Town of Becket Finance Committee
Aug 4, 2009 Minutes
Present: Mike Falk, Amy Fyden, Steve LaBelle, Jeremy Dunn
Absent: Ann Spadafora
Also Present: Tony Blair
The meeting was called to order at 7:03pm.
- Minutes of 7/7/09 FinCom approved.
- Borrowing costs for Yokum Pond Bridge repair
- 3yr costs are $2700 more than 2yr costs, at assumed interest rates, estimated to increase 0.2%/year. Committee felt rates may go up more quickly.
MOTION: finance in 2yrs to avoid interest-rate risk (passed unanimously)
- Bond counsel suggested initial 9-month period, at the end of which interest and ½ of principle would be due (in FY2010). We did not budget for interest this FY, based on RichardF’s assumption that we’d finance in 1-yr periods.
TASK: TonyB to research pro/con of financing initial 9month v. 1yr period. FinCom to vote at 8/11/09 joint meeting w/ select board. If interest is due this year, article must be placed on STM warrant to raise & appropriate funds.
- review warrant items for STM
- Petition to reinstate Dog Officer salary to $10,000. Original budget of $10k was approved by FinCom.
MOTION: to recommend in favor (passed 3 in favor, 1 against)
- Appropriate funds to pay (2) bills (total ~$2600) incurred in FY2009, invoiced in FY2010, to be paid in FY2010. 9/10 vote required in STM.
MOTION: to recommend in favor (passed unanimous)
- Financing for Yokum Pond Bridge
See notes in (2) above
- Town Clerk request to adopt MGL re voter registration days
MOTION: to recommend in favor (passed unanimously)
- Proposal to increase Select Board membership from 3 to 5.
MOTION: to recommend AGAINST (passed unanimously). FinCom recommends against this concept due to a) timing – article should be presented at ATM not STM; b) most towns our size have 3-member Select Board; c) increased budget for Select Board salaries.
- Joint Select Board / FinCom meeting, Tues Aug 11th, 7pm @ Town Hall
To review STM Warrant and vote on any outstanding issues.
- Proposal from TonyB to upgrade town’s accounting software
Quoted cost is $4,945. Expected costs are somewhat less. Some budgeted off-site training has already been cancelled, freeing up funds. All training will be web-based.
Recommend that TonyB go ahead with this upgrade, pay from town administrator account, cover after Free Cash certification.
- Review of properties in Tax Title
(7) properties currently in Tax Title, approx. $507k total valuation.
TASK: TonyB to determine sales history as percentage of valuation
TASK: TonyB to learn how revenue from property sales is accounted for. Is total amount raised through sale of properties available as excess (unbudgeted) revenue, for other purposes?
Suggestion: to raise minimum bid, so as to discourage speculative bidding.
Land of Low Value: (8) additional properties.
TonyB has Tax Title “summit” meeting schedule with Assessors, Tax Collector, Treasurer to review all issues related to these properties.
BillGirard working with Berk. Regional Planning to get GIS plot of town-owned lands
- Telephone Pole Tax revenue
Reviewed statistics presented by TonyB. These raised several questions:
TASK: TonyB to determine:
Q1: what portion of prior years’ pole tax revenue was escrowed each year?
Q2: what is the total current amount in escrow account?
Q3: total is total $ benefit (unbudgeted, available revenue) in FY2010?
- Offer from property owner to sell Jacob’s Well lot to the town
Offer was $27,000. She paid $27,900 in Dec ’89, and has paid all taxes since then.
Tony spoke with her and asked for 3-yrs interest-free payment plan. She offered 3yrs w/ interest.
Premature to have further discussion now; we have no funds in current FY budget for this property. This should be an item for FY 2011 budget discussion.
TASK: TonyB to reply to the owner.
- CDBC grant. Successful meeting on 8/1/09 attended by ~25 people. Grant is progressing with assistance from BRPC.
- Energy Efficiency CBG. Offers up to $150k for town buildings heated by oil. This would apply to Town Hall, (2) Fire stations, and Mullen House. First step is energy audit, offered free by WMECO.
- Green Communities Planning Grant. Due by 8/14/09. TonyB will submit. Gives no-cost 1yr planning process (via State-paid consultants) followed by eligibility for grants to improve energy efficiency.
- Ambulance & Fire Station – grants have been submitted – waiting to hear. May be several rounds before we learn final status.
- Rt 20 closure / impact on Wade Inn Rd.
State Police have begun enforcing existing weight limits on (2) Rt 20. bridges between Wade Inn Rd. and Bonnie Rigg Hill Rd. These are used all day long by overweight trucks bringing stone from Chester rail siding to quarry, for cutting into curbs. Trucks have begun to detour up Wade Inn Rd, which also has load-limited bridges and is in poor repair. Mass Highway declined in writing to change load limits on Rt 20 bridges. Meeting of all concerned parties scheduled for Aug 14th.
Options discussed included possible responses following Aug 14th meeting; option to use Lee rail siding and route trucks up Rt 20 -> Johnson Rd.
- Review of equipment to be auctioned
LenT provided a list of (5) pieces of equipment to be auctioned soon. Revenue from these sales may allow purchase of additional equipment needed by Highway Dept.
- Review of Properties to be Demolished
A total of (3) town-owned properties need to be demolished. Est @ $5k each. BillG thinks he may get better pricing if bid as a group. $12k in Demolition budget.
- Transfers from Reserve Account – none
- Ice Storm cleanup
Partial payment request has been submitted to MEMA. No response yet.
1st (original) vendor is fully paid, approx $80k
2nd vendor has billed approx $500k. Of this, approx. 50% represents cutting beyond what is necessary to mitigate ice-storm damage, as defined by MEMA/FEMA reimbursement guidelines. Town has excellent records of what was cut. This may result in litigation.
TonyB believes we will be within original $340k budget (town portion 25% = $85k) after all payments are made. Aug 10th extension is still in force; vendor believes all work will be completed by this date.
- Yokum Pond Rd. bridge scheduled for repair starting 8/31/09.
- County Rd. and several other town roads to be repaved using Chap 90 funds.
- Washington Mountain Rd. / McNerney Rd. bridge scheduled for completion by 10/31/09 despite delays due to heavy rains.
- STRAP grant for Algerie Rd repairs – waiting on state to release funds
- Bonnie Rigg Rd. culvert. If assessed by engineering firm as “emergency” repair, can be fixed to prior standards at @ ~$15k. If not “emergency”, must be rebuilt to prevailing standards @ ~$300k. SKDesign (engineering firm) will make the assessment.
Task to develop this list delegated by TonyB to BillG, in process.
- CBRSD update – postponed till Sept. FinCom meeting
- Letter from Bill Elovirta re: 3rd F/T police officer
This was in response to questions raised at a Select Board meeting. Net cost of 3rd F/T police officer would be at least $39k/year.
- Follow-up on uncompleted Tasks from prior FinCom meeting
- TASK: TonyB to get net Cherry Sheet adjustments, enter into Budget Spreadsheet, report to FinCom
- TASK: TonyB to report net CBRSD assessment changes, enter into spreadsheet, report.
- Announcement: CBRSD Strategic Planning committee
All towns are invited to nominate delegates to this committee
- Handbook for Elected & Appointed Officials
Town Clerk created an excellent summary of applicable law. Posted on Town Website.
TASK: All FinCom members to review.
There was no public input.
Meeting was adjourned at 9:35 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeremy Dunn
Clerk
| 
