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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Finance Committee
Date: 2020-10-07 Time: 8:00 PM
Building: Location:
Address: Session: Open Session
Purpose: Financial Forum Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair Ed Ross, Vice Chair Dan Dewar, Nick Boivin, Jeanne Borawski, Eric
Burkhart, Marianne Downing, Mark Zarrow
Members - Not Present:
Sean Jacobs, Andrew Mclauchlan
Others Present:
Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom, Fire
Chief Greg Burns, School Superintendent John Doherty, School CFO Gail
Dowd; School Committee Members: Chair Chuck Robinson, Shawn Brandt,
Erin Gaffen, Carla Nazzaro, John Parks; Select Board Members: Chair Mark
Dockser, Vanessa Alvarado, Carlo Bacci, Karen Herrick, Anne Landry
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde
Topics of Discussion:
This meeting was held remotely via Zoom.
Chair Ed Ross called the meeting to order at 8:03 pm. Mark Dockser called the Select
Board to order. Chuck Robinson called the School Committee to order. School Committee
member Tom Wise was not present.
General Fund Capital Plan Update:
Town Manager Bob LeLacheur briefly reviewed the debt and capital plan. This year, almost
$900,000 was cut from what would have been a typical 5% debt and capital plan. If Town
Meeting agrees to reinstate $250,000 of capital, that would put the plan back at 4.5%. Not
included in the plan this year are the Community/Senior Center and the DPW Project at
Camp Curtis Guild. But there will be $10 million-$12 million available for capital projects
over the next ten years.
Debt Planning — General Fund and Enterprise Funds:
Mr. LeLacheur provided a brief summary of the debt schedule, future planned capital
improvement projects, and the upcoming warrant articles for debt authorization. There is
still a need to be flexible with Capital and Debt for the next few years due to the unknown
financial effects of COVID.
November Warrant Articles — FINCOM Discussion and Vote•
Article 3 requests changes to the Capital Plan including: $90,000 for Fire ALS defibrillators;
$57,500 for DPW hotbox for pothole repairs; $50,000 for DPW skim coat/crack seal; and
$50,000 for Public Services land use planning (Conservation analysis of Symonds Way and
Camp Curtis Guild).
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On a Motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted to approve Article 3 as presented by a vote of 7-0-0.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Jeanne Borawski-Yes, Nick
Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Article 4 requests changes to the current year's budget to spend $837,303 in extra revenue
including: $25,000 for Administrative Services COVID expenses; $50,000 for Health
Department wages; $20,000 for a Health Department staffing assessment; $75,000 in
rubbish expenses; $20,000 for Core Facilities overtime wages related to COVID; $200,000
for PPE; $20,000 for Facilities for Town buildings due to COVID; and $120,000 for School
COVID funding. Most of the anticipated COVID related expenses are for
cleaning/disinfecting and PPE.
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 4 as presented.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Article 5 requests to pay unpaid bills from prior years. There are currently no unpaid bills,
but Town Meeting can address on the floor if anything comes up.
On a motion by John Parks, and seconded by Carla Nazzaro, the School Committee
voted 5-0-0 to adjourn at 9:33 pm.
Roll call vote: Carla Nazzaro-Yes, Shawn Brandt-Yes, John Parks-Yes, Erin Gaffen-
Yes, Chuck Robinson-Yes.
On a motion by Carlo Bacci, and seconded by Karen Herrick, the Select Board voted
5-0-0 to adjourn at 9:34 pm.
Roll call vote: Carlo Bacci-Yes, Karen Herrick-Yes, Anne Landry-Yes, Vanessa
Alvarado-Yes, Mark Dockser-Yes.
Article 6 requests approval of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Allocation Plan. The
current balance of the fund is just under $400,000. To spend money from this fund
requires a joint meeting of the Select Board and Reading Housing Authority.
On a motion by Mr. Burkhart, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance
Committee voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 6 as written.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Article 7 requests authorization to borrow $1.1 million for water main improvements in the
Gazebo Circle area. Town Meeting voted to approve $1 million in March, but the estimated
cost of the project increased $0.1 million.
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 7 as written.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Article 8 requests authorization to borrow $1.5 million from the MWRA to de-lead old
connections between water mains and houses.
On a motion by Mr. Burkhart, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance
Committee voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 8 as written.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Article 9 requests authorization to borrow $4.3 million ($1.3 million from MWRA plus $2.8
million from other sources) for water main improvements to the downtown area.
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 9 as written.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
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Article 10 requests authorization to borrow $1 million for sewer system improvements in the
Haven Street area.
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 10 as written.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Article 11 requests authorization to borrow $1 million for drainage improvements in the
Haven Street area.
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 11 as written.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Article 13 requests to authorize the Select Board to accept a parcel of land abutting
Timberneck Swamp as a gift to the Town to be preserved as Conservation land. The land
will be donated and there will be no cost to the Town.
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to approve Article 13 as written.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
Discuss Financial Forum October 21 (Focus on FY22 Budgets):
Topics anticipated at the next Financial Forum on October 21n will include: accommodated
costs, policy on OPEB, discussion on free cash, and a comparative look at budgets with
various use of free cash. There will be a request for a community priority for the ad hoc
Human Rights Committee's desired position in the Library budget for an Executive Director
for the Reading Alliance for Equity and Social Justice (RAESJ).
Minutes:
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to approve the meeting minutes of September 23, 2020.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
On a motion by Mr. Dewar, and seconded by Ms. Downing, the Finance Committee
voted 7-0-0 to adjourn at 10:06 pm.
Roll call vote: Dan Dewar-Yes, Mark Zarrow-Yes, Eric Burkhart-Yes, Jeanne
Borawski-Yes, Nick Boivin-Yes, Marianne Downing-Yes, Ed Ross-Yes.
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