BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2009
The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen convened at 7:00 P.M. in the Conference Room at 110 Main Street. In attendance were Richard E. Guertin, Edward S. Harrison and John F. Goodrich II. Also present were the Town Administrator and the media.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of April 7, 2009 – open session. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Fiscal 2010 Budget – Discussion:
Finance Director Deborah Mahar approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Neggers explained the Town is facing significant revenue shortfalls for the currant fiscal year, as well as anticipated shortfalls in the next fiscal year, largely due to the decrease in funds coming from State Aid. Ms. Neggers noted Monson relies heavily on State Aid as approximately $9 million per year is received through Chapter 70 funds, Lottery aid, and other funding from the State, so when the State has a difficult time financially, it largely impacts Monson.
Ms. Neggers said the department heads were asked to submit level service budgets by December. The budgets submitted totaled $24,170,002.00. Ms. Neggers said she and Ms. Mahar went through each budget submitted and brought everyone down to level funding and looked for little variations along the way.
Ms. Neggers explained the list of proposed budget cuts as attached that she and Ms. Mahar developed.
Ms. Neggers explained. The Governor released a budget at the end of January with two State Aid figures, one figure shows if the legislature implemented an additional 1% meal tax at restaurants which would result in an additional $185,000.00 in local aid for the Town of Monson, and the second figure showing a lesser amount if those taxes weren’t implemented. With the figures in the first budget, the town would need to reduce its level service budget by $ 692,000.00, and to bring the town’s budget to the lesser number released by the legislature, an additional $185,000.00 would need to be cut from the level service requests.
The Selectmen discussed different scenarios and agreed they didn’t really want to see a Police Office’s position cut due to safety concerns for other officers on calls. Ms. Neggers noted this would still leave two officers per shift. Police Chief Stephen Kozloski was in attendance and stated this would require him going out in the car as well on the days an officer is out sick, on vacation, with an arrest where the person is in lock-up or if the officer is in training. Overtime would be required on the third shift for coverage for an officer out that night. Chief Kozloski stated with the elimination of one officer, it will put his staff at a pre 1986 level with the population and call levels increasing, and noted this is a position that took twelve years to restore. Ms. Neggers said she anticipates more cuts
to be forthcoming, but also felt the Police Department needs more Police Officers. She also noted this particular position was not funded by local tax dollars until fiscal 2006, having been grant-funded as an SRO from fiscal 2003 – 2005. It was also reiterated Chief Kozloski has applied for a grant to keep the officer, and if the budget isn’t as bad as expected, that position would be the first to be restored. Chief Kozloski stated he filed the grant for the retention of an officer that could potentially be laid off last week and noted 6,000 positions would have been funded through this grant with 18,000 being applied for. It was stated there is discretionary Local Public Safety stimulus money being offered statewide of up to $180 million being distributed at the discretion of the state to save fire fighters and police officers.
Director for the Council On Aging, Judy White, was in attendance as was Hope Bodwell Director of the Library. Both stated they are at the bare bones minimum now with their budgets. Ms. Bodwell stated she is the only full time person at the Library with two part-time people, and added she doesn’t want to have just one person working in the Library alone. Ms. White stated as far as salaries at the Senior Center, she is a Town funded employee, with one 40-hour per week van driver who is partially town funded and partially grant funded. There is an administrative assistant and a clerical position, and both positions are town funded. Another part- time van driver is paid for through grants. The Senior Center has three Senior Aides not funded by the Town and Ms. White said she is unsure just how much longer she will be
able to keep these people. The remaining employees are either fully grant funded or partially funded by donations. Utilities at the Senior Center are paid for by the Home for the Aged and the meals program is grant funded. Postage is paid for by donations.
It was noted the Town offices only have one to two people working in them and can’t afford to lose anyone else or the financial portion of the town will start to crumble with duties not being accomplished in a timely manner. Ms. Neggers said wages have been frozen, the health insurance only went up 2.5%, pension are almost level, we have cut back significantly this year and now additional cuts are necessary, and added every department and every service is valuable to the town. Ms. Neggers noted every department is still functioning and hopefully withstanding the cuts, but the town can’t keep cutting without severely impacting the level of services provided.
Ms. Neggers reiterated the budget cuts previously made which included reducing the staff hours in the Building Department, Assessors Office and custodial hours. It was also noted the Highway Department is down to six laborers, seven if John Morrell is included, following the elimination of a full time position. The Collector’s Office has lost a full-time clerical position. Two full-time EMT positions have been eliminated, and the part-time clerical position in the Cemetery Department was eliminated, with the duties being taken over by the Selectmen’s secretary. The Cemetery Department also has lost their seasonal labor.
The Board of Selectmen commended Ms. Neggers and Ms. Mahar for putting this spreadsheet together, making the document readable and understandable.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to pass the spreadsheet onto the Finance Committee. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
The Board of Selectmen agreed to hold a joint meeting with the Finance Committee next Tuesday night, April 21, 2009, at 7:00 P.M. in the Conference Room. It was noted the meetings are open to the public and department heads are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles – Special Town Meeting Within the Annual Town Meeting Articles:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to amend the placement of two Zoning bylaw requests from the Planning Board to be placed on the Special Town Meeting warrant rather than the Annual Town Meeting warrant. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to amend the placement of an article to amend the debt for the Quarry Hill School pool filter and emergency generator to be placed on the Special Town Meeting warrant rather than the Annual Town Meeting warrant. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to place an article on the Special Town Meeting warrant regarding the Harrison Avenue Bridge. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to place an article on the Special Town Meeting warrant to transfer money from the current year School Transportation Account into the School Transportation Capital Account. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to place an article on the Special Town Meeting warrant to transfer from available funds a sum of money to the Assessors Expense Account. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to place an article on the Special Town Meeting warrant to authorize payment of bills from prior years relative to the street lighting bill on Heritage Lane and McCray Circle. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to place an article on the Special Town Meeting warrant to transfer a sum of money from the Legal Department Encumbered Account to the current year Legal Account. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Ms. Neggers said there was an article petitioned on by a gentleman who was advised it needed to be resubmitted as it did not meet legal requirements. Ms. Neggers said she has spoken with him several times and he was well aware of the deadline date.
Also, both the Police Chief and the Highway Surveyor had been talking about developing language regarding a snow removal bylaw, but it isn’t ready to go. Ms. Neggers suggested getting a group of individuals together to develop general bylaws to present to the town, incorporating old bylaws with new bylaws. The Town Clerk has a working copy but can’t verify anything.
Mr. Goodrich said he would be very interested in serving on the Bylaw Committee. Mr. Guertin suggested having Mr. Goodrich Chair the committee, craft up a list of duties and bring forth the names of potential members for appointment to the committee.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint John Goodrich as the Chairman of the Bylaw Committee and to get the committee up and running. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.
Close Town Meeting Articles:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to close the Special and Annual Town Meeting warrants. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 8:53 P.M., Mr. Harrison made a motion to adjourn from open session. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
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John F. Goodrich II, Clerk
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