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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-05-28 Finance Committee PacketTown of Reading Meeting Posting with Agenda 6�l +lMCOP Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Finance Committee Date: 2014 -05 -28 Time: 7:30 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Meeting Called By: Caitlin Saunders on behalf of Chairman Barry Berman Notices and agendas are to be posted 48 hours in advance of the meetings excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Legal Holidays. Please keep in mind the Town Clerk's hours of operation and make necessary arrangements to be sure your posting is made in an adequate amount of time. A listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting must be on the agenda. All Meeting Postings must be submitted in typed format; handwritten notices will not be accepted. Topics of Discussion: 1) Discussion /Action Items a. How to meet with the other volunteer Boards in town to share thoughts, insights and needs going forward b. What is our thinking about what the Town can absorb from a financial point of view? C. Setting up ongoing liaisons/ continuing them with projects (library, early childhood, infrastructure, anything else ?) d. FINCOM FYI Meeting Schedule 2) Approval of Minutes a. March 5`h, 2014 b. March 12`h, 2014 C. March 19`h, 2014 d. March 26`h, 2014 e. April 9`h, 2014 This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page 1 1 DRAFT FINCOM FY15 Schedule (All meetings are Wednesday at 7:30pm in Town Hall, unless noted) 2014 July 16 regular meeting July 30 Financial Forum I (Pleasant St. Center) Anust 20 regular meeting September 10 Financial Forum II (Pleasant St. Center) September 16 BOS close Warrant for November Subsequent Town Meeting October 8 regular meeting (November TM Warrant Articles) October 29 Financial Forum III: FYI budget (Pleasant St. Center) November 10(M)- 13(Th)- 17(M)- 20(Th) Subsequent Town Meeting (at RMII.S) December 10 regular meeting 2015 January Selectmen Town budget meetings (Tuesday 13`h & 20`h) January School Committee budget meetings (TBA) January 28 Financial Forum IV: FY16 budget (at the Pleasant St. Center if needed) February 24 BOS close Warrant for April Town Meeting March 4 FYI 6 Budget Meetings (Town) March 11 FYI Budget Meetings (Town) March 18 FYI Budget Meetings (Schools) March 25 Vote FYI Budget & Town Meeting Articles April 7 Local elections April 27(M)- 30(Th) -May 4(M) -7(Th) Annual Town Meeting (at R,11H.S) June 24 Year -end meeting Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Finance Committee Date: 2014 -03 -05 Time: 7:30 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Chairman Barry Berman, Vice Chairman Mark Dockser, David Greenfield, Peter Lydecker, Craig Merry, Paul McNiece, Jeffrey Perkins Members - Not Present: Paula Perry and Karen Herrick Others Present: Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom, Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios, Superintendent of Schools John Doherty, Police Lt. Robbins, Mary Delai, Elder Services Administrator Jane Burns, Council on Aging Chairman Steve Oston, Fire Chief Greg Burns, Health Director Ruth Clay, Library Director Ruth Urell, Office Manager Paula Schena Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Chairman Barry Berman Topics of Discussion: Discussion /Action Items Community Services FY15 Budget - Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios noted that the reorganization plan called for changes including promoting the Staff Planner to the position of Community Development Administrator; hiring a Zoning Enforcement Officer to enforce the signage and vacant properties Bylaw; hiring a Regional Housing Services Coordinator with Wilmington, North Reading and Saugus. Reading is the lead community for this grant and we will have a ready buyer and renters list. This budget also adds a part time Social Worker at 16 hours per week. Mrs. Delios noted that a Zoning Consultant was hired for the revamp of the Zoning Bylaws and this person has been enormously helpful. The permitting software is a helpful tool. Mr. Berman asked if regional health services is successful and Mrs. Delios indicated it is. The Town Manager noted that he met with the two other communities and they are thrilled and will renew for three years. Mr. Greenfield indicated that a 3.5% increase in wages is high and set us up with an increase that is hard to sustain. The Town Manager noted that the Finance Committee allowed a 3.5% increase in budgets and that is allowable. If there are any changes then we can do 0% increases in the future. We have had 0% increases in the past. Mr. Berman asked what the social services needs are and Mrs. Delios noted that the number of calls are on the incline. If we are going to provide social services then we don't want anyone to slip through the cracks. We currently have 100+ cases with 20 calls and 2 walk - ins per day. Paul McNeice asked if we need more than what we are asking for and Mr. Berman noted this is a leading factor of how the Town is changing and we should do an update in the summer. Ms. Clay noted that there is a population between the ages of 30 - Page 1 1 a i', Finance Committee Minutes - March 5, 2014 - page 2 60 who doesn't have any services available which is why this Social Worker is so helpful. Mrs. Burns noted that they are receiving more calls from the schools because they are "Human Services" not just "Elder Services." Recreation Administrator John Feudo was present to answer questions regarding turf replacement at the High School. Mr. Dockser asked about the expected life of the turf and asked if we are maintaining them. Mr. Feudo indicated that the turf was installed nine years ago and it was the right choice. He was told the replacement cost would be approximately one half of the installation fee but the cost now is $450,000 - $500,000 to replace each. They are getting to the end of their useful life. The new turf fields now have a 12 - 15 year life span. Mr. McNeice asked if the injury rate has declined and Mr. Feudo noted that they are seeing more minor injuries but less concussions and breaks. He also noted that maintenance is more predictable than with the grass field. Mr. Berman asked how much money we save on maintenance and Mr. Feudo handed out a chart with the breakdown of expenses and noted that we save on water irrigation, fertilizing, etc. Mr. Berman noted that an adequate facilities charge should go into a fund for replacement. Mr. Feudo noted that soccer, lacrosse and youth baseball each contributed $25,000 for the fields. Ms. Delai noted that they do not charge a lot for fees because there is not a lot of time left over after the schools and recreation events. Facilities only take in $2,000 - $3,000 per year. Mr. Feudo noted that he would like to do the replacements at the end and beginning of the fiscal years and the sense of the community is to extend the turf to the fence line at turf 2. Library FY15 Budget - Library Director Ruth Urell, Library Trustees Cherrie Dubois, David Hutchinson, Vicki Yablonsky were present. Ms. Urell noted that they are not doing an Open House this year so they received a grant to do a community read on the "Namesake ". They purchased 200 copies and received freebies from another community. Ms. Urell noted that they are proposing a digital services librarian position. They will be fully operational next year and are setting up remote services. They will circulate approximately 60,000 through inter - library lending. She has reduced circulation staffing and pages but otherwise, staffing remains level. Materials are budgeted at 15% of the budget. They will purchase more newspapers and magazine subscriptions. There is an increase in professional development for additional staff training. They have cut back on equipment next year. Mr. Hutchinson noted that they are expecting the number of transactions with the public to remain the same and they expect to provide more service which will be more work per transaction. Mr. Berman asked about the cost savings of the reductions in circulation and Ms. Urell noted it is not much - less than 1% for circulation and 39% for pages but they work at minimum wage. Mr. Dockser asked about the E book usage and Ms. Urell noted it is up 38% from last year. Publishers contract agreements are trying to lock libraries out and it is very hard to track usage. The licensing is restrictive and they are purchasing in consortium. Ms. Urell handed out the job description for the Digital Services and Technology Librarian. She noted that they had a technology person but she burnt out quickly and resigned so they used the funds to hire technicians. She is hoping to have this new person on board next year. Mr. Greenfield asked what the plan is without this person and Ms. Urell noted they Page 1 2 00, Finance Committee Minutes - March 5 2014 - page 3 will work with outside person regarding the building needs. Ms. Yablonsky noted that this person will focus on technology and everyone will be trained but they have other duties. Mr. McNeice asked if they will focus on this as a high priority and perhaps focus less on traditional services and Ms. Urell noted that this is an add on - it doesn't replace traditional services. Mr. Greenfield indicated he would appeal to Town meeting to invest in this because it takes a certain amount of time and skill to produce the service. Mr. Dockser asked if this person will be doing hard drive technology and Ms. Urell noted it is actually cataloging. Mr. Dockser noted that tech services increased 20% and Ms. Urell noted that was due to the increase in hours. Mr. Berman asked if this needs to be an FY15 position and Ms. Urell noted if not they will lose the advantage of planning. Mr. McNeice asked if this person will be making decisions on what goes into the building and Ms. Urell noted it will help them make less mistakes. Mr. McNeice asked if they could cut from somewhere else and Ms. Urell noted they don't have any forthcoming turnovers. The Town Manager noted that the Town's technology people are very involved in the new library technology needs. Mr. Berman asked about the status of the project and Mr. Hutchinson noted that the project proceeds on pace. Ms. Urell noted that they are planning to move in June. The Town Manager noted that there are very restrictive rules and no Town resources can be used to advocate for the project. Ms. Delios noted that they need to go before the Planning Commission at 50% design and she asked where they are now. Ms. Urell noted they are at 30% design and she will put it on the website. Ms. Delios asked for the estimated bid dates and Ms. Urell noted in June. Discussion Re: Finance Committee Role in Library Building Project - Mr. Berman noted that the Finance Committee voted to support the project and asked what role they can play. The Town Manager noted that they can disseminate information. Page 4 of tonight's handout has the question and it is the only format that the state allows. The voters approved it the last time assuming a certain amount of money. Mr. Dockser asked who can publish information and the Town Manager noted that the Finance Committee can put out the facts for Town Meeting. The Finance Committee can draft a letter and he'll help with the facts. Library Trustee Andrew Grimes noted that for best results it should be written as a press release instead of a letter to the editor. Police /Dispatch FY15 Budget - The Town Manager noted that the Police Chief is not present because he is sick so Lt. Dick Robbins was present to answer any questions. The Town Manager noted that there are virtually no changes in the Police budget. He attended the very intense assessment center for the Assistant Police Chief position and there were excellent results. The Town Manager noted that the Selectmen had a chance to cut and add department wish items. They chose not to fund the Library overtime but did agree to fund the Police overtime at $15,000 so there is an increase from the original budget. Page 1 3 Q0, Finance Committee Minutes - March 5, 2014 - page 4 Mr. Greenfield asked what is driving overtime and the Town Manager noted there is no one specific item, just a lot of work. Mr. Greenfield noted for the new members that Police details are separate from overtime. Mr. Greenfield asked if there are rules in the union contracts that increase overtime and the Town Manager noted that it is not necessarily the rules that drive overtime in the Police budget. He noted that he is in collective bargaining with all of the unions so the amount in the budget is an estimate. Mr. Greenfield asked if growth creates more Police business and the Town Manager indicated it does and we added two new Officers a couple of years ago and the Chief is happy with that. Mr. Berman asked if they are seeing an increase in heroin overdoses and Lt. Robbins indicated they have. He noted it is cheap, local and easy to get. The Police have had occasion to use the pen and were able to bring people back after an overdose. The Town Manager reviewed the history of the Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse and noted we are fully funding 1.50 FTE's. He also noted that overtime is driven by what is going on in the community not just the number of Officers we have. The Town Manager noted that regionalizing Dispatch has lost its momentum. It would not save Reading money anyway. The Town Manager noted that it is very difficult for one Dispatcher to cover a shift due to new technology and the Chief would love to have two more Dispatchers. Fire /EMS FY15 Budget - The Town Manager noted that page 2 of the handout is a memo from Chief Burns indicating the need for money for overtime. Chief Burns reviewed the reasons for the shortfall in the overtime budget. He noted that two Fire Fighters are out on injury and there were a lot of illnesses during the summer when people were also on vacation. He noted they have minimum staffing requirements and the size of the department was increased years ago. Chief Burns noted that we provide EMS services and there are training costs for that. They also bring in EMS revenue of approximately $600,000 /year. He noted that we provide fire and EMS services and Reading gets a lot of bang for the buck. Mr. Greenfield asked why he doesn't hire someone to cover vacation time. Chief Burns noted that he could guarantee savings in the first and second years and then it would level off to revenue neutral. He thinks we are at the point to hire an additional person but he has to look at it more. There is a grant available. The Town Manager noted that we can reduce overtime but we will never eliminate it. We're bargaining another position now. He also noted that the Board of Selectmen voted to increase ambulance fees and that added $85,000 into the budget for the Deputy Chief position. Chief Burns noted that the non -union wages increased according to the pay and class plan and union wages are budgeted at 3 %. The Fire alarm crew assists with the flag display and flags need to be replaced. There is an increase in ALS medical supplies because everything is disposable and there are ALS supplies on all fire equipment. Mr. Dockser asked if sick leave buyback is still in the contract and Chief Burns indicated they can sell back sick leave. Page 1 4 a 1 Finance Committee Minutes - March 5 2014 - page 6 Mr. Merry asked about fire truck replacement and it was noted that is in the Capital Improvement Plan. The Town Manager noted that the Finance Committee should attend the School Committee meeting next Monday. Mr. Dockser noted that the schools are looking at different options for early childhood education and a recommendation will be presented to the School Committee on Monday and then a feasibility study will be requested. The preferred location is the parking lot at the Performing Arts Center but the issues with parking need to be addressed. Mr. Dockser noted they will be asking Town Meeting for $500,000 - $1 million for this. The Town Manager noted that the Committee heard the request from the Library for an additional librarian but there are many requests that they didn't hear. There are a lot of unmet needs in the budget and the list is on page 3. Mr. Berman suggested looking at the unfunded items next week and Mr. Greenfield indicated it would be nice to know the value for the Town. Approval of Minutes A motion by Greenfield seconded by Dockser to approve the minutes of February 26, 2014 as amended was approved by a vote of 7 -0 -0. A motion by Berman seconded by Greenfield to adiourn the meeting at 10.45 mm. was approved by a vote of 7 -0 -0. Respectfully submitted, Secretary Page 1 5 a 05 c� Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Finance Committee Date: 2014 -03 -12 Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: Regular Meeting Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:30 PM Location: Conference Room Session: General Session Barry Berman, Craig Merry, David Greenfield, Paul McNeice, Peter Lydecker, Paula Perry, Jeffrey Perkins (arrived at 7:32 p.m.), Karen Herrick (arrived at 7:45 p.m.) Members - Not Present: Mark Dockser Others Present: John Doherty, Superintendent of Schools, Mary DeLai, Assistant Superintendent, School Committee members Hal Croft (arrived at 7:32 p.m.), Chris Caruso (arrived at 7:35 p.m.) and Jeanne Borawski, Linda Snow Dockser, Candidate for School Committee, Geoffrey Coram, RPS Budget Parent Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Topics of Discussion: 1. Call to Order Mr. Berman called the meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. 2. Discussion /Action Items Joshua Eaton Boiler Replacement Mr. Berman reviewed a recent request and vote by the School Committee to support the request for a reserve fund transfer from Finance Committee in the amount of $200,000 for the boiler replacement at the Joshua Eaton School. It was discovered that the amount requested by the vote and the amount on the document did not match. Mr. Berman made the change to reflect the requested amount of $200,000 and would pass the document onto the Town Manager. Mr. Lvdecker moved, seconded by Mr. Merrv, to approve the $200,000 transfer for the boiler replacement. The motion carried 7 -0. Early Childhood Education Center Dr. Doherty asked if there were any questions regarding the Early Childhood Education Center that were not covered Monday evening. Page 1 1 _ ) b' Mr. Berman asked if funding for a traffic study has been included in the proposals. He also if the amount would be enough to cover a study and has there been discussion with the Chief regarding parking. Dr. Doherty indicated a meeting with the Architects, Jean Delios, Bob LeLacheur and Jim Cormier was scheduled for tomorrow. The School Committee will vote on the proposal at their next meeting on March 24cn Mr. Greenfield commented on how thorough the presentation was on Monday evening and feels it is important to get the word out to the residents before the Town Meeting vote. Dr. Doherty responded by reviewing how the district had gotten to this point. Over the past 2 years, the creation of an Early Childhood Center has been a priority starting with the proposed purchase and renovation of the Woburn Street property. The School Department held several community meetings to review the project including several with abutters. Once it was determined that the Woburn Street property would not be the solution, an Early Childhood Working Group was established to explore other sites. Mr. Greenfield wants to be sure that residents that do not have school age children receive as much information as possible. Mr. Berman thinks the money needs to be spent to present the options thus providing as much information as possible to the community. He is aware there is a risk that we spent the money and time and the project does not receive the support. Mr. McNeice felt that the need for an Early Childhood Education Center has been known to the community for a while and Town Meeting members are aware that it may be on the fall warrant. School Department FY15 Budget Mr. Berman turned the meeting over to Dr. Doherty to present the School Committee Recommended Budget. Mrs. Herrick arrived. The Superintendent set the context in the development of this budget. He reviewed the district vision which is a model of educational excellence in preparing students for an ever - changing complex society. He next reviewed the Theory of Action to fulfill the district vision as well as the strategic objectives and initiatives for the district. Addressing the social - emotional needs of our students continues to be a top priority. The Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a multiyear process. We have a good structure in place with leadership teams in every building. The A.L.i.C.E training and implementation will improve the safety protocols and procedures. Students who feel safe in school are better learners. We continue to implement the Common Core Standards for math and literacy. We are in the third year of Educator Evaluation tool and continue to improve the process. The use of time, communication, and resources to support staff to improve collaboration is also a priority in this budget. The development and implementation of a long range plan for expanding early childhood education is also ongoing. Dr. Doherty reviewed enrollment and reminded the group that the district space concerns are not driven by enrollment but by programmatic changes. Our enrollment has remained fairly steady. He is concerned with our incoming kindergarten numbers. His office continues to receive calls from families that are moving into town. We have almost maxed out in kindergarten for next fall. Page 1 2 Q � a Mrs. Perry asked if there would be a point at which you would have to close enrollment in full day kindergarten. Dr. Doherty said families need full day kindergarten for a variety of reasons, if we turn them away they will go elsewhere for kindergarten and return for first grade. Most Reading students stay in our schools for all 13 years and is important to enroll them as early as possible so they receive the instruction and exposure to our curriculum at preschool and kindergarten levels. Right know the district is at 72% capacity for full day kindergarten and feel that 75% is the maximum. Ms. DeLai explained that the foundation budget is defined as the minimal level of funding to provide an adequate education to the children in Massachusetts districts. It is updated each year for each district based on enrollment profiles and inflation. The foundation budget establishes the "required net school spending" for a community - minimum funding a community must allocate to education. Mrs. Perry pointed out that the foundation budget matrix has not changed in many years. Mr. Berman said that all districts do not spend in the same manner. Ms. DeLai added that the matrix makes assumptions. She went on to explain the state education aid. The figure for a community's "local contribution" is calculated based on its "ability to pay ". The ability to pay is based on per capita income and equalized property values. She reviewed Chapter 70 funding which represents 22% of actual net school spending in Reading. Ms. DeLai continued her presentation reviewing the per pupil spending information. Reading ranked 293rd in the state for per pupil spending last year and we have dropped to 305th yet our student achievement is in the top 25% if the State. One of the areas Reading ranks high is professional development. Our district offers staff a variety of opportunities in a number of different topics that allow staff to collaborate and learn. Mr. McNeice asked if we are able to retain staff because of the professional development opportunities. Dr. Doherty said our teachers leave for a variety of reasons but more recently more are leaving for better paying positions. Mr. Berman asked if there was a structural deficit in the way per pupil is determined. The Superintendent feels the town is very supportive of education. This is a revenue issue. Mr. Greenfield noted that it is important for the community to understand what is needed to commit to education. The community needs to be aware of what we are doing vs. what we cannot do because of our level of per pupil spending. Mr. McNeice asked if the per pupil is all student spending. Ms. DeLai said it was and it is driven by salary which makes up 80% of the budget. Dr. Doherty continued with the budget overview. The administration has looked at this budget very seriously and if $485,747 would need to be cut, to come in at the Finance Committee number, 75% of the cuts would be personnel. He once again reminded the group that 80% of the budget is salary and other compensation. Mr. Berman asked about the 6 positions included in this budget and noted that there are no classroom teachers included. Dr. Doherty reviewed the additional positions which include 5.9 FTE positions (2.0 Social Workers, one at the high school and one at the elementary level, .5 ELL position is to support our current ELL teacher and the addition of 3.4 Special Education paraeducators is driven by IEP requirements). The School Committee made the elementary position a priority. Page 1 3 ab� Mr. Berman asked about the unfunded FY15 budget requests. Dr. Doherty reviewed the list of requests. Mrs. Herrick stepped out of the meeting at 8:40 p.m. Dr. Doherty said that additional time for paraeducators to collaborate with teachers, professional development opportunities and instructional coaches to model effective teaching practices are a high priority to be able to continue to move the district forward. Mr. Lydecker asked about technology support. Dr. Doherty said we have 3.5 FTE technicians in the district and 1 elementary technology integration specialist servicing 5 schools. This staffing is not adequate. He also feels the district needs to hire a Technology Director. We need a person that is able to lead use in the use of technology because as a district we are becoming more mobile especially with the implementation of BYOD. Mrs. Herrick returned to the meeting at 8:45 p.m. Mr. Lydecker asked if increasing per pupil would benefit the district. Ms. DeLai indicated the net gain would be $260 per student. Mr. McNeice asked how we benchmark per pupil. Ms. DeLai said we benchmark against other comparable communities. Mrs. Herrick asked about the Library maintenance. Ms. DeLai indicated the maintenance of facilities comes under the control of the School Department. The Building Maintenance budget is a separate budget and has no impact on per pupil spending. Mr. McNeice asked about the prioritized unfunded items and if one social worker was enough. Dr. Doherty said we need the Social Worker and professional development. Ms. DeLai added that we spend a lot of time determining how to shift our resources and use them more effectively. The discussion shifted to salaries. Mr. Berman stated we need to offer competitive salaries and asked what the trend seems to be. Are we losing veteran or newer teachers? Dr. Doherty pointed out that 40% of our teachers are on the top step. Newer teachers will work in Reading for a few years and then may take higher paying jobs in other districts. Mrs. Perry discussed the proposed increase in the substitute rate. She feels it is important to have qualified substitutes available. Mr. Berman asked what the reductions look like. The School Committee has not had this discussion yet. FY15 Maintenance Budget Ms. DeLai reviewed the Maintenance Budget. Mr. Berman asked if the Director's salary was included in this budget. Ms. DeLai said the Director's salary is in the School budget. He then asked when our gas contract is due to expire. Ms. DeLai said June 2015. She will keep a careful eye on what is happening with the price of natural gas and may initiate negotiations earlier. Page 1 4 0 U Mrs. Perry asked if any of the School Department items could be moved to the Capital Plan. Ms. DeLai said that some technology costs and curriculum purchase had been this year. Dr. Doherty asked when the Finance Committee would be voting on the budget. Mr. Berman indicated the Committee would be voting on the budget on March 26tH Mr. Caruso asked for clarification on the proposed date. Mr. Berman would like to wait until the Early Childhood Education Center option has been voted by the School Committee to be sure they have the total amount for the Capital Plan. Mr. Berman recapped the discussion. Local aid numbers have been released and Reading will not be receiving as much as anticipated, the town has spent approximately $500,000 on snow removal and the School Committee Approved Budget is $500,000 over the recommended amount. He also pointed out that an incredible job is done with the money given. Mrs. Herrick left the room at 9:09 p.m. The School Committee members, Dr. Doherty and Ms. DeLai left the meeting. Mrs. Perry feels the Finance Committee needs to have a whole picture discussion. Mr. Greenfield asked about the local aid number. Mr. Berman said we will be receiving $77,000 more than the amount in the Governor's budget. The Town budget was based on a lower local aid figure. Mrs. Herrick returned to the meeting at 9:11 p.m. Mr. Merry asked if it was an all or nothing vote on the School Department budget. Mr. Berman said the Finance Committee could amend the bottom line. Mr. McNeice asked if the Finance Committee could recommend how the funds were to be used. The answer was no. The School Committee can use the funds in the best interest of the schools. Mr. Merry felt the list of needs is serious. Mr. Greenfield said the Finance Committee could vote additional funds to the School Department budget and Town Meeting has the final vote. Mr. Berman shared that any amendments to the budget will result in funding from free cash. The Town will need additional revenues or an operational override. He also felt that asking the voters for an operational override with a healthy free cash balance is political suicide. Free cash needs to be spent down before asking for the override. Mr. Merry asked how much money would be need to get the per pupil to the state average. Mr. Greenfield feels that the Town needs to be informed of what we are missing to continue to meet the educational needs of the Town. He added the Early Childhood Education Center presentation provided information on a well thought out plan. Mrs. Perry asked if the policy of using 5% be increased to 6 or 7 %. Mr. Greenfield said we will not see a return on the $1.5M of free cash being used in this budget. Our free cash will be decreasing. Mr. Berman said that both Capital and debt policy are at 5 %. Page 1 5 1 it Mr. Greenfield feels we should wait to see what happens with the debt for the Library. Mr. Berman moved, seconded by Mr.Perkins, to adiourn. The motion carried 8 -0 The meeting ended at 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Secretary Page 1 6 Q (1 j F c a k Y B�'�nrcoa*dP'! Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Finance Committee Date: 2014 -03 -19 Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:30 PM Location: Conference Room Chairman Barry Berman, Vice Chairman Mark Dockser, FINCOM members David Greenfield, Karen Herrick, Peter Lydecker, Paul McNeice, Craig Merry, Jeffrey Perkins, and Paula Perry, and Town Manager Bob LeLacheur. Members - Not Present: Others Present: Superintendent of Schools John Doherty, Assistant Superintendent Mary DeLai, Bill Brown, Office Manager Paula Schena, Administrative Secretary Caitlin Saunders Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Topics of Discussion: Article 4 will be voted on next week as there are changes to be made in the Capital plan. Article 5 is to see if the Town will allocate money for a onetime expense to place a monument in each Veteran's sector of 2 cemeteries. Bill Brown added that the Town spent $2,000 in Veterans markers last year and a monument in the form of a bench has been talked about and would be greatly appreciated. Mr. Berman stated that $4,000 for the monuments seemed very reasonable. A motion by Dockser second by Perry and McNeice to recommend the subiect matter of Article 5 was approved by a vote of 8 -0 -0. Article 6 was asked to be voted on next week because they need more details about the school budget. This article deals with a variety of surplus in the FY14 budget. Mr. LeLacheur stated that we should see money coming back from the state after the special election but we won't know until a later time. He also added that $50,000 is being taken from parking lot repairs fund and put into the pothole repairs fund as it is much needed. Mr. LeLacheur said Minutemen enrollment is higher than expected and budgeted. Laptop upgrades for the Police cruisers were also discussed as a must need. Also, there are 2 Police recruits heading to the Academy that the Town needs to pay for expenses upfront, but recruits will eventually pay back afterwards; and new uniforms and gear is needed for 2 new officers that have been added to the force. Bottom line is there is a $500,000 deficit with about $1 Million in free cash which is more than anticipated from the estimated half million. Article 7 is about the Smart Growth Stabilization fund and if funds should be transferred from free cash into that fund. Town received an additional $300,000 from the State for Smart Growth project at Reading Woods. If funds are transferred, the Stabilization fund will have a balance of $353,000 that can be allocated by a Town Meeting vote to projects such Page 1 1 _ / C1 FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - MARCH 19th 2014 - page 2 as roadway and sidewalk improvements, or to help with large amounts of construction projects that are already planned. A motion by Greenfield second by Perkins recommends the subiect matter of Article 7 by a vote of 7 -0 -1 with Merry abstaining Article 8 Mr. LeLacheur discussed that OPEB is a very important obligation we have and it is essentially dealing with health insurance related money. Mr. Berman stated that the money would be moved from free cash to sit in this fund but agreed it must be done. A motion by Greenfield second by Dockser and Perry recommends the subiect matter of Article 8 by a vote of 8 -0 -1 with Herrick abstaining Article 9 Mr. LeLacheur stated this needs to go to Town Meeting to be re -voted on the whole number in order to get the MWRA grant. The November meeting voted on a number that was not sufficient for us to receive the grant. Mr. Berman stated we need to authorize the debt in order to get the grant. Mr. LeLacheur mentioned there is no change or impact to the program with correcting this vote. A motion by Dockser second by Greenfield and McNeice recommends the subiect matter of Article 9 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Article 10 is the West Street project which Mr. LeLacheur stated was 100% a State project however the Town has their share of items that needs to be funded. The low total bid will win and the Town's share will depend on how the bid comes in. This article is seeking to authorize $300,000 for additional debt to pay for an item we were unaware of was our share. Mr. LeLacheur stated we know the specific items that the Town needs to fund but not the exact amounts for those items and that this is a project contingency. A motion by Perry second by Greenfield recommends the subiect matter of Article 10 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Article 11 would allow to the Town to vote to authorize water easements to enable the Town to install a new water main. A motion by Greenfield second by Perry and McNeice recommends the subiect matter of Article 11 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Article 12 would allow the Town to vote to remove a sewer easement in order for the residents to construct a new dwelling as planned. A motion by Perry second by McNeice recommends the subiect matter of Article 12 by a vote of 8 -0 -1 with Greenfield abstaining. Article 13 will be discussed and voted on next week. Article 14 will be discussed and voted on next week. Article 15 is to approve the Affordable Housing Fund. Mr. LeLacheur stated it is identical to last year and there is $260,000 in unrestricted funds. It was also mentioned that other towns will be joining this Affordable Housing Allocation plan with Reading leading the way. Town Meeting must annually vote on this and the Housing production plan we have is State approved. Mr. LeLacheur stated this is where a regional position would be helpful. A motion by Greenfield second by Perkins recommends the subiect matter of Article 15 by a vote of 7 -1 -1 with Merry abstaining and Dockser opposed Page 1 2 a (-. a FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - MARCH 19'^ 2014 - page 3 Article 16 is to approve revolving funds for public health programs and not just clinics. Mr. LeLacheur stated there are projects like Johnson Woods which are still not done and this would be money for added inspection hours and documents. It was mentioned that any of this money can be moved to free cash with a Town Meeting vote. Mr. Greenfield asked why not return the money to the operating budget? Mr. LeLacheur said it could be with an article at Town Meeting. A motion by Dockser second by Perkins and Greenfield recommends the subiect matter of Article 16 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Article 17 reviews Chapter 90 funds. The State is holding 1/3 of the of the $900,000 figure that Reading was approved for. This would vote to approve any money we receive from the State. A motion by Greenfield second by McNeice recommends the subiect matter of Article 17 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Mr. LeLacheur stated there may be a possible $79,000 increase in State Aid. RMLD payment is $25,000 less. There is a small increase in water and sewer however overall there is no change in the financial picture just minor detail changes. Mr. Berman would like to get a sense on where we are going with the free cash according to our trends. Mr. Perkins thinks there needs to be a broader discussion on services and department needs. Ms. Perry agrees with Mr. Perkins and also states that FINCOM takes a different position on how to vote for a responsible budget. She would also like to see a discussion on a policy to increase free cash. Mr. Merry asked for a perspective on our free cash trend. Mr. LeLacheur stated our free cash is $7M to start. We are using about $1M this year and another $1.5M already for next year. Mr. Berman stated our policy is about 5% of revenue and we are about at a pace to deplete sooner. Ms. Perry said replenishing free cash over the years has been going good Mr. LeLacheur stated the $1.5M figure has never been close but we do not want to build reoccurring budgets on money that may not be there. Mr. Dockser said the expectations from the town are now beyond the levy and we should consider a number higher than 5% for free cash. Ms. Perry stated we simply cannot support the budgets we want to and Mr. Greenfield stated that the schools and town would be asking for more money if it was there. Mr. Berman said we could be looking at another million and 80% of budget is personnel costs. He stated we are voting to either stay on the same path or start letting the town know that they will have to pay more for what they want. Ms. Perry remarked that the town's priorities have shifted and Mr. Dockser stated we need more realistic budgets for services. Page 1 3 � C FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES — MARCH 19'n 2014 — oaae 4 Mr. Greenfield stated we are spending faster than we can absorb and we are setting ourselves up for hard times if override doesn't happen. Mr. Berman noted we cannot vote for the override until reserves are spent. Mr. McNeice said what's in the budget needs to be there and a lot of the things on the wish list need to be too. He states we should use free cash to fund them. Mr. LeLacheur reminded the committee that overrides take a couple of years to happen. He said no one can predict everything but the committee should be prepared if the big projects need more money. Mr. Dockser pointed out that he believes there is a lot of misinformation the public has about the library project. He would like to get the real facts out there before the election and also maybe go before the Library Trustees for a factual presentation. Mr. Berman said maybe express opinions about the library project as individuals not as FINCOM. Mr. Perkins suggested sending out new numbers to clear confusion and maybe have links to website where public can find more information if they would like to look into it more. Mr. LeLacheur agreed and Ms. Perry added we should mention alternative options. Mr. Perkins also suggested we let the public know that the library project is addressing structural issues it has. Mr. Berman, Mr. Dockser, and Ms. Herrick will be working on the FINCOM letter. Mr. Dockser then stated that the school committee will be voting on Monday to decide on moving forward with the Early Childhood Center and ask for money at Town Meeting. A motion by Herrick and second by Perkins to adiourn the meeting at 9.45um was approved by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Respectfully submitted, Secretary Page 1 4 Q /' - l Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Finance Committee Date: 2014 -03 -26 Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:30 PM Location: Town Hall Conference Room Chairman Barry Berman, Vice Chairman Mark Dockser, FINCOM members Paula Perry, Craig Merry, Peter Lydecker, Karen Herrick, David Greenfield, Paul McNeice, and Jeff Perkins. Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Doherty, Assistant Superintendent Mary DeLai, Bill Brown, Ben Tafoya, John Halsey, Chuck Robinson, Nancy Docktor, Linda Snow Dockser, and Hal Croft. Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Caitlin Saunders Topics of Discussion: Mr. Berman called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. Mr. LeLacheur stated that if FINCOM approves everything as written on the budget tonight, the reserves will be at 7 %. He said we have used a lot of free cash and it is significantly lower than we are used to seeing. The last couple years we have had good regeneration but we are looking at about a $0.5 million less this summer because we are balancing FY14 budget needs. Mr. Berman commented that being 305th in per -pupil spending is not acceptable. He stated the FINCOM's role is to advise Town Meeting and voters where we are headed as a town. He also said that we would have a fiscally responsible budget if we spent the $2 Million of free cash to fund everything. Mr. McNeice asked if it makes more sense to spend more now or to wait and discuss that wish list, which he points out as more of a "true need" list. Mr. Perkins agreed with Mr. McNeice and said we must inform and educate people. Mrs. Perry also agreed and said FINCOM's role is to communicate to the people what is going on. She also said spending the $2 Million this year is not sustainable because we won't have it to give again next year. Mr. Dockser said he is very torn with this decision but leaning towards spending the $2 Million this year. Mr. Perkins asked if there was a possibility of funding some things on the "wish list" and Mrs. Perry pointed out the extra $0.5 million would not be for that. /a1, Page 1 1 alJ FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - MARCH 26th 2014 - page 2 Mr. Berman said that the people also need to know what is NOT being funded. Mr. Greenfield noted we have been in steady erosion for a while now and we have always found ways to cover it but were running out of ways now and we don't know what to do. From a resident point of view an override is the only way to get what we want but FINCOM would be irresponsible to spend beyond its means because it only sets us up for other stresses. Mr. LeLacheur asked if we want to maintain quantity or quality of services and then stated our delivery of current services are not financially sustainable. He said it's difficult to communicate with the community in any one reliable method. Mr. Greenfield said using the $2 million sets us up in an ugly scenario and we need to start talking about an override. Mr. LeLacheur said we could ask for a large override and disperse it out over time and include building project needs. Mr. McNeice said we can't wait until we need an override to start talking about it and Mrs. Perry agreed we need to be very prepared to ask for one. Mr. Greenfield suggested we speak as if cash is already spent so that people don't question why we're asking for an override when there's $5 million in there. Mr. Merry asked about the projected free cash levels and Mr. LeLacheur stated FY15 and FY16 will probably be above 5% but in FY17 there will be problems. Mr. Dockser said if we don't spend the money now, we still haven't averted the problem we have only pushed it off. Mr. Brown added that FINCOM should be aware of the perception people have on the street. Mr. Lydecker stated we might get a "voter burnout" if we add the override along with the library and school projects, people might be more hesitant. Mr. Robinson said that with regeneration, spending the extra $0.5 million shouldn't be a big deal. Mr. Dockser then informed the committee of what happened at the school meeting. The school committee wants option 2 which is for the placement to be in RMHS parking lot. The Chief of Police thinks there is going to be a traffic /parking problem. They are going to vote for the $480,000 option but then the question is should we take that out of FY14 free cash? Mr. Dockser also wanted to know more of where the town stands on voting for this $26 million override for the school. Mr. Berman said the more firm the numbers we give out to the public from the start, the more comfortable the voters will be. He stated the library took a year with the public to let them know it needed work before coming forward and asking for the money. He feels unsure if a discussion has been had and if the community really wants this school project. He thinks it is too site specific and not project specific and stated he would be more comfortable spending the $485,000 knowing the community supports the project and asked Dr. Doherty to give us a sense of what has been done with the community. Dr. Doherty stated they started this all 2 years ago and did a report on school spacing with all committees. They then started looking at spaces while keeping the committees informed. After St. Agnes area was deemed not doable, they went to the community and had four Page 1 2 d V' FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - MARCH 26th, 2014 - page 3 well- attended meetings. They have a 6 -7% increase every year for full day Kindergarten. He stated the Woburn St school which they thought might be a good fit, wouldn't solve the problem. They formed a working group that is involved with the community that consists of 19 members. There were 14 options presented and the working group made 2 recommendations. RMHS parking lot is the only option that can handle most aspects. They are at 72% of enrollment and they're already turning away applications for next year. Dr. Doherty also mentioned they have five more community meetings planned before Town Meeting. Mr. McNeice said he feels there is support for the school project and he has heard a lot of buzz around town about it and it seems to be in a positive manner. Mr. Dockser reminded us that Town Meeting was already willing to go forward with the Woburn St. school when that was an option so that's a good indicator of where they stand on the subject. Mr. Berman then asked the committee if we seem to generally be in support for Article 4 and the $485,000 for the schools, and it was determined the answer was yes. Mr. Dockser stated if we are already compromising on solutions the town needs to recognize an override is coming. Mr. Berman told the committee we are the only people to see the WHOLE budget and we must educate the town. Mr. Brown made a suggestion that we need to put everything on the line for people to see, every project, and every option. A motion by Greenfield second by Perry recommends the subiect matter of Article 4 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Mr. LeLacheur stated that Article 6 is the same as last week except the school schematics was updated and snow and ice increased slightly but will probably not be used. A motion by Greenfield second by Dockser recommends the subiect matter of Article 6 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Article 13 the Capital Plan, added FY24 to the plan and also showed a $12,000 increase in capital for the FY15 budget because of an added vehicle but also drops $3,000 in debt. A motion by Dockser second by Perkins recommends the subiect matter of Article 13 by a vote of 9 -0 -0. Mr. Robinson wanted to make one last statement before the FY15 budget was voted on. He said all the cuts that will have to be made if we don't use the $2 million will be personnel cuts. He said there will be some level regeneration so use the $2 million now while we need it. The FY15 budget was voted on line by line. A motion by Berman second by Perkins recommends line B99 in the amount of $14,141,590 to Benefits of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0. A motion by Dockser second by Greenfield recommends line C99 in the amount of $2,042,000 to Caoital of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0. Page 1 3 J 6 3 FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - MARCH 26�n, 2014 - page 4 A motion by Greenfield second by Perry recommends line D99 in the amount of $3,377,730 to Debt Service of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Perry second by Merry recommends line E99 in the amount of $387,000 to Education - Vocational of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Merry second by Herrick recommends line F99 in the amount of $150,000 to Finance Committee reserves of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Lvdecker second by McNeice recommends line G91 in the amount of $1.194.650 to Administrative Services wages of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9- 0-0. A motion by McNeice second by Herrick recommends line G92 in the amount of $1,095,900 to Administrative Services expenses of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0. A motion by Herrick second by Perkins recommends line H91 in the amount of $974,975 to Community Services wages of the FYiS budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Perkins second by Herrick recommends line H92 in the amount of $436,850 to Community Services expenses of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0- 0. A motion by Berman second by Dockser recommends line I91 in the amount of $577,425 to Finance wages of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Dockser recommends line I92 in the amount of $135.000 to Finance expenses of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0. A motion by Greenfield second by Perry recommends line 791 in the amount of $8,868,606 to Public Safety wages of the FY15 budget with a vote of 7 -2 -0 with Dockser and Berman voting against. A motion by Perry second by Dockser and Perkins recommends line 392 in the amount of $393.835 to Public Safety expenses of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0. A motion by Merry second by Berman recommends line K91 in the amount of $2,361,075 to Public Works wages of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Lvdecker second by Perkins recommends line K92 in the amount of $871,550 to Public Works expenses of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A_motion by McNeice second by Herrick recommends line K93 in the amount of $625,000 to Public Works Snow and Ice of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Herrick second by Berman recommends line K94 in the amount of $200,000 to Public Works Street Lights of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0. A motion by Perkins second by Herrick recommends line K95 in the amount of $1,490,000 to Public Works Rubbish of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0. A motion by Berman second by Dockser for line L91$1,084,855 was amended by Herrick also second by Dockser to line L91 to be $1,089,155 for Library wages for the FY15 budget carried with a 5 -4 -0 vote. Page 1 4 Q64 FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - MARCH 26th 2014 - page 5 A motion by McNeice to make an amendment to line L92 to approve $292.730 second by Berman to Library expenses for the FY15 budget carried with a 5 -4 -0 vote. A motion by Greenfield for line S99 $40.117.973 was second by Perkins Dockser offered to amend that figure to $40,517.973 second by Greenfield Berman offered a friendly amendment of $40,317,973 second by Perry. That motion Passed 8 -1 -0 with Greenfield opposed. A motion by Perry second by Herrick to approve line T99 in the amount of $700,167 to Town Facilities of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Merry second by Perry to approve line W99 in the amount of $5,231,944 to the Water Enterprise Fund of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by Lvdecker second by McNeice to approve line X99 in the amount of $5,852,079 to the Sewer Enterprise Fund of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9 -0 -0 A motion by McNeice second by Herrick to approve line Y99 in the amount of $369,650 to the Storm Water Enterprise Fun of the FY15 budget with a vote of 9- 0-0. Dr. Doherty and Mr. Robinson thanked FINCOM for their support. Mr. Berman thanked the other FINCOM members who attended other committees meetings for doing so and the effort they put forth. Mr. Dockser thanked Mr. Berman and Mr. Greenfield for their participation on the committee, as their terms will expire in June 2014. A motion by Berman second by McNeice to adiourn the meeting at 9.45pm carried with a 9 -0 -0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Secretary Page 1 5 c� Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Finance Committee Date: 2014 -04 -09 Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Address: 49 Pleasant Street Purpose: Financial Forum Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:30 PM Location: Great Room Chairman Barry Berman, Vice Chairman Mark Dockser, FINCOM members David Greenfield, Karen Herrick, Paula Perry, and Jeff Perkins. Members - Not Present: FINCOM members Peter Lydecker, Paul McNeice, and Craig Merry. Others Present: Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Board of Selectman members John Halsey, Kevin Sexton, John Arena, Marsie West, and Daniel Ensminger. Superintendent of Schools John Doherty, Assistant Superintendent Mary DeLai, school committee members Linda Snow Docsker, Elaine Webb, Chris Caruso, Chuck Robinson, and Jeanne Borawski. Library Trustee Vicki Yablonsky; Bill Brown, Nancy Docktor and Administrative Secretary Caitlin Saunders. Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Topics of Discussion: Mr. Berman called the meeting to order at 7:35pm. He welcomed Mr. Halsey and Mr. Sexton to the Board of Selectman and then stated today's meeting is mostly to decide if we should take money out of free cash to fund the early childhood center. Mr. Berman noted we are already spending free cash at an unsustainable level and we cannot continue to provide the current services without new revenue. Town Meeting is looking for a plan on how to fund the early childhood center and we are the ones they are looking to. Mr. LeLacheur stated that there will be no happy surprise with regeneration this year. He said we had a tough year and we are using a half million of surplus to fund snow and ice. Now we have to worry about next year's budgets because they will be relying on the extra they got this year. Mr. LeLacheur said they are going to ask the Board of Selectmen to call a special town meeting to change capital into debt. He stated we will use internal borrowing and then have a debt sale around June to fund the Library and West Street projects. He said that is the cheapest way with little interest and keeps cash in free cash while giving us time to decide what to do. Mr. LeLacheur stated there really is no down side except for a small amount of interest. Mr. Berman stated the $485,000 would be enough to get information out to the voters and educate them on what is going on. Page 1 1 a -e,� FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - APRIL 9TH. 2014 - PAGE 2 Mr. LeLacheur pointed out we did not give the library enough money upfront and wants to learn from that mistake for this and future projects. He also mentioned that 15% design is a lot of information. Mr. Berman stated it is clear we are starting to fall behind which is the reasoning for voting for spending more money. He said we need the extra money to sustain the services we already offer. Ms. Perry said they were looking for an amount that would involve less cuts. Mr. Dockser stated they were looking for a way to alleviate some issues and not fall more behind. He also said we will eventually need to offer fewer services. Ms. Herrick said they are trying to make everyone aware free cash will be gone in 2.5 years. Mr. Greenfield said we need to warn Town Meeting we are heading towards an override. Mr. Halsey stated the town needs to know that we are on a collision course. He also mentioned we need to voice the fact that we do not have free cash and the cash we have is a reserve that holds a bigger system together. Mr. Dockser said its FINCOM's job to inform what free cash is and suggest where it is going but ultimately it is Town Meeting that makes the final call. Ms. West asked why this is the right year to use the extra 2 million. She said she has heard there will be cuts every year so why this year is it time to use the extra money? Mr. Berman stated we have enough money to fund this years and next year's budgets but after that we don't know how we are going to fund the capital budget and that's why we must start the override talk because it takes time. Mr. Greenfield said we have been on slow erosion with cuts along the whole way. He said we are going to start seeing worse regeneration and we can't count on state funds or an override because they are not guaranteed. Mr. Brown pointed out the only reason we needed to use the extra money was for the schools and it is not necessary because our schools are one of the bests. Mr. Robinson said we should not be having the override talk yet because we are not nearly as low as we were the last time an override happened. Mr. LeLacheur said we need to think about all the capital projects happening and there will be a voter burnout if we go to them with an override. He stated 5% in free cash, although lower than what is recommended, seems reasonable. He stated it is better to have free cash on the side than to keep going back to voters for overrides for more money. He also said we can't keep offering all these services at high quality forever; we must chose, fewer services with high quality or more services with less quality. Mr. LeLacheur said to remember that costs will keep going up but rarely come down. Mr. Berman stated that FINCOM agonized over the vote to use the extra money. Mr. Greenfield said Town Meeting needs to voice their values and decide, if they want to sustain services, they must spend more money and head towards an override but that is a discussion for Town Meeting to have. Page 1 2 3 e, v' FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES - APRIL 9TH 2014 - PAGE 3 ARTICLES SECOND BY WEST CARRIED WITH A 5 -0 -0 VOTE BY THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN. A MOTION BY DOCKSER SECOND BY PERRY TO APPROVE THE SUBJECT MATTER OF ARTICLE 3 AND MOVE $485,000 TO CAPITAL FUNDS CARRIED WITH A 6 -0 -0 VOTE. A MOTION BY DOCKSER SECOND BY GREENFIELD TO APPROVE THE SUBJECT MATTER OF ARTICLE 4 CARRIED WITH A VOTE OF 6 -0 -0. A MOTION BY BERMAN TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8.40 CARRIED WITH A VOTE OF 6 -0 -0. Respectfully submitted, Secretary Page 1 3