ORDER-2015-56 : Appropriation in the amount of $25,000 from Sewer, Reserve of Retained Earnings (acct # 6000-330001) to Sewer Equipment Parts (acct # 604412-536320).

Transcript (~5 min @ 2:08:42)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 2:08:04 Speaker 1: john if you want to speak to that yeah that's a transfer that's part of our fy15 budget we we discovered a clerical error but rather than reach into um in our overtime line what was passed what was requested and what was passed an error was twenty one hundred dollars we were the intention was to fund that line at twenty one thousand dollars but rather than reach into retained earnings or reserve we're trying to live with that with a transfer within our budget the mwra assessment was reduced to at the very last minute by fifty nine hundred seventy eight dollars so we want to transfer that into overtime and then we're going to transfer ten thousand from our outside sewer professional services to try to um that this transfer brings with the with the existing funding there brings us very close to what we've spent the last two fiscal years so we're going to try to live within those means i feel comfortable that i think we can make it um we're almost halfway into the fiscal year so i'm comfortable with that transfer the fourth order that is before you 2015 56 um is requesting a 25 000 appropriation from the sewer reserves back into the 15 budget we own and operate a sewer vac jet truck i'm sure some many of you have seen it in town it's a 1995 vehicle it's far from exceeded its age but we're trying to keep it running until we can get the enterprise systems back in a position of strength to replace that this is a 350 000 vehicle if we were to replace it and outfit it with the new technology including video equipment we're not looking to do that at this moment we've discussed this for several several years but the jet water pump which is what pressurizes the water to clear sewer breaks has failed it's failed due to rotten age and additionally with that we've had issues with the back of it with the door on the back and so when we clean sewers and jet sewer manholes and suck material into the truck it leaks out of the back so this appropriation is towards those two repairs that are required the we don't have an option in this regard the only other option is to outsource a sewer block which delays that response stonem has been very gracious stonem dpw in helping us they've sent their sewer and jet and back truck here four or five times in the last couple of weeks to help us out as a mutual aid type of thing but that's not the long-term fix we have to get the truck up and running again and that's what the 25 000 request is for it is what

▶ 2:10:56 Speaker 2: it is any uh president clinton yeah i i just want to talk to these two um reserve fund orders just so people are aware of the history and what's going on here um two and a half years ago

▶ 2:11:10 Speaker 2: So, Mr. Del Russo started telling us, and me in particular, that we had to establish reserve accounts for water and sewer.

▶ 2:11:20 Speaker 2: And at that time, I indicated that that's preposterous.

▶ 2:11:26 Speaker 2: It's wrong to have the rate payers setting up reserve accounts. And what developed over time is, This is an unfunded mandate that's been visited upon us by the Department of Revenue. I continue to drag my feet relative to this issue. Mr. De La Russo nicely invited me into a meeting with the representatives of the Department of Revenue who told us that we're not going to tolerate the operation of water and sewer systems without some kind of a reserve. And if we failed to establish some kind of reserve that they would exercise their powers to ensure that we did. Or that dire financial consequences would befall our cherry sheep.

▶ 2:12:16 Speaker 2: Do I think that approach is right? No. Do I think it's an unfunded mandate? Yes. Am I smart enough to accept the handwriting on the wall when I see that the state is forcing us to do something? Yes, I think we've been successful in what we were forced to do, which is establish these reserve funds. Hopefully we can slow the growth of the funds and attempt to have some relief to the rate payer. But that's the history of these two accounts. Again, it's the state visiting a requirement upon us that we were required to establish, set up, and I think we've done what we were required to do, and hopefully we're not going to be required to do more in the future.

▶ 2:13:10 Speaker 1: Very good. Thank you.

▶ 2:13:11 John N. Tramontozzi: Any further discussion on any of those orders? Although we co-join those orders for discussion purposes, I will take a vote on each individual order. starting with order 2015-55.

▶ 2:13:26 Speaker 2: Actually, I'd move to divide the orders, Mr. Chairman.