Vote on Middletown Budget Tonight

Tonight the Common Council votes on $137.85 million proposed budget at city hall at 7 pm. Open to the public. The Council can choose to adopt amendments. Property taxes would increase 3.3 percent under Mayor Dan Drew's proposed spending package who raise property taxes 3.3 percent . The proposed budget also would fund the school board at $75.55 million, an additional $3 million over last year.

Last year the Republican minority presented an alternative budget which was defeated 10-2. Republican Council Minority leader Phil Pessina has already made statements to the media  at the Mayor's presentation of the budget, endorsing the Mayor's budget as proposed.

Also in Common Council news, last week the council voted to accept Mayor Drew's nomination of Democrat Carl Chisem to replace Democrat Michael Johnson on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Johnson is leaving the board because he is moving out of Middletown. Chisem had served on the commission in the past.

Your Daily Spin by the Middletown Mess:When the Numbers Don't Add Up

Daily Spin: Response to City & BOE Consolidation of Legal Services

http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2013/01/19/news/doc50f9defb8c1b4595879930.txt

There has been an article in some of the news outlets regarding a memorandum of understanding between the City and the BOE regarding the BOE using the City's legal staff rather than hire outside attorneys.

The article stated that the administration wanted to go back to pre-2008 staffing levels.  For this year, 2012, the City is increasing it's current staffing levels from an Acting City Attorney, vacant Deputy City Attorney position and a secretary to a City Attorney (already hired), two Deputy City Attorneys (one already hired and one scheduled to be hired in the spring) plus the secretary.  The Risk Manager's part of the department currently has three full time employees.  This is leading us to believe that the City previously had

that level of staffing.  However, in the approved budget for the year ending 6/30/2009, there was a City Attorney, one Deputy City Attorney and a Legal Secretary as had been budgeted for the year ending

6/30/2008.  A second Deputy City Attorney was requested but not funded.  At one time, for a short time, the office was staffed with a paralegal who first started as a part-time employee and then becamefulltime; after that employee received her law license, she was appointed as an additional Deputy City Attorney.  She subsequently left the City for other employment.  Should be noted that this former employee was one of the original applicants for the City Attorney position and not chosen.  The article is misleading in that except for a short period of time, the office has only had ONE Deputy City Attorney.

Also, the article claimed that the City has been able to settle some 30 some odd pieces of litigation stating further that numerous grievances and suits were settled by working with the Mayor, BOE and the union.  It should be noted however that the majority of the "30" legal issues were union grievances that did not necessarily require legal representation on the part of the City or the BOE.  These were grievances filed the employee through the union and were to be heard by a panel at the state labor board; the fee to do so is approximately $25.00 per party and did not necessarily rise to the level of requiring the attendance of an attorney at several hundreds of dollars per hour.  As part of the agreement the BOE insisted on keeping the illegal hire , Councilwoman Hope Kasper's son inlaw, whom she had a direct hand in hiring. Hmm. The hearing of grievances by the Labor Board is a matter of stating the facts and the specific part of the union contract violated to the panel and then waiting for their response; sometimes, the panel will request that the positons of both sides be submitted in writing

but generally it's straightforward: how did the employer violate the contract??  BTW, there is still a grievance out there to be heard and also an outstanding law suit not settled as of yet.

According to the paperwork handed out by the BOE at the workshop regarding their budget for object code 392 Legal Services for 2011-2012 the actual expenditure was $147,177.48; $100,000 was

appropriated bor the 2012-2013 budget and for the 2013-2014 budget $154,220 is being requested, an additional $54,220.00 over the current budgeted amount.  In the overall budget for the BOE, $147,177 doesn't seem extreme but it should be noted that much of what was paid for the outside attorneys for services rendered for the issues between the BOE and the City were paid for from the City's Insurance and Claims Fund and not the above referenced object code in the BOE's budget.  Monies in the Insurance and Claims Fund are reserved generally for payment for pending claims and suits against the City plus claims resulting from storms etc. and deductibles, and should the fund be insufficient after the payment of funds not planned for, an appropriation from the General Fund will be necessary to meet those obligations when and if

they arise.  If the BOE is expecting to have to pay less for legal expenses, one would assume that we will see the request for $154,220 be reduced.  Right??

Letter to the Editor: Council Should Question BOE Budget Increase

In comment on his facebook page, that with permission, resident Paul Dodge has allowed the Insider to publish as a letter to the editor he responds to the proposed BOE budget asking for an increase of 10% - $8.4 million in spending. This was originally announced in a article in the Hartford Courant published here: http://www.courant.com/community/middletown/hc-middletown-school-budget-1219-20121220,0,7651409.story
In the article Councilman Tom Serra (D) states that with this budget citizens will face an increase of 2.4 mils in taxes. This statement is misleading because the real increase, if the Common Council accepts this BOE budget, which the Democrats on the Council are advocating for, will have to be much higher as it does not include projected spending from the City side.
Letters to the Editor are published as a courtesy and opinions and claims are the sole responsibility of the author, not necessarily the staff of the Middletown Insider.
I agree that education is extremely important especially for our youth, BUT I have to ask the question at what cost to the taxpayer? With every budget proposal there is a need for additional taxpayer money. Does anybody ever ask WHY? 

In the private sector there is such an incentive device known as "pay for performance".In the public sector it is always a matter of more taxpayer revenue without much justification or explanation.I propose that the taxpayers representatives (Common Council),insist on the School Budget for calendar year 2013-14 include GOALS from the Superintendent and any budget considerations should include being able to measure PERFORMANCE V.GOALS.These are uncertain times as alluded to by Mr.Serra as we face uncertainty from economic performance,as well as lower tax revenues from both Federal and State levels.If you pay attention as to just what occurred with the 'FISCAL CLIFF' negotiations in Washington you can see exactly what may happen when you don't adopt a working budget,or have some measurable goals v. results.

My position would be for the Common Council "just say no" to any School increase without measurable goals from the Superintendent.The Middletown taxpayers have a right and the School Department has an obligation to show performance versus goals, in my opinion.

Paul Dodge,
Middletown

Former Superintendent Forms Super Music Group

Frechette, Haynes and Senges- Together Again: $350,000 + One Million Tour

            It seems that former Superintend of Schools Michael Frechette and his merry duo of cronies aren’t done polluting the intellectual stimuli of the citizens of Middletown, he’s back and this time his assembled a band that consists of his former assistants: Barbara Senges on tuba and Nancy “The Illegal” Haynes on blowhorn.  Although not officially named yet, some Middletown residents are calling the trio "The Users" or "The Richies".

“Although I was paid a tremendous sum of money from the Middletown school system for doing nothing, I decided to get the band together and play a final gig at Kiegwin Middle School for all my adoring fans,” Dr. Michael Frechette told reporters last night at a literacy press conference last night in Middletown.  “I will be selling CDs and I hope the citizens band together to bring me back for education work in town, which of course would benefit me due to the large consulting fee I will charge the district,” Frechette said with a twinkle in his eye as he adjusted his diamond ring and asked Haynes in a sharp voice to, “move my Rolls [Royce].”

Recorded Live from the Scream Room!

For $12.99 plus shipping and consulting fees, fans get the following songs:

One NIGHT ONLY! (CD COVER)

1)       I Fought the Law and the I Won

2)          Chain, Chain, Chain of Fools.. (Middletown Residents are Suckers!)

3)           Hit me with your Best Shot

4)           You’re so Vain with Carly Simon

5)            Poker Face

6)            Hot For Teacher in the Scream Room

7)            Mo Money, MO Problems

8)           Miki’s Girls

9)             The 466 Blues (Contracts are Null and Void Anthem)

10)         It’s good to be the King

11)         Theme from the Godfather

12)         Don’t stop Believing

13)         The Mileage Anthem

14)         It’s the End of the World as We Know it. (Teachers need Supplies)

Something to Talk About!

I am always amazed at the logic of most of the country's liberals, here are some photos to spark discussion.

Reader Submitted: "I'm Sorry", Words the BOE Admin Needs to use

Last night at the Board of Education meeting the Council Chambers were packed with parents of children affected by the fall out over the many issues the parents' felt the BOE Administration had mismanaged. Absent was long time BOE elect Ted Raczka, who had been die hard supporter of and now former Superintendent Michael Frechette, who resigned last week. The Unified Youth Theater gave a presentation which brough everyone in the room back to the purpose for the BOE to exist- the benefit of our children, however the mood soon got serious again when the parent of a child with autism, Jane Majewski spoke to the board during public session. Ms. Majewski showed telling photographs of the concrete pond and defunct fountain structure that is in the courtyard of Keigwin School where her son is a student. Majewski was assured that the doors to the courtyard remained locked,however her son was able to access the area where he could have fallen in. Majewski first came forward with her frustrating  plight results in dealing with some of the problems her son was encountering from the Special Education Administrators who directly report to then Superintendent Michael Frechette, earlier in the year when the "scream room" scandal broke at Farm Hill Elementary . Majewski came forward to say that she felt many issues were arising from the fact the DEAL program, which used to be a collective Special Education program housed at Lawrence Elementary for all Middletown children to attend had been disbanded at the direction of Michael Frechette. Since then, many parents have also come forward to report their frustrations with the BOE administration as a whole, especially when dealing with Special Education services. Majewski started an online petition to seek the termination of the three Special Education Administrators who she feels have mismanaged her son's education. The petition has garnered over 200 signatures. 
Last night, in tears, of and quite understandably, Ms. Majewski gave testimony about an incident where her son accessed the area of the concrete pond at Keigwin. She also went on to describe an incident where she says a Datco bus driver used insensitive language inappropriate for a child with autism when her son soiled himself on the bus and was unable to verbally communicate why he could not buckle his seat belt. Our hearts go out to Ms. Majewski for bravery for coming forward. Below is the essay by Jane Majewski submitted to us for publication.
Jane- we got your back!
Sign the petition here!
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 "I'm Sorry"

Words That I finally  heard for the first time from BOE member Shelia Daniels . The sound of those words almost made me to breakdown in tears. It was echoed again moments later by Cheryl McClellan. Words that I have been waiting for since the beginning of becoming vocal about the issues we faced in this school district. Words that had I heard sooner, from anyone, I would not have called for the terminations of our BOE administrators.

The apology came after I presented the BOE with photos and a plea.

I have consistently voiced my concerns about the closing of the DEAL program- on two levels. One, that it was being closed and two that that transition of those kids into icm status was done without parental input.

Had I been asked, I would have offered my time, my expertise,  my physical help and financial resources to help ensure a safe transition of our children into the district schools. For free, I would have told administrators that preschool size furniture for fifth graders would be ineffective. For free, I would have pointed out that a timeout room should not include a circuit breaker box. For free, I would have suggested field trips to transition the kids.  I would have created a simple brochure describing the general needs of our kids for the district schools. For free, I would have donated and hung a coat rack at Keigwin.

When I recently asked Ms. Slade; "why weren't the parents included in the decision to close DEAL and/or the transition of them into the community?" her response was, " we wouldn't include parents in facility decisions; that is an administration role".

Since that is the case; then I feel the administrators need to accept the responsibility of the failed transition.

I would have simply liked to have heard, "I'm sorry".

I AM SORRY

Thats's all.

I am not asking for anything more than a safe environment for my son and his staff. Which brings me to why I write this story.

When I first saw the quad pond garden at Keigwin, I panicked. I know my child enough to know he would find away into that area. I was assured he would not because the doors are securely locked.

Imagine my surprise to receive a phone call and incident report that my son opened an unlocked door from the art room and entered this very area! He was reportedly running around this cement, unleveled cement area with statues and a filthy pond containing dead fish.

The staff hired to work with my son are trained and responsible to restrain him if needed. To be compelled to restrain a child acting out in this area is inconcieveable!

The quad has three walls of windows on multiple levels; open for the school population to view the pond. How inclusive is it to him to be viewed acting inappropriate by peers? How does it effect their perceptions of children with autism?

I contacted Ms Slade and Ms Senges. Ms. Senges quickly investigated. She reported that a janitor allegedly knew the lock was broken for some time but failed to report it to the administration.

Why would he? Keigwin never had a population of "ICM" kids. Shouldn't have he been briefed on what our kids need for safety?

My son is not allowed to go to art until the lock is fixed. Now he is being restricted from learning.

The administrators put a child into a building that continues to restrict his learning and jeopardizes his safety in a serious way. The safety of the staff are also jeopardized! Where is their union leadership? If their union and administration can't keep them safe- no wonder a para recently quit her job instead of mandate reporting.

Ann Perzan and Laurie Slade;
I have to ask you,

Would you want to be a para responsible to restrain a child in this garden?

Would you want your child running around and climbing in it?

Will it take a serious accident for either of you to accept responsibility for not preparing the community to transition DEAL kids into ICM status?

What will it take for one of you to turn to us, our staff, and our son-
And say,

"I'm sorry" ?

by Jane Majewski

Congrats to Superintendent Michael Frechette- City's Top Wage Earner!

Story in patch today: http://middletown-ct.patch.com/articles/top-wage-earners