HomeMy WebLinkAboutMeeting Notes 7-29-2015
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BUDGET COMMITTEE
Meeting Notes - July 29, 2015
Committee present: Eric Levine - Chairman, Herb Engman, Pat Leary
Staff present: Mike Solvig, Judy Drake, Bruce Bates
Others present: Bill Goodman
Meeting was called to order at: 12:03 p.m.
AGENDA ITEMS:
• Review and approve meeting notes from June 24, 2015.
The Committee reviewed and approved the meeting notes from June 24, 2015.
• Review Year-to-Date Status of 2015 Sales Tax Collections.
The Committee reviewed Sales Tax collections for the first six months of 2015. Mr. Solvig reported
that collections for June 2015 were 15.5% under collections in July 2014. For the first six months
of 2015, total collections of $1,462,458 continue to fall short, by 3.6%, of the $1,517,699 total
collections for the same period in 2014. Mr. Solvig reported an emerging pattern where
collections for the first two months of each quarter have been above collections for the same
months the previous year, but that collections for the third month have been substantially below
those same months in the previous year.
• Discuss proposed increases for Personnel/Benefit expenses for the 2016 Budget (referred from
the July 21, 2015 Personnel and Organization Committee).
- Code Enforcement Department:
Request A: The Town’s current part-time Electrical/Code Enforcement Officer (E/CEO) has
announced his intention to retire in early 2016. The Director of Code Enforcement has
requested that this position be replaced with a full-time, 40 hour per week position. This
request also includes keeping the current part-time E/CEO on staff through April 2016 to
assist in training the new full-time E/CEO. The additional wage and benefit cost is estimated
at $27,327 in wages, plus an estimated $8,000 for benefits, for a total increase of $35,327 to
the 2016 Town Budget. This increase would be allocated to the General Part-Town Fund.
Request B: This request is to increase funding for both the current full-time E/CEO and Code
Enforcement Officer (CEO) positions at 40 hours per week (currently at 37.5 hours per week),
and increase the temporary part-time administrative support position to 300 hours per year
(currently budgeted for 240 hours). The additional wage and benefit cost is estimated at
$3,052 in wages, plus an estimated $2,200 for benefits, for a total increase of $5,252 to the
2016 Town Budget. This increase would also be allocated to the General Part-Town Fund.
Request C: The Director of Code Enforcement is requesting an additional part-time entry-
level clerical position at 30 hours per week. This request would add $30,000 in wages, plus
an estimated $28,000 for benefits, for a total increase of $58,000 to the 2016 Town Budget.
This increase would also be allocated to the General Part-Town Fund.
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After discussion, the Committee members were in favor of moving ahead with Requests A
and B. The increase to the 2016 Town Budget to fund both Requests A and B would be
$30,379 in wages, plus an estimated $10,200 for benefits, for a total increase of $40,579.
The Committee members did not agree to move forward with Request C for the 2016 Budget.
- Highway Department: There are currently 5 Laborers and 6 Motor Equipment Operators
(MEO) in the Public Works Department. MEO’s are required to have a Commercial Drivers’
License (CDL) to operate Town vehicles and other heavy equipment, and perform supervisory
functions. Laborers are not required to have a CDL, although many of them do, and are not
required to perform supervisory functions. During the summer, when the Town has seasonal
help on staff, the current allocation makes supervision difficult and hurts the department’s
efficiency in completing day-to-day operations.
The change requested is to decrease the number of Laborers by two and increase the
number of MEO’s by two, resulting in a permanent change to 3 Laborers and 8 MEO’s on
staff. This change would not increase the number of full time staff, but would allow greater
flexibility in covering the Town’s needs without asking staff to do work that is outside of their
typical duties.
After discussion, the Committee members were in favor of moving ahead with this request.
The increased cost for this change would be $16,760 in wages, plus an estimated $6,000 for
benefits, for a total increase of $22,760 to the 2016 Town Budget. This increase would be
allocated over the General, Highway, Water and Sewer Funds.
- Wage Increase for non-unionized staff: In 2015, wages for non-unionized staff remained at
2014 rates plus a $500 stipend. Committee members recommended a 2% wage increase for
2016.
- Health Insurance contribution levels: Committee members recommended to increase the
health insurance contribution from 8% to 9% for 2016.
• Continue discussion on 2016 Ithaca Town Budget process.
There was no further discussion on this topic.
• Discuss 2015 Bond Issue.
The Town is scheduled to issue new long-term debt this year to finance several projects included
in the 2015 Capital Improvement Program. We anticipate issuing $2,950,000 in new debt as
detailed on the following schedule:
Amount Amount Issuance
Budgeted Bonded Costs
Coddington Road Water Main - Ph.2 760,000$ 650,000$ 8,700$
Sapsucker Woods Water Tank 1,650,000 1,500,000 20,200
2015 Road Improvement Program 800,000 800,000 10,700
Total - 2015 Capital Projects 3,210,000$ 2,950,000$ 39,600$
2015 Bonded Capital Projects
The estimated issuance costs of $39,600 represent 1.3% of the expected bond proceeds.
Mr. Solvig stated that his schedule is to have the bond sale no later than October, and the bond
closing by Thanksgiving.
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• Property Tax Cap and Property Tax Freeze Programs.
The Committee reviewed a notice from the Office of the State Comptroller informing NYS
municipalities that the increase in the allowable levy growth factor of the tax cap calculation will
be limited to 0.73% for 2016. This is a significant decrease from the allowable levy growth factor
of 1.56% in 2015, and will severely limit the allowable increase in the Town’s 2016 property tax
levy if the Town stays under the tax cap.
• Town’s voluntary contributions to Community Organizations/Programs.
The Committee reviewed the letter received from the City of Ithaca, requesting that the Town
continue its funding for the City parks in 2016 at the 2015 amount of $83,620. The City has
informed us that the County will be contributing $30,000 in 2016 to support water front parks and
facilities.
• Other Items.
- Lake View Cemetery: Mr. Solvig reported on several matters regarding Lake View Cemetery:
1. Tom Wakula has been elected President of the Cemetery Board following the resignation
of Joel Tabb.
2. The Cemetery received a $5,000 grant through the Community Foundation.
3. The Cemetery Board has asked the Town to hold in escrow funds for the Cemetery’s
Perpetual Maintenance Fund and Ferris Memorial Fund.
4. Mr. Engman will include the amount of $10,000 in his 2016 Tentative Budget to assist the
Cemetery with repairs to the mausoleum.
- New Grant Applications: Mr. Solvig reported that Mike Smith, Sr. Planner in the Town’s
Planning Department, has applied for two new grants.
1. The first grant, through the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation,
would pay 50% of the cost, up to $48,000, for replacement of playground equipment
over a two year period. This would include the replacement of playground equipment at
Hungerford Heights Park in 2016, and Grandview Park scheduled for 2017.
2. The second grant, through the Empire State Development Board, would pay 50% of the
cost, up to $30,000, for an economic development study of the Elmira Road corridor.
- Fire Protection Contract with the Village of Cayuga Heights: Mr. Solvig reported that the
cost of fire protection services provided by the Village of Cayuga Heights will cost the Town
$159,648.95 in 2016.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:44 p.m.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 12:00 pm, Town Hall - Aurora Room