Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – January 8, 2007

Town Hall, Lower Level Hearing Room – 7:30 P.M.

 

Members Present:  Joel Alpert, Maria Anderson, Brian Fitzgerald, Charles Goodman,

                              Joel Lessard, Ira Miller, Laura Nelson, Edward Philips, Gloria Rose

                              (late), Gregory Sydney, (Hamilton)

 

1.      Ira Miller announced that Ken Goldberg has resigned from the Finance Committee.  According to the By-laws of the Town, we await recommendation for an interim replacement through the end of Town Meeting.  We have a few members whose terms are expiring this year.  Tonight was the date for our sector to submit their budgets.  We will review budgets at our next meeting on January 22.  We are planning to meet every week until Town Meeting.  There will be a Special Town Meeting in March.  A meeting was held by the Economic Development Committee and Selectmen to discuss the parcel by S. Main and S. Walpole Streets at Foxboro town line.  There was a plan to rezone those parcels.  The developer will come to the next Finance Committee meeting on January 22.  Look at project in realm of $3.5 million to $4 million revenue for the town.  Another item is a placeholder whether to entertain the fact of the Water Department as an enterprise as opposed to being part of the Selectmen’s sector.  We want to attend to one of the By-laws where an adjudicatory hearing member was absent.  We passed By-law and now put in placeholder for this Annual Town Meeting.  Alice Cheyer has put something together.

 

2.      Alice Cheyer stated that it was accepting a statute.  You accept the statute then make regulations or By-law.  The Finance Committee wanted audio or video.  My preparation of Warrant Article is second half of it.  It is better if you send in a fairly agreed upon item and send in as the draft article, and then Attorney Gelerman goes over it.

 

3.      Ira Miller stated that approval of this article would allow a member to miss one sitting and that he or she has viewed a video or listened to an audio hearing.  This would be enacted according to State law.  The proposed By-law article to see if the Town will vote to adopt, via a by-law, minimum additional requirements for attendance at scheduled board, committee, and commission hearing, as permitted by paragraph (b) of Section 23D of MGL c.39, which the Town accepted via Article 12 of the Special Town Meeting, November 13, 2006.  This by-law requires that a member of any municipal board, committee, or commission when holding an adjudicatory hearing shall not be disqualified from voting in the matter solely due to that member’s absence from no more than a single session of the hearing at which testimony or other evidence with respect to that matter is received, provided that before voting on such matter, the member shall certify in a written affidavit that he or she has examined all evidence received at the missed session, which evidence shall include all written materials pertaining to the hearing and an audio recording or video recording of the missed session.  The member’s written certification shall be part of the record of the hearing.

 

4.      There was much discussion on this article.

 

5.      A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Joel Lessard that the Finance Committee submit the Zoning Board of Appeals article as a proposed Warrant article for the May Town Meeting.

 

6.      VOTED:  8-1-1.  Against:  Goodman.  Abstain:  Miller.  Rose not present at vote.

 

7.      Joel Alpert presented his analysis of the school contracts as follows:  (1)  Comparison of old and new contracts.  (2)  Rush to complete agreement.  Referenced incorrect years.  (3)  Excessive cold or hot conditions.  How to be determined and why it was included.  (4)  Increase in sick days from 100 to 250.  What is cost to town?  (5)  3% increases across the board only in year two and three.  First year varies.  (6)  Health insurance.  Wasn’t addressed by School Committee.  After 3% raise and 250 sick days, left up to Selectmen.  There was to be no increase in pay until insurance negotiated.  (7)  Other town employees negotiated health insurance.  Co-pay increased and went from 80/20 to 70/30.  (8)  Explanation of how they negotiate and who does it.

 

8.      There was considerable discussion regarding these contracts including Essential School, health insurance, salaries, and sick days.

 

9.      The next item on the agenda was the Investment Policy.

 

10.  There was discussion held regarding the Investment Policy with the following items brought up:  (1)  Separation of Funds.  (2)  Funds should be invested as soon as possible.  No later than 10 work days after they are received.  This was not addressed.  (3)  Question about protection.  (4)  Authorized and suitable investment.  (5)  Question of cash being invested.  (6)  Most have some form of insurance.  (7)  How to use the State statute regulations to receive most benefit.  (8)  Financial Report.  Should be reported in Annual Report.  (9)  See what other towns do.  (10)  Delegation of authority.  Only Town Treasurer.  (11)  How money is invested.  (12)  No interest on cash, revolving funds, special funds, revenue from Recreation Department, no interest.  (13)  Wording in new document:  7.0  New word in second paragraph.  Now says periodic review, before, annual review.  Under Collateralization.  Now, first being cash, before, cash not there.  Under 15.0 reporting now says simply, before, did not.  Now, delegation of authority, before, did not.  (14)  5.0  Delegation of Authority.  Should be an alternate to Town Treasurer.  Specific language when alternate would take Town Treasurer’s place.

 

11.  The next item on the agenda was a discussion regarding the joint meeting of Capital Outlay and Priorities on Thursday, January 11, regarding the percentage of the operating budget that has been for capital items.

 

12.  Discussion continued regarding debt pay down, what percentage of operating budget and how to allocate, health insurance, and suggestion to cut back on capital spending in the year where the operating part of the budget needs more funds.

 

13.  Ira Miller reported on the meeting with Selectmen and Economic Development Committee and Intoccia that was led by Eli Hauser.  If the town rezoned, looking for commercial development called a Life Style Mall similar to Mashpee Commons.  Upscale commercial stores, restaurants, Trader Joe.  There is a need for speed.  Other proposed developments close to this area.  The Water Commission asked for search for water that is ongoing.  It would take a few years to see if the land would support a well in that area.  Haven’t been given permission yet.  Upon the rezoning, developer would help do that search.  A plan that would protect the cranberry bogs, the wetlands and a buffer for neighbors.  Would back up to Route 95 between S. Main Street bridge and S. Walpole Street bridge to Old Post Road.  Plans look plausible.  Article only for rezoning.  $3.5 million or $4 million per year annual revenue.  He’ll be coming before us on the 22nd to present.  There is a Special Town Meeting proposed in mid-March.  There’ll be an opening of Warrant and closing of Warrant.  We’ll do our hearings.  Meetings with abutters.  Make recommendation.  Print Warrant.  Abbreviated time for our Annual Town Meeting.  We should be seeing articles shortly.  Closing for petition articles, 15th, and 22nd for everybody else.

 

14.  There was further discussion regarding this proposal.

 

15.  Joel Alpert praised the Superintendent and School Committee for coming up with Essential School as opposed to current structure which encouraged overrides and looks forward to budget with Essential School in it.

 

16.  OLD BUSINESS

 

17.  Laura Nelson reported on monitoring Google.  There was some discussion on this.

 

18.  There was some discussion regarding the library being in the Finance Committee sector, but the library reported to the Selectmen.

 

19.  Ira Miller stated that the issue will be raised at Priorities when sector allocation comes up.  It is our intent based on that vote to keep in Finance Committee sector.  Our vote was to keep them in our sector and keep status quo.  We included them in our sector.  We need to see their budget.

 

20.  Chuck Goodman reported on meeting of CPC.  There are issues as to what they can afford and how they can afford it.  Regarding Massapoag Brook Neighborhood Association.  They can do that along with Horizons under 10-year debt.  If 5-year obligation, it can’t be done.

 

21.  There was some discussion regarding this information.

 

22.  NEW BUSINESS

 

23.  Brian Fitzgerald reported on the Boy Scouts Citizenship of the Community.  They will attend a town committee meeting to get a feeling of what goes on.  They will attend the first half hour of the meeting.  The presentation on rezoning.  They will write a letter to the Committee Chair about Horizons for Youth.  The boys are ages 11-13.  They usually go to Selectmen’s meeting.

 

24.  Discussion was held on the resignation of Ken Goldberg.

 

25.  Gloria Rose reported that Corey Snow is Chairman of the Nominating Committee of the Finance Committee and will give us more information before we can discuss it.

 

26.  Ira Miller stated that when there is a vacancy mid-term, the Nominating Committee presents to this committee, then the term expires at Town Meeting.

 

27.  Gloria Rose stated that there will be four people on a rotation.  There will be an ad for anybody who wants to apply to be members of the Finance Committee.

 

28.  Brian Fitzgerald asked if there were an objection to letting the seat stay vacant.

 

29.  Ira Miller announced that Kathy Byrne, secretary to the Executive Secretary to the Selectmen, is retiring on Thursday.  An invaluable help to this committee helping get out the Warrant, along with Marlene Chused.  All the best on behalf of the committee.  She’s going to be very difficult to replace.  A huge resource.

 

30.  The next meeting will be January 22, 2006.

 

31.  It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

 

32.  VOTED:  11-0-0.

 

33.  The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 p.m.