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Home My WebLink About2014-07-30 Finance Committee Minutes3F gt46, Town of Reading a Meeting Minutes RECEIVED TOWN CLERK a ADING. MASS. Board - committee - commission - Council: 2014 SEP IS P 3 36 Finance Committee Date: 2014 -07 -30 Time: 7:30 PM Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Location: Great Room Address: 49 Pleasant Street Purpose: Financial Forum Attendees: Members - Present: Chairman Mark Dockser, Vice Chair Paula Perry, and FINCOM members Marc Moll, Anne Landry, Paul McNeice, Peter Lydecker and Karen Herrick. Members - Not Present: Craig Merry Others Present: Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Assistant Town Manager lean Delios, Police Chief Jim Cormier, Fire Chief Greg Burns, Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom, Board of Selectmen memebers Daniel Ensminger, John Halsey, Kevin Sexton, Marsie West, and John Arena, School Committee members Chris Caruso, Elaine Webb, Jeanne Barowski, Linda Snow Dockser, Chuck Robinson and Gary Nihan, Superintendent of Schools John Doherty, Jane Kinsella from Administrative Services at the Town Hall, Bill Brown, Nancy Docktor and Administrative Secretary Caitlin Saunders. Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Topics of Discussion: Chairman Mark Dockser called the meeting to order around 8pm. Mr. Dockser explained the reason the town started doing financial forums was to get all the boards involved and working together. He also informed everyone that our state legislatures will be at the next financial forum in September. Mr. LeLacheur explained to the other boards about the EDSAT, or the Economic Development Self Assessment Tool that was used to assess Reading. One of the big things that stood out when the results came back was the towns' poor marketing. Mr. LeLacheur said we need to stop doing so many things and tell people what we are doing so they know they are happening. He stated the town does a lot of amazing things but we fail to tell people about them. Mr. Dockser explained even if the town wanted to maintain the services we already provide, we need more revenue. He noted the town has a lot of Capital projects going on and they should take a look at all the accounts to get a solid total number in reserves. He also mentioned taking a look at a level of capital spending that will be required going forward. Mr. Dockser stated that he thinks it would be beneficial to start looking at budgets in a two year time frame and that might help set the towns priorities looking at the bigger picture. Finance Committee Minutes - July 30 2014 - oaae 2 Page i I Mr. LeLacheur asked the boards to start thinking about how much money can the town use in the budget process as a neutral number that we know will be regenerated. He stated last year's 1.7M figure is just not sustainable. He then went on to explain to the other boards about the "Reading 2020" working groups that were formed. These four working groups that were created with the Board of Selectmen and the Town Department Heads and will focus on looking into the future to push Reading towards a better future. Mr. LeLacheur said communication is very Important but we want to be able to control it. The Town Manager then invited the other boards to join the working groups if they would like to help out. He then informed the boards that the September Town Meeting will have the marijuana zoning change on the agenda and will also attempt to resolve the Summer Ave issue. Mr. Dockser stated he would like the next financial forum to be a working session while the legislatures are there so that the town can get their input as well. He wanted to use tonight's forum to brainstorm a list of service priorities and then vote on them. He also asked the boards to start brainstorming how to get the word out to the community and get more people Involved. Mr. Dockser said he thinks bringing a neighbor to the next meeting will be a good start. The boards and committees then got into discussion and came up with a list of services separated Into these categories: 1. Services provided today, needs being met 2. Services provided today, needs not being met 3. Services not provided today but should be 4. Services provided today but getting more funding than they should S. Services provided today that should not be funded at all After they created the lists, each person was asked to vote for their top 3 choices per category If they had to pick. The results were as followed 1) Services provided today, needs being met 2) Services provided today, needs not being met ➢ Athletics - field space, lights, surfaces, revenues (10 votes) ➢ Youth activities (3 votes) ➢ Safe places for youths - informal and academic clubs RISE preschool - room /space, revenues (B votes) RMHS programs (1 vote) ➢ K -12 Special Ed space (5 votes) ➢ Full day K (11 votes) Health programs Page 1 2 Trash /recycling pick up Police and fire ➢ Town hall ➢ Library ➢ DPW - streets ➢ Youth activities ➢ Schools ➢ RMLD Capital ➢ Cultural opportunities 2) Services provided today, needs not being met ➢ Athletics - field space, lights, surfaces, revenues (10 votes) ➢ Youth activities (3 votes) ➢ Safe places for youths - informal and academic clubs RISE preschool - room /space, revenues (B votes) RMHS programs (1 vote) ➢ K -12 Special Ed space (5 votes) ➢ Full day K (11 votes) Health programs Page 1 2 Finance Committee Minutes - July 30. 2014 - oaae 3 ➢ Art/Music space (1 vote) ➢ Cultural space (2 votes) Student social services ➢ Senior housing /transportation (5 votes) ➢ Elder services (2 votes) ➢ Affordable housing - workforce, youth (3 votes) ➢ Website (1 vote) ➢ Parking ➢ Signage for activities ➢ Effective communication to community (13 votes) ➢ Diversity ➢ Student counselling - anxiety prevention (4 votes) ➢ Cross generation activities ➢ Institute tech specialists (3 votes) ➢ Measure performance Grant funding - matching 3) Services not provided today but should be ➢ Small business ➢ Active economic development (7 votes) ➢ RAID (2 votes) ➢ Community policing - funding (1 vote) Improve solar incentives - stretch code (3 votes) ➢ Infrastructure planning (1 vote) ➢ Fund Innovative ideas toward 2020 (13 votes) ➢ Technology proactive planning (6 votes) ➢ Free full day K (7 votes) ➢ Retain staff (6 votes) 4) Services provided today but getting more funding than they should/ services that should not be funded at all ➢ Veterans services - full funding State • Some capital expenses at the margin in projects • Plant watering (4 votes) • More grant funding from outside sources (3 votes) • Private - Public partnerships (12 votes) • Outsource student health and social issues - Insurance funded (5 votes) • Collaboration with other organizations (11 votes) • Shift in library programming (10 votes) • Pruning philosophy (8 votes) • Snow plowing Mr. Dockser then asked for ideas to get people to come to the next meeting and the group came up with: tell neighbors, send out a notice on next RMLD/ water bill, put on the front page of the towns' website, place an ad in the community connection, and put a notice on Page 1 3 Finance Committee Minutes - July 30 2014 - page 4 the Chamber of Commerce website. Mr. LeLacheur also mentioned we can use Town Meeting to engage them In the discussion of town priorities as well. Mr. Dockser then reminded everyone to try and bring a neighbor or friend to the next financial forum. Mr. McNelce made a motion to adjourn at loom second by Mr. Moll and approved with an 7 -0 -0 vote. Respectfully P�K subbmittee d, Secretary k�9 Page 14