Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting,

Monday, February 9, 2004 2:00 PM

Judge Welsh Meeting Room, Town Hall, Provincetown, MA 02657

Present: Chair Ruth Gilbert, Vice Chair Sue Buerkel, Robert Vetrick, Mark Leach, Gail Enos and Ann Maguire.

Ginny Ross and Tom Thurston will be late.

Also present, Town Manager Keith Bergman and department heads and the press.

Meeting was called to order at 2:00 PM by Ruth Gilbert.

Review of Minutes from February 2, 2004 meeting

Robert Vetrick made a motion to accept as submitted. Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 5:0:2.

Budget Review FY 2005

-499 Cable Advisory Commission (Lou Ann Bowen, Frank Carroll and Gary Delius-staff support)

Continued from last week. Gary Delius spoke to school about renting space in annex. School is not willing to rent space at this time and it is not looking like it will anytime soon. Whaler’s Wharf agreed to lower rent to $12,000 a year.

Ruth Gilbert again stated concern that whenever possible space should be found in Town-owned buildings so that rent paid goes to the Town.

Ann Maguire made a motion as follows: If there is no suitable tenant found for the annex in the next two months that plans be made to divide property so that it could be rented to cable advisory commission or any such user. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Robert Vetrick made a motion to accept budget of $62,700. Gail Enos seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

-482 Airport Commission (Dick Silva, Chairman of Airport Commission, Butch Lisenby-Airport Manager and Steve Tate-Financial Manager)

Request of $87,850 which is a 1.4% increase.

Lease arrangement with Cape Air was discussed. Arrangement with town and National Seashore was discussed in term of increased legal fees.

Robert Vetrick made to a motion to accept budget as requested. Mark Leach seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Discussion of Selectmen’s Request for School Committee property for Cape End Manor Care Campus; Recreational Corridor Proposal (Keith Bergman and Dennis Anderson). Brief overview of proposal was presented to the board.

Budget Review FY 2005 con’t.

-131 Finance Committee

Budget request of $40,300 which is level funded.

Ann Maguire made a motion to approve as requested. Robert Vetrick seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Tom Thurston arrived at 4:07 PM

-135 Town Accountant (Bruce Miller-Director of Municipal Finance)

Request is for $194,480 which is a 3.8% increase.

Ann Maguire made a statement saying she and other voters who had approached her were concerned about the continuing increases in both Town spending and the tax rate in the context of a widespread perception of a decline in Town services. Matthew Clark concurred and made a motion to alter the Finance Committee’s approval process by tabling votes on budgets with significant elective spending or budgets where staffing cuts have been recommended so that the Committee can hear the arguments for all elective spending before voting to recommend any of it. The Committee would then complete its series of hearings with a meeting to prioritize expenses and to provide a comprehensive recommendation to voters. Ann Maguire seconded and it passed 8:0:0.
Ann Maguire made a motion to table the vote on budget 135. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

-136 Information and Systems Department (Gary Delius-MIS Manager)

Request for $123,131 which is a decrease of 12%.

Ann Maguire made a motion to approve budget request. Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

-141 Board of Assessors (Dana Faris-Town Assessor)

Request of $154,897 which is a 10.8% increase.

Ann Maguire praised this department as one of most productive in town.

Ann Maguire made a motion to table approval. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

-145 Treasurer/Collector (Bruce Miller-Director of Municipal Finance)

Request of $176,735 which is level funded. Robert Vetrick made a motion to table approval. Ann Maguire seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

-710 Debt Service (Bruce Miller-Director of Municipal Finance)

Request of $1,607,833 which reflects an 8.6% increase. Robert Vetrick made a motion to approve request. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

Ginny Ross arrived at 5:10 PM

-820 Tax Title (Bruce Miller-Director of Municipal Finance)

Request of $39,000 which is level funded. Mark Leach made a motion to approve as requested. Gail Enos seconded and it passed 9:0:0.

-910 Retirement/Benefits/Insurance (Bruce Miller-Director of Municipal Finance and John Fitzgerald-Treasurer)

Request of $4,453,669 which reflects a 17.8% increase. Ann Maguire made a motion to approve as requested. seconded and it passed 9:0:0.

Ruth Gilbert made a motion to advise town manager to go into collective bargaining with town unions to renegotiate benefits packages to lower employer contributions and/or offer alternative plans to help offset yearly increases in costs. Ann Maguire seconded and it passed 9:0:0.

-291 Emergency Management (Earl Chaddock)

This service will be folded into police department next year. Ann Maguire thanked Earl for all his service to town. Request for $225.00 reflects an 84% reduction. Tom Thurston made a motion to approve. Ann Maguire seconded and it passed 9:0:0.

-543 Veterans Services (Earl Chaddock)

Request for $26,289 which reflects a 2.9% decrease. Gail Enos made a motion to approve request. Mark Leach seconded and it passed 9:0:0.

Meeting reconvened in Caucus Hall at 6:05 PM

Additional meeting scheduled for Friday, February 13, 2004 at 3:00 PM-Public Safety.

Tuesday, February 17, 2004 will now start at 2:00 PM-DPW and Public Services.

Meeting adjourned at 6:10 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Phyllis Lutsky