Wellfleet Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee
Minutes of Joint Meeting of January 21, 2003
Library Meeting Room
Present: BOS: Roger Putnam, Chair; Michael May, Michael Parlante,
Dale Donovan
FinCom: Berta Bruinooge, Chair; Arlene Kirsch, Ira Wood, Tim
Woodman
Absent: BOS: Jerry Houk
FinCom: Patricia Foley, Anne Suggs, Deborah Davis
Chair Roger Putnam convened this joint budget meeting at 7:00 p.m. Dale Donovan moved and Michael Parlante seconded that in recognition of the Marconi 100th Anniversary Celebration, Helen Purcell be asked to make any appropriate reports to Wellfleet's twin town of Sasso-Marconi. The motion passed unanimously.
MARINA ENTERPRISE FUND BUDGET: Harbormaster Michael Flanagan presented the Marina Enterprise Fund budget; Michael May disclosed that he works at the Harbormaster's Office. Chair Putnam noted that personnel costs were up $6000 and that total costs were up $7000. Flanagan noted that the union contract represented the major increase in his budget and that seasonal workers would receive a $1/hour pay raise. Tim Smith noted that the totals for the Fund were down a bit. Flanagan explained various costs: e.g., a new marina pickup truck, outboard dock repair. Tim Woodward asked Flanagan about his accounting methods; Flanagan replied that he had worked on the budget with former Accountant Pat Eagar and planned to work with Marilyn Crary. To Putnam's question about whether there would be a
raise in marina fees, Flanagan stated that there had been a recent raise and that he would wait a year to decide whether to raise them again. Putnam commended the fact that the budget had been brought in so close to last year's figures.
RECREATION DEPARTMENT BUDGET: #630. Director of Recreation Becky Rosenberg distributed a revenue summary document to the Boards, stating that this fiscal year had added many new programs to the budget, that these programs were fee-based but needed to be budgeted ahead for, and that she had broken even on the budget. Reviewing various revenue sources, she commented that some contract services which were formerly seasonal (i.e., portable toilets, bottled water at Baker's Field) were now necessary to fund year round. Berta Bruinooge commented that the budget was up 14 ½% over last year; referring to department heads who had adhered to the BOS guidelines for no more than a 5% raise, she noted that this was not true with the Recreation Department. Tim Smith pointed out that revenue for the
department is up 100% and that there is actually no raise in the budget. Discussion continued, touching upon the following:
Raise of 18.4% in salary total caused not by a new position but by a grade raise for the Assistant Director position; it was noted that raises are not offset by the revenues
Suggestion that the Town should not be paying for all the recreation programs on the Revenue Summary but should run a few and look for sponsors (such as Mustard Seed Kitchen) for others
Recreation Director's justification that popular rec programs have grown tremendously, that people come to Wellfleet for the program at Baker's Field, that 10 years ago the programs were serving less than a hundred participants but now are serving hundreds; that the infrastructure in place needs to be maintained; revenue information that when the program was located at the school, it was possible to charge more for non-residents than for residents but that the terms of the Baker's Field grant allow the program to charge no more than double for non-residents
Objection to being asked to approve budget increases on the basis of estimated receipts with a total of almost $14,000 added to the budget
Request for a "head count" of children using the program and where they come from (year-round residents, non-resident taxpayers, etc.)
Question of whether $2000 charge for bottled water at Baker's Field will stop when the new water system is installed
Assertion that it is unnecessary to employ both a Skateboard Monitor and a Tennis Monitor; recommendation that one position could be eliminated and the other position could perform the duties of both; discussion of need to monitor for safety reasons; complaint regarding constant trash at Baker's Field last summer
The Boards turned to problems noted:
Tim Woodward pointed out that 73% of the rec budget is funded by taxpayers, 27% by revenues; Roger Putnam stated there is a need to decide which programs can be self-sustaining; and Arlene Kirsch added that these are a great number of programs to be run by a municipality.
Tim Smith commented that it was up to the Boards to tell the department what programs they wanted to support, that this was a political decision. Mention followed of the skateboard park, which Berta Bruinooge used as an example of a program which the townspeople had voted for and which she characterized as a "money pit."
Ira Wood commended the work of the Recreation Department but added that over the winter someone in Town Hall should study it to make it more financially viable.
Dale Donovan pointed out the non-monetary payoff from the supervised programs when compared to possible results of "non-supervised activity" and advised putting this into the equation when making cuts.
Putnam suggested that the town should be selective as to what it provides: road races should be self-supporting; tennis courts need to be paid for by their users. He added that the town could live with what it had at the moment but needed to look, over the course of the year, at what it would fund and what should be self-sustaining.
Mike Parlante added the suggestion of working on fee increases for the coming summer; Tim Smith informed the Boards that the BOS has a fee hearing for all departments coming up in the month of February. Donovan suggested that FinCom members should attend. Suggestion was made that elementary school records could be consulted to determine a no-fee list of children eligible for such subsidy but that any adult program should be fully funded by participants.
Discussion ended with the Boards thanking Ms. Rosenberg for her presentation.
HUMAN SERVICES AND COUNCIL ON AGING BUDGETS: #520 and #541. Tim Smith suggested that COA Director Jacqui Wildes present the Human Services Budget first as the more difficult of the two.
Wildes distributed a chart on the Human Services Budget, explaining that it was up 5.6% from last year. Members questioned the reasons for the inclusion of certain agencies (Wellfleet Preschool, Cape Cod Children's Place); Wildes offered explanations (Wellfleet Preschool has expanded, more people need subsidy, and Cape Cod Children's Place has a toddler program). She reminded the Boards that the state Dept. of Education budget is being greatly cut this year and added that she felt that Outer Cape Health deserved help also and that the charge of the Human Services Committee was to serve needy Wellfleet residents.
Tim Smith noted that the problem with Human Services is that the proper way of administering it would be with a procurement program in which the town would determine needs, would go out and find people who want to provide these services, and would contract with them. Wildes agreed that more than half the Human Services budget agencies would provide services whether or not the town subsidized them.
A discussion ensued concerning going to the town with meetings and public hearings and discussing what the people want and ways of providing these services. Arlene Kirsch commented that Human Services represents a "social safety net"--that people don't want to drop it.
Smith discussed the program's illegality, noting that Mass General Law states that municipalities are not supposed to give to charities. Ira Wood suggested stating this in Town Meeting, but Ms. Wildes pointed out that Town Meeting was not an appropriate place to educate people. She advised going through the budget process now and divorcing the program from the process in the future; Dale Donovan agreed, suggesting that immediately after Town Meeting a decision should be gotten from Town Counsel on the legality of giving to Human Services.
The Boards moved to the Council of Aging Budget, noting that salaries went up $7000 and that the total was up $6000, with expenses down $600. Wildes pointed out that in contract services the difference from current fiscal year appropriation was due to transportation costs; a discussion of future purchase of a van followed.
The budget discussion ended with Chair Putnam's commendation of Ms. Wildes' presentation.
SHELLFISH DEPARTMENT BUDGETS: #179 & 180. Shellfish Constable Bill Walton presented his budgets, distributing budget material (with justification notes) and stating that the overall budget was up 5% and, if salaries were taken out, it was up 4%. He moved through the budget lines, noting that under "Salaries and Wages" the seasonal line uses an intern position and that overtime is used for the DPW for the cultch project. Walton covered "Expenditures," recommending dropping Contract Services and substituting Advertising; he explained that the large telephone line covers three phones with unlimited radio transmissions (which allow the department to stay in touch with the Department of Marine Fisheries while in the field) and that printing costs are for regulation booklets as
well as abbreviated regulation folders for seasonal people. He turned to his Capital Outlay line of $27,000 (not recommended by the Town Administrator) and explained his proposal for rotational trade-in of Shellfish Department vehicles, eliciting some discussion.
Tim Woodman noted that the Fire Department had planned to trade in the old fire car but that it had ended up in the Shellfish Department; Tim Smith explained that he had recommended that the town keep the jeep because the shellfish car was falling apart.
Mike Parlante recommended getting rid of the Dodge now. Walton remarked that after about two years rust underneath a vehicle really starts to show; he stated that he understood that a new light-duty truck was a big bill but recommended buying it as with the Dodge, which next year could be turned in. Ira wood suggested that it made sense to give older vehicles from other departments to Shellfish; Tim Woodman added that there should be a master plan for town vehicles. Mike Parlante explained his reason for believing that the Shellfish Deparment should have new trucks which would not leak oil over shellfish grants.
Walton noted the large increase in the category of aquaculture supplies. He explained the drop in revenue from permit fees ($75,000 in 2001, $54,000 in 2002), stating as a reason that nonresidents had heard that not many oysters were being found and, therefore, did not buy permits. He added that he could raise resident fees (now $25); this would be necessary in order to raise nonresident fees of $125. To Berta Bruinooge's question about nonresidents buying seasonal permits, Walton commented that these revenues could add up and that most people don't fish every day. Tim Woodman asked if permits bring in enough revenue to break even and Walton replied that last year the seasonals paid for themselves.
Other discussion covered a "new position" (called "seasonal" by accounting but actually temporary), costs in man hours using raft and upweller, other "parking places" for equipment rather than potentially rentable town slip space, line item of DPW overtime and the importance to the cultch program of noting it on the budget, question of whether there is a less costly way to stock quahogs, and request for figures on other towns' shellfish revenues.
Other Business:
Tim Smith distributed a detailed explanation of overtime for the Fire Department. He informed the Boards that at the next budget meeting (2/5/03) the school budgets will be in and he will give them the revenue figures for all departments.
Roger Putnam noted, on the question of police/fire overtime, that the Boards need to decide whether they want to continue the same level of coverage.
Arlene Kirsch suggested a series of meetings in the fall to consider policy questions; Putnam agreed, stating that the Boards could not discuss policy issues (such as those arising from the Recreation Budget this evening) in the current time frame.
Mike Parlante moved and Mike May seconded that the meeting be adjourned. The meeting closed at 9:43 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
______________________________ __________________________________
Frances J. Castillo, Assistant to the Roger Putnam, Chair, Board of Selectmen
Committee Secretary
__________________________________
Berta Bruinooge, Chair, Finance Committee
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