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Hannah Anderson, Secretary
FAX 978.582.4148
George Martin
Marc Luescher
Michelle Walton
Lunenburg Fi-08-e Committee
Location: Town Hall
Present: Terri Burchfield, John Henshaw, Hannah Anderson, Michelle Walton, George Martin,
Jay Simeone
Absent: Marc Luescher
Guest: Heather Lemieux, TM.
1. Open Meeting:
The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. This meeting is being recorded and
televised for re-broadcast on the Lunenburg Public Access cable channel.
2. Communications:
Public Comment:
Mr. Dave Rogers, 82 Highland street, gave handouts prior to the meeting for his pubic
budget would go. He with expert any et over enter wet go back to the one school
through the correct channels that are needed to do so. Part of his concern came from
the time that the Lunenburg Bengals came to the School Committee looking for a break
in their fees and the School Committee at that time said there was no way of cutting
their fees due to lack of extra money in the school budget. Mr. Rogers truly wanted to do
this research after reading that the Girl Scouts were being charged $200+ to meet at the
LMHS. Mr. Rogers pointed out that there would be no extra charge for the Girl Scouts to
meet as the school utilities are still on when the Girl Scouts would be meeting. He found
it frustrating when a school department member asked for money to get a new tractor
and the School Committee was able to vote to agree to move funds to get this member
the funds but when groups with children come for help it is a battle. Mr. Rogers cares
desperately about the kids in this town, the tax payers in this town, and the town in
general and is asking that the Finance Committee works with the School Committee and
checks and double checks budgets.
John Henshaw asked when Mr. Cassidy would come back with information about what
Mr. Rogers has brought up to the School Committee and Finance Committee. Mr. Rogers
answered with November 28, 2018 at the School Committee meeting. John Henshaw
asked if the turn over was typical or not typical for year to year? Mr. Rogers could not
answer that as he was not sure.
George asked Mr. Rogers if the information he brought forward to the Finance
Committee was straight salary or if it included benefits. Mr. Rogers replied that as he was
told this information was just the salary account.
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giving the town money back last year when he had left over monies from his Police
Departments budget. Terri commented how the Finance Committee is trying to take a
closer look at and have discussions around OPEB costs, things that really show up as
town side costs to try to make it fair as budget representation as well. Terri urges
everyone to watch the School Committee meeting on November 28, as well as watch the
Finance Committee meeting coming up that talk about the town budgets. Mr. Rogers last
point was that in the older days the School Committee used to give a full presentation at
the Town Meeting before the budget was voted on so the town was fully informed on
what they were voting on. He would also like to see the school budget more defined.
From the Committee:
None
New Communications:
A copy of the Beacon came in the mail and was passed around for other finance
committee members to look at.
3. Review Special Town Meeting articles and voting procedures, votes may be taken.
Terri explained that John made a list of the warrant articles with a fill in spot to say why
we will or will not take a position on different articles to help give the public a better
understanding of our Finance Committee thoughts.
Town Manager spoke on Articles 1 & 2
Article 1 Annual reoccurring budget adjustment and sometimes there are raise an
appropriation under that article but at this Special Town Meeting we are only asking to
transfer between accounts. One of the Transfers is for software maintenance costs that
funding source is from the Liability Insurance Account and that is because we had
participation, rewards, and dividend credits that were applied to this years invoice so we
had extra funds in that account that we could transfer to cover the software maintenance
cost in the technology budget. It was for $25,500 for the e-permitting software that the
town received a grant for last year, but it did not go live until the end of August. The
town created a technology revolving account which is 5% fee that will be put into the
revolving account which will help subsidize the annual cost of that, but the account
needs to build up. There will be an adjustment to this line item at the end of the FY19
but the invoice is due now, so we need to pay it now. This is for all sorts of permits. This
was not in the initial budget because the thought was the invoice was going to be due
later in the year due to implementation. They counted when we first signed on as the
start date even though it was not active until August.
The other transfer is from the Salary Reserve Account to the Library Department to cover
a pilot reading program for the 5t grade students at the THES. They started coming to
the library during school hours to read more and check out books. There is a zero effect
result in the budget. The amount transferred to the library is $7,200 to run the program
throughout the rest of the FY19.
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Article 2 Raise and Appropriate Transfer for New Growth to Special Purpose Stabilization
Fund- Town Manager said there is additional local aid as well as additional new growth
and personal property and change in state assessments and cherry sheet offset numbers
for a total of $199,227. The recommendation would be to raise and appropriate transfer
of that amount into the Special Purpose Stabilization Fund. And that fund is to help offset
future costs to large capital projects.
Dave Passios, 56 Whiting Street, asked, what the committees' thoughts are on new
growth being considered a one-time revenue or something that augments the operating
budget and is there for the future versus free cash that may or may not be there?
Terri said Mr. Passios was correct and John responded that new growth was a result of
the property taxes that occur during the FY the new growth occurs. Then the houses that
generate the new growth that year become base revenue for succeeding years.
Terri replied as well saying Yes it is recurring revenue because right now we are treating
it as it is not going to happen again which is not true, but its basically money in our
pocket that we don't want to spend for the sake of spending. She went on to say the
part that makes the new growth unpredictable is the fact that the town can predict from
past years that we would have $300k budgeted in new growth but then actually have
$330k in new growth, this would leave the town with $30k left over to play around with.
However, it could also go the opposite way. The town could predict and budget for
$300K in new growth but the actual could be $270k in new growth leaving the town in
the hole to find $30k. The town manager also commented that if you do not raise and
appropriate the new growth it is lost.
Mr. Passios commented that he wanted that clarified so he could take it one step further
to ask why we would not take that new growth this year and plug it into facilities
maintenance where we have so many issues that we let ride for so long that we augment
that budget for the FY and get some of the repairs done that are causing these building
to deteriorate rather than putting it into the stabilization fund where it earmarks it for
one thing and one thing only. Town manager did comment that we did put an additional
$40k into the facilities budget this year but since the staff of the DPW is short, she does
not think it would be a good idea to put more money into the facilities budget without
having someone to maintain the buildings.
Discussion from Finance Committee concluded with John making a motion that the
committee recommend approval at the Special Town Meeting. Hannah Second. Vote 6-0
Recommendation was made because its prudence of unanticipated funds which will
reduce probable debt costs down the road for known future capital expenses.
Article 3 Motion to amend or take a vote to fund the first year of the collective
bargaining agreement for DPW there was a reduction in that amount from over $10,000
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Article 5 No Direct Financial Impact because it is a line item transfer within the Sewer
Enterprise Fund.
Article 6 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 7 No Direct Financial Impact as the accrual is reoccurring.
Article 8 Passing Over because the Town Manager found someone to do it for nothing.
Article 9 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 10 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 11 Demolition Delay proposed by the Historical Commission. After discussion
with the Town Manager and comments from Mr. Passios, the Finance Committee has
decided to wait until Special Town Meeting to vote individually but if we decide as a
committee to come forward with a recommendation then we will present that choice at
STM after hearing more about this article.
Article 12 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 13 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 14 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 15 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 16 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 17 No Direct Financial Impact
Article 18 Financial Effect is Immaterial
4. Review status of member projects, ie, dashboards, website data
Skip until next meeting on December 13, 2018
5. Review terminology and definitions for website inclusion
Skip until next meeting on December 13, 2018
6. Review of Amended Investment Policy Statement; vote to be taken
Committee reviewed it, no questions from the Finance Committee.
John motion to approve the revised Investment Policy Statement for the town of
Lunenburg. Jay second. Vote 6-0
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little more visibility longer term for those larger requests. Town
Manager put together a page or two of instructions on filling
out the new google docs form and it seems to be going nicely.
Coming events- Police and Fire do their Capital Plans on
November 20th and DPW is on November 274, 2018.
Dept. of Public Works-George
COA - John H
Library- Michelle W.
Police Dept - Marc
Fire Dept - George
Schools - Hannah
Superintendent had a new twitter with handle @LPS.DR that
will link to Facebook. Received a grant for $6500 from
Creating Robust Language Rich Environments for All
Students. 105 students went to Natures Classroom. They are
planning for a television spot with the Lunenburg Public
Access Channel, this will be linked to the district website as
well as the School Committee meetings will be linked there as
well. There is a Blue Knights Highlights and Spotlights page
under the Superintendents info as well as Ledger Articles and
Superintendent Updates. It is a district wide communication
from a member of the school department. Extended day is
capped at the THES & Primary School due to space and satety
concerns. There is now a waiting list for any new registrants.
Fifth graders are now taking walking tieldtrips to the
Lunenburg Public Library to help keep the library and
community active. There is a Entry Plan Survey that anyone in
the community is welcome to take. Tree Lighting is November
29th and Gift Mart Ended.
Monty Tech - Hannah
Green Comm Task Force-Jay
Sewer Commission -Jay
Charter Review Comm - Terri
8. Minutes
Minutes for review by Jay and Michelle postponed for December 13, 2018 meeting.
9. Town Manager/Financial Officer Reports
Applied for grant funding for $162,000 to update the towns self-evaluation and transition
plan as well as projects at public facilities and open space.
Received additional in Ch. 90 funding bring the total to about $498K
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9pm in Leominster.
Cub scouts are raising donations and taking socks at the tree lighting as well as having a
coat drive. The coat drive will start the first Saturday of December.
Class of 2019 Clothing Drive- donations spots are at the schoois.
From the Public
None
11. Next Meetings
• Deember 13, 2018 (Special Town Meeting)
12. Adjournment
John made a motion to adjourn. Jay seconded the motion. The committee approved the
motion 6-0 at 8:37pm
Submitted by: Hannah Anderson