FinCom & Selectmen FY18 Budget Hearing February 1, 2017 Meeting Minutes
Present: FinCom Members; Chairman Marshall Carroll, Susan Murphy, Bruce Golden,
Vicki Divoll, Adam DeBettencourt, Eric Glasgow and Rob Hannemann.
Selectmen: Chairman Warren Doty, Bill Rossi Jim Malkin was not present. Others: Tim Carroll,
Ellen Biskis, Melanie Becker, Diana DeBlase, Chuck Hodgkinson, Katie Carroll and Don Hatch.
At 7:00 PM Chairman Doty called meeting to order in the Selectmen’s meeting room. Chairman Doty said there would be a short bit of Selectmen action tonight and that we will turn the meeting over to the FinCom as soon as it is complete. Chairman Doty said this is concerning the Police Chief hiring procedure. Chairman Doty said the Selectmen’s Office had received thirteen applications by the January 31, 2017 deadline. The next step is to appoint a process committee that will choose five from these applicants to be interviewed and then have a recommendation of three applicants for the Selectmen. Chairman Doty moved to appoint Bill Rossi as Chairman, Tim Rich and Joan Malkin to the Police Chief Preliminary Screening Committee. Mr. Rossi seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 2 Ayes, 1 not present
Bill Rossi said that Jennie Greene will be the Human Resources observer during the interviews.
At 7:04 PM Chairman Doty turned meeting over to Chairman Carroll to conduct the budget hearings. Chairman Carroll said Mr. Malkin will be able to attend our meeting scheduled for tomorrow night.
#510 Board of Health:
Board Chairman Katie Carroll presented this budget. Ms. Carroll said the only increase to this budget is due to employee step and COLA. Ms. Carroll did say that the line #5316 Visiting Nurse Services has been underspent because the Vineyard Nursing Association is not doing the job/services that they were hired for. Ms. Carroll said the Board of Health has a list of elderly residents that the VNA was to be visiting but they have not done this service. Ms. Carroll asked to keep that line amount, as they intend to contract with Island Health Care who will carry out that request for visiting.
Chairman Carroll thanked Ms. Carroll for presenting this budget.
#430 Waste Collection:
Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Refuse Disposal & Resource Recovery District Don Hatch presented this budget. Mr. Hatch said this budget has remained the same. There are some changes planned for the recycling. Mr. Hatch said rather than each town in the district selling stickers there will be a single sticker sold for all the towns. There will be an increase to the sticker price from $20.00 to $25.00 for residents, and $35 for non-resident sticker. Mr. Hatch discussed the organic waste program they are planning to carry out at their facility in Edgartown.
Mr. Hatch said the Chilmark LDO (local drop off) is now receiving all mercury bulbs and waste with mercury. Mr. Hatch stressed the danger of the mercury and lithium battery not being separated and causing fires at the station.
Chairman Carroll thanked Mr. Hatch for presenting this budget.
#691 Historical Commission:
The Historical Commission Administrative Assistant Chuck Hodgkinson presented this budget.
#691 Historical Commission Continued…
Mr. Hodgkinson said he is a new member on the West Tisbury Finance Advisory Committee.
Mr. Hodgkinson said Chairman Jane Slater was unable to attend tonight because she was attending a presentation at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum on Mr. Morgan’s model boats.
The only increase to this budget is due to step and COLA. Chairman Carroll thanked Mr. Hodgkinson for this report.
#650 Park & Recreation:
Tim Carroll said this budget of $1,500.00 is just for mowing the ballfield at Peaked Hill. Mr. Hodgkinson said he is assisting Andy Goldman (chairman of the Park & Rec) with updating the Bulkhead leases and rules & regulations for this coming season.
#179 Community Preservation Committee (CPC):
CPC Administrative Assistant Chuck Hodgkinson presented this budget and the warrant articles to be included in our Annual Town Meeting.
The CPC decreased lines:
- #5305 Legal Counsel by $1,900.00 for a total of $2,000.00
- #5399 Other Purchased Services by $500.00 for a total of $500.00
- Salary increase was only step Cola and longevity
Mr. Hodgkinson distributed the CPC warrant articles they are as follows:
- To see if the Town will vote to approve the following request of the Community Preservation Committee: To see if the Town will vote to reserve from the Community Preservation Fund FY 2018 estimated annual revenues up to the following amounts for community preservation projects: $32,500.00 for Open Space Preservation Reserve; $32,500.00 for
Historic Resources Reserve; $32,500.00 for Affordable Housing Reserve; and $227,500.00 for the Community Preservation Budgeted Reserve.
- To see if the Town will vote to approve the following request of the Community Preservation Committee: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from the Community Preservation Affordable Housing Reserve Fund the sum of $32,500.00 to the Island Housing Trust (IHT) as Chilmark’s contribution to fund the construction of up to 20 affordable housing apartments at Keune’s Way in Tisbury. A transfer of $30,000 from the Community Preservation Undesignated Reserve Fund to the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund would be required to fund this appropriation. If approved, the funds would not be
released until a permanent affordable housing deed restriction on the land is filed with the deed at the Registry of Deeds.
- To see if the Town will vote to approve the following request of the Community Preservation Committee: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from the Community Preservation Affordable Housing Reserve Fund the sum of $82,600.00 for The Resource, Inc. (TRI) to fund the Preserving Affordability through Loan Support (P.A.L.S.) program. It provides interest-free loans for structural house repairs for Chilmark residents earning less than 100 % county median income. $70,000 of this appropriation will be used for the interest-free loans.
#179 Community Preservation Committee Continued…$12,600 will be used for administration of the program. A transfer of $70,000 from the
- Community Preservation Undesignated Reserve Fund to the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund would be required to fund this appropriation.
- To see if the Town will vote to approve the following request of the Community Preservation Committee: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from the Open Space Preservation Parks & Recreation Reserve Fund the sum of $10,000.00 as Chilmark’s contribution to help re-build the old basketball court that is on school grounds behind the West Tisbury School. A small portion of the funds will also help fund improvements to the grass soccer field.
- To see if the Town will vote to approve the following request of the Community Preservation Committee: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from the Historic Resource Preservation Reserve Fund the sum of $5,200.00 to pay for the restoration of the Town’s 19th century official weights & measures cabinet and contents. When the restoration is completed this will be displayed in the Town Hall for all to enjoy.
#171 Conservation Commission (ConCom):
ConCom Administrative Assistant Chuck Hodgkinson presented this budget. Other than step, COLA and longevity the only other increase is of $1.00 (yes one dollar) to line # 5730 Dues and Memberships for the MACC dues.
#176 Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA):
ZBA Administrative Assistant Chuck Hodgkinson presented this budget. There are no increases to this budget except for step, COLA and longevity. Chairman Carroll asked to address the document storage issue for records at the town hall. Chairman Doty said there are 20 to 30 banker storage boxes in the first floor area that need to find permanent storage. There was discussion of utilizing the Library basement for storage. Chairman Carroll thanked Mr. Hodgkinson for the presentations.
With no more departments scheduled for the evening Ms. Biskis distributed the revised figures to the Harbor budget salary lines.
There was extensive discussion of the Harbor Department. Chairman Doty said he would return to the next meeting with updates to deduct an additional $5,000.00 from the FY18 budget.
Treasurer Melanie Becker said there was a coding error that needs to be corrected with City Hall Systems concerning the Harbor revenues. Tim Carroll will follow-up with this issue and City Hall Systems.
At 9:00 PM Mr. Golden moved to adjourn, Ms. Murphy seconded the motion.
SO VOTED: FinCom; 7 Ayes, Selectmen; 2 Ayes 1 Not Present
Minutes respectfully submitted by Diana DeBlase. Approved 11/15/17
Meeting document list:
- Community Preservation warrant articles for 4/24/17 Annual Town Meeting
- CPA fund balances
- FY16 CPA Revenue by Town
- Revised Harbor Budget
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