FINANCE COMMITTEE

MINUTES – July 12, 2004

TOWN HALL – 7:35 P.M.

 

Members present: Pietal, Fitzgerald, Fixler, Goldberg, Goodman, Hearne, Hitter, Miller, Feldman,                                 Sydney

 Members absent: Rose

 

Reserve Fund Transfers ( Ben Puritz, Joel Walk)

 

1.      Recreation Department

a.             MOVED (Hitter/Fixler) to transfer $1616.45 to correct clerical error in salary rate for Assistant Recreation Director.

Voted: 8 - 0 - 1(Sydney abstains)

 

b.            $57, 115 requested to fund activities related to the Architect / Engineering Services

                                                   i.      $25,000 evaluation of building

                                                 ii.      $27,115 Emergency Demolition

                                                iii.      $5,000 Project Coordination Services

                                               iv.      Insurance may reimburse the cost of  60-80K to take down the flat roof over the kitchen, cable television studio and dining room areas

1        Town has hired an insurance adjuster

2        January 2003 storm was a precipitating event – 10 to 20% of the beams holding are in failure (cracking)

                                                 v.      Plan 1.        hire a structural engineer to look into the electrical

                     put the building back to where it was

   Plan 2.        make improvements to the building to better use the facility, i.e.              the upstairs rooms

                                               vi.      SBC is working on RFP to be presented in July for action at Fall Town Meeting (10/18/04)

1        Bring building up to code – Replicate historical uses of the building

2        Joel Walk, chairman of the SBC will serve on the designer selection board w/Rich Rice (registered architect)

a.       Feasibility Study

                                                                                                                           i.      Determine value of the structure

                                                                                                                         ii.      Recommend stabilization or enhance current and future use

b.      Approval by State Dept. Of Capital Asset Management to consider this an emergency project (different rules for bidding, etc.)

 

 

 

Discussion Points

c.       Why are $25,000 evaluation of building and $5,000 Project Coordination Services being considered for a Reserve Fund Transfer (RTF)? (Hearne)

d.      Why $25,000 for an RFP? (Goldberg)

e.       Is there a time limit when RTF can be done? (Goldman)

                                                   i.      Yes. July 15th.

                                                 ii.      We should not approve RTFs based on estimates

f.        Why pay RTF in ’04 for an ’05 expense? (Fixler)

                                                   i.      It would be fiscally responsible to fund from ’04 or ’05

·        MOVED (Sydney/Hearne) to transfer $22,115 to fund demolition costs from ’04 Reserve Fund.

Voted: 9 – 1 (Hitter opposed)

 

·        MOVED (Hitter/Goodman) to transfer $5,000 to fund demolition costs from ’04 Reserve Fund.

Voted: 3 – 7 (Hitter, Miller, Goodman in favor)

 

·        MOVED (Hearne/Fixler) to transfer $30,000 to fund emergency demolition and building evaluation costs from FY ’05 Reserve Fund.

a.       Voted: 6 – 4 (Goldberg, Goodman, Sydney, Pietal opposed)

 

 

2.      Law Budget

a.       Overrun of $52,963.56 due to the cost of litigation of SPRINT and Rattlesnake Hill cases

 

MOVED (Fixler/Miller) to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing pending litigation.

Voted: 7 - 2 - 1(Hearne, Goodman opposed, Goldberg abstained)

 

MOVED (Fixler/Hitter) to go exit executive session and return to public session.

Voted: 9 – 0 (Goldberg absent)

 

MOVED (Hitter/Fixler) to approve Reserve Fund Transfer of $52,963.56 to cover overruns in the ’04 legal budget.

Voted: 6 - 3 - 1(Fitzgerald, Miller, Sydney opposed, Goldberg abstained)

 

b.      Why not charge the legal bill for Maskwonicut Street to the water budget? (Goodman)

c.       What can we do to better track this budget? (Fitzgerald)

                                                   i.      It’s not a matter of tracking, but a matter of financial capacity (Puritz)

 

MOVED (Hitter/Hearne) to transfer $3150 from the Reserve Fund to the ’04 legal budget to cover costs associated with settlement of the Donahue case (Macintosh Farms Special Permit).

Voted: 10 – 0

 

Finance Committee Business

 

1. Review of Finance Committee members Committee Assignments for ‘05

a. Capital Outlay and Priorities Committee Members must be sworn in.

 

 

2. Upcoming Committee Meetings

1.July 26, 2004 – Review Warrant Committee Articles

 

MOVED (Fixler/Hitter) to adjourn.

Voted: 10 – 0