Town of Chilmark Finance Advisory Committee December 4, 2009 Meeting Minutes
Committee Members Present: Frank LoRusso, John Maloney, Bill Randol, Richard Williams, Frank Yeomans.
Others Present: Melanie Becker, Tim Carroll, Todd Christy, Warren Doty, Frank Fenner, Chuck Hodgkinson, Nina Lombardi, J.B. Riggs Parker.
In the absence of Chairman Marshall Carroll, Richard Williams moved and John Maloney seconded to appoint Frank Yeomans as the Chairman for the meeting. Mr. Yeomans reopened the November 25 meeting at 5:00 p.m.
Middle Line Road (MLR) Financials
Chuck Hodgkinson, Assistant to the Middle Line Road Construction Advisory Committee, presented the pro-forma income and expense schedules for the MLR Community Housing Program Rental Duplexes; please see attached. Mr. Hodgkinson also presented the committee with a handout for Special Town Meeting (STM) that described the MLR Community Housing Program Rental Duplex pro forma income and expense schedules in support of Article Two of the STM Warrant. The members of the committee all agreed that economically it is a good time to bond the money because of historically low interest rates. After much discussion, the Finance Advisory Committee amended the STM handout to reflect the pro-forma plan with $1.4 million bonded for fifteen years at an interest rate of four percent or less. A motion was made,
seconded and unanimously approved to recommend the MLR Community Housing Program Rental Duplex pro-forma plan with $1.4 million bonded for fifteen years at an interest rate of four percent and approve the STM meeting handout. SO VOTED: Five Ayes; Three Not Present.
STM December 7, 2009 Warrant
A motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to amend Article Three to $173.05. SO VOTED: Five Ayes; Three Not Present.
A motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to approve Article Seven. SO VOTED: Five Ayes; Three Not Present. Mr. LoRusso asked to see the bids collected for the removal of dead trees in along town roads.
A motion was made, seconded and approved to take no action on Article Nine. SO VOTED: Three Ayes; Two Abstain; Three Not Present.
FY2011 Budget Schedule
Mr. Carroll provided the members present with a FY2011 Budget Hearing schedule. The Finance Advisory Committee agreed to begin the FY2011 Budget hearing schedule on January 13, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
FY2011 Budget Letter & COLA
Mr. Carroll provided the members present a copy of the FY2010 Budget Letter and said he was planning on using the same letter for FY2011 requesting that Town departments accept a policy of level funding and a 0% COLA. Mr. Williams said the departments should start their budgets factoring level funding and a 0% COLA but include the appropriate step increase. Mr. Fenner said that it was also very important for outside departments to not have a budget increase. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved for FY2011 departmental budgets to have a 0% increase or below with the exception of step increases and longevity. SO VOTED: Five Ayes; Two Absent.
Mr. LoRusso said that step increases should not be awarded if a satisfactory performance evaluation has not been completed per the Personnel Bylaw. There was discussion about what consequences an employee would face if they did not complete a performance evaluation and were already at their maximum step.
FY2011 Budget Book
Mr. Carroll explained that because the Town Accountant would be resigning on December 11 the FY2011 Budget Books would be formatted different than in the past by using reports generated by Vadar.
Administration
Richard Williams volunteered to be on the Town Accountant Search Committee.
The minutes were deferred until the next meeting.
Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted by Nina M. Lombardi.
Approved February 2, 2010.
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