Wellfleet Board of Selectmen/Finance Committee
Minutes of Joint Budget Meeting
February 2, 2004
Library Meeting Room
Present: Board of Selectmen--Dale Donovan, Chair; Ira Wood, Jerry Houk,
Michael May, Helen Miranda Wilson
Finance Committee--Berta Bruinooge, Chair; Arlene Kirsch, Carl Caruso,
John Makely, Nancy Bone, Mac Hay, Sylvia Smith
Absent: Finance Committee--Patricia Foley
Also Attending: Tim Smith, Town Administrator
The meeting of the Board of Selectmen was called to order by Chair Dale Donovan at 7:01 p.m.; the meeting of the Finance Committee was called to order by Chair Berta Bruinooge at 7:01 p.m. Donovan announced that there would be a change to the agenda in that the Marina Budgets would be considered second, after the school budgets.
Wellfleet Elementary School (#300) and Nauset Regional School District (#301) Budgets. Representatives for these budgets were Michael Gradone, Nauset Regional School Superintendent, Jim Chudonel, Wellfleet Representative to the Nauset Regional School Committee, and Teecia Kent, Principal of Wellfleet Elementary. The members of the Wellfleet School Committee also attended. Mr. Gradone noted that the town's guideline, allowing a $54,000 increase to the elementary school budget, had caused Ms. Kent to face cutbacks of $40,000; he outlined the budget line decreases achieved in Instruction ($3944), Textbooks ($10,000), Other Instructional Materials ($5933), Instructional Supplies ($5365), and Field Trips ($2031), among others. He added that there would be state reimbursement of $7000 for the most
expensive program. Ms. Kent then moved line-by-line through the Elementary School budget, explaining the functions of the various categories and answering questions. Discussion points follow:
Instruction. The K-5 teaching staff numbers 18 bodies, the equivalent of about 15 teachers because of some part-time employees. A new math curriculum has been implemented; the school has gotten new math materials, but it has not been necessary to acquire other new texts (therefore, the Textbook line has been significantly decreased). Classes (other than 4th grade at 24 with one teacher) are small and average around 13. The full-time librarian fulfills roles other than the traditional ones, e.g., work with classroom teachers on writing.
Contracted Instructional Services. Field trips have been reduced.
Guidance. Contracted Services in this budget are for testing. The guidance counselor works 3 days; this salary is broken up between the Guidance line and the Special Needs line.
Medical and Health Services. This budget covers the school nurse, medical supplies, nurse's malpractice insurance. A discussion of the nurse's duties detailed the complex procedure for dispensing medications in elementary school; a R.N. is required for this 80% position.
Special Needs. The special needs budget includes 2 full-time teachers (one a resource teacher for all K-5, the other serving a class of 3 students with severe special needs) and 2 educational assistants. The total number of students served by Special Needs is 15, 12 of whom are placed in regular classes and go to the resource room for special help with their areas of learning disability. Superintendent Gradone explained the state requirements for the teaching of special needs children. Summer school is provided for those students for whom regression is a danger and who need 12 rather than 10 months of school; the two summer components exist for severe special needs and for some learning disabled. Ms. Kent noted that the push is to educate
children with special needs in as close proximity as possible to other students; those with severe special needs cannot be mainstreamed for academics but can be integrated for other activities, gaining good constant role models from regular achievers.
General discussion ensued, including the following:
Class Size. FinCom members felt that the elementary school classes are too small and that the teachers' salary line could be reduced if some consolidation of small classes were achieved. It was pointed out that this consolidation is difficult because of the demographics: classes between 10 -13 may be too small, but classes of 20-26 would be too large. Gradone noted that, as a result of educational theory, 13-17 students per class is felt to be the ideal size. Kent, addressing the comment that most of the board members were educated in classes of much larger size, stated that a great deal is expected of today's elementary students, therefore demanding the extra help that a small class can give. Gradone added that Massachusetts has set a very high level of
proficiency and that schools are rated annually on the absolute number of students who can achieve this standard--Wellfleet students are coming out above the average as a group. Asked about Wellfleet's performance compared to the region, he noted that this past year it was below the average, the previous year, above, and that with such small groups of students, the statistics are volatile. Members of the School Committee commented on the efficacy of low teacher-student ratios, noting that nurturing as well as teaching is necessary in today's schools.
After School Program. To Jerry Houk's question on the progress of the after-school program, Ms. Kent replied that it was moving slowly, that it was difficult to ascertain numbers for students who will use the program (10-13 needed to break even), that only a small base of people have volunteered to support it (the reason for the previous program's failure), and that so far it is without outside fund sources to sustain the program ($5000 seed money needed).
Berta Bruinooge announced that a Public Hearing on the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School budget would take place on February 26, 2004 in the Conference Room of the School building.
Superintendent Gradone then presented the Nauset Regional School Budget, giving a brief overview of the summary sheet he had distributed to the Boards. He called attention to the "Operating Budget to be Funded" line, noted that due to decreased enrollment, the middle school was laying off 3 teachers, and stated that the high school, with a level enrollment, was proposing a budget increase of 2.7%. Health insurance costs for the Region Only line were up substantially. In the Receipts budget, the state base aid will be level-funded; Wellfleet's share of this budget will drop next year because of fewer 5th graders. Jim Chudonel, the only Wellfleet representative on the Regional School Committee, reported that this budget has gone through a rigorous process of review.
He felt that the budget is "at the edge," as far as it can go without"deactivating" the efficacy of the regional school program.
Marina Enterprise Fund Budget. (Selectman Michael May disclosed that he is employed at the marina.) Marina Director Michael Flanagan presented this budget, noting that the overall budget shows a 1% increase due to Teamsters' contracted salary increases and an additional $5000 of seasonal wages for a fuel dock worker, a total increase of $3000. Marina Capital Outlay includes floating docks ($10,000), pilings ($25,000), and Engineering/Survey/Permitting for dredging of the mooring basin ($30,000). Discussion of the engineering expense followed. Flanagan invited the BOS and FinCom members to a site visit to the marina in the spring to go over engineering plans.
Capital Budget/Capital Improvement Plan and Omnibus Budget. Town Administrator Tim Smith presented these budgets, offering to the FinCom help and explanation from himself and his staff. Chair Bruinooge informed him of the FinCom meeting schedule for February and March. Smith, in response to an request from Chair Donovan, reviewed the definitions of Proposition 2 ½ Override, which asks a permanent increase to the levy limit forever, and Debt Exclusion, which asks the town to exclude the debt from the levy for the time the money is being used, not as a permanent increase in the levy (the interest is added to the debt in succeeding years). He noted that only capital items could be excluded. Smith then reviewed elements of the Capital Plan:
General Government. Copiers for Accounting and Assessor's departments, ongoing computerization, hardware replacement
Shellfish Department. Boat trailer (other items have been pulled from the budget this year
Education--Elementary School. $20,000 for the intercom system; old one is almost defunct
Public Safety. Bullet-proof vests need to be replaced; some are questionable. Smith noted that Chief Rosenthal applies for every grant possible for departmental funding.
Fire Department. Pagers, fire suppression system (wells from which tanker truck can pump)
Public works. Equipment: Road grader (debt exclusion)--a narrower machine than the present one, custodial vehicle to replace that at the transfer station (debt exclusion), refuse-packer truck, which will save 2 employees for other work. Projects: Commercial Street drainage (reimbursable), Town Hall Septic System, which must be replaced or Town Hall bathrooms will have to be closed down. Chair Donovan inquired whether this septic system replacement could be incorporated with nearby properties and business sharing the cost; Smith will investigate this. Library carpet replacement (put off 2 years), refurbish Uncle Tim's Bridge - $300,000 cost (Engineers will provide a briefing to the BOS on Uncle Tim's and Lieutenant Island Bridge projects on
2-24-04.), replace Town Hall carpet and tile.
Marina. Floating docks, an ongoing expense.
Chair Donovan suggested that the BOS move the Capital Improvement Plan as a BOS recommendation and pass it on to FinCom in order that they might review it in a timely way.
Helen Wilson asked at what point and by whom decisions could be made concerning what to pull out of the budget.
FinCom Chair Bruinooge noted that most important to FinCom were the BOS operating budget recommendations.
Donovan asked whether the BOS wished to pass the operating budget, as reviewed, to the FinCom to give them time to discuss it.
Jerry Houk stated that FinCom did not need the budget until February 18 and that he wished to talk further about the Human Needs budget.
Bruinooge stated that a memo had been sent to the BOS from FinCom regarding two budgets they felt had not been sufficiently funded; Arlene Kirsch spoke of the need for suffficient funds in the Reserve Fund to cover transfer requests.
Donovan then suggested that the BOS meet on Monday, February 9, at 7 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room to go over the Operating Budget and the Capital Plan; the Selectmen agreed.
Minutes of Joint Meeting of 1-26-04. Ira Wood moved and Mike May seconded that the BOS approve the minutes of 1-26-04 as amended; the motion carried, 5-0. Mac Hay moved and Arlene Kirsch seconded that the FinCom approve the amended minutes of 1-26-04; the motion carried, 7-0.
The Finance Committee adjourned its meeting at 9:50 p.m.
Helen Wilson moved and Jerry Houk seconded that the Board of Selectmen enter into Executive Session, not to return to open session, for the purpose of discussing personnel. Donovan said yes, May said yes, Wood said yes, Houk said yes, Wilson said yes. The motion carried, 5-0.
Respectfully submitted,
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Frances J. Castillo, Committee Secretary Dale Donovan, Chair
Board of Selectmen
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Berta Bruinooge, Chair Michael May
Finance Committee
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Jerry Houk
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Ira Wood
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Helen Miranda Wilson
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