FinCom & Selectmen January 24, 2018 FY19 Budget Hearing Meeting Minutes
Present: FinCom- Chairman Marshall Carroll, Vicki Divoll, Rob Hannemann, Susan Murphy,
Eric Glasgow and Adam DeBettencourt. Bruce Golden was not present.
Selectmen: Chairman Bill Rossi, James Malkin and Warren Doty. Others; Tim Carroll,
Melanie Becker, Joyce Albertine Skipper Manter, Bruce Stone, Ben Retmier, Jonathan Klarèn,
Diana DeBlase and videographer Evgeny Mishehnko.
At 7:00 PM Chairman Carroll called meeting to order in the Selectmen Meeting Room.
541 Up Island Council on Aging (UICOA):
Executive Director of the UICOA Joyce Albertine presented this budget with Board member Skipper Manter and WT Town Accountant Bruce Stone. West Tisbury is the managing town for the UICOA like Chilmark is the managing town for Tri Town Ambulance.
Ms. Albertine said the driving force for the budget increase is primarily the OPEB funding and health insurance obligations. This is the first year that UICOA is funding the OPEB liability. Ms. Albertine said that Chilmark 46% of its residents are over the age of 60. This is one of the highest in the state.
Ms. Becker said the Cape Cod Municipal Health Group had their insurance contract meeting the other day and the recommended budgeting of an increase to health insurance was at 12% increase has now been changed to a 6% increase. Ms. Becker asked if the UICOA would re-adjust their budget with the decrease made to the health insurance. Mr. Stone said he will receive this recommendation from the WT Treasurer and get back to us. Ms. Divoll asked that the adjustment be sent to the Chilmark FinCom prior to the completion of our budget hearings.
At 7:15 PM Chilmark Town Accountant Ellen Biskis arrived (after school winter concert)
Mr. Hannemann made a point to state that having the additional handout that Mr. Stone brought (listed below in document list) was very helpful more so than the information sent earlier for our budget books. Chairman Carroll thanked Ms. Bowker for the presentation.
231 Tri Town Ambulance (TTA):
Tri Town Ambulance Chief Ben Retmier presented this budget. Chief Retmier said a big change this year is we have added a 4th full time paramedic and removed the per-diem medic budget line 5385. Ms. Biskis asked what the offseason staffing would be. Chief Retmire said 2 paramedics on day shift with 2 stipend EMTs during the day and 2 EMTs for overnight coverage. Mr. Doty (Selectmen liaison to TTA and on the TTA Board) said the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day there is also an EMT at each barn (W. Tisbury, Chilmark & Aquinnah) from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Chief Retmier attributed a greater rate of revenue collected for runs to hiring Allison Graczykowski. Chief Retmier said ComStar (billing company) reported that Tri Town Ambulance has a collection rate of 95%-98% for insured patients and 45% for un
insured patients that is hirer than the other municipalities that they serve.
Chief Retmier said that his request to have Ms. Graczykowski position re graded to a grade 8 step 2 was approved at the Selectmen’s meeting.
Ms. Biskis said that this salary line 5168 for Clerical will be adjusted to budget for Grade 8 step 3 changing the total line from $30,620.52 to $39,606.75. Chief Retmier said that important additional increase to this budget besides addition of full time paramedic and grade increase for clerical position are:
- the OPEB liability funding $52,672.00
- County retirement for group 4 funding $45,603.40
- county retirement assessment funding $67,196.60
Chief Retmire reported working with Kelly McCracken on these figures and will adjust them with updated figures from Mss. McCracken.
Chief Retmier reported that this February 2018 the TTA will be receiving the new Ambulance that will be stationed in Aquinnah. Selectmen said they are impressed with how Chief Retmire is running this department and are glad we have the professional paramedic coverage we have for Chilmark residents. Chief Retmier said he would work on providing CPR classes for Chilmark this coming year. Chairman Carroll thanked Chief Retmire for presenting this budget.
210 Police Department:
Police Chief Jonathan Klarèn presented the police budget. Chief Klarèn said that the lion share of this budget is salaries. Chief Klarèn said he now has 5 permanent fulltime officers.
Chief Klarèn said he has raised the summer traffic officer line back up to where it was in 2015 because that is the correct coverage.
Chief Klarèn reported that the electric car has been a really good fit for the department traffic officers in Menemsha. Chief Klarèn said we have logged 970 miles on the vehicle already.
Ms. Biskis (has 2 children at Chilmark School) said she really likes the Chilmark police presence at the school. The interaction that Officer Liz Rogers has with the kids is great. Chief Klarèn said it doesn’t cost the town any more we schedule an officer with police vehicle 1 day a week for 3 hours of their shift at the school. Ms. Divoll said the town was not in favor of the police presence movement a few years ago but this seems to be a positive interaction with the students and the Chilmark police department. There was discussion of comp. time buyback policy Ms. Becker said she would send a report to the Executive Secretary as this is more a Human Resources Board issue than a FinCom issue.
Chief Klarèn said the Building Maintenance line was increased by $1,000.00
Chief Klarèn was asked to explain what MVLEC line 5583 was. Chief Klarèn said it is Martha’s Vineyard Law Enforcement Council and this increase is for maintenance to the mobile office.
Ms. Divoll said she met with the Sheriff and wanted to ask Chief Klarèn his opinion of the communication center. Chief Klarèn said the Island Police Chiefs collectively signed a letter supporting that the State continues funding the Comm. Center. That said the Comm. Center is working well at this time. Chairman Carroll thanked Chief Klarèn for presenting this budget.
945 Liability Insurance:
Tim Carroll said it’s recommended we increase the liability coverage by 2.5% for the FY19 we raised them to what we believe to be an appropriate budget. The total requested for the assorted insurance is $213,000.00. Discussion of coverage ensued.
135 Town Accountant:
Town Accountant Ellen Biskis presented this budget. This budget is flat lined. Ms. Biskis reported that the Administrative Assistant to the Accountant is working well. Ms. Biskis said she was able (having an assistant) to work with subcommittee financials: the Up Island Regional School Budget funding formulas, Compensation review, retro pay calculations, Tri Town Ambulance meetings Ms. Biskis said having a second set of eyes reviewing the materials during the conversion to the newer software was very helpful.
149 Audit:
Ms. Biskis said she appreciates that our Auditor knows our municipality operations. Ms. Biskis said she would have recommended getting new auditors because they look at materials with new perspective but she has come to appreciate the recommendations from this auditor because they really know us.
Ms. Biskis said she needs to be getting a report on the cash and revenue collection from the Beach sticker sales and Harbor department and will work towards this with the Treasurer and Executive Secretary and the administrative supports for the departments.
At 9:00 PM Ms. Murphy moved to adjourn, Ms. Divoll seconded the motion. SO VOTED:
FinCom: 6 Ayes 1 Not Present Mr. Golden Selectmen: 3 Ayes
Minutes submitted by Diana DeBlase Minutes Approved 1/31/18
Document list:
- FY19 Budget Books
- West Tisbury Accountant Financial Reporting & Disclosures Under GASB 45 & GASB 74 UICOA actuaries
- WT Accountant assessment budget summary for UICOA.
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