MINUTES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING

OF THE CUMBERLAND TOWN COUNCIL

45 BROAD STREET, CUMBERLAND

FEBRUARY 25, 2008

 

7:35 P.M.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Council President Higgins, Councilors Mutter, Albuquerque, Ackerman, Kirkpatrick

 

Also present, Mayor McKee; Thomas Hefner, Town Solicitor; Tom Bruce, Finance Director; and Sandra Giovanelli, Town Clerk

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

Councilor Lemois and Councilor Morris

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

A. RESOLATIONS:

 

1.  R-08-18 –  A Resolution Authorizing Mayor Daniel J. McKee and the President of the Town Council to Execute a Collective Bargaining Agreement with Cumberland Town Employees’ Union (CTEU)

 

The Mayor states that living within our fiscal tax cap calls for increases in the pay scale 3 percent retroactive to July 1, 2007, 4 percent July 1, 2008, and 21/2 percent July 1, 2009 over the years with increase of 20 percent per employee a 9 month, 18 months, 27 months. It also calls for a health insurance co-pay that consistent with police and rescue contract, which was an important because without the provisional in the municipal contract both the police contract and rescue contract reverted back to language that cost of several of thousands of dollars.  It also puts in place a new provision for new employees on the health benefit plan and it talk about a 10 percent contribution without a cap. This will apply to new employees going forward. This will increase the co-pay for emergency room, and influence employees to use their own medical doctors, which will cut down costs.

 

Council President Higgins apologized for the confusion at the last meeting and the non-passage of the union contract. Also, he thanked Council Mutter and Lemois for scheduling the meeting on for tonight.

 

The Mayor McKee thanked council for scheduling this meet so quick.

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR MUTTER SECOND BY COUNCILOR ALUQUERQUE AND IT IS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 5/0

 

2.  R-08-19 – A Resolution in Support of the Coalition of Communities Improving Rhode Island

 

The Mayor thanks councilors for tabling this important legislation from Wednesday’s meeting, so he could be present.

 

Regionalizing dispatch meeting with communities that are feeling the budget restraints and economic issues in every community is dealing with. This seems to be an honest effort with these community to representing their constitutes in a way that is forward looking.  This resolution reflects some of the points that we collectively agreed on and to bring each one of our Town Council probably 11 or 12 communities about 360 thousand people that are currently involved and new communities getting involved and some of our efforts to contain costs and improve performance of our education. And along with looking at some enabling legislation to give relief to unfunded mandates. We are also looking at ways to regionalize municipality in order to save money. 

 

This Resolution spells out some of the thing they want General Assembly to act on to make it possible to get tools to be fiscally prudent with the Budgets. In the face of the Governor’s amended budget, the School Committee, a few Representatives and Senators meet to have a frank discussion, the governor suggested that the eight months into a fiscal year that our general revenue should be reduced, is very unfair. The Mayor expresses that this is the most important issue this fiscal year and this is unfair, so our first piece legislation on the resolution is to state what the governor is doing is unfair. This action from the governor is not interpret as being good for property tax, it will only put us in the number one spot, irrelevant to education cost in term of property tax burden for paying for education in Rhode Island. Mayor McKee states that the governor has suggested removing funds from the general revenue funds from the local communities, which that line represents less than 1 percent of the state budget; however, Governor’s proposal, the communities and town to absorb 13 percent cost which should have been addressed at the beginning of the year. The Mayor asks counsel to approve this resolution and support the efforts.

 

Councilor President Higgins comments that because they town runs responsible fiscal year it does not qualify for the State benefits, it’s being punished and it’s not just unfair it’s inexcusable.  Councilor Mutter commends the Mayor and agrees that this is unfair.

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR ALBUQUERQUE SECOND BY COUNCILOR ACKERMAN AND IT IS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 5/0

 

B.  ORDINANCES FOR PRESENTATION AND PERMISSION TO ADVERTISE: 

 

1.  #08-06 – An Ordinance in Amendment of the Ordinance Setting Certain Tax Exemptions on Real and Personal Property (Presented by Council President Higgins on behalf of the Administration)

 

Mayor McKee asks to adjust some of exemption to reflect the assessment values and looking to move the date for the senior to apply for the exemption. As for the Homestead Act, is in front of the General Assembly and are expect to get some enabling legislation.

 

Referred to the finance sub-committee

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR ALBUQUERQUE SECOND BY COUNCILOR MUTTER AND IT IS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN AT 8:04 P.M. VOTE 5/0

 

 

 ___________________

Sandra Giovanelli, Town Clerk

 

 

A VIDEOTAPE AND MINUTES OF THE ENTIRE MEETING IS AVAILABALE AT THE EDWARD J. HAYDEN LIBRARY