Minutes

Board of Aldermen — 3/21/17 Page 2

| think if we pass this wastewater special revenue fund, if we conform this with the city charter and with state
law, and if we treat it as we have past prior revenue funds, | think we can manage expenses to bring in at least
higher than what we want but a reasonable tax rate given all of these huge increases that we are being hit with
over expenses where we have no control whatsoever. | would ask the Board to adopt the recommendation of
the finance committee and pass the ordinance as proposed.

A regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen was held Tuesday, March 21, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. in the Aldermanic
Chamber.

President Brian S. McCarthy presided; Deputy City Clerk Judith Boileau recorded.

Prayer was offered by Deputy City Clerk Judith Boileau; Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr. led in the
Pledge to the Flag.

The roll call was taken with 14 members of the Board of Aldermen present; Alderman Wilshire were recorded
absent.

Mayor James W. Donchess and Corporation Counsel Steven A. Bolton were also in attendance.

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 27
Alderman Wilshire

| would also like to send my condolences to the family of Selma Pastor. | knew Selma since 1982. She was a
commissioner at the Housing Authority the whole time | worked there and far beyond. She and her husband,
Bernie, owned Fletcher Appliances and had a really good hometown business for many years. She was a
great lady, and she will be missed.

| also would like to send my condolences to the family of Mike Roubideaux.

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 26

R-17-095
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderwoman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja
Alderman June M. Caron
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman Tom Lopez
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO APPLY FOR AND EXPEND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
BLOCK GRANT (“CDBG”) AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM FUNDS FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2018
Given its first reading;

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 25

homework, make sure the rest of the board knows the answers if you talk to somebody, and formulate any
motions based on the facts that you gather. Thanks.

Alderman Deane

Do you remember a number of years back when legislation was brought in to exempt the capital spending from
wastewater because it fell under the cap?

President McCarthy

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 24

Alderman Lopez

| would like to echo the comments made by Alderman O’Brien. It is difficult for me to be assured, as | have
constantly been every time this comes up, that if it is really important the ten votes will be there. The people
who are most likely not going to vote are constantly referring to this issue as an end-run, a work around.

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 23

has been consistent. You outright say you’re against the spending cap. But for someone to not even answer
the question that it’s a spending cap bypass is just poor forum.

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 22

Getting back to this ordinance, ya, it creates a little room under the cap. And thank goodness that it does
because you know what? The taxpayers would get jipped if it didn’t’ because they would be paying more
money for less services. That’s not right, and | will never support a budget, not in this economy, that says to
people give me a little bit more but I’m not going to give back to you what you’re paying me extra.

Alderman Siegel

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 21

| think there’s a point where we are inflicting self-harm on ourselves. It is a difficult decision to make but we
didn’t take the steps when we could have prevented it earlier. If we don’t take the steps to prevent it now,
we’re going to have a serious problem with our budget. Mayor Donchess did have the department do
simulations, and some of those scenarios were pretty dire. | think our city is struggling in a lot of areas, and
this isn’t the time to cut corners and start taking shortcuts.

Alderman Wilshire

Board of Aldermen — 4/11/17 Page 20