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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-21 Finance Committee Minutes TOWN OF NORTH ANDOVER FINANCE COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes Meeting Date March 21, 2017 Meeting Location: School Administration Building, 566 Main Street Bill Callahan, BC, Chairman X Sasha Weinreich, SW X Jennifer Goldman, JG, Vice Chair X Divya Bhatnagar, DB X Karin Blake, KB X Angela Ciofolo, AC X Thomas Ringler, TR X Chris Nobile, CN X Timothy Tschirhart, TT X Liz Gerron, LG X Note: All FINCOM votes are subject to change upon receipt of new information. Note: Documents used in this meeting are listed in Document Table, herein. Non Finance Committee Members in attendance Ray Santilli (Santilli), Assistant Town Manager Lyne Savage (Savage), Town Accountant Eric Kfoury(Kfoury), Community Development Director Jeff Coco (Coco), Emergency Management Chief Charles Gray(Gray), Police Chief Deputy Graham Rowe, (Rowe) Deputy Fire Chief Jonathan Bonanno (Bonanno), Director of Administrative Services for the Police Department Chief William McCarthy Fire (McCarthy), Fire Chief Call to order 6:46 BC: Asked everyone in attendance including non-Finance Committee members, as well as the Finance Committee Members to introduce themselves. Community Development Overview Eric Kfoury Communit Development Director Discussion starts on or about 6:48pm/002:00 on video time Page 129-140 and 149 and 150 of Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book Fiscal Year 2018. Kfoury: I will give a brief overview of the division. Community Development oversees land use Boards, Planning, Conservation, Health, Zoning Board of Appeals and Stevens Estate. 1 March 21,2017 Kfoury: Went on to say that he felt it has been a good year, one thing is that we are getting the Master Plan firmly under way, RKG is the consultant and they have experience with working on Master Plans throughout the Commonwealth. Kfoury: Spoke of the Conservation Department and how they updated and finalized the lists and maps of open spaces and recreation properties in town. This is a pretty involved project and was accepted by the state. Kfoury: Spoke of working with the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC), it is new in the Commonwealth, it is a Housing Production Plan. Kfoury: Spoke of the success of the online permitting. We started with the most difficult ones first, such as plumbing, electrical and gas and now we just started the online permitting in the building department. Kfoury spoke of other departments that are in his division that will soon go to online permitting Kfoury: Spoke of downtown, street improvement and underground utilities and how the East West Mill continues to flourish. The Committee asked various questions to Kfoury. BC: Stated I see that we have a North Andover specific marketing campaign and do we have the expertise in house to do this, or will we get consultants? Kfoury: we will probably get consultants. JG: Is the consultants worked into the budget? Kfoury: some is built into the budget under"Outside Professional Services" (page 135) most of it is being used for the Master Plan. Savage: Stated that there will be more money for that next year. BC: Asked of the proposed marijuana facility. Kfoury: responded back on the citizen's petition and to see what it means to the surrounding properties. BC: Commented on the Conservation Commission's write up (pages 129-133) and stated that level of detail was impressive. BC: Referencing Conservation, looking back 3 years in the older budget books you can see what has gotten done, and what they said they were going to do, they did. Stevens Estate Discussion starts on or about 7:08 pm/021:20 on video time Page 211-213 of Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book Fiscal Year 2018. Kfoury: We are generating revenue, so we have been able to put money back into Stevens Estate, due to the growing number of events at Stevens. Most of these events are weddings. We were able to do long overdue big projects and the revenue helped us, Kfoury: Spoke of the brides and groom bathroom restorations. Kfoury: Spoke of some of the updates at Stevens, such as air conditioning. 2 March 21,2017 Kfoury; Stated that we are looking to put the bar under management(separate from the town), this way we are not handling any cash. Savage: They would give us a percentage of what they sell. We also would not have to be responsible for buying liquor and not worrying about bartenders over pouring. LG: Would they(management) assume reliability? Savage: Yes The Committee thanked Kfoury Emergency Management Overview-Jeff Coco, Emergency Management Discussion starts on or about 7:15pm/029:00 on video time Page 151-152 of Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book Fiscal Year 2018. Coco: We don't usually go into effect unless a state of emergency goes into effect. We are partnered with federal, state and local government agencies. Spoke of the 15 volunteers, some work on the communication division and others are the operations division. No one gets paid,but Coco stated that he gets a small stipend. We provide training and uniforms. It cost about $2,000.00 to outfit each volunteer with functional and appropriate equipment. We house some of our equipment at the Stevens Estate. BC: spoke of the $7500.00 (page 152) on the expense cost line. Coco: We received the retired ambulance from the fire department and with that money we converted this vehicle for our own usefulness, and also equipped it with radio equipment. Coco: Stated that they are happy with housing their equipment and vehicles at Stevens Estate, but it is not perfect, it could be better, it is not ideal, but it works. Coco: Also spoke of the garage doors at Steven Estates and wished they were wider, among other issues they are faced with. The Committee thanked Coco Public Safetv Division Overview Chief Charles Grav, Police Chief and Jonathan Bonanno, Director of Administrative Services for the Police Department Discussion starts on or about 7:290pm/42:40 on video time Page 141-144 of Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book Fiscal Year 2018. Gray: Quick snippet, as you can see many things are going on, issues with question 4, crime rates, and the opioid epidemic. BC: Asked of the led bars on the vehicles and are they all done. Gray: They continue to update vehicles, they are not complete. The Committee asked various questions to Gray Gray: Spoke of the various training that is mandated, such as training for; the opioid epidemic, addiction awareness, CPR, Alzheimer training,juvenile issues, elderly training, firearms, first responders, mental issues, critical issues etc. Gray also spoke of training recruits. 3 March 21,2017 Gray: Spoke of the in house training, training trainers, and also working with other departments such as Andover. LG: Asked of the 212.5%increase (page 143) for Outside Professional Services. Santilli: Responded that it is part of the process for new recruits, they have to hire outside screeners for hiring new officers, such as medical testing and psychological testing. Santilli: Commented on the more training we give our officers the more prepared they will be to handle situations. KB: I am very concerned with the heightened racial tensions in the last year, and getting financial about it, if we don't treat someone right we could get sued. I do not want the town to get sued. Also, on the social side we have lots of people who work here in North Andover and come here from other cities and towns, and I want them to all be treated well. Santilli: Responded back to KB's concern, stating that this goes back to training that is why you don't see things like that happening in North Andover. We train, and prepare our officers so they are exposed to more and more situations, the probability of that happening is low, could it happen yes,but not very probable. Bonanno: Spoke of the improved radio system and the actual infrastructure that supports those radios (we are off of Verizon). It is saving Police and Fire at least $20,000 a year. The Committee thanked Gray and Bonanno Public Safety Division Overview Fire- Chief William McCarthy and Deputy Graham Rowe, Deputy Fire Chief Discussion starts on or about 7:59pm/071:20 on video time Page 145-147 of Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book Fiscal Year 2018. McCarthy: One year ago tonight I got appointed as Fire Chief. McCarthy: Spoke of Bonanno and what a great value and resource he has been. The town has been exceptional to us. We have also gotten so much support especially from IT (Chris McClure) McCarthy: Spoke of all the capabilities of all the tablets. Rowe: Spoke of what a tremendous help all the tablets have been and how they have capabilities of taking pictures of all the buildings. Rowe: Spoke of the tablets and how they help with the inspection program especially with businesses, along with the online permitting system. Rowe: By taking pictures of all buildings they know where everything is in a building, this is at our fingertips now. We use to look at maps and plans,but now we can pop up this information. Rowe: we are able to retrieve and collect data on these tablets prior to arriving to a building. Rowe: Computer tablets have been installed in the front line apparatus, which will make collecting incident data in a more effective and efficient manner. 4 March 21,2017 Rowe: Every time I updates a map, it not only goes to the tablet, but also to dispatch. McCarthy: Also spoke of training and education, and how courses that are taken are reimbursed after the course has been taken and they have passed the course. McCarthy: In 2016 we responded to 1417 calls. 62% were medical. We respond to many calls, flood in basements,people getting locked out of their house, if we can help someone we do. During the storm we had 24 calls in 48 hours. The Committee thanked McCarthy and Rowe Warrant Letter Discussion starts on or about 8:21pm/092:30 on video time JG: Showed the Committee how to locate the FinCom warrant letter in Google Docs and the various sections assigned to each member. Also speaking of deadline and how to make changes, additions and edits. Questions and Clarifications to be reauested by the Finance Committee Discussion starts on or about 8:35pm/116:00 on video time TT: Had his concern with SPED Approval of Minutes Discussion starts on or about 8:50 pm/123:50 on video time February 15, 2017 LG: Made a motion to approve minutes as written CN: Second the Motion All in favor February 28, 2017 JG: Made a motion to approve minutes as written TT: Second the Motion All in favor Ad'ournment 9:52 PM TT: made a motion to adjourn JG: Second the motion All in favor to adjourn 5 March 21,2017 Document Table * Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book Fiscal Year 2018. * Corrected pages, 144 & 150 of Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book FY2018 ** Finance Committee Minutes February 15' and 28t'', 2017 --------------------------------------------------------------- * Hard copy ** Hard Copy and on Google Drive 6 March 21,2017