Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of December 14, 2006
Senior Center, Conference Room, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Carl Caruso, Chairman; Berta Bruinooge, William Carlson, Arlene Kirsch, John Makely, Sylvia Smith
Absent: Nancy Bone, Patricia Foley, Mac Hay
Also Attending: Selectman Ira Wood
Chairman Carl Caruso called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
New Business
Town Accountant Marilyn Crary said the capital projections for Fiscal Year 2008 would be ready for the next meeting. She discussed Certified Free Cash that would be available at the time on Annual Town Meeting in April. She said more Free Cash was anticipated in FY08 through Chapter 90 Funds for a Special Needs student. FinCom members also discussed the settlement of a lawsuit with an employee and how this would affect the Reserve Fund. FinCom would like to discuss this with the Town Administrator at its January 25, 2007 meeting.
Carl Caruso reviewed the Powers & Sullivan 2006 Exit Audit and noted the commendation for Marilyn Crary for having the records in order. Makely pointed out that 8 of 10 recommendations from last year had been met. Sylvia Smith will follow up on the recommendations that were made in this Exit Audit and in last year’s report. She will report on this at the next meeting.
In a further discussion of the Exit Audit, Selectman Ira Wood mentioned that the auditor characterized Wellfleet as a “break even” town. Wood also said that management had received commendation. Carlson asked about the “Fraud Risk Assessment Program,” a new recommendation. Crary said it would have to be done eventually.
John Makely distributed the Harwich Operations Task Force Report. He reviewed some of the savings that Harwich had achieved. Makely said there were many thought stimulating ideas in the Harwich report, and he had prepared a first draft of an activity consolidation paper for Wellfleet’s FY08 Budget consideration. FinCom and Selectman Ira Wood discussed creative approaches from every department. The Charter could provide a starting point for department mission statements, according to Wood. Wood said the Selectmen are starting to meet with Truro on shared solutions such as the arrangements the two towns worked out with the one Animal Control Officer. Other discussion considered specific departments with crossover services; keeping changes to ones that could be effectively implemented; employee
involvement in brainstorming; not micro managing; and FinCom’s “watchdog” role.
Wood discussed procedure for budget hearings for FY2008. There are no advance meetings scheduled for Selectmen, he said. FinCom and the BOS will receive copies of the budget, and then sessions for questions will be held. FinCom discussed past practices for budget hearings.
Caruso will send on behalf of FinCom a memo to the Selectmen with a copy to Tim Smith requesting continuance of joint budget hearings with a broadened approach to include questions on innovations for more efficient functioning.
The Annual Report by Berta Bruinooge was reviewed and amended. She will
e-mail the report to the Administration.
Bruinooge asked Marilyn Crary about the Fire Department transfer at Special Town Meeting. The transfer of $60,000 was approved at STM, but it will be capitalized and Free Cash is going to get it back, according to Caruso. That is not what Crary understands. She said the $60,000 is going into the fire station; she does not believe it is going back into Free Cash. Caruso will ask the Town Administrator about the $60,000.
Old Business
Marilyn Crary showed how the DPW figures were reported each year on Schedule A forms for the Benchmark Report, which covers towns with separate highway departments.
Caruso said that Tim Smith will get a computer disk from Benchmark to re-compute figures on a household basis. Schedule A for 2005 can be used for this, he said.
John Makely said he and Berta Bruinooge would talk to Forum officers to create an agenda for the pre Town Meeting session in April. Makely said some of the Benchmark information will now be part of the agenda.
John Makely said that revenue generating ideas will be an ongoing issue to consider but will not necessarily be listed as separate items on upcoming agendas.
Caruso read an e-mail communication from Nancy Bone, who was unable to attend the meeting. This led to a discussion of the most productive method for preparing questions for the budget hearings.
Minutes of 11/30/06
Makely moved to approve the amended minutes of November 30, 2006. Carlson seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.
Correspondence
Caruso said the newly revised handbook of Finance Committee Handbook is available. The Committee Secretary will order copies or see if it is available online.
Other Business
Kirsch thanked John Makely for his initiative and service in preparing many extra reports for FinCom this year. Everyone agreed upon this commendation.
Adjournment
Kirsch moved to adjourn. Makely seconded, and the motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Sylvia Smith, Clerk
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