6.12.2025 Fall River City Council

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City council committ finance will come to order. Clerk will call the role.

Council Kadim here. Dion here. Hart Kilby Pereira here. Ponty Reposo here.

Tiff here. President here. Councelor Kilby and Council Ponty I don't believe will be attending to their prior commitments. Council Hart will be here later on. He just has a commitment that he has to attend to and then he'll be here later on. Pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit this meeting to any medium. Attendees are therefore

advised such recordings or transmissions are being made were perceived or unpersceived by those present and not deemed acknowledged and permissible.

No one has signed up for citizens input time. This will proceed go on to discussion for the proposed fiscal year 2026 municipal budget as follows. First, we will discuss facilities and community maintenance, director of operations, facilities, streets and highways, solid waste, parks, cemeteries, trees, and snow removal. If you'd like to all come down, we can just please just state your name and what

department you would so the people at home that are watching will know who we're talking to, please. Thank you.

Emily Arit, interim director of finance.

Al Oliver, director of city operations.

Charlie Denby, director of community maintenance.

Council seat seven. Councelor Posan.

Hey, Mr. President, just a point of clarification. Are we doing department by department or just all of it? No, you mean we'll we'll take them in whatever order you want to give them. They're here representing all the departments. I just moved out. Fair enough. Thank you.

I appreciate it. Instead of going back and forth, that works for me. All right.

Um, just throw some questions at you and see what you have for answers for it.

Um, first is natural gas. We're on page 77 of the facilities budget. Um, I noticed that your projection for FY25 was 214,000, but then the proposed budget for FY26 is back to what it was revised the previous year. So, did natural gas costs come out lower than expected?

No.

Can you just repeat that question, counselor? I'm sorry. That's all right.

Page 77, natural gas line item. So projected in FY25 was 214 361 and then FY26 proposed is the same as FY25 revised budget of 165. So I'm just curious did natural gas cost come out lower than expected? It did. Did the uh the escalation was predom predominantly in the electric. Okay. Yeah. So you want to that's my next question. So you want to touch on that a little bit. The difference of the electric and the gas

and where that came out to be. So, the increases in electric have have substantially increased dramatically across the board on the rates and everyone. Absolutely. Okay. I fig I figured that was the case. All right.

Um, same page down to custodial services for the police. It's uh roughly a little less than a $40,000 decrease. So, was that a move classification, Emily? Was it? Yeah, it was it was just separating them out better. So, if you notice before, there was just the two line items um for city hall and police. And so, it's been just separated out and distributed, I'm going to say more

appropriately between city hall, police, and fire. Um and so, I think in total, there isn't too much of a dollar change, but now that we have them categorized out properly, it'll work out. Okay. Do all custodial services go through the facilities budget for for all the municipal buildings? Yes, they do. Okay.

So, except for library Libraries is in libraries. That's the only one is in libraries. So custodial services for fire is 14,000 which seems pretty small. So is that just a different setup how that operates? That that's through the headquarters. That's only for the head. Only for the headquarters. Absolutely. Okay, that makes sense. All right. Going down same page. Um R&M on the vehicle R&M. So it's

it's about it's a drop a little bit about 15,000. Um, HVAC is the same as the prior year, but much higher than the projected number. And then buildings and grounds is a fluctuation. So, I don't know if you want to touch on all three of those points.

Sure. The HVAC um when I first when I first arrived, we we were really limited on doing any HVAC work, heating, ventilation, air conditioning. Why is that? It would just we we just weren't capturing that work.

But now we are we're we've got contracts going out and we're doing preventive maintenance and we have a work order system with with the company at this point. This is state contract company.

Okay. And then buildings and grounds.

That's a lot of that that line is where we capture a lot of the repairs um a lot of the um smaller contracts. Uh what we do right about this time of the year, right after the budget season, we'll start preparing contracts for um blanket orders so that we have um numerous contracts that we can we can work off of and uh that's really where we keep the operation of all the buildings up. Okay.

Uh same page on other professional services. Um Emily, I don't know if you can kind of break out what that is defined as because I look at the FY25 revise of 188 and now we're down to 50.

So that one some of those items were kind of I'm going to say reallocated out more appropriately. Um the other professional services in in the year for 2024 that you're looking at that was upwards of $100,000 um was having charges that probably should have been more into um other lines in there. And so, but based off of that number, it was increased for 25.

And so, we started shifting this year where things are charged to make sure that they're charged accordingly. So, with those updated numbers, we were able to kind of shift the budget to where it really should have been. Um, most of the other purchase services now should be for or the other professional, I'm sorry, should be for um outside contractors and um doing like the bid work and the spec buildout and stuff

like that. Architecture, design services. Design services. That was that was going to be my next question. Where are the design services fall into this this line item? Is that where it falls?

Yes, that's where it falls. Okay. And can you just clarify the difference between other professional service and other purchase services? So other purchase services is the pest control.

Um there isn't really a pest control line. So at this point in time, it's that's where it finds itself. Yeah.

Okay, cool. Um all the way to the bottom of that page is office upgrades. So the line item remained at 38,000 from the prior year though the projected was only 79. I'm just curious particular office upgrades for is the particular building buildings buildings predom we've been using it predominantly for this building okay at this point but that those lines will come out of the um that buildings

and grounds slash um of office upgrades.

So, if we're going to renovate a space, we'll use it out of that office upgrades. Okay. And does that include any office upgrades you need here in the city hall? Absolutely. Okay. Cool. All right. Um, that's all I have for facilities. I'll I'll yield to my colleagues to move on until C2. Good evening. Good evening. On that same page, um, business rental is up 17,500.

Say page 77. $17,550.

It's up to 525.

Why is that? That was the transfer from um traffic. Remember how she talked about not having the building rental anymore because it was switched over? So now it's one space and so her budget was essentially moved into here. Yeah, it's actually a little bit of a savings because her budget was 21,000. So since it was a $17,000 increase, there was a little savings. Um electrical supplies is up 46,000.

So the budget's level, it's it's the expected expenses that are 79,000. Um so so council, this is where we get um because we don't have a plumber and electrician on board, we have labor and materials for for that for those services.

So we're at 125,000 for both for both.

And that's outsourcing. That's outsourcing and materials.

Lot a lot of times to save we'll buy we'll buy directly um as the as the municipality we'll buy directly uh where we don't get an upcharge from the contractor.

I guess this question would go to Emily.

On page 76, it shows salaries and wages 1,18,288.

But if you look at page 78, total facilities personnel is only 968,288, which is $50,000 less. So it's the overtime that's not included. So there's overtime for 40,000 and then overtime special events. We obviously don't have that detailed out to a specific person at this point in time. So that's where the difference comes in.

Okay. But the $900,000 the $900,000 number is the number you're using in the appropriation for for the budget. So if you look at the just this first salaries and wages permanent that shows the $912,000. So if you look at the detail sheet, the base salary is the 912,000 and then the longevity obviously matches to longevity. So then the overtime is not included on the detail sheet. And

then going from there, you can see that um it's the snow stipen and the hoisting stipend is the 16650 and then the other remaining items make up the total additional pay. So it will include the 50,000 in the appropriation for the um overtime. Okay.

Um that at the moment that's all I have.

I'll yield. Thank you. Council Con test

on page um 76 salary and wage um show when um 947K projected projected 708, but 2026 budget is set at 9 912K.

Why? It's from those three vacancies you see listed. Unfortunately, they've been vacant all year at this point. So, that's the um the money that hasn't been expended for 26 for 25, but we are still hoping to fill those positions um during the contract negotiations. We're hoping that those will have an increase so that we can actually fill them with people that are qualified. Um and so then it'll

hopefully not be a vacancy any longer.

Is there a time frame that um you had?

So the contract negotiations, no, we unfortunately do not have any sort of time frame. Um we're we're just working through them, but it should be we're hoping sometime in the next 3 months.

Okay. Council, if I could if I could um when when um Emily's talking about contract negotiations, that's with the unions. Yep. Yep.

Then um also um page 78.

Can you explain um for the sorry my glass see the administration assistant u for the 13,000k.

So that's the total additional pay for the service out of rank and I think Al can speak better to how the service out of rank was decided because I was not I'm not as versed in it as he is for Melissa. For Melissa. Yes. So Melissa, she's a um she she does project management building. So uh part of our job as facilities, we do contract oversight. And if there's an MSBA

project, if there's a um a capital project, she'll be doing the building with some of our OPMs and at times she's doing the building when we don't have an OPM.

That was a stipen that was that was negotiated with with her. It's not part of her union job description. And so that's why there's an additional stipen to cover that work. Okay. With that, I yield. Thank you, Council Council C1.

Council Dean. Thank you. Um my colleague brings up some good questions. So just to follow up though on on the stipen for the service out of rank. So is is the is the stipen based on the collective bargaining agreement or is it is it an individual agreement that's outside of the the CBA? It was it was negotiated with with the employee and um that's what we came up. But the employees in in

in the union, right? Absolutely.

Correct. So it's one of those because I know the council has had issues in the past with the with stipens and you know stipens being given out to individuals.

So this is not a stipen that has been negotiated with the union and is is from what I understanding is a stipen specifically for that that one individual that one individual. They know about it. They just it's just not um something that I think they're viewing it technically as a service out of rank and not I know we call it a stipen but I think it's it's more seen

as a service out of rank and that's why the union is okay with it. So I I I I guess I struggle with it's a service out of rank.

What? So, typically when you perform a service out of rank, you're performing somebody else's job duties. So, whose job is she performing? A project manager. And so, because she's an administrative assistant and that's the bulk of the work that she does by taking on that additional work of supporting the project management that Al described is is really where that comes in. And where do I find the project manager in

the budget? Um, I don't think that the um the general fund has many of them. I think they're more in water that has the project managers and so it's not that that project manager position isn't a union position which is why she can't be put into the position. I I recognize that I guess but if if somebody was doing a service out of rank so that means the position is vacant. You have

it budgeted somewhere but that so you're saying that No, that's why we're budgeting for the service out of rank here because there isn't a vacant position to put her in. Otherwise, we wouldn't be budgeting for it at all. We would just have a vacant position that she was backfilling. So I I guess that so my I guess my argument is Then you wouldn't pay somebody service out of rank if the position is not we

don't have a project manager position budgeted in this department. Correct. So how do you pay somebody service out of rank if they are essentially doing the function of expectations that are in this department? Well I mean with the with the um additional funds you're not going to find a human being doing any work for $13,000. Right. So No. No. I I recognize that. But what I guess what

I'm saying is is if I've got a clerical position and somebody goes and and does my assistant, you know, I'm gonna take treasurer's office. If if you've got a clerical person doing the assistant treasurer's job, then they would get a a statement or service out of rank for doing that work. But I'd go in the budget and I see that the assistant treasurer is budgeted for, but there's a vacancy. We don't

have in here a job, right? a vacancy that says project manager. Correct. So I would say and I would I guess I would make the argument that that those roles and responsibilities are are falling within the the scope of everybody else that's in this department. Right. So why would you do a service out of rank?

It's it's not that it's falling within the duties of that department. I mean we would we should technically add in a whole another position into this budget, but we we not me Al has found that he doesn't necessarily need that at this point in time. So that's why it was done this way. So instead of adding a whole another body and a whole another position when she's able to just take on

those duties, you know, part of the time it was done this way. Again, I mean, it's something that has been in conversation about the positions and and maybe reworking a job description and having a job that actually suits that better, but at this point with the union, she's still in that role. So, I mean, I can I can expound on some of the other things that she does in the department.

But I I guess I guess my and I'm not maybe it's just it's just a phil philosophical difference that we we have. I I just I I feel like one when you start when you start negotiating stipens outside of collective bargaining unit and the members in the in the union I have I have issue with that. Right. So then we would we go back to every other uh administrative assistant. You know

administrative assistants do a a host of of work. Right. And I'm sure job descriptions say has other duties assigned. So then one would make an argument, what does that entail? Right?

So now you've created a situation where one administrative assistant is getting $13,000 for a stipen and then we've got other administrative assistants in the same union doing potentially other work that has not been listed in their job description. So do we run the risk of potentially not giving them a stipen and creating morale issues? And then um and I I guess if we've gone through the

union and the union's okay with not pushing on it, then that that's fine. I just I don't think we we've had this conversation about stipens. From my my standpoint, if if somebody is is doing the job, then they should be paid for for the services that are performing, but I I think there's a process for that, whether it's in the collective bargaining agreement. I just hate to see stipens being given out if it's not a

true added correct job descript right like an added function that would you wouldn't think would be in the in the department. It definitely is something that isn't typically in that job description, but I think Nick could maybe speak better to how this was fully fleshed out with the union and and give you more information on that back end of it. Okay. So, council, this was one of

the items that I did have as part of a reorg process. Reorg reorg.

So, we're reorging the reorg. Is that is that what you're saying? It's just this one of those items that we I'm okay with the reorg on the reorg. I don't I don't disagree with the a reorg is needed. I I would suggest um my colleague also mentioned the salaries wages permanent.

So and I don't know that I understood the response that was given. Were you saying that the projection for FY25 is lower because of the vacancies? Yes. Okay. So what about so what's the difference between and I think I think he might have asked this um the difference between FY26 and the FY25 revised why is that so FY25 revised was 947 and then went down to 9 912. So did we lose a position? No. So, um,

some of those budgeted positions, I think it's the way that they were budgeted last year with the estimated increases that were in there. So, this, um, the majority of the union positions that are in here are part of, um, I shouldn't say the majority, but there's some of the positions that are in here that are part of a bargaining unit that already had a settled contract agreement. And I think that the

anticipated increase was added onto their salaries as well on accident. So there was a couple of those types of things that were in there and then when the transferins came in for the actual agreement that was settled I think some of them it was the additional amount was added in even though it was already kind of budgeted for it was looked at just their salary to what their new salary was and that

amount was put in. So I think it was just kind of overestimated.

And then and that's the same through a lot of these.

I think my colleague in in seat seven asked this question and clearly I wasn't paying attention. That's why I got detention in in school a lot. I was I was I was talking to Michelle, you know.

Um t test counseling. I know. I know the building the building rentals uh the $12,000 increase was was for what again?

For the um parking facilities that they were renting previously and that contract had ended and so um at that same around the same time facilities had started a new agreement. So her budget is zeroed out and it was moved it over there and he's paying essentially one agreement now for a shared space. And I'm going to admit I'm 0 for two now.

Uh, and then you mentioned other professional services the So it was 188,000 going down to 50,000.

Yeah. So it was a lot of those were um kind of divided out better um to where it should have been. Oh, you moved them in recategorized. Okay. Okay. And in general, some of the budgets kind of had gone down to. So that's why it's it's not necessarily a clean line of that 188 is fully dispersed um into the 26 budget because then we found some excess that we were able to remove. So all right and

then I I just want to discuss quickly. So the FY um I had it here somewhere.

I believe the FY25 FTEES was 11 when I looked at the the budget and then so we were at 17.5 11 uh FTEES for this year. Did we didn't did we add or 11 doesn't seem Yeah, I don't I mean I'm not saying no, but that seemed we definitely didn't add any positions to that department. So it it seemed it seemed lower. Maybe I was looking at the wrong one, but I have it

written down here at 11. I could I could be wrong. I just want to make sure I know we didn't discuss adding anything.

I seen some vacancies, but with regards to just staffing itself, overall general staffing. I know you've got a number of of building projects that that are going on. Um, and then we we talked about a Rio and and I don't necessarily disagree that I think we might need to look at a Rio just to make sure that you've got the resources that you need and we've got the uh the appropriate staffing. So

just looking at facilities itself with all the workload that you have the projects that have um been funding has been appropriated for or authorized for and you've got to complete them. Do you have enough staffing to handle that? If not, what does your staffing plan look like for just for facilities?

Well, facilities is is very light. Um with the amount of work that we we have planned, it's very light. Uh part of my reorg reorg was to convert one of those electricians to a craftsman per se so that we when I when I say a craftsman I mean a carpenter. Um they can build the walls, they can do ceilings, they can assist. So that would be an additional u

help for us. We do have some laborers in here and that would uh we're hoping to convert those into more of another carpenter. So doing a lot of in-house work is vital for us, but we're we're a maintenance company first, right? So that's that's the priority that we have to we have to maintain all the uh the buildings and uh do inspections and and repair a lot of things. So we lately we

have been reaching out to try to do more work at the parks. Um we're doing more work at the cemetery. So we're we're really reaching out right now to make sure that everything is is maintained well. So can I ask you may maybe you don't have this answer because I I went down the same road that you went down in terms of trying to expand DBW right in terms of making them more being able to

do more internally without having to go outside and and so when we were starting to hire for positions we were looking exactly for what you were saying other um uh key components that people would bring to the table in terms of uh being an electrician or plumbing and and things like that. uh so try trying to have diversify the the experience that we had so it's not just solely labor so

but the problem it worked well for about a year two years right and then all of a sudden you become too reliant on the individuals before us and then it starts taking away from from other projects so knowing knowing that for myself what do you I guess what are you looking to do in terms of you know percentages and I don't I won't hold you to it but I'm just curious in terms of what your model

would be like are you looking to do 40% of the work inhouse 60% % out like just going out outsourcing it, you know, going to bid for stuff or what's the overall plan for the department? So, what I what I do uh by my morning meetings on a Monday, we we have small, medium, and large projects. Obviously, the large projects are I'm using the uh procurement values. So, the large projects are your capital projects. The

medium projects are things that we may assist in repair prior to any contractors going in. all the smaller projects we're taking care of. So if you were to say probably onethird of our projects, but the volume, we're not talking dollar-wise. We're talking about the actual work that we're going to be doing. So for an example, case in point, the DCM building, we went out to bid on

that work. We the the cost we we had to do some value engineering. So we pulled out the interior work u at inside the building. So the break room, the office area. What we did is we we appropriated some of that the ARPA money and we're doing that in house. So right now we're 50% done. I urge everyone to take a quick peek. It's night and day the break room. Right now we're going to now the

next phase is the office space. So we're we're doing many splits. We're revising the the appearance of that location. So we're doing some of the things that we can't really afford sometimes, but for the most part, we're maintenance first and then project secondary. So in in terms of just the smaller projects, so it looks like you got about seven. So hopefully I counted right. Seven of your

17 FTEEs. Look like those are more of the skilled laborer, right? The carpenters, the electrician, the painter, the plumber that would would be able to do some of your smaller projects. So do you have any any goal or expectation to enhance that to be able to cover the general maintenance and repairs for all the facilities is so are you looking to get that from 7 to 10 or 7 to 15 um and I'm not saying obviously

not in this budget or next year's budget but over a 5year period. So we have hired some um MEO groundskeepers that um have have become really talented. Um so those those two maybe um working working at that point. So within shortly within the next year or so we would hope to move those per those folks into a different category because they're very talented and to to have them uh make uh

that that dollar amount. It just just doesn't work for th for those groups.

But um obviously another two three You mean the dollar amount for the uh the salary for the for the MEOS the grounds keepers you got a couple talented folks there and um that those those folks were part of my reorg as well. So okay thank you. I yel for now. There you go. Cut T5 cuts per I was a little confused about the people at the library.

Don't you put custodians there if they're short? And I mean the money comes out of the library budget, but aren't they under you? So council the the cleaning custodials that's that's a vendor that um every three years will go out to bid on. So there's a vendor. They are they are the same vendor that we have for the the uh fire and facilities.

Uh but that budget is captured by the library, right? So, but that's that's a vendor that's But you handle that vendor, correct? Okay. I thought you were handling that vendor. Um because city hall here, we've gotten rid of some Well, not we haven't gotten rid of custodians, but as they've retired out, we've brought in um a private um Mr.

Denmid, how many MEO laborers do you have in the park department right now?

13. You have 13. 13. Uh 13. Uh is that counting your foreman? That's counting my maintenance. That's counting the work in foreman.

Okay. Not park maintenance. That's not counting park maintenance or the supervisor. Okay. So other than that, that's 13. Yeah. Now, a couple of years ago, I I believe we got money to get some lawnmowers. Um, and then you speak into the microphone, please, so people can hear you. A few weeks ago, I heard that we had three lawnmowers down. Um, but we got that money last year. They

were ordered, council. Are they ordered and we're getting them? They are ordered from Richie and Clapper. They're on They're ordered now. And then I heard something about we were looking at electric lawnmowers, battery operated council. Battery operated. Honest to God, battery operated are not going to work. No. On the pox that we have, the hills that we have and those batteries are so

expensive after buy uh and I know from experience at, you know, when we looked at them, it it's really not what, you know, you think it will be. Has an analysis been done, Emily, on what amount of money we spend on plumbers and electricians? What the total cost is for the year? What it costs the city for any plumber or electrician that we need versus paying more than what? 58,000 because you're not going to get a

plumber or an electrician for that. No, we we agree um that we know we need to do more in that. The the problem is is it's it's just part of the union bargaining. So it's it's not that we disagree on it. It's the fact that the way the bargaining works, if we just go in and want to jump up one position, you know, there's other positions around saying why not do that for us. So we're

still working on it through the CBA process. Um but it's so we we're aware and we're in support of it. We just and we know that it'll save us money in that sense. Did Did we hire one electrician or plumber from Diamond?

The police department did. The police department did. Yes. And that individual will stay with us for a certain number of years. Are we doing something like that to try to get a plumber or an electrician that they can then do their journeyman, whatever, to get their full license, but they'll guarantee that they'll stay with us x amount of years or something like that. Yeah, they were

over as an intern. Um he had they just hired one. he was over as an intern.

They get a couple a year. Um and this one wanted to and is able to stay on and and will do that um apprenticeship process underneath Chris. So we are doing that and grabbing them whenever they're available and whenever they want to and we can grab them. They are doing that there. I think that's just um an innovative way to try to get somebody on as long as they're willing to stay, not

come get your license and leave. part of DCM I believe and I'm not sure if park department as well but we're paying people to get their CDL. Are we only paying the individuals that work in those specific departments or is that open to anybody in the city? Because I heard one of the directors was of one of our departments was going for CDL and I think I'd rather have our workers do it.

Um right. So, I believe I believe that one I'm not sure how that that occurred.

Whether that person was already a CDL driver, I'm not sure, but and goes for renewal. Yeah. All right. I I just think, you know, we do have a lot of people in parks. I'm happy to hear now summertime, a lot of these people have longevity pay that I see, which means they have a lot of vacation time as well, which they deserve. Chances are they're going to take it in the

summertime. So, is there any thought of I don't know what kind of programs they have for the summer. Um, but is there any thought on maybe hiring, you know, part-time help in the summer?

That would that help us rather than paying overtime?

Is that something that either one of you have thought about? Yeah, that's a collective bargaining um issue, counselor. Uh, we do have we do have summer interns that come in. Well, we have the CEDA program. I mean, I Right.

They used to have that. I don't know what they call it today, but are we utilizing those services or youth build or something that wherever we can if there's any type of volunteering or or uh internships, we are we do have those folks coming in with us and we're working with Holly right now and uh to get some teams going. Good. And the last thing I have and I'm going to throw it out. There was

a digesttor that we had talked about and I had heard about it and that digesttor will crush up trash kind of and it uses sludge and it cost us a lot of money to haul sludge out of the city and this would help us with our trash. Where is that Mr. Aloe vera. So, council, we uh we've had numerous meetings with um our ESCO, our energy service company, which is at

Moresco at this time. We've had numerous discussions. Seth was part, our city administrator was part of those discussions. Uh we've had uh we've had them come down, make presentations to us, and that's still ongoing. Um but it's someone something that I have to take um the lead at this point with um other other folks in the uh in the city.

But um the digesttor is the right thing to do. Um it won't it won't eat trash per se, but the sludge that we're paying 3 million to discard uh elsewhere, right? That would be that would take that. uh who we're working off to making sure that we have uh it that would be three million extra in the budget if we could get rid of our sludge through the digtor. It's it's it's it would we would

start doing internal um usages and then hopefully expand um to other communities, but that's that's ongoing right now. And if you expanded, we'd make more money. We kind of talked about the transfer station before about that.

And if we wait, you're going to have another community that's going to come up with that and they're going to be making money on us. Um, maybe that's something that send back to the mayor. Maybe that's something that this council would be interested in and maybe we need to have a demonstration of that and see if that's feasible. Those are the things we're looking at. How do we make more money generate more revenue

into the city without going into the pockets of taxpayers? Um, and I I honestly think Mr. Aloe vera and I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think you have too many hats that you have to wear and there's only 40 hours in a week. Uh I think that we need to get somebody now. Miss Smith has retired. Am I correct on that? Correct.

When was her last day? Uh last Friday.

Last Friday. We didn't I mean I didn't know it was her last day. I would have sent her a a note or something. How many years was she here? 30 40 45 I believe.

45 years. and it would have been nice to thank her uh for the 45 years that she put in. Um we need somebody back at DCM.

I mean Mr. Denmid can't be doing parks and at DCM and we need a procurement officer and I also think we need director of tourism but that's like that's my wish list because I want people to see the good in for river. Um, other than that, on the list that you gave us, Emily, I don't know if you would do that today or on another day, but just to highlight for the public

some of the things that were changed in this. I think some of the changes were good. Yeah. Um, I think my hopes is to be able to talk about that once they're released from this if we can. Um, otherwise, I'm happy to talk about it now. I just don't know if we want to.

It's up to the president and my colleagues if they want to general. But I I yield my questions. Thank you. and you both um are working as hard as you can and do a good job and with what you have I think we need more workers and I would push for that but money is always a problem with that I yield Mr. President. Thank you. Council seat 7 council pos. Thank you. I just

want to go I want to back to the facilities question. So I brought this up last year. We talked about the three vacant positions, the two electricians, one plumber. And at the time, city administrator Aken said the same thing about it's a union negotiation thing. So one year has passed. We're still in the same boat that we were last year. I guess you know I understand it's a union issue. So the 177,149

that are the vacant positions at the end of last year that money rolls over.

Correct.

Into free cash. Into free cash. Okay. So which leads me my next question. Mr.

Oliver, the fact that you have essentially a shortage in your department for the amount of positions you hold, yet your overtime budget is only $40,000. So I would have anticipated that that line item would have increased because of it. So that you can thank me for stop it. You can thank me for that. Okay. So essentially because um the goal is 40,000. So with a full complement, right, you would have that

salaries and permanent, you know, salaries and wages permanent fully utilized. And if that was fully utilized, that is the amount of overtime you would need. But because we have those vacancies and there are extra people backfilling, more of the overtime gets utilized. And to budget for both in both areas, right? So we we always want to obviously fully budget to fill the positions. We don't want to then

increase that budget. That's only needed because there's vacancy savings happening. So it's just to help on doubling down on budgeting for things that you know it's because we have that we're able to save um in one place and kind of overspend in another line. But the theory ultimately is that that will switch over when it's filled. Okay. So based on that, FY24 actuals was 67,000, FY25 projected was 59,000.

Where do we find ourselves right now as of as of this moment in this current fiscal year for overtime now that we're almost done with it? Are we anywhere in that ballpark between those two numbers?

Yes, that's I mean the No, the 59 includes us projecting out for these last couple of pay periods. So it is it is part of that. So we're we're right in that realm probably within a couple of thousand dollars. So the reality is probably in FY26, assuming those positions don't change, you're probably looking at somewhere in the 60,000 range for overtime. Correct. So So counselor, for the last couple years, I've I've um

spoken to the CFO and I've asked the CFO. We we're getting close to the overtime line. I'm going to start using salary savings. And that's what we've been doing the last couple years. So help me understand on on the electrician and plumber situation. So in order for you to remove that from this budget, that's a union negotiation situation. So to remove the positions from being or reclassify them to reclassify them,

that's a union. To remove them from the budget, I mean, technically we could just not fund it. But again, our goal is to shift the positions or grow them or have it. So to have that base there, we we think is helpful and ideal so that we can work towards that. Sure. So, what I will say, council, and and Emily is is right, we um to be able to increase the lines for

an electrician and a plumber, the union has to agree to those items. And it's not fair and equitable to all the other employees, but in the past with the same type of union, they've always had hard times with doing that. And they're still having a hard time with doing that.

You're not going to get electrician $59,000. So that's just the rate of reality. Um so you have outside contractors doing all your electrical work then at this point. Yes. Okay. Yes.

Uh annually we'll go out with a contract and we'll uh procure a contractor and the last couple years the contractor has been um a self um electrician. So that's he doesn't have any other employees.

Just him and himself. Just him and himself. So where is that reflected in the expenses line item for facilities?

Is that under electrical supplies? Yes. Okay. So that contract now cla can you can you break out that number then? So for electrical supplies of 125, how much of that is the contract itself for the outside electrician?

We we typically do a $50,000 blanket up to 50,000. Okay. So is that one or two in that line item? that that's one one blanket of 50,000 one blanket for the plumber, one blanket for the electrician. So what we do is strategically what we do is we'll buy the materials um have those up front where we we're not having any increases um to that contract. So it's about 75,000 for the materials. Okay. So, so

reality just when the plumber uh the electricians alone from the salaries that you're saving without the positions filled and that line item it's about $18,000 which essentially could theoretically be used for overtime if you needed it. Correct. We Okay, cool.

Yeah, I guess I guess I share the concern of council Pereira is that you know or council kadem I think all of us in the sense that not enough people in the amount of I said the other night list of things you got to do but not enough people to do it essentially. So, but I'm glad there is some flexibility for the idea of some overtime. So, that's a good thing. Um, do we have a

sense of a timeline on this negotiation piece of when this could change? I feel like I asked it last year and we thought it would be last year. Yeah. So, we are in negotiations again right now. So, um I mean I think as you know we we never know when a deal will be done but we are in the middle of them and we have been for about a month at least already. So,

we're hoping in the next couple of months before the summer's up, we're hoping to have it settled. But just to clarify that this is not an ongoing negotiation from last year, but it wasn't it was a one-year contract last year. Okay. So, yeah. So, was this brought up in last year's negotiations?

Yeah. It's brought up It's brought up every year. And And what was the end result? Just there was a slight increase, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't what Well, that No, no, I'm saying about the positions themselves.

So, that just never happened in the negotiations. They didn't get to that stage yet. it was more it wasn't as detailed as it it should be because it was a one-year contract and there's nobody in those positions to push for their positions to be increased to vote on it. So, we're we're working through it. Okay. And and then when you mentioned what I call reorg part two, um it it seems like obviously there's a

larger reorg part two that happens, but are there these smaller parts that could be done as opposed to a second reorg?

Are there smaller parts like this particularly that could happen that would get things rolling? This is this is a key component is the union, not just these positions, but you gota you gota get over that hurdle first.

Correct. Okay, fair enough. All right.

Um are we good to move on streets and highways or we have more? Um we have another conference. Okay, I'll yield for the floor. Go ahead. Council, is it my turn? I just needed to say with the with ask me for example, we had a big problem with the water department with water filtration. If you worked in filtration, there's certain certificates and different degrees that you have to have

to work there versus somebody that was in water maintenance and dispatches and clerks in city hall are all in the same union and they all do different jobs. So last year I believe the there was anou for water filtration where we could have bumped them up and they worked on that with the union. Um and I think this year dispatchers are trying to make a big push because I've heard from them

because other dispatchers in Somerset, Swansea, Dyon that don't get the number of calls we get are getting a lot more money. I mean as it is if they have a day off they're working in other um communities to make up the difference.

So, it's I understand what Emily is saying that if there is nobody in that position as then there's nobody to fight for more money. Um, but I I'd just like to see really what the cost is. Is it worth us just hiring somebody outside?

Maybe it is no benefit package or whatever. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. I just don't have a real solid number on that. I will say one of the I think complications that we've talked about in length with that idea because obviously we've talked about the cost benefit side of it, but it's also by having an outside person and by contracting out that work. The level of control we have over when they work and what they're

doing and competing with other jobs gets to be not ideal. So that's part of our thought process with it too. Okay, I yield. Um there you want to do streets and highways. Yeah, if we're count Yeah.

Um, if we're comfortable, we'll move on.

Um, and just just to comment to my colleague, I think too my only concern with the lack of those positions filled is that and and I think there's a good point to say sometimes worth outsourcing these things. I guess my concern on the other side of it is that you may not get to all those projects that you want to get to because your blankets 50,000. You hit 50,000, you're done. So I guess

that's my my concern that is it stifling what the progress that could be being made right now because we're kind of limited to that blanket unless you of course increase it. Oh council that we're not limited to that that's our starting point. If it gets to a point where we're getting close to that we'll make we're going to make things happen.

When you said when you said blanket 50,000 I said okay you're once you hit 50 you're done. That's the initial that's the initial. So so let me ask the followup question then. Have we raised it since? We have we have exceeded where by a change order by 25%. So we have slightly increased that but we've never had to do a second uh procurement at that time. So it's it's still within

reason at that point. Okay. Yeah. As long as as long as it doesn't stifle the progress because I I think my concern from the other night was and you said a lot some of these projects are 75% done.

You know if that 25% is electrical.

Yeah. No not that's not even an issue.

Fair enough. Fair enough. I think I appreciate that. All right. All right, I'm going to move on to the streets and highways then since my colleagues are good with that. Um, so page 80. Um, clarification on just want to make sure I'm on the right line item here. Is the snow stipen and this is a general question, Emily, for you. Snow stipens in general, have they increased since last year's budget? Um,

I don't believe so. They have not. Okay, I'll ask another snow question later then. So, those are all the same as prior. Uh, rents, rentals and leases.

It's down 10,000.

It's on page 80 about the middle of the page from last year's revised budget.

What changed?

So, that's for renting equipment when repairs are needed on what's owned. And I think that buying new equipment that's happened with through the opera dollars and and improving that capital has reduced that need. Okay. Mr. Ala, do you have a sense of what you're currently leasing for streets and highways? Well, there are times where we need some type of a machinery like a a small capabot or

a small front end loader. There are times when we need specialized equipment to do the work and that's that's what we use that. Are you still borrowing are inter departments still borrowing from one another? We so if it's it's a it's the whole city. If we need to do something uh without without having to to rent it, we can work an agreement with another department. I we have no problem with that and we've done it to

other departments as well. Yeah. So, general the answer is yes. We do it unless we can't and then we go out and rent if we need to. Okay, cool. Um, two lines down other professional services.

That's a $15,000 increase, give or take.

You want to break that out for me?

There's a change there.

That would be more of a design services as well or or assistance for from OPMs, any type of design OPM type service. And I I think that was under other purchase services before, but if you remember in the last budget, we talked about how it was under other professional services.

So, I think we were just trying to put them all in the same category when it's the same thing. Okay.

And then on page 81 at the bottom of the page is the four vacancies. Um, first question is, are there still four vacancies? Um, no. One of them is in the process of being hired right now, the working foreman. Um, okay. It paperwork might have already started because it was mentioned to me the other day. I don't even know what day it is anymore, but re very recently it was mentioned.

So, they're very much working on it.

These ones are fluid. I mean, if this is one of the big changes that actually came through um in the package that was sent, there was additional vacancies listed here than there should have been.

There was three additional positions in here because because the positions are unfortunately very fluid in this department. Um we saw that okay we have this many vacancies so those were thrown in but then they were still listed above as filled. So and right sizing that that's kind of why this updated dramatically from the previous pages. Um but even after I did this you know a couple days later they

were like oh well this one's I was like this is how it's going down. So the price is still the same. So that's why we just left it because it's too too fluid. Okay. And then the motor equipment repair person. There's not another person in the department. Oh, there is. There's two more. There. There is. So, there's two of three that are filled. Council, can I just interrupt there? Of course. The uh the foreman for

the motor equipment operator. Yes. We're interviewing right now for that. We're interviewing for the motor repair person and we're interviewing right now for the asphalt person. We've hired the clerk.

You hired the clerk? We hired a clerk.

Okay. At that at that salary?

Absolutely. Okay. So, can you clarify to me then on on the clerk because you have another administrative clerk.

Can you just address the difference in salary steps? Steps. Okay. So, this is an entry level correct clerk versus somebody who's been here for a while.

Are you looking at the.5 council? No, no, no. So, the administrative clerk you just mentioned on the bottom of the page is one FTE at 33838.

That's step one. That's just step one.

Well, step one and then for two months step two. But yes. Okay. So that's all that is. And you said that position is filled. It's filled. So essentially you have two vacancies in streets and highways. Well, he said he's interviewing for office. We're interviewing right now and we're very close to Okay. So going to be two essentially. Correct. All right. Cool.

Um that's all I have for streets and highways. So I'll yield for the time being.

Council, how much of streets and highways are we doing on our own? We have that machine that fills potholes. Um I was at a couple of feasts last week and a couple of men uh came over and we were talking about the potholes and they asked they hadn't seen that machine and some of the work that's done by other individuals, gas company or whomever. If those start to sink, who's

monitoring that for you to go out there and have them come back and fix it?

That's that's the engineering group.

They they if it's if it's a a third party, they're they're responsible. Then Dan Agie, I would send somebody out again. And are we using the pothole machine? Are you using that? It's out every day, council. Absolutely. It is out every day. It's out every day. I haven't seen it. I guess I We We have locations where it if you want, we can get you the locations where we're point of clarification. Just how many puddles

do we do a day roughly, Mr. Ala?

It depends. Charlie, what do you think?

Oh, how many potholes do we do a day?

Ballpark. Ballpark at 30, 40. It depends on 30 or 40. Yeah, it depends. It depends on location. If they're all in one grid or if they're spread across the city, how many pothole trucks? We have two. And uh if it's one and he's spread out, he he could be doing large ones, it could be the the less there'll be less.

I just want I know they're all different size pots. I get it. I'm just curious as to how many we're doing. We do about 30 a day. If they're infraring them, it's going to take a little longer. They should be infrareding them for them to last. I've noticed that a lot of them around manhole covers a lot of of cuts.

Um driving down Bedford Street, I've seen a few and on Columbia Street, I saw some too. I don't know what you know if that's something that's happening. I never noticed that before uh as much as I noticed now. Well, it's good to know that they're out there. Um but the concern was if they're being done, are they being done right? And a lot of gentlemen I I spoke to, you know, the

two gentlemen that I spoke to both worked construction and, you know, knew how to do it. And my father was a construction foreman, so I know you you don't just fill a pothole. You have to cut it. You have to get a square. You have to cut it. You just can't put asphalt and go back and forth with a tire. And that was being done years ago.

Thank God today we're not doing that anymore. All right. I just wanted to know about that. I had Yeah. the asphalt and concrete roof are out every day.

Good.

Thank you. With that, I yield. Thank you. Council C2, Council D.

Back on that question. Um, not really a budget question, I suppose, but that curve near Globe Mills Avenue, is that going to be addressed? We have a list because it's really degraded much more than it was before. And I sense accidents coming soon because when you take when you go around that corner, you literally feel your car jumping across the road. So, we have a list of areas that we're we we're going to tackle um

within the near future. And it's a combination between u the engineering group versus our group. We're in the maintenance hole repair, pothole repair, concrete, small patches. So we it depend that could be under the u the engineering group uh depending on the size if they they're contracting that or it'd be under us. I'll I could let you know what the status is. Yeah, I'd appreciate it because that's right at

the school besides, right? So I'm saying one of these days something is going to happen because like I said that has severely degraded since last um fall.

What was the area again? It's the it's right uh Globe Mills Avenue and Bay Street. that curve right there.

Somebody did mention that. Uh I was with the mayor gates of the city. Somebody came and mentioned that that particular corner. I think I called you and said I did. It's notoriously been a concern. I forget like I think so many calls during the day and email I forget. But yeah, he had he had talked about that. But you want ridges go up Pleasant Street. All right, C. Let's get back to let's get

back to the meeting, please.

to see two. You have the floor. I laughed at her. She's good. Um, no, she's not good. She's still talking.

So, at this point, we're still streets and highways. I I'll yield for now. I'm going to wait for solid waste and parks.

Thank you. Council 7. No, I'm I'm good.

All right. So, just a carryover question. Um, I just I don't understand.

I want to clarify this from the other night. So, Mr. Demi who's sitting at the table. What is his title as of right now? Is it still director of community maintenance? He is director of community. Okay. So, he's currently filling in parks right now. So, we're in this kind of weird transition time of what now that Miss Smith's retired. So, do we we know what's going to happen in the next shortly as far as parks are

concerned and DCM and all that? Do do we have a sense of that yet? Well, the council, the city council had um had concerns about the type of work that we're doing and the mayor and myself, we um knowing that u Miss Smith has been out for a long time. Um Mr. Demney um was was asked to go over there and start getting things taken care of and he's doing an excellent job and we're doing a

lot of work. Um, if you notice, there's a lot of items on that list that have been needed for a while. So, absolutely.

Um, that was the concern that that's been the concern. We, uh, we we have other departments that are in in good shape, but, um, that's that's one of the ones that we're looking at really making a strong point at this point. Okay. So, that's something that's going to probably change in the near future as far as what's happening with that.

Again, we we have no idea what what the uh what the outcome's going to be. Um we're hoping that that there is some modification shortly. Okay. And to clarify, you said the other night um that as far as Mr. Demit's responsibilities as DCM director, you have supervisors, correct? Filling in those and I'm working with the supervisors at this point. Okay. So, jumping to parks, um and it goes back to

to what we're talking about. So, as far as the line item for the director of parks for the rest of this fiscal year, Emily, are we getting through solid waste? I'm sorry. Sorry.

Yeah, but we can let them keep going in then we'll just they're here to answer.

Like I said earlier, I'll bring them all down just you can open up and go back and forth. It's easier.

My apologies. No, you're good. Go ahead.

All right. Um, so for the rest of this fiscal year and then going forward as far as that salary is concerned. Are there going to is there going to be a turnover to free cash for the rest of the fiscal year for this year? So for the rest of this fiscal year, probably not because she's going to have a sizable payout because she has been here for a long time. So this year likely I

mean there will be I'm sure some dollars but nothing sizable. Okay. And then next year you know we go to FY26 at least for the time being. Nobody will be in that position. Well so yeah there there definitely needs to be a long-term plan.

I think right now you know there is no long-term plan because you know she was out and and a need was there so he kind of jumped in and I think once this um peak season kind of comes to an end we'll we'll be sure to have a full plan in place. So the goal would be to obviously utilize what's there um you know before the end of the fiscal year

in 26. So there wouldn't necessarily be a massive turnback. Okay. I'll yield to my colleague so we can talk solid waste first. Thank you. Thank you councelor.

You're welcome. Anytime. I just want to point out brought to my gonna go along with No. Go ahead.

Oh my god. You guys all set?

Just want to point out I was made aware that council D on the street you're talking about Mr. Aguar Dan Aguar is currently working on it's Chase Street I believe it is Bay Street. All right.

Well, I heard he's working on Chase. So, Mr. Oliver, you can touch base with Mr.

Aguar and he probably is is looking into it where Globe Mills is. I think it's Chase Globe Mills. No, it's Globe Mills Avenue comes out from the school. Okay. To Bay Street and it's the curve on directly on Bay Street. Okay. Yeah, I know exactly where it is. Y constituency 2. Do you have you want um All right. So, what are we doing? If we're going to start solid first. Okay.

Listen, it's very simple. You want me to go by what's in front of us or I like I said earlier, we'll bring them all down if people want to just ask questions and we'll go. It doesn't matter. So, let we'll stick by the book then. Solid waste constant C2. Okay. Solid waste.

So, it was the night before last we were talking about this and I brought up um early termination fees for the contract if we had gone out for an RFP and gotten somebody. Um so, in year seven, if we had terminated the contract, it was $821,668, not $8 million as was quoted by attorney Thomas.

Um, so he started out at 400,000.

Attorney Thomas started out at $400,000 to terminate the contract. Then he jumped to 8 million. He jumped to 8 million. And I said 400,000. No way. I said last year, this year would be in this year would only be 200,000 or actually. Yeah. In year 10, 200,000 to cancel a contract. Um, so are we reaching out to a multitude of companies? How are we handling this moving forward?

So, we'll do the RFP process and that will go out to obviously anybody and everybody, but um, we do plan to obviously just ping those certain companies as well to make sure that they see that the RFP is out there. And are we doing it as um are we looking for a company that does it all or are we going to be peacemealing it out again? So um the way that we were doing RFP he

described the other night was that we would do technically a menu the way we would bid it out. Yeah. So ideally we would get one person to do it all and we think that that will be the cheapest but in case somebody doesn't come in at that we don't want to have to then rebid the whole process. So we'll let them do pieces if other people want to or need

to so that we can make sure that we have the best options. So a company can give a price strictly for collection or collection and something else. Correct.

Or if they want to do it for all of it, they can. Correct. Yeah. Because otherwise we would have to go back out.

So if we just put it out for everything and said they had to do everything, if we didn't get that or get the right, you know, the race that we wanted to, we would have to start the process over again to do the pieces. So we just figured we would, you know, ask for it all, but technically offer them to do bid certain pieces of it as well in case

we need that option. Mr. Oliver, do you agree with that? Sorry. Absolutely. So when you write a spec, you don't want to pigeon hole yourself and you want to at least leave some options. So h by having a company bid on the whole item. That would if that if that's going to be more expensive than us doing little parts of that, if there's a major savings to us, that's that's the goal. Okay. Now we

have a uh six well we have $16 million appropriated for Lewon Street.

Is there anything in the pipeline at Lewon Street to assist in any of this?

What exactly is that going to be? I'm glad you asked. Oh, good. I'm glad.

So what we did is we put that we we we we saw what the building looked like and if you ever took a tour of the building um in 2010 we we took down the stacks uh because there was a moratorum on burning we knew that wasn't going to happen any longer. We took down the stacks after the stacks were taken down a new roof was supposed to be laid out on there and that's 2012

time frame. We started in 2010 2012 that roof never was put on. Right now, we have a bad situation of 10 years of the building bleeding and that was going to put a new roof on the building and but before they do that, they needed to do a forensics on the steel beams to make sure that those were in good condition.

They were in good condition. They're they're going to be stripped of any potential rust and they're going to be made whole. They're going to add they're going to make sure that the structure is going to be safe. uh they'll add the roof and then they'll clean out all the items within that um uh burning section and we'll have a clean space in that to try perform a MURF building for uh recycling. That's the goal. Uh we

initially expected to be uh a full full budgeted but we couldn't find all the funds for the MURF but we're hoping that we can get some funds through grants um to make sure that we can get the equipment for that. Um the other component to that that was phase that was a phase three. either phase one would be the main entrance to drive up and then you have a lot an easier way

for residents to drop off um their recycles or or any other items that has been now put back to uh the drawing board because the lack of funds because we did find some hot spots under the asphalt and those are smaller areas. So um and then the phase two would be the uh salt shed. The salt shed is in decrepit condition. We're going to add need a new salt shed and that's where

the 16 million is coming from. And as I mentioned, we literally had to pull the renovation of the in inside of the office space and break room and facilities is doing that inhouse by and a ma massive savings by doing that. What about the P?

Um, is there anything in this that would um involve a grinder so that we could handle our own CND again or uh handle mattresses perhaps at a at a a lesser rate? Everything that you're referring to, we've talked about, Mr. Demed, myself and and the uh the group, we have talked about that, but that's not part of the $16 million at this point.

If somebody wants to get rid of a storm door right now, how do how do they is that a bulky item? Uh, that's construction debris. So, they would have that would Yeah, they wouldn't they wouldn't be able to take that. So, if somebody doesn't have a vehicle and can't bring a storm door to New Bedford, what do they do?

It's a problem. Actually, an employee was asked that question today by somebody that called to ask how to get rid of their storm door and they said, "Go to New Bedford."

Said, "We can't." Well, that's what you have to do. So, the person got a little frustrated and said, "Oh, maybe I should just throw it in the woods like everybody else does." And the employee responded, "And if you do, I'll call the police on you."

Uh, with that, I yield. Sorry. Thanks, C. I just want to bring it to everyone's attention again. Getting back to that intersection, Bay Street, Chase Street, Globe Mills Avenue, Mr. Aguar is in the process of getting a procurement for that. It's over $30,000. It is expected to be completed within the next 30 to 45 days. Awesome. Thank you. Just so I guess we had the whole section

there all coming up. Yeah, that's a long I'm so glad Mr. Aguia watches our meetings. Thank you, Mr. Aguia. Um, come to C5, you have the floor now. Okay, go ahead.

Oh, you want me to just figure I let you know that for you. I'm kind of like I don't know who's to the right to left. I just pay attention. Mr. Alivera, what about the pit there at DCM?

Um, they had filled that in. What is that filled in with? Council, I wasn't here when that happened. Um, I've heard little little rumblings about it, but right now it's capped. We're not going to we're not going to do it. It's capped. Well, it's it it's filled. I mean, there's But it's not it's concrete or asphalt. It's asphalt, right? There's uh what's on it? There is asphalt over and then there's a concrete over a

portion of it and there's asphalt on the other side of it. So So it's filled. I mean, right now it's tapped. I mean, and and and you were talking about extensive thick walls, so if there was any liquid in there, it would wouldn't leech. So, um, we're not we're not doing anything. I I heard someone say here at a meeting that the $16 million was for something like that. We're not touching any of that

pit. The only thing associated with that on the other side of the pit, there's a major wall. There's a direct opening into the actual building behind the building. So, and it's a it works out perfect. We can have machinery come in, collect the uh recycling, and um and grab some money out of that. Uh, councelor Dion asked about a storm dog.

What if somebody had a gas grill that they wanted to get rid of that they can get rid of?

Yeah. So that that's not a that's not a construction debris. So yeah. So that that's a B. So a gas grill or aluminum door. Do you know what I mean? It's construction debris. That's the difference. So definition of it. Again, New Beth, it just happened to be that that that Harvey's is down in that area. So, Right. But, I mean, if I wanted to throw out an old gas grill, I get a sticker

and they'll take it, but not for a storm door.

It's the regulations, council. It's It's the regulations.

But you you could and I've advised people if they had metal like that to just bring it over to Mid City Scrap and they'll either pay you Mid City Scrap Mid City and they would either pay you for it or you could just dispose of it for free either way. It's right there.

But it is unfortunate scrap like that.

And I know a couple of guys that are scrappers and I'll call them may you can pick this up and they'll they come and get it. But the side business will pick it up. Do you yield counselor? I yield. Thank you.

Councilman seat seven. Councelor Poso and we all set. If I get sidetracked, please. Can we have one person speaking at a time to the council I just called upon? Yeah, you can. He can speak. Yeah, absolutely. Just want to clarify we're done with solid waste. Yeah. Council council. That's what happens when I don't know what we're going to do.

Um so I don't know who's um maybe for Emily um on the electric sideways 83 electricity um I don't see any budget on that one.

Can you explain that? Yeah. So um this the electricity for solid waste was typically handled by facilities.

Facilities handles usually the bills for all of the facilities. Um, and that's how it was being handled in in fiscal year 24. Um, and so in fiscal year 25, I guess it was starting to be chargier.

So, we just decided that we would shift it back and keep it clean in one department. Um, kind of in the sense of thinking through the reorg too about, you know, who's the person paying all of the bills sits up in facilities every day. So, it just made sense to kind of shift it all back into one facilities budget for his departments. So meaning this is always going to be like yeah

we'll keep it at zero and and keep it up in facilities for this department now.

Gotcha. And um next one is the natural gas is budget at um 6,000 but projected 2800 28,000.

So we we have been having some um bill paying errors being made. So looking through some of that um it doesn't all belong there is the is the best way to put that at this point in time. So it it won't stay that way and some of it we're actually looking to um put it where it belongs soon. It just it was something that we noticed in doing these projections at this point. Um but we

have to do you know the proper accounting procedure just to move it at this time. So that's after looking through those bills it's it'll be $6,000 about a year.

So right now it's just uh estimate.

Yeah. Gotcha. Thank an estimate that pointed out an error for us. Okay. Thank you councelor. You yield. Does anyone else have any questions for solid weights? One question.

Yeah. Emily, where would on on the litter enforcement? So those the fines that are given out for litter issues, where is that captured in your um general fund? So it's under solid waste.

And this let me just take a step back.

So you'll see that violation fines is now in there. We just started shifting that over a couple of months ago if that. So that's why there's such a small number now and there's no budget but there will be you know budgeted in there for 50,000. Now do we have a sense in the current fiscal year how much has been collected in violation fines for solid waste? So part of the reason that

we did pull them apart is because it was um going in in one line item that um one Oregon object code and it was also in with the noncriminal violations and so to be honest with you we were struggling to pull it out well and so that's part of why we moved it out. So, we're thinking around that $50,000 number is probably where we're where we've been hitting. Um, but I don't have a perfect

math of it right now, which is again why we pulled it out. Sure. Mr. Oliver, do you have a sense of how many violations were issued this year thus far for violations of trash? I do not have that with with me right now. We definitely have it, though. I can send it. Could you get that to me and and the rest of the council? How many have been issued?

And I'm also curious, how many of them have been paid?

because and is that a situation I don't know if Emily you can answer this if the violations are not paid is that something that's a lean later on it is now we just we I want to say in 2022 we shifted to that 2023 they just they just shifted over to that okay it's something it just like Emily said it's something they recently started to do and it's become very effective I know someone in

this building that had a family member got leaned because of a ticket so Okay.

Yeah. Yeah. So, if if you could get that report, just curious of how many have been issued in FY25 um and then what this how much have been paid since of those fines. All right, that's it for solid waste, Mr. President. Thank you, Council. Does anyone else have any questions on solid waste? Okay, moving on to the next one. I know we've had some discussion, but any questions for the parks department?

Council seat 7 counc. Thank you, Mr.

President. Um, so back to parks and and I will just say Mr. Demi, thank you for the work you've done thus far in the park since you've been, you know, and I I can witness firsthand um umpiring down at at Federal Little League so far this spring and I've seen Mr. Deed out and about making sure the fields are are where they need to be. So, I appreciate, you know, his service to especially the

youth of our community who are having a good time on that ball field. So, I appreciate that. Um on R&M buildings and grounds on page 86, there's an increase there from 75,000 FY25 to 109250. If you can address that for me, please. So, you know, that's from hearing council's concerns over the last several years that not enough is being done to maintain the parks and that we've been

kind of chasing it. So, um, we looked at some of the budget numbers that were in there and and kind of found some unspent things and and increase that amount to make sure that we're doing more ahead of time rather than on the back end. Things that are smaller that aren't, I'm going to say, considered capital um, by being over, you know, upwards of 20 plus,000 a piece. So, I will say I appreciate that

because that's something that I've I've kind of been not so happy about over the years. It's nice to see that because u, a little more investment in our parks, especially the ones that are being used by our kids, is important. So I I do appreciate that that increase in that what's being done there. Um Mr. Demi on the two on the two on the list of employees 17 FTEEs alto together essentially outside of the director of

parks and wreck you have two vacancies an MEO laborer and a head clerk. Is that still accurate? No the head clerk is uh has been filled m in fact uh the clerk started this Monday. Oh, so u that that position's been filled and um the vacancy is also been filled. I believe that is um you're talking about the uh MEO labor number two. Oh, the MEO labor. That is a

vacancy. That is that is the only one left. and uh the way the numbers were adding up, I wanted to wait until just about the end of this uh budget to hire that one position on. Okay.

So, and just a general question to both you and Mr. Olivera. I think it's questions in the past about the number of staff to maintain the number of parks we have. Um I mean, I would probably contest that's probably not enough to do truly all the work that is in the parks department. So long-term plan for that at all? Council, we're we're assessing that right now. I mean, um, Mr. Demney

just stepped into that position. We're going to assess to make sure that we we get it right. Um, but yes, we we want to make sure that our lawns are are in great condition. It'll be part of the reorg. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Reorg, as I call it. Um, and I appreciate, but I think it's far beyond just the lawns. I mean, I think it's one just to cut the grass. Absolutely. you know, I think

there's there's a next step to that that I would like to see. Um, you know, and I'm not in no way saying they're not maintaining the parks. I'm just saying, you know, it's good. We can be great. We can be better. And that's where I'm trying to get to. Um, because I think it's it's far beyond just cutting the grass. You know, there there's more to be done to beautify our parks beyond

where they are. There is a lot of repairs that are needed. Absolutely.

There's no doubt about it. There's some repairs. And I know that some of your facilities folks have been out, you know, again, just being where I am all day long watching behind Father Travas Park and they're working on the tables and the benches and all that. So that's, you know, I'm happy to see the collaboration that's happening, which is awesome. But just the parks as themselves, I think, you know, Mr.

Demian and I took a walk down the path to Father Travas was talking about that between the school and the the mill and what that path could be and it could be cleaned up and things like that. So, um I guess like when you look at those kinds of projects that are outside of just lawn mowering, weed whacking, those are the concerns where I say, "Okay, could we are we able to do that in house

without having to go out and contract and things like that?" So, that's kind of where I'm what I'm heading with that.

But, I'll I won't go too much into it.

Obviously, that you're you're giving an analysis. He's stepping in now. Maybe in the next few months, you'll be able to give us some more information of where you're going with it. Sure. Hopefully, I would appreciate that. Um, other purchase services. Again, it's the famous question of the night for me, I guess. Um, just clarify, you break that out for me. It's, uh, page 86.

I have here

because I'm I'm just getting myself familiar with a lot of these lines myself. So, I went in today and I I broke out some examples of them.

But um it's bills and so that's really what um we we do have uh items that we are we are purchasing from that. We just don't have that those descriptions right now. Um but it it's going to be entailed towards anything regarding the parts. Absolutely.

Historically, what has it been for that line item?

And you don't have the answer now. It's okay.

We can definitely get that back to you.

Other purchase services. Now I got it.

It's um the alarm system that we have at the building and also down at Bsentennial Veterans Park. Okay. We we pay for that alarm system in the uh the uh monthly uh um the monthly payments.

Um there's another um I'll say purchases inspection stickers, inspections, uh and I believe a couple other miscellaneous things that don't fall under other lines. Okay. But that's Mr.

Dem. Where where are you working out of now? I work out of Middle Street. Out of Middle Street. Okay. It's nice. It really is. It's quiet. That's still a thing. Okay. All right. Um

That's all I have for parks. I'll yield to Mr. President. Thank you, councelor.

Now I know what you do all day, council.

Just look out the window at the park, see what's going on. I'll never admit to that. So counselor, well, sometimes you just need to go outside and get some, you know. Yeah, it happens. I'm about to join him there. So we have a father. I was talking to counts in seat 7, not you, Charlie. Listen, it's it's a wonderful track at Father Travas. It's a good walk when you need some air. So

anytime. Is there any other questions for the park department 2? Councelor Dion, I've always been confused as to why parks pays the most in water and sewer rates.

Does anybody yet have an explanation for that? It makes no sense. Seems to me that they have the fewest imperous surfaces.

I It's all grass goes right into the grass. Exactly. I don't understand it either, but I if it was just geographical area, I would understand.

Parking lots. We do have some parking lots and I that that's probably where that's coming from. But it went up another $57,000 this year. There is not a department in this budget book that had a significant increase. Matter of fact, a couple of departments went down. I mean, you look at the school department, there's a lot of schools and a lot of parking lots.

We don't we don't put those numbers.

$275,000.

It's water, too.

It's water and sewer. With water, right?

This are the splash pads part of this budget. Yeah. But yeah, I don't think that's a lot of water, but that's recycling water. That's not all of it.

No, I mean, but I I don't think that I think we can ask Paul about that if you'd like. That is a good question. Yeah, next time you hear it just it just has never made sense to me. Um, and I that's that's actually I think my only question because they I was going to ask about the head clerk and you do Oh, I know. Speaking of uh manpower, that's what I was going to

say. Last year there were four or five other vacancies in the budget for MEO laborer 2 which ended up getting axed.

Um, and the statement was, "Well, we can still hire people and then we can put that back in the budget if we have to."

Why haven't we put those positions back in the budget where we're so understaffed in parks? So, Alan and I actually just sorted through this this morning to wrap our heads back around that because it wasn't something that I had done um and was a part of. So, last year there was three additional positions that were put in to the budget book, but they weren't funded. and it was told if they're able to be filled

then we'll fund them. And so what's in here now there is one additional position technically because that one was filled. And so at this point in time because they are working through sorting out what's actually needed and and looking through those things for right now. We just kind of left in there what what had been filled. Um and this vacancy I think actually wasn't a vacancy until we kind of updated it. So

we left it in there just at that number for now and it'll be part of kind of what we relook at. Um, and we would rather come back down with a full plan to assess exactly what we need. But because they hadn't been filled, we just we went with what was funded and what we knew for sure we needed in this moment.

And then we'll kind of circle back around with it. Council, we're still assessing. We're still assessing to make sure that that that is the the exact statement that we do need to fill those slots. We're still assessing at this point. Okay. I think um obviously I don't do your job and I'm not an expert but if facilities is having to be in the parks to repair and do maintenance then

obviously we need more bodies in parks council those are se those are separate type of trades that we we're in there I mean you're not going to ask someone that's an MEO laborer to do some of that work they can do smaller projects like that but they're not going to repair certain things it's just it's just not going to happen. Um, so what we're doing right now is is we're sending our

carpenters out there. We're sending electric electricians, plumbers out there to to do that type of work. And rightly so. Those are buildings. Those are comfort stations. So there's a lot of work that we're doing that hasn't been done throughout the years that we're just catching up right now. But I mean, for example, we're the Maplewood Park. That that building is a beautiful building. we're reviving it. You're not

going to ask the folks that are cutting those gr that grass to to do that type of work. So that's that's what we're talking there's a lot of work that we're that's on the list that you're not going to have that that type of staff that is not I mean right now they h we have a a person that's the um the parks maintenance person and he's doing a great job maintaining the equipment. So

that's what you want to do. that's that's what the work that they do focusing because because it's a building facilities can do all our city buildings. So that's we're reviving that and we're using uh subs as needed um to do certain work that just is going to take us a lot lot longer to do now that we can focus in other areas. We're we're strategizing our staff. Mhm. So that leads me um to think so

we've put in we're putting in a state-of-the-art skateboard park. We've put in a number of pickle ball parks. Um there was a lot done in our in our parks in the last couple of years with opera funding. So, it begs the question, do we need to create a position in parks that's a more um specified position to be able to maintain and take care of all of those things that it's stuff we

didn't have before. So, I don't know if I'm asking the question properly, but I I see exactly where you're going with counselor, but the thing is is one of the efficiencies that councelor Reposa was talking about being able to have work with the facilities group to go to the parks. Now, you don't have to put that other person there. We're we're we have the equipment, we have the materials, we have the staffing, the

experience. We can get some of that work done. Now granted, you're talking about a brand new skate park. There's no one that we're none of us are going to have staffing to maintain that the way it really is supposed to do within the next few years. It's going to have to probably be resurfaced and that's where you get a vendor to get that type of work done. But to I don't believe that

that's necessary right now. I believe the way we're working the flow it shouldn't have to worry whether it's parks facilities going into parks. It's one umbrella and that's the way we're looking at that. Yeah, I don't disagree with the philosophy. I was just wondering if you know so I I think the analysis is to find out do we have the capacity to do what the parks folks are doing right now. That's the now if it's

determined that there's some other need then we'll we'll assess that. But if it's something that we already have as the facilities group that facilities group is the city of Fall River Group.

It's not just facilities. So, I think it's just we have the materials, we have the equipment, we have the capacity.

Now, we can go get that work done.

Okay. Thank you. That I yield. There you go. The council council. Yeah. Um Emily, I I guess this is probably the time to ask this question about the water and sewer. That's that's blank on the on the revised pages. Yeah. So, can you can you speak to that? I think I can there are a few in this. So, how did that come to be? So, in in the I'm going to say

revision resubmitt. So, it's really a re a resubmission. So, in the resubmission process um from the objected budget to this one um we heard the concerns about where some of the funding was going and what it was doing and and the way that we were able to kind of reallocate um the cost burdens that have come online this year um for one year to be clear for one year is the only goal that

um we talked to water and sewer and we are going to have the city departments um that are listed in here not including schools but we're going to um not incur those bills this year um until we're able to fully flesh out, you know, a plan with the indirects and with all of the costs that need to be included in this budget and with all of our revenue sources um for fiscal year 27. So it's

about $400,000 across all of the departments um and the general fund, not including schools that had water, sewer in their um budgets that were pulled out. Okay. So in in that same vein, how does that now affect on the other side at the water and sewer and direct line?

So in in the indirect line, it doesn't it doesn't change the indirects because they were we were paying those bills directly. So those were direct charges that were being done. So it's potentially shorting their revenue um about $200,000. It works out around that about $200,000 between water and then $200,000 to sewer. So it's just been a conversation of of kind of managing to those cuts because there weren't other

lines cut in his department. um he's able and willing to manage to that this year knowing that, you know, he was able to buy some capital this year and get that out of the way so that he wouldn't need to buy it next year and can absorb that um for the one year. So won't it won't necessarily be a problem where going to run into a deficit in Warren sewer because of the change. Correct.

Okay. And if it is at that point, you know, we're going to revisit it together. ultimately um you know it's something that we'll have that conversation if he runs into that issue and and we'll look at where we're at in the general fund and and kind of have a conversation about what's needed to make sure that everything stays whole this year. Yeah. Okay. Mr. Oliver, just to clarify on on the splash pads, so that

is an that is an incurred cost for water and sewer usage, right? Correct. So I heard you say recycled water. I was Well, we it's not something that we're we're utilizing that water and it's dis discarding Yeah. all the time. So there is a component that is being pumped filter. It is being filtered. Recycled water doesn't sound too exciting to me.

So all right. Yeah, that's that was the clarification. I'm all set with parks.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield council T5. Council president. The question I have on the water bills for the park department, fire department, whatever. Are those estimated or do we have meters there? Do you have meters, Mr. Den? We have meters at all your parks. Do you have meter water meters?

Um I believe so. Yeah, even on the um splash pads. Yep, they're on there. All your departments. Yes, Mr. Oliver have meters now. I know fire just got theirs within this I think within this fiscal year. They didn't have them before and they were using estimates, but they do have them now. So, I think that fire was the last one that didn't have the meters. So the water department was

estimating the amount of water that fire department. Okay. I'm glad that they finally have meters. We've been pushing for that for a couple of years. With that, I yield. Thank you. Thank you, council. Are there any further questions for the park department?

Moving on, we go to cemeteries.

Mr. Tiff has a question. Just a quick question because I'm um flipping from All right. So, hold on one second. It's very just raise your hand and I'll call on you. Okay. Council CD council fifth.

Thank you, Mr. President. So just a quick question because um I seen the same same same one same item from um page 86 on top. Um what does mean ser service out of rank?

Is that like do equipment outdate? No.

So, service out of rank is um we we kind of talked about it's in a couple of departments that um have these union positions where you know if you have somebody I'm going to use a very bad example because it's all I know off top of my head, but if you had say a laborer filling in on a um carpenter job for a day, if they had those qualifications and were able to, the difference in

those salaries, they'd be eligible to get paid that for a day. Um typically, it's used maybe a little bit more than a day. Um a longer term thing. So again, usually when there's a vacancy, somebody's kind of backfilling in. So then there's usually savings in another place that they're just stepping up temporarily and it's really using the vacancy savings. So that's another one that in some of these I'm going to say

smaller departments that have been using service out of rank in that way. We pulled out the budget for it because again there should be a vacancy savings to absorb that cost. It's not like a regular occurring thing for a lot of these departments. Understand council that that's that's union that's a union um that's collective bargaining. that's in the collective box. So you Awesome. Thank you. With that, I yield.

I can give you a little better example to help you understand it if you'd like.

If you're a principal in a school and the principal is on maternity leave and you grabbed a teacher that doesn't make what a principal makes and you have her fill the principal's position in the time being, that would be service out of rank and they would get they would get that additional pay that the principal gets. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.

President. No problem. Cony 2. Ciana.

Yeah. Um, so you just said temporary. So service out of rank is always supposed to be temporary.

That's what I'm saying. So sometimes it is. So like if you look at like police and fire, theirs is typically more longterm. I'm just saying in these smaller departments, they tend to be because there's a vacancy within parks within um some of the other what's the word um trades positions. They tend to they tend to be more temporary in that sense. And that's part of the problem that we were I was trying to describe

with the facilities with um the clerk is that there is no position in there right now that has that job. There is a position that exists that does that job, but just not in that department. So that's why it's budgeted for in that way because it's not like there's a vacancy savings within that department to absorb it. So So are we to expect that this will go on for forever? And I only asked

that question because the first time that came up was in last year's budget and I brought it up because I was not happy about it. and said we had a lot of clerks that deserve stipens that don't get them because we have tons of clerks who do who do work above and beyond their job. Um so she's so this is going to be her second year already doing it.

So and I I don't have a time frame that would be a better probably conversation with HR on the exact time frame of it but it's it's not supposed to be permanent which is why it's being done as service had a rank I think through the reorg is what we were talking about with that change. That was the goal the last time we we talked about it. That was definitely the goal. It would it

went down and we're we're still waiting on any changes.

I don't want to sound like a wise guy and I don't want to sound really negative, but I feel like for this this is my sixth year sitting here and I feel like we're forever told about plans and we're planning and we're looking and we're this and we never execute anything from the trash to I don't even know what. And I I I just feel like we're always treading water and never making it to shore.

Do you ever feel like that? Yes. Yeah.

Often. I can't swim. So, can you tread water? No. You're buming. Then you better stay. I'm from Florida, so it's fine. I tread very well.

So, are we actually really maybe going to make it to shore in a couple of projects this year? We especially with the reorg. I mean, we we're really hoping to move forward on that. There were a couple of roadblocks outside of even the negotiation parts that we have been working through and I think we're both really hopeful to take steps this year.

This year hopefully. See, see, unfortunately, we're only two people in the cog, so we can only guarantee so much on our own.

Okay, with that, I yield. Thank you.

Thank you, C. We don't make it to show us in a rescue boat.

Especially count one if you can't swim.

Count Z1, you have the floor now.

So just and again not trying to beat a dead horse, but so what does the project manager what's the salary?

Give me a second. I do have it.

I don't have it in front of me. I thought I did. I believe it's 60. Yeah, I believe it's 60,000. 60.

Yeah, I can get you a a more exact paperwork behind it. Yeah, if you I don't have it in front of me. It's in the low 60s.

Yeah, I'm I'm just curious what the uh the dollar amount is because obviously if it's serviced out of rank then I'm we're supposed to be paying the difference and I'm just curious if that ties out to if the 13,000 added to the salary is the difference of what the project manager makes.

With that I yield. Thank you. Thank you councel. Are there any further questions for cemeteries? No cemeteries seven count. Yeah. Yes. Thank you. Seven counts proposal. Um if you don't have a question that's fine but that's don't say no for anybody else. So on cemeteries just a real quick question.

Um so we currently still don't have a director of cemeteries correct. So Mr.

Oliver are you assuming those roles supervisor is? I am. Okay. So who's who's the next person at cemeteries? The foreman. We have u correct. That's Chris Martin. He's uh currently in the trees.

He gets paid service at a rink. Okay.

That's that's to back fill in that department. Okay. And you don't see that budgeted because there is a vacancy.

Okay. So he's getting service out of rank and it's charged to cemeteries.

It's charged to cemeteries. So where is that reflected? That's in the service out of rank which is soank under salaries and wages. So again because we don't budget we're we're now moving towards not actually budgeting for it because the vacancy savings is covering it. But you can see in the 25 projected that he's been getting paid that. So you can see the $7,000 there that he's been

getting paid. But for FY26 it's blank.

It's blank because he's either going to get paid for it out of the vacancy or we'll fill the vacancy and he'll stop getting paid it. Okay. So, Mr. Alivera, any plan to fill the position? Has there any luck to fill a position? Say the words. Reorg. Oh my god. He's been in the reorg too for for a while.

We we roll our eyes when we say reorg too. If just so you know, so you feel better. We feel the same way. Yeah.

Likewise. Likewise. Uh and the working foreman there um filled or not filled at this point? Yes. Which one? It's filled.

Filled. Okay. Filled recently or uh few months ago? Few months. Okay.

Okay.

And then I I don't know if you'll be able to answer this as far as the cemeteries as a whole. Um, remind me there was a plan or analysis done of the cemeteries, the city cemeteries some time ago as far as I think Mr. Pino was still here when he when he talked about it. Correct. Um, so we there's no concern as far as space going forward in this in our city right

now. Okay, cool. We've had a we've had a a renovation of that space and we're we're not we're not considering anything else at this point. As an Oakrove oak cemetery, correct?

Cool. All right, I yield on cemeteries.

Thank you, Council. Are there any further questions for cemeteries?

Council C5, Council, I'll just add on the cemetery. I understand you're going to do Rio, too, which is fine, but I think that Mr. Martins is handling um that cemetery the best that I've ever seen it handled. And for him to not be making the money to do the job that he does because service out of rank isn't counting for his retirement, is it? No, it doesn't. And that's not fair. So we

have to treat workers fairly. So and I would encourage the administration to make that promotion until you do your reorg. You're still going to need somebody there. So if you want to put cemeteries and trees together, I think you could handle that. I personally think parks, we have more of them, that you need somebody to handle parks and somebody to do parks to be a little bit more creative and look at parks that

we're not using and things that people need want parks to be. We need soccer fields. Lots of people now play soccer.

If you have fields that are not playing te-ball, then convert them. Softball fields like let's we did pickle ball courts all over the place. um because that there was a need for that. So I think we need to look at what the need is uh for people to get outside recreation but and I would encourage that too to happen before your Rio 2 or Rio 3 whatever RIOG you're doing this time

with that I yield. Thank you Mr. Denm further questions council seat 88 council Mr. out of the um other improvement. Um what kind of improvement are you planning to do?

Other improvement on the page 89 page 89. The last line item page 89. So there are if you if you notice there's a wall around um the cemetery. there's some appointing that has to happen around that cemetery. Uh so there's and and we need and some of the fencing is in in rough condition. So that would that money is going to be able to take care of some some of those smaller items. And the other component

to that is we're um there's a there's an area that the staff will take a break there and we right now we're in under this budget we have a mini split going in there to give them some heat and to give them some air conditioning. So that is a component of that but it's not part of this budget right now. I see. We are doing some work at those at both of

those buildings. I see. How how often do you um um do the under component?

How often to make the improvement? Well, it hasn't been done in a while. So we are we are making sure that we're beautifying those two buildings at this point and that is on our list. Okay.

Thank you. With that I yield. Thank you councelor. Thank you, councelor. Any further questions for secret?

Emily, uh, in the departments that we looked at so far, have there been any increases in pays in salary in any of these departments? And nothing more than the typical union agreement ones with the staff increases or the um, colas that just the colas. Just Yeah, just the contractual ones at this point. Okay.

With that, I yield. Thank you. Thank you. Council Debian. Oh, Council T. No, that's okay. She spocked it. So, on the work in foreman on page 90, the vacancy, that's that that's that job is being um posted at $7,800 less than it was in the last year's budget. Why?

The just the union step one is what that pay is. And so the other person that was in it had several steps before. So I that should be the difference. This is this is per the union contract this amount. So if it was something different before still a vacancy I I don't I don't know how that decision was made to budget that way. But these are all pulled from the union contracts for what the

starting salaries are. So I know in streets and highways overall the um salary the the uh yeah the personnel the salaries from last year's budget to this year was plus 91,000.

So that was all that's all to do with um union increases. So from FY25 to FY26 in streets and highways it's it's less about 50,000. Well if you Yeah. But if you go to last year's budget book, which is what I did, and you take and compare person to person across from here to here, it's actually it was actually an increase of 91,000.

I know that doesn't make sense. But so so that was I mean part of the I think I think during last year's budget hearings there was some confusion on that of how some of the salaries didn't necessarily match to either even other people in the positions and then to the union contract. So again, I think there was estimates that weren't quite accurate that were in there before and then

it's just all been right sized now. So I think that we kind of knew there were some errors in the way that those employees and the amounts were grabbed for the previous budget book and that's why we kind of revised the way we were going about that. Um in the past the departments were responsible for just sending in their lists. Um and so this time we we took a step back and we

pulled them all down ourselves um on the finance team and went through position by position to make sure that the salaries matched the union contracts and and were complete and accurate. So we just kind of had to revise the process.

So it's just to correct things at this point to make sure that it matches um to the way it should be done. So essentially what you're saying is then last year's salaries were underststated.

Not stated correctly. Not stated correctly is what I would say. I can't say over under at this I mean there's too many numbers that live in my brain at this point. So to say exactly which way, but we just found some things that didn't necessarily match to the contract. But again, I think it was because estimates were put on there that weren't obviously confirmed yet. So the way it shakes out on the back end is not

the same. Okay. Thank you. That I yield.

Thank you, council.

There any further questions for summarize?

Seeing none done, we'll move on to the next one which is trees counter seat 7 council pos. Thank you, Mr. President. Um on page 92 in trees is um $120,000 uh decrease I should say for other purchase services.

So that was a contract to get the trees um maintenance caught up and the contract is actually 4315.

Um the contract was I think originally supposed to go during the fis the last fiscal year but it actually started in April and so it's going to cross the two fiscal years. So that's kind of the divide that you're seeing happen balance of the two. Okay. Um, and we we do have forester on staff, so we know that's that's all taken care of. I guess my only question is I know there was a big

push to get trees planted. There was a program launched to plant some trees and this not a question you can answer now unless you can. Um, an idea of where we are with that. Have a lot of residents taken part of that program. I'm just curious. Has it grown? I know there's been tree planting going on throughout the city and it's and it's going to start right back again. council. Yeah.

So, we we again during the winter we couldn't do anything. So, now it's planting time again and we're uh we have our arborist working with um Mr. Martin at this point. Cool. Awesome. That's all I got for trees. I yield. Thank you.

Council, did you have any hand up?

No. Okay. Anyone else have a question for trees? Nope. I'm good. Move on to Council 7. Council. Thank you, Mr.

President. Um, Emily, just a curiosity, as far as snow removal expenses, it's pretty much a replica of of FY25.

It was, you can thank the state.

There you go. It was a pretty good winter, I would say. So, um, that's a a good thing in that in that regard. As far as the rate of the rate per hour for plowing the sala, is that looking ahead, is that changing? Do we know or I think we I think we made an adjustment in the last couple years. So, I think We don't see anything right now and we can't forecast anything at this point.

No, I'm saying like as far as the because you pay the people that plow an hourly rate to plow when you hire them.

Is that going to change from last year to this year? We can't we can't determine that right now. A lot of a lot of times was um we would have to find out what the what the other neighboring towns were. I was going to say what drives that number. A lot of times it's that and a lot of times it's the the state um fun u finances. So if if they

stop if they do an increase then we lose uh employees um vendors I should say.

Vendors. Yeah. Yeah. And how many how many of our city employees get a snow stipen?

Do you have a number? It should be in here. Yep. It is in here.

So we have various departments that do have snow stipens. Correct. and just look for an overall number of how many city employees get a snow stipen for for this purpose.

snow stipen we have um it's 63 $63,000 that we have for snow stipen that's in one department that's yeah we I'd have to we'd have to pull it it's it's literally all throughout anybody that kind of qualifies but then they also have to qualify for the stipen so they have to be eligible to be able to plow but then they have to meet certain qualifications of showing up for it so

we could pull the exact number because it's definitely very widespread okay and is it a flat flat stipen for everybody.

Oh, it depends. Uh, yes. Well, it depends on the union. Okay. Different types of union. So, I'll take that list offline if you could just to break that out for me. That'd be great. Um, that's all I have for snow removals. Thank you.

To answer your question, usually the price is determined by the amount of snow we have in a particular year. If they try to get more vendors because you get a lot of heavy snow coming down time after time to get more people involved, they up the price. That's usually what happens to it. Got it. Thank you. Are there any other questions for snow removal? No.

No questions. Okay, thank you guys for coming down and we'll move on to the general government, city clerk, city council.

City council take a threem minute recess. Five minute recess.

Heat. Heat.

Oh

city council reconvene.

Now moving to general government city clerk.

Does anyone have any questions for the city clerk?

No.

Just wait for not going to move on till 10 questions are asked to city clerk.

Just joking. They do a tremendous job. I do. City city council C5 council vice.

Are we buying any new equipment for the clerk's office or for the council office? I can't afford it. A whole bunch of council. Are we? We just said we have a basic um account that for office supplies, but we don't have any plans to buy anything major. And they're not going to finish the rugs here like they were. That doesn't come out of our budget anyway.

Have you heard rumors about that? No, I haven't heard of that yet. And and your guy Al would have been great to talk to about that with the facilities, but we can I can follow up with him. I think he got out of here very quickly. No, I'm just that's the least of my worries. I think there's other things that are more important. But um thank you. Our city clerk does a wonderful job. I don't have

any questions for her. Yes, I've enjoyed working with her for six years.

Yes, I actually have a question as far as the uh postage that we have. Are we doing okay with that or do we need to increase that at all for the notices that have to go out? Postage for postage. Yeah, for mailing, will we change from um the requirement of registered mail to certified mail. So, it did save us quite a bit. So, good.

And as far as notifying the butters and for all of those as well. Yep. Okay, perfect. Thank you. No more further questions for me. So, there being no further questions for the city clerk.

No, we have a great city council.

Any questions for the councils?

Good. No, we just there be no further questions. We've cut everything we could from the council. I think when I started here, we travel. Do we have any other questions about anything else or the any of the appropriations that came down or we can do it Monday? It doesn't matter.

Well, that's fine. Is that when we're going to discuss the changes? We can discuss whatever you want to discuss. If you want to talk about any of the changes today, you can. If not, we can do it Monday as well. I would just wait until all the councils. I agree. Okay.

Motion to table. Motion to table has been made and seconded. All in favor?

Any opposed? Motion tabled. Motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjurnn has been made and seconded. All in favor? I. All in favor? I. Any opposed? City council meeting is now agenda.

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