Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting, Monday, February 02, 2004
Judge Welsh Meeting Room, Town Hall, Provincetown, MA 02657
Present: Chair Ruth Gilbert, Vice Chair Sue Buerkel, Tom Thurston, Robert Vetrick, Mark Leach, Ginny Ross and Gail Enos.
Excused: Ann Maguire and Matthew Clark
Meeting was called to order at 3:35 PM by Ruth Gilbert.
Also present, Town Manager Keith Bergman, various department heads and the press.
Budget Review for FY2005
Town Manager, Keith Bergman presented fiscal overview for FY2005. The spending plan adopted by Board of Selectmen for FY2005 represents 4.9% tax levy.
-Revenues are not inline with spending.
-Cape End Manor continues to be largest fiscal challenge, between $700-800,000 a year. (Proposed plan for future of Manor to be announced tonight at BOS meeting)
-Additional $400,000 projected free cash in addition to $600,000 already included in budget was discussed. Money is a result of first 2 months of tax collection for 2003 which wasn’t included in audit and therefore budget because the tax bills went out late.
-Keith warned that town is facing even harder challenges for FY2006 budget; therefore it is important to not think of additional $400,000 as a spending option.
-Enterprise funds are doing very well.
-This proposed budget assumes level funding minus $250,000. It includes school budget at level funding although they are requesting a 4% increase.
Budget Review
-113 Elections and Town Meetings (Doug Johnstone)
Request of $9,747 reflects increase if 14.7% which is due to national elections.
Motion was made to accept as requested. Moved by Sue Buerkel, seconded by Tom Thurston and it passed 7:0:0.
-161 Town Clerk
Request of $67,688 which is a .9% increase.
Motion was made to accept as requested. Moved by Robert Vetrick, seconded by Ginny Ross and it passed 7:0:0.
-122 Board of Selectman
Request of $51,674 which reflects a .6% increase.
Motion was made to accept as requested. Moved by Ginny Ross, seconded by Gail Enos and it passed 7:0:0.
-123 Town Manager
Request of $145,476 which is a 1.4% decrease.
Motion was made to accept as requested. Moved by Mark Leach, seconded by Robert Vetrick and it passed 7:0:0.
-151 Legal Services
Request of $140,000 which reflects level funding. Other legal fees are paid out of other department budgets. Motion was made to accept as requested. Moved by Robert Vetrick, seconded by Sue Buerkel and it passed 7:0:0.
-156 Administration
Request of $66,430 which reflects a decrease of 21%. Last years budget included money for purchase of new copy machine which isn’t needed this year. Motion to accept as requested. Moved by Robert Vetrick, seconded by Gail Enos and it passed 7:0:0.
-157 Land Bank
This is funded solely from land bank funds and does not affect tax rate. Request for $336,945. Motion to accept as requested. Moved by Robert Vetrick, seconded by Tom Thurston and it passed 7:0:0.
-169 Licensing (John Gilmore)
Request of $46,830 which reflects at 0.3% decrease. Motion to accept as requested. Moved by Tom Thurston, seconded by Robert Vetrick and it passed 7:0:0.
-171 Conservation Commission, -173 Housing Partnership, -174 LCP Implementation, -175 Planning Board, -176 Zoning Board of Appeals, -179 Historical Commission, and -180 Historic District Commission.
Motion was made to accept these budgets as requested. Moved by Robert Vetrick, seconded by Tom Thurston and it passed 7:0:0.
-499 Cable Advisory Commission (Lou Ann Bowen, Frank Carroll and Gary Delius-staff support)
Entirely funded by Comcast which is federally mandated to contribute to town for educational and governmental public access. Ruth Gilbert questioned spending $13,000 on rent for commercial space as compared to finding a town property to rent. The school annex was suggested as a possibility. Motion was made to table until after meeting with school committee when subject of annex could be discussed. Moved by Ginny Ross, seconded by Sue Buerkel and it passed 7:0:0.
At 6:00PM meeting was continued in Caucus Hall.
Meeting Schedule
-Monday, February 9th at 2PM-informational session on Cape End Manor, Public Safety/Public Works
-Tuesday, February 17th at 3:30PM
-Monday, February 23rd at 3:30PM-CIP/Library
-Thursday, February 26th at 4:00PM-School Budget
A motion was made to change Mark Leach from an alternate member to a full-time member of the Finance Committee. Moved by Robert Vetrick, seconded by Gail Enos and it passed 6:0:1. Matthew Clark’s status will be changed as well, by Town Moderator.
Motion was made to adjourn meeting at 6:20PM. Moved by Robert Vetrick, seconded by Ginny Ross and it passed 7:0:0.
Respectfully submitted,
Phyllis Lutsky
Recording Secretary