Board of Finance - Minutes - 03/15/2023

Board of Finance Wednesday, March 15, 2023
RECEIVED F OR RECORD Town Hall Auditorium — 7:00 pm
Budget Hearing Minutes WATERFORD, CT
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Present: Chairman Glenn Patterson, John Sheehan, Ronald Fedor, Joe Fillipetti, David Peabody
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and Robert TuneskijTEST: & P: Lease"
TOWN CLERK
Absent: Kevin Petchark
Elected: First Selectman Robert Brule; Thomas Dembek, RTM
Staff: Gary Schneider, Director of Public Works; Alan Wilenski, Tax Collector; David Campo,
Town Clerk; Paige Walton, Assessor; Bigi Ebbin, Registrar of Voters; Patricia Waters,
Registrar of Voters; Joseph Mancini, Director of Operations Board of Education;
Kimberly Allen, Director of Finance; Maryellen McConnell, Recording Secretary
1. Establishment of a quorum and call to order:
A quorum was established and the Budget Meeting of the Board of Finance was called
to order at 7:25 pm on March 15, 2023.
2. Public Comment: No public comment
An opening statement regarding the budget process was made by Glenn Patterson,
Chairman.
3, Standing Motion: A standing motion was made by Glenn Patterson and seconded by
Ronald Fedor for John Sheehan and David Peabody to tentatively approve the budget
requests for FY23/24 for the remainder of the budget meetings.
Vote: 6-0-0 Motion: Passed
4, Registrar of Voters:
The current number of voters in the Town of Waterford is 14,300, this is low at the
moment due to canvasing. There was a pay increase for the Deputy Registrars due to
them taking on more responsibilities. Our tabulator machines are fifteen years old, they
do not expect to receive new ones until next year.
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by David Peabody to approve the Registrar of
Voters request for FY23/24 in the total amount of $79,488.
Vote: 6-0-0 Motion: Passed

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Board of Finance Budget Minutes — March 15, 2023
Page 2
5.
Assessor:
The 2022 property revaluation has been completed. We have 118 appeals from the
revaluation: 19 of those are commercial, 92 residential, 3 motor vehicle and 2 personal
property. The number of elderly residents has not gone up. Training, the Assistant
Assessor is on track to take the CMA test, which will be in October, 2023. The Assessor
did go to Wichita last year for the power plant training. The Assessor’s Office has
moved to the online books, they are cheaper, user friendly then the old books that we
would buy.
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by David Peabody to approve the Assessor’s
budget request for FY23/24 in the total amount of $292,148.
Vote: 6-0-0 Motion: Passed
Board of Assessment Appeals:
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by David Peabody to approve the Board of
Assessment Appeals budget request for FY23/24 in the total amount of $1,602.
Vote: 6-0-0 Motion: Passed
Tax Collector:
Next week starts the conference of the Tax Collector’s Association, which has many
training programs. OPM requires that we have 50 hours of continual training.
Attending the conference will cover 12.5 hours of that training. There is also training on
bankruptcy, that is a very technical and a great refresher courses. While COVID slowed
down the bankruptcy process and courts are reopening, we have been able to do 7 out
of 10 foreclosure actions. There are four more in the plans, and those should be
completed by the end of FY23.
Tax collection has increased along with the online payments. As of Wednesday, March
15, 2023, the Town of Waterford has a collection rate of: 99.23% for real estate, 99.89%
for personal property and 96.11% for motor vehicles. There is a 3 day delay for online
payments for motor vehicles, so if a release is needed immediately, they need to come
into the office and pay with cash.

Board of Finance Budget Minutes ~ March 15, 2023
Page 3
Tax Collector (continued):
Advertising has dropped as the State is trying to do away with advertising in the local
papers, since many towns no longer have a local paper. The cost of postage has gone
up, but the amount mail that | receive has dropped. Most payments are online. New
software for the Utility Department is being implemented, | have been working with
them to accept payments at the tax office. We have been accepting payments here and
then send them to the Utility Department for them to be processed.
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by David Peabody to approve Tax Collector
budget request for FY23/24 in the total! amount of $217,865.
Vote: 6-0-0 Motion: Passed
Town Clerk:
| would like to thank my staff for all their hard work that has been done. Revenues are
through the roof, and keeping up with the land records on a daily basis can be brutal
with all the property sales. Land records that come into this office are completed ona
daily basis. We have now started using E-Recordings, a new software and that is moving
right along. The Deputy Town Clerk, Mary Kent, retired. Darleen Celotto is now the
Deputy Town Clerk and a new administrative assistant has been hired.
Early voting will be a little crazy. However; on days when the Registrar of Voters are in,
they will send them directly to them. We should have some grants for early voting,
those should help with the extra hours we put in.
We are completely caught up copying all records onto microfilm. All of our backup is
stored at tron Mountain in New York.
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by David Peabody to approve the Town Clerk
budget request for FY23/24 in the total amount of $252,225.
Vote: 6-0-0 Motion: Passed

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Board of Finance Budget Minutes — March 15, 2023
Page 4
10.
Representative Town Meeting:
David Campo, Town Clerk continues to volunteer to do the minutes for the RTM
meetings. When David is not available the moderator has done the minutes or another
representative.
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by David Peabody to approve the
Representative Town Meeting budget request for FY23/24 in the total amount of
$18,903.
Vote: 6-0-0 Motion: Passed
Board of Selectmen:
This is my fourth budget, and again | am submitting a flat budget. !do have a new
Administrative Assistant, Cindy left to take on a new position. The new assistant’s
position will funded at less money through line #10101-51110. Cindy will be part time
to train the new person and also funded through the same line number.
John Sheehan asked again for a summary of professional fees, we keep asking for this
and it is not received. The board also asked about the consultant that was hired for the
I-95 corridor, First Selectman Brule stated that it was being introduced to the legislature
for this session. The board questioned if KGR Consulting had ever done work with
municipalities, First Selectman Brule stated that they have worked with the City of
Boston, several school districts and several municipalities.
Training: there are about three courses the First Selectman takes every.year through
CCM. Other supplies: these are for folders, frames and certificates that the First
Seiectman’s office gives out to people.
John Sheehan stated that this budget is very vague and has not enough backup. He also
stated that as the First Selectman that his budget should be an example for all
departments, and this is not it.
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by David Peabody to approve the Board of
Selectmen budget request for FY23/24 in the total amount of $207,605.
Vote: 5-0-1 John Sheehan: No Motion: Passed

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Board of Finance Budget Minutes — March 15, 2023
Page 5
11. Adjournment:
Motion by John Sheehan and seconded by Robert Tuneski to adjourn the Budget
Meeting of the Board of Finance at 8:35 pm.
Vote: 6-0-0
Respectively Submitted,
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bonn Sheehan, Clerk
Motion: Passed
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Maryellen McConnell, recorting Secretary