Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting Wednesday Feb. 19,1     _ _

Finance Committee Meeting Minutes of February 19, 2003

Chair Sue Buerkel called the meeting to order at 4:14 PM. Members present: Sue Buerkel, Ruth Gilbert, Tom Thurston, Ginny Ross, Jennifer Bedard.

Minutes of the Feb. 13th meeting were read.

Noted; Item 499 Cable Advisory - No one at the meeting to speak on behalf of this committee.

#141 Board of Assessors: In attendance was Dana Ferris with Bruce Miller.

The favorable compliments to this Board ; General operation and available information to be added to this report.

Motion to accept report as amended. Moved Tom Thurston, seconded Ginny Ross.   Unanimous 5-0-0

I.        Continued Review of FY 2003 Budget and Articles >#610 Library

Members attending: Debra De Jonker, Director, Marcia Fair Arthur Pike, James Cole.

Proposed budget of $232,950.00 reflecks increase of 9.4%. Presently fully staffed when open: Same as 10 years ago. Circulation has doubled. They have 11 public computers, always in use as well as an increase of services. Goal is to increase weekend hours, provide electronic journal services, more software and material from other libraries. They encourage donations which help.  requested a computer system.

 

Motion to accept as printed. Moved: Ginny Ross, seconded Tom Thurston. Discussion: Ruth Gilbert urged board to keep staffing in line with the budget: Level funding on staff. Unanimously accepted. 5-0-0.

># 673 Cultural Council: Mike Wright

Referred to the new budget of $2,500.00. Identified Provincetown

Cultural Council as a member of MA. Cultural Council.

Town Manager Keith Bergman reviewed grants in more detail. This

year using a one-time Tourism fund allocation:Art in Public Places.

Will be using the town web site function for grants.

Goal is to acquire consistent funding. Create a newsletter to generate

public interest.

It was questioned if state does zero funding will it revolve back to the

town. Reply was to apply to other Artist Cultural Foundation grants,

possibly outside of MA.

Motion to accept as presented. Moved: Ruth Gilbert, seconded Jennifer Bedard. Unanimous 5-0-0

>#499 Cable Advisory Committee: Vice-Chair John Hopkins Noted; This item had been tabled at Feb. 13th meeting. Ruth Gilbert questioned "Build - out", revenue source: noted no history for this project.

Mr. Hopkins replied this budget is projected to be spent on one part-time trainer, one years rental at Whalers Wharf, equipment: which total can be moved to permanent site when available. Goal: To acquire a permanent site at town owned property, develope Town's own TV channel.

Supplier maintains our contract is to share channel site with other Cape
towns;i.e. Orleans. However, our contract clearly states use of our own
channel, which will require a dedicated line from Orleans to Provincetown. This is to be worked out.            
Ruth Gilbert urged not renting space outside of the one year lease:Get
into town property as soon as possible . Build-out and other         expenses; not to exceed budget

Motion to accept as printed. Moved Ruth Gilbert, seconded Ginny Ross. Unanimous 5-0-0

>#511 Health Agent/Conservation: John Gilmore

The position of Health Agent has been filled; by Jane Evans Raasch, highly qualified. This has been a priory with the Selectmen. She has been assigned to the Waste Water Board.

Town Manager Keith Bergman noted the phase-out of the Barnstable County staff over the current year: now contracted for three days a week. Often different people with different opinions would cover this position. Now one person will provide continuity.

What is allowable was questioned: Only title V.

 

Motion to accept as printed. Moved Ruth Gilbert, seconded Jennifer Bedard. Unanimous 5-0-0

>#240 Inspections: John Gilmore

Mr. Gilmore stated currently the same staffing: One full time Building Commissioner, One full time Building Inspector. One  time Electrical Inspector, One 1A time Plumbing and Gas Inspector. A question arose regarding building permit fees: building permit fees were increased in last years budget. Noted fee structures are currently under review.

Motion to accept as printed. Moved: Jennifer Bedard. Seconded Tom Thurston. Unanimous. 5-0-0

>#241 Community Dept. Development Commissioner

Staffing is a permit co-coordinator and a secretary's position which has

been redefined as of last year. Possibly some retirement within the staff.

Overall the main focus has been to hire a Health Agent.

A longer goal is to lift the bar level for staffing. Town manager Keith,      /

Bergman noted there is no mandatory retirement level. Ruth Gilbert

said the staffing level is expensive. Town manager responded we may

need to regionalize services. Ruth gave tentative approval to be

reviewed in another year.

 

Motion to accept as printed. Moved: Ruth Gilbert, Seconded Jennifer Bedard. Unanimous. 5-0-0

>#543 Veterans Services: Earl Chaddock

Noted by Ruth Gilbert the department has taken a number of cuts. Earl replied the present caseload is three. He defined expenses and commented that in case of a caseload increase the town would have to cover it, however there is some cushion in the budget. Although medical benefits have gone down, veterans still use the VA clinic in Hyannis.

Motion to accept as printed. Moved: Ruth Gilbert, seconded Tom

Thurston. Unanimous. 5-0-0.

 

>#291 Div. Ill Public Safety: Earl Chaddock

Defined Blue, White and Red teams as Police, Management and Fire

Dept. respectively.

Motion to accept as printed. Moved: Ruth Gilbert, seconded Ginny Ross. Unanimous.   5-0-0

>#630 Div. V Recreation: Dennis Clark

The budget reduction of 1.9 reflects new staff hired at a lower salary. He remarked on registration fee of $35.00 for an 8 weeks program is available 5 days a week, 9-3 PM with approximately 100 children registered. Termed "affordable child care". Ruth praised theDept. For an admirable job. Urged a fee change going from the ridiculous to the affordable.Dennis replied this will be discussed with the Dept. Board.

Motion to accept as printed. Moved; Tom Thurtson. Seconded Jennifer Bedard. Unanimous. 5-0-0

>#512 Div. V Public Health/ Nurse: Valeric Carrano She stated town is holding a contract with the Visiting Nurse Association. Town manager Keith Bergman identified the State has cut 10%. Working with grants for HIV, Home Health Care and Hospice. Budget is level funded.

Motion to accept as printed. Moved: Jennifer, seconded Tom Thurston. Unanimous.    5-0-0.

>#541 Council on Aging: Valeric Carrano

The budget increase of 3%: $140,495.00 reflects an increase of hours for the Outreach co-coordinator who currently is working 20 hours up to 27 hours a week. This is due to her caseload from an average of 25 now to 40 people. Services are multi-faceted: programs for social assistance, home visits to frail elders or homebound. Also programs as outreach to the community; some walk-ins. COA serviced 1200 people. There are two part-time secretaries plus a van driver. The van driver position is funded for 32 hours, should be 40 hours. It was mentioned the Meal on Wheels program is under Elder Services. Thee Friends of COA do not want to fund staffing, only Programs.

Motion to accept as printed. Moved: Ginny Ross, seconded Tom Thurston. Unanimous. 5-0-0.

>#699 Tourism: Pat Fitzpatrick    

A review of a 5 year plan has been aaapfed by the Selectmen. It covers

marketing, municipal projects such as the summer shuttle among others

and promotional events. She identified 1 full time position has been

divided into 2 half time positions: 1 clerical in Human Services/Town

Nurse and 1 halftime position clerical with the Tourism Dept. Fortunate

to find one person to fill both positions.

Future goals:!. To establish a Historical Path from MacMillan Wharf to

the Pilgrim Monument using signage and printed brochures directing

visitors in multi language, including history, literary and art.

2. Define a bicycle path to the National seashore.

Town manager Keith Berg man remarked there is a one time surplus in

the Tourism budget. No local money to be used.

Pat recently attended 2 Tourism conferences; one for Domestic travel

which gave the general opinion that seniors would continue to travel.

International incoming travel is not as upbeat. The most optimistic area

is Brazil.

Marketing for tourism; How to expand off-season tourism: targeted

markets, such as film festival, single men's weekend etc.

Currently co-op advertising with PBG and Chamber of Commerce. The

goal is to interface all advertising on the web site, which then can be

updated regularly.

Motion to accept as presented. Moved: Tom Thurston, seconded Ginny Ross.   Unanimous.   5-0-0. >#210 Police; Chief Ted Myers

Item postponed until next meeting: Feb. 26 at 3PM. Chief Myers excused.

The Feb. 26th meeting will cover the remaining Capital Budget. The March 3rd meeting will review the Cape End Manor.

Discussion: Review of the letter to the Board of Selectmen regarding the endowment of John Henry. Again noted; not all the money should go to one source. Resolved as premature to make any decision until the Attorney General make a ruling as to how funds can be allocated.

Motion: Members of the Finance Committee delay drafting letter until a

decision from the Attorney General.

Moved: Tom Thurston, seconded Ruth Gilbert. Unanimous. 5-0-0.

Motion to adjourn: Ruth Gilbert, seconded Jennifer. Unanimous 5-0-0. Adjourned 7:35PM.

Respectively submitted,

Pauline Saunders, recording secretary