Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of July 13, 2006
Senior Center Long Pond Room, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Carl Caruso, Chairman; Berta Bruinooge, John Makely, Sylvia Smith, William Carlson, Nancy Bone
Absent: Mac Hay, Patricia Foley, Arlene Kirsch
Also Attending: Town Accountant Marilyn Crary
Chairman Carl Caruso called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m.
Interlinear Transfers
Town Accountant Marilyn Crary presented the interlinear transfers. Transfers within departments and between departments make all the deficits legal. The first six transfers were within departments for the Tax Collector, Communications, Fire, DPW line 5110.12 to line 5130.00, DPW line 5110.12 to line 5143.00, and the Beach Program. The Fire Department and DPW had overtime expenses to cover. These can be discussed with the departments at budget time, according to Berta Bruinooge.
Transfers between departments consisted of $1,113 to the Council of Aging from the Health Department; $304.04 to Medicare from Unemployment; $1,000 to Insurance from General Administration; an additional $2,000 from General Administration to Insurance, making the Insurance reserve $3,000; and $891.20 to Fire Safety from the Fire Department to cover expenses that had been denied.
William Carlson moved to concur with the transfers as presented on the spreadsheet dated 7/13/06. Sylvia Smith seconded. The motion carried 6-0.
Marilyn Crary answered a question from a previous meeting regarding “Salt” expenses from DPW’s Snow Removal figure. Chairman Carl Caruso still wanted to know about the “Supplies” expenses for the past winter in Fiscal Year 2006. Crary will get back to FinCom with this figure. Caruso also asked about overtime for Snow Removal in FY06 and about billing the state for FY05 reimbursement for a blizzard.
Minutes of 5/18/06 and 6/22/06
Bruinooge moved to approve the minutes of May 18, 2006. Makely seconded, and the motion carried 6-0
Carlson moved to approve the minutes of June 22, 2006. Makely seconded. The motion carried 6-0.
Correspondence
A Housing Authority memo from Rex Peterson, dated June 28, 2006, requesting comments on a proposal for Town-owned land was examined, but no one initially offered an opinion.
The Association of Town Finance Committees’ newsletter was circulated.
Other Business
Marilyn Crary said Carl Caruso would be receiving further reimbursement for a financial forum he attended.
Sylvia Smith said the DPW gutter at the Maintenance Facility has fallen off and has not yet been replaced. Caruso suggested sending DPW a memo, but Berta Bruinooge said FinCom should not be micro-managing other departments. Bone said the neglect could indicate a repetitive pattern that has financial repercussions. FinCom decided that individual members may address the matter as private citizens.
Sylvia Smith will continue to follow-up on the Auditor’s Report and present her thoughts at a future meeting.
Smith reported on Orleans’ comparative study of fees in Outer Cape towns. Carlson and Smith will look into this further.
Carl Caruso recused himself from discussion of the Mustard Seed
and the After School Program.
FinCom members discussed the Mustard Seed Kitchen which receives Town money but is not directly utilizing it. Smith said that the After School Program needs money while the Mustard Seed Kitchen gets $7,000. Because the Mustard Seed is set up through the church, they do not have their own tax ID number yet banks the extra money. Bruinooge said the Town should not be giving money to an organization that is not legally organized as a tax free entity. FinCom may bring this up with Human Services during budget hearings because Bruinooge questions the legality of that arrangement.
Nancy Bone discussed the Affordable Housing proposal for the 28 acres on Coles Neck Rd. She was concerned that there was not a comprehensive plan.
John Makely had a report which Jacqui Wildes Beebe had forwarded to him. It concerned budgeting for the future. Focus is usually on the small percentage that can be cut while the larger percent of spending usually does not get considered, according to the report. Makely will make copies of the report for the revenue raising study.
Makely also reported meeting with the Town Accountant regarding Friends of Recreation, Marina Enterprise, and the Recreation Dept. Sylvia and John met with the Recreation Dept. for their input on revenue ideas. They want to pursue skateboard advertising, donations at the square dance, and special events’ admission fees. They said Friends of the Recreation Dept. has become reactivated and could generate more ideas and money.
Carl Caruso and John Makely met with Mike Flanagan of the Marina Enterprise Fund to discuss ideas for further revenue. The Enterprise Fund contributes $33,000 to the Town. In another thirty days Makely will meet again with Flanagan regarding Marina Enterprise expenses and revenue.
Makely distributed a list of remaining departments to approach for revenue generating ideas. Carlson volunteered to speak to the librarian. He asked if there should be a basic list of points to cover with each department. Makely said the projections that the Town Accountant had prepared are a good starting point for discussion with the departments. Bruinooge said she would discuss revenue with the Beach Department. Carl Caruso & John Makely will go to the DPW. Makely will cover the Fire Department, and Carlson will approach the School Committee.
From the floor, Robert Kelly asked about the salt line in the DPW budget. He also questioned charges for services. He said he likes to see clear defining lines for services that are paid individually and those provided by the Town. Carlson said it gets back to how the Town wants itself to be. Caruso said some services are general and some, like Ambulance services, are specifically billed.
Makely reminded everyone that the purpose of meeting with the other departments is to brainstorm creative approaches for generating revenue
The next meeting will be held August 24, 2006 at the Senior Center.
Bruinooge moved to adjourn. Smith seconded. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Carl Caruso, Chairman
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