Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – April 1, 2013

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

Members Present:  William Brack, Arnold Cohen, Gordon Gladstone, Charles Goodman, Alex Korin, Ira

                               Miller, Laura Nelson, Edward Philips (Hamilton)

               Absent:   Brian Fitzgerald

1. The first item on the agenda was to discuss Article 4.  Personnel By-law and Article 5.  Budgets/Compensation of elected officials.

2. Ben Puritz reported on the Memorandum regarding merit increases of $13,000 for ten department heads for the FY ’14 budget.  Criteria for consideration:  performance, compensation pay, experience, town’s financial condition, and general assessment of the private sector economy.  Performance is the main criteria.

3. There was considerable discussion on the merit increase and that it becomes part of the base salary.  The committee would like to see benefits included as part of compensation.

4. After Town Meeting, in June, Ben Puritz stated that the three boards:  Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, and Personnel Board, should meet and update the list of the comparable towns.  The Finance Committee still needs information from Priorities for Article 4 and 5 for discussion and voting.

5. Laura left the meeting at 9:45 p.m.

6. Review on other articles.  Confirm who is writing recommendations.

7. Special Article 1. Request that funds from prior years encumbrance be set aside for use on the FY 2014 Revaluation; Article 2.  Article to rescind capital borrowing authorized at Town Meeting/never borrowed; and Article 3.  Article to appropriate a sum of money to close the Snow & Ice Deficit for FY 2013. Bill Brack to do write-up.

8. Article 1.  Finance Committee Members.

9. Article 2.  Establish Professional District B and to place district on the land off of South Main Street.

10. Article 3.  Create a Wastewater overlay district and place it on the Zoning Map on Old Post Road.

11. Article 4.  Personnel By-law.  Includes base pay.  Bumps the recommendation of the $13,000.  Include in this schedule Appendix A.  Alex Korin and Ira Miller to do write-up.

12. Article 5.  Budgets/Compensation of elected officials.  Alex Korin and Ira Miller to do write-up.

13. Article 6.  Deferred benefits.  Base estimate to cover $100,000.

14. Article 7.  OPEB Funds.  $100,000.

15. Article 12.  Addition to Stabilization Fund.  $100,000.

16. Article 8.  Rooms Tax. – Gordon Gladstone to do write-up.

17. Article 9.  Meals Tax. – Gordon Gladstone to do write-up.

18. Article 10.  Capital Outlay Articles.

19. There was much discussion on Article 10.  Capital Outlay Committee approved everything except the parking lot at the School Street building.  The vote was 6-2 with Gordon Gladstone and Alex Korin against.  Hold until next meeting on Thursday.

20. Article 11.  Norfolk County Retirement.  Bill Brack to do write-up.

21. Article 12.  Addition to Stabilization Fund.  Gordon Gladstone to do write-up.

22. Article 13.  Unemployment.  Bill Brack to do write-up.

23. Article 14.  Sharon Friends School Fund records and appointments.  Bill Brack to do write-up.

24. Article 15.  Act Upon Reports.  Bill Brack to do write-up.

25. Article 16.  Annual Audit.  Chuck Goodman to do write-up.

26. Article 17.  Property tax exemptions for veterans, blind, disabled and others qualified.  Bill Brack to do write-up.

27. Article 18.  Veterans Property Tax work-off (local option).  Bill Brack to do write-up.

28. Article 19.  Motor Vehicle Excise Exemption for Residents on Active Military Duty.  Explanation from Bill Fowler.

29. Article 20.  Deferral of excise tax for Veterans and members of the Massachusetts National Guard.  Explanation from Bill Fowler.

30. A MOTION was made by Alex Korin and SECONDED by Chuck Goodman to recommend Article 20.

31. VOTED:  7-0-0.  For:  Brack, Cohen, Gladstone, Goodman, Korin, Miller, Philips.

32. Article 21.  Medical marijuana zoning/otherwise regulate.  Arnie Cohen to do write-up.

33. Article 22.  Adult Zoning – Moratorium.  Arnie Cohen to do write-up.

34. Article 23.  Community Preservation Committee Annual Funding – Administrative.  AlexKorin to do write-up.

35. A MOTION was made by Gordon Gladstone and SECONDED by Ted Philips to recommend Article 23.

36. VOTED:  7-0-0.  For:  Brack, Cohen, Gladstone, Goodman, Korin, Miller, Philips.

37. Article 24.  Revolving Funds-Authorization.  Bill Brack to do write-up.

38. A MOTION was made by Gordon Gladstone and SECONDED by Bill Brack to recommend Article 24.

39. VOTED:  7-0-0.  For:  Brack, Cohen, Gladstone, Goodman, Korin, Miller, Philips.

40. There was more discussion on what needed to be done for the Warrant, getting information from Bill Fowler, and Priorities report.

41. The next meeting will be on April 4, 2013.

42. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.

43. VOTED:  7-0-0.

44. The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 p.m.