Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – January 28, 2013

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

Members Present:  William Brack, Arnold Cohen (late), Gordon Gladstone, Alexander Korin, Ira Miller

                               (Hamilton)

                Absent:   Brian Fitzgerald, Charles Goodman, Laura Nelson, Edward Philips

1. The first item on the agenda was to review the Conservation Commission budget for FY’14 with Peg Arguimbau and Greg Meister.

2. There was considerable discussion on the FY’14 budget and also how they were managing in the FY’13 year and that there was some money left over from FY’12.  Cedar Swamp was their most important project to the town.  Greg Meister and Peg Arguimbau updated the committee on its progress.  There are monitoring wells and measurements taken monthly.  The DPW has been extremely helpful.  The Team that has been restoring the Swamp will give a presentation in about a month.  The state is interested, but is waiting for results of measurements.  The Conservation Commission has not seen the new plan for the Common Residences.

3. The next item was a discussion of the draft list of Town Meeting articles.  Regarding the Common Residences, Bob Shelmerdine will be coming to the committee on March 4 with a new article.

4. Arnie Cohen will do any zoning articles.

5. The next item on the agenda was the minutes of prior meetings.

6. A MOTION was made by Bill Brack and SECONDED by Arnie Cohen to approve the minutes of January 7, 2013.

7. VOTED:  4-0-1.  For:  Brack, Cohen, Korin, Miller.  Abstain:  Gladstone.

8. A MOTION was made by Alex Korin and SECONDED by Arnie Cohen to approve the minutes of January 14, 2013.

9. VOTED:  3-0-2.  For:  Cohen, Korin, Miller.  Abstain:  Brack, Gladstone.

10. Arnie Cohen was appointed to the Standing Building Committee Selection Committee.

11. The next item was the review of the Planning Board budget for FY’14.

12. Eli Hauser, Chair of the Planning Board, said that the budget was level funded.  The majority was for salary.  Only variable was the legal costs.  The Planning Board has to resubmit the Adult Zoning article.  The Attorney General rejected.  The other was the marijuana article.

13. There was some discussion on the budget and potential articles for Town Meeting.  The Planning Board would try to schedule hearings in time for Town Meeting schedule and Finance Committee notification.

14. The next item was a report from Alex Korin who attended the School Budget hearing.

15. Alex Korin reported that the School used 3.22% in figuring their budget which was higher than Priorities at 3.02%.  This was the first public presentation.  The School Department will have several meetings budget related.  The School was to come for review on February 25.

16. There was discussion regarding the Selectmen’s sector and review of their budgets.  The committee would like to start the process February 11.

17. Alex Korin made a graph of comparative tax rates of towns that was in the Boston Globe.

18. There was some discussion regarding these rates and it was suggested that valuations and assessments were needed for complete comparison.

19. The next meeting will be on February 11.

20. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

21. VOTED:  5-0-0.

22. The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.