BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING
October 13, 2015
Call to Order: 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Martha Sumner, Chair, excused
Dennis Heffernan, Vice Chair
Tricia Holt, excused
David Gerns
Jack Paone
Dean Nifakos, excused
Sam Cafiso
Laurie Milette
Darrell Britton
John Sherman, Selectmen Ex-Officio
Also Present: Sean Fitzgerald, Town Manager
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Fire Chief John McArdle
SWEARING IN OF NEW MEMBER
J. Sherman officiated over the swearing in of new Budget Committee Darrell Britton.
BUDGET REVIEWS
It was noted that the Health Department budget proposal was included the member’s packets, however that review will not be until October 20, 2015.
J. Sherman suggested that the two (2) budgets listed to be reviewed on October 27, 2015 (Zoning and Finance Administration) be moved up to the October 20, 2015 meeting. This would complete the initial review of all budgets.
It was noted that both the RSMS and CIP would be presented at the meeting at the October 27, 2015 meeting.
Human Resources/Assessing – Lori Sadewicz, Assessing Clerk/Human Resources/Services Coordinator
L. Sadewicz presented the proposed 2016 Human Services/Assessing Department Budget, noting the following:
Level Funded Budget Items
- Training $ 400.00
- Mapping $ 6,000.00
- Mileage Reimbursement $ 300.00
Increased Budget Items
- HR/Services Coordinator/Assessing Clerk (+$1,240) $ 51,252.00
- Assessor’s Contract (+$34,990) $ 114,990.00
- Data Processing (+$200) $ 6,200.00
- Dues (+$40) $ 75.00
- Supplies for Human Resources & Assessing (+$75) $ 825.00
- Postage (+$250) $ 2,200.00
- Books & Periodicals (+$25) $ 625.00
L. Sadewicz noted that the bottom line Human Resources/Assessing 2016 budget request was $182,867.00 (increase of $36,820).
It was noted that this was the same amount approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussion:
It was noted that 2016 will be a “value’s added” assessing year, meaning each property will be touched, and that was the reason for the increase in the Assessing Contract amount. There was discussion about how the Town is assessed in a five (5) year cycle, with one-quarter of the town assessed each year and a complete assessment in the fifth year.
There was discussion regarding whether or not to continue with Corcoran as the contract assessing company. It was noted that not only is Corcoran very familiar with the town, but they are also familiar with the software that Plaistow currently uses. It was noted that the BOS did look at whether or not it would be prudent to change software if another assessing vendor were to be sought. It was decided that it was a very scary prospect as to converting the data, especially since Corcoran has been doing a good job for the town.
D. Gerns moved, second by D. Britton, to take under consideration the Human Services/ Assessing Budget in the amount of $182,867.00. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 7-0-0 U/A.
Human Services – Lori Sadewicz, Assessing Clerk/Human Resources/Services Coordinator
L. Sadewicz presented the proposed 2016 Human Services (Agencies) Budget, noting the following:
Level Funded Budget Items
- Family Mediation $ 10,408.00
- Rockingham Community Action Program $ 10,612.00
- Crisis Pregnancy Center $ 2,200.00
- Child Advocacy Center $ 1,250.00
- Retired Sr. Volunteer Programs (Friends Program) $ 850.00
- Vic Geary Center $ 6,500.00
- Lamprey Health $ 3,090.00
- Rockingham Nutrition & Meals on Wheels $ 3,672.00
- Child and Family Services $ 1,000.00
Increased Budget Items
- A Safe Place (+$500) $ 4,500.00
- Center for Life Management (+$1,000) $ 8,000.00
Decreased Budget Items
- Sexual Assault Center (-$1,000) $ 0.00
- Greater Salem Caregivers (-$6,000) $ 0.00
- Community Health Services (-$500) $ 2,000.00
L. Sadewicz noted that the bottom line Human Services (Agencies) 2016 budget request was $54,082.00 (decrease of $6,000).
It was noted that this was a different amount than was reviewed/approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussion:
L. Sadewicz noted that the organizations that receive assistance through this budget make application to the Town. Included with the application they must submit financial documentation, board of directors, services provided, as well as number of Plaistow residents served.
It was noted the Sexual Assault Center had combined with A Safe Place. It was also noted that Greater Salem Caregivers had difficulty getting volunteers from Plaistow and were no longer providing services to Plaistow residents. Therefore they did not make application for any funding for the coming year.
It was noted that the Center for Life Management request was raised based on the unit of service costs for residents served.
There was discussion about whether or not the town contributed to the Rockingham County Nursing Home. It was noticed that there are taxes paid to the county which would be used to support the nursing home.
J. Sherman noted that the BOS had seen the budget with the $6,000 proposed line for Greater Salem Caregivers still in it. He added that he would be voting against this budget, but only because it was different than what the BOS approved. Mr. Sherman added that he was confident that the BOS would support the revised change.
D. Britton moved, second by D. Gerns, to take under consideration the Human Services Department Budget in the amount of $54,082.00. J. Sherman noted that he would be voting in the negative for this motion because it is a different amount than approved by the BOS. The vote was 6-1-0 (Sherman dissenting).
Welfare Administration – Lori Sadewicz, Assessing Clerk/Human Resources/Services Coordinator
L. Sadewicz presented the proposed 2016 Welfare Administration Budget, noting the following:
Level Funded Budget Items
- Training $ 240.00
- Dues $ 50.00
- Office Supplies $ 250.00
- Mileage/Travel $ 200.00
L. Sadewicz noted that the bottom line Welfare Administration 2016 budget request was $740.00 (level funded).
It was noted that this was the same amount approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussion:
There was discussion regarding whether or not some of these budgets could be combined. It was noted that the budgets were set up this way to make completing DRA (Department of Revenue Administration) forms easier.
D. Gerns moved, second by D. Britton, to take under consideration the Welfare Administration Budget in the amount of $740.00. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 7-0-0 U/A.
Welfare - Direct Assistance – Lori Sadewicz, Assessing Clerk/Human Resources/Services Coordinator
L. Sadewicz presented the proposed 2016 Welfare Direct Assistance Budget, noting the following:
Level Funded Budget Items
- Shelter/Rent $ 20,000.00
- Food/Markets $ 250.00
- Telephone Service $ 100.00
- Unitil Electric $ 4,500.00
- Heat $ 5,000.00
- Medical $ 1,000.00
- Unforeseen Assistance $ 500.00
- Funeral Assistance $ 1,000.00
L. Sadewicz noted that the bottom line Welfare Direct Assistance 2016 budget request was $32,350.00 (level funded).
It was noted that this was the same amount approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussion:
L. Sadewicz explained that when assistance is given to a home owner a lien is placed against the property so that the monies can eventually be recovered.
There was discussion about the types of assistance that is available and the difficulty in predicting the need in advance. It was noted that state housing vouchers have a waiting list of nine (9) years and are prioritized based on need. There was discussion regarding the types of housing that is available including shelters and hotels and how keeping children in the school district is considered in placement. It was noted that if an applicant qualifies under the guidelines the Town cannot turn them away.
D. Britton moved, second by D. Gerns, to take under consideration the Welfare Direct Assistance Budget in the amount of $32,350.00. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 7-0-0 U/A.
Building Inspection – P. Michael Dorman, Chief Building Official
M. Dorman presented the proposed 2016 Building Inspection Department Budget, noting the following:
Level Funded Budget Items
- Back Up Inspector $ 300.00
- Training & Conferences $ 2,500.00
- Equipment Purchases $ 150.00
- Vehicle Repairs $ 1,000.00
- Consultant - Plumbing $ 7,000.00
- Consultant – Electrical $ 7,000.00
Increased Budget Items
- Permanent Positions (+$10,784) $ 100,301.00
- Telephone (+$458) $ 2,498.00
- Data Processing (+$50) $ 1,025.00
- Supplies (+$200) $ 900.00
- Vehicle Maintenance/Supplies (+$215) $ 465.00
- Books & Periodicals (+$600) $ 645.00
Decreased Budget Items
- Dues & Subscriptions (-$120) $ 250.00
- Postage (-$200) $ 300.00
- Gasoline (-$250) $ 1,750.00
M. Dorman noted that the bottom line Building Inspection Department 2016 budget request was $126,084.00 (increase of $11,737).
It was noted that this was the same amount approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussion:
D. Britton asked why the training line was level funding when only $914 had been spent year-to-date.
M. Dorman replied that he had been unable to attend much of the training needed to maintain his certifications for personal reasons. He added that he would be going to more training in the next year as would staff.
There was discussion about the copier used by the department. It was noted to be old, but still functioning well. There was discussion about whether or not to look into leasing a new one in the future. Not only would maintenance be included, but it would allow the Town to get a copier with better features. It was noted that leasing also has the advantage of easier disposal of the old copier. It was added that there is also a plotter on the third floor that was shared with the Planning Office.
There was discussion regarding the electrical and plumbing inspector lines and whether or not they were adequately funded. It was noted that the department tries to keep these lines stable from year to year. It was also noted that the monies are collected for these lines as part of the permitting process so it is a wash item.
There was discussion about whether or not there would be another Warrant Article for a replacement department vehicle. It was noted that options to lease or own outright were being explored and no decision had yet been made. It was noted that there was also discussion at the BOS meeting that there is a new truck that a plow be put on it. The Committee requested a list of repairs that have been done. (Action Item – due mid-November)
D. Britton moved, second by D. Heffernan, to take under consideration the Building Inspection Department Budget in the amount of $126,084.00. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 7-0-0 U/A.
Emergency Management – Lt. William Baldwin, Emergency Management Director
W. Baldwin presented the proposed 2016 Emergency Management Department Budget, noting the following:
Level Funded Budget Items
- Part Time Positions $ 10,000.00
- Training $ 1,000.00
- Office Supplies $ 400.00
- Postage $ 300.00
- Equipment Maintenance $ 150.00
- Emergency Supplies $ 500.00
- Equipment Purchases $ 10,000.00
Increased Budget Items
- Telephone (+$450) $ 3,750.00
Decreased Budget Items
- Mileage/Travel (-$350) $ 50.00
W. Baldwin noted that the bottom line Emergency Management Department 2016 budget request was $26,150.00 (Increase of $100).
It was noted that this was the same amount approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussion:
W. Baldwin noted that they were still trying to get the CERT (Citizen’s Emergency Response Team) together. They are on hold because unfortunately the volunteer who was going to head the team up unexpected passed.
There was discussion about the CERT, which was explained as military, medical and other residential professionals who volunteer and are trained to assist in the time of natural disaster.
There was discussion regarding year-to-date expenditures. It was reminded that the numbers only reflect through July spending and would be updated soon. It was noted that this budget has a number of fourth quarter pay outs that wouldn’t be reflected yet.
There was a discussion regarding barriers and whether or not there would be coordination with the highway department when there was a need for barriers. It was noted that the Emergency Management Department and the Highway Department work in tandem in time of need.
D. Britton moved, second by D. Heffernan, to take under consideration the Emergency Management Department Budget in the amount of $26,150.00. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 7-0-0 U/A.
Fire Department – John McArdle, Fire Chief
J. McArdle presented the proposed 2016 Fire Department Budget, noting the following:
Level Funded Budget Items
- Permanent Positions – Chief $ 75,599.00
- Supplies $ 700.00
- Books & Periodicals $ 200.00
- Mileage & Expenses $ 500.00
- Building Maintenance $ 200.00
- Dues – HazMat $ 6,800.00
- Vehicle Repair $ 5,000.00
- General Supplies $ 6,750.00
Increased Budget Items
- Telephone/Communications (+$2,907) $ 6.951.00
- Data Processing (+$730) $ 7,345.00
- Medical Service (+$320) $ 3,900.00
- Dues (+$55) $ 1,755.00
- Irregular and Varied (+$1,600) $ 3,040.00
- Permanent Positions FF (+$3,770) $ 142,524.00
- PT Call Firefighters (+$10,376) $ 173,598.00
- Overtime – Firefighters (+$2,803) $ 36,618.00
- Equipment Maintenance (+$7,721) $ 15,411.00
- Vehicle Maintenance/Supplies (+$11,150) $ 26,570.00
Decreased Budget Items
- Uniforms (-$50) $ 7,450.00
- Events & Activities (-$1,000) $ 1,650.00
- Training (-$3,201) $ 37,472.00
- Gasoline (-$347) $ 11,653.00
- Equipment (-$8,410) $ 8,525.00
- Equipment – Bunker Gear (-$1,765) $ 6,975.00
- Books & Periodicals (-$250) $ 3,815.00
- Part Time Forest Fire (-$50) $ 150.00
J. McArdle noted that the bottom line Fire Department 2016 budget request was $591,151.00 (Increase of $28,545).
It was noted that this was the same amount approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussion:
There was discussion as to how call firefighters are paid. It was explained that all who respond are compensated for at least one hour, if the call runs an hour and fifteen minutes they are then paid to the next hour. It was noted that even if a call firefighter doesn’t make the truck they are kept busy working at the station in case another call should come in. Typical calls run approximately 45 minutes. Some call firefighters assist in mutual aid situations.
The Chief noted that some of his personnel had advanced and there were additional call firefighters added. He offered statistics on the number of calls they had run and how that compared to years past. It was also noted that some of the line adjustments were based on multi-year averages.
There was discussion on how the station is manned with overlapping schedules to extent the time personnel is at the station.
There was additional discussion regarding call firefighters. It was noted that coverage is getting more difficult as many of them work days out of town. It was added that depending on the time of day mutual aid may be called before the call firefighters for speed of response.
There was discussion about the Communications Tower Lease which appears in a couple of different budgets. It was noted that the costs were prorated across the departments who use the system.
There was discussion about the inclusion of a part time administrative assistant that has been added to the department’s budget. This was included in the budget to be able to evaluate the benefits and needs moving forward. There was discussion regarding whether or not to post a Warrant Article again this year for a full time position. It was decided that it would be better to proceed with the part time position at this time. It was explained that while Plaistow has historically brought new positions to the voters, there is no statutory mandate to do so. The Committee discussed the possibility of deciding to fully fund a full time administrative assistant position. J. Sherman noted that the Budget Committee could fund the position, but that was not a mandate for the BOS to fill the
position. There was additional discussion about the Committee recommending a Warrant Article or filing a Citizen’s Petition for a full time position. The Chief offered that he was fine with the request for part time staff at this time.
There was discussion regarding Fire Safety Week. The Chief noted that there had been an added focus on elder education with reference to fire safety. He also noted that changes in the Affordable Health Care Laws had significantly increase calls to the elderly. There was discussion regarding generating a list of where the elderly reside. It was noted that the Elder Affairs Committee was believed to be working on that list.
D. Gerns moved, second by D. Heffernan, to take under consideration the Fire Department Budget in the amount of $591.151.00. There was no discussion on the motion. The vote was 7-0-0 U/A.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
D. Gerns moved, second by D. Heffernan, to approve the minutes of the September 29, 2015 minutes. There was no discussion on the motion. 5-0-2 (Cafiso and Britton abstaining)
ACTION ITEMS
Completed Items (New)
- RSMS Scheduled for 10/27/15 – PowerPoint presentation materials also provided to BudCom members
Pending Items
- YTD Expenditure Figures - Due to be presented to BOS on 10/19/15 then will be presented to BudCom
- YTD BMSI Report - Due to be presented to BOS on 10/19/15 then will be presented to BudCom
- Explanation of Phone Systems/Costs - Due to be presented to BOS on 10/19/15 then will be presented to BudCom
- Information regarding what other towns are paying for Comcast contract negotiations pending
Added Items
- Department of Building Safety Truck Repair History – Due Mid November
COMMITTEE REPORTS
D. Heffernan noted that the Public Safety Complex Building Committee will be meeting Thursday, October 15 at 4:00.
OLD BUSINESS
No pending old business
NEW BUSINESS
S. Cafiso asked if there was a meeting schedule for a Town Garage Building Committee.
S. Fitzgerald noted there was not as potential sites were still being reviewed.
J. Sherman reminded that there was a Public Hearing in progress at the PAC regarding the withdrawal of the Town of Sandown from the Timberlane School District.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:42 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted:
Dee Voss
Recording Secretary
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