Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – April 4, 2007

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

Members Present:  Joel Alpert, Maria Anderson, Charles Goodman, Jonathan Hitter

                               (late), Ira Miller, Laura Nelson, Edward Philips, Gregory Sydney

                               (Hamilton)

                Absent:   Brian Fitzgerald, Joel Lessard, Gloria Rose

1. The agenda items for this meeting were a Reserve Fund Transfer and a salary decision to make for Town Clerk.

2. Ira Miller reported that meetings scheduled on Monday, April 9, by the Selectmen and the School Committee regarding the override numbers, would mean a Tuesday meeting in order to deliberate and write a recommendation that is due by April 13.

3. The first item was the Reserve Fund Transfer.

4. Marlene Chused explained that the $6,319.17 wasn’t budgeted for the Special Town Election for Horizons for Youth.  This was out of Elections and Registrations.  She is budgeting for Fall Town Meeting, but is not budgeting for any other elections or other Special Town Meetings.

5. A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Ted Philips to make a Reserve Fund Transfer in the amount of $6,319.17 for the January, 2007, Special Town Election.

6. VOTED:  7-0-0.

7. A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Maria Anderson to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing salary, collective bargaining, insurance and other related items.

8. VOTED:  7-0-0.

9. Resumed regular session at 9:05 p.m.

10. Ira Miller announced that the Finance Committee has voted on the salary of Town Clerk as a 3% increase for FY’08.  The next item discussed was the Finance Committee sector budgets including the potential override numbers and how they affect all the budgets.

11. Jon Hitter arrived at the meeting at 9:15 p.m.

12. Maria Anderson put the budgets into the current format.

13. There was considerable discussion on each department budget in the Finance Committee sector.  Joel Alpert suggested hiring someone from the high school to run the numbers for some analyses which would require some funding.

14. Chuck Goodman stated that each expense budget should be reduced down to 2% in line with the Revenue Forecast.

15. A MOTION was made by Chuck Goodman and SECONDED by Ted Philips to reduce Planning Board expense line item by $1,730.

16. VOTED:  8-0-0.

17. A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Maria Anderson to reduce the Lake Management budget by $125.

18. VOTED:  8-0-0.

19. There was discussion on the Board of Appeals budget.

20. A MOTION was made by Greg Sydney and SECONDED by Joel Alpert to reduce the Board of Appeals budget from $19,787 to $19,304.

21. VOTED:  8-0-0.

22. A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Maria Anderson to reduce expenses by $200 for Board of Assessors budget to be $244,800.

23. VOTED:  8-0-0.

24. There was some discussion on the Personnel Board budget.

25. A MOTION was made by Ted Philips and SECONDED by Joel Alpert to reduce Personnel Board expense line item by $327.  $2,690 total budget.

26. VOTED:  8-0-0.

27. There was discussion on the Town Clerk and Conservation Commission’s budgets.

28. A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert to accept the Conservation Commission 2.5% budget as presented.  The motion was withdrawn.

29. There was much discussion held on the Board of Health budget.

30. Ira Miller stated that the library is not in the Finance Committee sector for the budget.

31. Chuck Goodman stated, with Town Treasurer verification, that without an override, taxes are going up 5.52% or 5.53%.  With a $2 million override, taxes are going up 10.23%, which is based on the latest numbers.

32. There was some discussion on the Finance Committee expense budget.

33. A MOTION was made by Ted Philips and SECONDED by Jon Hitter to reduce Finance Committee expense budget from $800 to $600.

34. VOTED:  6-2-0.  Against:  Alpert, Goodman.

35. Ira Miller stated there would be $1,335 to put back where needed.

36. A MOTION was made by Joel Alpert and SECONDED by Jon Hitter to add $675 to Conservation Commission expense budget and add $660 to Board of Health budget as submitted on the 2.5% budget.

37. VOTED:  8-0-0.

38. Ira Miller stated that the Finance Committee needs a vote to pay our dues.

39. A MOTION was made by Ted Philips and SECONDED by Jon Hitter to pay our dues to the Association of Town Finance Committees (ATFC) in the amount of $220.

40. VOTED:  8-0-0.

41. The next meetings will be on April 9 and April 10.

42. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

43. VOTED:  8-0-0.

44. The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 p.m.