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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBudget Comm. 11/13/2019Budget Subcommittee Meeting Minutes November 13, 2019 i., Present: Jenn Walsh; Lynn Cavicchi; Frank Delvecchio; Michael A. Trowbridge; Brian Eagle; and Walter Wilke ,ICE Also Present: John Stanbrook, Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director; Teresa Murphy, Superintendent; l(� 3 and Kevin Dumas, Town Manager Mr. Stanbrook called the meeting to order at 6:30PM. 1. Organization of the Budget Subcommittee - Chairperson, Vice- Chairperson, and Clerk Mr. Stanbrook called for nominations for Chair. Motion: To nominated Mr. Walter Wilk for Chair (Trowbridge/Eagle) Passes 6:0 Mr. Wilk called for nominations for Vice -Chair. Motion: To nominate Lynn Cavicchi as Vice -Chair. (Eagle/Trowbridge) Passes 6:0 Mr. Wilk called for nominations for Clerk. Motion: To nominate Mr. DelVecchio as Clerk. (Trowbridge/Eagle) Passes 6:0 2. Review and Discussion of Budget Subcommittee Purpose and Charge The Committee discussed what works and has worked in previous years. Mr. Wilk stated that the Budget Subcommittee was established to openly discuss the budget and hopes that the Committee will have resolved target issues by March and April. Mr. Trowbridge stated that it's important to have regular updates given bah to the respective boards and the opinions of all the Board members shared. Ms. Cavicchi stated that things went off the track in prior years because there was not a specific charge. 3. Review of FY20's final budget Mr. Stanbrook reviewed a handout of FY20's final budget. Committee members had some discussion and comments and asked a few questions. 4. Review of FY21's preliminary budget assumptions and amounts Mr. Stanbrook reviewed the handout of FY21's preliminary budget and stated that he begins with assumptions on how to get to zero. S. Review of cost drivers in Town and School budgets Mr. Wilk asked the Committee to define level services so that everyone would be on the same page. Mr. Trowbridge responded that it is the same goods today at tomorrow's prices. Mr. Stanbrook added that it is nothing new and nothing lost to the budget. Mr. Stanbrook then noted that last week he and Mr. Dumas had met with department heads and department heads can assume a 2.5 percent increase and any items over that percentage are to be listed separately. These additional items would then be ranked and prioritized based on the list in its entirety. Ms. Murphy stated that a 2.5 percent increase would not get the schools to level services and stated that it is over 4 percent to get there based on teacher contracts and no enhancements. She stated they reduced a great deal last year in FY20 by managing overtime better and facilities contracts. She then discussed the enrollment number of students. She noted that although enrollments decline, the Kindergarten class has 207 students and the formula used to predict enrollments is adding twenty to forty kids on top of the birth rate for the year those children were born. The birth rate for kids next year was 228 and if you add twenty to forty to that, it may mean an additional two classrooms needed, but at this point these enrollments have not started. She stated the current grade 12 enrollment is 311 students and next year it will be 332 students and the following year back down to 300. She continued with more enrollments stating that there are 200 students in 61h grade and then it jumps up to 271 students in the 4th grade, so the numbers fluctuate greatly. She also stated that Roland Green enrollments fluctuate up and down and there was no prediction of those numbers. Mr. Eagle asked if there were any big expenses expected like a few years go with the large increase to bus contracts. Ms. Murphy answered that she did not have anything that large. Ms. Cavicchi noted that there were lots of retirements last year and not many out of district special education expenses last year, but added that teacher negotiations and bus driver contracts are due this year and that teachers make up the biggest number of employees. 6. Discussion of revenue enhancing ideas both Town and School Mr. Eagle asked if the Town and School would share a combined list of prioritized items that are above and beyond level services. Mr. Wilk added like the list that is done for CIP. Ms. Murphy answered that it would be hard to do that with some school items as some are mandated items that need to be added. 7. Discussion of expenditure reduction ideas both Town and School Mr. Dumas stated that a large increase is likely again this year to the pension allocation. He stated that this would be unsustainable and he was interested in exploring the option of the Town having its own plan and pulling away from the Bristol County Retirement. Mr. Stanbrook noted that smaller towns than Mansfield have managed their own. Mr. Wilk thought the investments being made by Bristol County Retirement were not appropriate. Mr. Dumas also noted that dental insurance has an 8% increase. The dental contract had a zero percent increase year one and two and then jumped to 8% in year three. He stated that he is going to get a quote from MIAA who does the health insurance. He expects them to be competitive to get the Town to move to their company. 8. Set date and time for next meeting Mr. Dumas stated that budgets are due from departments by December 6th and is hoping to get to a very good first draft of the budget prepared by January V. Mr. Eagle commented that residents see the budget going up every year and it's not pointed out where the savings and where the cuts are. Mr. Dumas answered that it would be great to do a presentation of this information at the Select Board meeting on the process and go through an overview of those items. The committee discussed possible dates for the next meeting and decided on December 19' from 6-713M. 9. Any other items not known 48 hours prior to the meeting There were no items. Motion: To adjourn the November 13, 2019 meeting at 6:3213M. (Eagle/DelVecchio) Passes 6:0 III FROM. MWIFIRTYMOVIA, I Date Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne l a�9 �aoao