Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of December 18, 2008
Senior Center Conference Room, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Chair Patricia Foley, Berta Bruinooge, Arlene Kirsch, Dennis Murphy, John Makely, Dan Wexman, Robert Kelly, Sylvia Smith, Stephen Oliver
Chair Patricia Foley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
FinCom-BOS Joint Meetings
Finance Committee revisited the Budget meetings that have been held so far. FinCom would like to see all departments level funded. There was a discussion of Free Cash, future overrides, the Stabilization Fund, and reductions.
Memos
- FinCom will send the Town Administrator a memo regarding reconciliation of the vehicle insurance listings.
- A request for comments on the Debt Policy memo did not elicit a response from the Committee.
- Pat Foley had added another town to a Legal Expenses comparison chart which places Wellfleet with the highest expenses.
- Finance Committee will try to get bills from Kopelman & Page before sending a memo to the Administration regarding the escalating costs of Legal Expenses.
Letter on Special Town Meeting from Harry Terkanian
FinCom hopes that a Town Meeting Warrant never goes out again without recommendations from the Boards. Town Moderator Harry Terkanian, in his letter dated November 10, 2008, highlighted Charter provisions that need to be changed. FinCom endorses his letter and agreed to send Administration and the Selectmen a memo stating their accordance with Terkanian.
Liaison Reports
Dennis Murphy reported on his meeting with DPW Director Mark Vincent on a number of matters. Murphy had also met with Eastham’s DPW Superintendent and discussed staggering hours and shared use of the two transfer stations. Dan Wexman reported on the Wastewater Committee and Water Commissioners. He said the Boards intend to create informational fact sheets. The Water Commissioners will be scheduled to come before FinCom in January to discuss water expansion plans. Bob Kelly reported on the December School Committee meeting which had focused on MCAS testing. Their next meeting January 6, 2009 at 4:30 p.m., will be addressing their Budget, he said. John Makely said he’d attended meetings with the Town Administrator for the Assessor, Collector, Town Clerk and IT Department Heads. Pat Foley
said she’d attended a Library meeting which mainly dealt with Elaine McIlroy’s “I Love My Librarian” Cargnegie Institute award.
Report on Joint Meetings
Pat Foley reported on the Nauset Group which discussed the School Budget. She distributed Brewster’s School financial report.
Foley had also put together a draft spreadsheet comparing the budgets from Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet.
The third meeting Foley had attended was the Inter-Municipal Cooperation Group. She said the main topic had been Emergency 911 systems. Foley asked that FinCom members who had not done so please answer the questionnaire for Commissioner Doherty. The next Inter-Municipal Cooperation meeting will be held January 13, 2009.
Taping Policy
Finance Committee will send the Selectmen a memo regarding the proposed amendment to the BOS Taping Policy.
Minutes of 11/20/08
Kirsch moved to approve the minutes of November 20, 2008. Murphy seconded and the motion carried 8-0.
Other Business
Foley distributed additional Budget materials from the Fire Department.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________ _______________________
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Patricia Foley, Chair
Finance Committee approved these minutes at the meeting held 1/29/09.
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