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MAY 13, 2004

ATTENDANCE: Bruce Kimmel, Chairman; Ken Baker; Doug Sutton; Carvin Hilliard.

STAFF: Frederic Gilden, Comptroller

OTHERS: Ann Twomey, Director of Management and Budgets; Bill Ireland Director of Code Enforcement.

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 8:00pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF APRIL 8, 2004.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

CLAIMS COMMITTEE: RECEIVE THE MONTHLY CLAIMS REPORT; REVIEW AND APPROVE CLAIMS AS REQUIRED FOR CLAIMS REPORT DATED: MAY 13, 2004.

Mr. Kimmel said that there were no claims over $5,000 so nothing needs to be done.

NARRATIVE ON TAX COLLECTIONS DATED APRIL 30, 2004- RECEIVE REPORT AND DISCUSS
MONTHLY TAX COLLECTOR’S REPORT DATED APRIL 30, 2004- RECEIVE REPORT AND DISCUSS

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO TABLE THESE TWO ITEMS DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF THE REPORTS.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

APPROVAL OF NEW FEE SCHEDULE FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE NEW FEE SCHEDULE FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT.

Mr. Baker asked when the last fee increase was. Mr. Kimmel responded that the last fee increase was in1998. Mr. Kimmel then asked how the City’s increases compares to other towns. Mr. Iriland stated Norwalk’s increases are right in the middle. Norwalk’s sister city’s increase are much higher than ours. Mr. Kimmel asked who is city’s sister city and why does Norwalk have one. Mr. Iriland said that New Britain is the sister city because Norwalk is compared to it all the time.

Mr. Baker noticed that the Work Started Before Issuance of Permit Fee went up a lot. Mr. Iriland said that it actually went down $500. Mr. Kimmel noticed that there are minimum fees for each item but there is no cap on any of them. He also asked when did the cost v. value change. Mr. Iriland said a year ago in December.

** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

APPROVE PARKING AUTHORITY BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004-2005

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE PARKING AUTHORITY BUDGET.

Ms. Twomey said there was a fee increase due to the decrease in parking prices for the Maritime garage. The reason they decreased the prices was to make the parking assessable to more people.

Mr. Kimmel said that the city was running a huge deficit and now for the last two years we have had a surplus, which is very good.

** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

RECEIVE BOARD OF ESTIMATE AND TAXATION SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS FROM MAY 3, 2004 MEETING

Mr. Kimmel asked if this committee can recommend to the Common Council to vote in favor of this item. He asked if it takes 2/3s to fail the item. Ms. Twomey said yes that is right.

Mr. Kimmel said this is straight forward and that the committee recommends it to go to the Council.

APPROVE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $5,632,232 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO MEET THE APPROPRIATIONS IN THE 2004-05 CAPITAL BUDGET AND THE MAKING OF TEMPORARY BORROWINGS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE PROCEEDS THEREOF

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $5, 632, 232 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO MEET THE APPROPRIATIONS IN THE 2004-05 CAPITAL BUDGET AND THE MAKING OF TEMPORARY BORROWINGS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE PROCEEDS THEREOF.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

RESOLUTION WITH RESPECT TO THE AUTHORIZATION ISSUANCE AND SALE OF NOT EXCEEDING $39,000,000 CITY OF NORWALK GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, SERIES 2004

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF NOT EXCEEDING $39,000,000 CITY OF NORWALK GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, SERIES 2004.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, ALEX KNOPP, TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT FOR GRANT FUNDS PROVIDED UNDER THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT’S LOCAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR 2003-2004

Mr. Kimmel said that he thought the amount had been cut instead of staying at the original $633,940. He stated that the money is a gift from the state that the city gets every year and the money will probably be used to fix the roads.

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION BY THE MAYOR TO THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT FOR GRANT FUNDS PROVIDED UNDER THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT’S LOCAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR 2003-2004.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

OTHER BUSINESS

REAL ESTATE CONVEYANCE TAX

Mr. Kimmel said that last year that tax was .11 and now it has risen to .50. Ms. Twomey added that it will give the city about 1.2 million dollars in extra revenue. Mr. Kimmel said that is surprisingly the amount of new textbooks.

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY TO IMPOSE AN ADDITIONAL CONVEYANCE TAX AT THE RATE OF ONE-FOURTH OF ONE PERCENT OF THE CONSIDERATION FOR THE INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY CONVEYED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 51(C) OF HOUSE BILL 5692.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:25pm.

Respectfully submitted,

J. Marci Rosenberg
Telesco Secretarial Services