Meeting, May 23, 2002

 

Present:  Paul Connolly, Raphael Herz, Linda Wollschlager

Absent:  Phil Verzani and Jeff Phillips

 

The meeting was called to order by the chair at 7:15 PM in the Retirement Board Conference Room, Third Floor, Town Hall. The notice for the meeting had been sent to the Town Clerk for posting on May 6; the agenda had been sent on May 20.

 

Minutes of the May 16 meeting were approved as written.

 

The committee planned to discuss two specific items on the agenda in a joint meeting with the Finance Committee. (In these minutes, the items are referenced by the short designation that appears in the agenda.) Accordingly, at 7:25 PM, the meeting was recessed and then reconvened in the Edward Dlott Meeting Room where the Finance Committee was meeting. Mr. Herz presented an overview of the committee's deliberations and recommendations regarding the two items, and numerous points were raised during the ensuing discussion.

 

Charter, Art. 5, s. 5-3, 5-6(a), 5-6(c), 5-7. Budget process. More publication of budget matters and budget meetings is needed, but cost effectiveness of such publication should be considered. What budget should be presented to Town Meeting? The Town Administrator's requested budget with all amendments explicitly shown or the Finance Committee's final recommended budget? Is "Capital Program" a more meaningful description than "Capital Improvement Program"?

 

By-Laws, Art. 23, s. 1, 4, 6. Finance Committee. Should part-time employees, such as substitute teachers or referees, be excluded from serving on the Finance Committee? Should the twelve-year limit be relaxed to allow for gaps in terms of service? Should the by-law be changed to list specific requirements for reporting revenue-stream information? Should Section 6 be rewritten to specify the type of information that the Town Administration (including the School Department) must supply to the Finance Committee? Rework the language that states that the Finance Committee may change its recommendation to Town Meeting after publication of its report.

 

Some members of the Finance Committee brought up the issue of appointment of regional school representatives by the School Committee rather than by the Board of Selectmen.

 

Because the joint meeting with the Finance Committee was long, the committee voted to adjourn rather than consider the other items on the agenda. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Paul E. Connolly