FINANCE COMMITTEE – PUBLIC SESSION
Town Hall – Conference Room 1
6:30 PM – January 31, 2013
Minutes from the 1/31/13 Public Session
Committee Members Present: Members Absent: Also Present:
George Schmidt, Chairman Charles Gasior, Vice Chair Joyce Mason, Town Manager
Mark Davini, Clerk Christopher Avis Tom Mayo, Asst.Town Mgr
Oskar Klenert Mike Richardson, BOS Liaison
Theresa Cook
Sal DiBuono
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman George Schmidt called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Recited.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None.
REVIEW OF MINUTES
Theresa Cook made a motion that the minutes from the 1/10/13 Finance Committee Public Session be approved as presented. Oskar Klenert seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
NEW BUSINESS
- Comments from Board of Selectmen Liaison – Mike Richardson
1) Mr. Richardson reported on attendance at the MMA conference last weekend along with Tom O’Hara, Carol Sherman, Wayne Taylor and Joyce Mason.
2) School Superintendent Ann Bradshaw is still looking for a replacement position, nothing final yet.
3) Wayne Taylor article in the Mashpee Enterprise received positive feedback from the public. Going forward, Mr. Richardson will continue to submit write-ups to the Enterprise on Board of Selectmen members.
Joyce Mason requested transfer of $20,000 from the Reserve Fund to be transferred to DPW Expense, to be used for Emergency South Cape Beach Nourishment. This expenditure is extraordinary and/or unforeseen due to Hurricane Sandy and 1/31/13 storm causing high surf and wind.
Theresa Cook made a motion that the Finance Committee approve the transfer of $20,000 from the Reserve Fund to DPW Expense account, to be used for Emergency South Cape Beach Nourishment. Oskar Klenert seconded the motion. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0.
NEW BUSINESS (cont’d)
Joyce Mason stated that the balance in the Reserve Fund to date is $94,000. The $20,000 approved transfer request will reduce the balance to $74,000.
Capital Improvement Program – Theresa Cook. Ms. Cook reported that the CIP meeting met this afternoon for the first time, with Sewer Commission, and the Police Chief. They will meet again next Tuesday with the Fire Chief, DPW, School Committee, Recreation and Health to go over their requests. $500,000 has been put aside for Capital Improvement Committee use.
School Committee – George Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt reported his and Theresa Cook’s attendance at a School Committee open meeting on January 15th, with comments on their budget. Mr. Schmidt asked whether there were any unnegotiated labor increases in their budget. The School Committee as a body had not as yet discussed the budget, and planned to do so on February 6th, their next meeting date. Mark Davini stated that he will attend this meeting for Mr. Schmidt, who is unavailable on that date.
- Review of Town Manager’s Available Budget Recommendations
Joyce Mason distributed copies of preliminary town and school budget projections, with fixed costs, for FY2014. Ms. Mason reported a 2.65% budget increase for the town, and a 2.48% increase for the school. There is a $403,000 difference in what the School is requesting from what Joyce Mason is recommending. There is a $415,453 Town budget increase, and a budget increase of $473,235 for the School budget. The following staff additions are included in the budget:
Police Dept. - one additional dispatcher
Fire Dept. – replacement of a vacant position
Library – four positions have been filled, (one half time increased to full time)
Ms. Mason stated that she will be meeting next week with Police Chief Rodney Collins to discuss the issue of assignment of a fulltime School police officer. Ms. Mason will have FY 2013 appropriations figures in her next budget report. It was agreed by the committee that if there are any problems/issues with any department budget, a representative will be invited from that department to a Finance Committee meeting to explain their budget requests.
The BOS deadline for their budget recommendations is March 8, 2013. The Finance Committee public hearing date: March 21, 2013.
Theresa Cook expressed the Finance Committee’s appreciation to Ms. Mason for pulling together the estimated budget figures in a shorter period of time than usual.
George Schmidt stated that Charles Gasior normally prepares the Finance Committee Annual Report for the Town, which is due by the end of February. In an email to George Schmidt, Mr. Gasior offered to have an alternative committee member prepare the Finance Committee Annual Report for this year. Theresa Cook offered to do the report this year if Charles Gasior would prefer someone else take on the task.
NEXT MEETING. The next Finance Committee meeting was scheduled for Thursday, February 14, 2013, at 6:30 PM, Mashpee Town Hall.
Theresa Cook made a motion that the Finance Committee adjourn the Public Session and move into Executive Session, not to return to the Public Session, for the purpose of discussing the School Department contract negotiations. Mark Davini seconded the motion.
Roll Call: Mark Davini, yes; Oskar Klenert yes; George Schmidt, yes; Theresa Cook, yes; Sal DiBuono, yes. The motion was unanimously approved.
The Public Session of the Finance Committee was adjourned at 7:30 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Ina G. Schlobohm
Recording Secretary
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