City of Binghamton, NY City Council Meetings, 3 Jan 2022

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From YouTube: 2022.01.03 City Council Work Session

Description

Chapters
00:00 Call to Order
02:20 RL22-01 - RL22-03
18:05 RL22-04 - RL22-07
34:50 Pending Legislation

A

Welcome everyone: let's call this meeting to order. This is the works first work session of the year january, 3 2022..

A

Please stand for the pledge to the flag.

B

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands. A nation nation, under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

A

Mr clerk, can you take a role for us? Please.

C

Councilman scoring president councilwoman reznetti, president councilman reilly.

D

C

Councilwoman friedman.

E

C

Councilman burns.

E

C

Councilman scanlon and president strong present. Mr president, that's all seven here thank.

A

You, okay, we'll get right into it. Do we have uh mr pearsall out there.

F

Good evening I have ed from with me and ellie wagner superintendent and board member. We have three rls before you tonight, they're all related to staffing, and I believe I have them as you have them.

F

The first one concerns re shuffling our rosters, to increase the operator, one trainees by three and one mechanics assistant, and to do that. We're looking to defund one operator two and two operator, three positions.

G

One operator three, two operator, twos uh-oh. I have been corrected.

F

We are defunding.

F

G

Operator three: we.

F

Are defending one operator three and two operator twos?

F

I think it was correct in the detail, but I must have had a change.

F

This actually is a savings on the personal services, salary line and the corresponding state retirement, social security workers, compensation, overhead type lines, and we are looking to move the funding into the contingency law.

A

Does anybody have any questions for mr pearsall or the other? uh The board members that are there.

A

Councilwoman freeman go ahead.

E

Thank you, I'm sorry, I'm having technical difficulties. um Thank you, mr president, hello. um I I just want to make sure that the um the actual legislation has the operator want an operator to correct, because the the title of the legislation is reversed, where my the legislation that I'm looking at says decrease the apportionment for one operator two and two operator threes and that's reversed, correct.

F

And my sheet is incorrect. I.

E

um That's okay, but so then the the title is reversed and the um I just want to make sure that the actual budget transfers are those correct. Yes,.

F

Yes, the detail sheet with the dollar sign.

E

Is correct? Okay, great! Thank you.

A

Okay, any other questions for mr pearsall and the other gentleman.

F

For each of these, we do ask for all three of these that may be expedited. We have applications in-house, thankfully enough at the lower levels, so.

F

The second one is to create a new position for an electrician's helper by defunding one electrician position again. This results in a savings that will be transferred into the contingency line.

H

This new title has already been approved by the civil service commission. Yes,.

F

It is yes, you have a job description, all prepared.

E

Thank you, mr president. um Okay, so I I did have a question about this one. um If so, if there's you, okay, sorry, you said that you had applications that were already in for this new position. The electrician's helper.

G

We do, we did get one today.

E

Okay- and this has been the the switch is because you've, you have no applicants thus far, who are qualified to be an electrician, but the applicants that have applied for the position would be qualified for the electrician's helper position. Is that why this switch is being made.

G

E

Okay and how would the responsibilities differ between the electrician's helper and the electrician.

G

The biggest responsibility.

G

And qualifier is the fact that a journeyman's license will not be required.

E

And is that a a liability in any way that someone who would be performing a lot of the same tasks that someone who normally would have a license be performing.

G

E

G

Be working under the direct supervision of a journeyman, a master electrician or an electrical engineer.

E

Okay, thank you. Those are all my questions.

F

The third one relates to a position that had been making all of last year, the cmms clerk. We would like to increase that line.

F

Well, this one is a use of funds to be taken from contingency when we were going through the negotiations, that being a vacant position was not boosted with the raise that the rest of the union received.

F

This created a compression we wanted to have this person be paid a little more than a mechanic, because it's sort of an over advisory position. Their responsibilities are going to be to make sure the mechanics are filling out the work orders- and we see this as having more responsibility, so we're asking that this be boosted 30.19,.

F

A

Anybody else have any other questions: go ahead: councilman freeman.

E

Thank you. um Yes, I have one more question, so this seems this was. You said unfilled all of last year. Yes,.

F

So no well, it wasn't a budget at all. This is a new position, so being it was designed on the 2021 budget, there was no position in it. So, as the increases that were negotiated late in the year increased everybody else for 2022 this one didn't move along with it because it was non-position.

F

We couldn't do anything with it until the beginning of 2022, because it's 2022 budget.

E

Right, okay, so um it says ex the cmms clerk at full experience rate that just that's referring only to the rate of pay and not the position of an experienced person. Yeah.

F

If it had been a totally off the street hourly person starting, they started four dollars an hour or less. So this gives us the ability to hire somebody fully trained and qualified at the full position.

E

Okay, thank you.

H

And to clarify this was a new title approved at the last civil service commission meeting upon presentation by ed crum.

A

Councilman's councilman scringey good.

B

Thank you, mr president,.

A

B

Hey ed, how are you good evening, good evening, happy new year? um I just had a question charlie. I know you had mentioned a little earlier that um you have some internal applicants for some of these new positions.

B

Is that correct.

I

Yes and external.

F

Yeah, I think, there's one internal and several external.

B

No, that that's great, if you have someone internal, I think that's really good um mike. My question is just simply going to be, at least for that singular position that you're saying that there is an internal applicant.

B

If that internal applicant is hypothetically hired into that new position, does the old position is that one of the proposed defunded ones, or would that create an additional vacuum with now that position than being vacant, because an internal physic, an internal person, forgive me moved to a different position.

G

Councilman, this is elliot, wagner, hey elliot, how are you happy new year? So what this would do? Yes, that person is a mechanic that would open up the funding of a mechanic which we're going to ask to create a mechanics assistant, another mechanics assistant, because we want to maintain the maintenance of the new equipment. This is the best way to do this.

G

The present mechanics assistants are not qualified, yet they don't have the time in to become a mechanic. So this is a more cost-effective way for us to fill this position, train them in-house.

G

This is another in-house position, as an operator trainee has applied for this position, he's going to be a great candidate um has been working here for over a year, but that would create another position operator trainee position, which we don't have a problem, hiring operator. Trainees all told it looks like it would be. Four operator trainees we'd be able to hire the rest of them would be from with that.

B

Excellent, no that's great. I appreciate that elliot just so just so. We had clarification on that and that there's a plan for that. So that sounds great. Thank you. Thank you, mr president,.

A

Okay, any other questions for the team down at the sewer plant.

A

Which item did they ask, be expected.

F

All three impossible.

B

I thought it was all three okay.

A

Okay, um understand.

G

The mechanics assistant position that's created has to wait until the next pay period, so we don't define a position, that's filled. The numbers are presented based on.

F

That yeah, but we did calculate right, they actually did calculations based on a january page period. So that's why we're asking this to be expedited.

I

G

Except for the mechanics assistant.

G

So we can't defund a position that is occupied if we choose to hire the person from within. We have to wait till he actually accepts the position and his qualifications are accepted by civil service.

G

So that gives us a couple of weeks. If we defund on, I believe it's january 22nd that position that would give everyone enough time.

G

To allow that person to transition we'd be without a mechanics assistant for two weeks, basically.

I

That's the bottom half of the chart on page three you'll see it says: minus 24 pay periods only, whereas the other ones involve 25 papers.

H

Justin for city council's information: this is sharon. These positions um need to be posted for 10 days prior to hire, which I imagine is one of the reasons why um the people sitting before you are requesting that it be expedited in fairness, the city clerk's office. They are short staffed this week, so they will use their best efforts.

H

If council agrees to to expedite them, um however, I'm not sure do the 24-hour posting requirement um for the rl's, as established by open meetings law, if they'll they can meet that, I'm sure that they will use their best efforts to do so if council wishes them to do it.

A

Okay, thanks sharon; um okay, I'm uh everything was in good order here. You got this this stuff in on time, so we'll allow that to be expedited. If it's according and yet you you were able to explain it well, so I appreciate you taking the time to do that, so we at least understood what what that was. So we will go ahead and add that to uh to wednesday's agenda for the business meeting.

A

Thank you. Thank you.

A

Okay, any other any other questions or comments for the uh for the crew down there.

A

Okay, thanks guys for coming. We appreciate it. Thank.

I

A

A

Okay. We have mr shagger he's refused to come up to the main desk, so we're going to remove the mic for next time. So uh so he can't sit over there, but uh we'll get we'll get this thing moving and we'll uh we'll go so go ahead. Mr shaker.

J

The first one is uh 2204.: it's to amend the 2021 sewer budget on this is to cover the cost of the two individuals that are doing the administrative work and closing out the joint sewage treatment plant project.

J

um This one I'm moving 2 200 between into the personal service line and professional service line, 1's 800, 1 1400 and I'm taking it from the serial bond interest that was not spent last year.

J

A

uh Councilman riley go ahead.

D

Yes, thank you, council president, so we are amending the budget to pay a contract employee whose contract ended or is ending.

J

I'm asking for it in the next kind in the next rl to extend it through the end of january. It's with a local agency.

D

Thank you for that clarification.

J

The next rl is 2205. uh it's to amend the 22 budget, uh where these people were not part of the budget. When we did it back in september, we were hopeful that this project would be done, and over with that is not the case.

J

At this point, I believe there's a total about nine invoices to be paid plus uh two sets of retainage and then get all the documents put away, so we can file them for any future use.

J

The goal is to get everything completed uh by the end of january, and this is estimated to cost 3 500 in personal services, 2 800 professional services and I've taken this out of the joint sewer fund balance. um I shouldn't say it's not joint sore. It's the sewer fund balance, I'm sorry, that's mis written on there uh and basically half of this will get reimbursed to us in the final bill at the end of 22.

J

A

Councilman riley go ahead.

D

Yes, so again chuck um the documentation submitted is it leaves much to be desired? Can you tell us what what project and what agency or what this is related to this.

J

Is related to the sewage stream implant project finishing out all the final payments, getting all the documentation uh finalized.

D

So there were several projects and several agencies finishing up correct.

J

No there's there's three contracts that we are still finalizing: pc construction, maco, electric and quandelle and.

D

So these transfers are comprehensive and will allow us to finish our contracts with all three agencies.

J

Allow us to pay all three agencies and get all the documentation, finalized and stored away in a right order.

D

And we don't foresee any any future issues.

J

What do you mean by that.

D

So there's not another bill that may come because they pretty much submitted all the bills that were required for the ending of the project. They're not still working.

J

There is a company called streeter that is still doing work; okay, that um we're waiting for some, what they call caps to go over some things that it's hopeful, that that will be done by the end of january.

D

And we have enough in our budget to uh cover that estimate and.

J

Yes, yes, we have enough money in the budget to pay everything that we're aware of on this project.

D

J

The next rl is 2206..

J

This is to amend the 21 fire budget for arpa funds allocated to fire extension, essential workers.

J

Basically, when I submitted this to you back in probably october november time period, I estimated uh an extra 563 dollars and 90 cents arpa funds to pay out to the firemen for the essential workers, I'm returning that money into the harpa fund going back to it. So we could spend it someplace else in the future.

J

A

Councilmember free councilwoman friedman go ahead.

E

Thank you, council, president hi chuck. How are you.

G

E

um Okay, I have um a question because both both of those lines are labeled decrease, so the the first one federal aid arpa that should be increased.

J

No they're both decreases we're decreasing in expense and we're decreasing a revenue.

E

Oh, I see so what decreasing the federal aid arpa line, that's an expense line and decreasing the fire wages arpa, which is a.

J

That you got the opposite. The bottom one is wages, we're decreasing what we're paying the fire department and our money and we're decreasing. The revenue account that we would get money from our funds.

E

Oh, I see okay, thank you.

J

You're welcome.

D

Council president.

A

Yes, I'm sorry go ahead. Councilman riley.

D

Thank you um so, mr schager, um so what happened that we have this overage.

J

I believe what happened is when I was doing the calculation uh there's only a maximum amount of money that someone could earn in arapa funds and someone was over by 563. So I had to reduce the arpa usage.

D

Okay, so all of our everyone that was eligible we've we've accounted for everyone that is eligible based upon the guidelines we walked through uh several council sessions ago.

J

D

Okay, thank you.

J

To take that to another statement, for you, everyone that you've approved arpa funds for essential workers were paid out before the end of this past year. They were, everyone was paid by 12 31.

J

Going to rl 2207, this is amend the 21 finance budget. um I've had a temporary person on board for the last four months and when I estimated her salary we're going to be over it by 400.

J

So I'm moving money from my overtime line from my office equipment line from my office supplies to put it into the temporary service line of 400.

J

Any questions on that one.

A

Councilman scringey going.

B

Thank you, mr president. Hey chuck, how are you good happy new year? um Thank you. Thank you. I know they're not large amounts, but uh considering that this is the 2021 budget, do you do you fear or feel that taking money out of those any of those lines um is gonna impact, the closing of the 2021 books for your budget or impact any other expenditures? Okay, awesome. Thank you.

I

A

We have, I just want to make a note. We have. We do have one more. We uh there's a packet of rls that was in last week that you know got did get caught between administrations. I spoke with uh the clerk and president resident early this afternoon, so we wanted to let chuck do this. um We mentioned.

A

I mentioned, like I said to mention to the mayor, we're going to try to try to tidy these things up a little bit, but if you'll notice, um mayor cram, did sign this one, so this one came in between and kind of kind of got lost on the shovel. So I think all things considered, if that's the only one that happened as a transfer administrations- that's probably probably not too bad. So so this is rl 2208. I think they sent it down.

A

Hopefully everybody got the email, so go ahead. Chuck.

J

What 2208 is is an rl uh to take care of two temporary positions that were not part of the budget.

J

uh The first one is covering uh our former corp council uh to bring him on part time, for hopefully six weeks, we're going to fund a temporary line for him and move that money from contingency and the other. One is related to my department last year. Actually in 20 and 21, I defunded a full-time uh clerk position.

J

um During last year I lost uh an assistant comptroller, uh a payroll person who went to purchasing and the person that then took over payroll. She left us and went to another local business.

J

So right now I have three uh people still learning uh their positions, and I brought back a one of the ladies that retired to assist me in training all these people, because she understands the whole department and she's willing to stay on um for this year and work as I need her, I'm anticipating one or two days um during the year per week. uh That's going to vary some weeks. She won't be here at all other weeks.

J

uh She'll may be here for all five days if someone's on vacation to cover, but it makes my department a lot stronger and things will get more accomplished on a regular basis with less problems. And that's I put in twenty thousand dollars and I'm taking that out of contingency.

A

Councilman friedman go ahead.

E

Thank you council president. uh I just want to clarify this is one piece of legislation that has the temporary services for finance for twenty thousand dollars and the personal services for law for five thousand dollars. That's together.

J

We've done it that way in the past. It could be two like pieces of legislation if you wanted to, but it could be because we're taking the money out of contingency and putting it into two different departments.

E

Oh, no, that's fine with me. I just it sounded like there was two pieces, so I wanted to make sure because I'm only looking at one I wanted to make sure I have all the documents thanks.

A

Any other questions for for chuck, please down here.

H

Since he's down there and would never say so- I'm sorry councilman, riley uh chuck and his department, while short staffed, engage in a herculean effort to ensure that our essential workers were paid based off of all of the contracts and to try and reconcile the budget, which obviously you'll see continue pieces of legislation going forward in 2022 at the beginning of the year, as is everything, but particularly with the change of administration.

H

I really wanted to acknowledge chuck and the finance department's efforts uh during during this time. So thank you so much chuck um and to your team and to the former employee, who's retired, who uh comes back to assist us. She is glorious and she assists the law department as well, and so thank you. Thank yous are due all around.

J

You're welcome. Thank you.

A

J

Yeah, I would concur with that and.

A

I know at least from what I do during the day is any of these arpa federal funds covet things adds a whole other element of of reporting and and things that you have to do. That's not you know, that's definitely not something you're used to on a on a regular basis, so we do appreciate that and want to keep up with all those things. So thank you. Sharon for bringing that up so uh councilwoman riley go ahead, not quite yet chuck.

D

Yes, no stay there, chuckle, okay, so, as you know, you did send the uh end of year report, which we were all greatly well. I'm gonna speak for everyone I'll take that authority uh that we were. We were very glad and very excited to review at the end of the year. um So please clarify for me.

D

Unassigned fund balance and contingency are those the same. uh Is that the same line.

J

D

Just so, everyone is aware, uh if you see the line, unassigned fund balance, that does not mean that's. What's in our contingency fund right, that's that has a different line. Number right! That's.

J

D

Okay, I just wanted to make sure, because again, um when we say of this unassigned fund balance what percent, how much do we have in contingency.

J

Not very much probably 50 000.

D

Okay, and do you know that line number by heart.

J

D

But it we can it's somewhere, we can pull it easily.

J

Yes, it's in the budget.

D

Right! Okay, um but not on this end of your budget report.

J

No, it's not on a balance sheet. It's in the budget. I think it's 8 19 90 or 80 19 10, but I'm not 100 sure off top my head.

D

Okay and then, if, if we wanted to this, is when we would go into discussions about, I mean not now, of course, but how we would appropriate some of the unrestricteds back into different organizations. As we start to look at tr fund transfers throughout the year right.

J

Hopefully, we don't, but.

D

But we could, because that was that great webinar you sent to all of us. So again, I thank you for that and um thank you for sending the information.

J

Actually, actually, I will say there is an rl that I dropped off today. That will be moving. I think 720 000 out of the unrestricted fund balance um for a fema project.

D

It's for next work session.

J

D

J

It's basically it's basically to take care of some uh projects on the east side of businesses and places that have been damaged multiple times with flooding.

D

Thank you for sharing that.

I

A

Okay, any other questions for mr shaker.

A

Okay, um we have some petting legislation.

A

Clerk tell us about that or I guess we can see it for ourselves. So how do you usually do that? There's three.

C

Items here, one is for protective clothing at joint sewer and then the other two have to do with the ywca child care facility that we spoke about two weeks ago.

C

Any questions on those.

A

Okay, so we will wrap it up. Can I take uh I'll take a motion to it during the uh work session for time? Second, second: okay, weird turn we'll see everybody wednesday.

D

Thank you have a good.

B