Meeting Minutes
Title: Budget Committee Meeting
Date: Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Location: Westport Island Town Office Conference
Room, 7:00 pm
Subjects: Budget
Committee Tasks
Objective: Come to consensus on the near term tasks to be completed, review actuals to date and review benchmarking evaluation to date.
Proposed Agenda:
|
Topic |
Type |
Responsibility |
Time |
|
Review agenda and
time durations and approve any changes. |
Discussion
Consensus |
All |
7 :00 5 Min. |
|
Action Item Review |
Discussion Consensus |
All |
7 :05 10 min |
|
January Meeting
Minutes Review |
Discussion Consensus |
All |
7 :15 15 min |
|
Benchmark Reports
Review |
Discussion Consensus |
All |
7 :30 10 min |
|
Road Maintenance
Expenses to Date vs. Plan Report |
Discussion Consensus |
All |
7 :40 10 min |
|
Coordination Letter
for Board of Selectmen |
Discussion Consensus |
All |
7 :50 10 min |
|
Compensation Task
Team |
Discussion Consensus |
All |
8 :00 10 min |
|
Budget Committee
Schedule |
Discussion Consensus |
All |
8 :10 10 min |
|
Other Items
(Education Cost, Salt Shed ROI, Storage Vault Cost, Fiscal Year Billing Catch-up etc) |
Discussion |
All |
8 :20 10 min |
|
Public Comment |
Discussion |
Public |
8 :30 5 min |
|
Wrap up |
Discussion Consensus |
Secretary |
8 :35 5 min |
Attendees: Sandra Besecker, David Blake, Sandra Crehore , Richard DeVries, Dennis Dunbar, Kimberly Greenleaf and Susan Partelow
Absent: Kimberly Greenleaf
Facilitator: Susan Partelow
Secretary: Dennis Dunbar
Attachments:
1. Send the business case analysis of the sand and salt shed to all committee members. David asked that this action be held open. Action David Blake, March 2010
1. Work with Garry Cromwell to develop the road repair and maintenance requirements for 2009-10. Action David Blake, February 2010
1. Complete review of benchmark towns. Action: Kim and Richard February 2010
2. Provide a month by month accounting for 2009 2000 and public works expenditures. Completed through November 2009. Action Susan, Update, February 2010 (Completed 02/02/10)
3.
Perform mid-year assessment of
spending/appropriations. Action Susan,
February 2010 Road and Bridges (Completed 02/02/10)
1. Complete the report for South Bristol from the South Bristol town report and provided Dennis. Action: Richard February 2010 (Completed on 02/02/10)
2. Dennis to contact South Bristol to fill in the missing information on the questionnaire. Action: Dennis March 2010
3. Provide a depreciation account (GATSBY 34) overview. Action Susan, February 2010 (Defer to March meeting)
4. Write a letter to the Selectmen suggesting that the warrant articles be developed as a collaborative effort and that the Selectmen provide a timeline for completing the warrant articles. Action: Dennis February 2010 (Completed 02/05/10)
5. Send Sandra the school cost information. Action: Dennis February 2010 (Completed 02/01/10)
02/02/10 OPEN ACTION ITEMS:
1.
Incorporate comments from Budget Committee members
on the letter to the Board of Selectmen and submit it. Action:
Dennis (Completed 02/05/10 – copy attached)
2.
Provide copies of the 2009 MMA Salary Survey to
Sandra and Richard for review. Action:
Dennis, March 2010
3.
Provide copies of the 2009 Budget Committee report
prepared by Dennis to Sandra and Richard. Action:
Dennis, March 2010
4. Request an Excel spreadsheet of the 2009 MMA Salary Survey. Action: Richard March 2010
5. Follow-up with Edgecomb on their Benchmarking questionnaire. Action: Sandra, March 2010
Meeting
Minutes:
The Chair brought the meeting to order at
7:00 pm. The agenda was reviewed and approved (motion by David Blake and
seconded by Richard DeVries).
Action Items were reviewed. From the 09/02/08 meeting, David Blake
requested that the item related to the business case analysis of the sand and
salt shed remain open and he will provide an analysis at the March 2010
meeting. There was discussion about the
likelihood of a case showing cost effectiveness. David indicated he feared that the next snow
removal contract may show a sizable increase without a facility. David also reported on the open 02/24/09
action item for a road repair and maintenance plan. He indicated that he has held two meetings
with Gary Cromwell and discussed 10 projects.
David expects the plan to show three projects that should start in the next
fiscal year.
On Action Items from the 12/01/09 meeting,
Richard reported that he has developed a spreadsheet summary of the Benchmark
Towns and provided it subsequent to the meeting. A copy is attached to these minutes. Susan reported on the actual costs and
revenues for the Roads and Bridges account thru January. Based on the data presented, costs and
revenues are consistent with the rates noted in 2008-2009. It appears that the spending and revenue are
generally on track to meet the budget set at Town Meeting.
For the 01/12/10 action items, Richard
reported on South Bristol and provided a draft report. Dennis agreed to meet with South Bristol and
fill in incomplete questionnaire items.
Susan requested that the GATSBY 34 discussion of depreciation accounts,
and how they could be used for funding depreciation tasks, be deferred to
March.
The January meeting minutes were
reviewed. Sandra Crehore offered a
change to the sentence addressing the proposed letter to the Board of
Selectmen. She requested the sentence
where she was quoted to be revised to read “Sandra further noted that it was
the budget committee responsibility to assist the Selectmen, not to do the
warrants.” The minutes were approved as
modified.
Dennis advised the Committee that the comparison
table of expenses in recent years provided at the January meeting did not
include the FY 09-10 data from our last Town Meeting. An updated copy was provided. (copy
attached). He also provided a history of
compensation for town office staff and elected and appointed officials. Susan pointed out the history of compensation
and the changes in organization related to the tax collector, book keeper,
treasurer, administrative assistant and excise tax collector. The table was updated and is attached to
these minutes. (see attachment)
A Compensation Task Team was formed with
Sandra, Richard and Dennis assigned.
Dennis offered to sent copies of the MMA 2009 Salary Survey to members
along with the report he provided to the Budget Committee for their
consideration last year.
A schedule of activities was discussed in
context to the proposal in the letter to the Selectmen. Based on expected feedback from the BOS, a
proposed schedule will be discussed at the March meeting.
“Other Items” were briefly discussed,
including education and the fiscal year billing catch-up tax billing. Richard
reported that no date had been set for the next school budget public
meeting. Susan indicated that the issue
of catch-up tax billing would be discussed with Maine Revenue Service soon.
There being no further business and no public
comments, the meeting was adjorned at 8:23 pm
Respectfully submitted, Dennis Dunbar,
Secretary
|
FYE 6/30/07 |
FYE 6/30/08 |
FYE 6/30/09 |
Article
No |
NOTES |
FYE 6/30/10 |
Article No. |
NOTES |
|
|
DESCRIPTION |
APPROPRIATED |
APPROPRIATED |
APPROPRIATED |
|
|
(BOS Rec.) |
|
|
|
School
Bus Reserve |
$
7,500.00 |
$
7,500.00 |
$ - |
none |
|
$ - |
|
|
|
Planning
Board Expenses |
$ 67.80 |
$ 319.66 |
$ - |
13 |
$ - |
10 |
|
|
|
Expenses
for Other Boards |
$ - |
$ - |
$
750.00 |
8 |
New |
$
313.00 |
10 |
|
|
MMA
Membership |
$
- |
$ - |
$
1,200.00 |
19 |
$
1,225.00 |
22 |
|
|
|
Conservation
Commission Exp. |
$
2,090.00 |
$
2,457.78 |
$
1,080.00 |
14a |
$
800.00 |
10 |
|
|
|
Clough Point Grant Match |
$ - |
$
1,525.00 |
$ - |
none |
$ - |
None |
|
|
|
Matching Fund for Cons. Grants |
$ - |
$
5,000.00 |
$ - |
14 |
$ - |
15 |
|
|
|
Matching
Fund for "Other" Grants |
$ - |
$ - |
$
4,250.00 |
15 |
New |
$
750.00 |
15 |
|
|
History
Committee |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
11 |
New |
$
100.00 |
12 |
|
|
Groundwater
Protection Committee |
$ - |
$ - |
$
1,400.00 |
9 |
New |
$
498.00 |
10 |
|
|
Committee
Insurance (MMA) |
$ - |
$ -
|
$ - |
None |
$
300.00 |
13 |
New |
|
|
Wright
Property Loan |
$ - |
$ - |
$
15,672.00 |
16 |
Use
MLA |
$
23,292.00 |
19 |
Inc.
half rent |
|
Town
Office Operation & Maint. |
$ 38,758.00 |
$
43,348.87 |
$
49,067.00 |
17 |
$
37,168.00 |
18 |
|
|
|
Printer
Lease and Service |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
None |
$ - |
19 |
Proposed |
|
|
Add
to Capital Improvement Account |
$
2,000.00 |
$
1,000.00 |
$
3,000.00 |
18 |
$ - |
21 |
|
|
|
Town
Hall Operation |
$
3,500.00 |
$
3,700.00 |
$
4,800.00 |
10 |
$
3,500.00 |
11 |
|
|
|
Town
Hall Maintanance |
$ - |
$
9,100.00 |
$
2,500.00 |
11 |
$ - |
None |
Add
to 14 |
|
|
Minic.
Bldg, Major Repair Reserve |
$ - |
$ - |
$
2,500.00 |
23 |
New |
$
4,200.00 |
14 |
|
|
Snow
Removal, Sand and Salt |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
None |
In
Excise Tax |
$ - |
26 |
$98,600
ET |
|
Roads
and Bridges Maintance |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
None |
In
Excise Tax |
$
10,000.00 |
27 |
$86,033
ET |
|
Road
Improvements Fund |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
25 |
Used
Excise Tax |
$
5,000.00 |
28 |
New
Res. |
|
Veterans'
Graves |
$ 200.00 |
$ - |
$ - |
none |
$ - |
None |
|
|
|
Tax
Maps |
$ - |
$ 500.00 |
$
1,080.00 |
24 |
$
650.60 |
10 |
|
|
|
Contingency
Account |
$
4,968.66 |
$
2,562.00 |
$
1,265.00 |
20 |
$ - |
23 |
$10K
CF |
|
|
Legal
Fund |
$
8,252.55 |
$
15,000.00 |
$
15,000.00 |
21 |
$
4,000.00 |
24 |
$6K
CF |
|
|
Transfer
Station |
$
64,644.00 |
$
74,769.20 |
$
75,106.89 |
22 |
$
75,106.89 |
25 |
Estimate |
|
|
Ferry
Landing (Roads) Safety |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
none |
$ - |
29 |
$25K
SHA |
|
|
Westport
Volunteer Fire Dept. |
$
9,000.00 |
$
9,000.00 |
$
12,000.00 |
26 |
$
12,000.00 |
30 |
|
|
|
Insurance for Fire Dept. |
$ - |
$ 840.00 |
$
759.00 |
29 |
$
840.00 |
34 |
|
|
|
Fire
Truck Note |
$
16,097.64 |
$
16,097.64 |
$
16,097.00 |
27 |
$ - |
None |
Note
Paid |
|
|
Fire
Truck Reserve |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
None |
$
15,000.00 |
32 |
New |
|
|
EMT
Training |
$ - |
$ - |
$ - |
28 |
$
1,696.00 |
33 |
|
|
|
General
Assistance |
$ - |
$ 749.00 |
$ - |
30 |
$ - |
35 |
$1783
CF |
|
|
Human
Resources Committee |
$
1,500.00 |
$ - |
$ - |
none |
$ - |
None |
|
|
|
Service
Organizations |
$
12,979.00 |
$
14,378.00 |
$
13,703.00 |
31 |
$
13,603.00 |
|
||
|
Salaries |
$
39,940.00 |
$
43,170.00 |
$
44,753.00 |
3 |
3.66%
inc. |
$
45,955.00 |
4 |
2.7%
inc. |
|
Selectmen's
Stipends |
$
9,300.00 |
$
9,630.00 |
$
9,990.00 |
3 |
3.74%
inc. |
$
10,260.00 |
4 |
2.7%
inc. |
|
Additional
for Chairman |
$
5,200.00 |
$
3,000.00 |
$
3,110.00 |
4 |
3.65%
inc. |
$
3,195.00 |
6 |
2.7%
inc. |
|
Assessing
Agent/Support |
$
2,750.00 |
$
2,850.00 |
$
3,150.00 |
5 |
10.52%
inc. |
$
3,500.00 |
7 |
|
|
Wiscasset
Community Center |
$
8,000.00 |
$
8,000.00 |
$
8,000.00 |
31 |
$
4,000.00 |
36 |
Less
Mems |
|
|
Certified
Assessor |
$
10,000.00 |
$
17,500.00 |
$
15,000.00 |
6&7 |
|
$
15,000.00 |
8&9 |
|
|
Total
Municipal Appropriations |
$
246,747.65 |
$
291,997.15 |
$
305,232.89 |
4.5%
Total inc. |
$
291,952.49 |
4.4%
Total dec. |
||
|
Education |
$
940,694.00 |
$
768,728.00 |
$
854,834.00 |
&
$229,748 Surp |
$
1,134,011.00 |
&
$238,000 CF |
||
|
County
Tax |
$
184,854.53 |
$
212,219.00 |
$
213,634.00 |
$
232,075.00 |
|
|||
|
Overlay |
$
35,000.00 |
$
60,232.65 |
$
60,000.00 |
|
Estimated |
$
60,000.00 |
|
Estimated |
|
Total
Appropriations |
$
1,407,296.18 |
$
1,333,176.80 |
$
1,433,700.89 |
7.5%
incease |
$
1,718,038.49 |
20%
Increase |
|
WESTPORT ISLAND PAYROLL HISTORY
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
1985 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
|
Selectman
Chairman |
5400 |
5000 |
5000 |
5000 |
5000 |
5000 |
7750 |
7755 |
7755 |
7755 |
8000 |
8,240 |
8,300 |
6210 |
6430 |
6615 |
|
|
Selectman
- 2nd |
1350 |
1750 |
1750 |
1750 |
1750 |
1750 |
2585 |
2585 |
2585 |
2585 |
3000 |
3,090 |
3,100 |
3210 |
3330 |
3420 |
|
|
Selectman
- 3rd |
1350 |
1750 |
1750 |
1750 |
1750 |
1750 |
2585 |
2585 |
2585 |
2585 |
3000 |
3,090 |
3,100 |
3210 |
3330 |
3420 |
|
|
Assessing
Support- 1st Sel. |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2500 |
2,575 |
2,750 |
2850 |
3150 |
3500 |
|
|
Administrative
Assistant/ Prop.
Tax Collector/ (2) Treasurer (3) |
5900 |
8650 |
8650 |
8650 |
8650 |
8650 |
9720 |
22,800 |
12,000 12,000 |
22620 |
17389 |
20,888 |
21,515 |
22270 |
23083 |
23710 |
|
|
Bookkeeper |
|
3000 |
3000 |
3000 |
3000 |
3000 |
3000 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
Municipal
Agent (plus fees) (1) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
11,232 |
11,232 |
9984 |
8800 |
10,284 |
10,600 |
10970 |
11370 |
11680 |
|
|
Town
Clerk/Registrar of Voters (plus fees) |
1300 |
1350 |
1350 |
1350 |
1350 |
1350 |
2585 |
2585 |
2585 |
2585 |
3340 |
3,750 |
3,865 |
4500 |
4665 |
4790 |
|
|
Registrar
of Voters |
|
410 |
410 |
410 |
410 |
410 |
672 |
673 |
673 |
673 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
Custodian |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1363 |
1363 |
1363 |
- |
- |
1,870 |
1,925 |
1995 |
2070 |
2125 |
|
|
Constable |
600 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
1057 |
1056 |
1056 |
1056 |
700 |
722 |
745 |
770 |
800 |
820 |
|
|
#-911
Addressing Officer |
- |
- |
400 |
400 |
400 |
400 |
414 |
414 |
414 |
414 |
425 |
722 |
745 |
770 |
800 |
820 |
|
|
EMA
Director |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
850 |
880 |
900 |
|
|
Harbor
Master |
- |
|
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
500 |
500 |
530 |
545 |
770 |
800 |
820 |
|
|
Health
Officier |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
275 |
285 |
290 |
|
|
Code
Enforcement |
- |
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
775 |
775 |
775 |
775 |
795 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
Plumbing
Inspector |
|
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
775 |
775 |
775 |
775 |
795 |
250 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
15,900 |
24,160 |
24,560 |
24,560 |
24,560 |
24,560 |
33,281 |
54,598 |
55,797 |
52,307 |
49,244 |
56,011 |
57,190 |
58650 |
60993 |
62900 |
|
Notes:
1.
Municipal Agent in 2001 and 2002 Based on 16 hrs/wk at
$14.04/hr assuming 50 weeks ($11,232)
2.
Property Tax Collector in 2001 Based on 30 hrs/wk at
$15.20/hr assuming 50 weeks ($22,800)
3.
Tax Collector/Administrative Assistant in 2002 Based on 20 hrs/wk at $12/hr assuming 50
weeks ($12,000). Treasurer in 2002 Based
on 20 hrs/wk at $12/hr assuming 50 weeks ($12,000)
February 5,
2010
Board of
Selectmen
Town of
Westport Island
6 Fowles
Point Road
Westport
Island, ME 04578
Subject: Budget Committee Proposal for Budget Review
Process Improvements
Dear Board of
Selectmen,
There is some
sentiment that last year’s warrant article development process was
unsuccessful. In the past, the Budget Committee has worked well ahead of the
BOS and took the initiative to create a template of warrant articles based on
prior year articles. When judged beneficial, the committee repackaged some
articles in a manner that may have caused some confusion with the Board of
Selectmen and with Town Meeting attendees.
The Budget
Committee would like to coordinate efforts with the Board of Selectmen to
improve the process of budget warrant development and review. In the last few Town Meetings, some attendees
felt that better coordination between the Budget Committee and Board of
Selectmen would benefit the Town Meeting process. We, too, believe that there is room for improvement,
and we would like to work more closely with the Board of Selectmen in planning for
the upcoming Town Meeting.
To align the
budget review activities more closely, we would like to suggest a series of
Budget Workshops to be led by the Board of Selectmen. The workshops could be scheduled just prior
to or subsequent to regular Selectmen’s meetings or at Budget Committee
meetings. Each workshop could cover
convenient groupings of similar articles. For example, one Workshop might focus
on warrants for municipal facilities, one for committee support, one for
compensation, one for Roads and Bridges, etc.
The approach would allow the Budget Committee to review, provide past
trends, and make recommendations on the annual operating budget as proposed by
the Board of Selectmen.
The
Budget Committee Ordinance states that the Committee shall have the following duties:
1. To review and make recommendations on the annual operating budget
as proposed by the Board of Selectmen;
In past years,
the Board of Selectmen has taken up the budget and warrants very close to Town
Meeting, leaving inadequate time for the Budget Committee to make meaningful
recommendations on what is being proposed.
This has led the Budget Committee to work independently and in advance
of the Selectmen, resulting in coordination challenges which were evident at
Town Meeting.
If you
support a budget workshop approach, we will be happy to have you propose a
schedule.
With Best
Regards,
Westport
Island Budget Commitee