Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – January 10, 2011

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

Members Present: Gordon Gladstone, Charles Goodman (late), Josh Kiernan, Alexander

Korin, Joel Lessard, Ira Miller, Laura Nelson, Edward Philips

(Hamilton)

Absent: Maria Anderson, William Brack, Brian Fitzgerald, Keith Garte

1. The first item on the agenda was the upcoming schedule for budget review. Budget guidelines had been sent to the Finance Committee sector. Two budgets, Primary, level funded, and Option 1, level funded plus contractual obligations. The Selectmen’s sector has Primary, level funded with 2% salary absorbed and Option 1, level funded including 2% salary increase.

2. There was discussion regarding the recent tax bills having a 4% increase due to overestimated revenue sources of $900,000. Ben Puritz and Bill Fowler will come to a Finance Committee meeting to discuss the tax increase after presentation to Priorities Committee on Tuesday, January 11, 2011.

3. The next item on the agenda was the Annual Town Meeting schedule. There was some discussion regarding the March 23 date to get input from the sponsoring committees and how much time for getting recommendations to Selectmen to be printed in the Warrant.

4. Josh Kiernan will get information from Corey Snow, Chair, Community Preservation Committee, regarding when Community Preservation Committee comes up for review and the year it could be removed.

5. The next item on the agenda was the vehicle inventory.

6. There was some discussion on the vehicle inventory to ask for information in a more organized way: Same format, acquisition date,, and price. There was a suggestion that the Auditors should have some of that information. It was decided to ask Ben Puritz’s support on vehicle formatting, where it is garaged, acquisition date, and price.

7. Joel Lessard was to ask for a draft of the articles for the Warrant prior to the 24^th and level funded budgets from Selectmen and Schools. Laura Nelson was to find out when notices/articles need to be turned in to go into the Advocate.

8. The next item on the agenda was to vote minutes.

9. A MOTION was made by Laura Nelson and SECONDED by Ted Philips to approve the minutes of October 14, 2010, as written.

10. VOTED: 5-0-3. For: Goodman, Kiernan, Miller, Nelson, Philips. Abstain: Gladstone, Korin, Lessard.

11. Josh Kiernan reported on Capital Outlay. They met three times. Projects that are in excess of $10,000, life of five years or greater. 6.5% of operating budget to fund Capital budget. Capital hasn’t taken a position. Library: Two requests. (1) Redo bathrooms downstairs. (2) Repainting interior of library. Civil Defense: Containers. COA withdrawing request. Funding from grants. Fire Department: New vehicle. Equipment. Dismantling horn. Redo the air compressor, $12,000. Total $92,000 for Fire Department. Police: Four new cruisers. Second half of taser supply, $400,000. DPW, Police, and Civil Defense: Constructing steel building, 100’ x 30’. Take equipment out of old building. Put files in there. Storage space. Minimally heated. Equipment that is outside, store inside. Smaller equipment. Police store documents. DPW: Roadway improvements, sidewalks, streets, normal equipment request. Capital not taking position on those. Recreation: New bandstand. Selectmen: Copier. School Committee: $947,000,000. Typical requests, technology, furniture. $2,200,000, high school roof. Fund through Capital. Talk of possible override. Capital Tour is January 22, 2011.

12. There was a comment that MSBA may have funding for the high school roof.

13. The next item was to go over some of the committee’s goals.

14. Goal No. 1. Monitor ongoing projects: Sharon Hills, Sharon Commons, Wilber. Request quarterly updates of revenue (vs. published estimates) and of any mitigation funds expected. Point Person: Ira Miller.

15. Ira Miller stated that they should get accounting at Priorities.

16. Goal No. 2: Encourage Town health insurance coverage that reflects typical resident coverage. Request and distribute updates from Town Administrator and the School Superintendent concerning enrollment and coverage; stay abreast of state legislators attempt to give town’s ability to change coverage without collective bargaining; contact Association of Town Finance Committees to assess other town’s progress in this area. Point Person: Ted Philips.

17. Ted Philips stated that regarding municipal health insurance that House Speaker DeLeo touched on Municipal Health Insurance. He expressed disappointment that not many municipalities had joined GIC. Propose all municipalities would be mandated to move to GIC or way for them to do it over objections of provisions of collective bargaining. It was a change in directions for all cities and towns. Something no choice to do. Discussion to come up in late April budget. Debate about that time. He was to contact Ben Puritz and Dr. Dunham for update.

18. Goal No. 4. Ensure Town Report includes relevant information. Position, annual listing. Point person: Laura Nelson.

19. Laura Nelson mentioned other towns provide financial information. She will check with Bill Fowler.

20. It was commented that what was done on the Town Report last year was perfectly adequate.

21. Goal No. 10: Improve budget review process. Split up major budgets for smaller committee groups for prior review. Point Person: Maria Anderson. They won’t be assigned prior to next meeting.

22. Joel Lessard announced that Thursday, January 27, all Board and Committee members were highly encouraged to attend the meeting regarding changes of Open Meeting Law and Conflict of Interest Law at Sharon Community Center in the Multipurpose Room, 6:30-8 p.m. Snow date is February 3.

23. The next meeting will be January 24, 2011.

24. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

25. VOTED: 8-0-0.

26. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m.