Wellfleet Finance Committee
Minutes of Meeting of March 12, 2009
Senior Center Long Pond Room, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Chair Patricia Foley, Berta Bruinooge, John Makely, Dan Wexman, Robert Kelly, Arlene Kirsch, Sylvia Smith, Stephen Oliver
Absent: Dennis Murphy
Also Attending: Town Accountant Marilyn Crary
Chair Patricia Foley called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.
Foley asked if FinCom would consider postponing further voting on the Budget and Warrant Articles because the time lines specified in the Charter have not been met by the Selectmen and Administration. FinCom discussed figures in the School Budget and enrollment numbers at W.E.S.
Budget
Town Accountant Marilyn Crary reported on her latest Budget figures and what would remain in Free Cash. FinCom discussed how to deal with the Operating Budget recommendations for Annual Town Meeting. They will meet with the Town Administrator Tuesday, March 17, 2009 for further discussion of the Budget. Regionalization ideas for Police and Fire were considered.
Foley explained current costs of the Wellfleet Municipal Water System. BWC Liaison Dan Wexman also discussed the need for water expansion and wastewater solutions.
Items in the Capital Budget were reviewed. Some had been placed in the Operating Budget, Marilyn Crary said.
Bruinooge moved to remove Library $8,000 and Elementary School $40,000 lines and the Nauset Regional line from the undated Capital Improvement Plan.
Smith seconded. The motion carried 8-0.
Bruinooge moved to present the Nauset Regional Schools Capital Facilities Improvement figure as a Warrant Article. Kirsch seconded, and the motion carried 8-0.
Kelly moved to transfer from Contingency Fire Station $117,163 to the Debt Service Account. Makely seconded, and the motion carried 8-0.
Kirsch moved that following Tuesday’s meeting with the Town Administrator, the attending FinCom members draft a press release to the newspaper telling the public what to expect, explaining the differences in FinCom’s Budget recommendations from the Selectmen/Administration Budget. Oliver seconded. The motion carried 7-1.
A newspaper article will be submitted around the same time the Warrant is mailed to the voters.
Warrant Articles
FinCom decided to proceed with recommendations for some of the Warrant Articles.
Article E - Town Clerk & Town Collector
Kirsch moved to recommend Article E for the Town Clerk & Town Collector Makely seconded, and the motion to recommend carried 8-0.
Article M Teamsters Contract 2008-2011
Kelly moved to recommend Article M for the Teamsters’ Contract. Bruinooge seconded and the motion to recommend carried 8-0.
Article N Stabilization Fund $50,000
Smith moved to recommend Article N - $50,000 for the Stabilization Fund. Kelly seconded, and the motion to recommend carried 8-0.
Article P Retirement Fund $50,000
Kirsch moved to not recommend Article P for the Retirement Fund. Bruinooge seconded, and the motion to not recommend carried 8-1-0.
Article Tc Preschool Playgroup (Petitioned Article)
Kelly moved to not recommend the Petitioned Article for the Preschool Playgroup. Smith seconded. The motion to not recommend carried 8-0.
Article EE and Article FF - Charter Responsibilities
Kirsch suggested adding comments for these two Articles although FinCom was not being asked for recommendations.
Presentation by Board of Water Commissioners
Water Commissioners Emily Beebe, Steve Gazzano and Jean Schaefer joined the Finance Committee at 8:30 p.m.
BWC Co-Chair Emily Beebe explained the proposal for expansion of the Water System and creation of an Enterprise Fund for it. She reviewed costs now and anticipated operational costs. Beebe reported on insurance savings with working fire hydrants. She gave other advantages for expansion. Steve Gazzano said that the Betterment Article that appears in the current draft of the Warrant has been removed.
Beebe and the Water Commissioners answered questions on: hydrants, connection projections, fees, particular buildings on the system, present costs to the Town, getting State Revolving Funds (SRF) and a possible USDA grant. Marilyn Crary discussed how and when an Enterprise Fund would be established. More discussion with the Water Commissioners covered: details of connections, areas outside the Central District, possibility of rebates to non-users, establishing an Enterprise Fund, nitrate statistics, testing for emerging contaminants, viability of Downtown, and debt service from the original system.
Minutes of 3/5/09
Bruinooge moved to approve the minutes of March 5, 2009. Oliver seconded and the motion carried 8-0.
Other Business
FinCom discussed additional information for the Budget Message. Foley suggested preparing questions for the meeting with the Town Administrator next week.
Adjournment
Kirsch moved to adjourn. Wexman seconded, and the meeting was adjourned by consensus at 9:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________ _______________________
Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Patricia Foley, Chair
__________________ (Date)
Finance Committee approved these minutes at the meeting held 3/19/2009.
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