2023-08-23 Finance Committee Minutes

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rq kECEIVEL) Town of Reading TO'NN CLERK Meeting Minutes - PEAS rlNf= M6A. 20; SEP 21 AM 9:19 Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Finance Committee Date: 2023-08-23 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Select Board Meeting Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: General Business Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Chair Ed Ross, Vice Chair Joe Carnahan, Geoffrey Coram, Joe McDonagh, Marianne McLaughlin -Downing, John Sullivan (remote), Mark Zarrow Members - Not Present: Endrl Kume, Emily Sisson Others Present: Town Manager Fidel Maltez, School Director of Finance Derek Pinto Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held in-person in the Select Board Meeting Room of Town Hall, and remotely via Zoom. Chair Ed Ross called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm. Liaison Reports: John Sullivan shared updates from last week's CPDC meeting including: the withdrawal of a 40R application for lower Haven Street, the withdrawal of an animal kennel application at 1312 Franklin Street, an approved modification to the stormwater permit plan for a subdivision on Grandview Road, a request for a three -lot subdivision off Beacon Street, and a preview of the META Communities survey results. Joe Carnahan reported on the events from last night's Select Board meeting. The Reading Food Pantry requested additional ARPA funds, as the Increased demand for food and gift cards exhausted the ARPA funds they received quicker than they expected. All the ARPA funds have been allocated, though there was a question of whether funds would be left over in the COVID allocated line, and the Board discussed other ways the Town could help the Food Pantry with publicity. There was a dog park discussion that alluded to a time sensitive grant associated with it. The Board discussed the replacement of the Director of Equity and Social Justice and the change in reporting structure from the Library to the Town Manager. The Finance Committee can expect to see a request at Town Meeting to move the salary for the position from the Library budget to the Town Manager budget. Marianne Downing also shared updates from CPDC. Dollar Tree is planning to move into the former Walgreens. Community Development Director Andrew MacNichol said at the meeting that the Town is temporarily under the 40B 10% threshold for affordable housing because Eaton Lakeview has not put In building permits yet, but once they do it will be reported to the state. The Dowd Pediatrics building is for sale, and while it's not in the 4011 Gage 1 1