Town of Lyme
Budget Committee
January 10, 2005
7:00PM
Lyme Town Offices
APPROVED February 9, 2005
Present at this meeting: Selectmen: Budget Committee Members: Gibb Cornwell, Josh Kilham, Chairman Barney Brannen, Earl Strout, David Caffry, Wayne Tullar, Mike Smith. School Board Representative Laszlo Bardos. Superintendent Gordon Schnare. Principal Gerry Clancy. Administrative assistant Carole Bont, and Bookkeeper/Selectmen’s Secretary & Scribe Dina Cutting.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Chair Brannen.
1) DISCUSSION OF SCHOOL BUDGET:
Mr. Schnare reviewed the changes made in the proposed school budget from the previous meeting.
Food services: line 304 was changed to reflect the actual amount. $18,286.00.
Revenue: Line 5210 changed to $18,286.00 this reflects an in and out for Food Services.
Line 5252 reflexes an addition of $40,000.00 to be transferred from the Exp. Trust Fund for a Special Education service student the town will likely have to pay.
The changes have produced a $50,000.00 change off the revenue side of this proposed budget. This is a 2% difference in the amount to be raised by taxes.
a. Followed was a discussion concerning class size, the number of teachers within the school, teachers aides, special education aides, and possibly dropping a class in the 2006-2007 school year. High school tuition costs were reviewed. The contractual deal the town of Lyme has with Hanover High School was reviewed and discussed. Mr. Schnare reviewed numbers pertaining to the special education costs over the past few years. The costs have been declining. The investment the town has made in the early intervention program has really paid off. There has been an increase in legal fees due to the district going to due process more often concerning special education issues. The Special Education Trust Fund is in good shape. The Special Education director has been going to all the high school student IEP
meetings. This has helped follow up on the student, what services they receive and ultimately what the town pays for.
b. The adequacy money is up in the air. Followed was a discussion concerning what may happen in the future with the adequacy money. If the town needs to raise the extra money in taxes due to a change in state funding the budget committee felt the Selectmen have built a reasonable fund to protect the town.
c. Buildings and grounds were discussed. Followed was a discussion concerning the water in the school. It is terrible. The Administration has requested funds to put in a water clarification system. The kitchen renovation has been taken out of this budget proposal.
d. Heating oil prices were discussed. Mr. Schnare noted he had calculated next years prices at $2.00 just to be safe. No one has any idea what the price of fuel oil may be next year at this time.
e. Food Services were discussed. The program is not doing great financially. The lunch program has changed over the recent years. Much healthier food and nutritionally good choices. The School board and administrators are very reluctant to get rid of this program. They are going to find ways to make the school lunch program more attractive to the students.
2) VOTING OF PROPOSED SCHOOL BUDGET:
1130 HIGH SCHOOL TUITION $1,358,246.00
Mr. Caffry moved to approve account number 1130 at $1,358,246.00. Seconded by Mr. Bardos. Voted unanimously in favor.
1230 HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION $194,010.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 1230 at $194,010.00. Seconded by Mr. Kilham. Voted unanimously in favor.
1100 REGULAR EDUCATION $1,093,493.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 1100 at $1,093,493.00. Seconded by Mr. Strout. Voted unanimously in favor.
1200 SPECIAL EDUCATION $236,800.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 1200 at $236,800.00. Seconded by Mr. Smith. Voted unanimously in favor.
1400 AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES $3,000.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 1400 at $3,000.00. Seconded by Mr. Smith. Voted unanimously in favor.
2120 GUIDANCE $38,871.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2120 at $38,871.00. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Voted unanimously in favor.
2130 HEALTH SERVICES $34,166.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2130 at $34,166.00. Seconded by Mrs. Swan. Voted unanimously in favor.
2140 PSYCHOLOGICAL $12,000.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2140 at $12,000.00. Seconded by Mr. Strout. Voted unanimously in favor.
2150 SPEECH SERVICES $20,800.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2150 at $20,800.00. Seconded by Mr. Smith. Voted unanimously in favor.
2160 PHYSICAL/OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY $9,500.00
Mr. Caffry moved to approve account number 2160 at $9,500.00. Seconded by Mr. Bardos. Voted unanimously in favor.
2190 OTHER STUDENT SERVICES $1,500.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2190 at $1,500.00. Seconded by Mr. Caffry. Voted unanimously in favor.
2210 IMPROVEMENT OF INSTRUCTION $19,250.00
Mr. Strout moved to approve account number 2210 at $19,250.00. Seconded by Mrs. Swan. Voted unanimously in favor.
2220 LIBRARY $34,945.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2220 at $34,945.00. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Mr. Bardos responded to a few questions concerning the formula used to calculate the charge of services from the library. Voted unanimously in favor.
2310 SCHOOL BOARD $13,657.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2310 at $13,657.00. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Voted unanimously in favor.
2320 SAU ADMINISTRATION $129,003.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2320 at $129,003.00. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Voted unanimously in favor.
2400 SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION $143,275.00
Mr. Cornwell moved to approve account number 2400 at $143,275.00. Seconded by Mr. Bardos. Voted unanimously in favor.
2600 BUILDING/GROUNDS SERVICES $198,179.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2600 at $198,179.00. Seconded by Mr. Strout. Voted unanimously in favor.
2700 TRANSPORTATION $102,513.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 2700 at $102,513.00. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Voted unanimously in favor.
5100 DEBT SERVICE $116,790.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 5100 at $116,790.00. Seconded by Mr. Smith. Voted unanimously in favor.
5200 TRANSFER FUNDS $118,286.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 5200 at $118,286.00. Seconded by Mr. Caffry. This figure changed due to the change in food services line 304. Voted unanimously in favor.
3100 FOOD SERVICES $48,286.000
Mr. Bardos moved to approve account number 3100 at $48,286.00. Seconded by Mr. Strout. Voted unanimously in favor.
TOTAL BUDGET AMOUNT $3,926,570.00
Mr. Bardos moved to approve the total budget (K-12) in the amount of $3,926,570.00.
Seconded by Mr. Smith. Voted unanimously in favor.
After a review of the figures it was noted that this would represent a $41,000.00 increase or 0.009% with the pay-per throw program revenues. An $81,000.00 increase or 1.6% without the pay-per throw program included in the revenues. It was noted at this time all votes taken this evening are considered tentative votes only.
The Budget Committee thanked the Administration and School Board for all their hard work. The information sheets included in the budget note book were very helpful.
3) Minutes:
Mr. Caffry moved to approve the minutes of the December 8, 2004 meeting. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Change vote on 4, a) Personnel related costs to Mr. Cornwell, Mr. Lehmann, Mr. Caffry and Mr. Strout opposed to this motion. 4, u) add to the end of sentence in anticipation of potential savings resulting in the pay-per bag recommendation. The motion was voted unanimously in favor with corrections noted.
Mr. Cornwell moved to approve the minutes of the December 15, 2004 meeting. Seconded by Mr. Smith. Corrections to the police cruiser section change Budget Committee to Select Board. Section D, 4th Paragraph add “with a vote of the town” to the end of the 5th sentence. The motion was voted unanimously in favor with corrections noted.
Reminder: The minutes of the January 6th, 2005 meeting still need to be approved.
4) Mr. Cornwell, Mr. Strout and Mr. Tullar’s seats are up for election. The incumbents will let Mr. Brannen know if they will be running again. The filing period starts January 19, 2005 and goes to January 28, 2005. Mr. Caffry was appointed to fill Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman’s seat so he will need to sign up for the coming election.
5) CAPITAL RESERVE FUNDS:
Account number 4903: Buildings- $35,000.00. The Budget Committee discussed the option of using the $21,833.00 payment for interest that was not spent in the 2004 budget year toward the salt shed. These funds were voted specifically to be spent on the interest when the town was going to apply for a USDA funded loan. It was recommended by Bob Anderson from the Department of Revenue Administration to work this figure into the warrant article for the salt shed and get the okay from the town.
Followed was a discussion concerning adding revenues for the Transfer Station & whether these funds need to be voted at this meeting. The Budget Committee will vote both expenditures and revenue so they do not need to have the second public hearing.
6) 4909 IMPROVEMENTS OTHER THAN BUILDINGS:
Mr. Cornwell moved to approve adding $25,000.00 to the Transfer Station line. Seconded by Mr. Smith. The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
7) 3915 FROM CAPITAL RESERVE FUNDS:
Mr. Smith moved to increase the Public Works CRF from $35,000.00 to $50,000.00. Seconded by Mr. Strout. The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Next meeting: Wednesday January 19, 2005. 7:00 pm for the Public Hearing on the proposed budget.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dina Cutting
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