Town of Windham, CT Finance

This section is enacted pursuant to G.S. 7-148v.

On any project of which the cost is $5,000 or more but less than $1,000,000, the lowest responsible bid shall be determined in the following order:

Any town-based bidder who has submitted a bid not more than 10% higher than the low bid, provided such town-based bidder agrees to accept the award of the bid at the amount of the low bid. If more than one town-based bidder has submitted bids not more than 10% higher than the low bid and has agreed to accept the award to the bid at the amount of the low bid, the lowest responsible bidder shall be the town-based bidder having the lowest responsible bid;

The lowest responsible bidder.

(c)

On any project of which the cost is $1,000,000 or more, the provisions of this section shall not apply.

(d)

On any project utilizing grant funding, the requirements of the grantor shall control the bidding.

(e)

Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as a waiver of, or limiting in any way, the discretion and power to reject all bids and to determine whether any bid or bids represent a responsible bid or bids.

(f)

For the purposes of this section, "town-based bidder" shall mean a bidder whose principal place of business is located within the town. A bidder shall not be considered as having a town-based business unless evidence satisfactory to the purchasing agent has been submitted by such a bidder to establish that his/her business has a bona fide principal place of business in the town. Such evidence may include evidence of ownership, tradename, and/or long-term lease of the real estate from which the principal place of business is operated and must be on file in the Town Clerk's office prior to the award of the bid.

(g)

The Windham bidder preference applies to all town agencies, boards and commissions.

Sec. 2-85 Fee waivers.

[Ord. of 6-16-1998]

Short title. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Town of Windham Fee Waivers Ordinance."

It is the town's intention to encourage participation and to provide services to all residents of the town regardless of their financial status.

(c)

Applicable fees not reimbursed by a third party will be reduced 100% for persons presenting evidence that their current adjusted gross family or household income does not exceed 130% of federally determined level of poverty. Fifty percent of fees will be waived for a person whose current adjusted gross family or household income does not exceed 185% of the federally determined level of poverty. Medical expenses exceeding 3% of adjusted gross income will be deducted in determining gross income for the purpose of this program.

(d)

Requests must be made on a Town of Windham "request for fee waiver" application form.

(e)

The information on the application may be verified by town officials at any time during the year.

(f)

Waivers need to be reinstituted on a yearly basis unless circumstances warrant a more frequent review.

(g)

The information provided will be treated confidentially and will be used only for eligibility determinations and verification of data.

(h)

The following services are subject to this section:

Recreation programs (excluding bus trips and more than two summer camp sessions per child).

Planning and zoning fees.

(3)

Inland wetland fees.

(4)

Zoning Board of Appeals fees.

(5)

Subsurface sewage disposal and water supply wells.

(6)

Junk car disposal.

(7)

Solid waste disposal.

(8)

Recycling fees.

(9)

Ambulance fees.

(i)

The board of selectman may, by resolution, include additional services to be covered by this section.

Sec. 2-86 Excess payments retained when less than five dollars.

[Ord. of 7-20-1999]

Pursuant to Section 12-129 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Tax Collector is authorized to retain payments in excess of the amount due provided the amount is less than $5.

The following procedure is hereby established to handle such excess.

When a refund becomes due because of the issuance of a certificate of correction and the refund is less than $5, the Tax Collector will apply the correction and an adjustment specifically coded for "Non-issuance of refund less than $5.

When an excess payment is received and the excess is less than $5, the Tax Collector will deposit these funds into the finance collection report code designated for over/short.

Sec. 2-87 Fees.

Now, therefore, be it hereby ordained by the Town Council, that fees charged be revised and amended as indicated on the attached fee schedule. Further, the policies and procedures for collecting the fees shall be as follows:

Permits.

Permits for building and development activities must be secured prior to the commencement of such activities. Fees for permits must be paid in full at the time of application.

Permits for any development shall be withheld where real estate taxes on the property for which a permit is sought are delinquent.

Exceptions or waivers may be granted where an emergency exists affecting health or safety of occupants, or to comply with an order of a local authority having jurisdiction. The Town Manager may waive any fee at his/her discretion.

Penalties for failure to secure permit. Where work for which a permit is required is begun prior to obtaining the proper permit, a penalty fee shall be collected equal to and in addition to the amount of the permit fee. The penalty fee shall be collected whether or not a permit is subsequently issued. The payment of such penalty fee shall not relieve the responsible party from compliance with all applicable codes, or from any other penalties for a violation of the town codes, regulations, or ordinances.

(3)

Appeals. Where it is alleged that the administrative official in calculating the applicable fees has made an error, a written complaint shall be filed with the Town Manager.

(4)

Refunds.

Where a fee was paid in error, the amount of the fee erroneously paid will be refunded.

Except as otherwise provided, where an applicant chooses not to proceed with the work after a permit is issued, cessatio of work may be authorized, and a portion of the permit fee refunded, provided that any unsafe condition does not exist. In the event that work has not started and the application has not yet been reviewed, 100% of the fee shall be refunded. In order to receive a refund on a reviewed application, a written request must be submitted within 180 days after issuance of a permit. The refund shall be pro-rated based on the amount of work completed, less an administrative fee of 20%.

(5)

Special inspections and professional review of plans.

The Building Official may require that a professional peer review of plans be performed by a licensed architect or engineer of his choice to insure that the design complies with the building code. In addition, the Building Official may require special inspections be performed for unique or special construction. All fees and costs related to the performance of such reviews or inspections shall be borne by the applicant.

The town will not inspect buildings or other structures for banks, insurance companies or individuals except in the course of routine inspections when a permit has been issued.

Where it has been determined by any town commission that it must consult with experts to analyze, review and report on areas requiring a detailed, technical peer review in order to assist the commission in evaluating the effect of a proposal on the town, the commission may require the applicant to pay these costs. These fees will be paid to the town for the commission's use prior to proceeding on the application in advance based on a preliminary estimate from such experts, times 150%. Upon completion of the technical review, a full accounting of the charges owed, or paid, any excess funds will be refunded to the applicant.

Sec. 2-88 through Sec. 2-90. (Reserved)

DIVISION 2 Department

Sec. 2-91 Created; purpose.

[Ord. of 12-31-1984(2)]

There shall be a Department of Finance, which shall be administered by the Controller. The Department of Finance shall be responsible for the keeping of accounts and financial records, the processing of payroll and the keeping of payroll records, the audit and control of expenditures, and the recording and accounting for all revenues. The Department of Finance shall keep accounts showing the financial transactions for all departments and agencies of the town. Forms for such accounts shall be prescribed by the Controller with the approval of the First Selectman. Financial reports shall be prepared for each quarter and for each fiscal year and at such other times as may be required by the First Selectman and the Board of Selectmen.

Sec. 2-92 Controller.

[Ord. of 12-31-1984(3)]

Position established; appointment. The Controller shall be the head of the Department of Finance. The Controller shall be appointed by the First Selectman with the approval of the Board of Selectmen. The Controller shall work under the general direction of the First Selectman.

Duties. The Controller shall:

Plan, direct and evaluate accounting functions for all funds of the town;