REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING MINUTES OF December 9,2002 MEETING
TOWN OF GREENWICH
Pursuant to the foregoing notice a regular Representative Town Meeting of the Town of Greenwich was held in the Moderator’s Hall at Central Middle School on Monday December 9,2002 at 8:00 P.M.(E.D.T.).
The meeting was called to order by the Moderator Thomas J. Byrne.
The Moderator announced that as all members received copy of the call of the meeting, the reading of the call would be omitted.
Town Clerk Carmella C. Budkins swore in Stephen Meskers, a new member in District 6.
Attendance cards were presented showing 199 present, 28 absent and 2 vacancies.
The Moderator announced that as all members had received a copy of the minutes of the October 28, 2002 meeting, the reading of the minutes would be omitted. He asked if there were any corrections or comments, there being none, the minutes were adopted by unanimous consent.
Mary Ferry, chairman of District 5, noted the passing of Newton Crane, a long term member of RTM and the members stood for a moment of silence in memory of Mr. Crane.
The Moderator suggested a motion to suspend the rules and combine Items 1,4 & 6 and consider separately Items 2,3 & 5.
Motion Carried
The Moderator announced that the combined items were now before the meeting.
David D’Andrea, operations manager of the golf course, offered the following resolution, which was duly moved and seconded, regarding Item No. 1.
RESOLVED, the Representative Town Meeting approves and authorizes the expenditure of $1,250,000 in Account Code M-824-984 for irrigation improvements to the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course as approved by the Board of Estimate and Taxation. Funding is appropriated as a non-interest bearing loan of $1,100,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance of the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditures and an appropriation of $150,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance of the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course Revolving Fund. Said loan of $1,100,000 will repaid to the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditures from the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course Revolving Fund over a five-year fiscal period, 2003-04 through 2007-08. The annual loan payment shall be made to the Reserve Fund for Capital
Non-Recurring Expenditures prior to the close of the fiscal year on June 30.
Louisa Stone, chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission, offered the following resolution, which was duly moved and seconded, regarding Item No 4.
RESOLVED, that the Planning and Zoning Commission be authorized on behalf of the Town of Greenwich to accept 2 Coastal grants totaling $45,965.00 administered by the Department of Environmental Protection-Office of Long Island Sound and funded by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management for studies of 1) design specifications for public access to the waterfront, and 2) Upstream Storm Water Pollution sources in Watersheds leading to Long Island Sound,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the sum of $45,965.000 be and the same is hereby appropriated to be added to the Planning and Zoning Account A171-51440 Consulting Research and Surveys.
Adrianne Singer, Assistant to the First Selectman, offered the following resolution, which was duly moved and seconded, regarding Item No. 6.
RESOLVED, Resolved that the Town of Greenwich accept two grants that will provide the Town with the funds it needs to purchase the equipment necessary to communicate with its citizens over a government-access television channel. The two grants, one in the amount of $5,701.44 and the other in the amount of $5,000, have been passed on to the Area Nine Cable Council for the Town of Greenwich from SNET Personal Vision and Cablevision for distribution to our town.
The vote was now on the combined items.
In Favor - 183
Against - 3
Abstentions - 2
Items Carried.
The Moderator announced that Item No 2 on the call was now before the meeting.
Louisa Stone, chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission, offered the following resolution, which was duly moved and seconded, regarding Item No. 2.
RESOLVED, Resolved that the Town of Greenwich accept two grants that will provide the Town with the funds it needs to purchase the equipment necessary to communicate with its citizens over a government-access television channel. The two grants, one in the amount of $5,701.44 and the other in the amount of $5,000, have been passed on to the Area Nine Cable Council for the Town of Greenwich from SNET Personal Vision and Cablevision for distribution to our town.
The vote was now on Item No. 2.
In Favor - 154
Against - 32
Abstentions - 1
Item Carried
The Moderator announced that Item No. 3 on the call was now before the meeting.
Alan Small of District 10 offered the following resolution regarding Item No. 3.
RESOLVED, that given the importance of the character of our Town to the RTM and it’s constituents, it is the Sense of the Meeting that the RTM recommends that the Planning and Zoning Commission define the problem that led to the passage of the 1998 FAR regulation, evaluate it’s effectiveness and consider the concerns of Greenwich residents in developing an equitable regulation, through analysis of several alternatives, that protects the property values of all homeowners and minimizes the degree of nonconformity created prior to the enactment of any proposal through appropriate statutory procedures and in a fiscally conservative manner.
Joshua Brown, chairman of the Finance Committee, offered the following amendment, on behalf of the committee.
On the sixth line of the resolution place a period after the word “homeowners” and delete the rest of the paragraph.
The vote was now on the Finance Committee amendment.
In Favor - 122
Against - 60
Abstentions - 5
Amendment Carried
H. Franklin Bloomer, Jr., chairman of the Land Use Committee, made a motion on behalf of the committee, to table Item No. 3. The Moderator ruled the motion not in legal order and did not accept the motion.
Mr. Bloomer then made a motion, which was duly moved and seconded, to refer this item to the Land Use Committee.
The vote was now on the motion to refer.
In Favor - 31
Against - 158
Abstentions - 2
Motion Lost
Robert Tuthill of District 3 made a motion, which was duly moved and seconded, to limit the time to speak at the meeting, as follows:
RESOLVED, that the time to speak at the meeting be limited to three minutes per speaker for each motion, except that the proponent and the principal opponent for the motion (the latter to be determined by the Moderator) shall be entitled to speak for ten minutes each.
Motion Carried
David Shields of District 12 raised a point of order questioning whether the motion to limit debate was in order. The Moderator noted that it was in order and ruled that the point of order was not well taken.
H. Franklin Bloomer, chairman of the Land Use Committee, made a motion to amend the resolution, by adding the following paragraph at the end.
“FURTHER RESOLVED, that, by its adoption of this resolution the RTM expresses no view on statements made in the Explanatory Comments that accompanied Item No. 3 on the Call to this meeting.”
The vote was now on Mr. Bloomer’s motion to amend.
In Favor - 97
Against - 89
Abstentions - 2
Amendment Carried
Roger Lourie of District 7 moved the previous question, which was moved and seconded.
Motion Carried
The vote was now on Item No. 3 as amended.
In Favor - 119
Against - 54
Abstentions - 13
Item Carried
The Moderator announced that Item No. 5 on the call was now before the meeting .
Marcos Madrid, Commissioner of Public Works, offered the following resolution, which was duly moved and seconded, regarding Item No. 5.
RESOLVED,
(a) That a THREE MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND TWO THOUSAND DOLLAR ($3,202,000) increase in the SIXTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR ($16,585,000) appropriation approved by resolution of the Representative Town Meeting at meeting held June 11, 2001 for the design and construction of sanitary sewer lines and related pump stations and appurtenances and related work to service the North Mianus section of the Town, which increase has been approved by the Board of Estimate and Taxation, is hereby approved, for an aggregate appropriation of NINETEEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($19,787,000). The appropriation shall be added to Public Works’ Account No. K361-59650-20004, Sewer Improvement Fund, known as “North Mianus Sewer Line Design/Construction.”
(b) That the SIXTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR ($16,585,000) bonds and notes authorized for the project be increased by THREE MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ($3,202,000), for a total aggregate bond or note authorization of NINETEEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($19787,000), including any bonds already issued for the project.
(c) That the Town hereby declares its official intent under Federal Income Tax Regulation Section 1.150_2 that project costs may be paid from temporary advances of available funds and that the Town reasonably expects to reimburse any such advances from the proceeds of borrowings in an aggregate principal amount not in excess of the amount of borrowing authorized above for the project. The Comptroller is authorized to amend such declaration of official intent as the Comptroller deems necessary or advisable and to bind the Town pursuant to such representations and covenants as the Comptroller deems necessary or advisable in order to maintain the continued exemption from federal income taxation of interest on the bonds or notes authorized by this resolution, if issued on a tax-exempt
basis, including covenants to pay rebates of investment earnings to the United States in future years.
(d) That the area to be benefited by the sewer project is described in Section (a) of the aforesaid resolution, and that the determination of the Board of Estimate and Taxation that the net cost of the sewer project shall be reimbursed 100% from assessments to be levied against properties in the area to be benefited and –0-% from the Town’s General Fund is hereby approved. Pending the collection of assessments, such reimbursement from assessments may be paid from the Sewer Improvement Fund.
(e) That the time for issuing any bonds or notes hereunder shall not be limited and this resolution shall not lapse, but shall remain in full force and effect until the project is completed, all payments made and all borrowings completed.
Robert Perri of District 12 made a motion to amend the item in paragraph “d” by changing the percentages to 100% from the Town’s General Fund and 0% from assessments levied against the properties.
After conferring with the Town Attorney, the Moderator noted that Sec. 246d of the Town Charter provided that the RTM may increase but not decrease the part of the project to be reimbursed to the Town. The Moderator therefore ruled Mr. Perri’s motion not in legal order.
The vote was now on Item No. 5.
In Favor - 154
Against - 24
Abstentions - 2
Item Carried
There being no further business, the Moderator adjourned the meeting, upon unanimous consent, at 11:00 P.M.
ATTEST:
CARMELLA C.BUDKINS
TOWN CLERK
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