Date: Fri 08-Mar-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Council-Cascella-personnel

Full Text:

Council Approves Cascella Request For A Personnel Director

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Legislative Council approved First Selectman Bob Cascella's request for a

human resources (personnel) director Tuesday evening as they reviewed and

approved the first two sections of the proposed 1996-97 budget.

Democrat Jack Rosenthal and Republican Pierre Rochman led unsuccessful

attempts to reduce the administration account by eliminating either the

$40,000 for the proposed personnel director or the $55,000 for the town's

community development director, or by combining the two positions.

"We all know this will be a tough year with the (property) revaluation," Mr

Rosenthal said, recommending that a personnel director not be hired. "Here is

is $40,000 we could save. If I thought the job was important and necessary,

I'd vote for it."

Mr Rosenthal said the town will not have any major labor negotiations this

year and could afford to wait until next year to consider the position. But

Karen Blawie, chairman of the administration subcommittee, said she was

totally in support of the position.

"Mr Cascella made some very cogent agruments for hiring a human resource

director," she said. "We are a $19 million business with 135 employees. Many

other area towns the size of Newtown, such as Brookfield and Ridgefield, have

such a position. From what our finance director has said, it will save Newtown

money in the long run."

Mr Rochman said he could support either the personnel position or the

community development position, but not both.

"The director of community development position was created with the idea that

the town would get back dollars in spades by boosting economic development,"

he said. "I think, in fact, it has cost the town money. If you add in the

$12,000 to $18,000 in fringe benefits, that's $70,000 a year that we are

spending."

Council Vice Chairman Melissa Pilchard said she strongly supported town

planning but since the community development position was created about five

years ago she has been "very disappointed with the results." Although she

voted in favor of keeping both positions in the budget, Mrs Pilchard said town

government is getting too big and may be more than the town can afford.

"My philosophy is to let the positions stay but I think in the long run we

will have to take a lot out of the budget," she said.

Mr Rochman tried unsuccessfully to remove $36,000 for computers, saying he was

concerned that the program was being started prematurely without providing a

training program for staff. "I'd like to see training included even if it

costs more money," he said, suggesting that the $36,000 be moved to the

contingency account. His motion died for lack of a second.

The council reduced the budget line for the Children's Adventure Center from

$100,206 to $82,500. Mrs Blawie explained that the amount still includes the

$20,000 the town has given to the day care center each year. The total has

been adjusted to reflect a change in the state's fiscal year and the way it

computes its funding, she said.

Mrs Blawie also said she has asked Finance Director Benjamin Spragg to analyze

what it costs the town to pay the fringe benefits of such non-town employees

as those at the Adventure Center, Youth Services, the Booth Library and Edmond

Town Hall.

The council asked for an explanation of the Newtown Health District budget

after Mr Rochman complained that the health budget has increased instead of

decreased in the past two years.

"We got into this district because it was supposed to save us money," he said.

"Instead we've seen a 20 percent increase since 1994-95."

The council approved the health budget but agreed to ask the health director,

Mark A.R. Cooper, to come to its next meeting with copies of the budget and an

explanation of the increases.

Mr Rosenthal, who chairs the public safety subcommittee, said his committee

supported the Board of Selectmen's decision to eliminate $250,000 requested

for an addition to the Hook & Ladder Firehouse until a proper architectural

plan with documented costs is presented. Councilman Joseph Borst said that

instead of expanding the firehouse behind town hall, the town should seek to

take over the Fairfield Hills Hospital fire station.

The council members made only minor changes as they approved a $4,676,043

administration budget and a $3,429,457 public safety budget. They voted to

restore $1,194 to the amount requested by the Lake Lillinonah and Lake Zoar

authorities, bringing the total to $30,150 instead of the $28,956 approved by

the Board of Selectmen. Mr Cascella said he had trimmed the agencies' requests

because the first selectmen of the towns which border the lake all agreed to

increase their contributions to the lake authorities by five percent. "The

$28,956 reflects the five percent increase," Mr Cascella said.

The council was scheduled to meet on Thursday, March 7, to act on the proposed

budgets for the Public Works and Parks & Recreation Departments, and on March

12 to act on the Board of Education budget and the contingency/debt

service/reserve account sections of the budget. All meetings are held at 7:30

pm in the Middle School Library.

Public hearings on the final budget will be held at 8 pm on Tuesday, March 26,

and 9 am on Saturday, March 30, at the Middle School.