MINUTES
OTHERS: CBAC: Barbara Strauss; C.E.’s Office: Bill Randolph; DPW: Commissioner Landi, Sal Carerra, Ralph Butler, Larry Fasnacht; DEF: Commissioner Landi, Bob Matarazzo, Adam Zabinski, John D’Aquino, Betty Ellison; Finance: Commissioner Pucillo; Solid Waste Commission: Kenneth Flatto, Bruce Berger; Budget: Kate Carrano, Robert Kopenhaver, Arthur Vietro, CSEA: Jane Fiore; BOL: Sally Schecter, Rafael Vega, Tara Bernard, Robert Boland, Chris Chang, Tina Seckerson
Chairman Wishnie called the meeting to order at 9:12 a.m.
DISCUSSION: (There is a cassette tape on file for more detailed information)
2001 PROPOSED BUDGET: FINANCE:
· Most of the budget is for personnel, operating expenses
· Expenditures increased by 1.6% despite a major change in financial reporting due to a new GASB pronouncement that will result in a dramatic increase in workflow with respect to the preparation of the financial statements.
· Technical Services: increase due to internal audits not being charged back to departments, and GASB
2001 PROPOSED BUDGET: DPW:
· Expenditures: decrease in rental & taxes basically due to the courthouse payments. There is only one payment next year, previously there have been two payments per year. It will go back to two payments in 2002.
· No additional positions, remains constant at 296.
· CPI increases have been included in this budget
· Budget supports engineering services.
· Contractual Services (4380): schedule has been provided.
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· Vehicles are being purchased to add to the motor pool fleet of which the average aged car is from 1990. Most of the cars have no air bags or air conditioning. They are playing catch up right now and hope to go into a 7 year replacement cycle.
· Gasoline prices: 42% increase
· Salary increases: Budget Director stated that salary increases have been fully funded for all contract settlements for departments under 16 positions, over 16 positions have been funded at 50%, and police and corrections are fully funded.
· Commissioner Landi stated that they are trying to take care of projects on an as needed basis and pay for them as they go from non-recurring rather than put them into the capital program. There was a detailed discussion with regard to cashing up projects.
2001 PROPOSED BUDGET: DEF:
· The budget supports $82 million in sewer districts, $9 million in water districts and $67.7 million in solid waste districts with an overall increase of about 5%. The Commissioner stated that although the numbers sound high, they treat 154 million gallons of waste water every day, 56.3 billion gallons per year, for roughly 29 cents a day per person. The solid waste district is basically $97 per household per year or roughly 9 cents per day, per person. For roughly 38 cents a day, per person, they take care of wastewater and solid waste.
· On the wastewater side, the budget reflects a reduction of roughly 12 full time employees, basically from the Ossining and Port Chester Wastewater Treatment Plants. That is due to the County getting out of the incineration business and into the trucking business. These employees have been moved elsewhere as of May 1st.
· This budget supports an increase in utilities as well as the continuation of educational and training programs. It also supports the completion of the computerized system of the pump stations. By the end of 2001 we will be fully computerized in all operations.
· The major increase on the water district side is the NYC water rate increase from $383 per million gallons to $414 per million gallons. Every time NYC raises the rate the County opposes it.
· In the solid waste district the major increase is due to CPI increase. There is a contractual energy adjustment and work being done at the Sprout Brook Ash Pit.
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
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· Tax Levy: Peekskill: 10% change in the tax rate. The Budget Director explained that we used too much fund balance in Peekskill in previous years and don’t have as much to use there now. Appraised value of homes is expected to go up in the district. Theoretically there could be a decrease in tax levy to the original homeowner. Mrs. Carrano stated that she did not have the exact number for Peekskill but the range overall is from $8.00 per year to $44 per year.
· Capacity of plants: Ossining – concern that the plant is only 500,000 gallons away from capacity - flow going into the plant has been steadily going up. The Department is concerned with regard to the fact that the Ossining plant is near its capacity. They need to revisit each district. Comprehensive facility plan needs to be done. Committee requested the Commissioner to come back with a cost estimate for such a plan.
· Interest Income – Districts Repayment (2080): reflects interest on capital proceeds on the districts
2001 PROPOSED BUDGET: SOLID WASTE COMMISSION:
· Mr. Berger informed the Committee that they are in the midst of doing background checks on applicants. They have reports coming back from outside investigative service, KPMG. They have started conducting depositions of principals of the applicant carting companies. They have discussed the possibility of licensing companies that have already been licensed by the NYC tradeway (background checks have already been conducted on these). They are not yet ready to recommend companies that are solely Westchester based companies. They have a March 31st deadline. They have been discussing the possibility of extending that deadline to enable them to complete full investigations and will be discussing this with the Board as well as the Executive branch.
· Will be moving offices from space they are currently using at the DEF offices to Mount Vernon in December.
· Revenues are down (9050): The projections were based on the number of licensed haulers in the past. The number of haulers has been reduced. The original estimates were on the high side.
· Most of the fees are annual, with the exception of a bi-annual application fee.
· They hope and expect that prices will continue to be competitive.
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
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· Mr. Berger stated that in order to describe whether prices have gone down or will be down depends on whether or not they have the capability of requiring carters to tell them what they are charging their customers as well as a capability of requesting from customers what they are being charged. They have the ability to request that information but given the number of personnel they have it would be an onerous responsibility. If they had the power to require carters to inform them of the fees or provide copies of the contract then they would be to provide a real snapshot.
· It was asked if a Westchester carting firm who has been doing business in NYC in the past and now applies to the Solid Waste Commission for a license d o they realize NYC’s information or is an independent investigation performed. Mr. Berger stated that all applicants have a review done by KPMG. They do public data base background checks and supply the Commission with the report. They can then go and depose all these individuals as though they were a solely based Westchester company. For expedience sake given the number of carters that they have to do that for, and the time frame they have, given the amount of research that the city has done given the personnel they have available to them Mr. Berger is recommending that the Commission rely upon that decision unless of course something contorted turns up by KPMG. Mr. Berger clarified that he is not recommending that anyone be turned down for a license based upon the city’s determination. Right now all he is looking at is those companies that have been determined clean enough to be given licenses.
· It was asked if the carting companies are complying with the licensing law by making application for license. Mr. Berger stated that every once in a while they see trucks driving around that haven’t applied. When they gear up with their inspectors they will be following up with them and doing some type of enforcement. Virtually all of the big companies they know of have applied. There is a posting of all carters that currently have licenses under the old law and have applications in under the new law on the County’s web site. The listing will be amended as the licensing process progresses.
· It was asked if there has been any resolution to the problem of vehicle fees being too high for smaller carting companies and basically forcing them out of the business. Mr. Flatto stated that to their knowledge there have only been a couple of carters that expressed concern over the vehicle fees being too high. He further stated that the Commission did modify some fees.
· KPMG is not reflected in the budget. It is in the Escrow fund (263) because the only monies that KPMG gets paid are based on fees that each hauler remits to the Commission to pay for the investigation. It is about $1,500 for the upfront investigation for a small company. Committee requested a copy of the A&C resolution approving this contract.
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
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· Services by law – will go through detail with Budget Department
ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further items for discussion, on motion of Legislator Kaplowitz, seconded by Legislator LaMotte, the meeting was adjourned at 10:30 a.m.