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REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING
TOWN OF GREENWICH
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS FOR
JANUARY 2004 MEETING
Item No.
1 – Administer the oath of office to all members/
Item No.
2 – To elect a Moderator
Item No.
3 – To elect a Moderator Pro Tempore
DEPARTMENT: Tax Collector 03-12-18
CONTACT: Ed Gomeau, Comptroller; Lou Caravella, Tax Collector
618-7683 622-7893
REFERRED TO: Finnace, Legislative & Rules, Town Services Committees
VOTES: Board of Estimate and Taxation (12yes/0 no)
RESOLVED, that Town Code Chapter 12. Taxation, Article 3. Collections, §12-13 be amended as follows:
Sec. 12-13. Payment of delinquent taxes on motor vehicles.
As authorized by the [general] provisions of General Statutes §[7-148(c)(2)(B),] 12-146:
(a) [t] The only acceptable forms of payment of delinquent taxes on motor vehicles shall be by cash, certified check or money order[.]; and
(b) Any person who was delinquent in the payment of any property tax or installment on any motor vehicle and for whom the Tax Collector notified the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of such delinquency under the provisions of General Statutes §14-33 shall pay a fee of five dollars ($5.00).
Additions bold;
deletions within [brackets]
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS
The Connecticut State Legislature passed two acts in August, 2003 during their 2003 Special Session that affect the collection of delinquent motor vehicle taxes.
The first, Public Act 03-1 requires municipalities to pay a $.50 fee to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to block registration on any vehicle on which municipal property taxes are delinquent. You approved an Interim Appropriation of $19,500 at your December meeting to cover the cost of this charge to the Town of Greenwich.
The Second, Public Act 03-06, section 58, allows any municipality to impose a five dollar fee on any person who was delinquent in paying the property tax on a motor vehicle that was reported to the Commissioner as described above. The amended statute reads (in relevant part):
“Any municipality may, by vote of is legislative body, require that (A) any delinquent property taxes applicable with respect to a motor vehicle shall be paid only in cash or by certified check or money order, and (B – New section) any person who was delinquent in the payment of any property tax or installment on any motor vehicle and who the municipality notified the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of such delinquency under the provisions of Section 14-33, as amended, shall pay a fee of five dollars.”
The State of Connecticut has begun charging a fee for municipalities to report tax accounts that are delinquent in the payment of their motor vehicle taxes. Prior to 2003, this was a no cost service provided by the State of Connecticut. Having the delinquent account listed with the motor vehicle department guaranteed that the person delinquent in their motor vehicle taxes could not register their car. The Town of Greenwich reports between 35,000 and 40,000 vehicles each year that are delinquent in their motor vehicle payments. During the last fiscal year, 02-03, the Tax Department collected over $600,000 in delinquent taxes, much of those collections due to individuals not being able to register their vehicle until they paid their delinquent motor vehicle tax.
DEPARTMENT: Board of Education 0401ED01
REFERRED TO: Education and Finance Committees
VOTES: Board of Education vote 8-0-0
Board of Estimate and Taxation vote 12-0-0
RESOLVED, that the sum of $550,000 be and the same is hereby appropriated from “RESERVED FOR CAPITAL & NON-RECURRING FUND” to account Z68002922410659560 Hamilton Avenue School.
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS
The initial appropriation for the Hamilton Avenue construction (new or renovated) requires an interim emergency appropriation of $550,000 to engage a construction management firm and to facilitate related construction planning processes.
The components of this are the construction manager and the engagement of services of construction related specialists needed to develop detailed cost estimates, specifications for work, and project planning related to Hamilton Avenue School.
It is understood that additional funding for planning and project management will be requested as appropriate to advancing the Hamilton Avenue School project.
Attachments
None
DEPARTMENT: Public Works 0401PW01
CONTACT: Robert C. Kalm, Deputy Commissioner (203) 622-7740
REFERRED TO: Finance & Public Works Committees
VOTES: BET
RESOLVED, that the sum of $80,000 be and the same is hereby appropriated to be added to Public Works’ Account No. K361-59650-22204 known as “Old Greenwich/S. Water Street Pump Station.”
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS
The Old Greenwich/South Water Street Pump Station Rehabilitation Project requires additional funds. During the permitting phase for this project, Planning and Zoning and the Architectural Review Commission requested changes to the design of the emergency generator for the Old Greenwich Pump Station. The original design called for a pre-fabricated fiberglass building to house the new generator. However, P & Z and ARC did not approve this design due to its architectural features. Several options were researched including a new brick structure to match the existing building as well as placing the generator back inside of the original building. The new structure was too costly therefore DPW selected the relocation of the generator inside of the existing building, which P & Z and ARC approved. All of this additional work added to the engineering costs.
A second delay occurred with the Connecticut Light & Power Company. The Old Greenwich Pump Station required extensive work on its electrical service including new poles, transformers, and power boxes. This project was delayed nearly two months because of scheduling difficulties with the power company thereby also adding costs to the project.
To recap, the aforementioned delays caused the engineering services contract to extend much further than anticipated; that fact, along with the cost of relocating the emergency generator, has caused the contingency for this project to be exhausted. Therefore, to conclude the project as required, additional funds are necessary.
Attachments
None
DEPARTMENT: Special RTM Committee on Tax Abatement
REFERRED TO: Finance, Legislative & Rules & Town Services Committees
VOTES: Board or commission name vote (y/n/a)
RESOLVED, that the following tax abatement relief for surviving spouses of Police Officers and Firefighters be approved and enacted by the Representative Town Meeting.
ARTICLE 5.
TAX ABATEMENT FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES OF POLICE OFFICERS AND
FIREFIGHTERS
The Representative Town Meeting ("RTM") of the Town of Greenwich ("the Town") finds and determines as follows:
1. The Greenwich police officers and firefighters provide a valuable service to
the Town.
2. The Town wishes to honor those police officers and firefighters who die while performing their duties as police officers or firefighters.
3. Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81x, the Town is authorized to provide for an abatement of real property taxes with respect to real property owned and occupied by the surviving spouse of a police officer or firefighter who dies while performing his duties for the Town.
Section 12-17 Tax Abatement for Surviving Spouse of Police Officers and Firefighters.
a. Definitions
i. For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" is defined as any person who is regularly employed and paid by the Town of Greenwich for the purpose of performing fire duties for the Town of Greenwich on an average of not less than 35 hours per week or any volunteer member of the Greenwich Fire Department who performs fire duties.
ii. For the purposes of this Section, "police officer" is defined as a duly sworn member of the Greenwich Police Department, serving the Town in an official capacity, full-time, part-time or on a volunteer basis, with or without compensation.
iii. For the purposes of this Section, "surviving spouse" is defined as the person who was married to the police officer or firefighter at the time of the police officer's or firefighter's death.
iv. For the purposes of this Section, "fire duties" are defined as duties performed while at fires, while answering alarms of fire, while answering calls for mutual aid assistance, while returning from calls for mutual aid assistance, while directly returning from fires, while at fire drills or parades, while going directly to or returning directly from fire drills or parades, while at tests or trials of any apparatus or equipment normally used by the fire department, while going directly to or returning directly from such tests or trials, while instructing or being instructed in fire duties, and any other duty ordered to be performed by a superior or commanding officer in the fire department.
v. For the purposes of this ordinance, "police duties" are defined as any action which an officer is obligated or authorized by law, rule, regulation, or written condition of employment of service to perform during regularly scheduled hours, other hours that qualify for overtime compensation from the Town, or volunteer duty under the command of a superior officer of the Greenwich Police Department.
b. In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81x, there is hereby established effective for the Grand List of October 1, 2003, an abatement of
100% of municipal real property taxes due with respect to real property owned by the surviving spouse of a police officer who dies while performing police duties or firefighter who dies while performing fire duties on or after the date of approval of this Resolution by the RTM. The allowed abatement will be apportioned on the tax bill from the date of death.
c. This tax abatement will remain in effect so long as the surviving spouse occupies the residence as his primary residence or until the surviving spouse remarries or until the spouse conveys his interest in the subject residence. If the spouse subsequently purchases another residence in the Town, and all qualifying criteria remain, then the tax abatement shall apply to the new residence.
d. The Chiefs of the Greenwich Police Department and Greenwich Fire Department shall within 15 days of the death of a Department member who dies performing their duties for the Town submit a letter of notification to the Assessor providing
the name and principal residence address of the surviving spouse who continues to own and live in their home. The Assessor will meet with the surviving spouse
to complete a signed affidavit containing relevant factual data for tax abatement. The surviving spouse will complete a revised affidavit in subsequent years when requested by the Assessor.
e. Upon the death of any person entitled to tax relief pursuant to this Section, the tax relief hereunder shall end the following June 30.
f. If any person who is entitled to a tax abatement hereunder conveys the property with respect to which the tax abatement hereunder has been granted, the tax relief shall be suspended as of the date of conveyance and the non-qualifying purchaser of such property shall pay the Town a prorated share of taxes thereby due and owing as provided by Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-81a.
g. The property tax relief provided for in this Section shall, in any case where title to real property is recorded in the name of the qualifying surviving spouse and any other person or persons, be prorated to reflect the fractional portion of such qualifying spouse or, if such property is a multiple family or multiple use dwelling, such relief shall be prorated to reflect the fractional portion
of such property occupied by the qualifying spouse.
h. Annually, not later than the 1st day of June, the Assessor, upon receipt of an application for such relief, shall determine, with respect to the assessment list of the assessment year commencing October first immediately preceding, the portion of the assessed value of the entire cooperative, as included in such assessment list, attributable to the dwelling unit occupied by such person. The assumed property tax liability for purposes of determining the amount of such relief shall be the product of such assessed value and the mill rate in such municipality as determined for purposes of property tax imposed on said assessment list
for the assessment year commencing October first immediately preceding. The amount of relief to which such person shall be entitled shall be equivalent to the
amount of tax reduction for which such person would qualify, considering such assumed property tax liability to be the actual property tax application to such person's dwelling unit and such person as liable for the payment of such tax.
i. The Tax Collector and Assessor shall prescribe with regard to their respective duties under this Section, such forms and procedures as may be necessary to implement this Section. The Assessor, in addition, shall take such steps necessary to satisfactorily establish the facts as to the qualifying surviving spouse's
interest in the property, by requesting such documents as the Assessor deems necessary.
j. The Tax Collector of the Town shall maintain a record of all taxes abated in
accordance with this Section. The Tax Collector shall detail in the Annual Report of the Town of Greenwich the sum of the total monies abated as a result of this Section.
k. This Section shall take effect February 1, 2004.
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS
At the RTM meeting of September 15, 2003 Item 5 regarding tax abatement
for surviving spouses of Greenwich firefighters and police officers was
referred to a special committee to be appointed by the Moderator, with a
report due at the December RTM meeting.
The moderator appointed Paul Curtis from the Finance Committee, Mary
Ferry from the Town Services Committee and Douglas Wells from the
Legislative and Rules Committee. Ed Manganiello served as an alternate
for Douglas Wells.
The Special RTM Committee on Tax Abatement for Surviving Spouses
organized on September 24 and elected Paul Curtis as Chairman. After
multiple discussions among ourselves and with the Fire Chief, the Police
Chief, the Assessor, Town Attorney Gail Sassos and many others, we
propose the following new ordinance for adoption by RTM.
Major differences between this ordinance and the one on the September
call are:
1. Addition of definitions for firefighter, police officer,
surviving spouse, fire duties and police duties.
2. Permission for a surviving spouse to move within Greenwich
without losing the tax abatement.
3. Inclusion of volunteer Police officers and volunteer Firefighters.
4. Technical changes requested by the Assessor.
The complete resolution has been reviewed by the Town Attorney's office.
Mary Ferry, Secretary
DEPARTMENT: Petitioners
CONTACT: Richard Holleran - 625-0867
REFERRED TO: Legislative & Rules & Town Services Committees
VOTES:
Be It Hereby Resolved that it is the sense of this meeting that:
Whereas the qualifications of persons chosen for leading positions in town departments and administrative bodies are of utmost concern to the citizens of Greenwich with their unique valuation of exceptional performance and
Whereas in the selection of the above a recognition of loyalty by persons already employed by the town together with the local government’s heavy investment in such persons’ skill development should be taken into account and
Whereas such recognition will promote quality job performance and employee retention through the incentive of career advancement
Now Therefore such persons already serving the town shall be given most favorable consideration for advancement to enhanced leadership roles.
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS
No explanatory comments were submitted by the petitioners.
The original petition pages with signatures are on file in the Town Clerk’s office.
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