HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-12-10 Select Board Minutes� rq
Town of Reading I V't'�
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Select Board
Date: 2024-12-10 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Select Board Meeting Room
Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair Carlo Bacci, Vice Chair Karen Gately Herrick, Secretary Chris Haley,
Mark Dockser, Melissa Murphy
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Town Manager Matt Kraunelis, Library Director Amy Lannon, Director of
Equity Albert Pless (remote), Assistant Library Director Michelle Filleul,
Facilities Director Joe Huggins, Assistant Facilities Director Kevin Cabuzzi,
Chief Technology Officer Kevin Furilla, Technology Manager Jenn Iosua,
Chief Financial Officer Sharon Angstrom, Ed Ross (remote), Marianne
McLaughlin -Downing (remote), Joe McDonagh (remote), Emily Sisson
(remote), Mike (remote), lack (remote 8:17pm)
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jackie LaVerde
Topics of Discussion:
Chair Carlo Bacci called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
The sole item on the agenda this evening is to continue hearing town department FY 2026
budget presentations.
Library
Library Director Amy Lannon provided an overview of Library services and the proposed
FY26 budget. At their November meeting, the Board of Library Trustees approved a 3.6%
budget increase for FY26. The budget request is $2,260,050, which includes $1,810,050 for
salaries, a 3.2% increase over FY25 driven by step increase and cost of living adjustments
(COLA), and $450,000 for expenses, a 5.4% increase over FY25 driven by expanding
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Albert
Pless provided an overview of the work he does, plans for staff training and development,
and overall professional services.
Facilities
Facilities Director Joe Huggins reviewed the requested Core Facilities and Town Facilities
budgets. The Facilities department maintains all eighteen schools and municipal buildings.
The requested Core Facilities budget is $780,600 for wages, an increase of 4% due to step
Page 1 1
increases plus COLA per collective bargaining agreements, and $3,296,831 for expenses, an
overall 3% increase, which includes energy, maintenance and repairs, HVAC, elevator
maintenance, alarm maintenance, and pest management. For Town Facilities, wages increase
2% for steps and COLA per collective bargaining agreements to $271,800, and expenses
increase 6% overall to $118,136 due to an estimated 8% increase to the outsourced cleaning
services which will be going out to bid. The overall increase for both Core and Town Facilities
is approximately $150,000. Assistant Facilities Director Kevin Cabuzzi outlined the past year's
workorders by location, preventative maintenance program, and projects completed.
Technoloav
Chief Technology Officer Kevin Furilla presented the Technology department team members,
responsibilities, and comparison of the FY25 and proposed FY26 budget. Salaries increase
3.3% to $539,100, expenses increase 11.7% to $759,300. The total Technology budget
increases 8.1% overall to $1,298,400. The big difference in expenses is due to a $54,000
increase in the security system software, as the first three years of software support that was
included expires in FY26, and a $5,000 increase for a new printer contract that covers both
services and supplies. Mr. Furilla outlined other expenses, fiber network updates, and grants
received.
Finance
Chief Financial Officer Sharon Angstrom shared the Finance Budget. She reviewed the
organizational chart, including the new Treasury Analyst supporting the work in the Finance
Department, and the key responsibilities of each division. The overall Finance budget is
increasing 2.99% to $1,295,700. All finance staff is non-union and will receive step increases
and COLA. Finance salaries total increase is 5.5% to $1,123,600. There is an 18.39%
decrease in Assessing expenses, as the regional Assessor salary will be split between three
communities: Wakefield, Reading, and Lynnfield.
Shared Costs
Shared costs are increasing 2.8% overall to $32.43 million. Ms. Angstrom provided an
overview of each accommodated cost budget including: Benefits increase 9.2% to $24.41
million, Capital spending decreases 20.5% to $3,010,000, Debt Service decreases 14.9%
overall to $3,496,142 due to the final library payment being made in FY25, though debt
within the levy is increasing 24.1%, and Vocational schools increase 18.6% to $1,306,251
which includes the Town's share of the capital charge for the new school.
Budget Summary
Ms. Angstrom reviewed the Spending Scorecard and explained that she worked with each
department to balance the proposed budget.
Town Manager Matt Kraunelis stated that he would reach out to each Board member to
address their budget questions and feedback in the coming weeks.
Karen Gately Herrick requested increases to the Board/Committee annual budget line item
and the Town Manager reserve fund to keep pace with inflation.
Page 1 2
On a motion by Chris Haley, seconded by Mark Dockser, the Select Board voted
unanimously 5-0-0 to adjourn at 9:31 pm.
Page 13