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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-01-27TB 1 =27=04 TOWN OF DRYDEN SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING Dryden Fire Dept JANUARY 27, 2004 Present: Supv Steven Trumbull, Cl Stephen Stelick, Jr., Cl Margin Christofferson, Cl Michael Hattery, Cl Christopher Michaels Elected Officials: Bambi L. Hollenbeck, Town Clerk Supv Trumbull made the following statement: The Town Board called for this meeting first of all because we wish to put behind us all the negativity and ill feelings that surfaced last year. We look forward to a positive and more productive relationship between the board and the volunteer fire departments. In order to accomplish this we believe that open flowing communication between the two groups is vitally important. 11-iis should bring forth to the table any ideas, opinions, questions and objectives that are deemed important, and subsequently be rationally discussed. From this information base hopefully we can formulate policies that are beneficial to all of us. Cl Christofferson said the board would like to talk about goals, long range planning and where things need to be in the future. They want to improve the relationship and talk about contract and budget. They are trying to find the best way to accomplish that and want: to start by getting ideas and thoughts from the departments. He wants to get to a point where contracts are not late and issues and problems get discussed early. He said part of the board's job is to do a good job of managing the Town's fuiances..D Abbey suggested that each department submit a plan to the Town Board of what they expect their expenses to be for the five, ten or fifteen years so the needs of each department can be determined. Cl Christofferson said he would also like to see what the expenses were for each department for the last three or four years. Dana Abbey said the main thing the departments want to see is communication because that has been lacking in the past. Cl Christofferson said he would like to have a group of department members that works with representatives of the Town Board. Each of these groups would be responsible for distributing information. Perhaps there should be a mix of financial people and practical operational people from each department. Duane Testut said he felt that it worked well with two town board members meeting with the fire departments. Natan Huffman said that he wasn't sure that the structure of communications was bad in the past, but it was more that no one was listening. They had reviewed the needs of the departments early and applied for them later. One of the problems he sees is that most members are not there to go to meetings, but to fight: fires and provide emergency medical services. Last year their roles changed and they don't want to go back to that. He said the Town Board has an operational responsibility to make sure the Town is covered and people are safe and the vehicle to talk to the departments about that already exists in the Chiefs as they are responsible for the whole operational aspect of the company. There is the issue of protecting the tax monies and that conversation should occur with the financial person from each fire department board. He said Varna has specific issues in that they were looking for some direction with respect to investment from the Town and those have to be resolved. He said the communication structure seems to be in place. For the past two years representatives of the Varna Fire Department's board met with members of the Town Board. Supv Trumbull distributed information regarding an Emergency Services Commission that: had been suggested and asked for input from the departments. Page 1 of 5 0 1 TF3 1-27-04 • Cl Christofferson said that he knows the population of the area is getting older and that the emergency service needs are going to grow and that attracting members is difficult and those are issues that need to be addressed and he asked how the Town could help with that and other long range planning issues. He suggested that all departments be represented at discussions that might include whether a department needed specific equipment. Cl Stelick said he agreed with N Huffman in that people didn't listen. The existing structure seemed to work, particularly the past six months. He thought what worked best was going to the chiefs meetings and it was also important that they met with the individual fire department boards. That was how they found out that there were no generators at: two of the departments. Each department provided a list of requests. The repeater system requested by Varna is now in place and working. He said the mechanism for communication is in place and he feels that progress was being made. Costs were increased this year, but there were reasons for that and he doesn't seem a. long germ increase. Needs were not addressed in the past:. I-Ie doesn't believe there needs to be another layer. He believes you get a much more candid answer when you meet with the boards individually, and each department has its own needs and concerns. Everything wasn't: included in the budget; they wanted to do some additional training, but pulled it out to help keep the tax rate down. Cl Stelick said that: he and Cl Michaels learned a lot the last few years. The departments have been run well and the Town Board is here to offer some guidance where necessary. I-Ie said everyone at the table has worked hard and provided a valuable service at a reasonable fee. He wants to continue to work to be sure that the concerns of the past don't happen again. Andy Down said he doesn't want the departments put in a position where they feel they have to compete and he doesn't want to be asked whether another department needs a piece of equipment. Cl Christofferson said for planning purposes he felt it was necessary to have all the departments meet together and he didn't want to pit any department against another. Roy Rizzo said that in past years the Town Board would not sign a mutual aid agreement with the County. All the fire chiefs sign it and give it to Lee Shurtleff and he recommended that someone contact Lee Shurtleff to discuss it. Cl Christofferson said it seems then that the current procedure of the 't'own's Emergency Services Committee meeting with the departments is working and that perhaps two or three times a year the entire Town Board should meet with the Departments for purposes of long range planning. R Flynn said he agrees and that t:he earlier the budget process could be started the better. B Hollenbeck said the departments should have their figures to the Town Supervisor by September first so that he can prepare his tentative budget by the end of the month. It was suggested that the Town Board prepare a. format for the budget and the process be started in May or June. Cl Michaels said it was important to work with the Departments for long range planning and setting standards. Cl Michaels said that as a Town we should be planning for and thinking about things town - pride. Funding has been provided for Freeville to get a thermal imaging camera., and though it may be used infrequently, it is important. We should start talking now about what the objectives are for 2004 and beyond, and be looking at how to fluid those in July and August. N Huffman said that they are close to having something in place for a common format for funding /budget requests. When Varna needed to replace turnout gear, they purchased gear that is identical to Dryden's. I-Ie said if you budget well operationally and the Chiefs are ® communicating to the boards what their needs are, it would be translated to the budget. He agrees the decision to make a large purchase such as a ladder truck should require a meeting of all departments. R Flynn said that they have not found any real cost savings in bulk Pale 2 of 5 TB 1 -27-04 • purchases. Cl Stelick said that a lot of meaningful information comes from the Chiefs meetings and a lot is accomplished at those. Cl Christofferson said it sounds like people don't want to put together another committee or set: of meetings and asked if the long term planning can happen with the chiefs group. N Huffman said what happens at the chiefs meetings is translated to their boards and ultimately to the emergency services committee. He thought it worked well this last year. Cl Christofferson said then it seems we can continue as we have and start things earlier with respect to contracts, etc. Representatives from Brookt:ondale were present said the problem they had with the contract was they were blindsided with the audit requirement. They get much less funding than other departments in the town and to pay for an audit might have been more than they actually received, though they could not: get an answer with respect to that. They are a fire district and their books are open to the public at any time. Brooktondale contracts to serve a small portion of the Town of Dryden which geographically makes it easier for them to serve. D Abbey said he hasn't anything from the Town Board about the audits. Cl Michaels said there had been some working drafts submitted, but he has not seen a final copy. Roy Rizzo noted that Slaterville Ambulance was not represented at this meeting. There had been hard feelings with them over the wording of the contract and he suggested that since this town board is starting over that they be invited to participate. There had been an issue because Dryden Ambulance charges for service and Slaterville does not want to charge. Cl Michaels asked whether the accountants had visited each department and done their site work. Etna Fire Department is doing its inventory, expect to be done in a few weeks, and will contact the accountants. D Abbey asked about the status of the contracts for 2004. Cl Michaels said they were pretty much ready as a board to discuss it and send one out. For political reasons they had waited to discuss it in a more congenial way. I•Ie said that he was going to request a modification from last year's contract —which would be what funds went to operations and what funds went to long -term capital equipment. This will move those assets to restricted assets in the balance sheet and assures the Town that's where the funds go. The amounts will be for what was budgeted. Cl Christofferson said he is anxious to get the contracts done. Payment krill be made quarterly. Department members expressed a desire to have one lump payment. Cl Michaels said he understood 50" /o would be paid up front, with the balance divided into three payments. D Testut said the Town receives its money up front and they would like to also. Cl Michaels said the Departments are the only entities that the Town pays in advance and he was an advocate for quarterly payments. There were significant issues with compliance in terms of some of the reporting requirements under the contract, and payment could be tied to getting the reports that were requested. That has been heavily mitigated because reports are now being received, though not consistently from all Departments. He said that is still a valid concern and that 50% up front and the balance in three quarterly payments is a pretty fair compromise and is what he proposes. Andy Dol n said lie had asked in the past what was being done with the re ports and no one could tell him even where the reports were stored. He asked if they were being looked at and if funds were being held back for paperwork that doesn't get looked at. Cl Stelick said they were being stored and he had looked at the reports, though not everyone was reporting when he saw them. Cl Michaels said he and Cl Stelick had gone through all the reports that were received and the information was useful because he thought there had been a lot of Page 3 of 5 TB 1-27-04 disinformation and a lot control of information. A large part of what happened during the last budget process was that he and Cl Stelick went in extremely informed. One thing he would like the town to do more proactively is to start providing honors to the people who are really dedicating their time for the Town and largely feeling unappreciated. With respect to the information about what equipment is being used, that will assist with the long range planning and capital expenditures. R Flynn asked about the status of the proposal he gave to the Emergency Services Committee for a length of service award program. Cl Michaels said he would like to take that up early this year. There was a positive reaction and it was tabled until the new board took effect, even though the previous Supervisor was largely receptive to it. R Flynn said the facilitators of the program are willing to come in and do a full fledged proposal to the Town Board. Cl Stelick suggested a March presentation. Cl Michaels said it was clear that emergency services was all about the volunteers. He would like to hear from the Departments about different ways and incentives to gain more volunteers. D Abbey asked if it was the intent of the Town Board to ratify a contract and send it to the Departments, or send it out and get feedback from the Departments. Cl Christofferson said the board would send it out before they approved it and the Departments could give feedback. Cl Christofferson said it appeared then that they would need to distinguish operating expenses from capital expenses. Cl Michaels said there would need to be wording in the financial statement and also in the contract so the Town knows that the money is tagged specifically for an intended use. One of the universal comments in the draft audits was that the departments were treating funds as restricted assets though they were not labeled as such. He proposes that the Town approve a contract at the February meeting, and if the departments like it they can sign it and send it back. D Testut said that last fall Varna and Neptune signed the contract, but sent letters that they were not completely satisfied with the letters. He suggested that the board review those letters. Roy Rizzo said he thought it was wrong to put money in the budget ($30,000) again this year for audits. Cl Michaels made it: clear that if the funds were allocated that way for the district they could not be spent for something else. He reminded them of when there was a surplus in the district and it was dragged down to no surplus, creating an artificial deflation in the tax rate for the district and then the tax rates went way up. R Rizzo suggested the fluids be held this year and that doing an audit every year was a waste. Cl Christofferson asked whether investment guidelines should be standardized for the departments. D Testut said he had asked several times about that. Cl Michaels said he was going to suggest that they follow the same guidelines that arc in place for municipalities. There had been a push to have the town, and ultimately the district:, hold the funds. Investments for each department present were briefly described. D Testut said they looked forward to a recommendation from the town. Cl Christofferson recapped the discussion saying that emergency services committee will work with the boards and chiefs of the departments to wrestle through budget processes; there is a goal to open communications and get contracts and budget negotiations started earlier, and long range plarming things will be taken up with the chiefs. Ike said a lot was accomplished tonight just to start discussions. He said the Town Board cares deeply about working with the departments and appreciates the time donated by the volunteers. Board members thanked the department members for meeting with them. 11age 4 of 5 TS t -27 =04 is On motion of Supv Trumbull, seconded by Cl Stelick and unanimously carried, the board moved into executive session at 8:45 p.m. to discuss the employment history of a particular individual. No action vas taken and the meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sambi L. Hollenbeck Town Clerk Rage 5of5