Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of November 18, 2004
Senior Center, Long Pond Room
Present: Berta Bruinooge, Chair; Nancy Bone, Carl Caruso, Pat Foley, Arlene Kirsch, Mac Hay, Sylvia Smith
Absent: John Makely
Chair Berta Bruinooge called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.
Transfer Requests
There were no transfer requests for the Committee to consider.
Town Audit
Chair Bruinooge reported that she and Sylvia Smith met with Mr. Sullivan, the auditor from Powers & Sullivan, before the Audit Exit Interview with the Board of Selectmen. They discussed with him items from the Management Letter and Report of June 2004. This included payroll, computer backup procedures, a Capital Planning Committee, and authorized but uninsured debt. Bruinooge will contact Mr. Sullivan with questions regarding authorized but uninsured debt (p. 34 of the report). FinCom will send Town Treasurer Dawn Rickman a memo with questions about ADP being replaced by in-house payroll.
Arlene Kirsch attended the Board of Selectmen’s Audit Exit with Mr. Sullivan. After listening to their discussion of structural deficit, Kirsch feels there is a need for FinCom to explain this to the townspeople: towns without an industrial tax base need to increase revenue, which means raising taxes and more overrides, or holding down costs. FinCom wanted to see the FY 06 Selectmen’s Budget Policy Statement. FinCom will send a memo to the Town Administrator with a copy to the Board of Selectmen requesting the document and Mr. Smith’s comments in regard to possible Proposition 2 ½ overrides. Carl Caruso also asked that a request be included in the memo on his behalf as liaison to the BOS. He would like copies of draft and final minutes of BOS meetings sent to him.
Charter Review Committee
Arlene Kirsch apologized for missing the most recent Charter Review Committee meeting. Chair Bruinooge had Charter Review questions to consider. CRC had asked about term limits for FinCom, but Bruinooge considered this inadvisable since the Committee has not yet been filled out with a ninth member. Bruinooge also wanted to be sure recommendations for sections 7.3.1 and 7.5.2 of the Charter were accurate. This was corrected by amending the October 28 minutes. FinCom would like to see Charter time frames adhered to for Annual Town Meeting preparation, including the 120 day period between the Capital Improvement Plans Hearing at the end of December and ATM in April.
Kirsch would like to have FinCom prepare a “position paper” in advance of ATM. She sees this as another way to educate voters about structural deficit, explaining that it means having to slash services or increase overrides. Chair Bruinooge said she would call the Town Administrator to discuss the idea of a position paper and also to discuss his thoughts on FY07 and FY08.
Definitions
Pat Foley will continue to work on simplification of the definitions that have been considered so far. She will present these definitions at the December meeting.
Mission Statement
Each member will prepare a statement of what FinCom expects of itself. At the next meeting these aspirations can be incorporated into the mission statement.
Other Business
Berta Bruinooge announced an upcoming BOS meeting that will address Tom Groux’s study on changing the structure of Town Government. She would like to attend this and welcomed other FinCom representation at the meeting. Kirsch said that the Groux presentation to the Charter Review Committee is scheduled in December.
Sylvia Smith reported that the school would be staying within the budget next year because they were not replacing a teacher who will be leaving.
Berta Bruinooge received an e-mail from Mac Hay, volunteering to serve on the new “Wind Committee.” FinCom will send the Board of Selectmen notifying them that Hay is interested in being FinCom’s representative to the Alternative Energy Committee.
The Committee looked at the mulit-year analysis from the Sullivan & Powers audit. The most important comparisons were in the last two years.
Carl Caruso asked if the school could be refinanced at a lower interest rate. He will speak to Dawn Rickman about the possibility of this and other refinancing while interest rates are low.
Minutes
Hay moved to approve the amended minutes of 10/28/04; Smith seconded.
The motion carried 5-0.
Mail
The mail had not been picked up for FinCom’s review.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held Monday, December 20 at 7 p.m. in a location to be scheduled by the secretary.
Adjournment
Foley made the motion, Bruinooge seconded and all voted to adjourn 7-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
___________________________________ ________________________________
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Berta Bruinooge, Chair
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