Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – January 30, 2006

High School Library – 7:30 P.M.

 

Members Present:  Joel Alpert, Maria Anderson, Michael Feldman, Brian Fitzgerald,

                               Charles Goodman, Jonathan Hitter, Joel Lessard, Ira Miller, Gloria

                               Rose, Gregory Sydney (Hamilton)

                Absent:   Kenneth Goldberg

 

1.      This is the 15th meeting for this fiscal year.  The Board of Health presented their budget for FY’07.  Anne Bingham, Chairman; Suzy Peck, Member; Linda Rosen, Administrator; Sheila Miller, Public Health Nurse were present.

 

2.      Much discussion was held on items in the budget including salaries, range of services provided, flu clinic, its costs, reimbursement from Medicare, and donations.

 

3.      On February 6 Barbra Nadler, Library Director, will be here to go over the Library budget.

 

4.      OTHER BUSINESS

 

5.      Chuck Goodman stated that there was a Priorities meeting this morning.  The next meeting is on February 16.  We should know what will be available for the Finance Committee budget.  The other item is that somebody requested to come before us.  They put in a Warrant Article to buy some land at King Phillip’s Rocks which is located off Mansfield Street.  The Selectmen and the School Committee are to come before us for their budgets.

 

6.      Mention was made regarding upcoming Warrant Articles and the need to review them.

 

7.      There was much discussion regarding the hiring of a health insurance consultant and the need to pursue it.  The Selectmen have a March 1 deadline.  There is going to be a meeting within the next two weeks with the Executive Committee, the Auditor, and a consultant.

 

8.      There was discussion on the potential hiring of a Finance Director.

 

9.      A MOTION was made by Brian Fitzgerald and SECONDED by Joel Alpert to increase our sector budget into the cost of professional Finance Director’s salary and bring forward in our sector.

 

10.  There was continued discussion on the motion.

 

11.  A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Greg Sydney to table the previous motion.

 

12.  VOTED:  10-0-0.

 

13.  A suggestion was made to get information from department heads.

 

14.  There will be a Capital Outlay meeting on Thursday, February 2.

 

15.  Joel Alpert will speak to the Fire Chief to find out what his needs are.

 

16.  David Grasfield commented on an article in the Sharon Advocate regarding the purchase of Rattlesnake Hill.

 

17.  It was MOVED and SECONDED to approve the Minutes of September 12, 2005, as stated.

 

18.  VOTED:  9-0-1.  For:  Alpert, Feldman, Fitzgerald, Goodman, Hitter, Lessard, Miller, Rose, Sydney.  Abstain:  Anderson.

 

19.  It was MOVED and SECONDED to approve the Minutes of December 5, 2005.

 

20.  VOTED:  9-0-1.  For:  Alpert, Anderson, Feldman, Fitzgerald, Goodman, Lessard, Miller, Rose, Sydney.  Abstain:  Hitter.

 

21.  It was MOVED and SECONDED to approve the Minutes of January 9, 2006.

 

22.  VOTED:  8-0-2.  For:  Alpert, Anderson, Feldman, Goodman, Hitter, Lessard, Miller, Sydney.  Abstain:  Fitzgerald, Rose.

 

23.  There was some discussion regarding the Open Meeting Law.

 

24.  Chuck Goodman stated that the Finance Committee represents the citizens and taxpayers.  We do not represent any special interest group in the town.  It is laid out what we were formed to do.  That should be our first consideration when it comes to taxation of the citizens.

 

25.  The next meeting will be on February 6, 2006.

 

26.  It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

 

27.  VOTED:  10-0-0.

 

28.  The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 P.M.