Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of October 23, 2008
Senior Center Conference Room, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Chair Patricia Foley, Berta Bruinooge, Robert Kelly, Arlene Kirsch, Dennis Murphy, Sylvia Smith, John Makely, Dan Wexman
Chair Patricia Foley called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
STM Warrant
The motion for Article 1 states the amount of money that Preservation Hall will contribute. Article 2 will be explained in more depth at STM. Article 3 had changes in the transfer lines which FinCom discussed. Kelly said that the vote should be retaken since the line transfers had changed. Kirsch moved to revisit Article 3 vote. Murphy seconded. The motion to revisit carried 8-0. Kirsch moved to not recommend Article 3. Murphy seconded, and the motion to not recommend carried 8-0.
There was a brief discussion of the zoning Articles. Articles 17 and 19 are indefinitely postponed, Foley said. Kelly moved to not recommend Articles 11-17. Smith seconded, and the motion to not recommend carried 8-0.
Debt Policy
The Debt Policy was needed to increase the bond rating to AA, according to Foley. Makely said that he had asked the Town Administrator why FinCom had not been involved in developing the Debt Policy.
Report on Joint Meetings & Committees
John Makely and Pat Foley had attended the joint meeting of the Truro-Wellfleet-Eastham Selectmen. The outcome of the meeting was the formation of a committee with representatives of each town to discuss regionalization. Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet Finance Committees had held a joint meeting which a group of Wellfleet FinCom attended. A task force of two people from each town will meet on a regular basis. John Makely and Pat Foley volunteered to represent Wellfleet. Foley was impressed with Provincetown’s Budget process for meeting with department heads. How this would work for Wellfleet or for future zero-based budgeting was considered. Including the FinCom liaison person in the process was a suggestion for the department head meetings. John Makely will ask the Town Administrator about
including the FinCom liaison for each department head meeting.
Liaison Reports
Foley asked that in the future each liaison prepare a report for the FinCom meeting. Makely reported on BOS votes on the zoning bylaws for Special Town Meeting. Wexman discussed developments with the Board of Water Commissioners regarding hiring consultants, the Boy Scout Camp, fees for users, preparations for Annual Town Meeting, and a scaled down plan for the system. Kirsch reported that the Police Chief Rosenthal and Lt. Frissette wanted to talk about a new police station. Smith had sent out a report on Fire overtime. Progress at the Fire Station was also discussed. Murphy attended a DPW meeting and introduced himself as liaison, he said. Foley will go to future Marina Advisory and Library Trustee meetings. Kelly gave a report on the Wellfleet Elementary School activities, test scores,
teacher-pupil ratio, costs, and the search for a new Superintendent of Schools. Berta Bruinooge said she does not actually attend the Nauset Regional School Committee meetings, but she reported on the minutes.
Minutes of 9/25/08
Foley moved to approve the minutes of September 25, 2008. Bruinooge seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.
Other Business
FinCom discussed legal services fees and will send the Town Administrator a memo requesting that FY10 Legal Services be put out to bid.
The WES audit is something that Berta Bruinooge is working on.
John Makely said that the hiring of the new IT director was the best outcome of FinCom’s computerization recommendations. He also reported on the lack of employee signatures on the IT policy. FinCom said that the Selectmen need to be notified that there is a problem. Foley will bring this to their attention.
Foley said that FinCom had asked for Budget projections for FY10. Kirsch moved that a memo be sent to the Paul Sieloff and copied to the Selectmen urging that FinCom receive the projections in time for the Budget hearings. Kelly seconded, and the motion carried 8-0.
Foley also reported on the vehicle insurance. Kirsch suggested sending a memo to the Town Administrator and Town Clerk.
A new member may be appointed by the Town Moderator at STM, Foley said.
Adjournment
Bruinooge moved to adjourn, and the meeting was adjourned by consensus at 9:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________ _______________________
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Patricia Foley, Chair
__________________ (Date)
FinCom approved these minutes at the meeting held 11/20/08.
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