Town of Lyme
Budget Committee
February 9, 2005
7:00PM
Lyme Town Offices
DRAFT: February 11, 2005
Present at this meeting: Selectmen: Judith Shelnutt Brotman, Richard Jones. Budget Committee Members: Gibb Cornwell, Josh Kilham, Chairman Barney Brannen, Earl Strout, David Caffry, Wayne Tullar, Freda Swan and Jeff Lehmann. School Board Representative Laszlo Bardos. Transfer Station Committee member: Cynthia Bognolo. Planning Board Member: Ross McIntyre. Administrative Assistant Carole Bont and Bookkeeper/Selectmen’s Secretary & Scribe Dina Cutting.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.
Mr. Caffry moved to approve the minutes of the January 10, 2005 meeting. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Corrections were offered: remove Freda Swan’s name as she was not present at this meeting. The motion was voted 6 in favor, 3 abstentions (Mr. Lehmann, Mrs. Swan, and Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman) with corrections noted.
Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to approve the minutes of the January 19, 2005 meeting. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. Corrections were offered; remove Mr. Kilham’s name as he was not present at this meeting. The motion was voted 7 in favor, 2 abstentions (Mr. Lehmann and Mr. Kilham) with corrections noted.
The Budget Committee reviewed the MS-7. It was noted that the $7,300.00 for the Independence Day Fund will be voted in a separate warrant article at town meeting.
The Pay-per-Throw revenues and expenses were discussed. The Committee needs to make it clear at town meeting that if this does not pass, the revenues will have to come out of the calculations for the total % increase of this budget.
The totals for the revenue figures on the MS-7 are off by $50.00. $50.00 will be taken from the Cemetery Trust Fund line to balance this. Mr. Jones will change the spread sheet to reflect the totals on the MS-7. Line 537 will be changed from $25,050.00 to $25,000.00.
VOTES ON TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES
To Capital Reserve Funds and Trust Funds
Article 15: Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to recommend article 15. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. The Budget Committee reviewed the various funds and amounts requested for these funds.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
From Capital Reserve Funds and Trust Funds
Article 16: Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to recommend article 16. Seconded by Mr. Kilham. The Budget Committee reviewed the various funds and amounts requested for these funds.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Salt Shed
Article 17: Mr. Strout moved to recommend article 17. Seconded by Mr. Lehmann. The money for the salt shed will come partly from Capital Reserve Fund and partly from the Unreserved Fund Balance. $13,167.00 will come from the Public Works Facility Capital Reserve Fund. $21,833.00 will come from the undesignated fund balance. This amount was designated for an early interest payment for the highway garage bond. This payment could not be made because the Municipal Bond Bank does not allow prepayments of interest or principal.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Independence Day Special Reserve Fund
Article 18: Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to recommend article 18. Seconded by Mrs. Swan.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Major Building Maintenance and Repair Trust Fund
Article 19: Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to recommend article 19. Seconded by Mr. Caffry. The Budget Committee discussed the procedure for this trust fund. The following year the Town will be voting to withdraw the amount in the fund. This money will be used only when necessary for repairing any and all buildings and/or structures owned by the town. The Select board will be establishing a schedule for all buildings.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Discontinue the New Cemetery Fund
Article 21: Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to recommend article 21. Seconded by Mr. Kilham. The Budget Committee discussed the initial intent of this fund when it was set up in 1967. The land was purchased for a Cemetery and now this fund should be discontinued. The money could be transferred to the town’s General Fund. If someone wanted to bring up the proposal to have this money go to the Public Land Fund, the Town could be asked to vote on this at Town meeting.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Pay-Per-Throw
Article 26: Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to recommend article 26. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. The Budget Committee discussed the wording of this article. Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman explained that the wording from this article had come as a recommendation from the Transfer Station Committee. It was noted that the wording can be changed on the floor at town meeting. The Transfer Station Committee will speak to this article at town meeting.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
50% of Land Use Change Tax to Conservation Fund (vs.100%)
Article 27: Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to NOT recommend article 27. Seconded by Mr. Lehmann. Followed was a lengthy discussion concerning various reasons why the majority of the Town would support the Conservation Commission continuing to receive 100% of this money. The amount of money this generates per year was discussed, the fact that this money should come back to the town’s general fund to help lower taxes was also discussed. Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman informed the Budget Committee that the Selectmen had voted NOT to recommend this article. Mr. Macintyre spoke in favor of supporting the Selectmen to NOT recommend this article. He noted various reasons: most other towns are giving 100% of this tax to their Conservation Commissions, the impact of large development and the cost to the town. In order to prevent a
negative sense concerning this issue, it was the sense of the Budget Committee to ask Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman to consider withdrawing her motion. Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman withdrew her motion and Mr. Lehmann agreed.
Mr. Strout moved to recommend Article 27. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell. The motion was voted 6 in favor and 3 opposed (Shelnutt Brotman, Caffry, and Bardos)
MS-7
Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman moved to approve the signing of the MS-7. Seconded by Mr. Caffry. Voted unanimously in favor.
Authorize Fire Department to Render Mutual Aid
Mr. Tullar noted he felt it was important for the Budget Committee to vote on Article 31 as well as the Select Board. It is important to show the support we have for our Fire Department.
Mr. Tullar moved to recommend Article 31. Seconded by Mrs. Swan.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
VOTE ON SCHOOL WARRANT ARTICLES
Mr. Bardos briefly reviewed the school warrant with the Budget Committee. Followed was a brief discussion of the past challenges with high school tuition costs, education costs and the increase in the total budget over the past 10 years.
Article 2: Mrs. Swan moved to approve Article 2. Seconded by Mr. Lehmann.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Article 3: Mr. Stout moved to approve Article 3. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Article 4: Mr. Lehmann moved to approve Article 4. Seconded by Mr. Kilham.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Article 5: Mr. Bardos moved to approve Article 5. Seconded by Mr. Cornwell.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Article 6: Mr. Caffry moved to approve Article 6. Seconded by Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
Mr. Bardos moved to approve the signing of the MS-27. Seconded by Mrs. Shelnutt Brotman.
The motion was voted unanimously in favor.
The Budget Committee signed the MS-7 and the MS-27.
The Budget Committee will be gathering for a working meeting on Wednesday March 2nd @ 7:00 pm concerning Town Meeting.
At 8:30 pm Mrs. Swan moved to adjourn. Seconded by Mr. Bardos. Voted unanimously in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Dina Cutting
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