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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-10-15 Budget HearingTOWN OF GROTON PUBLIC HEARING ON 2020 FISCAL YEAR PRELIMINARY BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING ON 2020 FISCAL YEAR FIRE & AMBULANCE CONTRACTS SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019 AT 7:30 PM AT THE TOWN HALL, 101 CONGER BLVD. Town Officers Present: Donald F. Scheffler, Supervisor Richard Gamel, Councilperson Crystal Young, Councilperson Brian Klumpp, Councilperson April L. Scheffler, Town Clerk Charles Rankin, Bookkeeper Town Officers Absent: Also Present: Sheldon C. Clark, Councilperson Ben Nelson Lee Shurtleff PUBLIC HEARING ON 2020 FISCAL YEAR TOWN OF PRELIMINARY GROTON BUDGET MOVED by Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Gamel, to open the Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2020 Preliminary Town of Groton Budget at 7:30 pm. Ayes - Young, Klumpp, Gamel, Scheffler Supervisor Scheffler asked the Bookkeeper, Charles Rankin, if he had any comments on the proposed budget. Mr. Rankin said that there was not a lot of change from the prior year. They did put $55,000 in the Highway Equipment Reserve. In the General A Fund, the amount to be raised by tax is down by $2,000. The Highway DA went up about $51,000. The General B and Highway DB are pretty much the same as last year. A little fund balance was used in the two lighting districts because there is quite a bit of money in both of those. The new lights should bring the cost down in those districts when they are installed. Supervisor Scheffler - Benderson Properties took a grievance to Federal Supreme Court and had their assessment lowered. That reflects a little less than 1 -cent per thousand change in the rate. With no one else wishing to speak on the budget, Councilperson Klumpp moved to close the Public Hearing, seconded by Councilperson Young, at 7:34 pm. Ayes - Young, Klumpp, Gamel, Scheffler HEARING ON 2020 FISCAL YEAR GROTON FIRE AND AMBULANCE CONTRACTS MOVED by Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Young, to open the Public Hearing on the 2020 Fiscal Year Groton Fire and Ambulance Contracts at 7:34 pm. Ayes - Young, Klumpp, Gamel, Scheffler Lee Shurtleff, Representing Board of Wardens for the Fire Department - We're on the road to running about 800 ambulance calls and roughly 150 fire calls. One thing that has been successful for us over the last several years has been the placement of round-the-clock paramedic critical care life support coverage on the ambulance. We have three full time advanced level EMTs and a handful of perdiem part time people. The Village as well subsidizes a daytime driver through the public works department. There Town Board Minutes Page 2 October 15, 2019 is also very heavy involvement of volunteers in all other aspects. Our budget currently is $570,000. Exactly half of that is in the salaries for the around-the-clock paramedics. We are out the door within 2-5 minutes around the clock, and hitting 97 - 99% of our calls. What percentage we're not hitting is not because we're not staffed but because we're seeing 2-3 calls coming in certain times of the month. If it weren't for the infusion that came from the Town and Village Boards when we sat and talked to you a few years ago, I'm not sure where we'd be today. We are the exception to the rule. Most volunteer departments in the State are really struggling right now to provide that coverage. We've proposed an increase of $30,000 for next year, for the four contracts, Town Fire, Town Ambulance, Village Fire, and Village Ambulance of $7,500 each. What that request would do is 3 -fold. We are slightly underfunded in salaries which will exceed $290,000. There will be increases in health insurance and a cost of living wage adjustments. So, half of that increase would go to fund that increase in personnel. Of the other $15,000 for the two fire contracts, we've had two areas that we've targeted for additional investment. One is for insurance. Our cost has gone up $5,000 this year with the replacement of one of the engines. We were able to replace one engine with a demo vehicle at a discounted price. An average engine costs $400,000 - $450,000 for a bare necessity engine. We bought this for around $350,000 with the equipment that came with it. We put a contribution from our equipment fund that funded 2/3 of the cost and took out a loan and are paying off the rest over the next 5 years at $25,000 a year. Mr. Shurtleff talked about the two engines and two tankers and the 20 year replacement rotation. With a value of over 1.2 million dollars, if they were funding at an appropriate level, that would be $60,000 a year. They have only been putting aside $25,000 for the trucks because they have been subsidizing the ambulance. There is a need to start building up for future replacements. He talked about overall insurance costs, workers compensation, vehicle, liability, buildings, and mal practice costing over $60,000, over 10% of their budget. He pointed out that there were a couple years when the advanced life support cost more than what the contracts were providing. They borrowed against department accounts to keep the ambulance whole and lagged on the ambulance replacement fund as well as reduce what was put into the capital reserve fund for the building. Last year a capital reserve fund was re-established with $15,000 and offset that with a pledge to the Village that they would do $15,000 net fund raising every year to put toward the building project. From the estimates that have been received for the building, $15,000 is not going to go very far and they will need to downsize and rethink the building project. Councilperson Gamel - Have you thought about a 7 -year replacement instead of 5, just to get yourself build back up? Mr. Shurtleff said that is more like what they actually are doing. The goal is to get to a 20 -year replacement. The truck that was replaced was 25 years old and the one that was replaced in 2008/2009 was a 1975. Councilperson Klumpp - The 20 -year number, and this is something I've talked to Ben about, instead of having a year number, having a cost benefit analysis done or some kind of formula. Some places do it at 15 years, but why at 15, why at 20, why at 25? At what point does the risk of a truck breaking down or the cost of repairs exceed the expense of purchasing a new vehicle? Mr. Shurtleff - Usually about 20 years. This last engine, we were spending a significant amount to keep it on the road and keep it certified. We were looking at probably $30,000 - $40,000 just to do a rebuild on it. The bigger issue is trying to stay within standards if the thing breaks down. Councilperson Klumpp - I agree. There's a big difference between an emergency vehicle as opposed to a plow truck. Supervisor Scheffler - Said that they had asked for $7,500 for both the Fire Department and Ambulance, but that request had not been received until after the budget was put together, so the Board had estimated what to put in. $7,500 had been put in for the Ambulance but only $5,000 for the Fire Department. The extra $2,500 will put them over the tax cap. Town Board Minutes Page 3 October 15, 2019 Discussion took place with the Bookkeeper on whether the budget could somehow be adjusted to accommodate the additional money for the Fire Department and still stay under the tax cap. MOVED by Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Gamel, to close the Public Hearing on the 2020 Fiscal Year Fire and Ambulance Contracts at 8:13 pm. Ayes - Young, Klumpp, Gamel, Scheffler RESOLUTION #19-099 - ADJUSTMENTS TO THE 2020 FISCAL YEAR PRELIMINARY BUDGET MOVED by Councilperson Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Young WHEREAS, the Town Board wishes to adjust the 2020 Budget to provide for an additional $2,500.00 for the Groton Fire Protection, and WHEREAS, it has been determined that this can be done without increasing the total amount of money to be raised by taxes nor will it put the Budget over the tax cap, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby makes the following adjustments to the 2020 Fiscal Year Preliminary Budget: 1. In the DB Highway Fund Part Town: Increase the amount being used in the unexpended fund balance from $145,000.00 to $147,500.00. 2. In the DB Highway Fund Part Town: Lower the amount to be raised by taxes from $20200.00 to $199,500.00. 3. In the SF1 Groton Fire Protection District: Increase the amount to be raised by taxes from $142,500.00 to $145,000.00. Ayes - Young, Klumpp, Gamel, Scheffler Nays - Resolution Passed RESOLUTION #19-100 - APPROVE 2020 FISCAL YEAR TOWN OF GROTON BUDGET MOVED by Councilperson Young, seconded by Councilperson Klumpp RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the 2020 Fiscal Year Town of Groton Budget with the changes outlined in Resolution #19-099. Ayes - Young, Klumpp, Gamel, Scheffler Nays - Resolution Passed There being no further business, Councilperson Gamel moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilperson Young, at 8:15 pm. Unanimous. April L. Scheffler, RMC Town Clerk