FINANCE COMMITTEE
MINUTES – MAY 5, 2003
Town Hall – 7:30 P.M.
Members present: Tuck, Heitin, Pietal, Grasfield, Bergeron, Bluestein, Fixler, Gillen, Hearne, (Garza). Members absent: Goodman, Sirkin
1. Proponent L. Koval expressed the belief that the Finance Committee’s recommendations on Articles 34 and 35 showed misunderstanding of the articles. She said that the purpose of Article 34, moratorium on new 40B projects, was not to effect active development, but to send the governor and legislature a message of the need to change the law. She reported that here are seventy pending bills regarding 40B, all tabled waiting for recommendations from the governor’s task force. She thought the task force showed little interest in amending the law. Heitin asked if the Article was binding and stated that if it was not that it may not be appropriate for Town Meeting. Heitin also added that as elected officials, the Selectmen should be taking action on this issue. Tuck thought that a message
from the Selectmen would have more force when directed by Town Meeting. Pietal saw the issue as more appropriate for the ballot, and Grasfield thought the article was effectively a referendum.
2. Hearne said that the Finance Committee does not “direct” other town boards as requested in Article 35. Koval explained that the Planning Board is in the process of addressing affordable housing and thought that an affirmative vote on the article would be a vote of encouragement.
3. Tuck reported that the Town Clerk’s Fiscal 2004 budget was inadvertently underfunded. Moved and Seconded that the Town Clerk’s Fiscal 2004 budget recommendation be increased by forty dollars and the Planning Board Fiscal 2004 budget recommendation be decreased by forty dollars. Vote: 7-0-1
4. DPW Superintendent E. Hooper explained that street acceptances go first to the Selectmen, then to the Planning Board, and then to the Selectmen again. At every step there is a list of conditions to be completed. All conditions for the streets in Article 51 have been met. Finally, the street acceptance articles go to the Finance Committee and Town Meeting. In answer to a question from Bluestein, Hooper said the controversy over a holding pond had nothing to do with streets. Moved and Seconded to recommend approval of Article 51, street acceptances. Vote: 7-0-1
5. Hooper documented a $225,000 shortfall in snow and ice, including wages and salaries (overtime), materials and supplies (salt and sand), equipment rental (contractors) and fuel costs. They are still paying for street sweeping. The expected federal aid of $55,000 turned out to be $51,000. In answer to a question from Bergeron, he replied that salt and sand are purchased cooperatively with other towns. Moved and Seconded to transfer $225,000 from the Reserve Fund to the Department of Public Works for snow and ice. Vote: 8-0-1
6. R. Heath, West Bridgewater Finance Committee Chairman, accompanied by a member of the West Bridgewater Finance Committee, documented disproportional amounts of the Southeastern Regional School assessments for some towns. He assured the Committee that this had nothing to do with the quality of education. He reported that he is trying to talk to the Finance Committees of other towns to get them to vote to budget their proportional share. He expressed the belief that, if five towns were to vote a more equitable amount, the legislature would be forced to rethink the formula. Southeastern Representative M. Kempner explained that the assessment is figured individually by town and could not be changed. She added that towns voting lesser amounts would lower the already reduced budget for the
school. Bergeron reminded the Committee that, in the previous year, the towns were requested to agree to a formula based on the number of students, and that all towns needed to agree to change the formula. Pietal saw the problem as the formula which he believed should be dealt with through the state rather than punishing the school. Tuck saw the request as being late in the process and suggested pushing to change the law. Southeastern Regional School Business Manager Lombardi said that one or two towns would always be at the bottom and suggested that the towns might vote for a formula based on a 2/3 portion of a proportional amount.
7. Executive Secretary Puritz, accompanied by Council on Aging member M. Leventhal, presented an update to the revenue forecast showing that the changes to senior citizen exemptions and deferments agreed to by the Selectmen and the COA could be funded. He advocated recommending proposed changes in Article 6, except for keeping the current exemption amount. He said plans are to work with the COA and the Assessors and reevaluate the exemptions.
8. The Executive Secretary reported that, of the proposals for changes to property tax deferment in Article 7, only the maximum income amount could be changed without special legislation. Moved and Seconded to recommend that the Town increase from $35,000 to $40,000 the maximum income which singles or couples may have to be eligible to defer their payment of property taxes. Vote: 8-0-1
9. Moved and Seconded to recommend approval of Article 6, exemptions, deleting the section increasing the value of the tax exemptions. Vote: 8-0-1.
10. In answer to a question on Article 20, Bergeron explained that, after settling litigation, High School Building Committee funds remained to complete planned modifications to the existing High School building. Article 20 would transfer funds from the High School Building Committee to the School Department for capital improvements to the school. School Committee Chairman S. Laio stated that some of what had originally been planned was probably already done, but the funds would be used for capital improvements.
11. Fire Chief D. Mann reported that his previous request for a Reserve Fund transfer did not include the contract settlement. He added that ambulance recall has increased. Also included in the revised request are the full cost of a paramedic injury and the unabsorbed cost of training. Moved and Seconded to transfer $32,135 from the Reserve Fund to the Fire Department. Vote: 8-0-1.
12. The DPW Superintendent showed examples of the older water meters, the meters being installed in new houses and the radio meters being requested in the water budget. He would like to get to more than semi-annual billing, In answer to a question from Bluestein, he said that Norwood has not had to add personnel for billing and that they have less misread complaints. Hooper is now proposing 800 radio meters for 2004, rather than his previous proposal of radio meters for one third of the town. He said that $35,000 for regular meter replacement wouldn’t be needed. Moved and Seconded to recommend a Water Department budget of $2,219,664. Vote: 7-0-2
13. The minutes of April 14 were approved with the following change: in #1, delete
“, making” through “ be decreased”. Vote: 8-0-1
14. Tuck expressed appreciation for the contributions of Marc Bluestein, Tom Gillen and Dan Sirkin (Finance Committee members leaving the Committee).
15. The meeting adjourned at 9:45.
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