceptions because teachers get stipends and there's after school and there's curriculum writing and all sorts of things and so we have one person in payroll. We have one person doing Accounts Payable and Transportation. That's it. That's it. Then you have Renee who is retiring. You have a Director of Curriculum and a business person. For a system, a school system, that has a $35 million budget, we are lean. We are not and I know people think this, they say you're top heavy, look around at other school systems of our size, of our, and you'll count the number, look at the Central Office budget and look at our Central Office budget. You have a Director of Special Services now that's leaving. You have a brand new person stepping into that position. There's a lot of transition and a lot of change. Now is not the time to take people away when you're gonna need that kind of support and I look back at even our School Resource Officer, that position is back, I believe, I don't know for sure, but I believe that position is back in the Police Department's budget because they didn't lay off a police officer and I'm not saying they should but let's have, if that's the case, we need a Resource Officer in the High School so I don't know what else to say when I try to defend our administration other than I value them and I think the teachers value them and I think the parents value them and I think their job is a difficult * job today. Councilor Magovern — Well, I'm just looking down the road to next year because we had the increase in the teachers' salaries this year which has cost us teachers' positions, non-replacement positions, the class size has gone up and I sympathize with every parent ! here who's got problems with the class size for their kids because I know I had my two kids that went through school and I enjoyed having low class sizes for them and as it goes ! up, we've got a problem next year where there's a 1% increase this year which created these problems, next year there's a 2% increase. We're gonna have double the problems next year. We've got a finite tax dollar here. We don't have the money. We've got $100 increase in taxes this year based on a $200,000 home roughly. If you're in a more expensive home you're looking at $100 - $200 —tax increase. If we don't do something, ! next year is gonna be $200 to $400 a year in tax increases. Dr. Czajkowski—And I, excuse me, and I totally agree with you and I understand what you're saying. This is the first time in probably forty years that we have ever had a lay- off on the school side— EVER —in forty years. Now I'm not saying that that's what we ! should have but when you look at surrounding communities and you look at the financial crisis, we're not alone here, okay and the other point I want to make is that for the last four years, we have absorbed those increases in our budget, when there's been increases for personnel. We've absorbed those in our budget while still providing and maintaining our services, four years of level funded services! A level funded budget you can't continue to operate, you reach a point where you start to say how do you value education in your community? Councilor Magovern—But is it Ievel funded when the salaries keep going up? Dr. Czajkowski -- No because you also had, this is now two years in a row, that all • administrators have taken a 0%, two years in a row, I don't know that you can say that on the town side, but it is on the school side, all administrators two years in a row is 0% -no increase and our point was let's try to save and maintain the positions and not take an increase. So not a single administrator from myself on down to every single administrator did not take for two years in a row—0%, that's a credit to them. You need r to look at that but you need to reach a point where you say, where do you value education? Four years in a row level funded budgets, you can't continue to move a district forward in times like that and you begin to say, where do you value your education? What is it worth in your community and somebody said it earlier tonight, why do people move into your community? Because of the school system. ! Councilor Magovern — Well, the hour's late and I don't want to go on, but I value education and I'm just trying to come up with a way that we can have the best educational system we can with the other town services, and keep our taxes down to a level where the senior citizens and people on fixed income ran afford to pay their taxes in this town and it's a difficult situation. Dr. Czajkowski—I absolutely concur with you and there's not an easy solution. Councilor Magovern—Thank you. • Councilor Rossi—Dr? r * President Rheault—Councilor Rossi? Councilor Rossi — I know you keep throwing this thing out about level funded budgets for the last four years but in fact it's a level service budget. Because your level funded budget is $33.909 and your budget's been around 35 million. So over the last years we haven't really been at least in my judgment, we haven't really been paying attention to getting rid of some of the people in these less critical areas and keeping the people in the more critical areas. I think we continue to hire over the last few years. We continue to replace at 100%pace over the last two years and yes you're right, this is the first year in a very, very long time that we've laid off people because of the practice that we had but understanding that the level funded, that you call level service is because of this stimulus 0 money, the recovery stimulus money was presented to the Town of Agawam to actually save jobs and in some cases we actually created jobs. So I think that maybe we wouldn't be in this position if we were a little bit more prudent in that area and in looking at the more critical and less critical positions. Now I know you and I talked at a budget hearing months ago. It's no secret that the enrollment is going down at the elementary levels and • it has been for the last couple of years My question to you is you and your staff along with the School Committee I'm guessing had to make a decision as to where you're gonna make these layoffs and what teachers were not gonna be replaced. Given that the enrollment has gone down at the elementary level, why are we experiencing twenty five and thirty children at the elementary class sizes when maybe we should have been looking at a less critical positions and maintaining those teachers at the elementary levels to keep the class sizes at a reasonable distribution because I know we did talk about maybe going back at the elementary levels, all schools, and look at maybe redistricting if you will some of the students and get them at a more level or even, to even out the class sizes I guess. My question is why hasn't that been done? Dr. Czajkowski—Okay I would ask you a couple of questions. Do you first know what inclusion is? Councilor Rossi—Inclusion? Dr. Czajkowski—Inclusion. Do you understand what that means? Councilor Rossi—In what terms? How are Dr. Czajkowski—In the education term. Inclusion. 0 Councilor Rossi--I'm not familiar with that. Dr. Czajkowski — Okay. We have seen in the last three years an increase in students with autism in our Early Childhood Center okay, severe autism. The law says they must 0 be in the least restrictive environment in an inclusive setting. When you look at our four, 0 as I said before and I beg to differ with you with respect to critical positions and I would ask you what do you think are critical positions. Could you explain what are critical positions to you? Councilor Rossi -- When I refer to those more critical positions listening to the people out here saying that they object to having their children in larger class sizes at the • elementary level. I didn't hear anything at the higher grades at the High School for example or Jr. High School but they did speak of at the elementary level and the figures that I saw that the enrollments have been going down in the last few years at the elementary level. Dr. Czajkowski — Right and if you look at our elementary classroom teachers as I said before, there used to be four first grades, four second grades, four third and four fourths in every school, okay? That isn't the case anymore because our numbers are lower so what we've done as teachers have retired we haven't filled those positions because the numbers were lower, okay, but then what happened was you go through periods of what we call bubbles in the system where all of a sudden you have an increase in one particular ! area of the community and what happened was we get this Recovery money which is just to save positions, okay, and every year you look at your numbers and if enrollment goes up in a particular school, we use that Recovery money which we didn't get from the town because we were level funded. The town said you have to level fund so it's not based on what your needs are — level fund your budget. We used the Recovery money for that • position because our enrollment in some classes went up at the elementary level so what we ended up doing now is the money isn't there so the Recovery money is gone,the town can't fund the school budget so the numbers go up because we can't replace that position. Councilor Rossi—So those teachers were let go? Dr.Czajkowski—Pardon? Councilor Rossi—Those teachers were let go? Dr. Czajkowski — We had to restructure the positions, okay, so we said where are the critical needs? We may have to move one teacher from one school to another school or from one grade level to another grade level depending on the need. So it wasn't that we weren't looking at critical areas and it's not that our numbers went down or went, they fluctuate from year to year and we've been doing that for the last four years and so we ! use the Recovery money. We weren't gonna say three years ago,we're not gonna use the Recovery money, we're just gonna say well forget it we're not gonna use it because three years down the road it's gonna be gone. You needed to use that money which we did, okay, but once again, we get kids over the summer. Right now we had kindergarten enrollment and kindergarten screening; we looked at all our numbers in March, in April when we do kindergarten screening. All of a sudden we get, we got ten children in one 0 day that all of a sudden came in. We have students from Cathedral High School that are 0 asking, that are residents of Agawam, that have called and said at the High School we ! need to come to Agawam High School next year because we don't have a place to go to school. We have kids that are coming back saying we're not residents of Agawam can you take us as school choice because they're from Cathedral. So when you say our enrollments are flat, that changes from time to time and it really, I think if you look at the needs of kids today, they're very different. I mean you go into a classroom with 20 or 25 kids in a classroom, you've got one para-professional and you've got students with autism, you've got students with learning disabilities, you've got students with physical disabilities and it's difficult and I'm not saying that we don't look at this. We do look at it very carefully but I can tell you one thing. If you print out our expenditure report, it's gonna be zero in the expenditure report because we're gonna spend every penny that we have and that's a given. Councilor Rossi — How about those, those para-professionals, how many, how many were let go? Dr. Czajkowski—We let got thirteen. Councilor Rossi--Thirteen of them. Dr. Czajkowski—And some of them I have to say when we were looking at some of the language-based classrooms and some of the ones that we were critical, we just didn't keep them for the sake of keeping them. It was really based on need so some of them were justified, some of them we really needed to keep and maintain especially at our Early Childhood Center because that's where the greatest need is. Councilor Rossi There was no area in which you could cut to put those people back? I mean if they're needed, wouldn't we look for other areas? Dr. Czajkowski — Now, once again, I go back to we look at our supplies and materials. We've cut$136,000 in our building-based budgets. We've cut 17% over two years. We look for that. Councilor Rossi— Well, I say this only because there's a lot of people out there that are under the impression that it's the City Council who's restricting that money or denying that money but those are decisions that we don't get to make so I have to ask those questions and refer them back to the School Department, to you, because those people, I mean I hear them talking about the higher class sizes and the other needs in the schools and why can't they have those things but we can't give them to you, we can cut certainly, but we can't give them to you so if you're given certain constraints to operate in, I'm kind of guessing that maybe there must be somewhere within that budget, I mean it was only 13 to begin with and you say maybe 5 or 6 of them were critical, they're only malting$17,000 a year, isn't there somewhere that that could be found? Dr. Czajkowski — Once again, I go back to we were asked to level fund our budget. There are some controls that we have over fixed costs that we have no control over. Would I like to save those 13 para-professionals or 6 para-professionals? If there was some way that you could find, when you're talking about oh you can transfer the money from this Reserve to this Reserve and appropriate it here, then let's come up with saving 5 para-professionals at $17,000. I mean somebody just mentioned earlier that you can take and the Assessor as long as he agrees to it, use some of that money. Let's save five para-professionals. Councilor Rossi—That's on the town side. Dr. Czajkowski—Yea! That's the town and the school working together. As the Mayor has said to me there's one budget. There's only one budget. There's one budget! Councilor Rossi — Well, I know. We're giving you the money and once we give you money our control is gone and it's up to you what to do with it. Dr. Czajkowski--Trust me. If you gave me the money I'd put in the para-professionals! Trust me. I'd do it tomorrow morning! Councilor Rossi — Well, well, I guess the Mayor gave it to you. I don't know. Maybe he didn't give you enough. I have no questions. r Dr. Czajkowski — I would love for the Council tonight to support putting para- professionals back in there. I would put them back in there. Councilor Rossi — I would love to do that but I can't do that. I'm tied. My hands are ! tied. I didn't want to see them leave. I didn't want to see teachers get laid off. I don't want to see class sizes go up. There's other areas in that school I would like to see cut before that but I don't get to make those decisions. Dr. Czajkowski — Right and I guess and that's where I come in and where I rely on the people, the administrators, okay. That would be like me saying you should cut somewhere else in some other area that I know nothing about. I wouldn't do that because I don't know. I don't live that life but I can tell you the principals live the life and based on, I trust them, I trust their.judgment and when they say to me these are their needs based on their needs, I have to trust that. I'm not in their-buildings but I can tell you that based on what I see in their buildings and once again I go back to, I know these are difficult times -and this is a very difficult situation and the Council has been very supportive. I mean Councilor Magovern and I have been on Rotary along with Councilor Walsh and I know they value education. They find it important so I would say let's find a way that we can work together to put those in. Councilor Rossi — Thank you and I want to wish you well and Godspeed in your new ! endeavor. Dr. Cza jkowski—Thank you very mach. I appreciate that and thank you to the Council as well. President Rheault--Anything else? If not, I declare the public hearing closed. What is the Council's pleasure?,Councilor Bitzas? Councilor Bitzas — Mr. President? I think we should listen to the Committee's report first before we make decisions and debate. President Rheault—What? Committee report? Councilor Bitzas —Yes, the committee should report to the Council, the Full Council, as always to be done and then we can discuss it. ! President Rheault—Councilor Simpson? Councilor Simpson — You'll start with me? Okay, that's fine. The School Budget, we've had a series of meetings as a committee, had some workshops,joint meetings with the School Budget but on, let me just get my book out because I didn't think I was gonna • be the first one up. We had our final meeting for the School Budget on June 13'', we had it at the Agawam Library at 4:30 with all committee members were present. In the audience were other members of the Council, School Committee members, administrative staff and I assume people of interest. Basically at that point, we had, I gave everybody on the committee an opportunity to voice any questions, concerns, 4 opinions, what not of the School Budget. Different things were bantered around that had been brought up this evening about different ways that we could cut, different positions that could be cut. We have to remember that we as the Council and the public knows that we do not formulate the School Budget, that is the privy of the School Committee to do that. If we want to do that, we need to run for School Committee but we have to ! overlook and oversee it because it all comes into one main budget for the town. Like I said different things were bantered around as to what people thought were positions that maybe should have been cut as opposed to other positions, places in administrative and what not, so after some discussion and questions, I asked for the intent of the committee as far as what would they like to do for a recommendation to be given to this Council on ! approval as far as the budget goes with the School Budget portion of it and at the time when we asked for a type of a recommendation either to give a positive recommendation, a negative recommendation or no recommendation at all, it was voted upon that two votes went for to have no recommendation given whatsoever, neither positive nor negative, two votes against that and one abstention. So at this particular time as Chair of the committee I cannot give any type of a recommendation from our committee. If 0 anyone would like to ask a question,they're more than welcome. 0 President Rheault—I don't see any lights on. I'm sorry? Councilor Rossi? Councilor Rossi — Thank you. I had the Budget #2 committee which consists of Public Safety, Weights & Measures, Inspection Service, Health, Community Development, Veterans Service and Agawam Country Club. It was a decision of me, the Chair, not to take any recommendation either for or against the budget and I had a very specific purpose for doing that this year and I wrote a summary for the Council and I'd just like to briefly read it. The feeling of this committee's Chair that no recommendation was to be made to the Full Council by this committee concerning the appropriateness of this budget. Only a review of its findings and suggestions would be submitted for the Full ! Council's consideration. Because Mayor Cohen included salaries and direct benefit increases in this budget over the objections of the City Council and that these increases will double and extend into the third year, it was deemed only reasonable that the Full Council to its appropriateness. Additionally,because there were no formal votes taken at the sub-committee level concerning any suggestions for reductions, those suggestions for reductions will have to come from the Council floor by way of a motion to amend the amounts appropriated and that was the findings of the Budget #2 Committee. There was some suggestions made but I would defer to the Council in their judgment to use their own judgment as to what they consider appropriate. My position is that I don't feel as though I can vote for this budget for a couple of reasons. One is— * Councilor Simpson—Isn't this just reports now? Councilor Letellier—With all due respect, Council Committee reports? Councilor Rossi—Oh is that what this is? I thought it was discussion. President Rheault — Committee reports only. Councilor Walsh, I believe you're Committee#1. Councilor Walsh—Yes, we had Committee#1, we met on May 3 1"and there were three i of us and for the most part we basically looked at each department and we took a vote after the presentation by each Department Head and for the most part if it contained salaries which included a 1% increase, our vote was 2 votes in favor, 1 abstention because of the 1% increase. This applied to virtually every department. There were a few items that did not have salaries so that the votes were thusly 3 in favor of recommending a positive recommendation to the Council and no against so that's the result of Budget#1 is we basically are in favor of the budget as we reviewed it and we're recommending the Council to accept our recommendation. Thank you. Councilor Bitzas — Point of information? Through the Chair to Councilor Walsh, can you name also for the record those that said no? ! i r Councilor Letellier — I'll be happy to say it George, I abstained because the Council didn't pass the raises but they're in the budget so I'll say it for myself. Thank you. Councilor Bitzas — Okay, and I want to say it for my self if we can discuss it, we can discuss it after anyway. Thank you. President Rheault--Okay, Councilor Perry, I believe you had one? Councilor Perry — Yes, thank you Mr. President. I'm Chairman of Budget Sub- Committee 43. We met on Monday, the 13`h of June, at 6:12 at the Public Library. My committee members Jill Messick and James Cichetti were present. Joe Mineo and John Walsh and George Bitzas were present also. The committee reviewed the Library, Park & Rec, DPW, Administration, Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Engineering, Water Department, Waste Water Department and Building Maintenance. Again, each department was asked to give an overview of their departments in the budget and present it to the full committee. There was much discussion with each department. I want to thank the Department Heads for those discussions and putting up with me but after each department was discussed, the committee did vote on each one and I just want to let you know that every department that was discussed was a 3-0 count for a full recommendation to the Council. Thank you. President Rheault — Thank you. Now, it's open to the floor for discussion. Councilor Bitzas? Councilor Bitzas — Thank you Mr. President. First of all I'd like to commend the Chairs, Councilor Perry and Councilor Walsh, for doing the right thing, during the sub- committee budget and take the stand and have the courage for one reason or the other to do the right thing and vote and recommend to the Full Council. That happened all the time in my twenty-two years serving, every year that happens, and I hope this is the last time the Committee Chair of a Budget Sub-Committee do not repeat again next year. If we make in the Rules of the Council to do that, I think it's very, very wrong to do it and have a meeting and not take a stand, one way or the other and I'm not going to say • they're right or they're wrong about not supporting the 0%, 1% and 2% for three years contract with the unions for the four unions—Police, Fire, Clerical and two others—and I cannot go into details about it but we have no right to negotiate and every year, as Councilor Mineo said, the salaries were on the budget all the times, school salaries cuz they negotiate by the Superintendent and by the School Committee vote by the seven members they vote for it. We have nothing to do with the school salaries but the town salaries they are always in our budget and we pass it for twenty-two years I remember. Why this year is it any different? Now, the majority of the Council they vote for not to agree with the 1% except two councilors — myself and Councilor Walsh--but if we send this budget back to the Mayor for no amendment, with no amendments to cut, what specific areas to cut, then the budget automatically will pass because it's a deadline. We have to do this way, pass it as presented or cut it in areas that this Council feels free to cut • • it. Period. Now if we are going to say okay we're going to cut this x amount of money I believe it's about $200,000 of the town side increases -- 1% - if we do that, the unions logically they're going to go to arbitration and going to a judge and the judge what will he say? What did we have two years ago, the last contract, and we all of you, any of us, all of us, we vote for 3%, 3% and 4% for three years, the last quarter they got. This year we're voting for 0%, 1% and 2% do you see any logic? Judge going to say oh no you got • a 0%, 0%, 0% and the union's going to say 01/o, 0%, 0%n? There's no way. So I hope you councilors think about a reason,-valid reason, if you want to cut fine, you cut it but if you going to put the town into a problem with the unions for the 1% and they're doing a great job, I would like to see them not.to get any raise but there is no way, they're right-- 1% is not as much. I prefer not to give any raises. I didn't get any raise — I got a lot less percentage down in my job ...I shouldn't say that but it is pretty bad but I speak for the people that vote for us so my point is it's hypocritical for this Council to cut the budget that three years ago you voted for 3%, 3% and 4% and now we vote for I% and give and stop the wheels of the government. So I hope you pass this budget. It's a fair budget for this time we have. Do I like to see the school to have more money and get more • positions? Of course. I'm a school teacher, my wife's a teacher, my daughter's a teacher and my daughter teaches in Springfield. My wife teaches here for long, long time and I know, and I taught at West Springfield High School. I taught at West Springfield Jr. High also. I know what the teachers are going through and I think it's fair, fair budget in difficult times and I hope you all support it. Thank you. President Rheault—Councilor Simpson next? Councilor Simpson — Thank you. I'll try to be brief considering the late hour that it is. While we've been having our discussion I came up about nine different bullets that I could discuss but I'm not going to do that because some of the things have been discussed and there's no sense of re-hashing things over and over again. My comments are made as a Councilor, as Jill Simpson, not as any representation of our committee except for the first thing to Councilor Bitzas saying a committee should not make a recommendation. If that should be a rule at some paint that's fine I don't have a problem with that but as I run a committee I leave it up to my committee members of what they • want to do and it's a fair and equitable way to do that. I cannot force my committee members to make a vote if they do not want to. If that should be a rule at some point, that's fine but I don't think you should be saying that we're not doing something right when what am I supposed to do stand over my committee members over their head and say you need to vote? No. They have the option. It's a free country and a free world. That's the only thing I have to say as far as being the chairperson. The rest of my comments are as a councilor. Schools are near and dear to my heart as you know. I've always been a big supporter of the budget with the School Budget. I myself am a teacher we don't need to go through all that. I think everyone knows that. I know how important class size is being in the class room and anyone that says what's wrong with 25 children — 25 six year olds in the classroom—needs to have their head examined because I'd like to see you sit in a classroom with 25 children for six hours a day. It's a challenge! My • • problem is and I'm sure I'll get flack for it and if I do that's okay, is I have issues and especially being a teacher it really hurts me when I hear teachers in this community say why should I put down a raise? I'm safe. I'm tenure. I'm not gonna get laid off. I want my raise. You just put your fellow teachers under the bus and that makes me very, very sad. I thought unions were supposed to be solidarity and all working together for a common cause but when you hear comments like that I cringe as in that profession. I'm • not a union teacher I work for a private school but that still makes me cringe and when I hear people in the community go what the heck is wrong with our teachers making comments like that I go — free country I guess they can say that. Do the quick math - $17,000 an average for our para-professionals, there are 13 of them. That comes up to $221,000. Those 1% raises are $225,000. There's your money right there. If we were all working for a common cause maybe, no one likes to give up a raise, no one doesn't want to get a raise but I thought the common cause was working for the children. There you go right there. You could have your fellow para-professional right back in the classroom. We who work in the private sector don't have a chance to say hey I want my raise. If they come down and say no raises this year, you have to say okay that's it or I quit - one or the other. I think that's a problem now, people are getting very upset with unions, same thing on the town side we'll go onto the town side, not wanting to go back and negotiate. I'm not sure where that mentality comes from anymore when everybody is in critical stance right now. If I said to my boss, I'm not happy about the fact that I'm not gonna get a raise this year and she'd say there's the door. That's it. It's tough times. • So I have just a whole problem just with this fact that nobody wanted to seem to come back to the table. I can't believe you would put you fellow professionals under the bus and the children. What are we working for? We're working for the children. I had an opportunity to talk with some High School students about the budget. Not that all students not having some good information but I went to the highest level that we could at the High School just because I think that they're a little bit more in tuned. They're a • little bit older, not to say that a Jr. High student or Middle School student or even elementary wouldn't have some good ideas but I thought I'm gonna go to the High School and I said to them after I calmed the fact that they had some wild rumors going on that this class was disappearing and that class was disappearing, I said to them, I said what bothers you the most about the budget and the things that are happening. They • came right out quickly and said the loss of our Resource Officer. We feel that that presence is not in our school next year, we feel uneasy, we don't feel safe. Agawam cannot think that anything bad, we don't want anything bad to happen but we cannot be under some umbrella thinking that something could not happen bad in our High School. It happens everywhere; in any community that's had something happen probably could • have said the same thing --not in our community. When I hear that that was the biggest concern for our children in the High School, that they were not going to feel as safe without that presence, I know we have administrators up there, I've been privy to walking into the High School and seeing a fight break out and seeing administrators run from different directions to get that fight done but that fight happened to break out in front of the office---a little bit more convenient. As we said it's a mile walk what if that's in the farthest corner, we gotta get people there quickly because nowadays a fight isn't just, • • couldn't be just fist fights, knives, guns, we don't know what's gonna happen. It makes • me sad that we could not find funds to get that Resource Officer back into that High School. We have bullying is a big issue right now. Lots of things going on with these kids, as we say it's not like it was ten, fifteen years ago. Children's issues are much more, families' issues. I have always supported the budget. I find it very hard this evening that I'm almost thinking of, I haven't totally made up my mind of voting no, only • because I don't want to see cuts. I want to see more added into this budget and I think that if I vote no it's just kind of my way of saying I want to see something else change. As once again, I'm a supporter of the schools, supporter of the town; this is my ninth term, 18 years, 18`�budget, my last budget. I guess we're going out with a bang with this one but I just think that some different things could be looked at. Some of the things may be minor, adds up to only $5000 here, $8000 there but you know there's up to $15000 there's almost a para-professional. So I'm gonna end my comments there. Also, one last thing, state mandates I think we really should start looking to Boston to say how can you mandate on us and not tell us where that money is gonna come from? How can you keep putting mandate after mandate, all of a sudden they set up a curriculum, you put your • heart and soul into that curriculum and five, sic years down the road, they start going oh, I think we're gonna change the curriculum now. Okay, we're gonna go through that whole process again and there's more money. I don't know if they have people sitting in a room just trying to think of things to do that makes us do changes. Some certain things run smoothly, some things need to be updated with changes so we really need to have to go after Boston to say, these mandates have either got to stop or you've got to control • how we're gonna fund them and I guess that's it because I'm not gonna go on any further. It's 10:45 and I'm sure there's other people that want to talk. Thank you very much. President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Letellier? I'm sorry? • Councilor Letellier —I was going to say let Councilor Rossi go first but okay. I, as I sit here, I have some fundamental concerns about what's happening with the unions and I hate to say this because I consider myself a really good Democrat but this whole tit for tat — we're not gonna go back to the table because the teachers didn't go back to the table, the teachers are gonna say we want our raise, if there's lay offs so be it—bothers me. But I have to also think that if the teachers are getting their raises then why shouldn't we give them to the Fire and the Police and everybody else because that seems to me to be fundamentally fair. I did abstain at the meetings because my concern was that the Council voted not to fund the raises. The letter that we got from Attorney Dupere dated February 17, 2011 said if the Council does not vote to appropriate monies then the parties would recommence negotiations. Now the fact that the unions allegedly said that they're not going to do that, that disturbs me. That disturbs me and here we are with next year being 2%. I would like to ask the unions to go back to the bargaining table for the 2013 budget because these layoffs aren't going to be the only ones we are gonna see if everybody gets 2% next year. You're gonna see layoffs, you're gonna have to see layoffs in Public Safety as well as the School Department and I can't see how that benefits anyone,anyone,not the top union earners in each category,not the first in last out kind of people. I find that really, really disturbing. I wish that we could do just a blanket no vote if we wanted to. I read Vince's memo. I called Vince. The Charter says we have to pass a budget. If not the one the Mayor proposed, then we have to make amendments and ultimately pass an amended budget. I think that it is not fair to the tax payers to have all this money sitting in Free Cash, that they've already been billed for and not having it be • used toward services. I know you've already been billed for that. You've already paid the taxes on it and now we're letting it sit there. In past years, we've gone anywhere from 2.9 to 2 even. This is the first time we've been under two million dollars. I think we can put more money from Free Cash and that would more than satisfy the raises for Police and Fire, DPW and get the teachers and the para-professionals back going but we can't add and we can't just vote no. When we certified Free Cash, I distinctly remember saying because Dr. Czajkowski was in the audience and she was nodding along with me, that if we have $5 million in Free Cash, why are we cutting the schools? Why are we cutting the schools? But I have to tell you that I can't tell you that next year if I'm re- elected I'm gonna sit here and say 2% raises are appropriate. That's just not fair to each 40 other and to your fellow taxpayers and your fellow citizens. Unfortunately that's not the way the current world economy works and so I heartedly request that the unions, all of them, re-bargain for 2013 because it won't be just the School Department with layoffs and so as I sit here can I tell you what I think should be cut? I know I could tell you what I think should be added. I think we're putting too much money into the Reserve Fund this year. You know when I do the math with Cheryl over the phone, we have more than excess Reserve this year and yet we're adding to it for next year and that unspent Reserve just becomes Free Cash. It's money that you're paying taxes on that just sits there and I don't think that's appropriate. I think there's a history every year it seems like I'm the only one that goes through this print out —the May 31 st print out—and says okay people, every year you ask for money and you're not spending it and I can't do that anymore. I • cannot do that anymore. So I'm, I'm voting for cuts. I'd like to hear what other people think before I make specific proposals. I can't tell you in my mind what my specific proposal is because I keep, I did my math, I typed things up, I made my notes, I can't tell you what a fair cut is because I don't think there is a fair cut. I can tell you that it's not fair for these folks, Public Safety, not to get raises when the School has raises. That's • fundamentally unfair but it's also fundamentally unfair.to do this tit for tat saying well if they're not gonna lose their raise, we're not gonna lose our raise. We're adults, people. We're adults. You work for a municipality. You don't work for private government and maybe that means sometimes you get less money or less benefits but maybe you have perks in other ways, about feeling good about helping your fellow citizens. I don't know. My dad was a cop, my godfather was a firefighter. People who aren't involved in that field don't appreciate the extent to which people lose a good deal of their private lives. My dad got called out to events all the time, my godfather too, in the middle of a holiday. An event happens, they get up and leave. DPW in the middle of the night, in a sewer hole, in the middle of the winter so to say that they shouldn't get raises when other people do is not fair. But 2%next year for everybody is too much. The budget cannot handle it. So I don't want to take up too much time but I'm telling you I'm voting no and I'm • voting no for cuts and I'd like to hear what my other councilors say. No, but I don't want ! to make an amendment and jump.the gun until other people have had their chance to speak. President Rheault—Councilor Rossi? Councilor Rossi—Thank you. I have to agree and if I could just continue on the thought that I had, I have a couple of problems with this budget. I have suggested over a long period of time with this budget that there be concessions made on both sides. I think this Council sent a clear message to the city's side that maybe they should take a very serious look at this 1%. Now one percent individually doesn't mean a whole lot to them but it means a whole lotto some people who lost their job and we could replace some of these positions with that. Now I happen to know in the Police Department that they asked for two cruisers, he slashed one cruiser from the budget because the Police Officers have to get one percent. Now a cruiser costs $27,000 and it's $31,000 to fund a 1% increase for the Police Department. Now if they didn't get that raise, we'd be able to get that cruiser replaced that's a hazard that those people have to go out there and perform their duties with. That's just one example and on the school side,you're not totally out of the woods either I mean I have some very serious questions about this school union. I remember last year when the step increases came up and I was severely criticizes because I thought that they should take a serious look at that, well they so we can't, we can't, we can't because it's contractual. Well what happened in the end with the union? They voted to take that $442,000 and divide amongst 391 union employees some of which weren't entitled to any step increases. What they did though is they took some increases from some junior teachers now when the tables are turned a little bit and we have a chance to save some positions, what did the union say? Not on my watch. I don't care about those people. The very same people that gave up their step raise so every single employee in • that union could get $1064.00 which equaled more than 1% and every other town employee got 0%. Now that's a tragic turn of events and I'm not happy with that. So to get back to it, that's one thing. I do not like the fact that we have laid off teachers. I don't like the fact that we've got laid off para-professionals. I think they are needed. It seems to me that every time there's a crisis in this town we have to go after the bottom of the food chain. We shouldn't be doing that. Councilor Simpson —I don't think it's fair to call them bottom of the food chain! Councilor Rossi— Well, the lower level people, the lower level employees. I apologize but we shouldn't do that. We should be protecting these people. I mean it's our position as people in our community to protect those people that can't protect themselves and these young teachers can't protect themselves. They're at the mercy of the more senior people. The town employees on the town side — 1% to ask you to give up — let me ask you a question, how well do you think you got it? As bad as you think you have it, my suggestion to you is don't ever give it up. Now I may quote a quote from old Sam Provost, don't ever give it up. So you certainly can make the concessions over here and I • don't think it's unreasonable for you to do that. That's the first problem I've got. The • second problem I've got is the fact that I don't like funding a budget with the unknown. We're being asked to fund a budget with projected increases from the Waste Water account. I don't like that. What that means is we're being asked to pass this budget on projected income and in November I know what' gonna happen. We're gonna come up and we're gonna have to give these taxpayers not only a tax increase with the tax factor, • we're gonna have to hit them with a user fee on Waste Water and we're gonna be held hostage when we do it but because we pass this budget, we're gonna be obligated to increase the user fees or we have to cut the Waste Water account and looking at the figures, it's gonna be a drastic cut. I think we need to go back, we need to look at this budget, even if we have to go into a 1/12 session for a month, go back let's look at this • thing, let's find something that makes sense. I know I've been talking about it and I know it's getting late in the process but I've been talking for a very long time about doing something that makes sense and none of this makes sense to me and that's how I feel about it and I feel like Gina, I agree with your thought process here, I can't honestly go for a budget like this. • President Rheault—Councilor Magovern? Councilor Magovern — I'm basically in agreement with I hate to say it Councilor Letellier! I agree with you, with a lot of what you said and Councilor Rossi. I'm really very, very perplexed. I'm for education. We've got to get a cut in this budget though because as Councilor Letellier said we just can't say no and not get something out there but I feel, I've heard the discussion that there's a million dollars in this account, there's $90,000 here that isn't spent, we can re-shuffle something in the Assessor's Department. I say go back to the drawing boards, get some of that Free Cash, give it back to the School Department and try to get some teachers. Try to get those para-professionals, I • mean you cannot teach kids in today's day and age with 25/26 kids with all the problems that these students have because you try to mainline some of the learning disabilities, you put them in with the kids that are the high-achievers, the mid-achievers, the low- achievers and nobody gets anywhere if you can't get a Para-professional in there to take care of some of these sub-achievers. So the money is in the town somewhere. It's in • Free Cash, it's in some unused accounts somewhere, it's in somewhere that could be transferred, this money has to come from somewhere. I don't feel that we can not go for a 1% raise or a 2% raise next year because we're gonna have critical problems next year. You've got 2% teachers' increase, you've got 2% across the board, somebody's gotta give somewhere. You've gotta go back and renegotiate. The teachers' union has to sit if down and say okay if the town employees are gonna give up some of therr's for a year, then we can renegotiate and give up some of our's for a year. They said that they'd consider it if the town gave it up. If we forced them and said okay give it up. The money can be there but the taxes are going up $100, $200, $300, we can't afford tax increases in this town and then the sewer fees are gonna go up so between sewer fees and the tax • increase, everybody's gonna look at everybody on the City Council and say throw the bums out they raised our taxes. Not deliberately we didn't raise your taxes. We want the • Mayor to go back and try to look at this budget, try to figure out where he can transfer some money, save some of these para-professional, keep our students with the right kind of instruction, we have to do it. The only way we can do it is to turn down the budget tonight and say go back and try to re-figure things and come up with some money somewhere. Thank you. • President Rheault—Councilor Bitzas? Councilor Bitzas — Thank you. We have many, many people, the School Committee members, everybody else except three residents; they all spoke in favor of the budget it as is without cuts. The only thing we have to do and I sent a letter here probably you all got ! the letter, to the Solicitor, and the question was `as the Charter states, we as a Council shall pass the budget with any amendment to cut or pass without any amendment as presented —can the City Council vote against the budget without any specific amendment and just send it back to the Mayor' and the answer is no. The Town Council shall not may not adopt the budget with or without amendments within a forty-five days following • the date the budget is received. It's very close to the 45 days here. Could be it is possible for any of you to vote no for the budget just for no reason. You have the right to cut a budget but if you just vote no to make a political point it isn't possible. It's not working. The no vote we pass the budget, period. It's simple. It's right down here by Solicitor. If some councilors say oh I'm going to vote just to make a statement, that's not what we're here for. We have the courage to cut if you'd like to cut, fine, if you don't want to give the 1% raise to the union and you cut the budget, you make a point there, the budget will be cut and union they will say to renegotiate and before I finish, I'd like to ask Councilor --through the Chair—Councilor Rossi. Councilor Rossi you asked before the Mayor and you tell the Mayor that the unions came to you and they say they're not going to renegotiate, are the unions happy with you or anybody else to cut the 1%raise? Councilor Rossi — I said I spoke to some of the union people on all unions and I didn't really speak to anybody active on the Fire Department but I did on the Police and DPW and they were totally amazed. They had absolutely no idea what was going on - • Councilor Bitzas— So they're happy— Councilor Rossi—Do you want me to answer the question? Councilor Bitzas—Yes, sir. • Councilor Rossi Please let me be allowed to then. Councilor Bitzas—Thank you. ! Councilor Rossi —And when I spoke to them, they all said they didn't know what was going on. They didn't know anything about any mediation process or anything like that. • Now I don't know and I know I heard what the Mayor said but that's what they told me so you take it from there. Councilor Bitzas—But the question to you is are they happy for you to stand down here and promote not to raise 1%of this budget- • Councilor Rossi—Let me answer that question? Councilor Bitzas—Are all those union people, are they happy for that? Are they willing to give up their 1% -? * Councilor Rossi—Will you allow me to answer? Councilor Bitzas—Let me finish my question first. Councilor Rossi—You asked me the question did they - Councilor Bitzas—Let me finish my question sir. Councilor Rossi—Go ahead. • Councilor Bitzas — Are they happy not to get the 0%, then it's fine with me. Tell me they don't want a 1% raise. That's God Bless them if those unions came to you because I don't know, do they don't want their raises? Councilor Letellier—Point of privilege. Councilor Rossi is not the spokesperson for the union and this line of questioning is completely inappropriate. Councilor Bitzas — Well, it's a question if he's willing to answer Councilor Letellier. It's very important because that's why this Council is voting against the budget to cut and in order to cut by the rules that's the 1% which is about $200,000. They don't want to cut the schools. Of course they'd be crazy to cut the schools, they're not going to cut any • schools and we have no right to increase the budget so we are, we don't, you guys don't know what you're doing but voting no, you cannot. Can you answer the question Councilor Rossi— President Rheault—I think we've had enough discussion. Councilor Letellier? • Councilor Letellier — Thank you. If there's another councilor that wishes to speak I have no desire to cut anybody off but if everyone who wants to speak has spoken, I'm going to make a Motion to Amend the budget and I'm only doing this for purposes of getting it back to the Mayor in the hopes that some of our comments will be construed constructively and perhaps we have a little more from Free Cash to get the teachers back because it's unfortunate that our Charter and that's another reason for Charter Reform • • says that we shall we have to pass a budget. If we just vote no, we are not complying with our Charter so my purpose in making this cut and seeking votes to approve the budget as amended is to get the budget back to the Mayor in the hopes that he's heard what the Council has to say and submits a new budget or a budget with revisions and the number is completely up for discussion. I'm gonna say $250,000.00 which is the amount of Reserve that's left over and some unspent Capital Improvement. Now when I checked • with Vince, I asked if we could just vote to cut a number. We don't have to say a specific amount from a specific department and Vince told me we can just vote a number. So my Motion is to amend the budget and to cut it by$250,000.00, again with the hopes that this generates a new budget. Councilor Bitzas—Point of information? Councilor Magovern--I'd like to second that. Councilor Letellier — I think I'd like to hear from Mr. Gioscia. Can we go into • Committee as a Whole? Wait, Vince, we need a motion and second and a vote. President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Letellier and seconded by Councilor Rossi. All those in favor? Attorney Gioscia —The Resolution before you is a line item budget therefore you would have to President Rheault—Excuse me let me finish the process up here Vinnie. Barbara please call the roll to be sure we get everybody recorded. ROLL CALL— 11 YES, 0 NO President Rheault—Eleven yes. All right. Councilor Letellier — So are you saying, Attorney Gioscia, that we cannot just pick a • number, that I have to pick an account that it comes out of? Because I think that's not what you and I discussed this afternoon. Attorney Gioscia—That's precisely what I'm saying Councilor. Councilor Letellier—Okay, then I'll amend my motion. Attorney Gioscia — If I just may clarify, if you look at the Resolution it says General Operating Budget and lists out all the departments, that's where you'd have to make your cuts. • • Councilor Letellier — Okay, all right. So I would like to if I could come out of Committee as a Whole, motion to come out of Committee as a Whole. President Rheault -- All those in favor? Opposed? We're out. But, just so I may clarify the Charter. It states `the Town Council shall adopt the budget with or without amendments within forty five days following the date the budget is received by it. In • amending the budget it may delete or decrease any programs or amounts except expenditures as required by law or for debt service. Councilor Letellier- And that's what I thought the conversation I had with Vince earlier is that we could just do a blanket amount but if he tells me it has to be from a certain account I'm happy to amend my motion. Councilor Bitzas—Point of Information, Mr. President? Point of Information? President Rheault—What your point Councilor? Councilor Bitzas — May I ask a question to the Solicitor? Are we still Committee as a Whole? President Rheault—We just came out of Committee as a Whole. • Councilor Bitzas — Okay, then to you, Mr. President. If we do cut specific amount, what's the deadline for the budget to go to pass? Can you tell the Mayor how to spend that? Councilor Letellier—No we can't. You know that answer George. r President Rheault--We're not telling him how to spend it. Councilor Bitzas—Okay thank you. • Councilor Magovern—Council President? President Rheault—Yes? Councilor Magovern -Yes, if I remember many years ago when I was first on the Council, we did cut the budget one year by $100,000 and our purpose for cutting the budget for$100,000 was that we wanted to cut it out of the legal expense when it came to foreclosing on property and it was a suggestion of the Council that that money go into another area. If, I believe budget was passed on the stipulation, but the money was never put back and the budget was passed with that $100,000 cut out of it so if I understand it • right, we could put a motion through here and say we want to cut $250,000 out of the budget and the Mayor could say okay $250,000 cut out of the budget and approve the • budget from that basis, if I understand it correctly. So we have a dilemma here and we • could pass the budget with the amendment and then the budget is passed and he just operates the budget with less than with the$250,000. President Rheault—Less the specific amount requested. • Councilor Magovern - And we don't get what we're trying to do is we're trying to get some teachers back into the school. Councilor Bitzas—That's correct. Councilor Letellier — I don't know if it's Point of Information or Privilege or whatever but we can, the Mayor can approve the budget as we've amended it or can veto the budget as we've amended it and so if the Mayor does not veto it, then you're right. That $250,000 cut just sits there. The Mayor can veto it or the Mayor can submit a revised budget and I think that the people and the Councilors have spoken and have made it clear what we feel are the appropriate changes but that's all we can do. We can't, the year that you are referring to was the year that Councilor Young wanted the money to go to school technology and that didn't happen and I don't know if it was under Mayor Johnson or Mayor Cohen I honestly don't remember. It may have been under Johnson I think because it was during our first term, Bob Young and my first term which is Mayor Johnson and he didn't do that and so the budget just stayed cut by that amount. Either • way, either way, what happened is exactly what you said which is the worse case scenario is that despite making our points, the cut goes in and nothing happens but I think that we have to fight for what we believe in and hope that an amended budget comes our way because we don't have the option of just voting no which would force an amended budget. • President Rheault— Or if you specified hypothetically I want to move $50,000 from the GPS. Councilor Letellier—You can't do that. • Councilor Magovern—No we can. We can move to cut a specific line item. President Rheault—Of course you can. Councilor Letellier—But we can't say where it's gonna go to, exactly. Councilor Magovern—No, we can't tell him where it's gonna go or we can cut a million dollars and he's gonna have to refigure the budget. Councilor Letellier—No, I agree. I agree. • • President Rheault— So, what are you doing? • Councilor Letellier I'm putting it out there for discussion. I move that we amend the budget by reducing Reserve Fund Item 16605 Code 57300 from $500,000 to $250,000, that's my motion amend it as you choose. • Councilor Rossi—Where does that come from? President Rheault—Reserve, it's down to $250,000. Councilor Letellier — If somebody wants to do specific line items, go for it. I'm just • putting it out there for discussion. Somebody needs to make a motion. President Rheault— Councilor Messick did you— Councilor Letellier — I am just agreeing with Councilor Letellier plainly because if we reduce the Reserve Fund, we're not affecting any particular department so I think that's a way to make a cut without actually going into a certain department and trying to figure out what to do at this time of night. Councilor Magovern—Council President? Councilor Mineo—I had my light on, Don, I had a question. President Rheault — Did you second Gina's motion? Councilor Perry seconded it. All right. Councilor Mineo for the first time? • Councilor Mineo — I just got a question because I was the one who had brought this up to Councilor Magovern back when $100,000 was taken out of the budget but if I'm correct, are we looking to vote if you amend this and you're cutting $250,000, are we gonna vote in favor of this budget because if we — I just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly because I went through this ten or eleven years ago and when A the $100,000 was cut, the $100,000 was just cut and that was the end and I understand you gotta stand up for what you believe in but— Mayor Cohen—Can I ask you to go into Committee as a Whole for a second? • President Rheault—We've had it. Councilor Minco—We're taking a gamble and I— Mayor Cohen—If you promise to cut— • • Councilor Mineo -- Excuse me, I'm speaking. I don't know if I'm willing to take a gamble again. Councilor Letellier— Through the Chair to Councilor Mineo I understand it is a gamble but the Charter says we have to pass a budget so either we approve the budget as submitted by the Mayor and Dr. Czajkowski or like I said we make an amendment and • we hope that it yields, well let's listen to the Mayor. Let's listen to the Mayor. Councilor Magovern — Can we go into? Can we go into Committee as a Whole? Can we go into Committee as a Whole? Mayor Cohen - Can we go into Committee as a Whole? President Rheault— We will go back into Committee as a Whole. Motion by Councilor Magovem to go into Committee as a Whole, seconded by Councilor Letellier, all those in favor? Opposed? We're now back into Committee. • Mayor Cohen —Okay, I'm saying I don't know where I would cut $250,000 but if you tell me where to cut $250,000, I will come back with a Supplemental Budget and give that to the Schools, okay, if you limit it to $250,000. Is that good deal? If you limit it to $250,000 1 will come back I will cut the town side by $250,000 and I'll give it to the schools but you have to tell me where you want to cut it. I'll make that cut. Councilor Letellier—I made that motion out of Reserves. I'm sorry if you didn't hear it. Laurel is saying she couldn't hear me. Councilor Bitzas—I second the motion to go to the schools. Councilor Letellier—Let the Mayor, let's let the Mayor talk. Mayor Cohen—Which Reserve? i Councilor Letellier — General line item Reserve, I said 16605-57300, yup that's why I read the code with the numbers. Mayor Cohen — Okay, so but I then have to have an okay of the School Committee to accept that$250,000 and then I will come back with a Supplemental Budget and you will have to pass that at some time before June or I should say you meet in July, it will happen before September. Councilor Letellier—Thank you very much. Councilor Perry—Yea, I believe we have forty-five days to - • • Mayor Cohen—No we have only four days left. • Councilor Letellier—No cuz you gotta get it to the state. President Rheault—Forty-five from the day you submitted it. • Mayor Cohen — Cuz I have to get, I have to have a budget passed and approved to be able to get the next bills out. Council Tt Letellier—Motion to come out of Committee as a Whole? Mayor Cohen—And I have to be able to get a tax rate in a timely fashion. President Rheault — Just not, before you make that motion, remember if you pass this motion,you are accepting the 1% and 2%raises for the second and third year. • Councilor Letellier— And that's why I pleaded with the unions to please go back to the bargaining table for 2013 because that's all we can do. President Rheault — But you are giving a positive motion which is in fact approving them. • Councilor Letellier —I'm not voting for 2013 until 2013 is in front of me. I'm voting for 2012. President Rheault—But that's not gonna work. • Mayor Cohen — Councilor Letellier, I have talked with Russ Dupere who is not here tonight, he was in Pittsfield. We've already talked to him about negotiating the 2013 if the unions are willing, that is something that we've already — but right now we're working to get through this budget so as I said I will make that concession. • Councilor Letellier—Thank you. President Rheault—If you adopt it you're gonna— Councilor Letellier—Motion to come out of Committee as a Whole? i President Rheault—Moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by the rest of the Council. All those in favor of coming out? We're back out. Councilor Letellier—So I think I made a motion to cut from Reserve Fund 16605-57300 $250,000.00 and we have the Mayor's word that he will submit a Supplemental Budget. 0 President Rheault—Moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by Councilor Perry. i Councilor Bitzas—Mr. President, can we discuss the motion? President Rheault—Have you new information? • Councilor Bitzas—Yes, no, no, it's the, yes,of course. So I'm gonna support that. It's a great, great solution to help the schools and the credit the Mayor and Councilor Letellier; they brought to our attention, now legally we can do it. If we have the word and we have it and I hope the Superintendent of Schools do the right thing, don't spend the money in any other offices down there, Mary, okay, and get this money and hire the teachers and have a good ratio with the teacher and public and hire everybody you layoff Thank you. President Rheault—Well, we've heard the political speeches, I'm sorry I can't hear you. Councilor Letellier — I think we need to call a vote on the amendment and then on the budget as amended. President Rheault—Perry seconded it. The amendment is in front of the Council at this time to cut$250,000 out of the Reserve,Barbara, are you still awake down there? Clerk-I'm awake, I'm waiting for you to call my name. President Rheault—Please call the roll. ROLL CALL—11 YES, 0 NO President Rheault — Eleven yes. We've got the main motion as amended and I think we're gonna have to read this entire motion or do we, yea, I don't have the new figures. Well I've got to read it from here. All right, bear with me cuz procedure calls for my reading this. TR-2011-31 . A Resolution Adopting the Fiscal Year.2012 Annual Operating Budget For the Town of Agawam WHEREAS, Under the provisions of Chapter 44, Section 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws and Section 5-1 of Article 5 of the Agawam Home Rule Charter, the proposed FY2012 Annual Operating Budget was submitted on May 12,2011;and . WHEREAS, Under the provisions of Section 5-2(a) of Article 5 of the Charter, a public hearing WHEREAS, Under the provisions of Chapter 44,Section 32 of the Massachusetts on the proposed annual operating budget was held on June 20, 2011, notice thereof having been published in one issue of a newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Agawam more than fourteen (14)days before such hearing;and WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the Town of Agawam to adopt the attached Fiscal Year . 2012 Annual Operating Budget;and NOW THEREFORE, THE AGAWAM TOWN COUNCIL HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: 1. That pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws and Article 5 of the Agawam Home Rule Charter, the Annual Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2012 which begins July 1, 2011, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by, reference, is hereby adopted and the several sums therein set forth to be raised by the levy of a tax upon all taxable property within the corporate limits of the Town of Agawam, Massachusetts, all other funds and receipts are hereby appropriated for the several purposes therein stated. 2. The Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Operating Budget is adopted According to the departmental and line item categories contained therein. Said adoption allowing administrative transfer offunds from any line item within any category of arty departmental or the line item budget to any other line item within the same category of the same departmental or line item budget. i 3. There is hereby appropriated in the Line Item - Contributory Retirement an appropriation to the credit of the Hampden County Retirement Board to satisfy the Town of Agawam's share of the Pension and Expense Credit Funds. 4. Consideration has been given far anticipated receipt of funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for street reconstruction purposes as set forth in the Highway portion of the budget which is attached hereto. 5. In addition to any specific appropriation, revolving, gift and grant funds are hereby established under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, S 3 and Chapter 44 S 53A,S 53D and S 33 E112 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011, with the specific receipts credited io each fund, the purposes for which each fund may be spent and the maximum amount that may be spent from each fund for the fiscal year,as described in Exhibit A. 6. There is hereby appropriated all money from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the United States of America, as well as,from any grants or donations received for public purposes. 7. There is hereby appropriated all money received from the interest income on short term investments including the interest earned on funds in interest bearing bank accounts. 8. That the Assessor use not more than$1,500,000 of"Certified Free Cash"to reduce the Fiscal 2012 Tax Rate. 9. The Agawam City Council hereby resolves, authorises and appropriates $110,499 from the Agawam Municipal Golf Course Retained Earnings, account 65200-31510 to Fund Balance Appropriations,account 65210-48500, 10. The Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Operating Budget for the Town of Agawam is hereby adopted as follows: GENERAL.OPERATING BUDGET Council $ 169,298 Mayor S 285,085 Administration Building $ 323,404 ! .Law Department $ 121,300 Auditor $ 150,015 C1erklElections $ 219,278 Assessor $ 246,729 Data Processing S 203,440 Treasurer/Collector S 293,274 Police Department $ 4,343,989 Fire Department $ 3,474,577 Inspection Services $ 271,680 Health Department $ 578,048 Community Development $ 125,289 Library $ 996,349 Parks&Recreation $ 163,269 Council on Aging $ 355,716 DPW Administration $ 49,565 Highway&Grounds $ 1,753,338 Motor Vehicle Maintenance $ 647,914 Engineering $ 183,391 a Building Maintenance $ 3,731,872 Agawam Public Schools $ 34,194,167 Emergency Management S 33,195 Line Items S 20.138,020* TOTAL-GEN. OPERATING BUDGET 1 7 Q=2 —** CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET S 495,428 TOTAL GENERAL FUND 73 547 630 SELF SUSTAINING DEPARTMENTS Wastewater Department $ 3,306,250 Wastewater Capital Improvement Budget $ 47,174 TOTAL- WASTEWATER $ 3,353,424 Water Department $ 3,618,774 Water Capital Improvement Budget $ 35,995 TOTAL- WATER S 3,654,769 Golf Course $ 718,995 * Golf Course Equipment $ 60,000 TOTAL-GOLF S 779,995 TOTAL-SELF SUSTAINING DEPTS S T 787.I88 TOTAL-ALL DEPARTMENTS **** *Minus the$250,000.00 now reads$19,988,020 **Total Operating Budget$72,802,202.00 ***Total General Fund$73,297,630 **"Total—All Department$81,084,818 IL There is hereby levied upon all taxable property within the corporate limits of the Town of Agawam, Massachusetts upon each dollar of assessed value thereof, taxes in an amount to be determined 12. The following available funds are transferre"ppropriated for use in the Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Operating Budget to help reduce the tax burden: Ambulance Fees $ 50,000 13. Authorize the Western Hampden District Veteran's Service io exceed its assessment limitation by$97,351.81 (Agawam's share)pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 59, Section 20B. President Rheault—That's your motion. Councilor Bitzas --We have a motion on the floor, Mr. President? President Rheault—Pardon? Councilor Bitzas—The motion is on the floor, can we vote? Councilor Letellier—It's been moved and seconded. We need a vote. President Rheault — I don't think we need any further discussion. The main motion as amended. Barbara, please call the roll? ROLL CALL—11 YES,0 NO President Rheault Eleven yes, you've approved the main motion as amended. Give me one minute to get this paperwork out of here so I can find the next item of Agenda. Council will stand in recess for two minutes—in your seat. Item 10. Old Business 1. TOR-2011-3 -An Ordinance Adopting the Outdoor Dining Amendment to • the Code of the Town of Agawam (2 readings required--Set Public Hearing Date of July 5, 2011) (Referred to Zoning Review and Ordinance Committees) (Councilor Bitzas) President Rheault -- Could 1 ask the Council to get back in session so we can conclude the business? No, wait a minute we've got to vote on it. Councilor Letellier —No, we've already voted to be the Petitioner. This is just the first reading. But we don't want to have the first reading until after the public hearing I would assume. President Rheault —No, that's right. It was suggested as July 5a' and sent over to the Ordinance Committee and we'll entertain a motion to table this item. Moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. All those in favor? Opposed? It's tabled. 2. TOR-2011-4 - (ZC-2011-1)An Ordinance to Amend the Code of the Town of Agawam Article X1Y, Chapter 180§94 Entitled"Personal Wireless Services, Facilities and Towers"(Continue Public Hearing—Suggest September 6, 2011) (Referred to Zoning Review and Ordinance Committees) (City Council) President Rheault — They've asked for a continuation because they've delayed on information so we're gonna set the public hearing on September 6`h. Moved to table by * 82 • Councilor Leteliier, seconded by Councilor Messick. All those in favor? Opposed? It's tabled. • 3. TO-2011-14 -An Order Granting or Renewing a LICENSE for an Automatic Amusement Device(s)—Headquarters Bar& Grille, 485B Springfield Street,Agawam,MA. (Referred to License Committee)(Clerk) • President Rheault — I'll entertain a motion? Moved by Councilor Walsh, seconded by Councilor Rossi. That was referred to your committee, Bob. Councilor Rossi— The License Committee sends a positive recommendation to the Full Council for approval. # President Rheault --Moved by, any further discussion? If not, Barbara, please call the roll? ROLL CALL— 10 YES, 0 NO, 1 ABSENT (Councilor Simpson) President Rheault—Ten yes, one absent, you have renewed the granting of the license. 4. TO-2011-15 -An Order Granting or Renewing a LICENSE for a Junk Dealer—Ronald Joseph Hamel dibla Letalien Jewelers, 383 Walnut Street Ext.,Agawam,MA.(Referred to License Committee) (Clerk) • President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Rossi, seconded by Councilor Messick. Again, Councilor? Councilor Rossi — Again, the Licensing Committee recommends, unanimously recommends to the full body the passage of this license. President Rheault—All right. Any questions? If not, Barbara,please call the roll? ROLL CALL—10 YES, 0 NO, 1 ABSENT(Councilor Simpson) President Rheault—Ten yes, one absent, you've approved the license. 5. TO-2011-16 - An Order Granting or Renewing a LICENSE for a Junk Dealer--John Rosati d/b/a John's Trucking of Agawam,Inc., 415 Silver Street,Agawam, MA. (Referred to License Committee) (Clerk) • President Rheault—Moved by Councilor Rossi, seconded by everybody. Again? Councilor Rossi—The Licensing Committee again recommends fully to the Full Council the passage of this license. • President Rheault — The Committee has recommended it for approval, Barbara, please call the roll. S3 • ROLL CALL—10 YES, 0 NO, 1 ABSENT (Councilor Simpson) • President Rheault—Ten yes, one absent, you've approved the license. Item 11. New Business 1. TR-2011-39 -A Resolution Authorizing a Loan Order for the Purchase and Installation of a new town wide Telephone System (Mayor) President Rheault—Next Agenda. I'll refer that over to the Finance Committee. 2. TR-2011-40 -A Resolution Adopting Massachusetts General Law Chapter 32B, Section 18A(Mayor) • President Rheault—Next Agenda. That's also going over to the Finance Committee. 3. TO-2011-17 -Transfer of$125,337.91 (from several account listed below) to Waste Water Treatment(22542-56600) • Regular Permanent (22541-51010) $92,680.31 Regular Temporary (22541-51020) 1,000.00 Overtime (22541-51030) 3,000.00 Uniform Allowance (22541-51070) 1,606.74 Fuel & Oil (22543-52130 5,711.04 • Office Supplies (22543-52230) 286.00 Other Supplies (22543-52240) 640.24 Chemical&Lab Supplies (22543-52310) 341.07 Materials& Equipment (22543-52370) 4,988.01 Motor Veh.Parts& Accessories (22543-52430) 7,696.15 • Road Materials (22543-52460) 1,905.56 Sewer System Materials (22543-52480) 1,570.14 Eqpt-Repr,Maint&Replacement (22549-52030) 3,912.65 Total Transfer $125,337.91 President Rheault—Next Agenda and to the Finance Committee. Item 12. Any other matter that may legally come before the City Council. President Rheault—Councilor Perry? • Councilor Perry—Nothing this evening, Mr. President, thank you. President Rheault—Councilor Letellier? • Councilor Letellier—I'd just like to thank the Mayor. I think he made a good decision and we all appreciate it and I thanked him personally during the recess. 84 President Rheault—I saw the big hug. Councilor Messick? Councilor Messick—I have nothing. President Rheault—Councilor Cichetti? Councilor Cichetti—Nothing. President Rheault—Councilor Walsh? Councilor Walsh—Nothing. President Rheault—Councilor Rossi? Councilor Rossi—Nothing this evening. President RheauIt—Councilor Mineo? Councilor Mineo —Real quick. I know it's been a long night. I'd like to thank Gina for what she did. I thought, making this thing happen, I really, kudos, and whoever's still watching have a good night. President Rheault—Councilor Magovern? • Councilor Magovern — Thank everybody for their endurance and I hope we got some town business done. Thank you and good night. President Rheault—And always short for words, Councilor Bitzas? Councilor Bitzas — I'll be short tonight. I have a couple of people that called me. I don't know if you probably had the same phone calls and one person came to my house today complained about a sign passed the Senior Center in a beautiful house, huge sign in the front there advertising some kind of restaurant, so they say, it's on the truck it's probably no problem but he said to me that it obstructs when he drives out from the store there, it obstructs the view, should be notified the town so if you'd like to send a letter to the Police Chief to take a look to see if it's really obstructing the view or who is the committee for the Safety Committee and I can tell the person. ! Councilor Cichetti —After our Ordinance meeting, Councilor Bitzas, myself, Councilor Letellier and Councilor Magovern all spoke about this about a safety issue. I did go down and look at it myself and you can see right down Main Street from the stop sign and I also spoke to Chief Campbell about it also. He also himself went down and it is on the log. He actually did refer to me tonight that it definitely is on the log. He went down there and it's not a safety issue. Councilor Bitzas—Okay, I will tell him that. Thank you. i 85 President Rheault—He moved it from a dump truck to a pick up truck. i Councilor Mineo -- And just one other thing. I had called Nick about that same thing last week and pretty much said there was nothing he could do. President Rheault—Final item, adjournment, I'll entertain a Motion to Adjourn. Moved by the Council, seconded by the Council, all those in favor? Thank you very much for all those who may be still watching and good evening. Adjournment 11:40pm • • i • i 86