MONSON FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES MARCH 23, 2009
Present: Peter Ross, Bob Finnegan, Maureen O'Sullivan, Bob Margerison, Jim Pennington,
Gerry Brayton, Peter Fimognari, Christine Edwards, Brenda Payette (Administrative Assistant)
Also Present: Deb Mahar (Finance Director), Gretchen Neggers (Town Administrator), Ed Harrison (Board of Selectmen), Judith White (Council on Aging), Paul Lovell (Cemetery Department), Al Wilcox, Tim Pascale (Parks and Recreation), Steve O'Shea
Absent: Joel Keller
The meeting was convened at 6:50pm
CORRESPONDENCE:
None
MEETINGS ATTENDED BY MEMBERS:
Ms. O’Sullivan and Ms. Edwards attended the Pathfinder meeting. They noted that Ms. Mahar received a memo from Pathfinder. They noted that the amount for Monson for FY09 was $762,911 and FY10 is $861,164. Student enrollment number dropped.
OLD BUSINESS / NEW BUSINESS:
Discussion with Judith White, Council on Aging:
With the cuts from last year they were able to manage. The Senior Citizen Club raised $12,000 last year doing a letter fundraising campaign that helped. This doesn’t appear to be the case this year. Ms. White said that the grants run on three year cycles that will end on September 30; she is not sure what will happen afterwards.
Without the fundraising she mentioned a few scenarios for this year’s budget that involved:
- reducing employee’s hours and hers. She doesn’t want to reduce salaries anymore because these are part time workers already who don’t make a lot of money already.
- She is already asking the resident seniors to mail in their information.
- This is the last weekend for meals on wheels, saving $500.00. This is very distressing, because those that need this service are the frailest, this is strictly economic.
- No services for under 60 folks
Loosing workshops
By law the only fundraising that can be done is by the Senior Citizen Club, she and the Council on Aging committee can’t do fundraising.
Ms. O’Sullivan asked Ms. White about reducing meals to 4 days a week and reducing the hours open to 4 days a week.
Ms. White responded by saying that the town doesn’t pay for utilities and maintenance to the building, the Home for Aged pays for utilities and maintenance on the building and the town pays $4,000 towards the salary for the cook.
Ms. White mentioned that she might not send out the newsletter if the postage is cut. Mr. Brayton asked about non-profit postage. Ms. White said they have a permit, it costs .23 a newsletter and they do 11 mailings a year.
The biggest place for savings for her is in salaries.
Mr. Ross asked Ms. White her thoughts on job sharing. Ms. White said that the Council on Aging is unique in this community, only social service agency in the community.
The Council on Aging helps seniors stay in their homes as long as possible before having to go into a nursing home.
Ms. Edwards asked Ms. White if the town mowed the lawn could she save money. Ms. White said the Home for Aged won’t give her money back to add into her budget.
Discussion with Ms. White ended at 7:30pm
Discussion with Park and Recreation and Cemetery:
Mr. Brayton began the discussion by saying that FinCom looked at the potential cuts and the effects on the town. FinCom realizes that these departments are short handed but when they see Department Heads mowing and maintaining properties, they question if it would be wiser to hire people to mow lawns at lower salaries rather than pay Department Heads to do this work. FinCom realizes it is not their position to dictate how departments should be run; they are only looking at different cost efficient ways.
Mr. Lovell responded by saying that he is a working Department Head not just a landscaper, if he’s out sick or gets hurt, no one is around to do his work.
Ms. O’Sullivan asked Park and Rec. and Cemetery if they could see sharing resources. Mr. Lovell said he never knows when he will have a burial. He would have to give Mr. Pascale notice that he will need a full time person to help him and what if Mr. Pascale needs that full time person to help get ready for a game.
Mr. Pascale said in the spring every field gets painted about once a week. He’s at the fields 5 days a week during spring and fall. Staffing in the winter is one full time and little seasonal help.
Mr. Lovell doesn’t like one worker to work alone on machinery. Safety issue, no one would know if you get hurt.
Mr. Ross asked Cemetery and Park and Rec. if they removed all grounds duties from both departments how would it look.
- Mr. Lovell said he would be quiet, he would only have funerals
- Mr. Pascale said he would only have the Rec. piece.
Mr. Pennington suggested that maybe if two days a week both departments worked together and only mowed, then the other days they can do other work duties.
Ms. O'Sullivan asked Mr. Lovell and Mr. Pascale if they thought the highway department would share an employee, they suggested asking Mr. Morrell that directly.
Mr. Ross asked what the fees would need to be to support the Rec. part.
- Mr. Pascale said it would be $250-300 per child, depending on the amount of money the town gives. Fees need to be in connection with the cost, there is no profit to be made.
Mr. Harrison asked if a piece of equipment is needed to get the job done better, point being maybe merging equipment between the Parks and Rec. and the Cemetery. Mr. Pascale said maybe only to do the job faster.
Cost to support the Recreation Part. Expenses plus salary-$6,100 for expenses $10,000 is a quarter of the Mr. Pascale salary plus $8,000 for a quarter of a full time person plus $11,000 for salary for secretary would be $35,000 to run the Rec. program.
Discussion with Park and Rec. and the Cemetery Department ended at 9:30pm
Discussion with Finance Committee regarding voting on override for school:
FinCom members discussed being in favor of a 0 % budget for Pathfinder.
Mr. Brayton said that the Board of Selectmen voted 2-0 in favor of an override. Mr. Brayton suggested that every FinCom member write a statement on their opinion regarding the school override. He reread his letter addressing his opinion on the school department’s top heavy administration. Mr. Pennington agreed and he doesn't feel comfortable taking a position on the override. Mr. Fimognari agreed also. He said that the schools have places to save money in the administration. He can't support an override, let the town vote.
Mr. Margison made a motion that the Finance Committee would remain neutral on the override for the school, motion was not seconded and no vote was taken.
The next scheduled meetings of the Finance Committee are:
Monday, March 30, 2009 at 6:45pm
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda I. Payette
Administrative Assistant to the Finance Committee
| 
