Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting,

Monday, February 23, 2004 1:00 PM

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

Present: Chair Ruth Gilbert, Vice Chair Sue Buerkel, Robert Vetrick, Matthew Clark, Tom Thurston and Ann Maguire.

Excused: Gail Enos and Ginny Ross

Expected late: Mark Leach

Also present, Town Manager Keith Bergman and department heads.

Meeting was called to order at 1:00 PM by Ruth Gilbert.

Review of minutes from February 9, 2004. Sue Buerkel made a motion to accept, Robert Vetrick seconded and it passed 6:0:0.

Review of minutes from February 17, 2004. Tom Thurston made a motion to accept, Robert Vetrick seconded and it passed 6:0:0.

Budget Review FY 2005

IV Public Works (Sandy Turner, Kathy Meads)

Total budget request for $1,853,324 which is a 1.5% decrease in budget.

Sandy Turner requested to be allowed to read DPW Budget Impact Statement into minutes. Request was granted.

Matthew Clark explained that Finance Committee has been tabling approval of large and disputed budgets until final overall discussion at which time approvals will be made.

Sandra Turner announced that DPW has decided not to submit another counter-proposal to suggested budget cuts by Town Manager. They feel that they can absolutely not function properly as a department with any further budget cuts as they are stretched to the max as is.

Robert Vetrick commented that Fin Com is well aware of the good work that DPW does but explained that town is faced with the prospect of a 4.9% tax levy (with school budget level funded, which it is not) and they need to be accountable to town taxpayers who do not want any increase at all.

Fin Com members asked whether budget requests are accurate given the fact that in previous years DPW has gone over budget by about 3%.

-192 Building & Grounds

Request for $569,474 which is a 4.1% decrease. Cuts to be made to uniforms budget and public restroom attendants in Town Hall which will require custodians a building crews to step up and cover those tasks.

Ann Maguire made a motion to table approval, Robert Vetrick seconded and it passed 6:0:0.

Mark Leach arrived at 2:05PM

-421 Administration

Request for $258,646 which is a 1.4% decrease. This budget is not slated for personnel cuts. Ann Maguire asks if this budget has been over or under spent in previous years. Robert Vetrick made motion to approve budget as requested, Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 7:0:0. Robert Vetrick made a motion that previous years over/under spending on budgets be included in all department’s budget reviews. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

-422 Highway

Request for $288,236 which is a 1.3% decrease. A personnel cut is proposed by Town Manager. Robert Vetrick made a motion to table approval, Ann Maguire seconded and it passed 6:0:1.

-423 Snow & Ice

Request for $57,317 which is level funded. Ann Maguire made a motion to approve budget as requested, Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

-431 Solid Waste/Recycling

Request for $429,329 which is a .2% decrease. Robert Vetrick made a motion to approve as submitted, Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

-439 Waste Disposal/Other

Request for $250,322 which is a 2.2% increase. Ann Maguire made a motion to approve as submitted, Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

-440 Wastewater Enterprise Fund

Projected deficit of $152,686. Matthew Clark asked whether after Phase II of the Wastewater project it made sense for such a large proportion of the DPW administration staff budget to be charged to the Wastewater Enterprise Fund. Turner and the Town Manager acknowledged that these charges should be reduced in later years so that sewer ratepayers did not have to fund a disproportionate share of DPW overhead. In addition Turner and the Town Manager agreed to inform Fin Com of the enterprise fund’s variance from the originally-projected deficit and to provide an explanation of any significant variance from the originally forecast amaount Tom Thurston made a motion to request that Board of Selectman investigate the possibility of entering into contract with a provider for electricity for town at a contracted rate. Robert Vetrick seconded and it passed 7:0:0. Ann Maguire made a motion to approve this Enterprise Fund, Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

-450 Water Enterprise Fund

Projected surplus of $179,412. Compliance issues are getting increasingly more complicated. Ann Maguire made a motion to approve this Enterprise Fund, Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Five minute break, meeting resumed at 3:45PM

V Public Services

-610 Library (Marcia Fair, Arthur Pike, CJ Noyes; Library Trustees and Deborah DeJonker Berry, Librarian)

Request for $232,950 which is a 1.1% decrease. Marcia Fair made a statement acknowledging town’s financial difficulties and stated that budget came in 1.1% lower than Town Manager’s request. 70% of town residents have library cards, circulation is about 60,000. Library card and registration fee policy adopted on December 17, 2003 was handed out in response to Fin Com’s request last year to identify new revenue streams. Robert Vetrick made a motion to accept budget as submitted, Ann Maguire seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Capital Improvement Plan

Total General Funds request of $1,023,031

Police-Administrative Car (1)-$14,400-Taurus

Police-Cruiser (1)-$28,618-Crown Victoria

Old cars would be given to DPW which has no cars at the moment. Ruth Gilbert reminded Chief that last year Fin Com requested a replacement policy of only 1 car each year. Ann Maguire stated her difficulty in recommending the replacement of 2 cars given the financial constraints facing the town this year. Ruth Gilbert agreed. Issue of reimbursing officers for the use of their personal cars was discussed as compared to using an administrative car. Ann Maguire made a motion to recommend purchase of 1 Police Cruiser, Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 6:0:1. Ann Maguire made a motion to not recommend purchase of Administrative car. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 6:0:1.

Parking Vehicle (1)-$14,440-Taurus

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend Parking Vehicle expenditure, Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 7:0:0. Sue Buerkel pointed out that parking vehicle could be used off-season as an administrative car for police department.

Transfer Station Hauling Trailers (2 @ $45,000)

Life expectancy of 7 years, 2 are currently leaking and town could be cited for infractions. Hauling service has been pulled over and issued warnings. Need to have 3 available during summer months. Ruth Gilbert asked if 1 could be purchased this year and another purchased next year.

Ann Maguire made a motion to recommend purchase of 1 this year and recommend that DPW request another next year. Tom Thurston seconded. Robert Vetrick argued that we should buy 2 this year; Sue Buerkel agreed due to possibility of fines and continued deterioration. A vote on the Maguire/Thurston motion was taken and it failed to pass 3:4:0. Robert Vetrick then made a motion to recommend purchase of 2 trailers this year, Mark Leach seconded and it passed 4:2:1.

Storm water Master Plan-$50,000

A grant has been submitted and Tom Thurston made a motion to recommend contingent on receipt of this grant, Ann Maguire seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Street & Sidewalk Maint/Repair-$50,000

This is a yearly expense and includes pothole repair and street/sidewalk painting. Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend expenditure, Mark Leach seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Drainage Maint/Repair-$50,000

Covers cleaning and repair of catch basins.

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend expenditure, Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 6:0:1.

Town Hall Structural Study-$60,000

Repairs have been delayed on this building for so long, that DPW Director felt that a new study be done to get a more accurate, updated assessment. Concern was raised about spending money on assessment when funding to do repairs wasn’t available. Sue Buerkel made a motion to not recommend this expenditure until we see whether the Community Preservation Act is accepted at Town Meeting and what expenses that might cover towards repair of Town Hall. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Wastewater Facilities Plan II-$200,000

Waiting list is growing for phase 2 of sewer system. Ann Maguire made a motion to recommend expenditure, Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Water-DEP new source-$250,000

All potential new sources are located in Truro. Ann Maguire made a motion to recommend expenditure, Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Ruth Gilbert commended Sandy Turner.

Keith Bergman briefly explained developments in the discussions regarding the proposed new care campus.

Mark Leach made a motion to adjourn, Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

Meeting adjourned at 5:45PM

Respectfully submitted,

Phyllis Lutsky

Recording Secretary