Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – January 9, 2012

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

 

Members Present:  Arnold Cohen, Gordon Gladstone, Charles Goodman, Alexander

                               Korin, Ira Miller, Laura Nelson (Hamilton)

                Absent:   William Brack, Brian Fitzgerald, Joel Lessard, Jacqueline Modiste

 

1.      Ira Miller filled in for Chairman, Joel Lessard, who was away.

 

2.      The first item on the agenda was the Town Meeting schedule.  The announcement of the opening of the Annual Town Meeting was on December 13.  January 18 the Warrant will close for petition articles.  The deadline for articles, due January 18.  January 20 the Finance Committee will receive a draft list of articles submitted.  February 28 ballot questions.  Deadline for submitting ballot questions would be February 8.  On March 27 any ballot question must be provided to Town Clerk from Town Counsel.  March 27 Selectmen meeting to sign Warrant.  March 29 Warrant will be posted at Town Hall and Library.  April 9 Finance Committee recommendations due to Selectmen.  April 11 Warrant needs to be at the printer.  April 18 back for mailing and 19th delivered to every home in Sharon.  April 30 Open Warrant meeting.  May 1 Pre-Town Meeting.  May Town Meeting will be Monday, the 7th, and 8th and 9th if necessary.  Town election on May 15.

 

3.      There was a suggestion by the Finance Committee to add  two dates.  March 22 when Finance Committee submits their recommendations.  Selectmen think signing of Warrant should occur prior to that.  April 27 Finance Committee would like final draft motions before Open Warrant meeting.  Also draft motions to be presented to the committee as much as possible when ready.

 

4.      There was some discussion on the Annual Town Meeting schedule and a suggestion that the schedule be posted wherever the Warrant was posted and also on the town website, cable television, and Sharon Patch.

 

5.      The next item on the agenda was the budget letter that the Finance Committee will send out to its sector departments.

 

6.      Budget letter that had been sent in the past:  (1) Primary level funded, absorb steps and salaries.  (2)  Level funded contractual with step levels on top, no salary increase.

 

7.      There was considerable discussion regarding the budget letter, and a question about a 2% salary increase that was in Selectmen’s sector budget letter.  It was decided to defer this discussion until the meeting after the Priorities meeting on January 19.

 

The minutes would be taken up at the next meeting.

 

8.      Ira Miller followed up with the committee on some information on the continuing explanation and discussion of health insurance and how it might affect collective bargaining strategy in reference to the new Massachusetts law, to be done in Executive Session.

 

9.      A MOTION was made by Gordon Gladstone and SECONDED by Alex Korin to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing health insurance collective bargaining strategy and then adjourn the meeting.

 

10.  VOTED:  6-0-0.  For:  Cohen, Gladstone, Goodman, Korin, Miller, Nelson.

 

11.  The next meeting will be on January 23, 2012.

 

12.  The regular session meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.