Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of February 24, 2005
Senior Center Conference Room
Present: Berta Bruinooge, Chair; William Carlson, Carl Caruso, Pat Foley, Mac Hay, Arlene Kirsch, John Makely
Absent: Nancy Bone, Sylvia Smith
Chair Berta Bruinooge called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Transfer Request 05-07 Liability/Prop/Comp Insurance
After a brief discussion of the request for $5,348 to pay the Workers’ Compensation Audit adjustment, Patricia Foley moved to approve the request. John Makely seconded.
All voted to approve the transfer: 7-0.
Letter from Police Chief Rosenthal
Chair Bruinooge thought it best to table discussion of a letter from Police Chief Richard Rosenthal regarding computer service expenses. FinCom members agreed that waiting until the next meeting would give them a chance to read the Town Administrator’s response to Chief Rosenthal.
Review of Budget (Department by Department)
From the audience, Town Administrator Tim Smith said that three requests for the COA, Accounting and the Library were added back into the Budget. Bruinooge read each department total in the entire budget, stopping for discussion of certain items.
Certain DPW items were of particular concern.
420 DPW
The salary for a Water position for 420 DPW was scrutinized. From the floor, Selectman Helen Miranda Wilson brought up an option which she had previously suggested – training at Cape Cod Community College. Smith said two people are currently taking the course. Bruinooge questioned Smith about a town vehicle being provided for the person who ultimately gets the $65,000 position. Smith said that would be subject to Selectmen’s approval.
423 DPW Snow Removal
Looking at this year’s snow removal budget, Town Accountant Marilyn Crary gave an estimate of what she hoped the Town would receive from the government for the blizzard. Smith discussed some strategies for handling snow removal costs. From the floor, BOS Chair Ira Wood said it was too early for the Selectmen to discuss total cost yet. Wilson reminded FinCom that some renegotiation of what gets plowed is coming in the future. She considered this a possible “wild card” for determining the snow removal budget.
433 DPW Transfer Station
Arlene Kirsch strongly urged that the comments for the Warrant mention that a concerted effort to recycle would lower tipping fees at the Bourne Landfill.
The FY06 Budget totals $11,596,629. Smith said that means a $366,893 override on just the budget before getting to the Articles. He said there were four Articles. One stand-alone ballot Article for the Teamsters is for $3,680. This together with the other three General Overrides comes to about $597,674, according to Crary.
Bruinooge expressed huge reservations about passing the Budget with the sizable overrides. She said she did not see attempts to cut the budget, and she said she was not interested in repeating what happened at Town Meeting last year –– proposing that certain Articles be cut.
Arlene Kirsch also made it clear she was not going to vote for this Budget.
FinCom, the Town Administrator and Selectmen in attendance discussed ways of dealing with cuts or increasing revenue. Selectman Dale Donovan said the BOS would like to try again for a registration of rental homes. Donovan also said that cutting Capital Items does not mean savings; they are delays. Bruinooge said FinCom could ask that each department cut back to a certain percent or do 0 growth. Smith said much of the Budget is tied up in salaries and wages which can not be brought to 0% increase. Bruinooge pointed out that when things finances are tight on a personal level, you have to cut expenses. Although many towns on the Cape are facing overrides, some towns aren’t having them, according to Bruinooge.
John Makely made a motion to accept the Operating Budget of $11,596,629. Carl Caruso seconded the motion, and more discussion followed.
Caruso wanted to make it clear to the community which departments bring in revenue and which departments the Town “underwrites.” Ira Wood wondered why the budget doesn’t get questioned at Town Meeting. Bruinooge said there was a certain amount of apathy regarding financial matters, and there are people who don’t understand the Budget; it’s the Articles that get all the comments. Donovan considered the changing community another factor. Wilson said that while there were more people who can pay their taxes, it is the people who have less that should be protected.
A vote on the motion to approve the FY 06 Operating Budget of $11,596,629 was called.
The motion to approve the budget carried 5-2 (Bruinooge and Kirsch dissenting).
Minutes
Bruinooge made a motion to accept the minutes of the Joint Budget Meeting of February 7, 2005. Mac Hay seconded. FinCom voted to approve the minutes 6-0-1 ( Kirsch abstaining).
Pat Foley moved to accept the minutes of the Joint Budget Meeting of February 14, 2005; Bruinooge seconded. The vote to approve carried 5-0.
The minutes of the Finance Committee meeting of February 10, 2005 will be considered at the March 10 meeting.
Definitions
FinCom reviewed the set of definitions and compared them to a set from Harwich which the Town Administrator had submitted for consideration. FinCom’s list is the one they want to use for the Town Warrant. Pat Foley agreed to e-mail the updated list for any further tweaking of terms. The Town Moderator will be responsible for preparing an informational list of “Voting Procedures” for the Warrant.
Other Business
Upcoming Charter Review Committee Meeting
At its February 28 meeting, the Charter Review Committee will be taking up changes in Chapter 7, which deals with FinCom. Arlene Kirsch will attend the meeting and asked FinCom members to e-mail suggestions to her or come to the meeting and speak. The Groux Report would be considered by the Charter Review Committee. The impact of a Financial Director/Accountant; elimination of the Personnel Board; and an appointed Tax Collector and Town Treasurer were topics under consideration. Berta Bruinooge, who would be unable to attend the CRC meeting, expressed strong opposition to changing from elected Tax Collector and Treasurer positions.
Mission Statement
Chair Bruinooge read the draft of FinCom’s Mission Statement prepared by Nancy Bone. The Committee discussed what to eliminate and add to this draft. Kirsch wished to make it more “global,” dealing with the financial health of the Town. Instead of calling it a Mission Statement it could possibly called “Definition of Scope of Service.” Carlson volunteered to rework the draft.
Next Meeting
On March 10, 2005 the Capital Improvement Plan Hearing will be held. Also FinCom will go over Warrant Articles and make recommendations. The Capital Budget will be reviewed at this meeting.
Adjournment
Foley moved, Hay seconded; all approved 7-0; the meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________ ___________________________
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Berta Bruinooge, Chair
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