Finance Committee Meeting

February 17, 2006

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

Members Present: Ruth Gilbert, Chair, Matthew Clark, Robert Vetrick, Walt Winnowski, Alice Foley, Gary Delius, Sue Buerkel, and Tom Thurston

Members Excused: Mark Leach, Ed Gage and Ginny Ross

Also Present: Keith Bergman, Town Manager

Meeting was called to order at 1 p.m.

FY 2007 Budget Review Hearings con’t

Division V-Public Services

512-Public Health/Nurse (Valerie Carrano, Director of Public Health)

0.1% increase

Gary Delius made a motion to recommend budget of $41,841. Alice Foley seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

541-Council on Aging (Valerie Carrano, Director)

0.3% increase reflects increase in rate for on-call secretary

Gary Delius made a motion to recommend budget of $159,072. Walt Winnowski seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

543-Veterans Services (Earl Chaddock, Director)

1.3% increase to $26,858

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $26,858. Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

610-Library (Debra DeJonker Berry, Library Director, C.J. Noyes, Library Board of Trustees)

Level funded at $265,328

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $265,328. Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 7:0:1.

630-Recreation Department (Dennis Clark, Director)

Gary Delius made a motion to recommend budget of $132,304. Robert Vetrick seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

651-Beautification Committee (funded by Tourism Fund)

Robert Vetrick made a motion to table recommendation. Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

672-Art Commission (Stephen Borkowski and Peggy Pritchett)

Level funded at $16,300

Tom Thurston made a motion to recommend budget of $16,300. Gary Delius seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

673-Cultural Council (Cherie Mittenthal)

Level funded at $2,500

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $2,500. Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

Division I-General Government

482-Airport Commission (Butch Lisenby, Airport Manager)

1.5% reduction to $87,800.

Possibility of reducing this by $10,000 as a result of projected improvement delays. Will not know for sure until March.

Robert Vetrick made a motion to reserve recommendation. Matthew Clark seconded and it passed 7:0:1.

113-Elections (Doug Johnstone, Town Clerk)

50% increase to $11,230 includes having to budget for 3 elections in FY07

Gary Delius made a motion to approve budget of $11,230. Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

161-Town Clerk (Doug Johnstone, Town Clerk)

Level funded at $71,965

Gary Delius made a motion to recommend budget of $71,965. Robert Vetrick seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

499-Cable Advisory Commission (Catherine Russo)

7.1% increase to $71,800

BOS made a policy decision that in future years the Cable Advisory Commission will receive all the revenues received from Comcast. Catherine Russo made a statement saying that they believe they should receive all the revenue this year ($76,000) and handed out memo from an attorney stating that money from Comcast is not to be put into General Fund. This was disputed by Town Accountant. Finance Committee has no ability to recommend any budget higher than $71,800.

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $71,800. Tom Thurston seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

122-Board of Selectmen

0.1% decrease to $53,237

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $53,237. Walt Winnowski seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

123-Town Manager

6.3% reduction to $157,071

Gary Delius made a motion to recommend budget of $157,071. Sue Buerkel seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

151-Legal Services

Level funded at $175,000

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $175,000. Gary Delius seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

156-Administration

2% decrease to $55,783

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $55,783. Gary Delius seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

157-Land Bank

14.5% increase to $371,505

Gary Delius recused himself as a member of the Provincetown Conservation Trust.

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $371,505. Walt Winnowski seconded and it passed 7:0:0.

182-Economic Development

Newly funded at $5,000 for contracted services from Barnstable County.

Robert Vetrick made a motion to recommend budget of $5,000. Gary Delius seconded and it passed 8:0:0.

Qualifications of suggested strategic planner to be hired by the School Committee which is proposed to be paid for by FinCom Reserve Fund was discussed. None of her published work seems to contain work involving financial analysis of and/or alternative strategies. Keith Bergman handed out spreadsheet as an example of work done by a different person who does do this kind of consulting and would be willing to meet with Finance Committee. Ruth Gilbert is going to prepare a draft letter to the School Committee for FinCom review.

Police budget will be discussed at future meeting.

A meeting has been scheduled for February 27, 2006 from 1-4 p.m.

Meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Phyllis Lutsky

Phyllis Lutsky

Recording Secretary

Approved by ________________________________on____________