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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1972_11_10 Town Board Regular Minutes W A I V E R of Notice of Special Meeting of the Town Board Town of Mamaroneck, N.Y. We, the undersigned, hereby waive all notice of the attached Notice of Special Meeting called by the Supervisor on November 10th, 1972, and consent that this meeting shall be held as stated therein. (Councilmen) Dated- November the 10th 1 9 7 2 b) MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF MAMARONECK, HELD NOVEMBER 10th, 1972, IN THE COUNCIL ROOM OF THE WEAVER STREET FIREHOUSE, WEAVER STREET, TOWN OF MAMARONECK. CALL TO ORDER The Supervisor called the meeting to order at 8:15 p.m. pursuant to the Notice of Meeting and Waiver thereof herewith presented and appended hereto as part of the record of this meeting as required by Section 62 of the Town Law. ROLL CALL Present: Supervisor Helwig Councilman Faiola Councilman Vandernoot Councilman Bloom Councilman White Absent: None Also Present: Mr. Gronberg - Town Clerk Mrs. Brewer - Deputy Clerk Mr. Altieri - Comptroller PRESENTATION OF 1973 TENTATIVE BUDGET The Supervisor explained that this meeting had been called for the purpose of presenting to the Town Board the 1973 Departmental Requests (Tentative Budget) which, in accord- ance with law, the Board must adopt as the Preliminary Budget for 1973 before midnight on this date. She reviewed briefly her budget message to the Board prefacing the Summary Presentation of requested expenditures and antici- pated revenues including the departmental requests as estimated by each Department Head to cover his needs for 1973, and noted for the record that copies of this Summarization were being furnished to all attending this meeting and that they, together with the Departmental Requests, would be on file and available for inspection by all interested persons in the Town Clerk's office as of next Monday morning. She pointed out that in the Summary, salaries were shown without increases except where increments were due since negotiations with the three employee units were still in process, and that revenue estimates were incomplete due to the fact that as of this date accurate figures of the amount to be paid to the Town under the new Federal Revenue Sharing Program were not available. She then explained that pursuant to amended law effective as of last January 1st, the Board must adopt the Preliminary Budget not later than midnight on November 10th. Following a public hearing on the Preliminary Budget which she recom- mended be held on December 7th, the Board must adopt an Annual Budget not later than midnight on December 20th, 1972. - 1 - 1 J.9 The Supervisor particularly emphasized that following the Board's adoption of the Tentative Budget as the 1973 Prelimin- ary Budget and its detailed study thereof, a detailed document accounting for every cent to be expended would be prepared and available in the Clerk's office on Friday, December 1st, so as to afford all interested persons an opportunity to examine and study the proposed budget prior to the December 4th informal discussion and December 7th public hearing. In addition to the budget hearing, Mrs. Helwig said it would be necessary to hold a public hearing on the proposed increases in the Water Rate Schedule this same evening at 8:15 prior to the budget hearing since approval thereof would affect the Preliminary Budget -- either reducing or possibly "washing out" the tax levy for the Water District. Turning to the Summary, Mrs. Helwig noted the 1973 appropriations totaling $3,404,563. , the estimated revenues, including unex- pended balances, totaling $694,316. , and the total net levy of $2,710,247. This resulted, she said after reciting the increases and decreases in each fund in the General Town, Town Outside of Villages, and six Special Districts comprising the Town budget, in an estimated tax rate of $35.89, an increase of $4.23 per thousand over last year in the Unincorporated Area, and $2.29, an increase of 15fi per thousand over last year in each of the two Villages. This budget as proposed, Mrs. Helwig continued, envisioned a staff of 124 full time and 26 part time employees on the regular payroll in addition to the seasonal staff numbering approxi- mately 131, with a total payroll including salaries plus fringe benefits of $2,068,024. which represented 60.7% of the total appropriations. She further pointed out that 17% or $55,000. of the $320,366. -- salary plus fringe benefit increase in the net levy resulted from the first-year payment due on the 20-year-retirement-at-half-pay- plan covering Town Police and Firemen. Also noted were the man- dated cost increases for Health Insurance (a72% rise), and Social Security. In reply to the Chair's query as to whether any of the Board members had any question or wished to make any comment, Council- man Bloom observed that first, he personally had no illusions or great anticipations as to the revenue the Town would receive under the new Federal Revenue Sharing Program as he felt fairly certain that this would not be a huge sum; second, that where revenues or unexpended balances were dropped, the monies were appropriated and used; and third and lastly, that a certain percentage of the increased appropriations were due to the man- dated Social Security and Hospital Insurance cost increases and to the larger appropriations necessary for the purchase of heavy equipment. The Supervisor stated that she would like to say to the Board and Budget Committee that she was enormously grateful for their getting this budget together and also to thank the Department -- Heads who had been working for the past several months to get their 1973 requisitions in order and delivered to the Budget Committee. Particularly, she added, she wished to thank Councilman Vandernoot for his invaluable assistance and the many long hours he had devoted to conducting the negotiations with the three employee units on behalf of the Town during these past several months as well as the Director of Finance who was responsible for the compilation of the budget. - 2 - Councilman Bloom at this time expressed the Board's thanks to the Supervisor, who, he said, was hardly a part-time employee--but rather "a more than full time one". Councilman Faiola observed that this budget was set up only as far as requests of the Department Heads went, and that it now came to the Board for detailed study and he commended highly both Councilman Vandernoot and the Director of Finance, Mr. Altieri, on the job they had done in getting this job done! The Chair then recognized Mrs. Ann McGahan of the League of Women Voters of Larchmont who asked whether the budget would show any "dovetailing" of the Police? The Supervisor replied that it would not--nor at this time of any of the other services. Next, upon recognition, Mr. Gustav Gants addressed the Board requesting on behalf of the Babe Ruth League that the sum of $300. plus a sum for the maintenance of the High School field be included in the '73 budget. The Supervisor advised Mr. Gants that his request would be referred to the Recreation Commission. Mr. Hubert Alton, upon recognition, then addressed the Board stating that he wished to publicly thank it and the Recreation Commission for their cooperation and assistance this past year, and also Mr. Kronenberger, Superintendent of Recreation, for maintaining this ball field in its excellent condition. Several questions relating to the costs for hauling garbage--why higher when anticipated they would be lower in view of the bot- tle and newspaper recycling programs were asked by Mrs. Maria Russell and other League representatives and were answered in detail by the Supervisor, Director of Finance and Councilman Faiola. Councilman Faiola then stated that he thought it was now in order to accept the Tentative Budget as the Preliminary Budget for 1973 with a public hearing held thereon as recommended which he thereupon so moved. The motion was seconded by Councilman Bloom and the following resolution thereupon adopted by unanimous vote of the Board, all members thereof being present and voting aye: RESOLVED, that this Town Board does hereby approve as the Preliminary Budget of this Town for the fiscal year beginning on the first day of January 1973, the itemized statement of estimated revenues and expendi- tures hereto attached and made a part of this reso- lution; and be it further RESOLVED, that such Preliminary Budget shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk, where it shall be available for inspection by any interested person at all reasonable hours; and be, it further RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk give Notice of such public hearing in the manner provided in Section 108 - 3 - K of the Town Law, and that such Notice be published and posted in substantially the following form: Public Notice Notice is hereby given that the Preliminary - Budget of the Town of Mamaroneck, New York, consisting of the estimated revenues and expenditures for the year 1973, has been completed and filed in the Office of the Town Clerk of said Town, where the same may be examined by any person interested therein, and that a public hearing thereon will be held by and before the Town Board of said Town on Thursday evening, December 7th, 1972, at 8:15 o'clock in the Auditorium of the Weaver Street Firehouse, Weaver Street, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, at which time and place all those who appear and are interested will be given an opF portunity to be heard with respect to said Pre- liminary Budget, or any part or item thereof. Please take further notice, that the proposed salaries of the members of the Town Board are as follows : Supervisor - $12,000. ; Town Council- men (4) - $3,000. each; and that the proposed sal- ary of the Town Clerk is $14,900. By Order of the Town Board Charles J. Gronberg Town Clerk and be it further RESOLVED, that such Notice shall be published in the following newspaper having general circulation within the Town: The Mamaroneck Daily Times, on November 24th, 1972. Upon recognition, Mrs. Marie Wolf of the League of Women Voters of Larchmont stated that she had understood the Super- visor to say that the Town was going to add four men to the Garbage District and thereby reduce the Highway staff by that number. The Supervisor replied that this was not quite what she thought she had said but rather that the rubbish would be put out with the refuse for three-times a week collection which would neces- sitate the rise in the Sanitation Department's staff from 16 to 20. She stated that it was felt this:_*suld effect a great saving because when the Highway Department did this collection, it had to cruise every street and thus instead of 24 men which that Department presently had, it would now have 20 plus 2 head men. Upon being asked whether any consideration was being given to the paper pick-up so that some kind of monetary return to the community would be realized, the Supervisor stated that the program was presently under study--and added that although our residents had been simply terrific at the present time, still more cooperation was needed so that the Town could realize a - 4 - larger yield. In answer to a question as to the status of any cooperation in the Sanitation operation by the Town and Village, the Supervisor reported that a plan to combine the Sanitation operation was under review which, if feasible, might result in greater efficiency of operation. Mrs. Helwig in reply to a question from the floor phrased, "Is what you are-proposing a 13% increase in the tax rate", said, "yes", and to the subsequent question, "Hefty, isn't it", replied, "yes" explaining however that this was only a proposed Tentative Budget which had not had the Board's and Budget Committee's detailed study as of this date. Two further questions, the first, what was covered by the $303,512. item titled, "Miscellaneous", and the second by Mrs. Russell, asking what exactly comprised the $15,950. Recreation increase, were answered in some detail and at some length by the Supervisor, and thereuponraince in reply to her query, no one else wished to address the Board, on motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was declared adjourned at 9:05 p.m. h Town erk - 5 -