Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – October 17, 2005

Town Hall – Lower Level Hearing Room

Members Present:  Joel Alpert, Michael Feldman, Brian Fitzgerald, Kenneth Goldberg,

                               Charles Goodman, Jonathan Hitter (late), Joel Lessard, Ira Miller,

                               Gloria Rose, Gregory Sydney (late), (Hamilton)

                Absent:   Maria Anderson, Boris Deychman

1. This is the 8^th meeting of the Finance Committee for this fiscal year.  Gordon Gladstone, Chairman of the Standing Building Committee, made a presentation regarding Article 1, the Community Center.  He stated that on November 1 they should have the final project number to be presented at Town Meeting.  They made a preliminary estimate based on 50% of the construction documents at a cost of $9.5 million.

2. There was continued discussion on this presentation.

3. ARTICLE 1.  Community Center—no vote yet.

4. ARTICLE 2.  Wilber School Hazardous Waste.

5. There was much discussion on this article with Michael Baskin and Dave Dupree, members of the Wilber School Redevelopment Committee present.

6. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Jonathan Hitter that we support Article 2 not to exceed $500,000 for the cost of hazardous waste and/or asbestos removal and to determine whether this appropriation will be raised by borrowing or otherwise.

7. There was much discussion on this motion.

8. VOTED:  5-3-2.  For:  Feldman, Goldberg, Hitter, Miller, Rose.  Against:  Fitzgerald, Lessard, Sydney.  Abstain:  Alpert, Goodman.

9. ARTICLE 3.  Collective Bargaining Supplement by Board of Selectmen.

10. There was discussion on this article, and it was decided to wait on voting until there was more information.

11. ARTICLE 4.  Law Budget Supplement.  Voted:  Indefinite postponement, 9-0.

12. ARTICLE 5.  Increase Selectmen from three to five.  Voted:  5-3-1.

13. ARTICLE 6.  Selectmen’s right to waive requirement of non-resident.

14. A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Joel Lessard that we accept Article 6 as written except for the sentence that the Board of Selectmen may waive this requirement in a specific case.

15. Discussion continued on this motion.

16. VOTED:  7-2-1.  For:  Alpert, Feldman, Fitzgerald, Goldberg, Lessard, Miller, Rose.  Against:  Hitter, Sydney.  Abstain:  Goodman.

17. ARTICLE 7.  CSD.

18. There was much discussion on this article with a major objection being no checks and balances and a poorly written By-Law.

19. A MOTION was made by Brian Fitzgerald and SECONDED by Joel Alpert to vote for indefinite postponement on Article 7.

20. There was continued discussion on the motion.

21. VOTED:  3-1-6.  For:  Alpert, Fitzgerald, Lessard.  Against:  Miller.  Abstain:  Feldman, Goldberg, Goodman, Hitter, Rose, Sydney.

22. ARTICLE 8.  MUOD.

23. A MOTION was made by Brian Fitzgerald and SECONDED by Michael Feldman for indefinite postponement on Article 8.

24. VOTED:  2-1-7.  For:  Fitzgerald, Lessard.  Against:  Miller.  Abstain:  Alpert, Feldman, Goldberg, Goodman, Hitter, Rose, Sydney.

25. ARTICLE 9.  Park Naming.  Voted:  7-0-2.

26. ARTICLE 10.  Correct a numbering error.  Voted:  9-0-0.

27. OTHER BUSINESS

28. There was discussion regarding budgets for the Finance Committee sector.  Gloria Rose stated that for next year we should discuss a more unified budget with the Selectmen prior to the summer.  David Grasfield suggested that the budget discussion be put on the Selectmen’s agenda now.

29. Joel Alpert has been keeping Finance Committee members up to date regarding information from School Committee meetings.

30. Chuck Goodman and Ira Miller have been invited to collective bargaining for Executive Session by the Selectmen.

31. There will be an Open Warrant Meeting on November 7.

32. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

33. VOTED:  9-0-0.

34. The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 P.M.