# finance-committee — 11 documents, concatenated for reading and search # # This is a CONVENIENCE BUNDLE, not a source. Every document below is # published separately and byte-identically; cite the individual file, # whose path is given in each header, rather than this bundle. # Index of all boards: https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/minutes/INDEX.txt # The town's own scanned original is linked per document. ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-08-22-minutes-6722.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-08-22 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-08-22-minutes-6722.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_08222024-6722 ======================================================================================== Lunenburg Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall August 22, 2024 Present Members: Chair Evan Watters, Vice Chair Chris Menard, Board Member Tom Gray, Board Member Dave Passios, Board Member Jean Russell, Board Member Jay Simeone Absent Members: Clerk Tiffaney Tavares Guests: William Bernard – DPW Director; Chuck Patterson and Kathleen Glowacki – Bartholomew Call to Order The meeting opened at 7:10 PM. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements There were no announcements. 4. Public Comment Mary Foyle, 985 Flat Hill Road, was present and provided some comments. Mary Foyle is the President of the Teacher’s Union. A part of her responsibilities includes preparing for negotiations for health insurance. She has completed surveys of prior employees and learned that most of the people felt that the best contract benefit was specifically health insurance. Additionally, Mary Foyle is the Chairperson of the Public Employee Committee (PEC). The Committee is made up of bargaining units and unit representatives from each of those groups in town to bargain health insurance. Any changes that occur needs to be bargained. Mary Foyle suggests reaching out to PEC to obtain some answers to the questions from the last meeting. Evan Watters questions if PEC has inquired into a high deductible option. Mary Foyle confirms this will be reviewed in the next couple of months when the contract negotiations start. Mary Foyle is unsure if there are enough employees to switch over and create savings. Mary Foyle is worried that a substantial change in health insurance may take away one of the few benefits available. 5. Interim Town Manager Report The Interim Town Manager, Carter Terenzini, went home sick and was unable to make the meeting so there was no report to discuss. Evan Watters will follow up to schedule a meeting. 6. Finance Director Report This topic was skipped. 7. New Business a. Investment Strategy Discussion –Bartholomew Bartholemew and Company is an independent investment advisory firm out of Worcester. The firm manages roughly 5 billion dollars and works with 325 municipal entities. Chuck Patterson provided a presentation. Below is a brief overview. There are 3 buckets for Massachusetts municipal funds 1. MGL Chapter 44 Section 55 Similar to a checking account. 2. MGL Chapter 44 Section 54 Cities and towns have their main depository accounts, payroll accounts, and accounts payable. Those accounts are the money market accounts, and it is common to have 10 to 15 different banks. The treasurer’s job is to shop around for rates and then move the money accordingly. 3. MGL Chapter 203C OPEB Fund Bartholomew and Company find its prudent to increase our diversification. There is argument that more options and more diversifications reduce the risks. Bartholomew and Company sent the Committee a recommended draft language to be sent over for Special Town Meeting. The language is as follows. “To see if the town will vote to accept the provisions of General Law Chapter 44 Section 5 for b, c, d to allow town trust funds to be invested in accordance with General Law Chapter 203c the so called “prudent investment rule” to take any other action relative there to.” b. Chapter 90 Presentation/Discussion – DPW Director Bill Bernard Chapter 90 is money provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and administered by Mass DOT authorized by Mass General Law Chapter 90 Section 34. It provides funding to municipalities for the implementation in the capital improvements on local public ways. Every municipality in the Commonwealth is allotted a portion of the total program dollars. The allocated amount for the Town of Lunenburg is $418,227.26. In FY 24, the town received $418,064.75 in regular allotment as well as $240,503.00 from Fair Share and $21,979.00 from the Rural Roadway Program. Chapter 90 funding can be used for pavement, traffic, transportation engineering design, planning and analysis. Chris Menard asks if we can get an estimate of how much Fair Share the town will receive. Bill Bernard is unsure but will reach out to the Mass DOT district office. Evan Watters questioned why Chapter 90 funding hasn’t been utilized recently. Bill Bernard states he was originally unaware of procedures but have since learned. Dave Passios follows up about previous discussions about a stormwater department being created. Bill Bernard confirms that the Stormwater Task Force has been meeting regularly about establishing a storm water utility. This is anticipated to appear at a future town meeting. c. Review Budget Process/Suggestions for Improvement – Interim Town Manager There is discussion about tripling up instead of doubling up on presentations for the upcoming budget season. Evan Watters discussed creating a template for department heads with an outline and associated time limits. Chris Menard suggests having the meeting with Monty Tech in May before their budgeting in hopes of getting input. Evan Watters states the town side could at least be done in advance as that is 50% of the budget. Evan Watters will reach out to the Interim Town Manager, Carter Terenzini, to get his opinion and suggestions based on past experiences. Chris Menard suggests an improvement would be to obtain some sort of budget software. Tom Gray states that the town uses Microsoft, and the schools use Google. Tom Gray wonders how much trouble it would be if everyone switched to one software. Dave Passios is concerned about a migration because the software’s don’t automatically merge. d. DLS Financial Policy Manual Draft This topic was skipped. 8. Old Business a. Town Manager Search Committee – Update Chris Menard confirms that the Town Manager Search Committee met with all the chiefs and department heads. There was emphasis on the importance of leadership and management. Julie Belliveau put together a document that was sent to 4 firms for consultants. At the next meeting a firm will be selected and negotiated. b. Budget Task Force – Update Evan Watters states the Budget Task Force met and spoke with Bartholomew. There was a comparison of town and school budgets with other similar towns. Through research the town of Maynard was found to be very similar in numbers to Lunenburg. A big difference was that they were receiving 3 million dollars more in state aid and they are a split rate community. c. Grant Writing Services – Update Dave Passios made a presentation at the last Parks Commission meeting. He believes they may be able to be the first board to take advantage of those services and money. Dave Passios believes are a lot of additional grants available but there is not enough bandwidth for further research. He suggests reaching out to the Town Manager to obtain $5,000 to $10,000 to investigate further. d. Consolidation of Services/Departments Dave Passios suggests that the Select Board vote to seat a Review Committee to look at the town operations from different viewpoints. There needs to be a consolidation of power and review checks and balances. Evan Watters agrees with a charter review. 9. Minutes a. 8/8/24 There was a motion to approve the minutes from August 8, 2024, by Dave Passios, seconded by Tom Gray. The vote was 3-0-2. 10. Committee Reports Dave Passios states that Green Communities Committee met. They are going into the fall grant round applying for a lot less money than anticipated. There are a few grants that are anticipated to go through, but they are relatively small. Dave Passios asks Evan Watters if he should come to a Capital Planning Committee meeting to talk about what needs to be considered when contemplating projects. Any projects involving energy savings need to be in contact with Unitil as there are energy incentives. Jay Simeone states the Sewer Commission met. They are currently short 2 members and the Chair is stepping down at the end of the month. They are looking for volunteers to join the Sewer Commission. Chris Menard confirms the Capital Planning meeting was postponed. Rob Bowen has joined the Committee as an at large member. Evan Watters states that the Parks Commission interviewed 3 design firms and selected RDLA, Ray Dun’s Landscaping Architects. The contract is being finalized. The Committee is working with the Interim Town Manager to determine if they can bring an article forward 54d to 53e1/2. The Town Beach is closing Sunday August 25th. 11. Topics for Future Meetings There are no additional topics to add to future agendas. 12. Important Dates There are no important upcoming dates. 13. Upcoming Meetings a. 9/12/24 b. 9/26/24 – The Town Treasurer will be invited to this meeting. c. 10/10/24 14. Public Comment There were no public comments. Dave Passios shared that there is still an ongoing issue with Munis and Dave Passios feels it is destroying the productivity of the workers. 15. Adjourn There was a motion to adjourn by Chris Menard, seconded by Dave Passios. The meeting closed at 10:13 PM. ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-09-12-agenda-6762.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-09-12 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-09-12-agenda-6762.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09122024-6762 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Town of Lunenburg Evan Watters, Chair Christopher Menard, Vice-Chair Vacancy, Clerk Jay Simeone Thomas Gray Jean Russell Dave Passios **REVISED** Lunenburg Finance Committee Thursday, September 12th, 2024 7:00 PM Bilotta Meeting Room, Lunenburg Town Hall Agenda 17 Main Street, P.O. Box 135 Lunenburg, MA 01462-0135 978.582.4139 FAX 978.582.4148 Guests: Carter Tenezini – Interim Town Manager; Ezequiel Ayala – Town Finance Director In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast over the Lunenburg Public Access channel and on Facebook Live on the Public Access Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Lunenburg-Public-Access- Cable-157427270975305) and will be uploaded to the Lunenburg Access YouTube channel after the meeting. This meeting will be held in-person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while the option for remote attendance and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person vs. virtual attendance accordingly. The following information is provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use the link below to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82195029392. From a telephone, dial the toll-free number (888) 475-4499, enter Webinar ID: 821 9502 9392. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. This agenda lists all topics which may be discussed at the meeting and those reasonably anticipated by the Chair. Votes may be taken because of these discussions. Not all items listed may be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent allowed by Open Meeting Law. 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements 4. Public Comment 5. Interim Town Manager Report 6. Finance Director Report 7. New Business a. Inspector of Weights and Measures Budget Deficit – Interim Town Manager b. MART Taxi & Livery Grant Budget Deficit – Interim Town Manager c. Future Capital Projects w/wo Borrowing Discussion – Interim Town Manager d. Review Budget Process/Suggestions for Improvement – Interim Town Manager i. Budget Presentation Template e. Prudent Investment Warrant Article Discussion – Town Finance Director f. Split Tax Rate Presentation/Discussion g. DLS Financial Policy Manual Draft 8. Old Business a. Town Manager Search Committee – Update b. Budget Task Force – Update c. Grant Writing Services – Update d. Consolidation of Services/Departments 9. Minutes 10. Committee Reports 11. Topics for Future Meetings 12. Important Dates a. 9/16/24 – Special Town Meeting Warrant Closes @ 5p b. 9/20/24 – MMA Capital Planning Webinar, 12p-1:15p c. 11/2/24 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting, 9a- 2:15p @ Sharon Community Center d. 11/12/24 – Special Town Meeting, 7p @ LMHS 13. Upcoming Meetings: a. 9/26/24 b. 10/10/24 14. Public Comment 15. Adjourn ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-09-12-minutes-6762.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-09-12 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-09-12-minutes-6762.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_09122024-6762 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall September 12, 2024 Present Members: Chair Evan Watters, Vice Chair Chris Menard, Committee Member Dave Passios, Committee Member Jean Russell, Committee Member Jay Simeone Absent Members: Committee Member Tom Gray 1. Call to order The meeting opened at 7:03 PM. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements Evan Watters states that the Finance Appointing Committee met and re- appointed Tom Gray for another 3 years on the Finance Committee. Tiffaney Tavares term expired on June 30th, and she is not seeking reappointment. There is a vacancy on the Committee and an opening for a clerk. 4. Public Comment There were no comments from the public or the Committee. 5. Interim Town Manager Report Carter Terenzini states there were 4 applications received for the Sewer Commission and there are 3 vacancies. Below is the budget concerns identified by Carter Terenzini at his start date: - Trash Contract- This has been resolved and within the budget. Carter Terenzini did advise that the Select Board over the coming years will need to conduct an in-depth study about how to deliver trash services or whether not to deliver those services. Evan Watters questions if a new contract was signed. Carter Terenzini confirms the contract hasn’t been signed but is under final review. There will be no changes in routes and a postcard will be sent to ===PAGE 2=== residents. The company is GW Shaw and Son. This contract is renewable only by the town. - The new growth is anticipated to exceed the number in the budgetary projections. - There is $100,000 of free cash from this year’s budget that needs to be spent. 6. Finance Director Report There was no report from the Finance Director. 7. New Business a. Inspector of Weights and Measures Budget Deficit – Interim Town Manager Carter Terenzini states in Massachusetts there are many functions devolved down to the local level. The salary of the Inspector of Weights and Measures was $3,000 and they have resigned. One of the options is to hire the State of Massachusetts to complete the inspections. This will cost $10,000 plus or minus depending on the number of services to be inspected. Carter Terenzini would like to defer this discussion for 2 weeks to get a better understanding on the number of inspections. Evan Watters will add this to the agenda for the next scheduled meeting. b. MART Taxi & Livery Grant budget Deficit – Interim Town Manager & the Director at the Lunenburg Counsel on Aging, Sue Doherty The current MART grant expires at the end of September. Carter Terenzini will be requesting $20,000 at the fall Town Meeting to continue the program. There are about 400 rides a month given to Lunenberg residents. There will be a gap between September 30th and November 30th that is estimated to cost $5,000. Sue Doherty states that this program is for everybody in the town including kids and the elderly. To date the ages of the riders have not been tracked. The MART will go 20 miles out of town in any direction of a client’s home and runs 5 days a week from 6:30AM to 10PM. Sue Doherty has contacted the Executive Office of Elder Affairs about a formula grant where some of that money can be used. Dave Passios asks where this grant funded program will fall as a line- item next year. Carter Terenzini states it is currently not in the budget, but this may become a warrant under capital and special articles. ===PAGE 3=== Chris Menard questions if people were using this service to get to Nashoba Valley Hospital and inquires with it now being closed are they able to get to Emerson Hospital. Sue Doherty states they will only travel 20 miles from pickup to drop off. Carter Terenzini will reach out to MART and discuss with them since for most residents Emerson Hospital is not within 20 miles. There was a motion to authorize the transfer of $5,000 from the reserve fund to the Council on Aging to cover the October and November MART transportation by Dave Passios, seconded by Jean Russell. Roll call vote. Chris Menard aye, Dave Passios aye, Jean Russell aye, Jay Simeone aye, Evan Watters aye. c. Future Capital Projects w/wo Borrowing Carter Terenzini will review the Charter in the next couple of weeks and review history and trend lines. He will then discuss with his counterparts to produce a 5-year financial forecast. Chris Menard questions if there is an estimate on each of the capital funding projects and whether there funded properly. Carter Terenzini believes it’s likely that every account is underfunded. Once projects go out to bid there will be a better idea of the accounts. Evan Watters says a historical forecast for this fiscal year has not been received. The Town Manager was unable to get one completed prior to her departure. Evan Watters asks what the Committee can do to help with the process. Carter Terenzini spoke to Peter Beardmore and there was a desire to have a better tailored presentation. Evan Watters provided an anticipated list with deadline dates for capital projects. d. Review Budget Process/Suggestions for Improvement – Interim Town Manager Carter Terenzini needs a minimum of 23 days to have a final warrant and report together. The document will need to get printed and be out in the mail 17 days prior to the town meeting. If the school budget isn’t present until sometime in March Carter Terenzini will be unable to present the Committee with a balanced budget. ===PAGE 4=== Currently there are 11 warrant articles: 1. The state has sent $31,882 in Chapter 70 funding. Schools has requested to receive that funding. The Select Board has asked that it be added as a warrant article and a supplemental appropriation. 2. Prudent investment warrant 3. The State has passed a law about accessory dwelling units. An Amendment needs to be completed to comport with the new state law. This is a zoning amendment from the Planning Board. 4.There is a Zoning amendment related to water protection district work. 5. There is a proposal for a revolving fund for the meal program. This will bring the program in line with the state standards. 6. There is a proposal by the Parks Department for a revolving fund. This would convert 53d to 53e1/2. 7. The Board of Assessors have a warrant article relating to veteran exemptions 17d. 8. There is an additional article from the Board of Assessor’s relating to the elderly exemption 41c. 9. Personnel bylaws warrant from the School 10. Salary Administration Plan from the School 11. The Parks Commission requested an article to borrow a sum of money for the purposes of funding all remaining costs of design and construction of Marshall Park. i. Budget Presentation Template Evan Watters sent a template to the Committee for the budget presentation. A decision needs to be provided to Carter Terenzini by October 1st to be given to department heads. The template is as follows: Slide 1: Title slide Slide 2: Department overview including mission statement, key services provided, staffing overview, and organizational chart Slide 3: Summary of the previous year’s budget Slide 4 & 5: Proposed target budget for upcoming year Slide 6 &7: Proposed level services and needs based budget for the upcoming year Slide 8: Personnel costs Slide 9: Operating expenses ===PAGE 5=== Slide 10: Capital expenses Slide 11: Justification for cost increases Slide 12: Budget efficiencies Slide 13: Impact of not fully funding the level service/needs- based budget Slide 14: Revenue sources Slide 15: Department goals for the coming year Slide 16: Challenges in the upcoming year 8. Prudent Investment Warrant Article Discussion – Town Finance Director Ezequiel Ayala confirms he is planning on putting this article forward. He states this will not affect the stabilization funds and will only affect the trust funds. 9. Split Tax Rate Presentation/Discussion Evan Watters provided a presentation and comparison study with the town of Maynard. There were a lot of similarities in trends, averages, and value. The major difference was in the tax levy and capacity . Evan Watters is planning to provide the Budget Task Force with the presentation within the next week. The Task Force will determine whether or not a split tax rate is reasonably prudent to discuss with the Select Board. g. DLS Financial Policy Manual Draft Evan Watters plans to review and compare our current manual and see if there are any recommendations. Carter Terenzini would like the Committees comments. 8. Old Business a. Town Manager Search Committee – Update Chris Menard states that there is a group that the Committee interviewed that is now under contract. Currently, they are interviewing a bunch of people in town to get an idea of the character of the town. This will be used as an assessment for potential candidates. The next meeting is scheduled for the first Monday in October. There will be an executive session held to narrow down candidates, followed by interviews. There will be a final round of interviews with 2-4 candidates. A recommendation for salary will be set in the next coming weeks. b. Budget Task Force – Update There were no updates provided. c. Grant Writing Services – Update There were no updates provided. ===PAGE 6=== d. Consolidation of Services/Departments There were no discussions related to this topic. 9. Minutes The approval of minutes were postponed. 10. Committee Reports This topic was skipped for this meeting 11. Topics for Future Meetings There are no additional topics to add to future agendas. 12. Important Dates a. 9/16/24 – Special Town Meeting Warrant Closes @ 5p b. 9/20/24 – MMA Capital Planning Webinar, 12p-1:15p c. 11/2/24 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting, 9a-2:15p @ Sharon Community Center d. 11/12/24 – Special Town Meeting, 5p @ LMHS 13. Upcoming Meetings: a. 9/26/24 b. 10/10/24 14. Public Comment Public Comment- There were no comments from the public. Board Comment- Dave Passios states that Green Communities met, and they are actively pursuing the mini split phase 2. The Committee anticipates this grant being submitted for the October grant round. 15. Adjourn ===PAGE 7=== There was a motion to adjourn by Dave Passios, seconded by Jay Simeone. Roll call vote. Chris Menard aye, Dave Passios aye, Jean Russell aye, Jay Simeone aye, Evan Watters aye. The meeting closed at 10:31 PM. ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-09-26-agenda-6790.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-09-26 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-09-26-agenda-6790.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09262024-6790 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Town of Lunenburg Evan Watters, Chair Christopher Menard, Vice-Chair Vacancy, Clerk Jay Simeone Thomas Gray Jean Russell Dave Passios Lunenburg Finance Committee Thursday, September 26th, 2024 7:00 PM Bilotta Meeting Room, Lunenburg Town Hall Agenda 17 Main Street, P.O. Box 135 Lunenburg, MA 01462-0135 978.582.4139 FAX 978.582.4148 Guests: Ezequiel Ayala – Town Finance Director In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast over the Lunenburg Public Access channel and on Facebook Live on the Public Access Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Lunenburg-Public-Access- Cable-157427270975305) and will be uploaded to the Lunenburg Access YouTube channel after the meeting. This meeting will be held in-person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while the option for remote attendance and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person vs. virtual attendance accordingly. The following information is provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use the link below to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82195029392. From a telephone, dial the toll-free number (888) 475-4499, enter Webinar ID: 821 9502 9392. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. This agenda lists all topics which may be discussed at the meeting and those reasonably anticipated by the Chair. Votes may be taken because of these discussions. Not all items listed may be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent allowed by Open Meeting Law. 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements 4. Public Comment 5. Finance Director Report 6. New Business a. Special Town Meeting Warrant Summary b. DLS Financial Policy Manual Draft 7. Old Business a. Budget Presentation Template b. MART Taxi & Livery Grant Update c. Split Tax Rate Presentation/Discussion d. Town Manager Search Committee – Update e. Budget Task Force – Update f. Grant Writing Services – Update g. Consolidation of Services/Departments 8. Minutes 9. Committee Reports 10. Topics for Future Meetings 11. Important Dates a. 11/2/24 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting, 9a- 2:15p @ Sharon Community Center b. 11/12/24 – Special Town Meeting, 5p @ LMHS 12. Upcoming Meetings: a. 10/10/24 b. 10/24/24 c. 11/7/24 13. Public Comment 14. Adjourn ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-09-26-minutes-6790.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-09-26 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-09-26-minutes-6790.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_09262024-6790 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall September 26, 2024 Present Members: Chair Evan Watters, Committee Member Dave Passios, Committee Member Jean Russell, Committee Member Jay Simeone Absent Members: Vice Chair Chris Menard, Committee Member Tom Gray 1. Call to Order The meeting opened at 7:20 PM. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements Dave Passios states this will be his last Finance Committee meeting for the Town of Lunenburg as he will no longer be a Lunenburg resident. He will remain on the Green Communities through the next grant round as the Charter and Massachusetts General law allows. Evan Watters and Jay Simeone thanked Dave Passios for his contributions to the town. Evan Watters states with Dave Passios leaving and Tiffaney Tavares leaving after her term the committee is down to 5 members. The Committee generally is a board of 7 members and there needs to be 4 members present to have a quorum. If there is any interest volunteer forms will be on the website. Evan Watters shared that the food pantry had a ribbon cutting ceremony today for their new space. They have moved out of the kitchen and into the full cafeteria. The second annual Town Official Meet and Greet is currently underway and will conclude in about an hour. The PTO reached out to share that they have updated their products for the coming year and removed a portion of the sports aspect. 4. Public Comment There were no comments from the public. 5. Finance Director Report Ezequiel Ayala wasn’t available for the meeting. 6. New Business a. Special Town Meeting Warrant Summary ===PAGE 2=== Evan Watters, the town moderator, the interim town manager Carter Terenzini, and occasionally the Select Board have had discussion about the formalities of the warrant articles. Carter Terenzini sent over some options that other towns have used to review. They anticipate having the usual verbiage of the actual article, legal ease, and a bolded summary. Additionally, the votes from the Select Board and the Finance Committee will be displayed. There will be a new option to add an additional comment. Jay Simeone suggests adding a summary of what a “no” vote and “yes” vote would mean consequence wise. The drafted warrants were sent off to Town Council yesterday and anticipate having them back by October 1st. The draft warrants will go to the Select Board on October 4th. The Finance Committees final report is due October 17th. The documents need to go to the printer by October 18th and be mailed out by October 25th. b. DLS Financial Policy Manual Draft Evan Watters will reach out to Carter Terenzini, Ezequiel Ayala and Caesar Nuzzolo to see where they stand on this topic. The Interim Town Manager has confirmed that he would appreciate the Finance Committee’s opinion. 7. Old Business a. Budget Presentation Template Dave Passios suggests showing a recommended department budget or dollar amount developed by department heads based on what the town manager suggests is the budget. Then they are to present what they were strongly pushing for above the Town Managers targeted budget. The Finance Committee is requesting all spreadsheets, and anything budget related be provided the Committee at least 7 days in advance of their scheduled presentation. Also, the Committee is requesting 5 to 7 years of detailed budgeting documents. There was a motion to approve the edited budget presentation template by Dave Passios, seconded by Jean Russell. Roll call vote. Jay Simeone aye, Dave Passios aye, Jean Russell aye, Evan Watters aye. Evan Watters will provide the interim town manager a copy to review. b. MART Taxi & Livery Grant Update There was a question at a prior meeting about whether a Lunenburg resident would be allowed to be transported to Emerson hospital as it is outside of the ===PAGE 3=== 20-mile radius. Evan Watters confirmed this has been approved. MART is currently unsure of what the cost would be but anticipate having an estimate by Special Town Meeting. c. Split Tax Rate Presentation/Discussion If the commercial industrial and personal property percentage (CIP) is too low it will drive businesses out of town. There aren’t many communities in Massachusetts that have a split tax rate with CIP value percentage under 15%. The comparison between Lunenburg and Maynard and the CIP rates over 20 years has been similar. d. Town Manager Search Committee – Update There were no updates from the Committee. e. Budget Task Force – Update Evan Watters provided his presentation to the Budget Task Force. f. Grant Writing Services – Update Evan Watters is very worried that by annual town meeting there will still be $50,000 appropriated for grant writing services and not a single person has inquired. The issue seems to be that there are no templates, list of service providers, or contact information. Dave Passios questions if Evan Watters would be able to execute the first phase to get this started. Evan Watters has reached out to a grant writing service company in Massachusetts with no response. He will reach out again and see if they would be willing to come in and sit down with department heads and the Finance Committee for a discussion. g. Consolidation of Services/Departments Dave Passios believes this would be a consolidation and not a money saver. There are other towns in this state that do it will no problem and function well. The consensus is that there are staffing issues and problems keeping up with the needs. 8. Minutes There were no minutes to review and approve. 9. Committee Reports Dave Passios states that Green Communities and the schools are pushing forward with submitting a grant application in the next couple of weeks. This grant is in regards to the mini split phase 2 project for the primary school. Their next scheduled meeting is the first week in October. ===PAGE 4=== 10. Topics for Future Meetings There are no additional topics to be added to future agendas. 11. Important Dates a. 11/2/24 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting, 9a-2:15p @ Sharon Community Center b. 11/12/24 – Special Town Meeting, 5p @LMHS 12. Upcoming Meetings: a. 10/10/24 b. 10/24/24 c. 11/7/24 13. Public Comment Dave Passios shares that the Lunenburg High School Alumni Association is sponsoring the annual alumni lunch on October 20th at the Bull Run Restaurant. If anyone is interested in obtaining tickets they can reach out to the Alumni Association. 14. Adjourn There was a motion to adjourn by Dave Passios, seconded by Jean Russell. Roll call vote. Jay Simeone aye, Dave Passios aye, Jean Russell aye, Evan Watters aye. The meeting closed at 10:25 PM. ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-10-10-agenda-6820.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-10-10 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-10-10-agenda-6820.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10102024-6820 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Town of Lunenburg Vacancy, Chair Christopher Menard, Vice-Chair Vacancy, Clerk Jay Simeone Thomas Gray Jean Russell Vacancy Lunenburg Finance Committee Thursday, October 10 , 2024 7:00 PM Bilotta Meeting Room, Lunenburg Town Hall Agenda 17 Main Street, P.O. Box 135 Lunenburg, MA 01462-0135 978.582.4139 FAX 978.582.4148 In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast over the Lunenburg Public Access channel and on Facebook Live on the Public Access Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Lunenburg-Public-Access- Cable-157427270975305) and will be uploaded to the Lunenburg Access YouTube channel after the meeting. This meeting will be held in-person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while the option for remote attendance and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person vs. virtual attendance accordingly. The following information is provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use the link below to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82195029392. From a telephone, dial the toll-free number (888) 475-4499, enter Webinar ID: 821 9502 9392. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e-mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. This agenda lists all topics which may be discussed at the meeting and those reasonably anticipated by the Chair. Votes may be taken because of these discussions. Not all items listed may be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent allowed by Open Meeting Law. 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements 4. Public Comment 5. Finance Director Report 6. New Business a. Reorganize b. Special Town Meeting Warrant Summary 7. Old Business a. Budget Presentation Template b. MART Taxi & Livery Grant Update c. Split Tax Rate Presentation/Discussion d. Town Manager Search Committee – Update e. Budget Task Force – Update f. Grant Writing Services – Update g. Consolidation of Services/Departments 8. Minutes 9. Committee Reports 10. Topics for Future Meetings 11. Important Dates a. 11/2/24 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting, 9a-2:15p @ Sharon Community Center b. 11/12/24 – Special Town Meeting, 7p @ LMHS 12. Upcoming Meetings: a. 10/24/24 b. 11/7/24 13. Public Comment 14. Adjourn ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-10-10-minutes-6820.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-10-10 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-10-10-minutes-6820.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10102024-6820 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall October 10, 2024 Present Members: Chair Chris Menard, Vice Chair Jean Russell (Zoom), Clerk Tom Gray, Committee Member Jay Simeone 1. Call to Order The meeting opened at 7:00 PM. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements Evan Watters resigned from his position as the Chair over the weekend and the Committee is down to 4 members. There is an upcoming finance appointing meeting on Tuesday where a 5th candidate will be discussed. Chris Menard states the if any resident is interested in becoming a member they should inquire. The Interim Town Managers term is set to expire in January and the process to hire a new Town Manager will require a full board. 4. Public Comment Dave Passios, formally 56 Whiting Street, suggests that the Committee take a close look at the revolving account that’s being created for the Council on Aging. He doesn’t believe it clearly states what kind of revolving account they are looking to establish under Mass General Law. Additionally, Dave Passios states that the draft town warrant is listed as a Fall Town Meeting Warrant. There are no provisions in the charter for a second town meeting anytime during the fiscal year. At the last Special Town Meeting it was decided that there should be only 1 actual town meeting a year because of the diƯerent requirements for voting among other things. Jay Simeone, Tom Gray, and Jean Russell thank Evan Watters for his knowledge, leadership and time he put into the Committee. ===PAGE 2=== Chris Menard states he was not present at the last meetings and wanted to thank Dave Passios for everything he has done for the town. 5. Finance Director Report Carter Terenzini confirms that new growth is being reviewed and a final assessment value will be completed by the assessment team next week. The Board of Assessors anticipates final action to be taken to submit everything for certification of free cash in the next 2 weeks. They are behind schedule but are in decent shape. A classification hearing is anticipated to take place in early November. 6. New Business a. Reorganize There is discussion about who may be able to be the Chair. Jay Simeone and Tom Gray are unable to take that position. Tom Gray suggests Chris Menard be the Chair. Chris Menard agrees to stand in as the Chair for the time being. Chris Menard has no problem running the meetings but is generally unavailable during the daytime. Jean Russell agrees to be the Vice Chair. There was a motion by Jay Simeone to nominate Chris Menard as Chair, Jean Russell as Vice Chair, and Tom Gray for the Clerk position, seconded by Tom Gray. Roll call vote. Jean Russell aye, Tom Gray aye, Jay Simeone aye, Chris Menard aye. b. Special Town Meeting Warrant Summary Chris Menard is aware that the Parks commission is currently meeting and will be requesting a presentation for their warrant article. Their presentation will be added to the agenda on October 24th. Carter Terenzini states he can write the Finance Committees recommendation as deferred in the booklet and could provide an insert that will be provided to attendees. 1st WARRANT ARTICLE Town will vote to authorize the payment of “late bill” from FY24, appropriate a sum of $4,180 to pay bill, and meet appropriation by a transfer from the overlay surplus account. Last week the Board of Assessors certified $225,000 as excess overlay reserved for appropriation. ===PAGE 3=== Tom Gray inquiries about what the bill is for. Carter Terenzini will get the invoice to the Committee. 2nd WARRANT ARTICLE This is a request from the School Committee. After the state’s final budget was settled there was a sum of $31,882 in the chapter 70 account. The Committee is requesting that money be appropriated to them. Tom Gray asks what the schools are anticipating using the money for. Carter Terenzini says he was not provided specifics. Chris Menard is requesting the School Committee attend the public hearing to provide further explanation. 3rd WARRANT ARTICLE This article is related to the Lunenburg MART connection transportation program. The request is to appropriate a sum of money to fund the rest of the fiscal year for the MART organization. Carter Terenzini states he has received an answer from MART about transporting residents to Lunenburg. They have confirmed that will travel past 20 miles for a Lunenburg resident to get to Emerson Hospital. 4th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is to vote to accept the provisions of law to allow the towns trust funds to be invested in the so called “Prudent Investor Rule” . 5th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is from the Planning Board and Carter Terenzini is unable to speak about this article in length. Carter Terenzini can request the Land Use Director attend the public hearing to discuss. The Committee only wants to know if there is any financial impact. 6th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is to establish a revolving fund for the Council on Aging meals program. All deposits will be put into a revolving fund account and accounts would then be set up with vendors. Those bills will be paid out from the revolving account. First there needs to be an amendment to the code. Second there needs to be an annual estimated limit to spend yearly. The estimate is $16,000 for the ===PAGE 4=== balance of the fiscal year. At the annual town meeting a new limit will have to be set. There is a statue issue that requires that all revolving funds be set up by July 1 st of a fiscal year. Additional funds can be set up throughout the year, but a written explanation needs to be provided to the Department of Revenue. Chris Menard asks if there is a statue equivalent and Carter Terenzini states that would be 53E ½. Tom Gray asks what the Council on Aging is expected a full year will cost. Carter Terenzini will inquire with Sue Doherty. 7th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is related to statue 53D revolving fund for the Parks Department. Statue 53D requires that at the end of the year if there is a balance above $10,000 it’s supposed to go to the general fund. The general fund currently has over $75,000. The 53D fund needs to be converted to 53E ½ as there is no cap on how much can be in the account at any given time. The Parks Department will provide a number for the FY25 spending limit by Town Meeting. 8th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is related to the Brooks House and was submitted by Architectural Preservation District Commission. The Commission is requesting the town vote to request to have the Select Board prepare a report. This report will then be presented at the 2025 annual town meeting with the intent of oƯering the building for sale or long-term lease. Chris Menard states Nathan Lockwood had provided a detailed discussion at a recent Select Board meeting. Carter Terenzini states if this passes the Land Use Director will look at zoning, prepare a sketch, meet with the schools, participate in public meeting and then present that report at the town meeting in the spring of 2025. Chris Menard questions what income would come from leasing the building. Carter Terenzini confirms that will be part of the study. ===PAGE 5=== 9th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is related to amendments and additions to code and salary administration plan. Carter Terenzini states there have been challenges in recruiting and retaining employees. Listening sessions were held where employees attended and shared their concerns. There are issues with the process that requires formal action by the Personnel Committee in an open public session. Chris Menard suggests reaching out to the prior Personnel Committee members as this was something they had discussed. 10th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is a vote to amend the Code of Lunenburg Chapter 250 related to the Water Supply Protection District. 11th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is requesting that State Statue be adopted to allow certain exemptions for the elderly. Over time the limits have been adopted at town meetings but there were 3 provisions that were never adopted. This article would make necessary changes so that the next fiscal year and going forward would be able to start increases again. Currently there are 21 people who qualify for these programs and 2 of them will not be able to get this benefit for this fiscal year. 12th WARRANT ARTICLE This vote is to allow the Chair of the Budget Task Force, and the Lunenburg Municipal Design Committee make a verbal report on the status of the work of their group force. 13th WARRANT ARTICLE This article is requested the Town vote to borrow a sum of money to complete the Marshall Park improvement project. The Parks Commission is having a presentation on the 24th of October. 14th WARRANT ARTICLE This is a citizen’s petition requesting the Town vote to borrow a sum of money within the town’s debt limits for the purpose of funding the remaining costs of design and construction of Marshall Park. Chris Menard is requesting general definitions be added to the booklet. ===PAGE 6=== 7. Old Business a. Budget Presentation Template – There was no discussion about this topic at the meeting. b. MART Taxi & Livery Grant Update – There was no discussion about this topic at the meeting. c. Split Tax Rate Presentation/Discussion – There was no discussion about this topic at the meeting. d. Town Manager Search Committee – Update Chris Menard confirms that the Town Manager Search Committee met. The Town Manager requisition was posted to MMA. The posting provided an overview of Lunenburg and the expectations and positions. Resumes are due by November 8 th. Any discussion going forward will be done in executive session until the list is narrowed down. They anticipate screening interviews with the candidates. The Select Board will then complete their interviews and that is anticipated that be completed in late December or early January. e. Budget Task Force – Update Jean Russell was not able to attend the Zoom meeting but will watch it on YouTube. f. Grant Writing Services – Update There were no updates. g. Consolidation of Services/Departments Chris Menard states that the school facilities director has resigned. At prior meetings there has been discussion about consolidation of services and that the facilities department may be a good place to start. Chris Menard suggests a single facilities director may be more logical. The Committee questions if there would need to be a change in charter for this to occur. 8. Minutes Dave Passios provided a note for the August 22 minutes. Approval of minutes will occur at the next meeting. 9. Committee Reports Jean Russell has no committee reports. Tom Gray attended the Zoom meeting about Project 211 by the Regional School Committee Group. During the meeting, participants learned how Chapter 70 is calculated and the formulas. The State gives more money depending on how well the town is run. Project 211 wants to change the formulas. Tom Gray will continue to follow these meetings. ===PAGE 7=== Tom Gray states Municipal Design Committee met but he wasn’t able to attend the meeting. Jay Simeone watched the Sewer Commission meeting. A new business manager was hired and then left after a week. Interviews have been held and a discussion will be made at the next meeting. They are still looking for an assistant sewer business manager. Chris Menard states that the police department provide their capital plan at the last meeting. This year’s capital plan focuses on police cruisers and expansion into the second floor for extra workspace. Chris Menard confirms that the Parks Commission is meeting tonight, and they intend to finalize their warrant article. 10. Topics for Future Meetings The focus of the Committee over the next coming weeks will be the Special Town Meeting that will take place on the second week of November. 11. Important Dates a. 11/2/24 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting, 9a-2:15p @ Sharon Community Center b. 11/12/24 – Special Town Meeting, 7p @LMHS 12. Upcoming Meetings: a. 10/24/24 b. 11/7/24 13. Public Comment Dave Passios is excited to hear about the new benefits coming at the Town Meeting. Additionally, he wants the Committee to consider having someone liaison with the DPW director especially with the winter months coming. Chris Menard reiterates that there are 3 vacancies on the Committee. 14. Adjourn There was a motion to adjourn by Jay Simeone, seconded by Tom Gray. Roll call vote. Jean Russell aye, Tom Gray aye, Jay Simeone aye, Chris Menard aye. The meeting closed at 9:10 PM. ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-10-24-agenda-6838.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-10-24 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-10-24-agenda-6838.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10242024-6838 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Finance Committee Chris Menard, Chair Jean Russell, Vice-Chair Tom Gray, Clerk Jay Simeone Vacant Vacant Vacant Thursday, October 24, 2024 7:00 PM Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall Town of Lunenburg 17 Main Street, P.O. Box 135 Lunenburg, MA 01462-0135 978.582.4139 978.582.4148 Agenda In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast over the Lunenburg Public Access channel and on Facebook Live on the Public Access Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Lunenburg-Public-Access- Cable-157427270975305) and will be uploaded to the Lunenburg Access YouTube channel after the meeting. This meeting will be held in-person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while the option for remote attendance and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person vs. virtual attendance accordingly. The following information is provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use the link below to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82195029392. From a telephone, dial the toll-free number (888) 475-4499, enter Webinar ID: 821 9502 9392. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e- mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. This agenda lists all topics which may be discussed at the meeting and those reasonably anticipated by the Chair. V otes may be taken because of these discussions. Not all items listed may be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent allowed by Open Meeting Law. 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements 4. Public Comment 5. Town Manager & Finance Director Reports 6. Scheduled Meetings a. Municipal Building Design Committee update b. Parks Commission presentation on Marshall Park Borrowing 7. Public Hearing a. Special Town Meeting Warrant Articles 8. New Business a. Recommendations on Warrant Articles b. Liaison Re-assignments 9. Old Business a. Budget Presentation Template b. Town Manager Search Committee Update c. Budget Task Force d. Project 211 (School Funding Formula) e. Grant Writing Services f. Consolidation of Services/Departments 10. Minutes 11. Committee Reports 12. Actions and Topics for Future Meetings 13. Important Dates a. 11.2.2024 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting 9AM – 2:15PM Sharon Community Center b. 11.12.2024 – Special Town Meeting 7PM Lunenburg Middle High School 14. Upcoming Meetings a. 11/7/2024 (if necessary) 15. Public Comment 16. Adjourn ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-10-24-minutes-6838.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-10-24 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-10-24-minutes-6838.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10242024-6838 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall October 24, 2024 Present Members: Chair Chris Menard, Vice Chair Jean Russell, Clerk Tom Gray, Committee Member Tanya Dall, Committee Member Jay Simeone 1. Call to Order The meeting opened at 7:00 PM. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements There is a new member on the Committee, Tanya Dall. There are still 2 vacancies if anyone is interested in making a diƯerence for the town. Chris Menard states he has been called oƯ on business travel for the night of the special town meeting. Jean Russell will be filling in on his behalf. 4. Public Comment John Bowen, 162 Highland Street, Thanks Evan Watters and Chris Menard for their work. John Bowen has previously pushed for a cemetery corporation because of the wasteful spending and misuse of the sale of lot funds by the Cemetery Commission. He brought up the expenditures for 2021 and provided examples of discrepancies. John Bowen is concerned about whether the Cemetery Commission will be able to pay back bills discussed under Article 5 in the warrant. 5. Town Manager & Finance Director Reports Carter Terenzini states that all values including new growth have been submitted and certified by the state. The classification hearing will take place on November 19. The estimated tax rate will be completed prior to the Special Town Meeting. 6. Scheduled Meetings a. Municipal Building Design Committee update There will be an updated article at the Special Town Meeting in November from the MBDC. The Committee encapsulated members from the Finance ===PAGE 2=== Committee, Select Board, School Committee, and members from the community at large. Over the past few years, the TC Passios building has been brought up in many discussions. The MBDC wants to turn the building into a meeting house and the first floor will have 4 meeting areas. The first quote to repurpose the building was 23 million dollars. When the Committee was ready to go forward with a vote the price went up to 30 million. b. Parks Commission presentation on Marshall Park Borrowing Anita Scheipers the Chairman of the Parks Commission shared the information related to Marshall Park. The Parks Commission has been looking at improvements to make Marshall Park more attractive and suitable for residents of all ages and abilities. Back in 2020, a public information gathering session was held. The Town Meeting did approve some initial funds to pay for some early schematic design of the park and a firm was hired. It was estimated that the park would cost approximately 5.2 million to construct. This would include improvements to the playing fields, added basketball court, pickleball court, pavilion, playground, dog park, and walking paths. The Parks Commission went back to the Town Meeting and received additional funds to further the design of the park. The Select Board voted to allocate 1 million ARPA funds to the park project. The Parks Commission then hired an owner’s project manager and a landscape architecture firm and a new schematic design needed to be completed. The new estimated cost rose to 14 million in October of 2024. Initially the Parks Commission thought there would be enough in hand to start phase 1 and would ask for the remaining funds at the Special Town Meeting to finish phase 2. There is now not enough money to complete phase 1. The Parks Commission considered narrowing down the scope of the project and discussed cutting the project back. There are commitments under the grant programs and after speaking with them it was determined we were committed under that grant contract that was already signed. They would have to complete the project, or they would not get reimbursement from the grant program for what was already spent and committed to. The Parks Commission made the discussion not to move ahead with the borrowing article at the Special Town Meeting. will be meeting again on November 6 th to discuss possible next steps. This article may be brought back up at the Spring Town Meeting. ===PAGE 3=== Jay Simeone questions what the status of the million-dollar ARPA funding that was previously committed to. Anita Scheipers spoke with the Interim Town Manager about using the ARPA funds to continue the design work for Marshall Park. 7. Public Hearing There was a motion to enter into public hearing by Jay Simeone, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. a. Special Town Meeting Warrant Articles The Interim Town Manager, Carter Terenzini, discussed the warrant articles. Article 1: This article has been split into 2 pieces since the previous meeting. This is a legacy article to amend the FY25 town budget to the extent it needs amendments. There was more new growth than anticipated and the Select Board intends to seek to appropriate that delta to the FY25 budget. Jay Simeone questions what the delta is right now. Carter Terenzini states its approximately $115,000. Ana Lockwood, 91 Main Street, questions what that appropriation will be going to. Carter Terenzini states this hasn’t been settled yet. Today the retiree health insurance rates were received, and they went up 19.3%. Carter Terenzini anticipates presenting a formal proposal at the Select Board meeting on November 5th. Ana Lockwood states that free cash has grown tremendously and inquires where that is coming from. Carter Terenzini states there were a lot of projects that didn’t get completed due to supply chain, delays in getting materials, and issues related to Covid. Dave Passios, formally 56 Whiting Street and registered voter in the Town of Lunenburg but currently residing in JeƯerson, NH proposed there needs to be a review of the practices that are used to fund capital projects. Article 2: The Town has received $31,882 in Chapter 70 money. The School Committee asked that be allotted to the School Committee and the Select Board agrees. They intend to use that money to supplement their salary reserve, to address critical staƯing, and compensate short falls. Chris Menard also believes the Chapter 70 money should be applied to the schools as voted on by the legislature. He did note that the funding has fluctuated and decreased in past years. ===PAGE 4=== Article 3: This article is to authorize a payment of 1 late bill totaling $4,180 with a transfer from the overlay reserve. This is from Canon for the copiers in the school department. Article 4: This article is related to the MART program. The MART program provides rides for seniors, teenagers, and those with mobility issues. They deliver 400 rides a month to 70 unique users. $20,000 will come from the overlay surplus reserve for appropriation. MART will be present at the Special Town Meeting. Rhonda Liscio,181 Reservoir Road, asked if this program started through a state grant. Carter Terenzini is unsure as this was prior to his start date with the town. Dave Passios believes this grant has a sunset grant built into it but was miss shuƯled because it was mid fiscal year. Article 5: This article is related to investments and trust funds. Currently there are restrictions on the types of investments, stocks, and deposits that town can do. This will allow more flexibility with a little more risk but may increase the yields. The Select Board inquired about how many towns have adopted this. Carter Terenzini believes there are at least 20 plus communities. Article 6: This article is related to COLA and clauses relative to tax exemptions. Carter Terenzini states previously there were 2 provisions accepted but in order for COLA to be applied there are clauses that need to be adopted. Jay Simeone questions who found out that these clauses had not been adopted. Carter Terenzini confirms the new assessor noticed the numbers didn’t match up with her experience. After some digging these clauses were not in the DOR database or the town books. Article 7: This is an article from the Water Supply Protection District and there were no questions. Article 8: This article is related to setting up a revolving fund for the Council on Aging. Currently, the contributions for the meals are being paid in cash and held at the adult activity center. It is then used to purchase supplies and food. The handling of cash in this manner is non-conforming by statue and generally not a good accounting practice. This article would create a revolving fund. The money received for the meals program would be submitted to the treasurer’s collection. From there an account would be set ===PAGE 5=== up with the venders, vendors could then submit a bill, that would subsequently be provided to the accounting department. The proposed set limit for the year is $16,000. Article 9: This article is requesting a revolving fund for the Parks Department be established under a provision of statues. There are some provisions that state if there is an excess of $10,000 at the end of the fiscal year then that money is supposed to go into the general fund. Article 10: This article is a request from the Architectural Preservation District Commission related to the Brooks House. They have requested that the Board of Selectman obtain a study of the Brooks House property to determine if it’s possible to sell or lease the house. Anthony Sculimbrene believes if the Brooks House is kept then money will need to be spent but will turn into an asset rather than a liability. Dave Passios states there is a problem with perpetual parking easements on town property for potential private business entities. Glenn Mcleod, 436 Reservoir Road, believes selling the property would be a mistake and that the town would lose control of the small parcel within the larger parcel. Chris Menard believes that given the other needs of the town that money isn’t available to spend to rehabilitate that building. Peter Beardmore, 282 Pleasant Street, is a member of the School Committee and the Capital Planning Committee but speaking on behalf of himself. He questions who controls the property that the Brooks House sits on. Dave Passios believes all property lines are documented in schematic reports. Article 11: This article is related to employment and hiring. The article addresses a sick leave bank, incentive program, and holiday time for part time employees on their usually scheduled workdays. Glenn McLeod believes that the vacation time should be maxed if the employee brings their expertise to the town and shouldn’t be limited. Additionally, he believes the pay rate and stage can be determined by the Town Manager and the Chair of the Personnel Committee. Article 12: This article is related to the salary administration plan and amendments. There were no questions. ===PAGE 6=== Article 13: This article is a presentation by town bodies including the Municipal Design Committee and the Budget Task Force. There were no questions. Article 14 & Article 15” The articles were citizen petitions for Marshall Park. Ana Lockwood was the citizen petitioner, and she intends to ask that these articles be passed over. Dave Passios questions where they were in the process of getting grants approved. Anita Scheipers confirms that there were 6 grants applied for. Last budget season the Finance Committee approved a line item in general government for $50,000 for grant writing services. Dave Passios believes that money should be used in this fiscal year to move this process forward. There was a motion to close the public hearing by Jay Simeone, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. 8. New Business a. Recommendations on Warrant Articles Article 1: There was a motion to defer recommendations to town meeting until final numbers are available by Tom Gray, seconded by Jay Simeone. All in favor. Deferral was recommended 5-0. Article 2: There was a motion to recommend approval by Tom Gray, seconded by Jean Russell. All in favor. Approval was recommended 5-0. Article 3: There was a motion to recommend approval by Tom Gray, seconded by Jay Simeone. All in favor. Approval was recommended 5-0. Article 4: There was a motion to recommend approval by Jean Russell, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. Approval was recommended 5-0. Article 5: There was a motion to recommend approval by Tom Gray, seconded by Jean Russell. The vote was 4-0-1 for approval. Jay Simeone supports this article but states there are no budgeted numbers thus he doesn’t see a direct financial impact. Article 6: There was a motion to recommend approval despite there being no direct financial impact by Chris Menard, seconded by Tom Gray. The vote was 4 -0-1 for approval. ===PAGE 7=== Article 7: There was a motion to find no financial impact by Tom Gray, seconded by Jean Russell. All in favor. Article 8: There was a motion to recommend approval despite there being no direct financial impact by Jay Simeone, seconded by Jean Russell. Approval was recommended 5-0. Article 9: There was a motion to recommend approval by Jean Russell, seconded by Tanya Dall. The vote was 4 -0-1 for approval. Article 10: There was a motion to find no financial impact by Tom Gray, seconded by Jay Simeone. All in favor. Article 11: There was a motion to recommend approval by Tom Gray, seconded by Chris Menard. The Committee recommended approval 4-1. Article 12: There was a motion to recommend approval by Chris Menard, seconded by Tom Gray. The Committee recommended approval 4-1. Article 13: There was a motion to find no financial impact by Chris Menard, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. The motion passed 5-0. Article 14: There was a motion to defer by Chris Menard, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. Article 15: There was a motion to defer by Chris Menard, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. b. Liaison Re-assignments There was discussion about the school and budget task force liaison. Jean Russell was the second on the budget task force and will now be the primary. If she is unavailable Tom Gray agreed to be a second. Jean Russell also agreed to be the school liaison. 9. Old Business a. Budget Presentation Template There were no discussions about this topic. b. Town Manager Search Committee Update Chris Menard states there hasn’t been a recent meeting. ===PAGE 8=== c. Budget Task Force There were no discussions about this topic. d. Project 211 (School Funding Formula) There were no discussions about this topic. e. Grant Writing Services There were no discussion about this topic. f. Consolidation of Services/Departments There were no discussions about this topic. 10. Minutes There was a motion to approve the minutes from August 22, September 12 and September 26th of 2024 by Tom Gray, seconded by Jean Russell. The vote was 3-2. Tom Gray is going to send the minutes to the town clerk and move the minutes over to the approved folder. 11. Committee Reports Jay Simeone states that the Sewer Commission met. They have been looking for a business manager, but the prospects have not worked out. They are changing direction and looking to hire a part-time sewer business manager. Several applications have been received. Chris Menard confirms that the Capital Planning Committee met twice. The presentations for schools and facilities took place. 12. Actions and Topics for Future Meetings There were no suggested actions or topics for future meetings. 13. Important Dates a. 11.2.2024 – MMA ATFC Annual Meeting 9AM– 2:15PM Sharon Community Center b. 11.12.2024 – Special Town Meeting 7PM Lunenburg Middle High School 14. Upcoming Meetings a. 11/7/2024 (if necessary) 15. Public Comment Dave Passios asks if the edits he provided from the last meeting were added and Chris Menard confirms they were added. Additionally, Dave Passios will email Carter Terenzini a reminder that smart growth needs to be applied for every year. Lastly, he states that Senator Cronin mentioned at a prior meeting that the Department of Local Services has a program that if the Select Board votes to invite ===PAGE 9=== them into the town they will do a top to bottom inside and outside audit of procedures and town operations for free. They can come up with recommendations and corrective actions. 16. Adjourn There was a motion to adjourn by Jay Simeone, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. The meeting closed at 9:55 PM. ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-12-19-agenda-6928.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-12-19 KIND : agenda OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-12-19-agenda-6928.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12192024-6928 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Finance Committee Chris Menard, Chair Jean Russell, Vice-Chair Tom Gray, Clerk Jay Simeone Tanya Dall Vacant Vacant Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 7:00 PM Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall Town of Lunenburg 17 Main Street, P.O. Box 135 Lunenburg, MA 01462-0135 978.582.4139 978.582.4148 Agenda In accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast over the Lunenburg Public Access channel and on Facebook Live on the Public Access Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Lunenburg-Public-Access- Cable-157427270975305) and will be uploaded to the Lunenburg Access YouTube channel after the meeting. This meeting will be held in-person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while the option for remote attendance and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person vs. virtual attendance accordingly. The following information is provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely: To Participate Remotely: From a computer, please use the link below to join the public meeting webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82195029392. From a telephone, dial the toll-free number (888) 475-4499, enter Webinar ID: 821 9502 9392. If you have not registered with Zoom you will be asked for your name and an e- mail address. Note: No participant ID is needed, just press # when asked. Telephone users may dial *9 to request to speak after joining the meeting. Computer and app users may use the “raise hand” feature to request to speak. This agenda lists all topics which may be discussed at the meeting and those reasonably anticipated by the Chair. V otes may be taken because of these discussions. Not all items listed may be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent allowed by Open Meeting Law. 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements 4. Public Comment 5. Scheduled Meetings a. Update from Budget Task Force (possible Joint Meeting with Budget Task Force) 6. Town Manager & Finance Director Reports 7. New Business a. Town Manager Search Committee Update b. Capital Planning Update c. Review Budget Season Schedule 8. Old Business a. Project 211 (School Funding Formula) b. Grant Writing Services c. Consolidation of Services/Departments 9. Minutes 10. Committee Reports 11. Actions and Topics for Future Meetings 12. Important Dates 13. Upcoming Meetings a. 1/9/2025 & 1/23/2025 b. 2/13/2025 Budget Season begins 14. Public Comment 15. Adjourn ======================================================================================== DOCUMENT : 2024-12-19-minutes-6928.txt BOARD : finance-committee DATE : 2024-12-19 KIND : minutes OUR COPY : https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/docs/minutes/text/finance-committee/2024-12-19-minutes-6928.txt TOWN PDF : https://www.lunenburgma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_12192024-6928 ======================================================================================== ===PAGE 1=== Lunenburg Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Bilotta Meeting Room Lunenburg Town Hall December 19, 2024 Present Members: Chair Chris Menard, Clerk Tom Gray, Committee Member Tanya Dall, Committee Member Jay Simeone Absent Member: Vice Chair Jean Russell 1. Call to Order The meeting opened at 7:00 PM. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Announcements There were no announcements. 4. Public Comment There were no comments from the public. 5. Scheduled Meetings a. Update from Budget Task Force (possible Joint Meeting with Budget Task Force) Renee Emkey and Ezequiel Ayala provided the following recommendations. 1. Consolidation of town accounts This would include bank accounts and investment funds. It’s anticipated that the new Town Manager will update the financial investment policy to achieve the highest yield possible. This should be reviewed every year. 2. Targeted diagnostic audit to identify any missing crucial financial information for the Town This will be a deeper dive than the annual audit and a 1-time cost to the Town. Chris Menard questions if there are any grants available. Ezequiel Ayala states there may be state or federal grants available. 3. Prudent investment rule This was already voted for and approved at the Town Meeting. 4. Community Preservation Act (CPA) Renee Emkey confirms there are exemptions available. The minimum surcharge is .5% and the maximum is 3%. A portion of the money received must be spent on 1. Historical Preservation, 2. AƯordable Housing, 3. Parks or open space. ===PAGE 2=== Currently there are 200 communities who participate. If this passes at the Town Meeting a new Committee will need to be formed. 5. Green Grants for the HVAC at schools This is currently in the works. 6. Solar field at the old town dump site This could be a revenue source if the land is leased, and solar panels are added. 7. Solar field on school lots Also, could be a revenue source. 8. Brooks House lease The lease is estimated to be between $30,000 to $50,000 based on what the building is used for. This number is based on what other towns are leasing buildings for. 9. Review Town trash and recycling program When the recycling program was first established it was free to the Town. Currently it is costing $250,000 a year and rising. 10. Chapter 90 funds for Town roads. Depending on the number of roads this is estimated to cost $10,000 to $20,000 per year. Chris Menard has reviewed the list of roads that need to be established and confirms they all are currently being maintained. 11. High deductible health insurance This would be an alternate option for Town employees. 12. Health insurance buyout option This could be used as an incentive and will be a cost savings. Chris Menard questions how many people would opt out. Ezequiel Ayala is not aware of how many people may be interested. 13. Payroll and purchase order streamlining 14. Standardizing and improving workflow within the Town finances This would improve and implement a standard chart of accounts for all departments. 15. School service contracts This is currently being reviewed. 16. Create regular review processes of School fees 17. Create regular review processes of Town fees 18. Delivery of warrant articles for Town Meeting. An option would include posting warrant articles electronically. If a paper copy is requested, they can be picked up. This could be a yearly cost saving of $7,500. ===PAGE 3=== 19. Consolidate Town and School snow removal and grounds maintenance 20. Split tax rate 6. Town Manager & Finance Director Reports Ezequiel Ayala presented the FY24 year-end financials and forwarded them to the Committee. The final free cash was approved at 2.25 and the tax rate was set at 14.36. 7. New Business a. Town Manager Search Committee Update The Town Manager Search Committee has almost completed their job. Interviews of 6 candidates were held last week. The candidates were then narrowed down to 3. The names and interviews of the 3 going forward will become public. b. Capital Planning Update The Capital Planning Committee finalized their recommendations on Monday for this year. They anticipate meeting monthly to look at the planning aspects of capital planning and creating a 5- and 10-year plan. c. Review Budget Season Schedule Chris Menard spoke with Carter Terenzini, and he confirmed that he needs 25 days to put out a warrant. Ezequiel Ayala has emailed the budget sheets to the department heads to get their recommendations for FY26. There is a deadline of the 21st to provide feedback. Peter Beardmore questions when the 25 days start. Carter Terenzini needs all final actions in writing at least 25 days before the town meeting for quality control, proof, printing and mailing. Chris Menard believes April 7th is the cuto Ư date. Chris Menard anticipates having 4 weeks of meetings that include public hearing, deliberations, draft, and a final report. Peter Beardmore suggests agreeing on a date when the School Department presents its approved budget. 8. Old Business a. Project 211 (School Funding Formula) There were no updates from the Committee. ===PAGE 4=== Carol Archambault, School Committee Secretary, confirms that the group has met with Representative Scarsdale. Representative Scarsdale held a networking meeting to try to push this forward. b. Grant Writing Services The Committee anticipates creating a policy related to grant writing. There are some Boards and Committee that are trying to obtain grants, but they are unaware of the process and what needs to be done. c. Consolidation of Services/Departments There were no updates. 9. Minutes There was a motion to approve the minutes from October 10th and October 24th by Tom Gray, seconded by Jay Simeone. All in favor. 10. Committee Reports Tom Gray states that the Municipal Building Design Committee has met. There was a proposal submitted, and a company has been hired for renovations. On Monday there was a meeting, and a rough draft was presented. This is regarding the renovation of the Town Hall and renovation and addition to the Ritter Building. Jay Simeone states that the Sewer Commission had a meeting, and they ratified to support the hiring of a new Sewer Business Manager. Chris Menard states the Committees that were assigned to Evan Watters will need to be reassigned. 11. Actions and Topics for Future Meetings Jay Simeone questions if Carter Terenzini is going to be presenting a preliminary budget in January. Chris Menard will make an inquiry with Carter Terenzini. Chris Menard confirms that he will not be volunteering as the Chair for the next season and encourages people to inquire about being on the Committee. 12. Important Dates There are no additional important dates. 13. Upcoming Meetings a. 1/9/2025 & 1/23/2025 b. 2/13/2025 Budget Season begins 14. Public Comment Dave Passios, member of Green Communities Committee and resident of JeƯerson ===PAGE 5=== NH provided comments. He states the Department of Local Services has several services that are available to all cities and towns in Massachusetts that include auditing the towns books. He suggests taking a deeper look as those resources are free. Regarding the consolidation of accounts Dave Passios states any financial changes to the town need to be thoroughly thought through. Additionally, he suggests looking into the possibility of local income tax. This would be beneficial to seniors and low-income families. Tom Gray agrees with some of the recommendations from the Budget Task Force but is worried it may interfere with other high priority items and work processes that are already underway. He suggests prioritizing the things that we can do that will have the greatest impact but not also sidelining us from other things that need to be completed. Tom Gray questions if the town is going to have enough money to run the town in FY 26. 15. Adjourn There was a motion to adjourn by Jay Simeone, seconded by Tom Gray. All in favor. The meeting closed at 8:55 PM.