Finance Committee — 2016-04-25
Attendance
Robert A. Boisselle ; Donald L. Conn Jr. ; Scott M. Forbes ; Jennifer L. Lemmerman ; Monica C. Medeiros ; Peter D. Mortimer ; John N. Tramontozzi ; Francis X. Wright Jr. ; Michael P. Zwirko
Agenda
- Call to Order
- Public Participation
- Orders
- ORDER-2016-147 : Acceptance of $3,497Police EMD Grant for the Police Evidence Inventory Project - Fund 4024
- ORDER-2016-148 : A Transfer of $333,620.00 From Group Health account 019142-549201 and Workers Comp account 019122-543102 to various accounts as set forth within.
- ORDER-2016-149 : Transfer of $20,800 from various Public Works Salary & Wages Accounts to various Public Works Accounts, as set forth herein, for Lebanon Corridor Improvements
- ORDER-2016-150 : Transfer of $12,500.00 from account 014011-511000 (PW Adm Sal Salary & Wages) to account 014012-529000 (PW Admin Professional Services).
- ORDER-2016-151 : Transfer of $16,250.00 from account 614511-511000 (Water, Salary & Wages) to account 614512-529000 (Water Professional Services)
- Adjournment
Minutes
CITY OF MELROSE FINANCE COMMITTEE CALENDAR● APRIL 25, 2016 Aldermanic Chamber Committee Meeting 8:15 PM The public should take notice that the Melrose Board of Aldermen may, on certain occasions, have a quorum in attendance due to standing committees of the Board of Aldermen consisting of both voting and non-voting members. Members attending this duly posted meeting are participating and deliberating only in conjunction with the business of the standing committee. Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Scott M. Forbes Chairman Present John N. Tramontozzi Vice Chairman Present Francis X. Wright Jr. Ward 3 Alderman Absent Peter D. Mortimer Ward 6 Alderman Present Michael P. Zwirko Alderman at Large Present Donald L. Conn Jr. President/Ex-officio Member Present Robert A. Boisselle Nonvoting Member Present Jennifer L. Lemmerman Nonvoting Member Present Monica C. Medeiros Nonvoting Member Present In Attendance: Police Chief Michael Lyle, Director of Public Works John Scenna, City Auditor/CFO Patrick Dello Russo
ORDER-2016-147 Grant Acceptance of $3,497Police EMD Grant for the Police Evidence Inventory Project - Fund 4024 Recommend Passage Board of Aldermen
ORDER-2016-148 Transfer A Transfer of $333,620.00 From Group Health account 019142-549201 and Workers Comp account 019122-543102 to various accounts as set forth within. Recommend Passage Board of Aldermen
ORDER-2016-149 Transfer Transfer of $20,800 from various Public Works Salary & Wages Accounts to various Public Works Accounts, as set forth herein, for Lebanon Corridor Improvements Recommend Passage Board of Aldermen City of Melrose Page 1 Updated 5/10/2016 1:10 PM Minutes Finance Committee April 25, 2016
ORDER-2016-150 Transfer Transfer of $12,500.00 from account 014011-511000 (PW Adm Sal Salary & Wages) to account 014012-529000 (PW Admin Professional Services). Recommend Passage Board of Aldermen
ORDER-2016-151 Transfer Transfer of $16,250.00 from account 614511-511000 (Water, Salary & Wages) to account 614512-529000 (Water Professional Services) Recommend Passage Board of Aldermen City of Melrose Page 2 Updated 5/10/2016 1:10 PM
Transcript
▶ 59:47 Scott M. Forbes: with us this evening we have alderman Tramontozzi who also serves as committee vice chair Also, we have Alderman Zwirko, Alderman Mortimer, and President Kahn. Non-voting members here this evening include Alderman Lemmerman, Alderman Boisselle, and Alderman Medeiros. And before we get to public participation, this meeting is being recorded. You can watch all of our smiling faces on MMTV, or you can go to the City of Monroe's website and click on the corresponding links. That being said — Mr. Motion to open the floor for public participation, Mr. Chairman. a motion for open public participation made by alderman mortimer duly seconded by almonds werco all those in favor any opposed this is the portion i'm meeting with anybody from the general
▶ 1:00:26 Scott M. Forbes: public can come up and speak on behalf of the five orders before us seeing nobody from the general public in the chambers motion to close public participation second a motion to close duly seconded all those in favor all right any opposed public participation is now concluded we do have five orders before us here tonight the first order is order number two zero one six dash one four seven an acceptance of a three thousand four hundred and ninety seven dollar police emd grant for the police evidence inventory project fund number four zero two four do we have a motion to suspend the rules mr chairman emotions spend the rules made by alderman mortimer second seconded by alderman Zwirko all those in favor any opposed the rules are suspended
▶ 1:01:10 chief lyle it's not a large number but i'm very excited about this number this is this funding came from the district attorney's office and you all may recall that there was a multiple incidents that involved the middlesex excuse me the state crime lab or the particular tech and the police department went through several recalls on drugs that we had sent out before to be tested and every time there was an audit the morrow's police department detective sergeant mcnamara excelled they found the drugs they retested them and the appropriate people are still in jail because of it speeding forward the district attorney marion ryan's office created a funding source for departments to do audits we were fortunate enough
▶ 1:02:10 to get the 3 400 and change and also i went to the auditor's office and told them that our evidence room needed to be overhauled and i had a couple meetings with the otter and his staff and i'm very positive that they are going to assist us in funding to replace our antiquated evidence system that being said that's where we're at today thank you chief i'm in chairman tozy is there any city match for this grant or is it no no it's just a straight uh funding it's going to give us the ability to provide overtime to empty the evidence room secure the evidence in there and once the new system's in place uh build it out again right all right excellent thank you that's all seeing the voting members from the finance committee all the boys out please
▶ 1:03:00 Scott M. Forbes: yeah for this grant it seems to be a lot of dna evidence uh are you collecting biological samples in investigations we do secure um that type of evidence oh in refrigerators that are in the evidence room i was going to say how long do they keep for we keep it until we're told to uh dispose of it very good thank you thank you mr chair thank you motion recommend second the motion recommend made by alderman chairman tozy seconded by alderman Zwirko all those in favor any posts chief order be recommended at the next full board meeting obviously you know the drill you do not have to be in attendance yes we thank you for your time here tonight good evening Thank you, Chief. Next order, we have order number 2016-148.
▶ 1:03:48 Michael P. Zwirko: It is a transfer of $338,620 from group health account number 019142-549201 and workers' comp account number 019122-543102 to various accounts set therefore within. Alleman Suarco please. I'd like to take a moment here of personal preference. So this order here totals three hundred thirty eight thousand six hundred twenty dollars of which there are many bundled pieces of appropriation. One of those pieces is for the Office of Planning and Community Development of which my wife is an employee. Because of that I've spoke with the State Ethics Commission. I will be unable to participate in this order voting and matter of fact I'll be leaving the chamber during the discussion for it so I just wanted to
▶ 1:04:44 make that disclosure public and I'm going to recess myself thank you all that's working so the reading of the order motion to suspend the rules to hear from the appropriate city officials motion to suspend the rules I believe we were already under suspension of the rules but thank you sir mr. shot good evening good evening thank you and be so kind to kind of summarize the the order as well as the attachment that was given to the Finance Committee I will appreciate it there are several various items that this order funds I'd like to list them and then we can go back and if there are any questions to any particular portion of it we can answer it the first the first segment continues our partnership with the veterans department and their supporters and it
▶ 1:05:39 will fund continued improvements to the knoll area and between the two playing fields with the creation of a memorial in honor of World War two veterans that will be located between World War one and Korea on the east side and will be constructed late summer early fall for dedication in November Veterans Day working with Ryan and his staff and veterans committee and veterans across Melrose we hope to make this another dedication to to the veterans of Elros the second portion of the order is a partnership with the Friends of the Milano Center the Milano Center is 20 years old last year celebrated its 20th anniversary the transfer of 20,000 will fund facility improvements to the infrastructure of the building in conjunction with ongoing projects that
▶ 1:06:39 are being planned and funded by the Friends of the Milano Center that's the second portion of the order mr. chairman through you to mr. Shannon when you describe these can you indicate the amounts for the very sure so the first was a transfer of $7,000 total and to park and forestry in the amount of 4200. I think we may be on a different order. I don't think so. 2016 dash 148 2016 dash 148 from group health insurance to the first the first line item listed was snow, salt and chemicals. 120,000. So I can speak to them that order. I can speak to the order of the projects however you want to do by order by order mr. chairman I'll just rearrange I'll rearrange the groupings yeah just just so the public knows we have a couple of different breakdowns
▶ 1:07:58 yes identical yeah I'll follow that yeah if I may I think you're you're going by your email that you sent to us right right well it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't match with the no I can I can switch to this order not a problem I think that's thank you so the transfer to there's a memo yes there are separate email yes oh I don't think it's in IQ m2 it is it is yeah I'm in split a split view right now motion for a short recess mr. chairman second We have a motion for a short recess, made by President Kahn, seconded by Allman, Mortimer. All those in favor? Aye. We'll take a short recess. Finance Committee is back in session. Mr. Schenner, if you could please continue. Okay, so we'll continue with the project items.
▶ 1:09:04 The first was the Knoll Memorial. The second was facility improvements at the Milano Center, the partnership with the Friends of the Milano Center. The third is a transfer of $46,500 into the existing facility FY16 budget for public works. The transfer funds several unanticipated and emergency capital expenditures and repairs within school and municipal buildings. The fourth project that this order funds is for the installation of new classrooms. the twenty thousand five hundred dollar request funds furnishings and equipment required to add new classrooms within the school district for the 2016-17 school year the transfer also balances the snow budget for this fiscal year 223 thousand nine hundred and seventy dollars of this transfer will go into
▶ 1:10:15 existing fy16 budget to balance it so that we do not carry a deficit into the next fiscal year five thousand dollars of the transfer will purchase furnish furniture furniture and equipment for the office of planning and community development and fifteen thousand six hundred and fifty dollars of the transfer will be used to construct the storage shed behind fred green bleachers and press box that will store field and team equipment for the high school middle school and user groups of the facility so those are the general areas that the transfer funds for going back to the order to print out if you want me to just quickly run through that i can the public work the first two items are for the snow deficit 120 670 and 65 100. and mr
▶ 1:11:15 shannon you're reading from the memo of april 25th 2016. april 19th 2016 is what i have the third 28 000 is for school contractual that covers the public works facility improvements public work salary overtime is for the snow deficit 20 500 is for school furniture 20 000 in city expenditure contract maintenance is for the council on aging 18 5 is municipal building repair 15 650 is for the storage shed that we spoke about 14 100 is for snow deficit 5 000 is for planning department furniture 4 200 and 2800 is for the memorial the veterans memorial at the knoll senator these funds came from a transfer out of the group health account and the workers comp account is that correct in saying that and that's correct all right
▶ 1:12:39 so we uh the audience yourself or uh mr de la rosa could explain how those funds became available mr de la rosa can speak to what was available yes uh that's exactly correct that's where the funds came from 25 5 from workers comp and the balance on health insurance do you have any questions from the committee see no voting members motion to recommend for passage second we got a motion to recommend maybe alderman mortimer second and by alderman Tramontozzi on discussion we have alderman Medeiros thank you um just a couple of quick things so the expenditures here relative to snow and ice and does that take care of all the snow and ice removal costs for this season that were correct and the uh the office furniture has this already been purchased no this is not
▶ 1:13:45 and i know we recently somewhat recently uh voted to expend some funds for furniture up in the uh Connelly conference room? That's correct. In the mayor's suite. And has that already been purchased, or will this be done together? No, the mayor's office, the mayor's conference room furniture has been purchased. It's due to arrive shortly. The training room furniture was purchased and is in the office. the painting improvements have all been completed to the lower conference room the office of planning and community development there's four thousand dollars of that original which has been set aside this finishes funding the entire office being remodeled I have a memo from the planning director Denise
▶ 1:14:40 Gaffey she was she's at another meeting this evening but what she she wrote the following I've prepared this memo in support of my request for funding for furniture in the office of planning and community development as you know the furniture in the office is for the most part decades old most of the desks show significant wear and tear and because they are so old were never designed for modern technology or to optimize work efficiencies the desk in the planning director's office is more modern and was salvaged at no cost several years ago but has never fit it properly into the space most of the chairs are also decades old and was salvaged from other departments total funding for this project is ninety five hundred four thousand of which is in hand funding
▶ 1:15:30 will be used to provide two new workstations for the outer office for the conservation agent and accounts manager GIS analyst for new desks for the planning staff the assistant planning director ZBA coordinator energy efficiency manager and clerk of the works and eight chairs new furniture for director's office will include a new workstation new peninsula conference table new bookcase lateral file and four guest chairs uh the furnace they have reached out to several vendors to get prices and this way we we know that this price is firm thank you thank you thank you alderman Medeiros next up president khan so we're we're going to expend 20 000 to buy furnishings for the schools is that correct yeah i if i may through the chair i have a memo from the superintendent
▶ 1:16:22 that we received today she also was unable to make it due to a prior commitment she wrote that on april 26 2016 melrose school committee approved the addition of two additional classrooms to accommodate the expected enrollment of 330 incoming kindergarten students for the 2016-17 school year after completing a capacity analysis the administrative team recommended that additional classrooms be added at the lincoln and roosevelt elementary schools conversion of the music room at each school will require that each classroom be provided with sufficient furniture fixtures and equipment to ensure equity with every other classroom in each building and to ensure that the academic program can be provided without compromise
▶ 1:17:15 based on the costs associated with last year's additions of two classrooms we anticipate that the cost for the two classrooms will be twenty thousand five hundred our goal is to he is to have each room ready by august 19 2016 so that the administration and teachers can set up classrooms prior to school opening on august 29 to 2016 from cindy taymor superintendent melrose public schools okay so it appears that this this transfer would fully fund all furniture needs for the new classrooms that's correct for the schools for the upcoming year and and just to reiterate snow deficit of the last two years is completely retired if this order is acted upon favorably is that correct that's correct we are waiting um for final
▶ 1:18:07 figures for the mimer and fema um reimbursements we're doing so once i get those but um for all purposes our purposes here this is this is it for us we're not going to carry a deficit into 17 on so nothing carries over we have no ongoing budgetary impact relative to snow and how much how much have we transferred out of the group health account with these appropriations is it in excess of $400,000 yes it is and what do you anticipate if you know the closeout balance will being for that account for this year through the chair I would anticipate that we we would We still have approximately $88,000 within that budget available according to the human resource department director. So as a result of this opt out program, you were able to realize a savings of approximately a half a million dollars?
▶ 1:19:10 Through the chair again, it was also a combination of people that they worked initiative to alter plans that were selected so that we take the lesser code employees to take the least cost plan still providing the coverage they needed so it was really a combination of several items at the same time okay so as a result of those initiatives you were able to save approximately $500,000 that you've been able to use for other purposes that's my that's correct okay that's all thank you president khan any other around discussion we did have a motion uh to recommend this order that was made by allman mortimer and seconded by allman Tramontozzi all those in favor aye any opposed gentlemen this order will be recommended before our next board meeting
▶ 1:19:58 thank you so much allman's werco welcome back our next order for the finance committee is order number two zero one six dash one four nine transfer of twenty thousand eight hundred dollars from various Public Works salary and wages accounts to various Public Works accounts as set forth here in for the Lebanon corridor improvements it's a shadow so this is an internal transfer within FY 16 Public Works budgets I think we're all very familiar with the Lebanon Street corridor and the construction that that corridor has experienced it did not include tree plantings DOT only replaces what they take down however now that the corridor has been revitalized the department sees and has has has received many requests for new trees along that corridor on that lower part
▶ 1:21:00 of Upham Street and Lebanon Street this transfer the funds are available due to various vacancies in fy 16 labor of forestry foreman truck meos people come people go salary stays there now the salary is available and we're trying we're requesting to transfer that salary out and transform it into a project for the betterment of everyone who uses lebanon street we're also looking to put markings on the pavement for sharrows bicycle accommodations the lane it's a shared lane however because the project was designed decades ago that Sharo requirement didn't exist again DOT has now drawn the line saying we're done we're gonna give you back the corridor do with it as you please we'd like to make that commitment we'd like
▶ 1:21:58 realize that commitment that we made to the pedestrian and bike committee in Melrose so it funds signs for shared lanes it funds the shower the markings on the roadway it funds trees along the corridor and it funds the landscaping of the island at Lebanon lined in Grove that was used as a lay down for over a year again DOT was going to just loom and seat it and this will hopefully make into a very attractive area with a few park benches as well that people can use and create some type of passive recreation there motion to recommend for passage mr chairman motion to recommend made by alderman mortimer second second by alderman Tramontozzi on discussion president khan so mr shinner are the salary transfers to fund overtime that will be generated as a result of
▶ 1:22:49 Scott M. Forbes: this work no um they're all going to contractual lines in the budget okay and is the work going to be performed by the city in-house or by third-party contractors the labor for the landscape improvements at the island will be in-house but they'll be during regular hours and the balance will be done contractually thank you thank you president khan and just for my clarification this is just a reallocation of existing money that was already within your internal budget am i correct in saying that that's correct thank you all right we anybody else on discussion we do have a motion to recommend and duly second and all those in favor aye aye any opposed promotion passes this will be recommended at our next full board meeting order number four or number four on the agenda is order number two
▶ 1:23:41 Scott M. Forbes: It is a transfer of $12,500 from account number 014011-511000, Public Works Admin Salaries and Wages, to account number 014012-529000, Public Works Administrative and Professional Services. Mr. Shen. so through the chair this order 150 and the next order 151 carry the same theme obviously we're all aware that department experienced the vacancy in the city engineer position for several months in the late summer fall time period we're very happy to have a new city engineer on board but that period of time really required the department to reshuffle its approach to ongoing construction and also its commitments to projects that were in design and bidding so this transfer of salary which was available because of the vacancy and a
▶ 1:24:48 subsequent vacancy in another engineering position is the request is to transfer to professional services to cover some of those expenditures and also to cover the need the needs to move forward now that we have a new city engineer and her and her staff are prepared to move into this construction season that is the same theme of the following order which transfers funds from water salaries to water professional services motion to recommend for passage get a motion recommend made by alderman mortimer second second and by alderman Tramontozzi all those in favor aye aye any opposed motion passes will be recommended our next full board meeting we have a last order here of the evening order number
▶ 1:25:37 Scott M. Forbes: two zero one six dash one five one the transfer of sixteen thousand two hundred and fifty dollars from account number six one four five one one dash five one one zero zero zero water salary and wages to account number six one four five one two dash five two nine zero zero zero water professional services motion recommend i heard we already heard from mr shenner regarding this order we got a motion to recommend made by alderman Tramontozzi seconded by alderman mortimer on discussion president khan please i have a question for mr delarusso mr delarusso on order 2016-151 are we going to have anything unexpended left in the uh in the water salary and wages account at the end of the year that you anticipate um that i i can't answer that that i have to find out yeah
▶ 1:26:35 Scott M. Forbes: if you could let me know on that i'd appreciate it thank you anyone else on discussion we did have a motion to recommend duly second and all those in favor aye aye any opposed this order passes we recommended our next full board meeting motion to adjourn mr chairman thank you for your time here tonight we have a motion to adjourn made by alderman mortimer second second by alderman Worko. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? The Finance Committee is adjourned.