Date of Meeting: Monday, June 11, 2008
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:50 PM
Members Present: Chairman James Stanton, Ken Sydow, Roger Deal
Others Present: Suzanne Olsen, Town Administrator; Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant; Stephen Madaus, Town Counsel; others as listed on sign-in sheet
No financial warrants.
Meeting convened at 6:30 PM.
Review of budget cuts.
Sidewalk snow/ice maintenance -- Discussion with Don Parker regarding which sidewalks are currently plowed and what is required. Stephen Madaus: we don’t need to plow sidewalks on newly-accepted roads. We should probably do sidewalks adjacent to town-owned properties.
Motion to transfer $22,000 from free cash to school budget.
Stephen – cited 16B½ statute that school committee must apply E&D overage to reduce assessment.
Question raised whether $22K E&D overage already applied to school budget.
Mosquito Control Program --
Dennis Costello: Gerry Gleich spoke with Tim DesChamps at Central Mass. Mosquito Control Program (“CMMCP”) about getting the state to cover the cost. Hasn’t heard back from them yet. However, if a question to discontinue it goes on the Town Warrant, the Board of Health might not support it.
Jim: The first article could withdraw from the program; the next could appropriate limited funds to re-negotiate CMMCP.
Ken Sydow asked Stephen the best way to word article(s).
Gerry Gleich (present): No fee reduction is possible for CMMCP; it is all or nothing. Also, Tim DesChamps told him it’s not guaranteed to be returned to Cherry Sheet/local aid. West Nile Virus incidence is extremely low in Massachusetts. Nationwide there were only 124 deaths; you have a better chance of being hit by lightening. For the cost benefit, the Town might want to re-think the money spent.
Motion first article: reduce municipal budget by $158,009 – transfer
$110,000 to Vocational Ed line item;
$48,000 to Regional School assessment line item.
Motion to place article on Warrant requesting permission to withdraw from CMMCP and apply anticipated assessment to the Regional School assessment.
Vin Perrone: Questioned putting a list of cuts all together. Why not put a Town override on the Warrant for voters.
Jim: Based on discussions with the Superintendent, it was agreed the Town and School together would make cuts to balance the budget.
Vin: What if it’s voted down? The voters need to be educated on the consequences of it not passing.
Ken: This is trying to “bleed” all the budgets to make it through to next year.
Vin: Feels that strategy will pit the Town against the school again because it shows municipal cuts that will go to schools.
Jim: The cuts are going to the the schools. We have limited funds; this is the strategy that was agreed. The alternative would be to reject the budget returned to the Board of Selectmen by the School Committee without making changes to the already approved budget (from May town meeting).
Vin: Is worried about when articles are voted at Special Town Meeting; Berlin being very cooperative.
Roger: If Berlin is being cooperative, it’s not what he’s been hearing.
Rebecca Dono Healy: Feels the reduced budget presented might be least harmful to schools and town.
Gerry G: Agrees that if the Town override is presented, it’s easy to see it’s in everyone’s best interests to vote it.
Jim: No matter what it’s called, it goes to the schools.
Ken Linell: Maybe the resulting Town cuts will get that idea across.
Letty Ridinger: What percentage was cut from the fire and police departments? They are the largest departments.
Motion made concerning mosquito control article (above). Vote all in favor.
Library Trustees re: Library Budget
Sue Therriault: The library budget is being cut 9.5% ($15,000). Is it possible to reallocate money in building maintenance, special article, to operating budget?
Jim: If already approved in an article, it can only be used for same purpose.
Sue T: By cutting $15K, we will lose $5K of State aid. To the best of their ability, they will search for ways to avoid decertification.
Brad Barker: If the budget is cut to $15K, the net effect is an additional $7,500.
Sue T: We can’t go forward with the computer automation project.
[Brief discussion with counsel regarding wording of articles.]
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lori Esposito
Administrative Assistant
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