Representative Town Meeting (RTM) - Minutes - 07/21/2020

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FIFTEEN ROPE FERRY ROAD
WATERFORD, CT 06385-2886
MINUTES
PUBLIC PROTECTION & SAFETY STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE RTM eS
Public Hearing & Special Meeting
Tuesday July 21, 2020
5:30 P.M. - Waterford Town Hall/Zoom Remote Access Only
PUBLIC HEARING
The July 21, 2020 public hearing of the Public Protection & Safety Standing Committee of the RTM was
called to order by Chairperson Timothy Condon at 5:34 P.M.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT: April Cairns, Timothy Condon, Susan Driscoll, Richard Muckle.
ABSENT: Baird Welch-Collins
ALSO PRESENT: Town Attorney Robert Avena, First Selectman Robert Brule, Town Clerk David L.
Campo, Labor Attorney Eileen Duggan, Director of Fire Services Bruce Miller, Human Resources
Director Joyce Sauchuk.
MOTION by Driscoll, seconded by Muckle to open the public hearing in regard to a proposed addition to
the Waterford Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2.36 - VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS INCENTIVE
PROGRAM at 5:35 P.M.
VOTING IN FAVOR: Unanimous
PUBLIC COMMENT was submitted by the following: Board of Finance Member John “Bill” Sheehan,
19 Laurel Crest, Waterford, CT; Quaker Hill Fire Chief Vincent Ukleja, 81 Old Colchester Rd, Quaker
Hill, CT; RTM Member Thomas Dembek, 56 Goshen Rd, Waterford, CT; John Mariano, 126 Dayton Rd,
Waterford, CT.
MOTION by Driscoll, seconded by Muckle, to close the public hearing at 5:43 P.M.
VOTING IN FAVOR: Unanimous :
SPECIAL MEETING
The July 21, 2020 special meeting of the Public Protection & Safety Standing Committee of the RTM
was called to order by Chairperson Timothy Condon at 5:44 P.M.

ROLL CALL
PRESENT: April Cairns, Timothy Condon, Susan Driscoll, Richard Muckle.
ABSENT: Baird Welch-Collins .
ALSO PRESENT: Town Attorney Robert Avena, First Selectman Robert Brule, Town Clerk David L.
Campo, Labor Attorney Eileen Duggan, Director of Fire Services Bruce Miller, Human Resources
Director Joyce Sauchuk.
AGENDA ITEM 3: July 7, 2020 Minutes
MOTION by Driscoll, seconded by Muckle, to approve the minutes from the July 7, 2020 meeting.
VOTING IN FAVOR: Unanimous
AGENDA ITEM 4: Review/Enactment of a Stipend Program for Volunteer Firefighters (RTC
10/07/2019)
DISCUSSION ensued in regards to comments made during the public hearing as well as additional
concerns by members.
MOTION by Muckle, seconded by Condon, to recommend an addition to the Waterford Code of
Ordinances, Chapter 2.36 - VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
VOTING IN FAVOR: Condon, Muckle
VOTING AGAINST: Cairns, Driscoll
MOTION FAILED
Town Attorney and staff agreed to address the changes in the next draft.
MOTION by Driscoll, seconded by Cairns, to adjourn at 6:34 P.M.
VOTING IN FAVOR: Unanimous

Statement of J. W. “Bill” Sheehan at Public Hearing 07212020
Regarding Volunteer Firefighter and Fire Police Incentive Program
I want to thank the Committee for their hard work thus far in developing this proposed
ordinance. Through the efforts of the Town Attorney, the Town Labor Attorney and the Human
Resources Director, I am sure this ordinance meets the criteria of the Federal Fair Labor
Standard Act (FLSA).
However, I believe that the ordinance has some weaknesses regarding information necessary to
permit the key elected boards (Board of Selectman, Board of Finance, and Representative Town
Meeting) to properly monitor this program.
The only reports mentioned in the Draft Ordinance are an Incident Report for every dispatched
incident addressed to the Director of Fire Services and a quarterly report by the Director of Fire
Services that provides information regarding who gets paid the stipend. I assume the quarterly
report goes to the HR Director although there is no mention as to who receives the report.
[recommend that the Committee include a requirement that the Fire Services Director report to
the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and Representative Town Meeting on the number of
recipients of the stipend and the total amount expended each quarter along with a statement
regarding the effectiveness of the program in incentivizing volunteer firefighters and fire police.
The elected boards do not need to know any names, just numbers and dollars expended and
success or failure of the incentive program.
I don’t know if the recent agreement with the Waterford Ambulance Service (WAS) and the
change in who responds to EMS Calls impacts this comment. Basically, the question is — Are
atry volunteer firefighters also employees of the WAS? If so, there needs to be a mechanism to
ensure that a Volunteer does not get incentive credit as well as payment from the WAS. I do not
see any such safeguard in the proposed ordinance.
In summary, I recommend outlining a safeguard procedure to prevent any incentive credit for a
call that was also paid for by the Waterford Ambulance Service and providing a summary report
to the elected boards on the status and success or not of the incentive program at a specifically
defined interval (either quarterly or semiannually).
Thank you for your attention.