DRAFT
Legislative Council Education Committee
Minutes from Meeting on June 16, 2010
Held in Shared Meeting Room 3 Municipal Center
The Legislative Council Education committee held a regular meeting on June 16, 2010 at the Newtown Municipal Center. ~Chair Chris LaRocque called the meeting to order at 6:27 p.m.
PRESENT: ~Chair Chris LaRocque, Kevin Fitzgerald, George Ferguson and Ben Spragg
ALSO PRESENT: ~ 1 member of the public
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: ~~Bob Merola of 22 Ashford Lane, Newtown asked where the public would find the link to the Education Committee agenda.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None
NEW BUSINESS:
Election of Recording Secretary
Ben Spragg made a motion to appoint Kevin Fitzgerald as Recording Secretary, seconded by George Ferguson, approved 4-0.
Process by which committee will interact with the BOE in coming years
George Ferguson made a motion to open discussion related to how this committee will interact with the Board of Education in advance of and during the 2011-2012 budget season. Seconded by Chris LaRocque.
Kevin Fitzgerald recommended that in addition to our own discussion, this committee should also ask the BOE how it thinks this committee could be helpful to the BOE as it plans for the 2011-2012 budget season.
Ben Spragg pointed out that the Education Committee was created to focus on budgeting and now this new initiative expands the Committee’s role beyond that. Ben recommended that we leave it to the Legislative Council to charge our committee and all members agreed.
Kevin Fitzgerald explained that he’d like the committee to focus on assisting the BOE on becoming more transparent with the budget planning process and help it to foresee those actions/decisions that could become “triggers” for public angst.
Chris LaRocque stated that it is important the taxpayers see it is a team effort.
Ben recommended the committee start by having the BOE reconcile the decisions it made at its last meeting related to the approved 2010-2011 budget and it was agreed by all that he would request that separately from the LC Chair directly, outside of this committee.
Ben stressed that when the BOE/School Administration prepares the 2011-2012 budget, it should make available for review all the back-up detail rather than consolidated totals on key line items. While this detailed version may not be for everyone to review, it should be available at the outset, rather than only when requested.
The committee all agreed that it would help the BOE/Schools administration to provide improved public relations during its budget planning process and during the budget season.
George Ferguson suggested the BOE also consider adding more rationale detail to its budget items so the public can better understand why certain decisions were made.
The committee agreed that Chris LaRocque would send an email to the BOE Chair Lillian Bittman asking her to raise the question to the Board of Education how it thinks the Legislative Council Education Committee can be helpful within its jurisdiction, as the BOE prepares for the 2011-2012 budget season.
Chris said he would also send a request to the LC Chair asking that the agenda for the next LC meeting include discussion related to how this committee could best serve its role and be charged by the LC officially. All agreed.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Bob Merola of 22 Ashford Lane raised three issues:
Process Flow: he would like to see the LC to support charging town and school executives to bring budget requests in at specific levels, i.e. 95% or “flat”, etc.
Perception/Reality: it is his opinion that presentations related to the budget by certain BOE officials were not forthright.
Elected Officials: it is his opinion that certain elected officials made budget-related statements that they knew were not true.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: None
ADJOURNMENT: ~Having no further business, Ben Spragg moved to adjourn. ~Seconded by Kevin Fitzgerald. ~All in favor. ~Meeting adjourned at 8:03 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________________
Kevin Fitzgerald
Secretary
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