all your
requests
yeah dates
it's the cdvg
foroni the
[Music]
assessment
should thank you how about you have
my then
again
I'd like to call the ordance make city
council committee meeting for Wednesday
October 18th 2023 and I'll turn up to Mr
muton thank you I would like to
reconvene finance
committee and there is one item that we
need to address a follow from last
meeting and it has to do with the human
resource
department have some question from
Mr
[Music]
it's on page eight
okay
[Music]
L
questions you have some questions
regarding you want to go ahead certainly
um so I noticed in the budget when uh
Miss Ali was here that there's two
office excuse me two positions that were
removed from the budget um the positions
weren't removed I should say that they
weren't funded and they were
the assistant yeah I'm just wonder about
his office you mean the assistant yeah
he doesn't have control over
that so about the affirmative action um
offices so the uh affirmative action
office clerical Aid and program
coordinator neither of those were funded
this year so um just really want to know
from you that was that was a decision
that you wanted to make or no I I would
ask that you Rec considerer that we've
been working to try to get you know
these positions funded they're very very
desperately needed to assist the work
that we're trying to do in this off of
affirmative action uh we just now
completed the U in process so we sent
one selection up to the to the mayor's
office today consideration so you know
so that's up there and also uh a a
challenging Jal situation in terms of
affirmative action office and
Empowerment Center the both connected to
what we're trying to do with the 18
office Hader funded and all that but
since we've had such a
um cost overrun in terms of being able
to get the building done and get
everything on track to make it move
forward it's it's been almost impossible
to say how can we you know get to you
know position in that to run the program
if not going run the programs out of so
that was the one issue that was you know
in in contention for me but we did you
know work with and I want to come back
to you um to discuss at at another time
the reappropriation you know of the the
office fund to go more toward the
programming side and so therefore we're
able to serve the community and do the
things we want to do Asos being locked
down to the to the capital
infrastructure of the of the building I
want to come back
that but in terms of the two positions
they're critical in the sense that you
know we definitely need help in terms of
the day-to-day operations of what we're
doing down here what TR do to service C
and you know get the word out and
service and and hold true to the mission
so um there it's been a process to to do
that you a lot of people and you know
it's just been hard so we got to we got
the first part of it the um you know
think very close to being ready with the
7s you know move that forward for
consideration but in terms of program
we've been doing you know a lot of
things that um require the help you know
you talk about creating U access to
Opportunities U you know word available
in terms of you know what we have to
offer and what we're trying to do
specifically to Workforce Development
and training working with our partners
and you know just trying to develop the
whole program in a quality fashion so
that it's sustainable
and deliver the results they were trying
to do so I think we'll be able to move
forward with the quality sustainable
program and a product that's going to
make the city proud and we'll be able to
deliver what the uh what the community
is asking for so follow question you
said that you submitted something to the
um mayor's office which one of these
positions was it for for a clerical a
clerical a um and it's my understanding
that someone was hired at one point but
it didn't work could you could you speak
to that a little bit yeah that that
didn't work I went to the state so oh
simply didn't work out here right so it
wasn't for lack of trying you did have
someone employed but they decided didn't
have start they didn't start they just
accepted the job but didn't start right
right
okay all right so but you you have
reached out because I just you know
wanted to ask those questions um because
I just want to be frank that um we were
told that that there had been you had
been submitted several applications but
not had not considered any of the people
well we' considered a lot I mean we've
and you know it's a process you know um
you get you know 10 20 applications you
call them all you know you know the B
don't answer don't show up or whatever
you know so that process and some don't
work out but you know we've been going
through that process and um you know I'm
very comfortable with what you know
we've come out with to you to get this
started um so my last question if if
between these two positions because
neither one of them have been funded at
this point if you said if we said like
we can only fund one one or the other um
from your perspective as the person who
runs the office which would you have
chosen well well I I have to go with the
data uh you know the data entry person
because that's you know where we're
getting B down the most you know so much
is coming in and just keeping up with
things so that's you know that's one
thing the the other position is is
important too because um there's a lot
of support that we get from within the
current administration of the city that
that ABS a lot of those things that
typically would not be done you
specifically Civ Heth Ministry in terms
of gr writing identifying gr
opportuni um connections and
relationships with Department that we're
trying to work with when it come to the
Community College the school district U
you know all these things uh it takes
time you know a year ago we started
working
on with the school district to talk
about a Workforce initiative so that's
been last September here we are this
year we just not getting to the point
where they're coming back with their
draft or they want to move forward so
everything just takes a very long time
and the uh and we need to be in a
position to go after the funding we need
to go after the gr so we can sustain the
program once we you know get them done
so we do talk with
funders
[Music]
f talking with you know the district you
know what resources can they bring to
be Community College you know they work
with us Workforce
ini program what can they they do so you
know many things that they can do uh you
know retrospect is you know it may be
like non-ash you know transaction but
they consist with staff for example the
col they do like all the screening and
taking the applicants and all that but
it's tax in on them to keep up trying to
keep up people so you know we do what we
can to you it happen and you know keep
doing and then we still you know go to
outside resources looking for funding so
we were talk for a whole year with the
group that want to support the you know
the Empowerment Center you know itself
and they will you know they would come
you know with some you know significant
funding but they didn't want to get
involved with the capital P you know
nothing to do with the building but
programming P you
know you know something that we you know
what happen you know this conversation
like that is why this this coordinating
piece becomes critical because somebody
strong enough to have those
conversations and you know and sometime
you know we're not as ex to the
traditional routes you know we don't
have those relation we have to build
these relationships and it just simply
takes time so we need the help of
these it out thank you go ahead please
so would you say that the program
coordinator is more focused towards the
Empowerment Center and the work that
will be done um once that Center opens
well no no well you know the Serv doing
the program so I think we can do the
programs without having a building so we
just make the program work so for
example we have the skills training
program the next CT starts next week
23rd and then after that we have the
business uh Workshop we doing like a
business Workshop series and um you know
things you know like for try something
like each month to you know keep the
activity going and make it happen and
the two ironically go hand in hand in
other words we train people so let's say
that we run 150 people through the
skills training program and at the end
of the day we you know having trouble
getting them place you know we obious
the priorities of getting them plac
within the city but you know we're not
getting them here so it's it's just hard
so we need to build the capacity of
small businesses that have the
opportunities to take on so we have to
you know do them both at the same time
so we're working to build capacity for
our business and you know being part of
the mission and enthusiasm that's going
on within the city and uh and ultimately
create the uh you know create the jobs
and we do have a disconnect you know um
you he today about people looking for
for employee that said we can't find
where are they you know and you know we
have it here and but yet when you go two
blocks up you
I can't get an interview or why can't I
get this or you know and these are the
realities that we we deal with and we
talk about things in a true public
private kind of relationship you know
you know we have to do them both with
the same
time Mr So currently the work are done
by you miss
right do backl in terms of reviewing the
the compliance
report we do I mean it all chall you
know you know come tax you know because
chase down what um you know what's
happen with the projects and you know
report you know get done you know so we
get it done but we would like to be on
the proactive side to you know deal the
reason why you people have chall get in
there and
how many grants did you submit this year
and what are what's the status of those
grants well in the past 12 months I said
submitted like
three one to the state two to the
federal we didn't we didn't
get got closer than we did the year
before the year before you know we
submitted about the same and you we
didn't get any you know we didn't get
anywhere with it this we we got a lot
you know a lot of feedback in ter of you
know what part somebody you know those
type of things
so we did get small from National
gr we did apply through the state
through the you know Workforce
initiative you know and some of those
things are still pending but um you know
we working we're working out with the um
you know Workforce Development Institute
and Department of Labor so they have
um that's s Tas what we done with our
Workforce program
where the negotiation is once they
complete out five six program that they
will go into the next level which would
be like a pre apprenti program so we're
trying to you know produce that Gap so
how many programs did you run this year
and how many students went through it
this is well we typically run like about
three
TOS per year is going to be the third uh
C this year start next we and how many
students 15 typically we start 15 e 12
11 go ahead please so are do you are you
able to utilize the um grant writer for
the city to write your grants or who
writes your grants for you silly right
most of them and we do you know we have
work with Su you know
has been writing the ones that
we but she's not really she's not part
of your department she works in a
different department but she's assisting
yours thank you she's part of
development she works mostly with
development mostly with yeah but you
know actually she does grants for the
city I know she's done police she's done
Finance she's done other grants did she
do help with
your oh no Su no I was asking about oh
yeah no I'm just saying also help yeah
MH okay and we have talk with you know
you know like in TR you know what to go
after
that you know so we have to VI
but
you
just identify
what put the
resources thank
you
any other question for Mr
G thank you sir appreciate thank you
have a
good thank
[Music]
you so before you it's the it's a
combine of all the proposed changes
so give you a couple minutes to go
through them and then we'll go through
them
individually discuss it and
forward
you just hiding it want me to read on
your
paper
so doesn't really explain
it
for
this is the most come
year
okay
for
[Music]
inside holy
days oh my God
sorry
okay so we'll just go through um each
item and uh first section is revenue the
question Mr forar is to explain the real
property tax collection here to date on
the first pral you have given to us and
the one today the number remain the same
despite the fact that collection was
ongoing say again please real property
tax collection you know the monthly St
as I give you every every month if you
read the bottom you know the way our our
books the way the computer works is that
we figure we achieve 100% but in
actuality we were receiving about
93% increasing every year so you receive
about 93% collection on that line
yes the next one can you explain to us
um the sales taxs and growth for 2024
yeah so we increased the sales tax by a
million dollars over High share uh as we
see even
though you know you know hear about the
economy going up but the cost of
everything is up especially gasoline
we're getting all those sales tax
increases so we're looking forward on
that so you think million a million
increase from 2023
is is that conservative to yes yes I
think it
is should it go up a little bit more I I
I would not put it up
anymore excuse me John can you tell us
the line number sorry sorry revenue is
on Revenue page
one uh a11
a 1 0 it
yeah
sorry so it's conservative but recommend
stay the million yeah million please and
the next one can you walk us through the
last Revenue you had given us the
statement
[Music]
here for the
benefit
sure
the we talking about the
6.6 million 6.6
million yeah that is just to basically
balance the books and uh that's what we
have left over uh for our L loss Revenue
that was a calculation of um
5.2% uh what we received uh from the
aror monies um so we do that calculation
and I believe I sent everyone that
sheet uh that shows uh the amount uh uh
we actually received um but 6.6 million
is what is left over and uh that's just
going to be filling the gap between our
revenues and our
expenditures any question on this so 6.6
is what we have left in arpa and that's
what that figure represents l so you're
using that yes to cover our loss of
Revenue
correct and it could be we're not going
to use it all like like what we used
last year we may not use it all this
year are you good with that you guys
okay so we'll U move to the next item
the next one is a1010 D100 city council
there's a proposal for a 16% increase of
city council
member open for discussion
sorry I brought this forward and so as
you can see um I researched so the
council hasn't received a increase in
the stien since 2002 and um we it's
increased our duties have increased
overall uh including doing the budget
which has increased over the years so uh
at this point in time I was just putting
forth that um to increase the stien for
the city council members while at the
same time um considering the uh outside
Council which we had put in and reducing
that since we had not used it but
leaving um some of it in place 15,000 in
order into just in case we needed but
not
um but not take but but taking some of
it away um from the 25,000 that we had
originally
budgeted open questions on this go ahead
please so I would not support as I as
I've mentioned the increase for city
council um um I don't think that that's
really why we're here um doing the job
but I also recommended that I think we
should take out the entire 25,000 for
the outside Council as we discussed last
year I mean I think that um most of us
um use our Corporation Council for any
questions that we have U and folks in
the Corporation Council Office uh for
questions that we have um when they come
up so I just as we discussed last year I
again do not think that we need that um
in the budget at
all any other discussion on this item no
I mean I understand your position so I
mean so if it fall goes through then you
know you could stand on principle and
then if you you know feel like it's not
something that you would want to take I
understand
that any got a question
this we'll move to the next one 8 10
10440 that's kind of like linked to the
one before mhm propos increasing outside
legal service by
$10,000 yeah it's it's currently 25,000
so this has been asked to reduce it to
to
15,000
any discussion on
this again I just don't think that we
needed even the 15,000 but I would
reduce it to
zero any other comments on
this
sorry I would just say based on a
preparedness standpoint I definitely
understand that our Corporation Council
is like willing and able to do this
types of work but I think just because
there's not an immed use does not deter
you from having these types of budget
items as a just in case resource I think
having it for another year to see if we
are going to potentially utilizing it
then I think I'd be more in favor of
assessing uh its uh long-term uh
implications as as a line
number any other
discuss see n move to the next item is a
1210
D100 and that that's adjusting the
admin
assistant to the current 2023 salary of
57392 open for
discussion well you're not very
consistent you give the
uh Park Str
4% and you don't give anything
here go ahead please I would just say
there's just blatant differences between
a director and administrative assistant
no slate to either position because
they're both vital to the C Halls
long-term point
we can't use reasoning for one and not
for the
other um like believe there was a there
was a 4% increase in this line item from
last year's budget to the 2023 and then
it was vacant for a while and um this
person came in very very recently so
um I I mean generally a 4% increas is is
um like over something that's that
hasn't been has been a long time and let
me just also say I looked back and there
was in 2020 between 2020 and 2021 there
was like no increase in this line
whatsoever so This Is Not Unusual it's
not like it's never happened before
because when we P when the 2020 and 2021
budget was passed it was also not an
increase in that in that
line any other
discussion I'm sorry oh no not
really some people go upstairs well I do
want to say I think the parks director
was hired um in February perhaps I mean
um so I think that that person has been
in their position for almost a year or
you know certainly by the time the um
but the I don't know when the
administrative assistant was uh hired
so it probably was very recently but I
think maybe July maybe August I'm not
but very recently yes
any other
questions we'll move to the next one a13
p
100 uh question the proposal is to
increase the deputy Finance commission
position to
$80,000 currently it's 78
78p
I know
him and there there's a currently 78 Bud
for proposed budget has
78,000 we asked him to bring that to
80,000 and there's a little bit of
reason for that um there at the
bottom I don't want I don't not seek fin
retirement yeah but
um to make
it I didn't want to say it but you know
I was very D's customer
there that
ising
she
charges we want to make sure we have
succession plan in this department to
our city and M been fantastic years so
we want to make sure the transition
happen and the deputy is equipped to
carry on and we need to um put that in
place and as you see there there's a
great job he's he listens he trained
well and hopefully he's going to
continue to grow even
more any question on
this okay the next one
here the assess um this
a355
100 assessment
office the assess was um in front of us
a couple of days mentioned to us that
um
tookess EX pass on the for try and you
know she has a to certification and this
was a two-part question because there's
one here and then there's another one in
the back so can to combine all together
and we have the opportunity to from her
and I think that um we should um you
know put some consideration in place to
compensate certification and the
qualification that she has she did
mention that she has the only one in the
New York state have
if I'm not
mistaken something close to that
yes go ahead please I was going to say
professional development is something
that is uh needed in every organization
and I think it's our responsibility to
make sure that we uh properly
incentivize that that a no way shape
form means giving people um 100% raise
increases but I think that as they start
to add more knowledge skills and
abilities to their skill set uh City
Hall is able to be more um affected in
it businesses within that individuals
scope we did ask for documentation I
think attached to
the her is 93 she requested 93
yes3 you have this
k64
more
1,64 oh 1,64 got
it
So currently the proposal is um 91
936 and she requested
93,000
any
discuss I would support
that okay it's not much of a difference
from the proposed budget and what is
being asked from the
Department next item is a420 D100 law
proposal is high power legal and then
there's a narrative as why the
suggestion is being brought
forward go ahead please I would like to
ask if Mr Mr col could weigh in
a um thank
Youk um we do that one of the parttime
attorneys um who's been working for us
for quite a while now um will be leaving
um at the end of the year full
retirement um he's already retired from
the DA's office and um he's been doing
phenomenal work for us in fact we
actually had a judgment today in court
from a trial over
$100,000 five in asss um this case that
he
handled um as it's noted here we do have
unfilled assist Corporation Council
positions uh obviously we're trying to
fill those positions um you I don't know
what will happen in 2024 as appli to the
other administrative staff um know we
get a lot of foil requests obviously as
you all know and technology has changed
where we don't have body cam so there's
more redactions to do and more video
review and all of that and that consumes
a great deal of time uh there'll never
be a shortage of notice of claims that
are filed against the city um and Code
Enforcement cases that come up um from
the building department for us to
prosecute and um having obviously you
know if we can't fill the assistant
Corporation Council positions um there's
always going to be a need for additional
support staff um we have two paralal
currently in the office who don't have
the title paralal um they have code
enforcement Specialists and record
access officer um having a paralal could
provide uh additional assistance um to
handle closings draft documents um
things along those lines um so that the
attorneys that we do have can you know
essentially do the the things that
attorne only attorneys can do go to
court
um what would be an average salary
there's no there's no salary attached to
that recommendation so yeah it's Guided
by I believe it may fall under