Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – March 28, 2011

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

Members Present:  Maria Anderson, Brian Fitzgerald, Gordon Gladstone, Charles

                               Goodman, Josh Kiernan, Ira Miller, Laura Nelson, Edward Philips

                               (Hamilton)

                Absent   William Brack, Keith Garte, Alexander Korin, Joel Lessard

1. First item on the agenda was Corey Snow, Community Preservation Committee, Articles 19, 20, 21, and 22.

2. Article 19.  Community Preservation Committee Annual Funding – Administrative Expenses.  $20,000, FY’12.  $5,000 a year appropriated, high.  Roll back into account for next year.  Past fiscal year legal expenses, salary for secretary, $1,500 Community Preservation Committee Coalition membership.  State-wide advocacy group support services.  Financial information provided how the others spend money.

3. There was some discussion on Article 19 regarding revenue collected on tax basis and state match, which is down to 25% because more towns are joining.

4. Article 20.  Transfer of funds to debt service budgets for bond payments regarding Horizons for Youth land.

5. Corey Snow stated that this is 4^th year of five year bond.  State notified the Community Preservation Committee that they need to have article on Warrant and Town Meeting vote on this appropriation.  With Community Preservation Act any time transfer funds from Community Preservation Fund, has to be vote of town.  This is the annual debt payment for Horizons for Youth.  Next year, FY’13, will be paid off.  $950,000 total debt.  $1.2M original amount paid.  One more payment around $200,000.

6. Article 21.  Community Preservation Committee Projects Funding Requests.  Conservation Restriction.

7. State requiring a non-town entity to hold monitoring.  It is an unfunded mandate.  One time payment.

8. There was some discussion on Article 21 regarding additional payments for each parcel of land to be restricted.

9. Article 22.  Community Preservation Committee appropriation and transfer to the Conservation Commission Fund.

10. There was some discussion on Article 22.  Both Conservation Commission and Community Preservation Committee would have to comply together with use for expenditures from the Fund.

11. The next item was discussion of the Conservation Commission budget.

12. Deficit in telephone budget and legal expended.  Cedar Swamp was to have been funded through the budget.

13. There was some discussion on this budget.

14. The next item was Dan Rosen on Citizen Petition Article 12, Changing use of part of Sacred Heart parcel.

15. Dan Rosen made presentation that goal is to expand allowed use of site.  Also include education with or without residential component.  Group home for adults with Special Needs.  This would allow town to consider proposal.

16. There was much discussion on Petition Article 12.  Proponent had not presented this proposal to the Sacred Heart Reuse Committee.

17. The next item was Bill Fowler to talk about Overlay Reserve Release.  Since Mark Mazur was not available, this subject would continue at Thursday’s, March 31, meeting.

18. The next item was discussion of Finance Committee sector budgets.

19. Finance Committee sector:  Moderator, Town Clerk, Personnel Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Lake Management, Board of Health, Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and Finance Committee.  Total budget for all of those was $460,106.

20. There was considerable discussion on these budgets adding an additional $3,506 to the Conservation Commission budget for telephone and legal.  Could not fund $20,000 for Cedar Swamp.  The total was $463,612 which was a 2% increase over the FY’11 figure.  $1,656 left and went into land management.  The vote will take place on Thursday, March 31.

21. Laura Nelson left the meeting at 9:40 p.m.

22. The next meeting will be March 31, 2011.

23. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

24. VOTED:  7-0-0.

25. The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.