FINANCE COMMITTEE

 

Judge Welsh Hearing Room

July 6, 2007

1:00 p.m.

Final incorporating Robert Vetrick’s corrections

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Members Present:                 Frederick Biddle, Thomas Coen, Gary Delius, Edward Gage, Ruth Gilbert, Robert Vetrick,

and Walt Winnowski.

 

Members Absent:                  David Bedard, Alice Foley, Virginia Ross,

and Tom Thurston.

                                               

Others:                                   Alex Heilala and Sharon Lynn

                                                                       

Meeting Agenda

The meeting was called to order at 1:05 p.m.

 

To consider the following:

End of year transfers for FY 2007.

There was a discussion on several line items from the General Fund, i.e., the legal budget shortfall on the Bryant property is still being negotiated and the parking budget shortfall came from the rental agreement with the Diocese of Fall River which was signed in December 2006 and not funded.  Ruth Gilbert felt the amount should have been put into the Parking Budget for ’07 but wasn’t.

Robert Vetrick asked if the outstanding contractual agreements with the former Police Chief and the former Town Manager would end with the ’07 fiscal year.  He was assured they would.

A great deal of discussion was held on the Building Inspector’s and the Building Commissioner’s positions.  When the Building Commissioner resigned in January, it was necessary to pay him his accrued vacation time.  At the same time, the need was great for an immediate qualified replacement.  A contract employee with all the proper certifications was hired and his hourly salary plus expenses amount to considerably more than the previous Building Commissioner was paid.  His contract runs until August 19th, 2007.  At that time a decision will be made on either a replacement or a month to month extension of his current contract.  The Finance Committee made it clear that there was simply no money to pay this higher hourly rate.

Most of the Finance Committee was overwhelmed with the numbers needed to cover this problem.

Motion:  Transfer $21,355 from the Reserve Fund into the Inspection Fund. Motion:  Robert Vetrick      Seconded:  Tom Coen       Vote:  7-0-0.

Next a discussion was held on a transfer requested by the School Department for $1,355 Medicaid Part 2 money that they owed.                                               Motion:  Deny the request by the School Department for the $1,355 transfer from the reserve account to the revolving fund.  Further a respectful letter will be sent to the schools explaining the FinCom’s position regarding precedent and fairness.

Motion:  Ruth Gilbert        Seconded:  Robert Vetrick         Vote:  7-0-0.

 

Motion:  Approve the year end transfers of the ’07 budget.

Motion:  Robert Vetrick         Seconded:  Tom Coen             Vote:  7-0-0.

 

Mark Abrahams invoice:

Two invoices on the school’s accounting project have been received from Mark Abrahams.  They total $9,848.85.

Motion:  Deplete the reserve fund of $1,710 for ’07 to put towards Mr. Abrahams’ invoice for partial payment of the May 25th invoice.             Motion:  Ruth Gilbert      Seconded:  Robert Vetrick       Vote:  7-0-0.

Motion:  Pay balance of May 25th invoice in the amount of $2,684.30 and June 15th invoice for $5,455. by a transfer of $8,139.30 from the Finance budget of ’07.

Motion:  Ruth Gilbert       Seconded:  Ed Gage         Vote:  7-0-0.              

 

Consideration of reappointment of:

Ginny Ross (3 years) and Gary Delius (3 years)

Motion:  Appoint both Ginny Ross and Gary Delius for 3 year terms. 

Motion:  Tom Coen         Seconded:  Walt Winnowski       Vote:  6-0-1 ab (GD)

Fred Biddle (3 years)

Motion:  Reappoint Fred Biddle to a 3 year term as an alternate with the stipulation that he be appointed to full member if a position becomes available.

Motion:  Robert Vetrick        Seconded:  Ed Gage        Vote:  6-0-1 ab (FB)

Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman for the next year.

Motion:  Nominate Gary Delius as Chairman for the next year.

Motion:  Robert Vetrick       Seconded:  Tom Coen       Vote:  6-0-1 ab (GD)

Motion:  Nominate Ruth Gilbert as Vice Chairman for the next year.

Motion:  Ed Gage             Seconded:  Walt Winnowski     Vote:  6-0-1 ab (RG)

 

Update by Sharon Lynn

S. Lynn has had three meetings with the police union in regard to contract negotiations.  The police have had no contract since June 30, 2006.  The negotiations were successful and the police received a 5% across the board increase.  In addition, the pay scale in the second year of the contract will be higher than Truro’s by four hundred dollars and by almost a thousand in the third year.  Finally, a decision to opt out of the master medical coverage was finalized; there had been still 9 members under the master medical coverage.  (Now only the schools and the retirees have master medical.)  R. Vetrick congratulated S. Lynn on her police negotiations.

There will be a proposed special fall town meeting on October 29th – a date that has yet to be confirmed.  Among other issues it will be necessary to fund the police contract agreements and the building inspector over-runs.

The meeting adjourned at 2:39 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,                                    

Evelyn Gaudiano

Evelyn Rogers Gaudiano

 

Approved by ____________________________on ______________, 2007

                              Gary Delius, Chair

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