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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-02-26 Appointment Committee -Finance Committee MinutesTown of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Appointment Committee - Finance Committee Date: 2015 -02 -26 Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:00 PM Location: Conference Room �U W �� ED DING, S Z015 MAR /' p �• 5/ Town Moderator Alan Foulds, Selectmen Vice Chairman Marsie West and Finance Committee Chairman Mark Dockser Members - Not Present: Others Present: Executive Assistant Paula Schena, Kevin Briere, Benjamin Higgins, Vanessa Alvarado, Cory Fox, Richard Wood, Ronald Powell, Karen Goncalves -Dolan Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Secretary Topics of Discussion: Discussion /Action Items - The Committee interviewed Kevin Briere for a position on the Finance Committee. Mr. Briere noted that he has his Masters in Accounting, is a CPA, previously worked for Pierce Waterhouse and currently works in the Finance Department at John Hancock. Mark Dockser asked Mr. Briere if he is involved in the community. Mr. Briere indicated he has two children and one is enrolling in kindergarten. He is exploring activities and his wife is involved with Mom's group and Connect the Tots. Alan Foulds asked if he served on any committees and Mr. Briere indicated he does not. Alan Foulds asked if he would consider becoming a Town Meeting member and /or take a leadership role on the Finance Committee once he was settled into the position and Mr. Briere indicated he would. Alan Foulds asked if he had any conflicts and Mr. Briere indicated he did not. Marsie West asked that he give an example of a time when he had a set opinion and then changed his view. Mr. Briere indicated he normally does not have a set opinion. Working as an auditor he would find an abnormality and form an opinion but once he received more information it sometimes changed his view. Mark Dockser asked why he was interested in the Finance Committee and Mr. Briere indicated he wants to apply his background. The Committee interviewed Benjamin Higgins for a position on the Finance Committee. He noted that he moved to Reading one year ago. He graduated from law school last year and is now working for the bankruptcy court. He has also worked for the Department of Labor Relations. Page 1 1 Finance Committee Appointment Committee Minutes - February 26 2015 - Daae 2 Mark Dockser asked if he had any interest in Town Meeting and if he had any children. Mr. Higgins indicated he is interested in Town Meeting but has not attended and he has no children. Marsie West asked how he would approach balancing all of the needs of the Town and Mr. Higgins indicated he would take everyone's perspective under consideration and find out the Town's priorities. Alan Foulds asked if he was appointed to the Finance Committee and stayed would he be interested in taking a leadership role and Mr. Higgins indicated he would. He also noted that his employer will not let him serve in any elected positions. Mark Dockser asked why he is interested in the Finance Committee and Mr. Higgins indicated it ties in nicely with what he does - it's something he's interested in. Marsie West asked him to give an example of when he had an opinion and then changed his position. Mr. Higgins indicated that happens in work. He will form a legal opinion and then after all the information is taken in, he forms a final decision. The Committee interviewed Vanessa Alvarado for a position on the Finance Committee. Ms. Alvarado noted that she is a five year resident and ready to get involved. She is new to Town government. She has background in budgeting. She wants to give back to the community and represent other people. Mark Dockser asked if she has observed Town Meeting and if she would consider running for Town Meeting. Ms. Alvarado noted that she works and has children. She would have to consider the time constraints. Mark Dockser asked her what aspects of the Finance Committee she found appealing and Ms. Alvarado indicated the forecasting. She does monthly reconciliations now and sometimes has to find ways to slim down. Alan Foulds asked if she was appointed if she would be willing to take on a leadership role and Ms. Alvarado indicated possibly - it sounds like a natural progression. Marsie West asked her to give an example of when she had a preconceived notion and then changed her mind. Ms. Alvardo indicated she would identify public relation possibilities but sometimes there are sensitivities. Sometimes it's better to choose a more moderate approach and determine what is best for the Town. Ms. Alvarado asked the Committee what they are looking for and Mark Dockser noted they are looking for a ninth member who has the ability to come in and make a recommendation to Town Meeting. They need somebody who has the ability to speak at Town Meeting. Alan Foulds also noted that an open mind is important. The Committee interviewed Cory Fox for a position on the Finance Committee. Mr. Fox indicated he has been a resident of Reading for six years. He has a three year old daughter. He grew up in Westwood and worked in the State Treasurers' office until Mitt Romney was elected. He then went to law school and is now an Associate Attorney with a small business in zoning. Mark Dockser asked if he has been involved in Town government or attended any meetings and Mr. Fox indicated he has not been involved or attended any meetings. He did serve on the Democratic Committee when he was 19. Alan Foulds asked if there would be any conflicts with his job and Mr. Fox indicated there wouldn't because the majority of their business is in the Newton /Brookline area. Page 1 2 Finance Committee A1212ointment Committee Minutes - February 26 2015 - page 3 Marsie West noted that the Finance Committee is advisory to Town Meeting and she asked how he would balance priorities. Mr. Fox indicated it's important to spend money on what is needed but there is a need to keep an eye on the future. He wouldn't want to mortgage the future to get everything we want now. Mark Dockser asked if he was involved in Town activities and Mr. Fox indicated he attempted to run for Town Meeting once but fell short because he went away on vacation. Alan Foulds asked if he was willing to take a leadership role on the Committee and if he was willing to speak at Town Meeting. Mr. Fox indicated he was willing to take a leadership role and had no problem speaking at Town Meeting. Marsie West asked if he would give an example of a time when his mind was set on something and then he changed his view. Mr. Fox indicated his business had a client that they were representing in a family dispute. As certain facts came out, they found out the client was not the honest fellow that they thought he was so they advised him to settle out of court. The Committee interviewed Richard Wood for a position on the Finance Committee. Mr. Wood noted that he has been a resident for one year and civic involvement is important to him. He works for the US Treasury Department and reads very long reports. He has a background in auditing. He is not originally from New England and is surprised to see the school budget is separate from the Town's budget. Alan Foulds asked if he has attended Town Meeting and Mr. Wood indicated he has attended two Conservation Commission meetings and two ZBA meetings. Mark Dockser asked if he has seen any Town Meetings and if he would be willing to become a Town Meeting Member. Mr. Wood indicated he has not attended any but it sounds like a necessary function. Marsie West asked what his views are on balancing different priorities and Mr. Wood indicated that triage is hard because someone will always be unhappy. He noted that people value the school system. It is important to communicate why decisions are made and keep that in mind going forward. If you change one thing it has an impact on other items. He noted that he is not sure how accurate assessments are in Reading. Alan Foulds asked him if he would take a leadership position and Mr. Wood indicated he would in the long term. The Committee interviewed Ronald Powell for a position on the Finance Committee. Mr. Powell noted he is a 13 year resident and he served on the Finance Committee from 2005 - 2008. He has extra time now and since he has three years of budget experience he feels he can hit the road running. He noted he has an MBA from Boston College. He has two daughters in the school system. Mark Dockser asked why he took a break from the Finance Committee and Mr. Powell indicated he had to resign because he could not meet the time requirements. Mark Dockser asked if he attended Town Meeting and Mr. Powell indicated he follows town government closely. He suggests switching to the GIC to reduce health care costs. He noted that some towns are looking into regionalizing special education transportation costs. He also suggested looking at pay per inch for snow removal. Marsie West asked what his views are on balancing priorities. Mr. Powell recommended looking at the return on the investment - what is the investment going to do for the Town. Marsie West asked him for an example of when his mind was set and then he changed his Page 1 3 Finance Committee Appointment Committee Minutes - February 26 2015 - page 4 view. Mr. Powell noted that he is willing to hear other viewpoints and input. He feels reasonable people should change their mind. The Committee interviewed Karen Goncalves -Dolan for a position on the Finance Committee. Ms. Dolan noted that she has been a resident since she was 12 years old. Her background is in real estate. Mark Dockser asked if she has watched Town Meeting and Ms. Dolan indicated she has attended Town Meeting and watched on television. Mark Dockser asked about her involvement in Town and Ms. Dolan indicated that she has not served on any Boards or Committees. Her experience includes accounting, audits, contract negotiations, sticking to the budget. She feels a lot went wrong on the High School project. She has been unable to get the cost of the temporary space for the library. Mark Dockser asked if she had any involvement with the school system and Ms. Dolan indicated she did not. Marsie West asked how she balances budget priorities. Ms. Dolan felt customer service is important. She believes in being open and honest with the public. She feels there is a lot of room for improvement. Alan Foulds asked if she would be willing to take a leadership position and Ms. Dolan indicated yes, that she plans on staying. Marsie West asked for an example of when she had her mind set on one thing and then changed her opinion. Ms. Dolan could not think of any examples but she is open to other people's opinions. Mark Dockser asked how she works with others and Ms. Dolan indicated she always works in teams. Ms. Dolan indicated she is interested in serving on the Permanent Building Committee and asked about the status of that. West moved and Foulds seconded to place the following names into nomination for one position on the Finance Committee with a term expiring June 30 2015• Vanessa Alvarado, Kevin Briere and Beniamin Higgins. Vanessa Alvarado received three votes and was appointed. A motion by West seconded by Dockser to adiourn the meeting at 8.50 p.m. was approved by a vote of 3 -0 -0. Respectfully submitted, Secretary Page 1 4