WESTFIELD – It really must be Christmas this month and Mayor Daniel M. Knapik played Saint Nick, using free cash to appropriate a number of departmental deficits, many caused last June when he leaked red ink all over the proposed 2015 fiscal year budget.
Thursday night the City Council had it choice of roles, either choosing to play Grinch and deny the appropriations or be Santa’s helpers by approving those appropriations. The Council got into the Christmas mode of giving and approved all of the appropriations by 13-0 votes.
Knapik had sent eight appropriations to the Council at its December 4 meeting. None were acted upon at that time and were referred to the Finance Committee whose chairman, Ward 1 Councilor Christopher Keefe, appeared to be holding the appropriations hostage in his committee to leverage Knapik into using free cash or stabilization funds to lower the 2015 fiscal year levy.
Keefe did call a Finance Committee meeting, attended by all 13 City Council members, to discuss the appropriations, all of which were later approved during the full council session.
“My colleagues on the (Finance) Committee and the City Council President (Brent B. Bean II) wanted this meeting. It’s not something I wanted,” Keefe said.
The council voted to approve a transfer of $74,423.39 from the School Department to the City Hall Payroll Department.
At-large Councilor Brian Sullivan said that the council needed to complete the process of consolidating the School Department’s payroll office into the city’s Payroll Department.
“We approved moving the people from the School Department to the Payroll Department,” Sullivan said. “Now we have to complete that process by moving the money because they’re shorthanded.”
The councilor also approved a free cash appropriation of $7,144 to the Auditing Department to fund the salaries of two employees who were moved out of the union and given personal service contract.
The City Council approved two appropriations to the City Clerk’s office to fund the preservation of the city’s historical records. Knapik requested $100,000 from free cash, while another $135,902 was appropriated from the Community Preservation Act funds.
The councilors also approved a $100,000 free cash appropriation to the Police Department for the purchase of new Ford SUV cruisers. Councilors did ask Police Chief John Camerota if the fleet replacement should be a budget line item or an element of the city’s capital spending.
“We are looking at a capital plan,” Camerota said, “But right now we’re trying to fill a need. We’re at three (line cruiser replacements) this year.”
At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty said the cruiser replacement funding should be a budget line item.
“This should not be coming out of free cash,” Flaherty said. “We know we’re going to need new vehicles every year.”
Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul Sr., suggested that vehicle replacement should be part of an annual capital purchase program.
“We need a capital plan for vehicles from all departments, school, police, fire, DPW (Department of Public Works,)” Paul said. “Maybe we should schedule meetings with those departments in March to develop a plan.”
The Council also approved a $4,736 transfer within the Police Department’s Towing & Storage Account to purchase two new radios for the new cruisers.
The Council also approved a free cash appropriation of $67,500 to the Fire Department and a transfer of $82,500 within the departments Ambulance Reserve Account to fund overtime.
Fire Chief Mary Regan said the department is being forced to use overtime because of the number of firefighters who are out of work due to injuries and because there are vacancies within the department that have not been filled because Civil Service has not provided a list of eligible candidates.
Regan said the four “groups” are suppose to be manned with 18 firefighters and paramedics, but that due to injury and sickness two groups are down to 14 firefighters and two are at 15 members.
“When will relief from Civil Service come?” Sullivan asked Regan, “You have eight unfilled positions.”
“Civil Service is broken,” Regan replied. “The list (of candidates) was frozen in September. A new list was supposed to come Dec. 1, but we have not received it yet.”
“Is there a time when you can fill those positions without Civil Service?” Sullivan asked.
“The city would have to pull out of Civil Service,” Regan replied.
Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, who is chairman of the council’s Personnel Action Committee, said the problems with Civil Service are not limited to the Fire Department.
“Maybe this is the time to look at pulling out (of the Civil Service) program,” Figy said. “You’re having a problem. The Police Department had a two-year Civil Service severance investigation. it’s just not working.”
The councilors also approved a $1,257,967 free cash appropriation to lower the 2015 fiscal year tax levy.
