[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5980319,"mediaKeyId","5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec","parentId",5773308,"title","Resident urges Board of Finance to press schools for maintenance lists and trim boards and commissions","audioSeconds",252,"startMs",62000,"endMs",314000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec&start=62&end=314","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec/thumbnail_62000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5980319/Simsbury-Center/Capitol-County/Connecticut/Resident-urges-Board-of-Finance-to-press-schools-for-maintenance-lists-and-trim-boards-and-commissions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980319-9d3ac25532d885976f9240d29f00c8bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538559&Signature=ixj8-dISrZaScQ-~xMrOvf-VANzw-hOyyW8RmnYi1n7Qk8Y6gr5DagIvHVlq3LyvVXPMQv1-BzELj~DyVLZmCFhDPmGaFFieq9u7HLMTDeiwsyFM9qbzXFluk6~rAOgSNAxxpq-FXVybJ2V0oDGIqTeSsABmDXHPai7Lkwwe-hUiC8-mxAv2a~1CYks8Eyn~Uauo816FYxu06lJd7Eso24lr3UVaE-zdy8qxudU~KwNVAkGt~DFEN-iCMssQwYppuU-gwIayfOmDNUOKL1op22wctHmUNj3LGJvBQ4BGh0ldurujozEE4A2bjgyiBdfJ8MypT5iYTaFThVoQ5-LoTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Simsbury Center, CT","date","2025-09-17T15:09:42Z","article","A resident urged the Board of Finance to press the Board of Education for greater maintenance accountability and to consider eliminating or consolidating local boards and commissions.

Joan Poe addressed the board during public audience, saying she has \"budgetary concerns\" and asked the board to review maintenance at schools and to require the Board of Education to provide a prioritized list of maintenance items with associated costs and schedules. Poe said playgrounds and athletic courts at Henry James are in disrepair and that maintenance work is being delayed in favor of other allocations, including special‑education spending. She suggested the Board of Education provide a list prioritized from 1 (highest) to 10 with costs and timelines so the Board of Finance can review.

Poe also said money allocated to the Culture and Recreation Commission — she cited $225,215 reported as placed in a non‑public‑school budget line — helps maintain school fields and should be included in the Board of Education's operating budget for transparency. She argued that completed capital project savings should return to the general fund rather than remain in a \"non‑lapsing\" Board of Education fund.

On town governance, Poe said the town has many boards and commissions (she named several), described redundant staff support costs and filing burdens, and suggested eliminating nonessential bodies to reduce costs.

Board members did not take action on Poe's comments during the meeting; the remarks were entered into the public record during the public audience portion of the agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Finance Meeting - September 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During public audience, Joan Poe urged the Board of Finance to require the Board of Education to provide prioritized maintenance lists with cost estimates, to move field maintenance into the Board of Education operating budget, and criticized the number and cost of town boards and commissions.","taxTitle","Simsbury Center, Capitol County, Connecticut","taxId",70146,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5980325,"Board amends reserve target to 16% and tables broader capital-policy rewrite for follow-up",1208,3855000,5063000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec&start=3855&end=5063","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec/thumbnail_3855000.jpg","/articles/5980325/Simsbury-Center/Capitol-County/Connecticut/Board-amends-reserve-target-to-16-and-tables-broader-capital-policy-rewrite-for-follow-up","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980325-407cb42bcfc0b72c2d4369248b170685/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538559&Signature=Sn-K3YvLv-NvmdKCP2-48E2VvhXi~7-V8XPpZRgF0E2tdxWOdgkwDS~TT9ZdUdsB6HjJ55ZnP9zFdPa9uud8IwRUvyN~qP57tOsE0v~N~pZ8fuzUR4Kh0Dr0KE~DuaLP0fN0oCckSyokSfd4WHCN4GbOx-iyK6KoW8eZeBJRrvkdh6Yj1P~e304yIJBUqcEF9XJx45fgWmGNw3S20nVuBhj7jDGnCBnPmyG1M1qVlBDmUJ2Z0G-wJ6isL1qNB3eAoJyMpt~Cd70xTsk6YtE0zyLATqv12TZByJh6FbrSuJUrsiU0bgNvLcjEhCharucgn6Ulw8OVBwdqlHxCA5pd6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Finance on Sept. 16 voted to change its general‑fund reserve guidance to 16 percent and continued a broader review of capital planning, prioritization and capital‑reserve rules.

Why it matters: reserve policy and capital thresholds guide how much the town saves and when it borrows. Rating agencies and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) factor reserves and transparent capital plans into credit assessments; the board cited those practices in debating policy language.

Reserve target change

The board voted to amend its reserve guidance from a 15–17 percent range to a 16 percent target, a change chair members said aligns with GFOA recommendations for roughly two months of operating expenditures. The motion to set the general fund balance target at 16 percent passed by voice vote.

Capital thresholds and useful life

Board members discussed lowering a stated borrowing threshold for capital projects from $250,000 to $200,000 and clarifying minimum useful‑life language for bonded projects. Staff noted the policy should ensure the asset's useful life at least equals the debt term (for example, a 10‑year bond should fund an asset with at least a 10‑year useful life). No final change was adopted on the $250,000 threshold; members directed staff to work with counsel to clarify recommended language and return with a proposal.

Special revenue and user‑fee funds

The board debated language directing staff to \"to the extent feasible\" use special‑revenue fund balances (for example Simsbury Farms or sewer use funds) for capital projects associated with those funds before tapping general reserves. Members asked staff for clearer language and a plan describing intended uses of large special‑revenue balances; staff agreed to return with recommended language and background documentation on reserves for Simsbury Farms and sewer funds.

Capital planning and prioritization

Members discussed the role of professional staff in preparing a prioritized capital improvement program (CIP) and the board of selectmen's role in approving the final list. Several members said management should present prioritized recommendations (using criteria the board sets) and recommended the board of selectmen then adopt or adjust priorities; the board also asked the school board to supply a ranked list for school capital requests so CNR/CIP decisions could be made transparently. The board asked staff for a clearer, published set of prioritization criteria and to incorporate the town manager and superintendent's recommended rankings in future cycles.

Charter, statutory and procedural questions; next steps

Several points in the proposed combined policy require legal clarification (for example, allowable uses of the capital reserve fund under Connecticut law, and the length of permitted carryover for CNR appropriations). The board voted to table adoption of the combined capital policy so staff could consult with town counsel and return with clarified language. Staff were asked to propose a recommended minimum capital‑reserve fund balance, confirm statutory limits and provide a clearer definition of \"set aside\" versus budgeting maintenance in the operating budget. \"The town's goal is to pay for maintenance out of the operating budgets,\" a consensus line agreed during discussion.

Outcome

- Motion to change general fund reserve target to 16 percent: carried.
- Motion to table the combined capital and CNR policy for legal and staff follow-up: carried.
- Staff directed to return with recommended clarified language on bonding thresholds, useful life, special‑revenue fund use, and capital prioritization criteria.","The Board approved raising the general fund reserve target to 16 percent, debated lowering the bonding threshold for capital projects from $250,000 to $200,000 and the asset life to 10 years, and tabled a combined capital/CNR policy for further legal and staff review.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5980330,"Board approves $110,000 supplemental appropriation from trust for Eno Memorial Hall parking work",216,3510000,3726000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec&start=3510&end=3726","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec/thumbnail_3510000.jpg","/articles/5980330/Simsbury-Center/Capitol-County/Connecticut/Board-approves-110000-supplemental-appropriation-from-trust-for-Eno-Memorial-Hall-parking-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980330-df379535337e786392d4773e583511ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538559&Signature=NHALc2~U3-G0U7P1E8CULYjd~vm~MfYjNGpERutcQfGnGZFyWVEhpM6Uz3PCCCR4172-xwkCefp0u90Rkvk7Ff1I-8mKVVpoRvXHhzryaFFfSJC0Lf4nnu0fFAJ-32DyJQKvJgm15H3terleE6YQlNXIjz5nTfeSAktpUDSeqygermxITzsiSnaBKJrwf~mOnisqjpkODHWlQ-YUWZpb9AZkxWbgmudapH0KpEVB0LJp-4gHSkQYWk4XZDlQGsf7qrffLTQxy-yFMDrQXdvCi~IxYy3XeiPEHqeVCCvPRYrEs0cIXXP9e1EL3kM~3brA42GyguU7VkfdgBN7XwgVng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Finance on Sept. 16 approved a supplemental appropriation of $110,000 from a trust to fund pavement and safety improvements at Eno Memorial Hall.

Why it matters: voters originally authorized bonded work for entrances and pavement at Eno Memorial Hall. When the entrance work came in under budget and the scope changed so only one entrance can be completed, staff proposed returning the unused entrance funds to the trust and receiving those trust funds back to finance the parking/pavement work. The board described the maneuver as legal and necessary to comply with transfer restrictions in the town budget rules.

What the board approved

A motion to \"approve a supplemental appropriation for Eno Memorial Hall parking and safety improvement project in the amount of $110,000 from the trust\" carried unanimously. The change does not move money between existing budget appropriations; instead, savings from the entrance work will be returned to the trust and re‑appropriated to pay for the pavement.

Board discussion and next steps

Board members and staff clarified that the project originally included two entrance renovations (one from the parking lot and one on the opposite side), that only one entrance will be completed because of higher combined costs than expected, and that the trustee transfer and supplemental appropriation keep the town within the letter of the law. The Selectmen will be asked to confirm the scope change because the project is a bonded item and scope adjustments require Selectmen action under the town's project procedures.

Outcome

Motion passed unanimously; staff said they would submit the formal revisions to the board of selectmen for the bond‑project scope change and complete the appropriation from the trust prior to the paving work.","The Board voted unanimously to accept a $110,000 supplemental appropriation from a trust to pay for pavement and safety improvements at Eno Memorial Hall after the entrance project scope changed and available project savings will be returned to the trust.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5980334,"Simsbury locks $45 million in short-term CDs, S&P reaffirms AAA ahead of bond sale",87,3019000,3106000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec&start=3019&end=3106","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec/thumbnail_3019000.jpg","/articles/5980334/Simsbury-Center/Capitol-County/Connecticut/Simsbury-locks-45-million-in-short-term-CDs-SP-reaffirms-AAA-ahead-of-bond-sale","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980334-f0094942c75e34efb9e99b4609de32e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538559&Signature=gGEX9yPuH~yyHAsZtTvRUkUdfM-G80gnyJ4fFX~PdcIr2AguaRXogvJigs-7BnzOhuGl2RFCwziCgm3oPI8-B6b-kdPte514jICc4AY-0D-vCd5bIA~OdqcLXPP4l4Mp1HXiSRT19vvJnujon0EZIDip0UUapmU6bJmWcTwXBU-HUsuaI~xo4Lubka8Si6SIogVuZaHDCDK8mT-3nBlJb75mvOcg8dz884RnldXAue0GQtXicf80Go11rU4g4rj-27wUarssH9tP6ch6gI6Mt2zG5iPIeyg1vVa8M~FIIfqjse7v6Vzy0rVIKpBR3cOjGOURBwP9MYWzbpQtsgMgZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Simsbury's finance director reported the town invested about $45 million in short-term certificates of deposit and that Standard & Poor's reaffirmed the town's triple‑A credit rating before a scheduled bond sale.

Finance Director Amy told the Board of Finance on Sept. 16 that the town purchased three CDs with staggered maturities to capture current yields: a 3‑month CD at 4.29 percent, a 6‑month at 4.07 percent and a 9‑month at 3.83 percent. \"We were able to invest about $45,000,000 in the CDs,\" she said.

Why it matters: the higher yields relative to the budgeted rate will increase investment income in the current fiscal year and reduce the pressure on other revenue streams. Amy noted the board had budgeted at a rate of 3.75 percent; actual short-term yields already exceed that assumption.

Bond sale and rating

Amy said the town's official statement for the bond sale was in the meeting packet and that the S&P call went well; S&P reaffirmed the town's triple‑A rating ahead of the sale. The board and staff said they would report back to the board after the sale with the final pricing.

Revenues, early projections and cash management

On revenues through August, Amy reported early-year timing differences drive most variances and noted higher-than-budgeted conveyance fees and an unbudgeted insurance reimbursement of roughly $58,000. She described an initial projected surplus in the early-year reporting and said a more solid projection would await the municipal supplemental motor vehicle collections and the close of the first quarter.

What the board asked and next steps

Board members asked about tax collection pacing and the finance director said July collections were at roughly the same percentage as last year (about 53–54 percent) and August collections were minimal. Amy said she will update investment and revenue projections after the bond sale and the close of the next reporting period.

No formal vote was taken on the investments or the bond sale during the meeting; the bond sale was scheduled to occur the day after the meeting.","Finance Director Amy told the Board of Finance the town invested about $45 million across 3-, 6- and 9‑month certificates of deposit at roughly 4% and will proceed with a bond sale after S&P reaffirmed a AAA rating.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5980336,"Consultants find no \"oh-my-god\" failures but flag permit overrides and student activity funds as higher risk",2539,402000,2941000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec&start=402&end=2941","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5773308-90efc73ded858064245b5086951e8cec/thumbnail_402000.jpg","/articles/5980336/Simsbury-Center/Capitol-County/Connecticut/Consultants-find-no-oh-my-god-failures-but-flag-permit-overrides-and-student-activity-funds-as-higher-risk","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5980336-f5c7505e12b3aeb5e3a7ba040c4bb731/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538559&Signature=ouZb6Zmt5ElYxkyROuq~Q20dwpafmfrM72jr580u61awjLWtLIQ9ZnAfYvL8v06p7U~wc87~le~lu9jaN5g-lm5N-VYsG38FsyJQTPH4JkOC5vIXH5nj-GZiV982kIC8qOPiXvoW5ZRqcnBDDveZiSlFcQzQfI0iaE8cOf7Yxb31qLW~x4T-dXpwb4rKYVmxEEkOCTgmLEaDWhHJefzsmZ7aLlK6QmMRduY7Gh5D8NAoW2Icy~ta~BN77WlBJQSGEW9QFIewCzNyPDd1gHWqBMAY29Ksa64k-4njfMrUHkTjcrJ3mzeVwKZZDLH96-2OgNvGfszNvZBNBFS2UxubOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants from CliftonLarsonAllen presented the results of a townwide fraud risk assessment of cash-handling on Sept. 16, telling the Board of Finance they found no critical control failures but identified specific areas that warrant stronger controls.

The consultants reviewed 11 cash-handling areas across town departments and Simsbury Public Schools, performed on-site walkthroughs and interviews, and evaluated documented policies and procedures. \"There were no critical findings — I always call them 'oh-my-god moments' — there were none of those,\" said Jeff Ziplo, a principal at CliftonLarsonAllen. He said the review produced two higher‑risk items and a number of medium- and low‑risk findings the town could address to ``raise the bar'' on controls.

Why it matters: the assessment covers collections and cash-related functions where errors or abuse could move public dollars outside usual controls. The consultants and finance staff framed the work as proactive: the audit was commissioned not because of a known problem but to confirm controls and improve transparency.

Key findings and recommendations

- Permit fee overrides: The permitting system allows fee overrides (for instance, to avoid double-charging a subcontractor for a permit when the general contractor already paid). Aaron Perillo, a senior member of the CLA business risk services group, said those overrides are legitimate in some cases but currently lack a formal, documented review. The firm recommended either a system change to require a secondary review or a recurring report (monthly) that lists overrides for independent review and sign‑off.

- Student activity funds: CLA identified student activity funds (including athletics and class funds) as one of the higher‑risk areas because of the volume and timing of receipts. Consultants said teachers sometimes hold cash for months before turning it in, and some ticketed events (for example, prom or athletics) lacked routine reconciliation between ticket counts and receipts. Perillo advised clear policies on who may accept money, deadlines for deposit, reconciliation procedures that match receipts to sales, and secondary review of expenditures.

- Other weak points and routine recommendations: The consultants recommended formal deposit logs for departments that email or hand checks to finance (public works example); segregation of duties at point-of-sale locations with multiple cashiers sharing drawers; integration between credit-card processing and POS systems to reduce manual copying of card numbers; a townwide policy setting thresholds and timing for deposits (for example, daily or same-day deposits above a set dollar amount); and reconciliation between departmental systems and the finance office (myRec and Munis/Enterprise ERP).

- Technology and training: CLA suggested exploring integrations (for example, Municity or tax system interfaces into Munis/Enterprise ERP) to reduce manual journal entries and reduce risk, and pushing further user training for departments who reported not using available reports and screens.

Responses from town staff and board

Finance Director Amy (identified in the meeting as finance director) answered clarifying questions about current practices and confirmed that some audit recommendations have already been addressed by recent policy changes (for example, a tax‑check before issuing permits, which consultants noted had already been implemented). Town Manager Mark (referred to in the discussion) and board members asked about detection of schemes involving vendor changes, collusion, or employees creating vendors and issuing checks. CLA said the town has system controls and operational checks — vendor vetting, segregation of duties in Munis/Enterprise ERP, and bank reconciliations — that reduce risk and would make single‑actor fraud difficult. The consultants cautioned, however, that collusion between multiple employees is inherently difficult to detect.

Quantities and context

The engagement covered 11 department areas, including permitting/planning, public works, parks and recreation, tax collector, social services, police, board of education cafeteria and student activity funds, and IT-related petty cash (Chromebook insurance was a named example). On student activity funds the consultants and staff estimated cumulative balances in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars during the fiscal year (board discussion ranged from \"I think I've got $100,000–200,000\" to \"about $300,000 with athletics\"). CLA characterized most departmental issues as medium- or low‑risk control gaps rather than evidence of misuse.

Next steps and board direction

The consultants recommended specific, practical steps: require documented reviews of system overrides or run monthly override reports; adopt townwide thresholds and timing for deposits; standardize petty‑cash policies; reconcile departmental receipt systems with the finance system; and increase training and system integrations to reduce manual work and exposure. Finance staff and the board asked for an implementation timetable and updates; CLA and staff discussed following up with targeted remediation over the coming months. No formal board action was taken beyond discussion and requests for follow‑up.","Auditors from CliftonLarsonAllen told the Board of Finance they found no critical fraud failures in town or school cash-handling but identified two higher-risk areas — permit fee overrides in the permitting system and the management of school student activity funds — and recommended stronger controls and periodic reviews.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident urges Board of Finance to press schools for maintenance lists and trim boards and commissions

Board amends reserve target to 16% and tables broader capital-policy rewrite for follow-up

Board approves $110,000 supplemental appropriation from trust for Eno Memorial Hall parking work

Simsbury locks $45 million in short-term CDs, S&P reaffirms AAA ahead of bond sale

Consultants find no "oh-my-god" failures but flag permit overrides and student activity funds as higher risk