OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Fiscal Committee Meeting - December 22, 2025

Board of Representatives — Monday, December 22, 2025
BodyStamford, Connecticut
SessionBoard of Representatives
DateMonday, December 22, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:13:03

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Okay, the time is 701 p.m.

0:03

I'm going to call the first meeting of the fiscal committee of the 32nd Board of Representatives to order.

0:09

I am co-chair Earth Morrison.

0:11

With us tonight, are co-chair Andrew Zachary and Representatives Neil Goldberg, District 13, Kara Dorsey, District 5.

0:24

No Representative Noel Apine, District 19, Representative Parker Johnson, District 6.

0:31

And anybody else in there?

0:33

I think that's it.

0:33

That's about it.

0:35

Okay.

0:38

Item number one, F32.001.

0:42

Additional appropriation, appropriation operating OPM purchase order requesting spending authority for prior year purchase orders to carry over several fiscal year 25 purchase orders into fiscal year 26 to maintain continuity of operation source of operations.

0:58

Funding source, the fund balance, 107,521.

1:03

Do I have a motion to take up item one?

1:11

I will move it.

1:12

I'm going to give our new members an opportunity to show the second.

1:15

I will second.

1:16

Okay, second.

1:18

And with us tonight is uh assistant director of OPM, uh Bill McGuire.

1:24

Bill, what do you have for us?

1:32

Still good.

1:38

Bill, can you unmute?

1:46

There you go.

1:49

Hello, are you here?

1:50

Can I hear it?

1:51

We can hear you, yes.

1:53

Okay, sorry.

1:54

Um yeah, so this is requesting the board's approval basically for for two fiscal 2425 purchase orders.

2:02

Um, one related to the assessor's office of about a little over 47,000, um, another from the property reevaluation department of uh just under 60,000.

2:14

Um it's basically giving us uh the giving us the spending authority to honor the existing commitments without needing to open um additional new POs.

2:25

Um the primary reason for this particular request really is just due to the timing year-end of taxpayer claims uh related to like hearings and proceedings occurring towards the end of fiscal 25, so more in the the May-June time frame, uh, and it just caused delays in the billings of this.

2:45

So um that that's really the rationale behind these two.

2:50

Okay.

2:51

I'll also note that we're joined by Representative Graham from District 3, Representative Campbellli from District 18.

3:00

Any questions from the committee or members of the board?

3:06

Representative Goldberg?

3:08

Um, I noticed that you have attached a memo from April 5th, 2024.

3:14

I was wondering if you could help me understand why you attach that memo and what its relevance is to an item in our 2025 or 2026 budget.

3:28

Yeah, it's it's really just explaining the rationale like a lot of the this the whole process with these rolling over of purchase orders came into fruition, which kind of the the move into the Oracle reporting system, like in previous uh previous years when uh the old HTE system, they were allowed to um like the purchase orders were able to be used, um but with Oracle, they need to be closed on an annual basis to uh for the fiscal year closings.

3:59

It was really just the rationale behind it, not necessarily anything specific to the dollar amounts being uh addressed here.

4:08

Thank you.

4:10

Any other questions from the committee or the members of the board?

4:16

Seeing none, I'll try this by voice vote.

4:18

All those in favor of item one, please say aye.

4:21

Aye.

4:23

Any opposed?

4:25

Aye.

4:27

Was that an opposition?

4:30

Any abstain?

4:33

Okay, item one passes unanimously.

4:36

Item number two, F32.002 for 1,190,120, additional appropriation from the capital budget, project C 65200, citywide vehicle replacement and upgrade for the immediate purchase of three rear load rec use trucks and two asphalt hot box machines to reduce costs, improve citizen services, and decrease fix it complaints.

5:02

And I'll entertain a motion to take up item two.

5:06

So moved.

5:07

So moved.

5:08

And second, please.

5:10

Second.

5:10

Thank you.

5:12

Discussion.

5:13

Do we have uh to see Josie online yet?

5:17

Tony, can you speak on this one?

5:19

Yeah, I try the best I can.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation████████████████16%
Water And Wastewater Management██████████████14%
Grant Funding█████████████13%
Sustainability█████████████13%
Public Transportation████████8%
Purchasing███████7%
Public Health███████7%
Public Safety██████6%
Vehicle Maintenance█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Fiscal Committee Meeting - December 22, 2025

The 32nd Board of Representatives' Fiscal Committee convened on December 22, 2025, at 7:01 p.m., co-chaired by Earth Morrison and Andrew Zachary to review and approve a series of appropriations, resolutions, and grant agreements. The meeting focused on fiscal year 2026 funding, covering operational carry-overs, capital projects for utilities and transportation, public safety grants, sustainability initiatives, and technology infrastructure upgrades. All agenda items were discussed, with representatives seeking clarifications on project scope, costs, and implementation details before voting.

Consent Calendar

  • Item F32.001: Motion carried unanimously to appropriate $107,521 from the fund balance to carry over two prior-year purchase orders (Totaling ~$107,521) for the Assessor's Office and Property Reevaluation Department into Fiscal Year 2026 due to year-end billing delays.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No formal public comments or testimony were recorded during this session; all input came from elected representatives, staff, and department directors.

Discussion Items

  • Citywide Vehicle Replacement (Item F32.002): Representative Goldberg requested clarification on unit costs ($35,000 per garbage truck, $70,000-$75,000 per hot box) and useful life estimates (8-10 years). Representative Camborelli inquired if the new trucks could be adapted for compost pickup in the future, noting a city mandate for a compost study; staff agreed to follow up via email.
  • Perlan Lane Sanitary Sewers (Item F32.006): Director Brink and Ann Brown explained that $500,000 is required due to unanticipated rock conditions slowing production. Representative Zachary asked if the funds were sufficient to reach the June 2026 completion date; staff confirmed the estimate was sufficient based on known quantities.
  • Traffic Signals & Sidewalks (Items F32.007 & F32.009): Representative Zachary asked about the extent of sidewalk installations on the west side, specifically regarding connections to Stillwater and Roxbury, and confirmation that design plans would be for concrete. The team clarified the intention is to create a continuous sidewalk corridor from West Hill to Bull Head Road, with funding currently allocated for design while future construction funds are sought.
  • Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (Item F32.008): Director Brink and a representative provided a detailed explanation of "infiltration" (groundwater entering through cracks) and "inflow" (rainwater from surface connections), noting that heavy storms can spike flows from 15 MGD to over 50 MGD, nearly reaching the plant's 64 MGD hydraulic capacity. A motion was made to schedule a facility tour for board members.
  • Port Security Grant (Items F32.010 through F32.014): Representative Graham requested a breakdown of costs for the police vessel engines and radios. Staff confirmed costs were $60,000 for two replacement engines and $44,000 for four handheld radios. Representative Pine sought clarification on the linkage between the appropriation and the authorization resolution, which was confirmed as a sequential two-step process.
  • Solar Panel Projects (Items F32.015 & F32.021): Catherine Lavalle and Brandon Mark detailed the Strawberry Hills and Westover projects, highlighting a funding stack of state grants, tax credits, and incentives that results in a net revenue return to the city over 20 years. Representative Goldberg inquired about the process for a more technical briefing; staff agreed to coordinate a formal or informal session.
  • Gun Violence Prevention (Item F32.017): Anita Carpenter outlined a $642,727 state grant to implement a public health approach, utilizing partners for programs like "Hopps for All" and juvenile review board support.
  • School Readiness Program (Item F32.019): Representative Johnson clarified that the funding shift changes the mechanism from a pass-through grant to direct city service provision for the early childhood coordinator. Representatives LePine and Johnson abstained from the vote on this item.
  • Regional Hazmat (Item F32.023): Staff confirmed the grant covers equipment, training, and a nominal $1,500 administrative fee for the fiduciary role on behalf of Regional One (lower Fairfield County municipalities).
  • Public Wi-Fi Expansion (Item F32.024): CIO Prasant Tangaralba detailed the expansion at Lathenwylder and the Boys and Girls Club to support digital equity, aiming for a secure, password-protected signal extending 50-100 yards into adjacent parking lots and parks. Representative Goldberg asked if the project replaced existing work due to flood remediation; staff clarified this is new planned work. Representative Graham asked if the new system would integrate with the library's existing Wi-Fi; staff confirmed it would supersede and augment the existing 30 access points.
  • IT Infrastructure (Item F32.027): Staff explained the contract with local firm High Link for an Azure VMware Services (AVS) deployment across two data centers to enhance disaster recovery and virtualization. An agenda typo in the item number (F31 vs F32) was corrected.

Key Outcomes

  • Item F32.001: Passed unanimously ($107,521 appropriation).
  • Item F32.002: Passed unanimously ($1,190,120 appropriation for 3 garbage trucks and 2 hot boxes).
  • Item F32.003: Passed unanimously (Resolution amending capital budget for vehicle project).
  • Items F32.004 & F32.005: Held by the Board of Finance; no action taken.
  • Item F32.006: Passed unanimously ($500,000 appropriation for sewer project).
  • Item F32.007: Passed unanimously ($250,000 appropriation for traffic signals).
  • Rules Suspended: Voting to take Item F32.009 out of order (passed unanimously).
  • Item F32.009: Passed unanimously ($250,000 appropriation for sidewalk design).
  • Item F32.008: Passed unanimously ($1,050,000 appropriation for sewer rehabilitation).
  • Item F32.010: Passed unanimously ($15,115 appropriation for Board of Education intern).
  • Item F32.011: Passed unanimously ($37,200 city match for port security).
  • Item F32.012: Passed unanimously ($148,800 grant appropriation for port security).
  • Item F32.013: Passed unanimously (Resolution authorizing port security agreement).
  • Items F32.014 & F32.021: Passed individually (Both unanimously; $150,000 and $200,000+ allocations implied via related resolutions for solar projects).
  • Item F32.015: Passed unanimously (Resolution for Strawberry Hills solar budget).
  • Solar Resolution: Passed unanimously (Resolution for Westover solar budget).
  • Item F32.017: Passed unanimously ($642,727 appropriation for gun violence prevention).
  • Item F32.018: Passed unanimously (Resolution for gun violence agreement).
  • Item F32.019: Passed unanimously with one abstention ($600,000 LGP grant appropriation).
  • Item F32.020: Passed unanimously (Resolution for LGP agreement).
  • Item F32.022: Passed unanimously ($76,500 appropriation for Hazmat).
  • Item F32.023: Passed unanimously (Resolution for Hazmat grant).
  • Item F32.024: Passed unanimously with one abstention ($186,400 appropriation for Wi-Fi).
  • Item F32.025: Passed unanimously (Resolution for Wi-Fi funding).
  • Item F32.027: Passed unanimously (Approval of contract with High Link).
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m.
  • Record Correction: The agenda number for Item 25 was corrected from F31.027 to F32.027 for the official record.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, the time is 701 p.m. I'm going to call the first meeting of the fiscal committee of the 32nd Board of Representatives to order. I am co-chair Earth Morrison. With us tonight, are co-chair Andrew Zachary and Representatives Neil Goldberg, District 13, Kara Dorsey, District 5. No Representative Noel Apine, District 19, Representative Parker Johnson, District 6. And anybody else in there? I think that's it. That's about it. Okay. Item number one, F32.001. Additional appropriation, appropriation operating OPM purchase order requesting spending authority for prior year purchase orders to carry over several fiscal year 25 purchase orders into fiscal year 26 to maintain continuity of operation source of operations. Funding source, the fund balance, 107,521. Do I have a motion to take up item one? I will move it. I'm going to give our new members an opportunity to show the second. I will second. Okay, second. And with us tonight is uh assistant director of OPM, uh Bill McGuire. Bill, what do you have for us? Still good. Bill, can you unmute? There you go. Hello, are you here? Can I hear it? We can hear you, yes. Okay, sorry. Um yeah, so this is requesting the board's approval basically for for two fiscal 2425 purchase orders. Um, one related to the assessor's office of about a little over 47,000, um, another from the property reevaluation department of uh just under 60,000. Um it's basically giving us uh the giving us the spending authority to honor the existing commitments without needing to open um additional new POs. Um the primary reason for this particular request really is just due to the timing year-end of taxpayer claims uh related to like hearings and proceedings occurring towards the end of fiscal 25, so more in the the May-June time frame, uh, and it just caused delays in the billings of this. So um that that's really the rationale behind these two. Okay. I'll also note that we're joined by Representative Graham from District 3, Representative Campbellli from District 18. Any questions from the committee or members of the board? Representative Goldberg? Um, I noticed that you have attached a memo from April 5th, 2024. I was wondering if you could help me understand why you attach that memo and what its relevance is to an item in our 2025 or 2026 budget. Yeah, it's it's really just explaining the rationale like a lot of the this the whole process with these rolling over of purchase orders came into fruition, which kind of the the move into the Oracle reporting system, like in previous uh previous years when uh the old HTE system, they were allowed to um like the purchase orders were able to be used, um but with Oracle, they need to be closed on an annual basis to uh for the fiscal year closings. It was really just the rationale behind it, not necessarily anything specific to the dollar amounts being uh addressed here. Thank you. Any other questions from the committee or the members of the board? Seeing none, I'll try this by voice vote. All those in favor of item one, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Was that an opposition? Any abstain? Okay, item one passes unanimously. Item number two, F32.002 for 1,190,120, additional appropriation from the capital budget, project C 65200, citywide vehicle replacement and upgrade for the immediate purchase of three rear load rec use trucks and two asphalt hot box machines to reduce costs, improve citizen services, and decrease fix it complaints.

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