MONSON FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 10, 2007
Present: Maureen O'Sullivan, Joel Keller, Gerald Brayton, Pete Ross, Chris Carlin,
Peter Fimognari, Bob Margerison, Brenda Payette (Administrative Assistant)
Also Present: Deb Mahar (Finance Director), John Goodrich
Absent: Jim Pennington, Christine Edwards
The meeting was convened at 6:30pm
A motion was made to accept the minutes of the 6-25-07 meeting, as written, it was seconded and SO VOTED, with Mr. Ross and Mr. Carlin abstaining and the rest of committee voting YES.
CORRESPONDENCE:
l The Beacon-Summer 2007 and September 2007
l Postcards from US Post Office and Mary Lane Hospital and Quaboag Hills Community Coalition.
l Association of Town Finance Committees (ATFC) FY 2008 Dues Notice, ATFC 2007 Survey, ATFC Newsletter July 2007
l Various Memo's from Deborah Mahar, Finance Director
� Water Enterprise-Water Available Surplus
� List of Actual Cash Receipts
� Appropriation Deficits
� Snow and Ice Removal FY 2007
� Ambulance Account
� Setting of Trash Rate
� Indirect Costs-Water Enterprise
� Sewer Enterprise-Retained Earnings
� Indirect Costs-Sewer Enterprise
MEETINGS ATTENDED BY MEMBERS:
l Mr. Keller attended a Long Range Planning Meeting. Topic of discussion was how towns appoint Finance Committee Members. Mr. Keller sent Ms. O'Sullivan a memo with this information. Mr. Keller stated that the memo was not formal only informational. FinCom members discussed the process in Monson and agreed it would be best to get a copy of the bylaws and put it on the agenda for the next meeting. Ms. Payette sent via email a copy of the bylaws to FinCom members on 10/12/07.
l Mr. Keller attended a Long Range Planning Meeting. Topic of discussion was getting the Selectmen more involved with the budget process.
� Start earlier with the budget process. In October, have the Selectmen, FinCom, Department Heads and School Committee discuss the budget.
� Mr. Ross stated that the first steps should be gathering data on what the town needs and prioritize that information.
OLD BUSINESS / NEW BUSINESS
Ms. Mahar reviewed the memo's that she sent out. Copies of the nine different memo's were passed around to FinCom members. Mr. Brayton asked if they could receive a copy of these memo's so they could review them better. Ms. Mahar sent Ms. Payette via email all nine memo's. Ms. Payette sent via email to FinCom on 9-22-2007.
Motion was made to pay Association of Town Finance Committees Fiscal Year 2008 Dues in the amount of $169.00, it was seconded and SO VOTED, with Mr. Ross abstaining and the rest of committee voting YES.
Ms. Mahar sent Ms. Payette via email, a bill schedule that needs to be signed by FinCom members at the next meeting.
Association of Town Finance Committees Annual Meeting will take place on November 3, 2007. Any FinCom member wishing to attend will let Ms. Payette know.
Mr. John Goodrich spoke to FinCom and stated effective as of the Town Meeting in the spring, his re-appointment was up and he did not get sworn in. At this point he is no longer a member of the Finance Committee. Mr. Goodrich expressed his stand on the importance of attending regular meetings, due to is business and personal schedule he no longer was able to do this. Mr. Goodrich served 6 years, 2 ½ terms. He requested to remain on the email list but understood if the committee decided against this. FinCom did not decide either way. Ms. Payette will discuss their decision with them at the next meeting.
FinCom discussed changing the day and time of the meetings. It was decided to keep the meeting on Monday night but to change the time from 6:30pm to 7:00pm.
A Motion was made to change the Finance Committee meeting time to 7:00pm, it was seconded and SO VOTED, with Mr. Margerison abstaining and the rest of the committee voting YES.
The next scheduled meeting of the Finance Committee is:
Monday, October 15, 2007 at 7:00pm
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda I. Payette
Administrative Assistant to the Finance Committee
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