1967/10/24BERLIN~BOARD OF FINANCE
OCTOBER 2&, ]967
I, iEMBEES PRESENT:
OTHERS PRESENT:
Chrm. Boron, W. S. Brown, T. Ward, Jr., S. Sargis, B. Delaney
and R. Sprag2
Mrs. Blanche Mahan (Hartford Courant)
Ail members were present promptly at 7:30 pm except ~rs. Delane~
Mr. Doran advised that some of the members were endeavoring to keep other
business commitments this evening in the expectation that the Board of Finance
business might be completed early enough.
Mr. Doran advised that since this was the first meeting of the Board after t}]e
election, one of the items of new business was the election of a chairman and
that as a courtesy he wcul~ like to hold action on that item until Mrs. De]sney
was present which wou]~ also make a complete Board.
Therefore, with the consensus of the members present Mr. Doran called the
meeting to order st 7:35 pm to t~ke up some of the minor rcutir, e items.
~I].fUTES AFFROVED: September 19, 1967 and Telephone Poll dated 10/20/67
CORKESPON~E~!CE:
l) 10/6/67 A. Powers to Bf. of Finance--Community House ~s being used as
~rop-in~center for elderly citizens. The floor is fn deteriorating condition
and request ~:550 to replace the floor with vinyl tile.
2) 10/20/67 A. Powers tc Pd. o£' Fin~nce--~onument on Wcrt~ington Ridge ~s fn
netd o£ repair. ~-~'~ from .'l[rcd ~ Nocere t~ repair the monument
~mcunts ~ ~.~,5. 2c~u~zt tl~!s wor]% bc ~onc bc£orc the winter to avoid more
serious problem~.
3) 10/2&/67 J. F. Lutkus, Treasurer Berlin Public Health Nursing Ser%~cc to
Boar~7 of Yintncs r~%ucsting ?dditionzl funds in the ~mount of' ~600 to pay
e~ponses o¥cr ~nd ~Love original ~llocetion to advertise for public health
nurse super¥iscr.
~) 9/22/67 ~i. Sylvia to Board of ~'inance reg~r~in~ ~femorial Eay expenses
for 1967.
The following transfers were voted:
1) Confirming the poll ¥ote of 10/18,/67 es follows:
The sum of ~500 from General Fun~ to ~126b ~[emorial Day (five concurring votes:
I~essrs. Brawn, Sargis, Sprague, ~[erd snd Dorsn; )irs. Eelaney had not yet arr~ved)
?) A ~fthin-budget-transfer in account ~lSb ~igO To%~ yroperties ~n the amount
of ~350 to replace the floor in the Community House (re comm.
I~[rs. Delaney appeared while this matter was being considered approximately 25
minutes after the meeting had been in Frogress. ?[hen the call was made for the
vote, ~irs. Pelaney ~nnounced that she was abstaining for the reason that she
be!JoYed this meeting wes il!egel in that it was a special meeting and that
notice of the meeting had not been filed with the Town Clerk in accordance w~th
?ublic Yet 723 passed by the 1967 General Assembly. Mr. Boron stated that he
hsd hoped to t~ke this matter up under ~[ew Business; that this was the Board's
first meeting since the effectfve date of the ~ct (Oct. lst) an~ he felt that
the Board could readily work out a Frocedure which would be the most convenient
and acceptable for all concerned ~n complying w~th the Act for future meetings.
]<r. Doran's attempts to ex~lain that he believed that this meeting was legal
went unheeded by MrS. Zelaney, ~ir. Sprague and r.~r. ?~srd who kept insisting that
the matter be referred to Town Counsel. Since there were still several matters
of Town business to teke care of end since there were three members who were not
contesting the legality of the meeting (~[£ssrs. Lornn, Sergis and Brown), ~r. Eor~
proceeded with the business of the meeting.
Transfer No. 2 to repair the Community House floor wss passed by three concurring
votes: Messrs. Brown, Sargis end Boron. Three abstaining: ~[rs. Delaney,
Mr. Sprgaue and Mr. 7~erd.
3) The sum of ~600 from ~127 Contingency to ~52a Professional Staff for Public
Health Nurses. (re comm. ~3) by three concurring votes: Messrs. Brown, Sargis
and Dor~n: Three abstaining: ~[rs. Delaney, Mr. Ward and Mr. Spr~gue
BILIS:
1) ~73.08 to Mrs. R. Polaske for secretarial services rendered from 9/12/67
thru 10/23/67 for Board of Finance. ;pproved for payment out of ~6 Bd. of
Finance Expense by three concurring votes: Messrs. Brown, Ssrgis ~nd Doran;
Three abstaining: Mrs. Delaney, Mr. ¥;erd and Lit. Sprague.
NEW BUSINESS:
1) Re Communication ~'2 St was voted (Mrs. Delaney abstaining) to acknowledge
the First Selectman's letter of 10/20/67 and to request a reccmm~endetion by
the Park & Rec. Dept.
2) Mr. Doren returned to the subject of the legality of this meeting and said he
!would like to discuss it now under New Business ss he had previously intended.
He explained that he believed that the Board could quickly work out acceptable and
convenient procedures to comply not only with Public Act 723 but also with Public
Act 791 which permits poll votes within certain limitations. From his knowledge
as a State Representetlve in the 1967 General Assembly, Mr. Doran explained some
of the mertinent background of these Acts. He felt that it was not necessary
tc ask ~o~ Counsel if thfm meeting was legal according to Public ~,ct 72~. In
regnrd to Public Act 791 (Poll Votes) Mr. Doren displayed a postcard prepared
for this meeting at his resuest by the Clerk Pro-Tam on which was typed the
motion for Transfer No. 1 with ~oxes for "Yes" or "No" vote by the member. He
explained that this was just an example of how the Board might comply with Public
Act 791 by having each member participating in a poll vote mail such a card to the
Clerk Pro-tam. Board members mede several suggestions, one being to just give
each member a supply of addressed c~rds and let them write in the suestion
themselves. Mr. Boron explained that the Legisleture's purpose in calling for
written response was to make sure that no member could change his verbal poll
vote later on.
~r. Sprague moved, seconded by Mr. Ward, that the Board ~sk Town Counsel for an
opinion on the legality of this meeting and the conduct of business by this
Board in consideration of the requirements specified in ~ublic Acts 7P3 and 791.
Voting for the motion by raise of hands were Mrs. Delaney! Mr. Sprague end
Mr. Ward. Voting against were Messrs. Brown, Eoren and Sargis end the motion was
declared lost.
For the record Mr. Ssrgis called the Board's attention to the inconsistency of
Mrs. Delaney's position, namely, that up Until this point she had held that the
meeting and all business transacted by it was illegal and hence she would not end
did not vote on e~rlier motions; however, she was not voting on this particular
motion in this same meeting which she had held to be illegal.
~) Mr. Dorsn advised that the business of organizing was now before the Board and
that it was in order to entertain nominations for chairman.
Mr. SergJs nominated Mr. Dor~n for Chairman. Mr. Brown stated thst while he knew
that no second was required he was pleased to second this nomination.
Mr. Boron called for any further nominations. There being none, ~[r. Sargis moved
that one ballot be cast for Mr. Dcran as chairman. Voting in favor were Messrs.
Brogan, Doren and Sargis. Abstaining were ~[rs. Delaney, and Messrs. Spr~gue and
?!erd. There being three concurring votes, Mr. Doran was ~eclared Chairman.
g) Mr. Sargis recommended that the Board be strengthened organizationally by
appointing a Vice-Chairman which is a common practice with many Boards end
Commissions. Mr. Doran said that he thought that such a step to strengthen
the Board organizationally would make it easier for the Board to ~ct in the event
of temporary absence o£ the Chairman and thus help prepare the Bo~rd to better
serve the town's interests, particularly in cases involving some urgency.
Mr. Sargis nominated Mr. Brown for Vice-Chairman.
Mr. Lor~n called for any other nomdn~tions. There being none, Mr. Sargis moved
that one ballot be cast for Mr. Brown as Vice-Chairman. Voting in fever were
Messrs. Bro'~n, Doren and Sargfs. Abstaining were ~rs. Delaney, and Messrs.
Sprague and Ward. There being three concurring votes, I~r. Brown was delclared
Vice-Chairman.
The meeting adjourned at 8:&5 pm.
On November 2, 1967 Chairman Lor~n directed the Clerk Pro-Tam to enter and sign
the entry of minutes dated October 2g, 1967 prior to their approval with the
understanding that the Clerk's notes do not constitute tP~e record o£ the meeting.
Clerk Pro-Tam
I:{ECEIVED FOR FILING
.._.~EJ;if_l N, CONN.