Wellfleet Board of Selectmen/Finance Committee
Minutes of Joint Budget Meeting
January 26, 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
Also attending--Tim Smith, Town Administrator
Absent: Finance Committee--Patricia Foley
The Joint Meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee was called together by Chairs Dale Donovan and Chair Bruinooge at 7:00 p.m.
DPW Budget. DPW Director Mark Vincent and Administrative Assistant Joan Baker appeared to present the following DPW budgets:
#294--DPW Forestry. The request for an increase of $3000 of this budget is due to assessment needed on the silver maple trees on Main Street, with probable pruning required.
#298--Greenhead Fly Control. Paid through General Administration.
#299--Traffic Control/Street Signs. Level-funded at $2900.
#417--DPW Facilities. The total of $192,150 represents an increase of $10,400 due to electrical costs and custodial costs at the Council on Aging. Vincent noted, in response to a question from Helen Wilson, that the gasoline line had been moved to the operating budget. (Gerry Houk inquired whether the DPW trucks could get gasoline from the marina pumps; Selectman May answered that this was not now allowed by the state, since the marina pumps were not a gas station.) The contract services for #417 include plumbing, electrical work, custodial, septic pumping.
#420-- DPW Operating Budget. The total of $812,149 represents an increase of $33,979; Vincent noted that gas and diesel fuel have increased in price. Asked to explain the overtime line, Vincent stated that 60% related to the transfer station (hauling and covering staff), emergency call-ins, and equipment repair. Tim Smith noted that the biggest increase in the budget appears in salaries and wages and that this is the last year of a 3-year Teamsters' contract. Vincent explained the increase in seasonal wages; he wishes to hire 2 more seasonal helpers than he has in the last 2 years, but this additional hiring may not be necessary if the packer truck requested in the Capital Budget is approved, freeing up 2 people to fill the duties of the needed seasonal positions.
#422--DPW General Highways. The budget requests a $3000 increase for additional materials for catch-basins, drainage, striping, hot/cold patching, etc.
#423--DPW Snow Removal. Constant level funding--Accountant Marilyn Crary noted that the town has used the same budget for a long time and at this point has gone through 85% of the money budgeted for the year. Smith observed that the next storm might burn this up; discussion of state reimbursement for snow emergencies followed.
Helen Wilson introduced a discussion of plowing and maintenance of private roads; Vincent explained that, up to 3 years ago, Wellfleet had plowed and sanded some private roads, but it was no longer financially possible to add the new roads. Wilson noted that those people living on private roads should pay for plowing. Jerry Houk recounted the process by which the BOS had heretofore approved the plowing of private roads; those the BOS approved for plowing were then made open to the public. Smith noted a future problem: the town maintains some private roads; new private roads have requested maintenance; the town can no longer afford to maintain all private roads. Dale Donovan suggested a charge-for-plowing solution. Vincent agreed that the whole issue of private road maintenance must be
addressed. Jerry Houk moved, and Donovan seconded, that the DPW Director formulate a policy regarding private road maintenance and bring it to the Town Administrator, who will then submit it to the BOS. The motion carried, 5-0.
#424--DPW Streetlights. The DPW maintains 233 streetlights in town.
#425--Dikes, Bridges, Parking Lots. This budget pays for maintenance and material for parking lots; Vincent noted that the Town Hall and Duck Harbor lots are in bad shape.
#426--DPW Surveying and Engineering. Reduction of $10,000 in budget.
#433--DPW Transfer Station. Total of $159,090 includes a small increase for gasoline and diesel fuel plus maintenance supplies--it is costing more to keep up the additional recycling trailers. Jerry Houk asked the cost for removing the non-operational vehicles at the transfer station; Vincent stated that he has found a vendor who will remove them for free. He added that revenues and expenses were running about even at the transfer station and that the drop in the repair/maintenance line was due to the previous year's major repairs. Amnesty Day cost $9000 - $10,000, mainly for contract services and tipping fees.
#442--Cole's Neck Water System. Vincent explained that this budget is now level-funded but may be changed to include an additional person or else to use Whitewater contract services (estimated at $65,000) for testing, erosion control, and all services related to the water system. He noted that if the Town would consider funding the position, it would reduce the budget to $40,000-50,000 and provide someone to oversee the system. Tim Smith added that the Town does not have control of this expense, since DEP mandates monitoring of the water system; it would be cheaper to hire a full-time person than to contract with Whitewater. Discussion followed:
Helen Wilson stated that the water system contained more pipe than before but only 3 new hookups and that Whitewater has heretofore monitored it satisfactorily.
Jerry Houk suggested having a current employee trained in the job, which would be worked in as part of his regular duties; Smith suggested that it would have to be decided which things would no longer be part of his current duties.
Vincent emphasized that he wanted the employee's sole responsibility to be the water quality.
Donovan noted that the expense of a monitor would be charged to users of the water system.
FinCom Chair Bruinooge alluded to Provincetown's firing of its water monitor for its 3000- hookup system and subsequent hiring of Environmental Partners to replace him; it was noted that this was a temporary measure.
Vincent stated that only he, his assistant Kevin Cahoon, and his foreman are now qualified with water licenses; he does not at present know how he would choose to diminish tasks for someone to work as a water maintenance person.
#443--Wesley Swamp Pump. Level-funded.
#692--Holiday Celebration. Vincent stated, in response to a question from Kirsch, that the cost of July 4th staffing was not excessive, since the work was done during normal work hours.
Council on Aging Budget. Jacqui Wildes, Director of the Council on Aging, presented budget information.
#541--Council on Aging; #542--Council on Aging Board; #543--Veterans Services. Ms. Wildes pointed out that the electricity and fuel oil budget lines had been moved into DPW Facilities, zeroing them out. She noted the following breakdown for Contract Services: Transportation--$7000; Fire and Motion Alarms--$700; Water--$250; Phones--$700; Other--$500. Transportation consists mainly of privately contracted carriers for elders' medical appointments; the COA does not ask reimbursement but does ask co-pay (e.g., trip to Boston=$150, co-pay=$45). There are also numerous volunteers who drive clients to Hyannis and Yarmouth. Ms. Wildes stated that the Friends of the COA assist the COA Board by paying for the newsletter and its postage. A discussion ensued of the possibility of renting
out COA space.
#520--Human Services. Chair Donovan read into the record a letter from Joan Platt; the letter (after establishing the history and purposes of the Human Services Committee as a receptor through which non-profit agencies can solicit Town funds) urged the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee to support the budget for Human Services, which the Town Administrator had advised against funding. Donovan then read Smith's response letter, in which Smith explained that he does not believe that local government should donate to services outside of the channels mandated by local procurement laws, since the legality of such donation is questionable.
Arlene Kirsch stated that she agreed with Smith theoretically but agreed with Ms. Platt basically, feeling that some funded services must be kept in the budget.
Helen Wilson urged the boards to consider the record of services that recipient agencies minister to the citizens of Wellfleet.
Smith agreed that some of these services are very helpful; he pointed out, however, that there was no way to determine whether the demographics agencies have provided are accurate. He advised that the boards appropriate the $47,000 asked in the budget and direct Wildes and her committee to procure the services needed.
Donovan felt that the administrative and executive parts of town government have a responsibility to find a legal process for funding such services.
Ms. Wildes, considering arguments of both sides, suggested figuring out what Wellfleet citizens needed and then procuring it. She agreed with Smith that it was difficult to determine the amount of help given the Town by recipient service agencies and felt there had probably been some money wasted.
Berta Bruinooge, remembering that prior to Human Services' inclusion in the town budget all agencies seeking funding put separate articles on the warrant, urged that the boards' decision not cause a return to that practice.
Helen Wilson objected to the proposed procurement process, stating that she wanted to know exactly what the town was paying for--that she did not want a town-approved sum of money given to "some group" to choose how to spend.
Donovan concluded that discussion had been brought to this point by the boards' effort to keep the budget down, that they had arrived at the point of making choices. All these human services, he added, would go on without town donations, but town-budgeted activities would not continue if they were not budgeted.
Arlene Kirsch noted her uneasiness about going into Annual Town Meeting without a Human Services budget--a "parade" of warrant articles would result. She warned that the procurement process could not simply be introduced on Town Meeting floor without publicity and explanation preceding it.
#141--Assessor. Town Assessor Nancy Vail stated that the budget was level-funded as requested; the exemption sheet which she distributed (Clause 41C Senior Exemption Options) listed possible changes in the 60 exemptions (totaling about $24,000) which Wellfleet awarded last year. She recommended the adoption of only small exemption increases, or perhaps leaving this alone in these tight budget times. Chair Donovan pointed out that such exemptions are made up by taxes from other taxpayers. Discussion followed of the Senior Property Tax Work-off Abatement, which allows the elderly taxpayer to work off taxes by volunteering in town at the rate of minimum wage, a program administered by the COA. Ms. Vail noted that, if such a program were approved now, there would probably not
be time to get a warrant article in place for Town Meeting this year. She added that the Accounting, Assessing, and Town Clerk's Offices would have to coordinate the project.
Town Tax Collector Budget. Town Collector Marianne Nickerson presented her budgets:
#146--Town/Tax Collector. Ms. Nickerson explained the $300 increase on the Supply line would go for printer ribbons; Contract Services of $3500 were with a software company.
#756--Interest on Real Estate Tax Refunds. This budget is level-funded.
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#135--Accountant. Town Account Marilyn Crary noted that the budget for her very busy 2-person office was level-funded; she stated that she would not feel comfortable asking for another person with the town budget as tight as it is. Arlene Kirsch suggested using Elder Services retraining.
Town Clerk/Treasurer Budgets. Clerk/Treasurer Dawn Rickman explained items from her "miscellany" of budgets:
#145--Town Clerk/Treasurer. The Contract Services line ($16,740) covers health insurance and payroll services; the Borrowing Costs line ($15,000) relates to bond issues.
#158--Tax Title. Ms. Rickman noted that tax title properties are down to 18 (due to last year's sale); expenses for this budget are mandated by its process, in which the Town Collector along with the Tax Title Attorney proceed to tax title, then to the Treasurer's Office, to foreclosure, and to Land Court.
#162--Elections/Registration. The increase of $150 in this budget is a stipend for the Head Registrar. Ms. Rickman has recently purchased 10 new voting booths to replace the extremely old and somewhat untrustworthy ones formerly in use.
#753--Short Term Loan Interest. Level-funded, this budget serves short-term borrowing for such projects as the landfill closing, repair of bridges, etc.
#911--County Retirement. Ms. Rickman commented that this budget ($511,077) has increased greatly. PERAC approves the entire budget for Barnstable County; it is based on town employees' salaries on 9/30 of each year; and there has been an increase in operating charges. Wellfleet's town obligations have gone up with recent retirements.
#913--Unemployment Compensation. Wellfleet will spend about $15,000 this year. Seasonal employees (under 6 weeks) do not qualify for unemployment.
#914--Group Insurance Health and #914--Group Insurance Life. [Helen Wilson recused herself from discussion of these budgets.] Ms. Rickman explained that the Town of Wellfleet is part of Group Health Benefits, which probably requires some of the lowest payments in the state and offers several plans: BC/BS Indemnity, Harvard Pilgrim HMO, Secure Horizons, Medex. The group is looking into making it mandatory that all units offer all plans. Life insurance is mandatory for all new town employees.
#916--Medicare Town Share. Another mandatory item, this is difficult to budget.
#946--Surety Bonds. These bonds cover the Tax Collector and Town Clerk/Treasurer.
# 699--Beach Program Budget. Suzanne Thomas attended the meeting to answer any questions on the beach budget not covered in the last meeting. She noted that the Contract Services line was down; formerly covering both toilets and credit cards, it now contains only credit card fees. Bouse House has been given its own line. Ms. Thomas is currently in the process of looking for a new (and cheaper) credit card vendor. In answer to Ira Wood's query, she stated that $2200 had been earned on t-shirt sales, covering costs and showing a profit.
Minutes of Joint Meeting of January 12, 2004. Ira Wood moved and Michael May seconded that the BOS approve the 1-12-04 minutes; the motion carried, 5-0. Carl Caruso moved and Arlene Kirsch seconded that the FinCom approve the 1-12-04 minutes; the motion carried, 7-0.
Other Business. Tim Smith noted that Wellfleet would have to pay $90,000 beyond what has been budgeted for the Technical High School to cover an attendance increase of 6 students; the Tech School's per capita charge of $14,000 is slightly larger than that for students who attend Nauset Regional.
Adjournment for FinCom was moved and seconded by Sylvia Smith and Berta Bruinooge and for the BOS by Dale Donovan and Ira Wood. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
Respectfully submittted,
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Frances J. Castillo, Committee Secretary
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Berta Bruinooge, Chair Dale Donovan, Chair
Finance Committee Board of Selectmen
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Michael May
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Jerry Houk
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Ira Wood
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Helen Miranda Wilson
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