|
Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
 Posted - 08/01/2007 : 1:35:53 PM
|
Board of Aldermen (Melrose)
Appropriations Committee Meeting Minutes
Monday, 15 August 2005
Appropriations Committee
Chairman Doyle, Heavey, Brodeur, Boisselle, Forbes, Hitchman, Infurna, Lavender, Mortimer, Conn
Appropriations called to order by Chairman Doyle at 7:04 p.m. Order No. 05-289, Election of City Treasurer/Collector to fill the unexpired term ending on the first Monday in February, 2007.
Chairman Doyle suggests the way the board may proceed is to ask each candidate to come before them and make a brief presentation about the candidacy, followed by a question and answer period. After that it would be in order to open nominations to send to the full board, or not, if the board feels it is necessary for further debate. Once there is a recommendation, if the board so chooses, six committee members votes are required to move one candidate to the full board.
Alderman Mortimer motions to open Public Participation, 2nd by Alderman Boisselle. All in favor. No one comes forward. Alderman Mortimer motions to close Public Participation, 2nd by Alderman Brodeur. All in favor.
Chairman Doyle says there is a package of resumes sent to the aldermen by the Clerk of Committees. They are Domenico D'Angelo, Arthur J. Flavin, Jr., and Michael V. Santos. Chairman Doyle asks that Mr. D'Angelo address the board first.
Domenico D'Angelo, 90 Wyllis Avenue, Everett, MA, says he wasn't prepared for this. He has worked in several banks and hospitals before starting at the City of Everett as the assistant tax collector. In 1996 he became the Treasurer/Collector of Everett and worked for eight years in that capacity. He has managed staffs big and small and has been a good supervisor and a good boss. His staff has always gotten their work done on time. While at the city of Everett, the bond rating went from A-3 to A-1 in 13 months. He has dealt with union employees, posted tax rates, and dealt with abatements. He feels very qualified for this job.
Chairman Doyle says there was a screening process, and all candidates were screened by the screening committee.
Alderman Forbes says Mr. D'Angelo worked for the city of Everett until 2004, and asks where he works now. Mr. D'Angelo says he is currently unemployed.
Alderman Boisselle asks Mr. D'Angelo about his relationships with the banking industry. Mr. D'Angelo says he has dealt with most of the big banks since Everett had money in most of them. He says he has a good relationship with most of them. Alderman Boisselle asks how those relationships helped the city. Mr. D'Angelo says by the time he left, the city was not paying any banking charges with the Bank of America. Alderman Boisselle asks how he will use technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the office. Mr. D'Angelo says he will use the computer as much as possible to get the most out of staff. If work is always done by hand, it ties up an entire day. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has experience with trust funds. Mr. D'Angelo says he has worked with Mellon Bank with the city's self-insured fund. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has experience with outside auditors. Mr. D'Angelo says he has worked mostly with Powers and Sullivan. John Powers and his associates have spent time in his office. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has ever failed an audit, and Mr. D'Angelo says not to his knowledge. Alderman Boisselle asks what he will do on his first day on the job. Mr. D'Angelo says he will tell the staff that he will not ask them to do anything he can't or won't do himself. Alderman Boisselle asks what his five-year outlook for the Treasurer's office is. Mr. D'Angelo says he can't say with any detail because he has not been in there yet. He would work to move it forward by paying no banking charges and getting the best rate possible, including making investments overnight to get the best rate. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has lots of hands-on experience. Mr. D'Angelo says there were two to three people in the office. When someone went on vacation he was the back-up payroll person, balanced accounts, and reconciled. He says he dives right in – he doesn't show up in a suit and sit in his office because it is not good for employee morale.
Alderman Brodeur says regarding relationships with banks, there is tremendous consolidation with banks over the years. He asks if there is any affect on cities and towns to do favorable deals as far as getting charges reduced. Mr. D'Angelo says in Revere, most of its dealings were with Fleet. In Everett he had money in all the banks, trying to get the best rates. Payroll and receivables were with Fleet. The trusts were with Citizens Bank. He used Eastern bank for CDs. He built up relationships with all the banks over the years. Alderman Brodeur asks if it is possible to do business with community-based banks, and Mr. D'Angelo says it is.
President Conn asks if in past employment with elected officials if he found it difficult to maintain independence from the Mayor and the Boards of Aldermen or City Council. Mr. D'Angelo says he does not get involved in politics; it should be separate. President Conn says he meant being swayed by the opinions of the Mayor and Aldermen and others. Mr. D'Angelo says he acts on the best interest of the taxpayer and is not swayed by the Mayor or the Aldermen. President Conn asks if he is elected what steps he will take in the office. Mr. D'Angelo says he will look and observe how the office is run. He does not know how the employees work. He needs to see how payments are taken in to be sure money isn't stolen and how the money is balanced and how many times per day. He needs to audit his own department. President Conn says that Melrose frequently suffers from being a moderate sized city and is often a stop-over for some people. He asks where Melrose falls on his career path. Mr. D'Angelo says he will retire from Melrose if he is hired. There is no reason for him to look anywhere else. President Conn thanks all three candidates for going through this barbaric process of being interviewed on television and in a public meeting.
Alderman Heavey says she is glad to hear him comment on morale since apparently it is not always high in City Hall due to all the cuts made over the past few years. She asks if he has any thoughts on how to boost morale and make it a better workplace. Mr. D'Angelo says that talking from experience, when people get along they work better. He says he had to work with people in Revere to get them on his side. He still talks to them, and his boss from Revere is one of his references. He says it's important to get along with people and treat them well.
Alderman Lavender asks what he meant when he said he was not prepared. Mr. D'Angelo says he wasn't prepared to give a presentation. Alderman Lavender asks the chair who follows up on the references. Chairman Doyle says he did not ask for them since it was done in the screening process before the names were sent to the Board.
Alderman Mortimer asks Mr. D'Angelo to delineate how the bond rating in Everett went from A-3 to A-1 and what role he played in it. Mr. D'Angelo says it was a team effort by the Mayor, the Auditor and himself. They flew to New York and met with Moody's to give them a presentation on the overall health of the city. There was $8 million in the stabilization fund, and the overall health of the city was very good. They were trying to borrow to build four new schools, and they wanted the best rating when they went to borrow. An A-1 rating should get a better rate on borrowing than an A-2 or A-3. He is not afraid to go to Wall Street to look for a better rating. Alderman Mortimer asks aside from that if there are any practical steps to increase the bond rating. Mr. D'Angelo says the rating companies tell the city what they want done to increase it such as building the levy capacity and putting that money in a Stabilization Fund. Alderman Mortimer says he does not have to answer, but asks why he is no longer working for the city of Everett. Mr. D'Angelo says politics got in the way at the end and everything unraveled. Both he and the auditor left the city. Alderman Mortimer asks him to elaborate. Mr. D'Angelo says he refused to hold signs and put a bumper sticker on his car. He was terminated early form his contract and it is now a legal matter.
Arthur J. Flavin, Jr., 96 Winthrop Street, Winthrop, MA, thanks the aldermen for their time and the opportunity to present himself. He says he is a systems-management type of person. He has brought private thought and practices to the government side. He believes in strong team management. He looks at practices, breaks them down and rebuilds them. He would like the opportunity to provide that service to Melrose. He knows the question will be asked why he is leaving his current position and the answer is simple. They all share the same gas prices now and the commute doesn’t work like it once did. He says he was not prepared to give a presentation and would appreciate the aldermen's questions.
Alderman Boisselle asks him about his relationships with the banking industry. Mr. Flavin says he has been involved with municipal banking for the last 13 years. He has met all the players when he put things out to bid. Alderman Boisselle asks how his relationships have benefited the community. Mr. Flavin says familiarity and the ability to pick up the phone reflects in price and production. Banks want to sell their services and make money. Alderman Boisselle asks how he will use technology to reduce costs and increase productivity. Mr. Flavin says using a lock box comes to mind for billing functions, and direct deposit for payroll. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has worked with trust funds. Mr. Flavin says he sat on two retirement boards, and it's necessary to work with who the trust is and what the duty of the fund is. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has experience with outside auditors. Mr. Flavin says he has, and they indicate what is being done right and wrong. All three communities he has worked in have been successful, with the auditors making small suggestions only. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has ever failed an audit. Mr. Flavin says he does not know if that's possible. Alderman Boisselle asks if he has ever received a warning. Mr. Flavin says he inherited some things that caused a couple of warnings and notes. Alderman Boisselle asks what he will say to his staff on the first day on the job. Mr. Flavin says he will tell them to trust him, and he will trust them. Teamwork is essential. Alderman Boisselle asks if he is familiar with the day-to-day operations of the office, and Mr. Flavin says he is, and perhaps the redundant processes can be eliminated. He has learned a lot by asking why something is done. Alderman Boisselle asks about his five-year outlook for bettering the office. Mr. Flavin says safety, liquidity, and yield is the motto of the Treasurer's office. He says he does not know the situation here, but some cuts can be too deep.
President Conn asks why he left the job in Lexington. Mr. Flavin says his job was pretty much done project oriented. He was there for seven years and underwent a huge conversion process. President Conn asks if he foresees any difficulties maintaining independence from politicians here at City Hall. Mr. Flavin says sharing opinions with each other is fine but at the end of the day the right thing has to be done. Some things are black and white, but sometimes what is right for the city is finding a shade of gray. President Conn asks where Melrose falls on his career path. Mr. Flavin says he probably has to work until he is 65, but he would stay here until at least he is 55. He is committed to work for Melrose for six years.
Alderman Brodeur says Mr. Flavin has worked for towns and Melrose is a city. He asks if that is a difficult adjustment to make. Mr. Flavin says he has worked for three different towns with three different managements. He thinks the function of the office is and should be independent from that end of the world. Alderman Brodeur asks with the consolidation of the banking industry if it is difficult for a city like Melrose to get good rates. Mr. Flavin says it comes down to the bidding process. Banks have one opportunity in three years to get the city's business, and they want it. Alderman Brodeur asks if community banks can get a piece of the action. Mr. Flavin says it depends. He would take some input on that, but the first part is the safety of the bank.
Alderman Forbes asks what he would do with the Stabilization Fund if there was a demand on him by the board to tap in to it. Mr. Flavin says it is not his decision. He is an employee. The town has it own strategies and it is not his place to determine to take that money out to use it to purchase a fire engine.
Alderman Mortimer asks Mr. Flavin to discuss how he has seen bond ratings improve and diminish in his professional capacities. Mr. Flavin says Winthrop never borrowed money. Lexington was rated AAA and borrowed like crazy, maintaining its AAA rating. He took that knowledge with him to Hull, which had not been rated in 10 years. He got the town rated A+. He says the rating comes from a team of things. If the city elects to have a large stabilization fund and free cash, it gets a good rating. Alderman Mortimer asks if he has found having a huge stabilization fund or available free cash a disadvantage at arbitrations. Mr. Flavin says he has seen that. The stabilization fund is a rainy day fund and not for raises and recurring expenses, which raises become.
Michael V. Santos, 48 Cottage Street, Melrose, MA says that all of the functions that Jean MacDonnell does so well for the city, he has had experience with in the private sector. He would like to implement automation for many of those functions. He says he works well with City Auditor Patrick Dello Russo, has gone through two budgets with the city and knows the receipts and expenditures. He hopes to pick up where Jean is and do as well if not better.
Alderman Boisselle asks Mr. Santos about his relationships with the banking industry. Mr. Santos says he currently works at State Street Bank. He has previous experience with banks, large and small, as well as money management companies. He says municipalities should not be paying banking fees. Alderman Boisselle asks how his banking relationships will benefit the city. Mr. Santos says having good contacts with bankers is essential to good financial management. Alderman Boisselle asks how he will use technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the office. Mr. Santos says he understands many processes currently used in the office are manual. He would use PCs to be more efficient. Alderman Boisselle asks Mr. Santos to explain his experience with trust funds. Mr. Santos says he was a trust fund specialty manager out of school. Alderman Boisselle asks about his experience with outside auditors. Mr. Santos says he is under the gun daily at State Street. Alderman Boisselle asks if he ever failed an audit, and Mr. Santos says no. Alderman Boisselle asks what he will say to the staff on his first day on the job. Mr. Santos says he is a believer in working as a team. Together everyone achieves more. He will bring everyone in to work together, foster trust, and implement cross-training. Alderman Boisselle asks if he would do the daily activities required of the office. Mr. Santos says he would not shy away from any of the office duties. Alderman Boisselle asks what his five-year outlook for the office is. Mr. Santos says to maintain or increase Jean's rating at 95%.
President Conn asks what he will do to maintain independence from the Mayor and the Aldermen. Mr. Santos says he will not be swayed. If politics is brought into finance, it doesn't work. President Conn asks what steps he will take immediately in the office. Mr. Santos says to get everyone to work together. President Conn asks where he sees the Treasurer position on his career path. Mr. Santos says he has tried to get into the financial side of municipalities for a while. There are lots of things to do, and he sees himself in it for the long haul. President Conn asks if he thinks he has the skill set to do the job without previous municipal experience. Mr. Santos says he does. A lot of the work is the same. He has managed people, worked as a teller as an undergrad, and can do all functions required by the office.
Alderman Brodeur says there are some differences between the private sector and municipalities. He asks what Mr. Santos will do to get into the culture to learn about those differences. Mr. Santos says he will learn by experience. Differences are documented and although things are not the same, they are similar. He can go to Mr. Lucas or Mr. Dello Russo when necessary. Alderman Brodeur says Mr. Santos has worked in big-time private finance and asks what Melrose's chances are at getting good rates of return. Mr. Santos says there are many different ways to invest. There are so many fund managers out there that the city can look into and see if they'll take on a municipality. There are many different steps to take and the Treasury Department can be of assistance. Alderman Brodeur says he thinks it is important for community banks to get the city's business. Mr. Santos says he doesn't see why that can't happen.
Alderman Lavender asks how long of a learning curve Mr. Santos thinks he will require if elected. Mr. Santos says he doesn't really see that one is necessary. He has done every function and process. The only difference is tax strategies, but investment strategies are all in writing. Alderman Lavender asks what the city's bond rating is, and Mr. Santos says it is excellent right now. Alderman Lavender asks if he has a background in bond rating, and Mr. Santos says yes.
Alderman Mortimer asks what differences Mr. Santos sees between municipal and private finance. Mr. Santos says tax strategies, but that is not on the Treasurer's side. Alderman Mortimer says as Finance Committee Chairman Mr. Santos has had time to spend with City Treasurer/Collector Jean MacDonnell and is familiar with many functions of the office. Mr. Santos says he spent a lot of time during the budgets presenting median, mean and average numbers to the public in identifying tax's effect on the citizens. He has learned that the city's MUNIS system can easily do the work.
Alderman Forbes asks if his experience in automation in the private sector can be brought to the city. Mr. Santos says yes, and it will save time and increase efficiency.
Alderman Heavey asks Chairman Doyle what the screening process entailed. Chairman Doyle says he is not prepared to discuss that at this time and suggests the order can be put on hold. Alderman Heavey says the aldermen should be doing due diligence to everyone that applied for the position and they should talk to them. She says she has a problem with a screening process that did not include an alderman on the committee since it is the aldermen's election.
President Conn says in response to Alderman Heavey's question, he requested the HR Director, the Treasurer and the Auditor screen the resumes and be made available to the Aldermen. If the Alderman thinks more time is needed, the order can be placed on hold.
Chairman Doyle says the motion is non-debatable.
Alderman Heavey motions to place on hold, 2nd by Alderman Lavender.
On a Point of Information, Alderman Brodeur says the resumes have been available and he is comfortable with the decision the screeners made. It is important to know that the aldermen had the opportunity to review the information before tonight's meeting.
On the motions, motion fails.
President Conn recommends the three applicants (Domenico D'Angelo, Arthur J. Flavin, Jr., and Michael V. Santos) be submitted to the Full Board for election, 2nd by Alderman Brodeur.
On discussion, Alderman Heavey asks that it not be sent to the full board. They have at least another month before Jean MacDonnell retires and she asks the Board to look at the other resumes.
On a Point of Information, Alderman Mortimer asks by virtue of the motion to submit the three names to the full board, if that refers to the full board meeting happening later this evening. Chairman Doyle says it is certainly in order to take it from committee this evening. President Conn says it is not automatic. If it is not removed from committee this evening, it will be on the calendar for the next full board meeting.
On the motion, motions carries.
Alderman Brodeur motions to adjourn, 2nd by President Conn. All in favor.
Appropriations adjourns at 8:30 p.m.
Maribeth Harrington
Clerk of Committees
|
|
Interesting: The City Treasurer Speaks
