CC MTG MINUTES MARCH 7 2011 a
REGULAR MEETING OF THE AGAWAM CITY COUNCIL
March 7, 20II
President Rheault — Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the March 7t'
City Council meeting.
Item I. Citizen's Sneak Time
President Rheault —We have a few citizens wishing to address the Council this evening
and I'm not sure if one of them has addressed the Council before but you have up to five
minutes and state your name and address and the purpose of your visit. And that being
first Pll call on Richard Kos.
Richard Kos — Well again, good evening members of the Town Council. My name is
Richard Kos. I'm a lawyer with the law firm of Egan, Flanagan and Cohen here in
Springfield, Massachusetts and I'm here to speak on behalf of the Agawam
• Administrative Union and the contract that's before you this evening for your
consideration for appropriation. I'd like to let you know that this union represents
literally the first level of management after the Executive and Legislative branches and
they make sure that the work of the town gets done. The make up is about half
department heads and about half supervisory personnel. The contract before you tonight
• for your consideration is the result of several months of negotiations, discussions and
compromises. This group attempted to be a leader in the negotiations by agreeing with
the Executive branch to accept the 0%, 1% and 2% increases for each of the three years
of the contract that is currently before you and it's my understanding that that became a
model for all the contracts that you have before you in the town that are administered and
negotiated through the Mayor's office. As you have been informed, it is the role of the
Executive branch — that is the Mayor — to negotiate contracts. As the Legislative body,
you are to address the request for appropriation necessary to fund this contract.
Newspaper accounts of your previous concerns indicate that the Council may want to
look at staff, existing positions, salaries and "higher level jobs". These and related
matters are appropriately part of the negotiating process. Neither side had raised these
issues to date. I suggest to you that to do so at this stage of the collective bargaining
process is not appropriate under the law. The concerns that were on the table have been
addressed. In my opinion, to raise new issues now would be an unfair practice. There
are no salary increases in the first year of this contract. In fact, any salaries that may be
subject to your present concerns are part of a current contract that this board has
previously funded on multiple occasions. I would suggest if you, as a Legislative branch,
have concerns, they should be shared with the Executive branch namely the Mayor so
that in future negotiations those future concerns could be addressed. I can indicate to you
that the Administrative Union has indicated and would be willing to discuss those in
future contracts as we go forward. The issue now though is to raise new issues at this
• stage of the collecting bargaining process is unfair and is inappropriate under Collective
Bargaining Law. I thank you for your attention and I appreciate your concerns as well as
your consideration of the matter before you later this evening. Thank you.
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President Rheault—Thank you Attorney. Next is Gary O'Brien.
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Gary O'Brien —Good evening ladies and gentlemen of the Council. I'm Gary O'Brien.
I work for the Agawam Police Department and I live at 30 Oakmont Place in Feeding
Hills. I just wanted to bring up something as far as the contract negotiations. The Police
and Fire pay scale has recently been compared to the Mayor's salary. Why would such a
0 comparison be made and what similarities do they have? The answer's none. If people
were to compare our salary to another, please compare it to other local police agencies.
I'd to talk about some current work conditions and man power. Man power's remained
the same over the past twenty-five years for the Agawam Police. The town is divided up
into four patrol districts. We often operate with just three patrol districts. A single patrol
area under a three-district plan is from O'Brien's corner to the Westfield line to the
Southwick line over to the Suffield line. These patrol figures remain the same even
during the summer when our population almost doubles while Six Flags is open. Over
the past three years, there have been over one hundred incidents where police have been
the victim. Over sixty of those have been assault and batteries. A company that provides
care for violent and troubled individuals has taken up residence in our town. We have
received upwards of one hundred 911 calls at these locations, assaults on staff workers
including those pregnant, civilians, the elderly and police officers at these locations are
not uncommon. Most residents at these locations require at least two to three officers to
affect an arrest or transport. Patrol Supervisors and patrolmen have documented such
dangers and requested changes. Our safety concerns at these locations have gone
+ unchanged. Bar problems are more common than ever, ranging from simple unruly
patrons to gun shots. There isn't a police department around that calls for mutual aid or
backup from other agencies as often as ours does. Our drug problem is clear. Drug
overdoses and deaths are a reality. Arrest reports have become arduous and time
consuming. A serious accident can take days to complete. Arrests of non-English
• speaking people involve interpreters requiring special processing that literally can tie you
up for hours, Many juvenile arrests require a two officer prisoner transport to locations
as far away as Worcester. Our detectives are on call 24 hours a day lessening their
leisure time. Drug officers must remain by their cell phone 24/7 in order to remain
effective. Morale has dropped to a low where it may never recover. Internal police
0 socialization is virtually non-existent. Recommendations by supervisors for
commendations for meritorious actions go unanswered and ignored. On the contrary,
accusations of police misconduct and wrong-doings are handled with delicate political
gloves. Cruisers with high mileage are being driven on snow tires during the summer
months even though they have been proven unsafe. We hired three officers from
40 Springfield PD a few years back. Two out of the three returned to Springfield. Need I
say more? Another officer went to the State Police, one to Carson City, Nevada PD and
several are currently seeking employment with other departments. I've negotiated many
contracts over my career and this one is the least costly to the town. Poor economic times
have made all involved more cognicant of the fiscal reality. Mayor Cohen's office and
legal staff explained their fiscal dilemma during negotiations. The process was slow and
frustrating yet very professional. We agreed to a 0% increase the first year, a 1%
increase the second year and a 2% increase the third year. We have run short-staffed, we
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have negotiated the lowest cost of living increase in history and we lost the Quinn Bill for
all new hires. We feel that we have done our part during this fiscal crisis. Please support
• and fund this contract. Thank you.
President Rheault—Thank you Gary.
Item 2. Roll Call
President Rheault—Barbara,please call the roll?
ROLL CALL—9 PRESENT, 2 ABSENT (Councilors Letellier and Simpson)
• President Rheault —Nine present, two absent, you have a quorum. Councilor Simpson
phoned and said that she would not be in attendance this evening.
Item 3. Moment o Silence and the Pled e o Alle fiance
President Rheault—Please rise for a moment of silence and Pledge of Allegiance.
Item 4. Minutes
(a) Regular Council Meeting—February 22,2011
President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Perry, seconded by Councilor Walsh. Any
changes, additions, corrections? No? Voice vote is sufficient. All those in favor?
Opposed? Abstained by Councilor Messick.
Item S. Declaration from Council President
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None.
Item 6. Presentation of Petitions, Memorials & Remonstrances
1. TR-2011-17 -A Resolution Confirming the Appointment of Alice Smith,
523 North Westfield Street,Feeding Hills,MA. to the Historical Commission
to a Term Expiring January 1,2014 (Mayor)
President Rheault — Council's pleasure? Moved by Councilor Walsh, seconded by
Councilors Rossi and Perry. Any comments? Councilor Magovern?
•
Councilor Magovern — I would just like to say what a great job Alice has done for the
town and historic preservation and I think she's a great choice for the commission.
President Rheault—Thank you. Any others? If not, Barbara, please call the roll?
ROLL CALL—9 YES, 0 NO,2 ABSENT (Councilors Letellier and Simpson)
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President Rheault—Nine yes,two absent, you have approved the confirmation.
2. TR-2011-18 -A Resolution to Appropriate Funds for the Agawam
Clerical Employees Association,Agawam Administrative Union,Agawam
Patrolmen's Association,Agawam Police Supervisor's Association and AFL-
CIO Local 1973 Firefighters (Referred to Finance Committee) (Mayor)
a President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Walsh, seconded by Councilor Rossi. If I
could just for the benefit of the audience and for a reminder to the Council - the Council's
role regarding this item of Agenda is purely to; we are either to fund or not to fund. We
played no role in any part of the negotiating process. Pursuant, and this is the opinion for
our Labor Attorney, pursuant to the statutory collective bargaining scheme provided by
Mass General Law 150E, the legislative body role is solely to approved the funding of the
contracts. Do I like it? No but this is the system that we, the Council, are mandated to
follow. We have nothing to say about the contracts except to say yes or no to the
percentage over a three year period. With that, I'll entertain a motion to open the
discussion to the floor. For the record I'm going to read the Resolution.
TR-2011-18—A Resolution to Appropriate fund for the Agawam Clerical Employees Association, Agawam
Administrative Union, Agawam Police Patrolmen's Association,Agawam police Supervisor's Association,
AFL-CIO Local 1973 Firefighters.
WHEREAS, the Town of Agawam has negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements with the following
Unions: Agawam Clerical Employees Association, Agawam Administrative Union, Agawam Police
Patrolmen's Association, Agawam Police Supervisor's Association, and the AFL-CIO Local 1973
Firefighters; and
WHEREAS, the Town and those Unions have executed Settlement Agreements; and
WHEREAS, those Settlement Agreements have been rated and executed by the Unions; and
WHEREAS, all the Settlement Agreements provide for increases as follows:
a. Effective July], 2010—0%FY 2011
b. Effective July 1, 2011-1%FY 2012
C. Effective July 1, 2012—2 FY 2013, and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Massachusetts General law Chapter 150E, Section 7, the Agawam City Council
must appropriate necessary funds; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the Town of Agawam to appropriate the necessary funding.
NOW THEREFORE< BE IT RESOLVED BY THE AGAWAM TOWN COUNCIL that the Agawam Toun
Council hereby approved necessary funds to fund the first year of said Agreements, said amount being
$0.00.
Dated today.
President Rheault — Floor is open. Councilor Walsh? Did you want to say something?
Finance did not meet because there was at that time no information and they cannot
discuss anything regarding the contract anyway. Do you have any input John?
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Councilor Walsh —No, I think that's true because the figures that we had in our packet
was information that I think we would have needed in order to have a discussion at the
• Finance Committee level because we can't really discuss the contract other than the
fiinding and we didn't get that information until it came out Friday. So the meeting had
originally been scheduled for I think the prior Tuesday so we had to cancel that meeting
because the figures weren't available for us to discuss.
• President Rheault—Councilor Rossi?
Councilor Rossi—Thank you. Let me just say at the onset, I am not personally opposed
to any increases for public employees. I understand their plight especially those at the
lower levels. I know that their jobs are often frustrating. The pays are low and the hours
are long and that can be very difficult circumstances under which to work but that being
said, our role as a legislative body up here is to appropriate the funds. It is the duty of the
municipality and collective bargaining that the community be able to identify those funds
and where they're going to be coming from. I had previously asked that that be done. I
asked for a breakdown department by department to find out just exactly what these costs
were gonna come from I mean cost the community because they're gonna have to be
• added to the levy, the tax base. What I got was something I didn't quite understand,
maybe my knowledge doesn't go quite that deeply, I was hoping to have a little better
breakdown but what I really wanted was contract by contract, department by department,
to find out just exactly where these funds are coming from and if I can draw a little
example of where I'm coming from—just recently I attended a State of the City address
• by Mayor Cohen and in that address he keyed pretty much around the economic situation
of this time which I don't have to tell anybody in this room that they are very, very
difficult and our budgets right now are a little fragile. So that being said, in his statement
he said he is NOT going to ask for an increase in taxes. He said that clearly. In fact he
accentuated it a couple of times. That being said, how is he ever gonna give these people
these percentage increases without increasing the tax? We have no knowledge of where
these funds are coming from. I've asked the question. No one seems to know. I want to
see a plan. Do we have a yearly plan of where — these contracts are gonna take affect
starting in next July, July I" to that June 30"' — and then the subsequent year will take
affect the following July — I don't see a plan on where this money's gonna come from
41 this year. I don't see any projected plans on where the money's gonna come from in the
succeeding years. Just exactly where's it gonna come from? I think it would be
irresponsible of this body to actually go out and say and commit ourselves to 1%, 2% or
any percent for that matter without exactly knowing just exactly where this money's
coming from. Now I for one would like to know that before I could vote and I don't
• think we could vote intelligently on it and that's not to say that I am opposed to it as I
said earlier. I'm not opposed to these raises. I would love to give everybody a raise and I
think in some circumstances I think the people deserve even more than 2% or 3%. 1 think
they do a great job. I listened to Officer O'Brien talk up here. Coming from a police
background myself, I know exactly what he was talking about. It's a difficult, difficult
situation to be in especially faced when you're not gonna get an increase but I can't look
• at it like that. I have to look at it from where I was elected to do and I what I was elected
to do is watch out for the people in this community, to pay attention to their pocketbooks.
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The people out there just cannot absorb anymore taxes. We're gonna be faced with user
fees and all these other things and I know that that's not the problems of the Unions. I
• understand that but those are OUR problems. Those are problems that we have to deal
with so until I can get a breakdown of where this money's gonna come from and as the
Mayor says without raising taxes and that's why I wanted a breakdown by contract by
contract. For example if we give a 1% increase to say the Police Department for example
and I'm not singling them out but just as an example, if we're gonna give them a I%
• increase and that amounts to or equates to a certain dollar amount, then we're gonna have
to cut somewhere in that Police Department to make up that difference and that goes for
the Fire and Administrative Union and the Clerical Union. If he's gonna stick to his
word and we're not gonna have any increases and if you're gonna get wage increases,
then we're gonna have to cut somewhere. Just exactly what's he gonna do? I'd like to
• see that and that's particularly my opinion at this point.
President Rheault—Councilor Magovern?
Councilor Magovern —I'd just like to add on a little bit as to what Councilor Rossi said.
Nobody can be more supportive of the Police and the Fire of this community than I am.
I've experienced the use of the Fire Department both with a house fire and I've used the
EMT service with my parents. I think we have one of the best EMT services anywhere in
the Valley. We have a phenomenal Fire Department. We have a great Police
Department and they deserve the 2%, 3%, whatever but we're elected by the citizens of
Agawam to look at the cost, look at the taxes and I know there's been no increases in
0 COLA for Social Security for the past several years. The retirees in this town are living
on a set income. There's absolutely no way, there is no money to make up the difference.
I mean Officer O'Brien stated the facts very eloquently as to why the Police Department
deserved the money but by the same token he also said that they're driving around on
snow tires in the middle of the summer. This also equates up to what the problem is —
• that if we've gotta ride around on snow tires in the middle of the summer, we don't have
the money for the maintenance of the vehicles. We've gotta have the money. If we're
not gonna have increases in taxes next year then we've gotta cut somewhere. It's so
much easier to say yes than it is to say no but in this economy until we know exactly
where the money's coming from - We're looking at the loss of $2 million in federal
• funding, state funding, all the other fundings so we've gotta really scurry to find the
money for the School Department, for the snow tires to be replaced, for all the other
vehicles and it's just part of the economic hardships that we're all facing. And you're
right. The Police have suffered and taken the brunt of some of these problems. We've
all gotta just hang in there and hope that the economy picks up and we end up with some
• more industry moving into the town which is part of our overall problem. If we bring a
few more businesses in, some good sized industry, we can enlarge the tax base. When
we enlarge the tax base, then we'll have more money to spend but we've gotta look at
where the revenue comes from and what we can do to make Agawam the jewel of the
area to bring the businesses into the community to have the tax dollars to spend on our
essential services. So that's really all I have to say. Thank you and again thank you for
• your good work. Hang in there. Support us please. Be with us. We're trying to fight
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this together but we're gonna have a tough time next year and the year after with taxes.
Thank you.
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President Rheault—Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry — Yes, thank you Mr. President. Before we get into any more of the
discussion, I just want to make sure exactly what we're voting on here this evening
because you've read the Resolution and if you go down to the very last line it states `Now
therefore be it resolved by the Agawam Town Council that the Agawam Town Council
hereby approves the necessary funds to fund the first year of said agreement, said amount
being zero.' Are we voting on the first year according to what it states here or all three
years? I need that clarification.
President Rheault—I'll give you the clarification. If you vote on the first, say you voted
yes on 0%, you are also voting yes on 2% and 3%. So the vote is really for the three, not
just for one.
• Councilor Perry—Thank you.
President Rheault—Councilor Walsh?
Councilor Walsh — Yes, we have a fairly good inclination of what next year is going to
look like based upon state revenues and the cuts that have been proposed. We really
• don't know about the following years after that so I think when it comes down to where's
the money going to come from, it may be a matter of less than money coming in as a
matter of cutting other expenses to basically offset any increases that we have here so we
might end up, when you get out into the third year of the contract with the 2% increase
and if the state's still cutting the budget at that point in time, then we know what our
• revenues are, we have to then cut other expenses in order to fund that 2%. So we're
never going to know what the future actually brings as far as the funds go but we have to
I think at least go on the good faith of the negotiations that have taken place at this point
and trust that the state's not going to tie our hands in the future. I think that's about all I
have to say on it.
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President Rheault—Councilor Mineo?
Councilor Mineo — Just one question and this is my twelve year on the Council and I
don't ever remember doing this. For any of the contract negotiations, cuz we're not
involved in the contract negotiations so I just don't understand why this is in front of us.
In twelve years, I mean I've gone through, I've been around long enough where I where
each department has gotten increases but we've never voted on them. I mean usually it's
at budget time, isn't it at budget time when we vote?
President Rheault—No we usually vote a transfer of monies once the agreements, once,
• when we vote the transfer, we never realized up until a few years ago by accident, that we
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were actually approving a three-year contract. So that brought to light a situation that got
by this Council unfortunately for several years and that was brought to my attention—
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Councilor Mineo —I am correct in that—I know that I mean I've served with you for 12
years and George and Bobby and most of you up here, I just don't remember receiving
anything like this in 12 years.
0 President Rheault—Well what it is is you are now AWARE of what you're voting for.
Councilor Mineo — Okay. Thank you. Does that mean that there's no transparency in
the budget?
President Rheault—Transparency?
Councilor Mineo -There's so—well —
President Rheault—If this took place?
0 Councilor Mineo — What you're saying is there hasn't been transparency in the budget
over the last—
President Rheault —There wasn't because it was a separate transfer prior to budget time.
• Councilor Mineo - Okay. That was my question.
President Rheault—Councilor Rossi?
Councilor Rossi— Yea, I think maybe to clean it up a little bit. What they did was they
put these increases into the budget and when the budget came to us, some of us
councilors were not aware of that we were voting for salary increases and once we voted
the budget through, that meant the contracts were approved. Since we became aware of
the fact, we asked which is in our prerogative because the legislative branch has the
obligation to appropriate the funds that are negotiated and if this Council does not
0 appropriate those funds, we're to come back with a negative rejection and send it back to
the Mayor and negotiating team to re-negotiate. I mean that's our job. That's what
supposed to be our job over the years. That hasn't been our job because we haven't been
aware of it because it's been put into the budget and most of us haven't been aware of it.
But I think the real thing that we're looking at here is and we can sit around and talk
about dollars and tax dollars until the cows come home but that's not gonna make it here.
What's gonna make it here is a plan. We need a definite plan as to how we're gonna
proceed with this thing. Now very specifically it says that the community has to come up
with a plan of where these funds are coming from. It has to make funds available for
these contracts. Now if that hasn't been done, I think that maybe the best thing to do is
and maybe if we need a little bit more time to vote on these things intelligently— I don't
0 think anybody wants to reject these things and to sit up here and just give a blanket
rejection to all these union contracts would not be unfair to anybody I mean it would be
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unfair to everybody. What I think is I think we should send this back and we should ask
quite clearly for a plan where these funds are gonna come from. If we're gonna make
• funds available for these contracts, where are they gonna come from? If we're supposed
to be into a level budgeting contract or level budgeting budget and the Mayor has already
said publicly he's not gonna increase taxes, then where are these funds gonna come
from? To sit up here and say let's add 1%, 2%, or 3% and that's gonna go to the levy, I
mean where else is it gonna go? If it goes to the levy, it's gonna increase the taxes. I
• mean that's just the way the system works. I say I want to see a plan. Not that I'm
against the raises, I want to see a plan on how we're gonna do it. That's all I say. So
maybe we need a little bit more time and if the Council's pleasure is to maybe table this
thing until that information comes to us, then maybe we can sit down and intelligently
vote on this thing and come to a decision that makes sense. Maybe that's the answer. If
• that is, I'll entertain a motion to table.
President Rheault—Councilor Mineo?
Councilor Mineo — Again, I'm not looking to reject this, I mean, and I agree with you
I'd like to just know where it's coming from. I mean I would be willing to table this and
let the Mayor come before us or whoever and let us know what the plan is as how he's
funding it. I'm not looking to vote against anything. I'm not. I'm just trying to make a
sound decision here and for one I can't because I didn't understand, it's just something
that's never come before us or it's never come before me in twelve years and again, it's
not something I want to reject. I'd like to know how we're gonna pay for it too.
•
President Rheault—Councilor Magovern?
Councilor Magovern --I'm not necessarily in favor of rejecting these raises either but by
the same token, I don't know how we can table this and ask the Mayor to come back with
• a program and a plan as to how he's gonna pay for something to years out or three years
out when we have no idea what the economy's gonna be in two or three years or what our
tax base is gonna be in two or three years. I think there's gotta be some way if it's a zero
increase this year anyway that we go through and we vote it down — that's the best
tabling one but let them re-negotiate it and come back in another year if we can and try to
re-negotiate it then when we know what our tax base is. But to go back and say we want
a plan when we have no idea what the economy is gonna be in two years, you know if gas
goes to $5.00 a gallon, we're gonna be really in trouble but if something happens and the
gas goes back down to $3.00 a gallon or $2.50, then the whole economy's gonna turn
around and things are gonna be a lot differently but if you throw gas prices up, you throw
the oil prices up, the energy prices up, this is gonna just devastate our budget so I don't
know who's got the crystal ball to look at where the economy's gonna be in two years to
come back with a plan that says this is how we're gonna pay for these increases. I wanna
see everybody get paid more, I'd like to get paid more but by the same token I know our
Police and our Fire deserve it. We have to be in line with the other communities because
we've got some fine officers and I don't like hearing stories about them moving on to the
State Police or moving on to other communities because I want to keep our well-trained
officer here in Agawam. I don't want to see them move anymore than the Fire
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Department or anybody else but go back and table this and say there's gonna be some
panacea our there, there's gonna be some program where we're gonna be able to see
• there's money down the road in two years —I don't see it.
President Rheault—Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry — Yes, thank you Mr. President. Well that's exactly what they're
asking us to do Councilor Magovern is to look in the crystal ball and approve these
increases not knowing where the money's gonna come from in year two and year three of
this contract that we have before us. But it's my understanding that and I could be wrong
but typically once both sides have agreed and signed to the contract, we have thirty days
in which to approve or disapprove. If no action is taken then it's automatically agreed
upon by the other parties that this contract is valid and that's how it's gotten through to
the budget over the last sixteen years that I've been on the Council. So I believe there is
a time limit on the action that the Council has and I could be wrong but I believe we only
have a certain time frame to take an action on these contracts as a legislative body and
then it goes automatically right into the budget.
President Rheault—I can't answer the question, I'm sorry. I think—
Councilor Perry—We have to take action within 30—
President Rheault—My understanding was if it goes back they have to sit down and re-
negotiate.
Councilor Perry — If we elect not to appropriate the funding then yes but if we do
nothing—
President Rheault—Oh, I see.
Councilor Perry— Which we haven't done in the last sixteen years that I've been on the
Council, it's automatically been if both parties agreed, no action by the Council, it's
approved and it goes automatically into the budget and then at that point, we vote on the
• whole budget but there's no way we had any legal right to change those contracts because
we did not act on them. Then I believe it's a thirty day period.
President Rheault—Anyone else? Councilor Rossi?
Councilor Rossi — So what we're saying is we send a no vote. We tell them to go back
and re-negotiate and come back with a plan and tell us what we're gonna do. Maybe
that's a sound thing, let them go back. They obviously come back and re-negotiate the
same figure I would imagine or any other figure but at least you would have to deal with
each additional union to find out where the money is gonna come from, maybe that
probably wouldn't be a bad idea. I mean I would just hate to just say no for the sake of
saying no and then say you can't do it. If we reject this thing maybe the thing to do is
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send it back, have them re-negotiate and then they can come back with a plan and tell us
how they intend to do it.
•
President Rheault — I think we've had enough discussion in making a decision.
Barbara,please call the roll.
ROLL CALL — 2 YES (Councilors Bitzas and Walsh), 7 NO (Councilors Cichetti,
Magovern, Messick, Mineo, Perry, Rheault, and Rossi), 2 ABSENT (Councilors
Letellier and Simpson)
President Rheault — Seven no, two yes and two absent, we have defeated the motion.
There is no further Old Business.
IP Item 7. Report oL Council Committees
None.
Item 8. Elections
None.
Item 9. Public Hearings
• None.
Item 10. Old Business
None.
Item ]]. New Business
1. TO-2011-8 -Transfer from Reserve Fund (16605-57300)to City Council
Professional Services (11112-52190) (Council President)
President Rheault—Next Agenda. Refer to the Finance Committee.
2. TO-2011-9 -A Transfer from the Reserve Fund (16605-57300) to
Animal Transfer Capital Outlay(16610-new) (Mayor)
• President Rheault—Next Agenda. Refer to the Finance Committee.
3. TR-2011-19 -A Resolution regarding the Approval of an Inter-Municipal
Shelter Lease Agreement regarding Animal Control between West
Springfield,Westfield,and the Town of Agawam (Mayor)
President Rheault—Next Agenda.
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4. TOR-2011-2 -An Ordinance Regarding a New Chapter 96 Concerning
Dogs (Mayor)
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President Rheault—Next Agenda and that will go over to the Ordinance Committee.
Item 12. Any other matter that may le-ally come before the City Council.
• President Rheault—We'll start at my further left tonight.
Councilor Perry--Nothing this evening. Thank you.
President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Messick?
0 Councilor Messick— When we have this back in front of us, prior to that, could we ask
that we see these contracts separately rather than on one action, that we fiend them
separately because in my view, I've read through these contracts and the Administrative
and the Clerical are very simple, you've got hourly people, a 2% increase is real easy to
calculate but with the others, I mean you talked about looking in the crystal ball, we can
• do projections but it's a lot more complex with the Firefighters and the Police. So we
might be able to very quickly look at the two contracts. The others we might need to ask
for more information so could we ask for them to be broken up?
President Rheault — Certainly. Barbara, would you please request that of the Legal
• Department that the next time it appears on the Agenda that the individual contracts
appear separately?
Councilor Cichetti--Nothing tonight.
0 President Rheault—Nothing?
Councilor Walsh —I'll pass.
President Rheault—We have nothing and a pass. To my right?
a Councilor Rossi--Nothing, thank you.
President Rheault—Nothing. Councilor Mineo?
Councilor Mineo—Nothing tonight.
•
President Rheault—Councilor Magovern?
Councilor Magovern—I'll set an Ordinance date for an Ordinance meeting with Barbara
for our Ordinance and I just want to say that this is one of the harder decisions that I think
• I've had to make in the years that I've been on the Council. You hate to say no to
deserved raises but we will work something out I hope in the future. Thank you.
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President Rheault—Councilor Bitzas?
• Councilor Bitzas—Nothing this evening.
President Rheault—And I have nothing so I'll entertain a motion to adjourn? Moved by
the Council to adjourn, seconded by the Council. All those in favor? Opposed? We are
now adjourned. Thank you and good evening.
•
Adjournment.
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