HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014_10_15 Town Board Minutes
October 15, 2014
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING AND WORK SESSION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF
THE TOWN OF MAMARONECK HELD ON OCTOBER 15, 2014, BEGINNING AT 5:00PM IN
CONFERENCE ROOM A AND CONTINUING AT 8:00 PM IN THE COURT ROOM OF THE
TOWN CENTER, 740 W. BOSTON POST ROAD, MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
PRESENT: Supervisor Nancy Seligson
Councilman Ernest C. Odierna
Councilwoman Abby Katz
Councilwoman Jaine Elkind Eney
Councilman Thomas A. Murphy
ALSO PRESENT: Christina Battalia, Town Clerk
Stephen V. Altieri, Town Administrator
William Maker, Jr., Town Attorney
CALL TO ORDER - WORK SESSION
On motion of Councilwoman Katz, seconded by Councilman Murphy, the Work Session was unanimously
opened at 5:00PM.
Supervisor Seligson asked the guest in attendance to introduce himself to the Board.
Jonathan Sax, stated he was a member of the Zoning Board, but was present this evening as a citizen
observer.
ADDED ITEM
Change Date – Budget worksession
On motion of Councilwoman Katz, seconded by Councilwoman Elkind Eney, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that the Mamaroneck Town Board does hereby approve
eliminating the Budget Worksession of October 31, 2014 and adding a
worksession on October 29, 2014 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.
ADDED ITEM
2015 Budget Overview
The Town Board reviewed Mr. Mr. Altieri’s transmittal letter accompanying the submission of the Tentative
Budget, and highlighted by Mr. Altieri.
Mr. Altieri stated that as the Budget now stands a refund check would be issued to residents on average of
$127.00.
A PowerPoint presentation will be presented at the upcoming Budget Worksession on Monday October
th
20.
Update – Energy Service Contract/Street Light Replacement
Mr. Altieri stated that of concern to many residents are the new street lights, adding that the Town has
received many phone calls. Residents are being informed that adjustments cannot be made until a
majority of the light s are completed. At that time an assessment will be done to determine if and where
adjustments should be made, ultimately not everyone will be happy.
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October 15, 2014
Additionally, Mr. Altieri reported that all the condensers are now on top of the Town Center roof and the
th
Ice Rink is looking great! On October 19 there will be a ribbon cutting and free skating at the Ice Rink
beginning at 11:00AM.
Update – Ward Lane Paper Street
The Town Board reviewed a memo prepared by Mr. Altieri dated October 10, 2014 as well as a survey
showing the Ward Lane paper street. Ward Street has never been developed as a street and has remained
in a natural state much like the Town conservation areas. A resident of Bonnie Way has contacted the
Town regarding the condition of the area. There is a plan being discussed in which the paper street would
be maintained as a conservancy with the residents assuming certain responsibility for new plantings and
the Town would maintain the existing tree stock and perform an annual evaluation of them. The
consultant hired by the residents’ will reach out to the neighbors and see if there is consensus. Mr. Altieri
will keep the Town Board advised as the concept develops.
Review of Sustainability Plan
The Town Board reviewed the draft Sustainability Plan and discussed a number of comments. Supervisor
Seligson again asked the Board to review further and to let the Collaborative know their top priorities so
they can edit and refine the Plan. The Board Members did note two immediate priorities as more bicycle
friendly infrastructure as well as issues of inflow and infiltration of storm drains and sanitary sewers.
ADDED ITEM
Web site
Councilwoman Elkind Eney asked Mr. Maker to review the verbiage to go before the “links” on the web
site. Specifically, regarding the content on these links may not be the beliefs or opinions of the Town.
Review – Tax Cap Override Legislation
The Town Board discussed the timing of a public hearing should the Town wish to enact legislation to
override the tax levy limit. Mr. Maker’s suggestion would be that the Town hold the public hearing as
required, but only enact the legislation if and when they should choose to. That would enable them to
work within the legal time frame, but not be restrained should they decide to move forward with
legislation to override the tax cap or not. The Board added the setting of this public hearing as an item to
this evening’s agenda.
On motion of Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilwoman Katz, the Board unanimously agreed to
enter into an Executive Session to discuss employment history of particular individuals within the Building
Department and purchase of land.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Employment History of Particular Individuals within the Building Department
2. Purchase of Land
On motion of Councilwoman Katz, seconded by Councilman Murphy, the Board unanimously agreed to
resume the Regular Meeting.
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October 15, 2014
CALL TO ORDER - REGULAR MEETING
The Regular Meeting of the Town Board was called to order by Supervisor Seligson at
8:00 PM, she then pointed out the location of the exits.
Supervisor Seligson noted that the Town Board met for a worksession beginning at 5:00 o’clock this
evening, adding this is an open meeting that all residents’ are welcomed to attend.
SUPERVISOR’S SUMMARY REPORT
Leaf Collection begins Monday October 20. Please separate leaf piles from any other organic debris.
The Town will not be able to collect leaves if they are mixed with grass clippings, branches or
anything else.
Town Administrator Steve Altieri presents the Preliminary 2015 budget to the Town Board tonight.
The budget calendar for TB budget meetings is on the website. We meet about once a week for the
next 6 weeks. All of the meetings are open to the public. We will have LMC-TV televise our first
budget meeting this Monday, October 20 at 4 PM so the public can see the initial presentation of the
budget overview and power point.
The Town has been working on 2 grant applications. One was submitted last week to NYS for
funding for outreach for the Near Zero Waste project with Columbia Capstone. Thank you to Mitch
Green and Andrea Grenadier for putting that together. The other is a joint application with the VOL
to participate in a County campaign for Solarize Westchester. This would position the two
municipalities to work with Sustainable Westchester to promote solar power installations on houses
at discounted prices in our communities.
The Hommocks Ice Rink is already open for public skating, but the grand opening celebration and
ribbon cutting will be this Sunday October 19 at 11:00 AM. Come share in the fun, free skating and
free hot chocolate.
Congratulations and thank you to Larchmont VAC junior member Michael Apollo for being able to
provide critical translation skills at the scene of a fire. On October 11th, Larchmont VAC was called
to the scene of a working fire in the city of New Rochelle. They had several concurrent injuries,
requiring mutual aid response.
Three patients were provided to our crew, who were suffering from minor smoke inhalation and
burns. None of the patients spoke English, but only Mandarin. Michael Apollo, who is 16 years old
and a junior @ New Rochelle HS, takes Mandarin as his foreign language at school. Michael was
able to provide translation services, ensuring that we were able to treat the patients for their
injuries appropriately. You can only imagine how hard it is to treat patients, let alone not being able
to communicate with them. They sent a nice note to his Mandarin teacher at New Rochelle HS.
Finally, congratulations to Larchmont VAC and Mamaroneck EMS for raising over $6,000 for Suicide
Prevention in the Suicide Prevention walk on Sunday October 5. I walked with them and it was
wonderful to see so many people walking together.
CITIZEN’S COMMENTS
Supervisor Seligson asked if anyone in the audience would like to address the Board.
Kevin Crowe, representing the Larchmont Gardens’ Civic Association (LGCA) addressed the Board. Mr.
Crowe stated that he is very impressed with the new street lights, adding that they look great. Additionally,
he would like to commend the Town crew on the great tree trimming as well as the new plantings. The
Association would like to request that the lights on the island at the Duck Pond be turned off from April
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15 to September 15 because having them on all the time distrusts the wildlife that nests there.
Regarding signage, there is some commercial signage on telephone poles in the Town, specifically at the
bottom of Cooper Lane and Myrtle Blvd that should be removed. Also, there are a number of very old
faded signs around Town that should be replaced.
CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION – Detective Robert Reynolds
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October 15, 2014
Supervisor Seligson introduced Bob Reynolds an Officer and Detective of the Town of Mamaroneck, as well
as the Towns Youth Officer. Bob Reynolds has had a long and distinguished career with the Town and is so
well respected by his colleagues and by our residents. He has been a leader and a role model for our youth
and for helping teens in so many ways. The Town will miss him greatly, but we know he leaves us well
suited to continue his great work. Supervisor Seligson thanked him for his many years of service, then
asked him to say a few words.
Bob Reynolds addressed the Board and the audience by stating what a pleasure it has been to work for
such a wonderful Town and for such a great Department, adding it was not really work at all, as I loved
every second of it. My colleagues are one better than the other. For this I am so appreciative and blessed,
thank you.
The Town Board thanked Mr. Reynolds individually as did Mr. Altieri.
PUBLIC HEARING (S) – Repeal the Wednesday Parking Prohibition near Murray Avenue School by
Amending Local Law 1-1995
The following Notice of Public Hearing is entered into the record as follows:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
LEGAL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 130 of the Town Law of the State of
New York, and pursuant to a resolution of the Mamaroneck Town Board adopted on October
1, 2014 a Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at 8:00 PM or as soon
thereafter as is possible at the Town Center, 740 W. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, New
York to consider:
Purpose: Previously students were dismissed from school early on Wednesdays. Accordingly,
the time period prohibiting parking and standing on Murray Avenue, created by Local Law
No.1-1995, was adjusted to take that schedule into consideration. Students are no longer
dismissed from school early on Wednesdays. Therefore, there is no reason to continue a
Wednesday adjustment to the time period when parking and standing is prohibited.
The full text of this Amendment is stated below and can also be examined and copies
obtained at the Town Clerk's office during regular hours, Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30
PM, In June, July and August until 4:00 PM at 740 W. Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, New
York
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that at the Public Hearing all persons interested will be given
an opportunity to be heard and that all persons are invited to submit written comments at or
prior thereto.
BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD
OF THE TOWN OF MAMARONECK
CHRISTINA BATTALIA, TOWN CLERK
Published: October 7, 2014
On motion of Councilwoman Elkind Eney, seconded by Councilman Murphy, the Public Hearing was
unanimously opened.
Mr. Altieri gave a brief explanation of the proposed Amendment.
Supervisor Seligson asked if anyone wished to comment on the proposed Local Law.
On motion of Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilwoman Elkind Eney, the Public Hearing was
unanimously closed.
On motion of Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilwoman Elkind Eney, the following Local law was
approved,
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October 15, 2014
Local Law No. 5 - 2014
This local law shall be known as the “Elimination of One Element of the Parking and Standing
Restrictions for Motor Vehicles in the Murray Avenue School Zone” law.
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Mamaroneck
Section 1 – Purpose:
Previously students were dismissed from school early on Wednesdays. Accordingly, the time
period prohibiting parking and standing created by Local Law No. 1-1995 was adjusted to take
that schedule into consideration. Students are no longer dismissed from school early on
Wednesdays. Therefore, there is no reason to continue a Wednesday adjustment to the time
period when parking and standing is prohibited.
Section 2 – Repeal of a Portion of a Local Law:
Section 3 (b) of Local Law No. 1-1995 of the Town of Mamaroneck hereby is repealed and the
following is substituted in its place:
“b) On the remaining area of the west side of Murray Avenue from its intersection with
Forest Avenue south to Bryson Street on school days from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. and from
2:30 p. m. until 3:30 p.m.”
Section 3 – Severability:
Should any provision of this Local Law be declared invalid or unconstitutional by any court of
competent jurisdiction, such declaration of unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect
any other provisions of this Local Law, which may be implemented without the invalid or
unconstitutional provisions.
Section 4 – Effective Date:
This Local Law shall become effective upon filing with the Secretary of State.
The above resolution was put to a roll call vote:
Murphy Aye
Elkind Eney Aye
Katz Aye
Odierna Aye
Seligson Aye
BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS
The Meeting was called to order by Commissioner Seligson, and then on motion of Commissioner Katz,
seconded by Commissioner Murphy, the Board of Fire Commissioners was unanimously declared open.
Present were the following Members of the Commission:
Commissioner: Nancy Seligson
Commissioner: Ernest C. Odierna
Commissioner: Abby Katz
Commissioner: Jaine Elkind Eney
Commissioner: Thomas A. Murphy
1.Fire Report
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October 15, 2014
Commissioner Elkind Eney read the Fire Report for the Month of September as submitted by Chief Russo as
follows:
September 2014
ALARM TYPE NUMBER
Generals 36
Minors 16
Stills 4
Out of Town (Mutual Aid) 1
EMS 41
Drills 8
TOTAL 106
Total number of personnel responding: 779
Total time working: 50 hours and 53 minutes
2.Service Awards
nd
Commissioner Elkind Eney read the Service Awards for the 2 Quarter of 2014.
On motion of Commissioner Elkind Eney, seconded by Commissioner Murphy, the Service awards report
prepared by Frank Cioffi and submitted by Chief Russo were accepted as follows:
ATTACHMENT A
The above resolution was put to a roll call vote:
Murphy Aye
Elkind Eney Aye
Katz Aye
Odierna Aye
Seligson Aye
Commissioner Elkind Eney reported that residents’ have been calling the Chief’s phone line and other non-
emergency numbers to report fires and or emergencies and she emphasized that all emergency calls should
go to 911. This will ensure that the County dispatch 60 Control will be make sure there is the appropriate
response. The Department cannot emphasize this enough!
Daylight savings is coming up and residents are reminded to change their batteries on all smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors.
Beginning January, 2015 new guidelines will require Firefighters’ to take additional training as well as
training and certification in first aid and CPR. The Fire Department Open House will take place this coming
weekend from 12:00 to 3:00. There will be safety drills, stop drop and roll drills as well, and general fun for
everyone.
Commissioner Seligson reported on the wonderful Department Inspection Dinner held last Friday evening.
The Fire Fighters and the apparatus all looked wonderful and well turned out. The inspection was followed
by a great dinner at Winged Foot Golf Club and was well attended by neighboring Departments as well as
by Congressman Eliot Engel.
There being no further business to come before the Commission, on motion of Commissioner Elkind Eney,
seconded by Commissioner Odierna, the Commission unanimously adjourned and the Town Board
reconvened.
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October 15, 2014
AFFAIRS OF THE TOWN
1.Submission – 2015 Tentative Budget
Mr. Altieri stated that the Tentative Budget has been submitted to the Town Clerk and Town Board. It
represents the work of the Town Departments’ and staff. On Monday evening the Town Board will hold its
first public Budget worksession, and at that meeting a PowerPoint will be presented. The transmittal letter
to the Town Board accompanying the 2015 Operating Budget was read in part by Mr. Altieri and is entered
into the record as follows:
To: Honorable Nancy Seligson – Town Supervisor
Honorable Members of the Town Board
Honorable Town Clerk
Re: 2015 Tentative Budget for the Town of Mamaroneck
2015 Tentative Budget Supplement
Transmitted herewith is the 2015 Tentative Town Budget for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2015. As a
reminder to the members of the Board and the community, this version of the budget reflects the
recommendations of the Town staff. For the staff the budget process actually began in June with the
distribution of worksheets and instructions for the preparation of individual departmental budgets. Now
with the submission of the Tentative Budget a series of workshops will commence to allow the Town Board
the opportunity to review the submissions and develop their own recommendations. The 2015 Tentative
Budget will, along with the schedule of workshops be posted on the Town’s new website
www.townofmamaroneck.org. All of the budget workshops are opened to the public. On December 3,
2014 a formal public hearing on the budget will be held and a final budget must be adopted by the Town
Board no later than December 20, 2014.
The environment in which the budget is prepared is an important factor for a variety of reasons. Over the
last six years we have raised concerns over the impact the poor economy has had on the Town Budget.
That coupled with severe reductions in property assessment and depleted reserves made for difficult
budgets especially as the Town sought to maintain the high level of services residents have come to expect.
The Town also faces the continuing burden of mandates imposed by the State of New York that have
financial implications to our operations.
While we have operated in a difficult environment over the last five years, there may be cause for caution
optimism going forward. Revenue performance is generally tracking much better than in prior years and
that will be evidenced in the Tentative Budget presentation. Employee benefit costs appear to be
stabilizing for the moment which has a big effect on our budget. In December of last year the Town
completed a full property revaluation. Most importantly the revaluation provided a fair and equitable
apportionment of property taxes. Property assessments are now based upon market value which provides
for a more logical basis for valuation. The experience of other communities appears to indicate that the
Town will see fewer tax appeals and the resulting refund of taxes.
Lastly the Town began three years ago to embark upon a surplus recovery program that has resulted in an
expected surplus level of 34% of appropriations for all funds at the end of 2014. This is up from a 17%
surplus ratio just two years ago. Effective surplus levels are a key element of a municipality’s bond rating
and provide financial stability for downturns in the economy and unexpected events.
The Property Tax Cap
Unfortunately another part of the budget environment that remains is the property tax cap legislation that
was established in 2011. However for the coming year the bar has been raised on the implementation of
the legislation. Under the amended legislation a property tax rebate feature has been added. If a local
government adopts a budget within the property tax cap limit residents earning less than $500,000 will be
eligible for a rebate equal to the unit dollar increase in their property taxes on their primary residence.
While this is a difficult concept to argue against, we must weigh the value of the rebate against the impact
on Town services. Questions arise as to the long term impact upon infrastructure maintenance and what
level of service reduction residents might tolerate in order for the Town to remain within the tax cap.
Addendum #1 presents the formula for the calculation of the property tax cap for 2015. Under the formula
the Town can raise the tax levy for all funds by up to $454,465 or 1.98%.
Budget Overview
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October 15, 2014
The table below provides the Board a comparative schedule of the 2014 Adopted Budget and 2015
Tentative Budget.
2014 Adopted 2015 Tentative Change % Change
Budget Budget
Appropriations $33,019,546 $34,424,910 $1,405,364 4.26%
Non-Tax Revenue
$9,809,911 $10,537,549 $727,638 7.4%
Reserve Application
$215,000 $335,000 $120,000 56%
Property Tax Levy
$22,994,635 $23,552,361 $557,726 2.4%
All of the figures presented in the chart are the sum total of all nine budgetary funds. The rate of increase
proposed for appropriations in 2015 is 4.26% which is roughly 2% higher than the increase in 2014. The
drivers of the increase will be explained later on in this supplement. What stands out in this budget from
prior years is the increase in the categories of non-tax revenues and application of reserve funds. Revenue
performance is greatly improved. Whereas we estimated a 1.6% increase in non tax revenues for 2014,
that amount has jumped to over 7% for 2015. The success of the surplus recovery program has allowed for
a higher confidence level resulting in a notable increase in the application of surplus to the budget.
The proposed tax levy increase for 2015 is $557,726 for all funds. This amount is $103,297 or .42% over the
allowable tax levy. We will explain in this supplement aside from more standard appropriations we have
included in this budget a number of small capital maintenance projects that we have deferred for several
years. Obviously part of our budget discussions will be an evaluation of these projects along with the entire
capital plan proposal. Another part of the discussion will be the impact of further reducing expenses to
reach the tax cap amount.
Property Tax Impact of 2015 Tentative Budget
As a result of the revaluation the average assessment in the Town for a residential property is $1.1million.
The chart below illustrates the property tax impact upon an average assessed property in the Villages and
in the Unincorporated Area. Obviously the property tax impact will vary for those properties with
assessments above or below the average. The property tax rates are always expressed per one thousand
dollars of assessment.
Impact Upon Unincorporated Area Properties
2014 2015 Change % change
Property Tax Rate $5.57 $5.70 $.13
1
Town Property Taxes $6,127.00 $6,270.00 $143.00 2.3%
Impact Upon Properties in the Villages of Mamaroneck and Larchmont
2014 2015 Change % Change
2
Property Tax Rate $.47 $.48 $.01
Town Property Taxes $517.00 $528.00 $11.00 2.1%
The large difference in the amount of property taxes paid between an Unincorporated Area property owner
and a Village property owner is a function of the services delivered to each population group.
Unincorporated area residents receive all Town government services including the services of the Sanitation
Commission, Highway Department, Police and Fire Departments. Residents of the Village receive a select
menu of services from the Town including Recreation Services, Ambulance Services, School and County Tax
Collection and Property Assessment Services.
At this point we should mention that effective with the 2015 Town Budget, the Town government will
provide to the Village of Mamaroneck all property assessment services; not just those associated with
School District and County tax collections. The Village of Mamaroneck during the month of September
adopted a local law to no longer serve as a property assessing unit. The change will allow the Village
Government to reduce its operating budget by eliminating this function from its menu of services. For
Village residents, there will be no diminution of assessment service just a change in the government
providing the service. The impact upon the Town government will be minimal since the Town has always
assessed Village properties for school and county tax purposes. This is a great example of sharing
administrative services, reducing costs to the taxpayer and maintaining municipal identity.
Revenue Discussion
Considering the generally gloomy predictions of the past we are pleased to report that for 2015 our
expectation for non-tax revenue performance is much brighter. For the coming year we expect non-tax
1
Assumes average property assessment of $1.1 million
2
The tax rate for village properties is the sum of the Townwide and Ambulance District tax rates.
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October 15, 2014
revenues to increase by over 7% to $10.5million. The chart below provides an illustration of the sources of
the various non-tax revenues used to fund government operations.
Revenue Sources
Int. Fund Tr
Surplus
1%
1%
Other Taxes
Dept. Income
Recreation
7%
5%
7%
Permits
Use of Money
1%
1%
Fines
1%
Misc.
0%
Int. Fund R.
1%
State Aid
Prop. Tax
4%
69%
Federal Aid
2%
Real property taxes as a source of revenue will account for 69% of all revenue to the Town. This is actually
a 1% decrease over 2014. Close to one third of the government operations is funded through fees and
charges. Improvements in non-property tax revenue sources allowed us to make a small reduction in the
amount of property taxes needed to fund the government.
In the next few pages we provide a brief description of non-tax revenues in the context of their major
categories as presented in the budget. The figures presented are the consolidated revenues for each
category for all budget funds.
Other Taxes - $2,305,000
Included here are revenues from late penalties on property tax payments, gross utilities receipts
and sales tax. This category of revenue is expected to increase by just under $300,000 for 2015 with
sales tax and late penalties making up most of the revenue. With an increase in consumer prices,
there is generally an increase in sales tax revenue.
Departmental Income - $1,706,024
These are the revenues earned by Town departments for services offered that are not funded
entirely through the property tax. The largest source of revenue in this category is from charges for
ambulance service. Ambulance services charges are expected to be $875,000 an increase of
$15,000 over 2014. Even with a proposed rate increase the change in revenue is not significant and
that is in part due to changes in billing practices of several health insurance carriers. As health
insurance carriers seek to control costs under the Federal Health Care Act many have significantly
raised the deductible payments for Ambulance calls. This action could impact our patient collection
rates going forward.
This category of revenues also includes fees from parking permits and parking meters. In total we
expect to earn approximately $420,000 in parking revenue. A new source of parking revenue in
2015 will be from the sale of permits under the recently adopted resident parking permit program
for the Washington Square Neighborhood. We have estimated the revenue at approximately
$5,000 for the year based upon expected sales of 200 permits. Until we work through a full year of
resident parking sales, it is not possible to more accurately estimate the revenue from this source.
Another proposed new source of revenue in this category is from sanitary sewer rents. Proposed in
this budget is a move from the property tax to a sewer rent as a means of funding the operation
and maintenance of the sanitary sewer system. The sewer rent fee is actually a fairer method of
charging for this service since it is based upon water usage rather than property value. For 2015 we
have budgeted $72,000 for sewer rent revenue which represents about one third of the Sewer
District Budget. The expectation is that the Westchester Joint Water Works, in the fourth quarter of
2015 will initiate billing the sewer rent on behalf of the Town. During the first three quarters of the
year a reduced property tax levy will be used to finance sewer maintenance operations.
Culture and Recreation - $2,431,500
Over the last several years the Recreation Department has funded over 97% of its operating costs
with fees and charges. This year that percentage will drop slightly to 95%. The reason for the
decrease is the additional debt service charge of $310,822 for the recent renovation of the ice rink.
Even with the inclusion of the debt service the percentage of subsidy is exceptional. The advantage
to the taxpayer of this subsidy structure is that those that use our Recreation Services most, fund
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October 15, 2014
most of the expense. Expenses at the rink will also be offset by energy savings as a result of the
replacement of the rink’s operating systems.
The Board may recall that for the 2014 Budget virtually every category of rink revenue was reduced
in anticipation of the shorter season to facilitate the renovation. Those revenue streams have all
been returned to pre-construction levels.
Inter government Charges - $207,000
These charges are for services provided by the Town to other governments. Included here are fees
paid by the County of Westchester and State of New York for snow and ice control on County and
State roads. Also included is revenue received from the Village of Mamaroneck for ambulance
services provided by the Ambulance District to the Rye Neck Section of the Village.
There are also new potential revenue sources on this front that reflect inter-municipal cooperation
for service delivery. The Town has been working with the Village of Larchmont on a shared service
initiative for vehicle maintenance. Over the last six to nine months the Town’s Central Maintenance
Garage has been repairing the Village of Larchmont’s garbage trucks. The testing phase has
worked well and we hope to finalize an arrangement with the Village by year end.
The Town is also negotiating with the City of New Rochelle to provide city residents living in the
Pryor Manor section of the City certain public works services. Services included in the plan would be
waste collection, snow and ice control, and leaf collection.
Use of Money and Property - $301,300
This category includes interest earnings on investments and the rental of Town property. Unlike
other revenue streams that have improved earnings on investments continue to lag and remain
stagnant. Expectations are that we will earn approximately $41,000 on investments in 2015.
Although the equity market has improved dramatically the Town, by State Law, is precluded from
investing in private stocks and bonds. Our investment options are limited to instruments of the
State and Federal Governments, certificates of deposits and money market accounts.
The balance of the revenue in this category is from the rental of property at the Hommocks Park
Apartments and the rental of space on the third floor of the Town Center.
Licenses and Permits - $430,500
The Town issues a variety of licenses and permits other than for parking. Building Permits account
for the largest segment of this revenue category. Our projections for Building Permit revenue in
2015 is $300,000, an increase of $70,000 over 2014. Heightened building and renovation activity
continues to remain strong and is expected to continue through most of 2015. As you review the
budget you will see that revenues in the past two years are well above budget estimates. That is
due to the permits issued for the construction of the Cambium Housing Development. For all
practical purposes this is a one-time spike in permit revenue so we have not considered this revenue
in our projections.
Other revenues in this category include Dog Licenses, Alarm Licenses, Street Opening Permits and
other building related permits.
Fines and Forfeitures - $277,000
In the current year we have realized $240,000 in revenue through August in this category. Greater
code and traffic enforcement by our Police Department and Building Department are the drivers of
this revenue. Also included in this category of revenue are charges for false burglar alarm charges.
Sale of Property/Compensation for Loss - $23,000
This relatively small category of revenue includes proceeds from the sale of equipment throughout
the year and for the sale of scrap metal. Compensation for loss is the return to the Town for a
portion of salaries for employees out on worker’s compensation leave.
Miscellaneous - $51,400
The revenues accounted for in this category are entirely the contributions, dues and fees charged to
participants of our senior center, meals on wheels program and senior transportation program.
Inter-fund Revenues - $375,000
This category of revenue is used to account for charges between funds for various services. Several
years ago we initiated a cost accounting system between our Central Garage and the various
departments for fleet maintenance and fuel. Each department is charged per repair on a work
order system and the amounts are drawn from the appropriate department and credited to the
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October 15, 2014
Central Garage. The system has allowed us to monitor in better detail fleet maintenance costs for
each department. The total amount in this revenue category does not vary much from year to year.
State Aid - $1,554,255
Of the total amount of revenue estimated for 2015 in this category, the mortgage tax is by far the
largest percentage. For next year we are estimating total revenue of $975,000, an increase of
$65,000 over 2014. Over the last several years we have seen this source of revenue slowly creep up.
It would now appear that with the increased home sale prices in the Town and the greater stability
in the housing market, this source of revenue will be more stable in the next few years.
Also included in this category are state per capita aid ($140,000) and the funding for the
Community Counseling Center ($330,000).
Federal Aid - $581,070
Federal Aid to the Town is primarily in the form of subsidies to operate the Section 8 Housing
Voucher Program ($515,000). The amount expected for 2015 is a reduction of about $20,000 from
2014. The reduction was in part due to the Federal Government sequester that reduced the total
appropriation to the Section 8 program. When the sequester went into effect the Town was not
permitted to add clients to the program. Those two factors led to a net reduction in the number of
clients. The Section 8 office is in the process of re-tooling its operation to rent up more units and
thus restore more aid but it is unclear if that aid can be earned in 2015.
Other sources of revenue include the federal component of the meals on wheels program,
congregate meal program and senior transportation program.
Inter-fund Transfers - $294,000
These are revenues realized by one budget fund as a result of a transfer from another. The amount
budgeted for 2015 is actually a reduction of about $40,000 from last year. The reason is as follows;
previously funds from the Sewer District were transferred to the Townwide fund as an offset for
engineering services. We are proposing for this year that as a result of the implementation of the
sewer rent program, that the engineering services be budgeted directly in the Sewer District. This
will provide a more accurate accounting of these expenses.
Surplus Application - $335,000
As we noted at the beginning of the supplement the 2015 Budget proposes for the first time in
several years a notable increase in the application of surplus. In 2014 the application of surplus
totaled $215,000.
The Town’s surplus management policy seeks to establish surplus levels that are equal to 15% to
25% of appropriated expenses. The surplus levels for each of the budget funds varies however for
all funds we anticipate that at the end of this year the surplus will be $12.8million which is 34% of
total appropriations. If this comes to pass, as we expect, the Town will have realized an infusion of
an additional $979,880 into our reserve balance between January 1 and December 31 of 2014. To
accomplish this task we have worked to bring expenses in under budget where possible,
conservatively estimate revenues and rolled back the application of surplus to previous budgets.
Expenditure Discussion
The 2015 Tentative Budget proposes total appropriations of $34,424,910, an increase of 4.26% or
$1,405,364. The increase for 2015 is approximately 2% higher than in the 2014 Adopted Budget. The
budget proposed here continues all current Town services. Our position at this time is that the overall tax
levy and tax rate increases were quite reasonable considering our current operating circumstances so
service cuts did not appear necessary. The chart on the next page illustrates the expenditures for 2015 by
budget fund.
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October 15, 2014
Town Budget by Fund
Sanitation,
St. Lighting, Sewer Dist, 206,513
2,059,072
287,261
Water Dist, 295,024
Townwide
Fire Dist., 3,271,658
Townwide,
Ambulance
10,004,719
Part Town
Highway
Highway,
Fire Dist.
5,225,352
St. Lighting
Ambulance,
Sanitation
1,474,357
Sewer Dist
Part Town,
11,600,954
Water Dist
Before discussing various components of our expenditures, mention should be made of the Energy
Performance Contract Awarded by the Town earlier this year. The format of the Energy Performance
Contract provides an efficient means of conducting construction and equipment replacement with the
added benefit of guaranteed energy and operational savings for our building systems. The contract with
Honeywell Systems provides for a guarantee of energy and operational savings over the 20 year term of the
agreement. The total value of the contract is $7.35 million and incorporated the following improvements:
Hommocks Ice Rink Renovation $3,950,000
Town Center Lighting/HVAC and Energy Improvements 1,300,000
Fire Headquarters Lighting and Energy Improvements 260,000
Replacement of Street Lights 1,840,000
Total $7,350,000
The contract was financed with the sale of serial bonds at an average rate of interest of 2.8% over an 18
year term. Therefore one of the larger expense adjustments in 2015 is for debt service payments on this
contract and a separate serial bond for other Town purposes. Under the plan the Town is expected to
accrue energy and operational savings approximately equal to the cost of the installation of those energy
improvements that were included in the contract. It is important to note that included in the construction
contract were components and features that did not produce direct energy savings. However it was far
more efficient to incorporate these features into the energy performance contract rather than have a host
of different contractors attempting to work on essentially the same project.
In the first full year of the contract, the Town expects to save $290,000 in energy costs and operations. At
this time however Honeywell Systems is still completing the work required under the contract. As a result
since we will not have a full year of operations with the new equipment, the total reductions in costs are
not reflected in the 2015 Budget. We will explain later on in the supplement those savings that have been
incorporated in the operating budget.
To begin the general discussion of expenditures we have prepared the chart presented at the top of the
next page. The chart presents a comparative schedule between 2014 and 2015 of the six major categories
of expenditures included in the Town Budget.
Expense Type 2014 2015 Change % change
Salaries $13,282,696 $13,523,811 $241,115 1.8%
Equipment $207,500 $229,920 $22,420 10.8%
Contractual
$8,903,745 $9,259,943 $356,198 4%
Expenses
Employee Benefits $8,388,275 $8,615,050 $226,775 2.7%
Debt Service $1,861,330 $2,436,186 $574,856 30.76%
Inter-fund Transfers $376,000 $360,000 ($16,000) (4.26%)
Salaries - $13,523,811
The budget for 2015 includes no change in the number of full time positions for the Town
government. Currently our full time headcount is 129 employees. The figure shown above includes
all salary related expenses including stipends, holiday pay, longevity and part time salaries. Going
into 2015 the full time employee salary adjustment is just .3%.
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October 15, 2014
Proposed in this budget are three additional part time personnel to work in the Police Department
and Building Department. In the Police Department we are proposing two part time parking
enforcement officers at a total cost of $31,000. These positions have been included in the budget to
provide more consistent parking enforcement on certain streets and in our various parking lots.
The addition of the parking enforcement officers will permit the post police officer currently
assigned to this task to attend to more emergency calls for police assistance.
In the Building Department we are proposing the addition of one part time code enforcement
officer to assist in the enforcement of building and quality of life codes throughout the Town. An
appropriation of $30,000 has been included for this purpose.
The Town’s collective bargaining agreements with its Career Firefighters and Civil Service
Employees run through 2015. Our agreement with the Police Officers bargaining unit expires at the
end of 2014. Negotiations of a renewal agreement should begin in the next several months.
Equipment - $229,920
In the past we have explained that this category of expense includes the purchase of a variety of
small pieces of equipment and goods used by our operating departments. The increase in costs for
next year is attributable to uniform purchases in the Fire and Highway Departments. There is a
need in both departments to update uniform items to reflect OSHA and safety regulations. The
total expenditure for uniforms will rise from $36,500 to $46,670.
Other increases reflect replacements of portable radios, pagers and fixtures.
Contractual Expenses - $9,259,943
The contractual expenses represents 27% of the total budget and includes all of our day to day
operating expenses for services, materials and supplies needed to operate the government. For
purposes of this discussion, we will point to what we feel are the larger expenses worth noting.
Included in this category are all utility expenses for electricity, natural gas and heating fuel. In 2014
the Town budgeted $538,700 for utilities expenses. For 2015 we are proposing a total expenditure
of $491,500, a reduction of $47,200 or 9%. As mentioned earlier Honeywell Systems has not
completed all of the improvements required under the Energy Services Performance Contract so at
this point we have utilized conservative estimates for utility reductions until such time as we
establish the beginning date of the first year of the of the energy contract.
Gasoline and diesel fuel are also large components of this category of expense. For 2015 we have
decided to leave the fuel expense frozen at the 2014 level of $267,500. Approximately $90,000 of
this expense is reimbursed to the Town by the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Joint Garbage Disposal
Commission.
Liability Insurance has been budgeted at $378,000 for 2015 representing a 10% increase over 2014.
At the time of this writing we are awaiting alternate insurance proposals from several brokers so
final costs will not be known for another couple of weeks. We know that the municipal insurance
market has become tougher and the number of carriers willing to insure local governments has
decreased over the years. The Town however has a relatively good claims loss ratio which will
hopefully be reflected in the proposals to be received.
A new item in the contractual services budget is in connection with the Sustainability Plan that the
Board is currently reviewing. The Sustainability Collaborative has requested funding for the
implementation of components of the plan. Subject to final approval by the Town Board a $25,000
appropriation is currently included the Environmental Control Budget in the Part Town Fund. The
plan is to have the Collaborative come before the Town Board to present the details of the
implementation plan.
We have mentioned that the Town and Village of Larchmont are working on a proposal to have the
Town assume maintenance of Village garbage trucks. In anticipation of this happening we have
increased our auto parts and supplies budget account by $43,000 to $185,000 to account for
additional parts expenses that would be reimbursed by the Village. The schedule calls for
completing this arrangement before Town Board adopts the 2015 budget. If for some reason we do
not move forward with the arrangement this budget account can be adjusted down.
Other notable expenses in this category include:
Judgments and Claims - $150,000
Legal and Engineering Fees - $150,000
Hommocks Pool Maintenance - $290,000
Town Share of Joint Commission - $1,786,055
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October 15, 2014
Town Share of Larchmont Library $1,213,800
Another expense not yet included in this category has to do with the maintenance of Town
Assessment roll. Under the plan adopted by the Town Board a revaluation would occur every
fourth year which for our purposes is 2017. In the intervening years however the Town must make
certain that our equalization rate does not fall below 95% of full value. This means that annual
evaluation of our roll and possible changes in assessments must be considered. For the work to be
completed in 2015 there remains sufficient funding in the original capital project for this purpose.
We will need to discuss further however how this expense will be handled in future years.
Employee Benefits - $8,616,050
In 2015 employee benefit expenses are expected to increase by $226,000 or 2.7%. This is somewhat
good news for the Town. Pension expenses which have been a major drag on the Town budget over
the last several years will only increase by about 4.8%, the lowest increase in a number of years.
Our total retirement contribution will be $2.8 million.
Health Insurance Costs will increase by less than 1% in 2015 to $3.6 million. The moderation in
costs is attributable to changes in collective bargaining agreements and the decision by the Empire
Plan to convert to a self-insured program.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance continues to be somewhat problematic. Our loss experience
continues to carry the effects of the employee death back in 2011. This will be the last year that
loss is used for the calculation of our experience modification so barring any dramatic increase in
other claims we hope to see more stability in the rate going forward. The other factor in the
calculation of the insurance premium is the increased indemnity cost caused by the doubling of the
weekly indemnity rate. For 2015 our Worker’s Compensation expense will increase by about
$57,000 to $621,000.
Debt Service - $2,436,186
The Town’s debt expense will increase by $574,000 in 2015 as a result of the issuance of $8,860,000
in serial bonds and $260,000 in Bond Anticipation notes.
The serial bond issue was for the following:
$7.350,000 – Energy Performance Contract
$1,510,000 – Various Equipment, Building Repairs, and Infrastructure
$260,000 – BAN for Firehouse Energy Improvements/Generator
Capital Projects - $310,000
The Town Board will receive a complete report on all proposed capital projects for 2015. However
included in the 2015 Tentative Budget is a total appropriation of $310,000 for a series of smaller
projects. Below is a list of those projects
1.Sheldrake Center Handicapped Entrance $ 6,000
2.Rehabilitation of Mushroom Pool at Hommocks 9,700
3.Rehabilitation of Outdoor Pool Filter System 6,000
4.Replacement of Controllers – Outdoor Pool 4,000
5.Replacement of FIBAR Material Sheldrake Playground 5,300
6.Replacement of Pole Tent – Hommocks Camp 10,000
7.Installation of LED Fixtures – Exterior of Ice Rink 11,100
8.Replacement of Reservoir Valve Motor and Controls 15,000
9.Replacement of Two Police Vehicles 70,000
10. Road Resurfacing 85,000
11. Valley Stream Road Guardrail 10,000
12.Security Fencing – Town Yard 15,000
13.Replacement of Garage Doors – Town Yard 10,000
14.Replacement of Fire Chief Vehicle 40,000
15.Replacement of Turnout Gear – Ambulance District 5,000
16.Replacement of Toughbook Computer – Ambulance Dist. 5,000
17.Computer Replacements – Assessor 2,900
Total $310,000
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October 15, 2014
Conclusion
Over the next six weeks the Town Board will review the 2015 Tentative Budget in great detail. Our
purpose here was to present an overview of the budget and to explain what we believe are the
important aspects of the document.
In June the direction given to the Town Department heads was to develop two budgets; one, which
would fall within the tax cap and a second budget that insured the continuation of current services.
We are very pleased to tell you that in most cases the departments accomplished both tasks in one
budget submission. Our deepest thanks go to the department heads for the yeoman effort
exhibited in preparing their 2015 budgets in this challenging environment.
With improved conditions the staff was not only able to submit a resourceful budget but one that
will continue to improve our financial stability. We look forward to working with the Town Board in
reviewing this budget.
Sincerely,
Stephen V. Altieri Anthony S. Siligato
Town Administrator/Budget Officer Comptroller/Director of Finance
Supervisor Seligson stated that the tax cap allows the Town to increase the budget by 1.98%, adding that
that is very, very low. There is not a lot of room in that increase for growth, improvements, repairs and
maintenance. The Town would like to hear from residents on how they feel about the tax cap as well as
about the budget.
Supervisor Seligson and the Town Board thanked Mr. Altieri, Mr. Siligato and the Town staff for all their
hard work.
2.Authorization – Consulting Agreement – ARAS Performance Group
Mr. Altieri explained that the Town will embark on an in depth review of the functions of the Building and
Highway Departments that are located together in the Town Center. Recently the Building Department has
had a change in personnel as well as the implementation of Municity, a land use software package as well
as integration with Laserfiche, the Town’s electronic content management system (ECMS).
On motion of Councilwoman Elkind Eney, seconded by Councilwoman Katz, it was
RESOLVED, that the Mamaroneck Town Board does hereby approve the consulting
agreement with ARAS Performance Group, LLC at a cost of $3,200.00, plus
travel expenses.
The above resolution was put to a roll call vote:
Murphy Aye
Elkind Eney Aye
Katz Aye
Odierna Aye
Seligson Aye
3.Set Public Hearing – Override Tax Levy Limit
Supervisor Seligson explained that there is state legislation that allows municipalities to override the tax
levy limit should municipalities feel that is required in order to have a budget that provides for good
governance.
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October 15, 2014
With the required timing for setting and holding a public hearing, and for the requirement that should the
Town not override the tax levy limit a law overriding it may not be on the books, it is prudent to set and
hold a public hearing.
On motion of Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilwoman Elkind Eney, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that the Mamaroneck Town Board does hereby set the date for a Public Hearing
on the “Override the tax levy limit established in General Municipal Law 3-c” Law, for
November 5, 2014 at 8:00PM in the Court Room of the Town Center, and
BE IT FURTHER,
RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk is hereby authorized to publish the notice of said hearing in a
newspaper appointed as an official newspaper, and that said Notice, be posted.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 1, 2015
On motion of Councilwoman Elkind Eney, seconded by Councilwoman Katz, it was
unanimously
RESOLVED, that the Mamaroneck Town Board does hereby approve
the Board Minutes from the meeting of October 1, 2014.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
None
REPORT OF COUNCIL
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Councilman Murphy reported that on October 20 at the Rye Reading Room, a meeting will take place to
discuss the future of Rye Playland. Councilman Murphy emphasized that this is an important resource for
our community and residents should be a part of that discussion. Councilman Murphy wished Nancy
Seligson and her husband John a happy anniversary.
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Councilman Odierna spent the week of October 5 to the 9 on Lake George, adding it is interesting to hear
the discussion of keeping that Lake clean as being similar to the discussions we have keeping Long Island
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Sound clean. On October 10 the Town hosted and Supervisor Seligson Chaired, the Long Island Sound
Study group at which he attended, adding they continue their discussions of work that has been done as
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well as future projects. On October 14 he attended, on behalf of Supervisor Seligson, the Westchester
Joint Water Works meetings at which they discussed and passed their 2015 Budget.
Councilwoman Katz also visited the Lake George area and noted the similarities in watershed issues.
Councilwoman Katz attended the Library meeting noting the diverse activities going on there. The Library
is kicking off their Transformation Project campaign and will have a public display of the project at the
Library very soon.
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Councilwoman Elkind Eney attended the Recreation Commission Meeting on October 7, at which they
took a tour of the Ice Rink. Councilwoman Elkind Eney thanked the Recreation staff for going above and
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beyond to get the Rink ready. On October 19 there will be a ribbon cutting with free ice skating and
refreshments. Councilwoman Elkind Eney and Supervisor Seligson attended the Washingtonville Housing
Alliance Dinner honoring Keith Yizar and Bob Reynolds – two very deserving men in our Community.
Councilwoman Elkind Eney attended the Planning Board Meeting, noting it is interesting to see the
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progress of an application through the various land use boards. On October 9 she and other Board
Members attended the Westchester Municipal Officials Dinner, two commentators from News 12
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October 15, 2014
answered questions presented by local officials, adding it is always interesting to hear from both sides of
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the aisle. On October 12 LMC-TV presented a screenplay written by Dena Schumacher and directed by
Matt Sullivan, titled Sobrevivo. It is a wonderful film and we are lucky to have such talented individuals on
staff at LMC-TV. Councilwoman Elkind Eney announced a number of upcoming community events.
ADJOURNMENT
On motion of Councilwoman Katz, seconded by Councilwoman Elkind Eney the meeting was unanimously
adjourned at 8:50 PM
________________________________
Submitted by
Christina Battalia, Town Clerk
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