Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – March 9, 2009

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

Members Present:  Brian Fitzgerald, Donald Gilligan, Gordon Gladstone, Jonathan Hitter,

                               Josh Kiernan, Joel Lessard, Ira Miller, Laura Nelson, Edward Philips

                               (Hamilton)

                Absent:   Maria Anderson, Charles Goodman

Other Attendees:  Dr. Barbara Dunham, Superintendent; Tim Farmer, Asst.

                             Superintendent; Sue Owens, Business Mgr.; School Committee

                             Members:  Alison Rutley, Chair; Glenn Allen, Mitch Blaustein, Linda

                             Callan, Laura Salomons.  Andrea Lovett.

1. The first item on the agenda was the review of the School Department budget for FY’10.

2. Dr. Dunham presented highlights of the School Department budget including personnel and salaries by grades and by building, Revolving Accounts, health insurance, and enrollment trends.

3. There was considerable discussion regarding this budget, including Special Education and Regular Education budgets, looking to purchase ten vans for Special Education from request to Capital Outlay to save transportation costs, and discussion on Circuit Breaker and stimulus money to receive half by end of March.

4. There was discussion regarding contracts and Dr. Dunham stated that all contracts were settled except teacher contracts which were in the third year of a three-year contract.  There will be negotiations for FY’10, FY’11, and FY’12.  There will be a 2.5% increase in settled contracts.  There was to be an increase of 2.5% for administrators explaining this was needed to keep the administrators they have from leaving for other jobs.  There were no placeholders.

5. There was some discussion regarding a coordination of programs with Community Education, Library, Adult Center, and Recreation Department.

6. OTHER BUSINESS

7. Ira Miller announced that the Finance Committee was invited to a joint presentation with Capital Outlay by the Economic Development Committee on Thursday, March 19.

8. A report on Capital Outlay by Gordon Gladstone and Brian Fitzgerald indicated that they met their goals to keep capital spending at 6% and to borrow less than 5.5%.  That included the ten new Special Education vans and two modular classrooms for the high school.  $214,000 modular, $280,000 Special Education vans, $600,000 fire truck, $18,000 library.  The vote was unanimous.  Pay down plan intact.

9. Ira Miller stated that we will get an update on Warrant articles for next week to hear and debate if ready.  Another topic for next week was to discuss the 3% placeholder for contracts not settled for FY’09 in Selectmen’s sector and the 2% placeholder in Selectmen’s budgets for FY’10.

10. There was some discussion regarding the placeholders.

11. There was discussion regarding the line item of salaries for the Town Report.  This was to be on next week’s agenda.

12. It was stated that when numbers change, there will be a new Revenue Forecast, which change could depend on stimulus funding.

13. Ira Miller reported that Maria had put together the Finance Committee budget.  Next week there will be discussion on our budget and we will take a vote.  Most of the Finance Committee sector was level funded.

14. The next meeting will be March 16, and a joint meeting with Capital Outlay on March 19, which will include discussing Capital Outlay articles for the Warrant for Annual Town Meeting.

15. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

16. VOTED:  9-0-0.

17. The meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m.