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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-10-31 - TB TOWN OF ULYSS SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING BUDGET WORKSHOP OCTOBER 31 , 2006 Present : Supervisor Austic ; Town Council Roxanne Marino and Don Ellis ; Town Council Rod Ferrentino and Lucia Tyler absent; Deputy Supervisor Richard Coogan and Town Clerk Marsha Georgia. Mr. Austic called the meeting to order at 9 am. The Board discussed the fund balances . The Board discussed the 4% increase in personnel services (all . 01 accounts) . It was decided to decrease all of these to 3 . 5 % throughout the 2007 budget, which brings in closer to the federal standard cost of living which today was 3 . 3 % . Mr. Ellis said that the Board has tied the employee increase to the federal standard cost of living. Mr. Austic said that he did put $2000 more in A1990 . 4 from last meeting. Mr. Austic said he covered this increase with sales tax . Mr. Austic said the decrease in salaries may draw less on sales tax . Mr. Austic said not using as much sales tax in A Fund increase the tax levy. Ms. Marino said she still is concerned about using 91 % of the sales tax revenue, as estimated from this year' s numbers, and suggested considering using more reserve fund balance . Mr. Austic is not concerned with using this much sales tax--if you don ' t get it all, then you could use fund balances . Ms . Marino asked that in the future could the transfers to reserve accounts could wait and not be done until later in the year, to see how the anticipated revenues for the year are doing. Mr. Austic does the transfers to reserves in August so the Board has a clearer picture of the fund balances for budget work . Ms . Marino would feel more comfortable using 91 % of the sales tax if the transfer for reserves could be delayed to later in the year. Then if you were low on sales tax revenue the Board could take a close look at the budget and modify as needed. She would like to see this established as a policy issue . Mr. Austic did agree that this can be done in the future . Mr. Ellis said the thing he brought into the last meeting about salary shifts is not something that would change the budget. He feels that it is not lined out the way it should be in the budget . Mr. Ellis said that it is all about the Board having the resources so the Board can do what they should be doing. Mr. Ellis feels a lot of things could have gone better if the Board had more resources to participate in understanding and making decisions that had to be made, and something really has to be done about that. Mr. Ellis is suggesting that the Board de- fund the Deputy Supervisor and create a new position that is a Board Coordinator with the same funding. What that means is when the Board staffs that position that person would work more broadly for the Board and would be less available to the Supervisor. Mr. Ellis also feels that the Town needs to get communication from the Town Board to the citizens improved. Mr. Ellis feels that if someone was concentrating on the communications it could be much better and bring in more skill . Mr. Ellis feels that the Board needs somebody in the staff that is involved with communication of information to the public . Mr. Ellis ' s suggestion is to look at the Deputy Clerk and consider de- funding that and creating another position that takes that funding, may be two hours a week that can be used for developing materials that are in Special Town Board / Budget Workshop 2 10/31 /2006 public meetings and communications and not fixing the web site but putting information on to it. Another thing that is a very important part of communications is communication to the Board . Mr. Ellis said that there has been correspondence several times this year that never got to the Board and he thinks that what is really needed is a file cabinet and someone to take care of that in a way that makes it work well . Some of those things should be scanned and put on the internet where it is confidential so only the Board can look at it. Ms . Marino said she agrees with this, but why would you need a separate line in the budget for the two hours from the deputy clerk. Ms . Georgia asked why the Board feels that the Clerk does not need the allocated hours for the Deputy Clerk. Ms . Marino and Mr. Ellis said that they do not want to change the total pay for the Deputy Clerk just a re-distribution of some of time . Ms. Georgia said she would like a more definite explanation of what Mr. Ellis and Ms . Marino are thinking about to determine if something like this can be done in two hours a week. Ms . Georgia feels that she has no control over the web page to increase its size. The only thing she uses it now for is to put the minutes on once they are approved by the Board and also a list of officers and boards . Ms . Georgia wanted to add some other information to the page such as forms and found out the page was not large enough because of the server, which is provided to the Town through John Levine . Ms . Georgia said she would be open for discussion but she could not guarantee that her Deputy Clerk would be interested in doing it. And if that is the case does the Board plan on reducing her hours and pay to have someone else do it. The answer was maybe, because you only have x amount of money to get things done for the Board. { Ms . Marino said she would be willing to draft a description of tasks for the Deputy Clerk and Board Coordinator with Mr. Ellis . Then specifics can be discussed with individuals. Mrs. Georgia said in defense of her office that none of the Board members have ever asked her or her deputy to research anything or provide any information to them. Mr. Ellis said that it is a normal procedure that you increase the amount of work that a person is doing and you see how it goes and then if an adjustment has to be made you make an adjustment afterwards . Mrs . Georgia asked Mr. Ellis what it would take for the Town to have its own web page and server so you are not relying on someone else . Mr. Ellis said what the Town would be looking for would be $6000 to $ 7000 for a web page but to have your own server you are looking at $20,000 to $30,000 . Ms. Georgia said something like that would have to go into the budget. This was left open for discussion. It was decided to create a new position called Town Board Coordinator A1011 . 1 and r � transfer half of the amount from Deputy Supervisor A1011 . 1 , $ 5474 into this line. Ms. Marino feels that Mr. Coogan may be under compensated for the amount of work that he has been doing hourly and maybe this should be looked at in the budget. Mr. Ellis said that he does not want to pile more work onto Mr. Coogan without any adjustment and the Board should really think about allocating another two hours which Mr. Ellis figures would be $ 1650 per year. Special Town Board / Budget Workshop 3 10/31 /2006 Ms. Marino and Mr. Ellis believe that this new line should be increased by an additional $ 1650 the total for line A1011 . 1 (Board Coordinator) $ 7 , 124. Hearing no further changes or corrections for the 2007 Budget Mr. Ellis moved, seconded by Ms. Marino the following : BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses to move the tentative budget to the Preliminary Budget . Mr. Austic aye Mr. Ellis aye Ms . Marino aye Adopted. Ms . Georgia will advertise for the public hearing and include in the legal that the Preliminary Budget is available on the Ulysses Web Page. Ms . Marino said she would like to have a summary of the budget for the public . Mr. Coogan offered to draft a summary of the budget to be posted. Ms . Marino will work with Mr. Coogan on this . Ms . Marino will write up a resolution in reference to how the transfers to reserve accounts will take place next year as the board previously discussed. Mr. Austic reminded the Board that they still need to set a date for the Public Hearing on the Fire Budget on November 16 , 2006 at 7 : 00 pm Hearing no further business Mr. Ellis moved, seconded by Ms . Marino to adjourn the meeting. Unanimously approved, meeting adjourned at 10 : 30 am. Respectfully submitted, Marsha L. Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk MLG : mlg