Advisory Committee Present: Christopher Slade
March 1, 2005 Wendy Rogers
Panny Gerken
Scott Powell
David Bosselait (8:10 p.m.)
The Advisory Committee met at the Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. Minutes of November 30, 2004 and February 1, 2005 were read and approved.
BOARD OF ASSESSORS
Present: Board of Assessors members Jeff Nichols and Dominique Sexton; Tony Bryan, Principal Assessor. Mr. Nichols stated that they are entering the major three year revaluation this coming year and will be doing the revaluation in house and therefore will not be expanding their budget which is a first for them. The Advisory Committee applauded their efforts. Commercial property is also being done in-house.
Budget: The Board of Assessors has proposed changing the position of the Assessors Clerk position to an Administrative Assessor. The Assessors Clerk position is a Grade 5 and they are proposing the new position at a Grade 8. The hours will be increased from 26-1/2 to 30 hours per week. They have drafted a job description that is being reviewed and rated by the Personnel Committee. Town Administrator Jodi Ross informed the Advisory Committee that the position is a new position and therefore Ms. Bradbury will have to apply for the position. This position is being created in order to accomplish doing the revaluation in house and will bringing in an outside person. They do not envision adding a third person in the next couple of years. The
overall budget has been decreased. Ms. Ross stated that Ms. Bradbury has stepped up to the challenge and that Mr. Bryan has been a wonderful addition to the town hall staff and has helped out in many ways.
Articles: The technology consortium article asks for the town to vote to enter into an inter-municipal agreement to join a technology consortium for consulting and support services for the Town’s computerized assessment system. The annual financial obligation of the Town under this agreement shall be paid from the Assessor’s operating expense appropriation. The consortium was created ten years ago and at the time a requirement for each member community to officially vote to belong to the consortium was required.
Personal Properties article allows for exempting of all the smaller accounts from taxation. There are approximately 101 personal property accounts. By doing this the management of the assessment, tax billing and collection will be simplified.
FIRE ACCIDENT BENEFITS
Mr. Jack Holbrook and David Farrel members of the fire and ambulance departments were also present for this discussion. Town Administrator Jodi Ross provided a comparison that showed our current fire & police accident policy with VFIS options. The benefits would cover firefighters (20) and ambulance (18) personnel, and the cadets. Benefits include loss of life, medical expenses, deductible, weekly disability, elimination/waiting period and a premium. The group spent time discussing the benefits allowed and under what circumstances is the town responsible for benefits. Mr. Bosselait agreed to do some research and to speak with the agent from VFIS to understand the conditions of the benefits. Ms. Ross will do some research on the part time/full time staff. The Advisory
Committee is in favor of adequate and proper coverage for the volunteers.
CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Bill Fateiger, Conservation Commission Chairman met with the Advisory Committee to discuss the article submitted for the Annual Town Meeting regarding violations of the wetland bylaw. It was determined that Paragraph i. should be deleted at this time.
TRI-TOWN MEETING
Tri-Town Meeting is on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at Hale School Cafeteria in Stow. At previous Tri-Town meeting Supt. Wood talked about new capital language. The Advisory Committee received and was asked to review the capital language is correct.
TRANSFERS
On a motion made by Bosselait and seconded by Powell the Advisory Committee voted to rescind their vote to approve a transfer in the amount of $45,867.00 to purchase a 1998 International Truck.
For the record the Advisory Committee voted to rescind their vote of January 11, 2005 for a transfer in the amount of $56,700 or less to acquire a replacement truck for the truck that was in an accident. The official paperwork had not been completed and submitted to the Town Accountant. (Slade – yes, Rogers – yes, Powell – yes, Bosselait – yes, Gerken – yes)
TRANSFERS
On a motion made by Bosselait and seconded by Rogers the Advisory Committee voted to approve a transfer requested by Town Accountant Julie Costello for the amount of $8,564.61 to fund a deficit balance created at the Annual Town Meeting in May of 2002. (Slade – yes, Rogers – yes, Powell – yes, Bosselait – yes, Gerken – yes) (This was originally on the annual town meeting warrant article but Advisory Committee agreed they would be willing to handle with a transfer versus an article and therefore the article was deleted from the draft annual town meeting warrant).
BUDGET SPREADSHEETS
On a motion made by Rogers and seconded by Gerken the Advisory Committee voted to suggest that the present town’s spreadsheet continue to be maintained by Town Accountant Julie Costello and run Mr. Heaton’s spreadsheet in parallel for at least one full budget cycle. (Slade – yes, Bosselait – yes, Rogers – yes, Powell – yes, Gerken – yes)
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ARTICLE
The Advisory Committee has the following article on the annual town meeting warrant:
To see if the Town will vote to amend Administrative Bylaws, Section 1.3, Advisory Committee, Subsection 1.3.5 so that it reads as follows: (deletion in (parentheses and italics) and additions are underlined); or do or act relating thereto.
1.3.5 Whenever any vacancy shall occur in said committee - by resignation, removal from town, death, failing to qualify, or otherwise - said vacancy shall be filled by said committee. And if any member is absent from five consecutive meetings of said committee, except in case of illness, said committee shall consider his position vacant and proceed to fill the same. The term of office of all persons chosen as aforesaid, to fill vacancies, shall expire on June 30. (at the close of final adjournment of the Annual Town Meeting next succeeding such vacancy, and after said Annual Town Meeting) and a successor shall be appointed to fill out the
unexpired term of each member whose office has been so vacated, in the same manner as the original appointment.
1.3.6
Sponsor: Advisory Committee
NEXT MEETINGS
Tuesday, March 8, 2005; Tuesday, March 15, 2005; Tuesday, March 22, 2005; Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Meeting adjourned.
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