DRAFT
B U D G E T C O M M I T T E E
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
September 21, 2010
**********************************************************
An emergency business meeting of the New Durham Budget Committee was called to order at 7:00 PM in the upstairs conference room of Town Hall located off Main Street.
Present:
David Curry, Budget Committee Chairman
Fred March, Selectmen’s Representative to the Committee
David Shagoury, Budget Committee Member
James R Jones, Budget Committee member
Adam Buehne, Budget Committee Member
Excused Absences:
Dean Stimpson, Budget Committee Member
Tom Goss, Budget Committee member
Also Present:
Alison Rendinaro, Administrative Consultant
Chairman Curry opened by stating that the purpose of the meeting was to approve the minutes of last meeting for the purposes of closing out paperwork to DRA.
Note: Prior to the meeting being called to order, a discussion over whether the Budget Committee is allowed to vote on department budgets prior to the BOS was held. The discussion carried over into the beginning of the meeting, and it was decided that Chair Curry and AC Rendinaro will look into the issue.
Chair Curry began the meeting stating that the town has to close out the item with March’s Pond Dam, and therefore cannot wait for the approval of these minutes at the next Budget Committee meeting on October 26th. In the future, the committee would like to be informed ahead of time by the administrator, or administration, if minutes need to be approved, so the committee can review and approve that portion of the minutes then.
The committee took a moment to review the minutes. Chair Curry asked if there were any addition or deletions.
Motion to accept the minutes of September 15th, 2010. David Shagoury/Adam Buehne 5-0.
J.R. Jones commented that since the last meeting, he has done some research on the state shortfall, and he does not see it as a one-year problem. Discussion ensured as to the role of the Budget Committee, and the intended outcome of the Budget season. Chair Curry said that the Budget Committee cannot promise the protection of the tax rate, but can promise to challenge the departments to find savings. Last year the budget committee reduced the operating budget DRAFT
by approx. 2.5 % from the previous year. The committee can take advantage of those savings and keep an eye on the CIP, the Road Construction Plan, and the Master Plan.
Fred March said that this is not the first time that this town has gone through a recession and a tightening of the belt, it won’t be the last, and the Town can do it. He is pleased with the outcome of the last meeting, and the feeling that everyone is on the same page.
Motion to adjourn at 7:18PM by Fred March/David Shagoury 5-0.
| 
