Village Council Special Public Budget Hearing Minutes 20140321

A SPECIAL PUBLIC BUDGET MEETING OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR., COURTROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ON FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014, AT 5:00 PM.

1. CALL TO ORDER – OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW – ROLL CALL

Mayor Aronsohn called the meeting to order at 5:03 P.M., and read the Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. At roll call, the following were present: Councilmembers Hauck, Walsh, and Mayor Aronsohn. Also present were Heather Mailander, Acting Village Manager/Village Clerk; and Stephen Sanzari, Chief Financial Officer (CFO).   Councilmembers Pucciarelli and Riche were absent.

Mayor Aronsohn led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and asked for a moment of silence in honor of the American men and women serving in our Armed Forces, as well as those serving as first responders.

2. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

Mayor Aronsohn stated that they would now have comments from the public and advised anyone wishing to address the Village council to come forward. There were no comments from the public at this time.

3. DISCUSSION ITEMS

A. REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS

1. Police Department

Mayor Aronsohn asked if all of the departments presenting tonight could focus on the differences in expenditures, increases, and savings (if any) are in each department, as well as any procedures for processes that are now different to make each department run more efficiently.

Chief John Ward, Captain Jacqueline Luthcke, and Sergeant John Chuck presented the 2014 Police Department budget. Chief Ward reminded the Councilmembers that starting several years ago, there was a situation in which the Police Department was paying for quite a lot of money for compensatory time and overtime costs, as well as being faced with reductions in staff. Over the past several years, Chief Ward said they have been working on finding ways to improve their processes, including moving personnel around and streamlining those processes, to reduce the time spent on calls. One of the things that does not show up on budget spreadsheets is the number of officers tied up on particular calls for extended periods of time. An example would be a domestic violence situation, which can take up to five hours, with 2-3 officers involved. That is a major factor in determining the number of officers needed to staff the Police Department at certain periods of time, as well as the minimum staff level needed at any given time. As the Councilmembers are aware, Chief Ward has set the minimum number of staff needed at any time to four Police Officers and one Supervisor on patrol. In order to address some of these issues, Chief Ward noted that adjustments have been made to detectives’ scheduling times and the scheduling of the one Traffic Officer in the department. They have become the department “floaters,” performing multiple duties. For example, today two detectives were covering patrol due to illness and injury, instead of performing primary detective functions. Chief Ward explained that this does create a slight backlog in the detectives’ cases, but they have found this to be necessary in order to address the staffing situation and to help mitigate overtime expenses. Over the past year, these measures have enabled the Police Department to realize a savings of approximately $240,000 in staffing hours alone. Additionally, Chief Ward mentioned that there is training mandated for all law enforcement and public safety personnel in New Jersey. On average, the training amounts to approximately 40 hours per officer annually. Moreover, the contract stipulates that Police Department personnel are entitled to overtime, and Chief Ward pointed out that the union has worked with the Police Department over the past several years on a schedule adjustment program, which is basically a “day for a day” exchange. This allows the department to ensure that everyone meets the training requirements. The schedule adjustment program has saved the Police Department in excess of $150,000 per year over the past several years, and the union has cooperated with this program.

Chief Ward pointed out that preventive measures are also being taken to lower some of the statistics in the department. He noted that Ridgewood ranks among the top 39 safest communities in the nation, an achievement that has been maintained for the past several years. Chief Ward says this is due to the number of crime prevention measures and public education initiatives taken by the department, as well as using targeting patrolling practices, to try to reduce the number of calls and thereby reduce the number of hours in which officers are tied up handling those situations. As far as other reductions are concerned, Chief Ward stated that the Police Department has begun hosting a lot of the training sessions. One of the most important things for employee motivation and to keep police officers sharp is constant training. Although the current staffing levels do not allow as much training as they would like, it has been possible to bring personnel from other agencies that have experienced similar problems for training purposes. In fact, Chief Ward said he has been making efforts toward having Ridgewood designated as a training center, enticing other private-sector corporations, as well as other entities, to come to Ridgewood to be a host facility for their seminars. In return, three spots are reserved for Ridgewood Police Officers, or Ridgewood gets discounted pricing toward the cost of the seminars. This also allows Chief Ward to keep as many officers local as possible.

Regarding budget increases, Chief Ward reminded the Councilmembers that he has no control over the salaries and wages, because he does not negotiate, nor does he participate in that process. Those are contractual obligations over which he has no control. However, he pointed out that he has tried to make cuts wherever he could do so. For example, he pointed out the reduction in the request for maintenance of other equipment, which can cover a range from towing to doctors and nurses for pronouncements. There are quite a few services and functions which must be contracted on an annual basis that fall under that category. The line item “Other Contractual Services” covers all of the databases that the Village shares for investigative and criminal justice purposes, which have annual costs and fees attached to them to maintain the Village’s participation in those systems. Uniforms and clothing increased this year because Chief Ward explained that initially, it was hoped that there would be four new Police Officers, but now there are only three, including the two officers who just received their conditional offers of employment. The costs cover charges for their Police Academy uniforms, and their initial uniforms for the Police Department. A portion of these costs also covers replacing uniforms that are damaged in the line of duty, not due to any negligence or normal wear and tear.

Regarding books and publications, Chief Ward explained that because the standards and laws change every year, it is essential to maintain current information regarding those changes. There was a significant increase in training, from $4,500 to $10,000. The reason for that increase is because for several years prior to 2014, Chief Ward said that he repeatedly requested that officers be sent to training, but they were not allowed to do so. The Ridgewood Police Department is mandated by best practices and accreditation requirements to provide executive and employee development, including sending officers out for advanced training sessions, which cost money. Chief Ward said he is trying to get the department caught up with all of its mandated training so that it does not lose its accreditation status, and that is one of the reasons why that budget item has increased. The officers who attend these trainings bring that information back and are able to impart it to the other officers, leading to another savings in training costs. In addition, Chief Ward mentioned that the miscellaneous expenses include costs for e-ticketing, because he hopes to move forward with that initiative.

The only other major expense listed in the 2014 Police Department budget is for the purchase of vehicles. As Chief Ward has noted repeatedly in his monthly reports, when he became the Chief, the fleet was extremely old. Unfortunately, due to the damage wrought by Hurricane Floyd, five new cars were purchased, out of a total of 22 vehicles in the Police Department fleet. The total number of vehicles built within this decade is now seven, so Chief Ward hopes to replace many of the vehicles. Switching to capital budget expenses, Chief Ward said he has developed a multi-year plan to replace SUVs and special-use vehicles. Two Chevy Tahoes were purchased using 2012 capital funds, and one of them is now on the road, with the other one due to be out on the road very soon. From 2013 capital funds, two smaller, more fuel-efficient SUVs were purchased. Chief Ward explained that he is trying to do a 5-6 year rotation on vehicles in order to avoid having too many vehicles out of service at any one time. It seems that over the past 10 years, the Village has been hit with severe storms more frequently than in previous years, leading to the loss of many vehicles that could not make it through flooded areas.

Chief Ward reminded the Councilmembers about the proposal to lease some of the detective vehicles, which was addressed by Sergeant Chuck. Chief Ward did mention that the idea behind leasing the detective vehicles was due to the fact they do not undergo the same wear and tear as the regular patrol vehicles do, so they would be a better fit for a leasing program. However, Chief Ward noted that people often ask questions when they see Police Department vehicles being used for side jobs. He said when officers are assigned such details, they are there to assist with traffic, as well as to protect the workers and the public who may be around that site. However, the new vehicles are not supposed to be used for side jobs, except as a last resort. Older vehicles that are well beyond their life cycles are used for side jobs. Recently, the amount charged by the Village for those side jobs was increased. The total amount realized in 2013 for doing the side jobs, as well as revenue gained from records, was approximately $209,000 that went directly into the general fund, and $187,000 of that amount was earned from the side jobs. The Village is paid by the contractors doing the projects, and the officers are paid a flat rate. The balance is revenue for the Village. In the first two months of 2014, Chief Ward said the Village has already realized $84,000 in revenue from side jobs. Another item that is never shown in the budget is the amount of money generated by enforcement through the courts. A significant portion of that revenue is a direct result of the activities of police officers. However, due to reduced staffing, the amount has decreased recently. When the Traffic Unit was engaged in doing truck enforcement, the revenue was significantly higher. That is just one of the services that could be reinstated if additional officers could be hired.

Mayor Aronsohn said that one of the most important things he noticed is that there is a 7% increase in the Police Department budget, going from $6.263 million to $6.687 million, and Mayor Aronsohn said he was curious about why there is such a big increase this year. Chief Ward responded that the biggest increase is probably due to the request for new vehicles, because they have been pulled from his budget on a regular basis. The vehicles requested in the past several years have been purchased to replace vehicles that were damaged by Hurricane Irene. The other big expense in his budget is for training, and Chief Ward noted that in order for a resource to operate at maximum capacity of performance, it is necessary to invest in that resource. Mayor Aronsohn pointed out that from 2011-2013, the requested expenses were approximately $200,000, yet that same request is now up to $400,000. He pointed out that such increases have to be absorbed somewhere in the budget, whether another department has its budget cut to support it, or if it is funded by the taxpayers.

Next, Mayor Aronsohn asked if the savings mentioned by Chief Ward are reflected in the budget request. Chief Ward answered that they are not. This is due to the fact that officers are often pulled from assignments in order to avoid paying overtime, so the numbers reflect preventive measures that have already been taken in order to realize the savings. Chief Ward also reminded Mayor Aronsohn that the specified training is mandatory, and that is the training in which the savings will be seen. Regarding the Traffic Detail outside administrative fees, Mayor Aronsohn noted that the revenues were $155,000 in 2013, and $130,000 the year before. Chief Ward responded that sometimes, the actual figures for any given budget year are not available to him until several months into the next budget year. He stated that the Village realized administrative costs for the officers in 2013 in the amount of $91,000; $84,000 for vehicles; and $11,000 in filing fees. The total of all those fees is more than $187,000, with an additional $22,000 of revenue in police records obtained. Mayor Aronsohn asked if the corresponding numbers in 2014 could increase that much. Mr. Sanzari responded that the Police Department might be using figures based on billed amounts, rather than actual amounts received by the Finance Department, and he pointed out that all the monies collected go through a trust fund, out of which the current fund is paid as police administration fees. Mr. Sanzari said he would check again to see what numbers Chief Ward was using as the basis for his report. He noted that the police records monies referred to by Chief Ward could be allocated under fees and permits, but he would have to check on that. Mayor Aronsohn asked if any of that money could be added to expected revenue, and he pointed out that the administrative fees would be included for approximately half the year, so that number should also be much larger. Mr. Sanzari said he would have to verify all of figures, but if all of those monies were received in January, or if the administrative fees increased, that would be possible. Chief Ward said there are currently on-going projects in the Village that are also likely to cause an increase in revenue. Chief Ward pointed out that during the past year, due to illness and injury, there were outside jobs that had to be passed on to other municipalities, for which the Village would get no revenue. Mayor Aronsohn recalled that last year, the administrative fees for outside jobs were increased, and he asked what the new fees are. Chief Ward responded that the fees increased from $10 per man and $10 per car to $20 per man and $20 per car. Mayor Aronsohn asked what would happen if the Councilmembers were to consider raising it again. Chief Ward responded that currently, Ridgewood is one of the most expensive communities when it comes to fees charged for police officers’ time and vehicles. The contractors benefit from a flat rate fee, rather than an overtime fee, which is very confusing due to the fact that officers are often paid on different scales based on seniority. Therefore, Chief Ward does not recommend raising the fees again until he has a chance to evaluate the current fee structure. He would also like to investigate how much other towns currently charge for the same services. He is concerned that if the fees are increased too much, some projects may be delayed for years due to budget constraints.

Councilwoman Hauck thanked Chief Ward for his service, saying that everyone looks up to him and his department and appreciate everything they do. It is very important to everyone in Ridgewood to have an excellent police force that can be relied on under any circumstances, as well as being well-disciplined and trustworthy. She also thanked Chief Ward for digging as deeply as he could to operate under such budget constraints, and she pointed out that the Police Department is the largest and most expensive department in the Village. One of the most expensive line items in the Police Department budget is overtime. The Police Department contract is very difficult for many people to understand, but Councilman Hauck said that listening to Chief Ward, she understands that he has done everything he could to minimize overtime. She hopes he will continue to apply as much pressure as possible to keep such costs at a minimum. Chief Ward noted that the union has been working with the Police Department toward that goal, and he pointed out that the number of emergency and investigative calls has risen. This is due to the fact that when staffing drops, police officers are not available to answer calls, and it is necessary to hold police officers over to respond to such calls. That time is devoted only to preliminary investigations; it does not refer to the numerous hours spent by detectives following up on such investigations. The average number of criminal investigative calls received by the Police Department is 1,200-1,500 per year, which require detectives to follow up. In addition, new hires or people who want to volunteer in the Village require background checks, which are also performed by Ridgewood Police Department detectives. Chief Ward said there are reminders and notifications in place to alert them to overtime and compensatory time issues, as well as a tracking system that allows the department to monitor any issues with sick time. He reminded the Councilmembers that he could still use an additional Supervisor to help out in the Detective Bureau, and Captain Luthcke added that another Supervisor would also help with the backlog of cases.

Mayor Aronsohn recalled that two new Police Officers were recently hired, and they should be out on patrol by January 2015. Chief Ward said that their Academy course starts at the end of this month, which means that they would be out on patrol on their own by the end of February 2015. Mayor Aronsohn noted that between the time the new officers go on patrol, and the time that the prospective retirees are scheduled to retire, that should help with overtime costs during that period, and Chief Ward agreed.

Councilwoman Walsh also thanked Chief Ward and the members of the Police Department. She recounted that she was in Trenton couple of weeks ago, sitting next to a former police officer from Burlington County, and when she told him that she was from Ridgewood, he mentioned that Ridgewood was one of the first accredited police departments in the State of New Jersey. Councilwoman Walsh congratulated Chief Ward and the entire Ridgewood Police Department for that accomplishment, which led her to the subject of training. While it is hoped that the Police Department has nothing to do all day, because there is no crime in the Village, the reality is that incidents do occur, and the Police Department must be ready at all times to respond to those incidents. Councilwoman Walsh asked if there is a plan for cycling the training, because responding to incidents is quite often more involved than simply writing a ticket. If the training is costly, Councilwoman Walsh asked if Chief Ward has a plan for how the costs could be covered. Chief Ward responded that shortly after taking over the Police Department, he implemented core training curricula for different levels of officers. There is a State-mandated 40 hours of training that each Police Department has to provide, covering such areas as domestic violence and right-to-know situations. Any time a law is passed, there is training that accompanies that law. In addition, the Police Department, with cooperation from the Board of Education, have made a concerted effort to ensure that the Ridgewood schools are some of the safest in the area. They have taken steps toward being a greater presence in the schools. They also undergo training. In fact, four Ridgewood Police Officers are certified simunitions trainers. Chief Ward pointed out that many of the other Police Departments in the area do not have as many officers with specialized training as Ridgewood has. That is why Ridgewood officers share their knowledge and training with other departments, and they reciprocate. The most important thing that requires continuous training, according to Chief Ward, is the ability to respond to a critical incident. Tactics are constantly evolving, so it is imperative that officers train on a regular basis. The Ridgewood Police Department does this at the local level, as well as training with Bergen County SWAT officers; personnel from the Department of Defense; and the Bergen County Bomb Squad, just to name a few other organizations that assist with training. Chief Ward mentioned the recent shooting incident at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, after which many of his officers came to thank him for the training that was hosted in Ridgewood. Currently, Chief Ward is working with the State Police Chiefs Association to bring leadership and effectiveness training to Ridgewood. In addition, he is working with other police personnel to develop management products that are cost-effective for public safety. Another potential opportunity is crime analysis training, to be done in partnership with the Bergen County Police Academy, to help identify trends and sharing intelligence, as well as giving young people the opportunity to become interns and volunteers with the Police Department. Chief Ward said he has been working on those projects for the past two years.

Next, Councilwoman Walsh asked why there was a spike in the Lieutenants’ salary last year, from $526,000 to $703,000. Mr. Sanzari noted that one Lieutenant retired in 2013, but the salary was inadvertently listed in the patrol officers’ salaries. Therefore, the patrolmen’s numbers are understated for two years. The amount for patrolmen’s salaries will be reduced by the same amount of the increase in the Lieutenants’ salaries.

Finally, Councilwoman Walsh mentioned that e-ticketing has been discussed since she has been a Councilmember. She believes the e-ticketing initiative will be a very good thing for the Village, because it will lead to quite a bit of cost savings. This is due to the fact that it will not be necessary to pay for the Police Officer’s court time, nor will it be necessary for a Police Officer to write the tickets. Chief Ward responded that the system is now being beta tested in many Courts. In addition, he stated that one of the factors he considered when evaluating e-ticketing systems was that the Village should not be saddled with an on-going, per-ticket cost. Information received from other Police Departments indicated that if a certain ticket quota was not met, the Police Department could be required to pay additional money; and if they went over the quota, they were also charged an additional amount. The company that Chief Ward eventually chose charges a flat rate for the service, and its systems are better for the geography of Ridgewood. He believes that the time for e-ticketing has almost come, and that it is in its final testing phase with the State. Councilwoman Walsh believes that e-ticketing will save overtime costs because it does not require the presence of a Police Officer, and many people will decide that they do not want to make a court appearance and will instead just pay the ticket on-line. Captain Luthcke pointed out that people have the opportunity to pay traffic tickets on-line now, and she does not believe that e-ticketing will make any difference in whether the Police Officer will be required to appear in Court, but it will make it easier for the Court to access the data. It will also make traffic tickets more legible. Councilwoman Walsh noted that many people still do not pay their tickets on-line. Chief Ward commented that e-ticketing also decreases the amount of time required for the Police Officer/citizen encounter, which means that they can be free to respond to any serious incidents which might occur. It will also make it easier to track traffic tickets, because the data will be immediately accessible on-line. Moreover, high-frequency locations will be identified more readily, because it will be easier to determine if an inordinate number of tickets are being issued in a specific location. Councilwoman Walsh moved onto her last question, which she asked as the Chairperson of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee. She wanted to know if the Police Department will be implementing the pedestrian decoy programs again, now that the weather has become warmer. Chief Ward said they would be beginning soon, and his goal is to have several of them implemented.

Ms. Mailander said if there were no more questions, the discussion would move on to the leasing of vehicles. The reason for including this in the budget discussion is due to the fact that if the Councilmembers decide to lease or purchase cars, it would come out of the operating budget. If they decide to purchase SUVs, it will come out of the capital budget.

Sergeant John Chuck explained the proposed leasing plan. As Chief Ward previously mentioned, the current fleet is old. Three cars were lost this year due to engine failure. When cars are put in for service, the time required for that service is usually 6-7 weeks. Police cars are usually expected to last 3-5 years, because one year in the life of a police vehicle is equivalent to three years for a regular vehicle. Therefore, a 5-year-old police vehicle would equate to a 15-year-old regular vehicle. Most of the vehicles driven by the administrative staff are chronologically at least 10 years old, which means that they are approximately 30 years old in usage. These are the vehicles that are being used to respond to emergencies. The Police Department is doing its best to keep the vehicles going, but some of them definitely need to go. To do this economically, Sergeant Chuck found that a leasing program is the most cost-effective. According to the information given to the Councilmembers, to purchase three new detective vehicles under the State contract to replace the current ones would cost approximately $90,000, which includes the lighting package needed for detective vehicles. Three cars to be purchased are not identical nor easily recognizable, in order to assist in foiling any burglaries that may be occurring in the area. Sergeant Chuck provided the monthly costs for leasing the vehicles, as well as the annual costs, over a four-year period. The total costs associated with leasing the vehicles, including the lighting packages necessary for detective vehicles, is still lower than the cost of purchasing vehicles under the State contract. One of the benefits in leasing the vehicles, as opposed to purchasing them, is that the Police Department will be able to trade in the current detective vehicles, as well as the vehicles with the best equity at this time, which are the hybrid Ford Escapes. Each one of those cars is valued at approximately $4,000. However, if any one of them were to break down and be out of service, it would cost approximately $8,000 just to replace the battery system in one car. Sergeant Chuck explained that this is not a traditional leasing program, but it is an equity lease program. In essence, the Police Department is renting the time to use each car, while at the same time paying down the value of each vehicle. The vehicle can be traded in at the end of the lease, after which time it will be sent to auction. How much money is received at the trade-in is dependent upon the condition of the vehicle at the time. That money can be put toward leasing a new vehicle. If the vehicle stays below the estimated number of miles over the lease period; if it has never been in an accident; and if the interior remains clean, it is possible that the trade-in value will be more than expected, allowing the Village to lease a new set of vehicles at a cheaper rate. Sergeant Chuck provided information about the estimated cost savings with this plan.

In addition, Sergeant Chuck recommended that a maintenance program should also be contracted at the time the vehicles are leased. It is his opinion that the Village Repair Facility is overworked, with low manpower to service a huge fleet. Taking three vehicles away from the Village Repair Facility and putting them under a maintenance program will help benefit everyone. The cost of the program covers any maintenance to the car, excluding tires and body work, provided the damage is not due to negligence on the part of the Village.

Mayor Aronsohn asked what other municipalities currently lease their police vehicles, and what their experiences with this program have been. Sergeant Chuck responded that no municipalities have started using this program at this time. However, it is not new to this area. Sergeant Chuck serves on a Bergen County Task Force, and he knows that the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office uses this program. They do not lease the cars, but purchase them from Hertz. Some years ago, leasing was popular for patrol cars, but when the cars were turned in, they were so worn that the leasing companies were not interested in receiving them. There are many large law enforcement organizations that use this program, including the FBI; United States Secret Service; DEA; and other large agencies. Mayor Aronsohn thanked Sergeant Chuck for his input and his efforts in putting the proposal together.

Councilwoman Walsh believes this could be a great program for the Village to consider, but only for detective vehicles. Sergeant Chuck responded that it is only being considered for administrative cars, including the Captain’s car, and three other detective vehicles. Councilwoman Walsh said she believes it makes sense for cars that engage in different types of activities than the regular patrol cars. As far as the cost savings are concerned, Councilwoman Walsh thinks it would be a good idea to try out the leasing program in order to see how efficient it proves to be.

Councilwoman Hauck agreed that the plan sounds intriguing, but she noted Sergeant Chuck’s point that other municipalities had stopped using this program because the cars were in such bad condition at trade-in that they could not get their money back. Sergeant Chuck explained that those conditions are usually found in marked patrol cars, which can accumulate as much as 40,000 miles per year. Councilman Hauck asked if Sergeant Chuck foresees implementing this program on a larger scale, including with the patrol cars, or if he would keep it strictly for less-used vehicles. Sergeant Chuck stated that he would not use this program for patrol cars, and the company that he recommends has no interest in dealing with patrol cars. They lease large trucks, vans, and cars, working with large corporations. Sergeant Chuck believes this program is safe, and if it proves to be effective, it could be used by other departments, such as the Health Department. He noted that standard leases are also available through this company, although they are not equity lease programs, so there is no trade-in value when the cars are turned in.

Mayor Aronsohn thanked Chief Ward, Captain Luthcke, and Sergeant Chuck for their time and efforts. He also expressed appreciation to the entire Ridgewood Police Department for their efforts on behalf of the community. These discussions, which try to strike a balance between the public safety needs of the community and budget imperatives, are not always pleasant, but they are necessary. However, Mayor Aronsohn said it does not change the fact that everyone respects and appreciates what the Police Department does. He also pointed out that he has always found it necessary to define the differences between what the government has to do, and what the government wants to do. Chief Ward said his first priority is always the safety of the community, then the safety of his personnel, and then he considers the bottom line. However, he realizes that the Councilmembers have a different perspective, and he understands that they do not necessarily see things as he does.

2. Fire Department

Fire Chief James Van Goor presented the proposed Fire Department budget for 2014. Mayor Aronsohn asked Chief Van Goor to focus on the big differences, whether good or bad, and anything that is being done differently in his department to decrease expenses or increase revenue.

Chief Van Goor noted that the fire prevention fees were increased in 2011, and they were fairly high at that point, so he did not think it would be prudent to increase them again so soon. He is considering another increase for next year, but he will first review what is being charged in other municipalities before making that decision. There were four retirements in the past year, and those retirees were replaced with four probationary firefighters, which led to a big savings in salaries and wages. Chief Van Goor noted that his overall budget has decreased by 2%, mostly due to the salary savings. The operating budget stayed the same, although there was an increase of $3,000 in hydrant rental fees.

Councilwoman Walsh said she agrees with the fire prevention charges, because those charges are passed to the residents. It does not make sense to charge them such fees, as well as requiring them to pay taxes. Chief Van Goor agreed, saying that the fees cover the costs involved.

Councilwoman Hauck asked if the figures shown on the spreadsheet for overtime is a mistake, because it is a large decrease. She thanked Chief Van Goor for his efforts, as well as the efforts of the entire Fire Department.

Chief Van Goor noted that he has two items in the capital budget. One of them is a replacement of hoses, which usually lasts approximately 20 years. Therefore, he requested $30,000 for miscellaneous equipment. The second item is a request to replace two SUVs with one SUV, because the Deputy Chief’s position was eliminated. The two SUVs currently being used are from 1997 and 1998, and are long past the time when they should have been replaced. Chief Van Goor would like to sell both of them and replace them with one vehicle. Councilwoman Walsh asked, in light of Sergeant Chuck’s presentation, if Chief Van Goor had considered leasing a vehicle through that same program. Chief Van Goor responded that because the Fire Department retains its vehicles longer than the Police Department does, it might not be feasible to do that. Councilwoman Walsh asked if the maintenance on the current vehicles has been costly, and what types of maintenance have been performed on the current vehicles. Chief Van Goor said he does not have the maintenance costs available, but he does know that one of the vehicles had its transmission replaced.

3. Information Technology

Dylan Hansen, Systems Administrator, presented the 2014 budget for the Information Technology department. He began with the operating budget, noting that the largest increase was for other contractual services, which increased 186%, because the virus protection software needs to be replaced on all of the computers. Currently, the Village uses Norton Antivirus, but their State pricing increased dramatically. Mr. Hansen inquired in other municipalities and offices, and they recommended a completely different package which he would like to purchase, because it is a nicer package and more feasible for the Village to use. Another increase can be seen in materials and supplies, which was due to a typographical error that caused the wrong budget item to be charged.

Mayor Aronsohn asked if it would be possible to do some sort of inventory to determine which Village employees have cell phones in order to ensure that there are not too many Village-owned cell phones. Mr. Hansen responded that he is scheduled to meet with representatives from Verizon Wireless next week to discuss consolidating accounts, which will leave the Village with six accounts, making it easier to track expenses. At this time, Mr. Hansen said the Village has 106 telephone lines, which does not mean that 106 people have cell phones. The public safety departments have multiple lines. In addition, Mr. Hansen confiscated all phones that were not being used. He will review the situation again in the summer. He also pointed out that because everyone has to come to him to get cell phones, they do not get replaced every year. There will also be a new phone system implemented, which will lead to huge savings in local and long-distance calls. That is scheduled to happen sometime in April. Mayor Aronsohn asked how much is spent monthly for telephone use, and Mr. Hansen said a conservative estimate is approximately $13,000 monthly. However, the new phone system will save approximately $35,000-$40,000 annually. He added that the Board of Education uses the same vendor, and they have been very happy with it. There are no local or long distance charges, but only a flat fee.

Councilman Walsh asked about the State contract for virus protection software, wondering if the State could increase its prices so dramatically in one year, or if the Village does not have an annual contract with the State. Mr. Hansen explained that the Village was using Norton Antivirus, which was purchased through CDW, the State-contracted vendor. CDW changed its pricing, and where it was formerly $7 per license, it is now $27 per license. There is a new program being offered called Norton 365 instead of Norton Antivirus, which covers more than just virus protection. However, Mr. Hansen found that the newer version takes up a lot more memory on the computer, while slowing down performance.

Moving to the capital budget, Mr. Hansen noted that there are some desktop and laptop computers that need to be replaced because they are outdated. He has managed to keep some of them for 7-8 years, but their performance has slowed a great deal. In addition, they are equipped with Windows XP, which is no longer being supported. They must be upgraded to Windows 7. One of the other requests is for two core switches. There are currently two server rooms in Village Hall, with two switches connecting all the computers. One of the switches is for the Police Department, and the other is for the rest of Village Hall. The switches were installed when Village Hall was built, and they need to be replaced. Mr. Hansen has already encountered a couple of small problems with the switches, and he is concerned that if one of the switches should completely shut down, the network will not function. The cost for the two switches is $44,000. Another item requested is an email server upgrade, because the Village has outgrown its current server. Email use has grown well beyond what Mr. Hansen imagined, and faxes are hardly ever used anymore. He is pleased that people have become more reliant on email, as well as the calendars and contact lists that are part of the webmail package. It also means that less paper is being used. New fiber loop switches will have to be purchased, because the Signal Department has run fiber lines amongst all the Village locations, which means that the equipment can now be installed. This will enable removal of the Internet connections and their attendant monthly charges from those buildings. Mr. Hansen has also set everything up with generators on those buildings, so that in the event of a storm, communication is still possible throughout all of the Village buildings. The phone lines can also be run through them, which will save even more money. All of the data files from the departments outside Village Hall will also be saved on the servers in Village Hall, although Mr. Hansen plans to set up a backup server in one of the outside buildings.

Mayor Aronsohn asked if it is possible to set up the sound system that would enable anything said in the Courtroom to be heard in other areas of Village Hall. Mr. Hansen responded that the equipment is available, but must be requested from Verizon. He hopes to set up a two-way system in which people in the Community Center could watch proceedings in the Courtroom, as well as being able to communicate back and forth between the Courtroom and the Community Center.

The last item for the capital budget is replacing the current tape backups with hard drives, because a backup tape system costs nearly $10,000, and hard drives are much cheaper.

Mayor Aronsohn noted that the system by which the Village Council meetings are televised on-line is not a very reliable one. He has received complaints in the past from several residents who said they have found Ustream very hard to access, and he asked Mr. Hansen if access has improved. Mr. Hansen responded that he looks at Ustream the morning after meetings to review the videos, and he has found that many other people have also reviewed them, as well as sharing them on Facebook. He has not heard any more complaints about it. Mayor Aronsohn asked if the videos are archived, and if they are, where they are archived. Mr. Hansen answered that they have unlimited storage capability on Ustream, and videos can be kept for as long as he wishes. Currently, two years of videos are saved on Ustream. In addition, the Public Library has videos of all the meetings from 2013.

Ms. Mailander mentioned that the next budget meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, 2014, at 5:00 P.M., in the Senior Lounge on the first floor of Village Hall.

 4. ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the Village Council, on a motion by Councilwoman Hauck, seconded by Councilwoman Walsh, and carried unanimously by voice vote, the meeting was adjourned at 6:20 P.M.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    _____________________________

                                                                                                  Paul S. Aronsohn

                                                                                                            Mayor

_________________________________

            Heather A. Mailander

                Village Clerk