TOWN OF HARVARD
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Minutes
Meeting Date: Feb 21, 2009
Meeting Place: Town Hall
Members Present: George McKenna (Chair) Steve Colwell, Marie Crowley Sobalvarro, Marie Fagan, Lori Granville, Bob Thurston
Others Present: Associate member Collyn Bradley; Lorraine Leonard, Finance Director; School Board: Virginia Justicz, Patty Wenger, Willie Wickman, Stu Sklar, Keith Cheveralls; Tom Jefferson, School Superintendent
Meeting Time: 9:03 am
Adjournment Time: 12:20 pm
Discussions and Actions
l Fin Comm Chair opened meeting outlining ground rules for School budget discussion. We will use Q&A format, followed by discussion on each topic.
l Presentation of impact statement by School superintendent: The level budget means there is not much impact to discuss (what we are not doing for 2009 we are also not doing for 2010). We have made strong increases in past few years for kids with needs (e.g., learning center, math cluster tutorial). The further things we would like to do (such as further updates of technology) are not reflected in this budget. Our goal is to protect what we do well: the quality of classroom instruction. So this is a level staffing budget.
l School Board okayed Superintendent’s statement as such.
l Discussion of School Budget:
16.2 million in total spending, $11.2 million from omnibus budget.
0000;">Minutes of Feb 18th accepted as amended.
l Next meeting Wed Feb 25, 7:00 PM Town Hall, to go over budgets for Park & Rec, Board of Health, Pond, Land Use, and Selectmen.
l Discussion of Library comparative data: Fin Comm member submitted a working draft (not an official fin Comm document) for review by Fin Comm. Fin Comm agreed to share it with Library Trustees before Wed 25th meeting. At Wed 25th meeting, after Library has a chance to weigh in on it, Fin comm will accept it as a public document.
l Discussion of School comparative data.
l Public commentary.
l Fin Comm chair suggested amending the Fin Comm budget guidelines, to incorporate asking for transparent budgets from all departments.
l Move to adjourn at 12:20PM.
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