During the Aug. 5 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, public comment and correspondence concerned the town moving away from employee pension plans, the building department’s forensic audit, volunteer awards and banning outdoor wood-burning furnaces.

Public comment

Speaker Jim Leahy said West Haven recently changed one municipal union’s employee retirement program to a 401k, instead of pensions, limiting the town’s yearly liability to approximately a 10 percent contribution. He asked whether North Haven had considered similar switches.

“Here in North Haven,” First Selectman Michael Freda replied, “we’re having discussions with those unions who are strictly on pensions, through the collective bargaining process, to try to ensure that new employees come in at 401k or 457s, because the town of North Haven, our contribution is 10 percent, versus the 12-27 percent pending upon the way the market falls.”

Percentages paid in pension systems like North Haven’s range by department.

“In North Haven, over a 15-year period, the pension contributions have ranged anywhere from 12 to 27 percent a year,” Freda said. “The way municipal government works is as the market goes up, and the stock market’s doing well, the investments are doing well, the town contribution is lower. When the market goes down, and the pension funds take a hit, every city and town in Connecticut has an obligation to make up the difference, and the percentage of contribution goes up.”

Several of the town’s seven municipal unions have already made alterations so that new employees come in on a 401k, or 457, instead of pension plans. Town will negotiate with the remaining unions without such measures, Freda said.

Existing employees will be unaffected. “No city or town has the right to take a pension away from an employee,” Freda added. “However, through the collective bargaining process, you can negotiate for the new people coming in.”

Additionally, Leahy said he was surprised at discovering that by North Haven’s charter, the First Selectman is the chief purchasing officer for town, but not for the Board of Education.

“By Connecticut state statute,” Freda replied, “there is no mayor or First Selectman that has any authority over the Board of Ed, other than, as a member in our form of government, as a Board of Finance member, we can assign the aggregate dollar budget to the Board of Education. That’s a fact by Connecticut state statute.”

Leahy pointed out a potential hitch the stature caused in North Haven. “That means the taxpayers of North Haven cannot vote on the line-item budget for the Board of Education, which is our biggest expense,” he said.

Leahy asked Third Selectman Steve Fontana, who he said was in a unique position as a town selectman and state representative, if he’d be in be favor of repealing Connecticut laws which caused the potential issue. “I’d certainly consider it,” Fontana responded.

Speaker Gary Amato asked whether a cost was known yet for the independent forensic audit into North Haven’s building department, begun by Kostin, Ruffkess & Co. LLC in May. Freda responded that a full cost was still unknown. Further, he believed the audit would be completed within 30 days.

Amato also wished to know the audit’s extent, how investigated properties were chosen, and whether everything would be made public upon culmination.

“We are going back to 2002,” Freda replied. “There’s a large sampling of records back to 2002. We are trying to identify what procedural deficiencies existed in North Haven down through the years. And what the result of those procedural deficiencies was in terms of monies that were perhaps lost to the town.”

Final audit findings would be available as a public document, he added.

Correspondence

Freda read aloud a letter from resident Raymond Fowler, which advocated beginning a formal award system to recognize local volunteers.

“Since the establishment of this town,” Freda read from Fowler’s note, “it has relied heavily on the commitment and dedication of its volunteers to accomplish the services that the town either needs or finds necessary to have.”

“Without the services of those fine volunteers,” Freda continued reciting Fowler, “the town would have to pay to secure services, or simply do without those services, or those people, at great consequence to the citizens. As these volunteers do so without compensation of any sort, it is only right and proper that some form of recognition be accorded them.”

Fowler thought volunteer awards could be separated into two categories. One type would recognize time-of-service, while the other would award single or prolonged acts or merit.

Both types of recognition, Fowler suggested, would be known as “The Board of Selectmen’s Award of Service.” Either could be bestowed retroactive and posthumously.

Prize-winning amounts of time would include five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service. Any and all time served on any board or commission, or as an individual volunteer, would count. The service must be considered honorable, and awards would be automatic.

For commendable volunteering acts, Fowler proposed three separate levels of achievement – distinguished, superior and meritorious service. Single deeds, as well as efforts over a prolonged amount of time, could be rewarded.

Appointed by North Haven’s selectmen, a committee would establish award definitions and qualifications.

In closing, Fowler wrote, “I hope the board will consider my request, and give these fine volunteers, who do so much work for our town, the recognition they deserve.”

Fontana was in favor, but with questions.

“He indicates the Board of Selectmen would appoint a committee to establish definitions of awards and their qualifications,” he said, “but who actually make a determination themselves of who gets the awards. Other than that, I think they’re great ideas.”

Doheny concurred. “I think there are some specifics to be worked out,” he said, “but I like your idea, Mr. Fowler. Sure we have to figure out the definition between distinguished, superior and meritorious, but I certainly like the idea, and it’s time we recognized the volunteers help this town.”

Freda moved to accept Fowler’s concept, with the criteria to investigate questions raised by his fellow board members. All three selectmen voted in favor.

“I think it’s a tremendous idea to honor those people who’ve served us,” Freda said. “There are many of them who’ve served years and years and years.

Additional correspondence from resident Nancy Alderman called for a town ordinance banning outdoor wood-burning furnaces, which produce harmful inhalants. Prohibiting such stoves would require a town meeting be held. A handful of outside stoves already in North Haven would have to be grandfathered in.

Freda, Alderman and an attorney drafted a proposed ordinance to be presented at town meeting for vote. Freda handed draft copies to Fontana and Doheny for their consideration before September’s meeting, at which Alderman will be invited to speak.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Fontana said. “I know there are communities all over Connecticut that are adopting similar ordinances, so I think it’s worth doing.”

“I’m familiar with what these are,” Doheny said, “and I’ve read a couple articles about how dangerous they are.”

“I certainly think it’s something we should look at and potentially adopt,” Doheny added.