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Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Finance Committee
Date: 2018-02-07
Building: School - Memorial High
Address: 62 Oakland Road
Purpose: General Business
Attendees: Members - Present:
TOWN C"LE K
READIN!k, MA.
'2018 MAR - 8 AIS 11: ' 29
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: RMHS Schettini Library
Session:
Version:
Chair Peter Lydecker, Paul McNeice, Marc Moll, Anne Landry, Paula Perry,
Mark Dockser, Vanessa Alvarado
Members - Not Present:
David Neshat, Eric Burkhart
Others Present:
Superintendent of Schools John Doherty, Finance Director Gail Dowd, School
Committee Chair Chuck Robinson, Facilities Director Joe Huggins, Assistant
Facilities Director Kevin Cabuzzi, Executive Assistant Caitlin Saunders,
Selectmen Chair John Arena, Selectman Barry Berman, Linda Snow Dockser,
Michelle Sanphy, Erin Gallen
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Caitlin Saunders
Topics of Discussion:
Peter Lydecker called the meeting to order.
Dr. Doherty noted the budget he gave the board tonight is; the balanced budget not the
override budget. He noted he would go thru the questions the board raised.
Dr. Doherty explained the School budget has not been sustainable for the past 5 years and
they have been at below level service for those years as well. However, the override budget
does have some sustainability built in; it won't last 15 years but some. They have built in
expenses such as technology upgrades.
Dr. Doherty explained the School Department's revolving funds. They raised fees in
athletics, Kindergarten, RISE Preschool. The. reason there is an increase in athletics in the
operating budget is because they decreased the offset. Fees pay for 76% of the coaches'
salaries.
Mark Dockser feels that the offsets are presented in a hard way for people to understand.
He also asked Facilities Director Joe Huggins why energy expenses are so high and he noted
that. is a topic for tomorrow night's meeting now that facilities budget is on the town side.
Mr. Dockser also wanted to remind everyone RCASA is something we have to remember we
need to fund down the road when the grant expires.
Peter Lydecker asked about technology cycle moving from 8 years to 5 and if that would all
be done in one year. It was noted no, that will not happen over one year but that is the
direction they are trying to move to over time.
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Paula Perry asked about the custodian contract changes. It was noted that due to budget
constraints they had to cut back last year and that was one of the things that got cut.
Rebecca Liberman pleaded with the board to schedule another meeting to find a way to
save all the teachers in the middle school. She suggested floating those positions and.
finding a way to keep them. She also suggested cutting out athletics before teachers.
Paul McNeice explained that cuts in athletics have taken place and in many other places.
Anne Landry noted that it would be financially irresponsible to float those positions. We all
want to save the positions but it is what it is and we.need an override to fix it.
School Committee Chair Chuck Robinson noted no one is happy about it but it had to be
done. We voted and it passed.
Dr. Doherty explained they are in an even bigger hole this year because we saved these
teachers last year and now we need to cut more.
Linda Snow Dockser noted the School Committee did consider it and they don't want to do
it, but it is what has to be done.
Carl McFadden expressed his opinion on selling RMLD.. He explained that they are a cash
cow to us and while we are struggling to make budgets balance, we should be selling our
greatest asset and help ourselves out.
Selectman Barry Berman explained that there is a subcommittee already in place that is
looking into their payments to the town and renegotiating with them.
Selectman John Arena wanted to comment about the offsets and revolving funds and
wanted to remind the group that most people reading the budget are not financial people
and will have a hard time understanding it completely.
Mark Dockser feels selling RMLD would not be the answer to all the budget problems.
Vanessa Alvarado also mentioned if we sell RMLD our rates will go up because they will not
be ours anymore.
Paula Perry made a motion to adjourn at 8:55 PM, second by Mark Dockser and
approved with a 7-0-0 vote.
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