Search

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 21
President Wilshire

All set, Alderman Jette?

Alderman Jette

Yes, thank you.

Alderman Clemons

Thank you. So | had originally looked at that Memo and thought that the money, my initial though was that
the money could go towards the tax rate, reduce the tax burden further. | can understand putting it into
Contingency. However, | feel that a better use of the money would be to put $255,000.00 back into the Fire
Department Budget so that they can fully fund the Firefighter's Contract. So | don’t know if it is appropriate
to amend the motion or if | can do that but that’s what | would vote to do.

Alderman Dowd

My suggestion would be do we do this one step at a time or it is going to get too confusing. So let’s do the
one change and then we will address anything else that people have towards the Budget.

Alderman Clemons
Sounds like a good idea.
Alderwoman Lu

Thank you. Alderman Dowd could you just help me understand, what is the purpose of moving it from
(audio cuts out).

Alderman Dowd

It gives us more flexibility when we determine how we would want to spend that money. The Healthcare
Account can handle the loss of that amount of money because of all the explanations in the June 9 Memo
and further discussions that we had. And the reason is that that was available was because a lot of the
things that we had anticipated paying for in health expenses, were not realized because people weren’t
going to the hospital for normal things because of COVID-19. We also feel that given a couple of days from
now that that’s also going to be the same reason that people aren’t going to be rushing to the hospital
under the same conditions to get what | would call normal medical things taken care of. They will put them
off for a bit further, the longer they put them off, the more savings we have. It has been determined that a
half million dollars would be better placed in General Contingency so we can address other things, if
necessary.

Alderwoman Lu

Just a follow up, so essentially we are doing it now so we don’t have to do it later.
Alderman Dowd

Easier to do it now.

Alderwoman Lu

Thank you.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 22

John Griffin, CFO

Madam President, John Griffin, CFO. | completely understand Alderman Dowd’s request. It is a little bit
more complicated in that the by us putting the pensions and benefits in each Department’s Budget, there is
no one account that you folks would be able to reduce to end up with what Alderman Dowd is requesting.
So as a suggestion | would increase the Contingency amount as Alderman Dowd suggested, but | would
reduce, take $100,000.00 out of Police and $100,00.00 out of Fire and $300,000.00 out of the School
Appropriation for benefits and that will create the desired result. And | say that because we drew up based
on actual experience, we drew up the expenses every year at the end of the year. So you will basically be
reducing $500,000.00 within the Budget from those 3-line items and you will get the desired result which
will put the $500,000.00 into Contingency. So if | could offer that, that would be recognized by our auditors
and regulators and all of those folks. Thank you.

President Wilshire
Thank you, Mr. Griffin. Alderman Dowd, do you want to amend your motion to do that?
Alderman Dowd
Yes, | had had that discussion with Mr. Griffin, | thought it was going to be very confusing to people that is
in essence what we are doing in this. Because those are the places where this money would anticipated
have been spent but it is not going to be, we believe. And we feel confident that it hasn’t been spent in the
2020 Budget so that money stayed in the Healthcare Accounts for those Departments that he just talked
about. So those reductions in those Departments will not impact them and it meets the requirements of this
motion so | will amend so that the language reflects what Mr. Griffin just said.
MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD TO AMEND SO THE LANGUGE REFLECTS $500.000.00 INTO
GENERAL CONTINGENCY AND REDUCING $100,000.00 FROM POLICE DEPARTMENT BENEFITS;
$100,000.00 FROM FIRE DEPARTMENT BENEFITS; AND $300,000.00 FROM SCHOOLD EPARTMENT
BENEFITS
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,

Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,

Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,

Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 13
Nay: Alderwoman Lu, 1
MOTION CARRIED
Alderman Dowd
The Motion is for Final Passage of R-20-023 as amended by roll call. Now | believe somebody can ...
MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-023 AS AMENDED, BY ROLL CALL
ON THE QUESTION

Alderman Clemons

Thank you. I'd like to make an amendment and the Motion would be to take $255,000.00 from Contingency
and to put the $255,000.00 from Contingency into the Fire Department Budget.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 23

MOTION BY ALDERMAN CLEMONS TO AMEND R-20-023 BY TAKING $255,000 FROM
CONTINGENCY AND PUTTING THE $255,000.00 INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGE

ON THE QUESTION

Alderman Clemons

And I'd like to speak to that Motion.
President Wilshire

Alderman Clemons?

Alderman Clemons

So as we have heard from the Chief and other folks, when the Budget was crafted by the Mayor, there was
a $500,000.00 cut, roughly a little bit over that, but $500,000.00 cut from the Fire Department Budget. And
we, in the Budget Committee, put $245,000.00 back. And we did that a few motions ago by amending it —
the budget — with the Golden Rod copy. So now that we have seen $500,000.00 in additional savings from
the healthcare line, which | might add a lot of that comes from the Fire Department. My opinion is we ought
to make that whole so that we can have a clear conscious in voting for the Fireman’s Contract. It will at
least enable the funding to be there for that. That was one of the chief concerns that were brought forward
was that if we don’t have enough funding in the Fireman’s Budget, in the Fire Department Budget, then
there won’t be enough money to fund the contract because we are not going to have enough money for
that in next year’s Budget.

So if we take $255,000.00 which we just put into contingency, (audio cuts out) sorry about that, back into
the Fire Department Budget, that money will be there and so that would be the purpose of this motion and |
would hope that you all could support that. So that is the motion.

President Wilshire

The motion is to cut contingency by $255,000.00 and add it to the Fire Department Budget, $255,000.00.
Discussion on that motion? Alderman Klee?

Alderman Klee

Thank you, Madam President. | agree wholeheartedly with Alderman Clemons. | think that the fact that we
are putting this into contingency and we are not using it to reduce the taxes, | think we should make the
Fire Department whole. If | remember correctly we did something similar to the Police Department with
some of the amendments that we made. And | think it’s just fair to kind of make them as whole as they had
requested and so on. So! completely support that.

Alderman Jette

Yes, so | think Alderman Clemons is much more experienced in dealing with these budgets than | am as is
Alderman Dowd. But if we keep it the way it is, in other words, if the money goes into the contingency as
we just voted on and we left it there, then if, in fact, we vote to approve the Firefighter's Collective
Bargaining Agreement, the money could then be transferred from contingency into the Fire Department
Budget to fund that, | think. However, if we vote to put it into the Fire Department’s Budget now, we are
kind of putting the cart before the horse. | think we ought to wait and vote on Collective Bargaining
Agreement and if that passes, then a transfer could be made. If it doesn’t pass, then that money is sitting
in the Fire Department Budget and it would no longer be required until a further Collective Bargaining
Agreement came out of negotiations or fact finding or whatever. So | am going to vote against doing this
now; | think it is premature.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 24

President Wilshire

Anyone else? Alderman Cleaver and then Alderman Tencza.

Alderman Cleaver

| thank Alderman Clemons for this idea, | think it is a brilliant idea and | am all for it.

Alderman Tencza

So Madam President, just a point of order, a question for either Attorney Bolton or Mr. Griffin. If this
amendment does not pass, what opportunity would we have if the Firefighter's Contract passes later on in

the meeting to assign this money from contingency back into the Fire Department Budget.

Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel

You do it whenever you want.

John Griffin, CFO

Control, as Attorney Bolton, as Alderman Jette indicated you do it now or you do it later. | would suggest
one change. What you want to do is basically eliminate the Mayor’s bottom-line cut. That’s where you’d
need to put a positive where there’s a negative. You don’t need to increase the salary lines as we reviewed
a few times. That would be my only change. Thank you.

President Wilshire

Alderman Clemons, did you want to amend your motion.

Alderman Clemons

Yeah that was my intention was to make that whole or roughly whole with the $255,000.00 but it was to
restore that bottom line cut.

President Wilshire
Ok, anyone else? Alderman Dowd?
Alderman Dowd

Mr. Griffin at some point we should be transferring the money for negotiations in the Fireman’s Budget just
like we would with any other to the contingency negotiations account, is that correct?

Mr. Griffin

Yes, as Alderman Dowd indicated, whatever that final number is on the line inside the Fire Budget, my
recommendation is to move that amount down to contingency negotiations, so it is out of the Fire Budget
before it is approved by the Board of Aldermen to transfer it back into that Budget. So that makes sense
Alderman Dowd.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 25
Alderman Dowd
So whatever that number, as soon as we decide on what that number is, that amount of money should be
transferred just like we always do with contract negotiations. I’m sure Alderman Clemons knows this from
the past and we put it in a contingency for negotiations so that it can be strictly for negotiations.
Alderwoman Lu
Thank you. Based on that point, | want to thank Alderman Jette because | think that his reasoning makes
perfect sense. If we are going to have to move it then why don’t we just make one vote on this and
otherwise we are going to have make another vote by the end of the evening. So | would like to suggest we
go along Alderman Jette’s recommendation. Thank you.
President Wilshire
Anyone else on the motion to amend. Would the Clerk please call the roll?
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly,

Alderman Clemons, Alderman Tencza, Alderman Schmidt,

Alderman Cleaver, Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, 8
Nay: Alderman Dowd, Alderman Lopez, Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette

Alderman Caron, Alderman Wilshire
MOTION CARRIED
President Wilshire

So the motion before us is for final passage of Resolution 20-023 as amended. Further discussion?
Alderman Dowd.

Alderman Dowd

Mr. Griffin, what’s the amount of money that we need to make a motion to transfer into contingency for
negotiations?

Mr. Griffin
That number is $1,144,325.00.
Alderman Dowd

Ok, so | would like to make a motion to transfer $1,144,325.00 out of the payroll line in the Fireman’s
Budget to Contingency Negotiations so it can be used for when the contract is settled.

MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD TO AMEND TO TRANSFER $1,144,325.00 OUT OF THE PAYROLL
LINE IN THE FIREMAN’S BUDGET TO CONTINGENCY SO IT CAN BE USED FOR CONTRACT
SETTLEMENT FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 26
ON THE QUESTION

President Wilshire

You've heard the motion, discussion on that motion? Alderman Clemons?

Alderman Clemons

Yes, | have a couple questions on that. So on this motion here, is this something that has to be done this
evening or can this be done after July 1° of next year?

Alderman Dowd

| was told by Mr. Griffin that we should do it this evening, we always do it at the end of the Budget Hearing.
If there is anything that came up that needs to go in Negotiation Contingency, we need to move it.

Alderman Clemons

So may | ask a further question?

President Wilshire

Alderman Clemons.

Alderman Clemons

What happens if we move this money out of the Department Budget and then the contract fails?
Alderman Dowd

It’s still there for negotiations as far as | Know, | don’t know if somebody wants to chime in on that?
Mr. Griffin

The money would be there and would not be transferred. The amount that would be transferred would be
the amount to pay for the contract in Fiscal ’21.

Alderman Clemons
Could Corporation Counsel comment on that.

Attorney Bolton

If you move the money from a payroll line in the Fire Department to Contingency Negotiations and the
contract before you tonight, the cost items, does not pass, the money is there and presumably at some
point a Collective Bargaining Agreement will be negotiated. The cost items will pass this Board and then
the money will be available for transfer into the Fire Department to meet those expenses.

Alderman Clemons

Thank you.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 27
Alderwoman Lu

Thank you. Just curious and as August approaches, how is payroll met for that Department. Do transfers
need to be made from negotiations to payroll again?

President Wilshire
Mr. Griffin can you answer that or Attorney Bolton — one of you.

Attorney Bolton

| can’t. The amount left in payroll will be enough to pay the payroll at the current rate of pay. OK? The
amount in Contingency Negotiations is an amount that would be available to transfer in if wages increase
under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Alderwoman Lu

Oh, | see, thank you.

President Wilshire

Anyone else on the motion to amend by taking $1,144,325.00 out of the Payroll Fire Department and put it
into Contingency Negotiations. That is the motion. Would the Clerk please call the roll?

Alderwoman Kelly

I’m sorry Alderman Wilshire.
President Wilshire
Alderwoman Kelly?

Alderwoman Kelly

Thank you. | just want to make sure that | fully understand what is before us here and perhaps through you
to Attorney Bolton my question is, if we put this amount in but the negotiations use less, do we have to then
make another motion to move it. What happens with that surplus?

Attorney Bolton

Well you don’t have to. It would be available if you desired to. If it wasn’t spent it would be a surplus which
would be assigned to another project or could just remain in the General Fund, increasing the General
Fund Balance. Or, it could be applied to reduce the amount that would have to be raised in taxes for the
next Fiscal year.

Alderwoman Kelly
Ok so it’s not — OK thank you, | appreciate that.
President Wilshire

Anyone else? Would the Clerk please call the roll?

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 28
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
President Wilshire

The Motion before us is for final passage of Resolution 20-023 as amended; further discussion on that?
Seeing none would the Clerk please call the roll?

A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED

Resolution R-20-023 is declared duly adopted as amended.

Alderman Dowd

Thank you everyone. We now have a passed Budget for FY2021.

R-20-026, Amended
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderwoman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Patricia Klee
Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly
Alderman Jan Schmidt
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
ADOPTING THE 2020 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO APPLY
FOR AND EXPEND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (“CDBG”) AND HOME
INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERWOMAN KELLY TO AMEND R-20-026 BY REPLACING IT WITH THE GOLDEN
ROD COPY OF AMENDMENTS MADE AT THE HUMAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, BY ROLL CALL

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 29
ON THE QUESTION
President Wilshire
The Motion is to amend, discussion on that motion? Anyone? Would the Clerk call the roll?
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt,
Alderman Cleaver, Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14
Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED

MOTION BY ALDERWOMAN KELLY FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-026 AS AMENDED, BY ROLL
CALL

ON THE QUESTION
President Wilshire
Alderwoman Kelly?

Alderwoman Kelly

| would like to speak to that. Thank you, so this is just the final vote on the work that the Human Affairs
Committee has been doing to allocate the CDBG Funds for the year. Thank you to Carrie Schena for all of
her work in terms of what our consolidated plan would look like this year. | think the Committee did a
wonderful job of really prioritizing putting a good amount towards the Rental Improvement Program,
knowing that housing was one of our number one things on the Consolidated Plan. So | thank everyone for
their hard work and | appreciate all that went into this.

President Wilshire

Ok the motion before us is for final passage of Resolution 20-026 as amended. Any further discussion?
Would the Clerk call the roll?

A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0

MOTION CARRIED

Resolution R-20-026 declared duly adopted as amended.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 30

R-20-039
Endorser: Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman-at-Large David C. Tencza
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
AUTHORIZING PENNICHUCK CORPORATION AND PENNICHUCK WATER WORKS, INC. TO
ISSUE TAXABLE BONDS OF UP TO $75,000,000
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN O’BRIEN FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-039, BY ROLL CALL
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-20-039 declared duly adopted.

R-20-040
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman-at-Large David C. Tencza
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman Jan Schmidt
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY TREASURER TO BORROW FROM THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES STATE
REVOLVINGLOAN FUND AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TWO MILLION
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,500,000) FOR PUMP STATION UPGRADES
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN JETTE FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-040, BY ROLL CALL

ON THE QUESTION

President Wilshire

Alderman Jette?

Alderman Jette

And | would like to speak to it. So this is authorizing the Mayor and the City Treasurer to borrow $2.5
million dollars for upgrading the pump stations. This is normal maintenance and normal replacement. The
City Wastewater System — not every part of the City is above sea level so we need pumps to move the
wastewater from low levels up to the point where it can reach the treatment plan and the river. So this is
just normal, it’s a lot of money but it’s normal money — it’s normal maintenance that has to be spend. And

the State provides an opportunity to borrow this money at a low interest rate. So it makes a lot of sense for
us to do this.