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MAY 10, 2007

ATTENDANCE: Carvin Hilliard, Chair; Gwen Briggs; Douglas Hempstead; Matthew Miklave; Douglas Sutton
STAFF: Thomas Hamilton, Finance Director; Fred Gilden, Controller; Lisa Biagiarelli, Tax Collector; Gerald Foley, Purchasing Agent; Karen Del Vecchio, Director of Information Technology

Mr. Hilliard called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m.

1. Claims Committee: Receive the monthly Claims report; review and approve claims as required for Claims Report dated: May 10, 2007
** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO APPROVE THE CLAIMS FROM THE CLAIMS REPORT DATED MAY 10, 2007.
Mr. Miklave recused himself from the vote.
** MOTION PASSED WITH FOUR IN FAVOR (HILLIARD, BRIGGS, HEMPSTEAD, SUTTON).
2. Narrative on Tax Collections dated May 10, 2007- Receive Report and discuss.
3. Monthly Tax Collector’s Report Dated April 30, 2007 - Receive Report and discuss.
Ms. Biagiarelli reported that at the end of April 2007, they have collected 98.07% of the current adjusted levy, nearly $213 million. She said they also collected 97.23% of the adjusted sewer use levy, nearly $9.5 million. She said both of these percentages remain slightly lower compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year, however she expects to meet, and likely exceed, the budgeted collection goals for both current tax and sewer use collections by June 30, 2007. Ms. Biagiarelli also reported that they collected in excess of $3.2 million in past due taxes and interest during the first ten months of the fiscal year, in addition to the current tax and sewer use collections. She said that figure for past due collections is only $23,000 less than the amount collected during the same time period last year. She said the collection figures for April indicate they are on track to exceed their budgeted collection goals for the past due collections for the end of the fiscal year.

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May 10, 2007
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Ms. Biagiarelli reported that they issued demands for payment of past due taxes in March and filed tax liens for unpaid real estate taxes and sewer use charges in mid April. For the remainder of the fiscal year, she will be focusing on delinquent collection enforcement, including property seizures, wage garnishments, bank executions, and denial and revocation of various permits and licenses for unpaid taxes.
Ms. Biagiarelli stated that the tax sale originally planned for July 2007 will likely occur in September or October instead and will be a bigger sale. She said demands were sent out with the January 2007 payment and the second demands will go out in June.
Ms. Biagiarelli reported that they are now fully staffed and she was very happy to be back to where they should have been.
** MR. SUTTON MOVED TO ACCEPT ITEMS 2 AND 3.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

4. Authorize the Mayor to sign any and all documents necessary to assign the existing contract by and between the City and Larder Worldwide, Inc. for mailroom services to Ricoh Americas Corporation, of which Lanier Worldwide, Inc. has become a part.
Acct 011362-5259.
** MS. BRIGGS MOVED APPROVAL.
Gerald Foley reported that the City recently received notification from Lanier Business Services that their parent company, Ricoh, would be establishing a new corporate identity. He said effective April 1, 2007, Lanier Worldwide, Inc. as well as its Lanier Business Services division, would be incorporated into the newly established company, Ricoh Americas Corporation. He reported that as a result of this change, neither Lanier Worldwide, Inc. nor Lanier Business Services, would no longer be corporate identities. He said he was therefore asking for authorization to amend the existing agreement with Lanier Worldwide, Inc. for Mailroom Services and to process this change in the company name on the existing agreement and assign it to Ricoh Americas Corporation.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

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May 10, 2007
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5. Authorize the Purchasing Agent to issue annual Blanket Purchase Orders for
the purchase of miscellaneous office supplies with Universal Business Equipment Corporation for an annual amount not to exceed $150,000.00, commencing July 1, 2007, for three fiscal years, with options to extend the orders for two (2) additional two (2) year periods.

** MR. SUTTON MOVED APPROVAL.
Gerald Foley stated that, in the past, the City did not go out to bid for office supplies. He said that recently they solicited proposals and received six proposals back from firms that were interested in providing office supplies to the City. The proposals were reviewed by the City’s Purchasing Department staff and after a thorough review, it was determined that Universal Business Equipment Corporation provided the lowest overall costs and the best overall value to the City. Mr. Foley reported that they will save 20% to 30% by purchasing generic toner cartridges. Mr. Miklave asked if this was already budgeted money and Mr. Foley replied that it was. Mr. Hamilton asked if the prices were fixed and Mr. Foley replied that copy paper had a fixed price for six months and toner cartridge prices and general office supplies were fixed for one year. Mr. Foley reported that Universal Business Equipment was discounting the prices at an average of 70% off the catalog.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
6. a. Authorize the Mayor, Richard A. Moccia, to execute an agreement with Total Communications, Inc., for the supply, design, installation and support of a Cisco telephone system for City Hall, Health Department, Public Works Campus, 5 Fire Stations and Fire Maintenance Facility, per City RFP project 2426, for a total amount not to exceed $635,916.87 Accounts (09060100-5777-C0376; 09003 110- 5777-C0169: 090605010-5777-COl 12; 09060600-5777-C0375; 01 1362-5245); State of Connecticut Grant No. To be determined (Health Department).
b. Authorize the City’s Director of Information Technology to issue change orders on the agreement in an amount not to exceed $63,591.68.
** MS. BRIGGS MOVED APPROVAL.
Karen DelVecchio stated that she would review the process to date in upgrading the telephone system for City Hall, the Health Department, Fire Stations and Public Works Center. She began by saying that the telephone and voice mail system supporting City Hal, the Health Department and the Public Works Center was 20 years old and the telephone system was no longer supported by the manufacturer making it difficult to obtain parts and service. She also reported that the company who manufactured the voice mail system was no longer in business.
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May 10, 2007
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She reported that the current telephone system lacked many of the modern features such as conference calling, automated call routing, and multi-language support. She said that these features would allow City staff to work more efficiently and deliver improved service to the public.
Ms. DelVecchio explained that replacing the telephone and voice mail system was anticipated and budgeted over several budget years however, the original budget assumed a more limited scope of work by replacing the telephone switch at City Hall/Health Department/DPW Center. But she said after undertaking a significant planning effort, the project now includes upgrading the aging and rudimentary telephone systems at all of the City Fire Stations, including the Fire Maintenance Facility, adding an additional $46,000 to the cost of the project.
She continued that as they began the planning for implementing a new phone system, it became apparent that the aging infrastructure would have to be addressed before the telephone system could be installed. Therefore, they had to update the wiring infrastructure at City Hall, Health Department and Public Works which has been completed, upgrade the local area network switch equipment to support the converged voice and data networks, and update the wiring infrastructure at the Fire Stations which was completed
Ms. DelVecchio reported that in 2004 the City released a RFP for a telephone system platform to serve the City Hall campus, the new Police Station, Brien McMahon High School, the DPW facility, and the South Norwalk Library and optionally, all Fire Department locations. A subcommittee of the Mayor’s ITT Committee selected the Cisco Voice over IP Telephone platform. AT&T Solutions was the vendor awarded the contract as the implementation partner to design and install the Cisco telephone system and voice mail for Brien McMahon High School and the new Police Station. The City was not satisfied with AT&T’s performance on these two installations and AT&T’s merger with SBC during the course of the City’s telephone installation project contributed to the miscommunication and project delays and it took AT&T almost a year to resolve the issues resulting from this initial installation.

Ms. DelVecchio stated that as a result of the City’s dissatisfaction with AT&T, in November 2006, the City re-released the RFP for the Cisco Telephone System implementation partner for City Hall (including the Board of Ed Central Office, the Health Department, 5 Fire Station including the maintenance facility, the Public Works Campus, and the Public Works Center. She said a total of six proposals were received and the RFP Evaluation Committee short-listed the responses to 4 vendors. After interviews and as a result of the review process, in April 2007, the Committee recommended that the City award the project to Total Communications Inc., of East Hartford, CT at a cost of $635,916.87. She said that Total Communications has been in business for over 25 years and is a Premier Certified Cisco Partner. They have implemented over 50 converged projects similar to the City’s project for more than 7,000 users.

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** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
7. Receive Board of Estimate and Taxation Special Appropriations from May 7, 2007 meeting.
** MR. SUTTON MOVED TO RECEIVE THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS.
Mr. Hamilton reviewed the two special appropriations. He reported that appropriation of $189,498 from Contingency to various departments was to cover the increases in various department regular, overtime and premium wage accounts due to the NMEA contract settlement. Of the total appropriation required, $147,406 was for retro pay from July 1, 2006 through April 20, 2007 and the remaining $42,092 was to cover regular wages only from April 27, 2007 to the end of the fiscal year.
Mr. Hamilton explained that the special appropriation for $177,330 from Contingency was to cover the increases in various departments regular, overtime and premium wage accounts due to the 2405 contract settlement. Of the total appropriation required, $124,724 was for retro payments from July 1, 2006 through April 20, 2007 and $35,344 was to cover regular wages from April 27, 2007 to the end of the fiscal year and $19,005 was to cover overtime from July 1, 2006 through April 20, 2007 and $882 was to cover premium pay for the same period.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
8. Resolution, to increase the Capital Budget authorization by $1,921,101 in anticipation of receiving monies from the State School Construction Fund for the Ponus Ridge School Alteration Project (Project Account No. 09075010-5799- B0317).
9. Resolution, to increase the Capital Budget authorization by $1,933,967 in anticipation of receiving monies from the State School Construction Fund for the Nathan Hale Middle School Project (Project Account No. 090750 10-5799- B0316).

** MR. SUTTON MOVED APPROVAL OF ITEMS # 8 AND 9.
** MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

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10. Resolution, authorizing the close-out of the balance of an existing capital project relating to façade improvements to the Concession Building at Calf Pasture Beach. (Project Account No. 09006030-5777-C0069; 090 l6030-5777-C0069 and 0902603 0-5777-C0069.

** MS. BRIGGS MOVED APPROVAL.

Mr. Hempstead stated he would recuse himself from the vote.
** MOTION APPROVED WITH FOUR IN FAVOR (HILLARD, BRIGGS, MIKLAVE SUTTON).
11. Resolution, appropriating $279,932 to fund the rehabilitation of the restroom facilities at Calf Pasture Beach (Project Account No. 09076030-5777-C0292).

12. Resolution, authorizing the close-out of a capital project in the amount of $26,000 for bathroom refurbishment at the Norwalk Library (Project Account No. 09- 07621 0-5777-C0402).

13. Resolution, appropriating $26,000 for a Special Capital Appropriation for the Renovation of Norwalk Library Main Entrance (Project Account No. 09076210- 5777-C0400).

** MR. MIKLAVE MOVED APPROVAL OF ITEMS 11, 12 AND 13.
** MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

14. Resolution with respect to the close-out of Bond Projects and reducing the authorized and unissued amounts for such projects. The authorized and unissued amounts for the Projects are hereby reduced in accordance with Schedule A. The aggregate amount of such reductions totals $10,525,109.

** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED APPROVAL.
Mr. Hamilton explained this resolution was for projects that were complete and the City desires to close out the Projects. He said the projects were funded in part by grants from the State that were received and now the City desires to eliminate the remaining authorized and unissued bonds amounts for the Projects that are no longer required for issuance.
** MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
15. Resolution Making Appropriations for Various Public Improvements Aggregating $12,223,000 For The 2007-2008 Capital Budget And Authorizing The Issuance Of $8,331,000 General Obligation Bonds Of The City To Meet Certain Appropriations In The 2007-2008 Capital Budget.

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** MS. BRIGGS MOVED APPROVAL.
Mr. Hamilton noted that the issuance of bond s amount should be $8,831,000. He said this resolution would make appropriations for various public improvements aggregating $12,223,000 for the 2007-2008 capital budget and allow them to go ahead and borrow $8,831,000 to finance the capital budget.
** MR. MIKLAVE MOVED TO AMEND THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM #15 TO REFLECT AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $8,831,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
16. Resolution with respect to the Authorization, Issuance and Sale of not exceeding $27,000,000 City of Norwalk General Obligation Bonds, Series 2007.

** MR. SUTTON MOVED APPROVAL.

Mr. Hamilton reported that this resolution would authorize the upcoming bond sale that relates to the financing of various capital projects and portions of projects previously authorized, including Norwalk High School.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
17. Discuss OPEB Trust Document and forward to Ordinance Committee.

** MR. MIKLAVE MOVED TO FORWARD THE OPEB TRUST DOCUMENT TO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
18. Approve the Minutes of the following Finance Committee Meetings:
January 11, 2007
February 22, 2007
March 8, 2007
April 12, 2007
** MR. MIKLAVE MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS OF JANUARY 11, 2007, FEBRUARY 22, 2007, MARCH 8, 2007 AND APRIL 12, 2007.
** MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

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** MR. HEMPSTEAD MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Donna DeVito
Telesco Secretarial Services