Chairperson's Report: September 26th Town Council Meeting Review

Good afternoon neighbors, and happy final Friday of September to you! Please see below the chairperson’s report for the September 26th regular meeting this week.

First, the Town Council presented a proclamation to resident Jeff Gallagher for their efforts in the community.

The Town council then unanimously approved revisions to the town’s personnel policies and procedures. These changes included the addition of Juneteenth to the holiday calendar in accordance with state and federal holidays, and a revision to sick leave allocation that the allotment of time is on their anniversary date so that it is consistent with changes made to two of the town’s three labor contracts.

The town council also unanimously approved setting two public hearings on town code as well as ordinance updates proposed by town council members and staff.

The town code revisions impact suspension and revocation processes for Adult-Oriented Establishments, which changes the requirements for revoking this license and any action taken by the Town Council in the event of an appeal being final.

Ordinance 91, known as the Tax Stabilization Fund is proposed to change the maximum amount held in the fund from $3,000,000 to $1,000,000. There is also language to indicate what happens if the fund exceeds that amount at the end of the fiscal year and requires the Town Council to review the policy every five years. The current balance is estimated to be nearly $500,000 at the end of fiscal year 2023-2024.

Additionally, the town council unanimously authorized Town Manager Foley to execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) for Homeland Security grants.

The town council then held a conversation with the Manager and staff regarding the status of our ambulance fleet. This discussion is based on a request from the town council due to recent service issues with various apparatus and extensive delays in procuring new ambulatory vehicles for the town due to supply chain constraints.

There was general consensus to have the Town Manager explore hiring a firm to review all of public safety in terms of our apparatus, staffing and general infrastructure. There was also discussion and general agreement that procuring a third ambulance to alleviate ongoing delays and maintenance issues with our existing ambulances should be considered, with more permanent changes adopted after the study is concluded regarding the appropriate number of ambulances needed to serve our community and mutual aid needs.

The final item of business for the Town Council was unanimous approval of two appointments to the Agriculture Commission.

To review the meeting minutes, packet and Town Manager’s Report, please visit:

September 26th Regular Meeting Minutes –

https://ecode360.com/TO1208/document/752501102.pdf

September 26th Regular Meeting Packet - https://www.tollandct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3921/f/uploads/2023-09-26_regular_meeting_packet.pdf

September Town Manager Report – https://www.tollandct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3921/f/uploads/2023-09-12_manager_report_with_attachments.pdf

Thank you for taking the time to review this report. If you would like to submit any questions or comments to the Town Council regarding town-related topics, please email us at towncouncil@tollandct.gov.