HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-02-13 Board of Selectmen Minutes Board of Selectmen Meeting
February 13, 2003
The meeting convened at 7:30 p.m. at the Fire Station Meeting Room, 757 Main Street, Reading,
Massachusetts. Present were Chairman Camille Anthony, Vice Chairman Matthew
Cummings, Secretary Richard Schubert, Selectmen George Hines and Gail Wood, Fire
Chief Greg Burns, Personnel Administrator Carol Roberts, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner
and the following list of interested parties: Bill Brown, Dick McDonald, Paul Feely, Maria
Silvaggi, Catherine Martin, Corinne Fisher, Roberta McRae, Pete Dahl, Carl McFadden, Steve
Conner, Vicki Zablonsky, Chuck Robinson.
Discussion/Action Items
Budget Discussion- The Town Manager reviewed the latest iteration of the FY 2004 budget. He
noted that this includes a Pay-As-You-Throw Program in the amount of approximately $250,000
which represents a half-year of the program, and the proposal shows the cost of fully staffing
Police, Fire and Dispatch.
School Committee Members Pete Dahl and Carl McFadden asked to address the Board of
Selectmen. They indicated that special legislation had been approved in the Senate which would
countermand the recent direction from the Commissioner of Education relative to continuing to
accept projects for SBA listing. The Special Act which was approved in the Senate would
extend the date to February 25, 2003, which would allow the Reading Memorial High School, if
approved by the voters, to go on that list. This act would still need to be approved by the
Conference Committee, the House and Senate, and then signed by the Governor.
The Board of Selectmen went back to discussing the Budget. There was some discussion as to
whether or not what had been submitted was what the Board had previously requested. The
Board heard from Dick McDonald, Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee, relative to his
model of distributing the reductions in revenues. He noted that this is the methodology that had
been used historically. Pete Dahl from the School Committee asked if the School Committee
was in agreement with this process, and indicated that if it is what has been used in the past, that
seemed appropriate. The Board of Selectmen agreed to use that model.
After detailed discussion on the items suggested for reduction, the Board agreed to have the
Department Heads go back and prioritize a list of reductions for all Departments. This will then
be discussed with the Board of Selectmen at their next special meeting which will be on
February 24, 2003.
On motion by Hines seconded by Wood the Board of Selectmen voted to adjourn their
meeting of February 13, 2003 at 10:45 p.m. by a vote of 5-0-0
Respectfully submitted,
-' Secretary