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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance Comm. 12/16/2024Town of Mansfield 6 Park Rom, Mansfield, Massachusetts 02048 Finance Commiti�e;�' Cl� ,)!".S OFFICE 8: 2b Present: Ms. Sara Walsh, Chair, Mr. ScottFeely, Vice Chair; Ms. GretAThurstoi (t IAual), Clerk; Ms. Melinda Tarsi- Goldfien, Mr. Jack Cooney, Mr. Michael Flaherty and Mr. Ryan Martin were bre�Ai in meeting room 3 A/B at Town Hall. Also Present: Matthew Violette, Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director Opening Meeting • Open Meeting Ms. Sara Walsh called the Finance Committee meeting to order at 5:45 pm. Committee Business and Town Meeting Prep Finance Committee Member Appointment to School Superintendent Search Discussion and Vote Mr. Feeley expressed interested in being appointed. No others expressed interested. Motion: To appoint Scott Feely to the School Superintendent Search Committee (Martin/Flaherty) Roll Call: Walsh -Yes, Feely -Yes, Thurston -Yes, Tarsi-Goldfien —Yes, Flaherty -Yes, Martin -Yes Vote 6:0 • Review and Vote on Town Warrant Articles for January Special Town Meeting Mr. Violette reviewed the Articles of the upcoming Special Town Meeting warrant. He primarily focused on the Financial Articles. He summarized: Article 1—To be passed over Article 2 —To be passed over Article 3 — Transfer of $80,000 to from free cash to defray a portion of the expenses related to the five- year Revaluation of all town properties. Article 4 —Transfer of $100,000 from free cash to defray a portion of the expenses related to the ten- year Cyclical Inspection. Article 5 - Capital Improvements Articles Motion 1: Appropriates $1.1M to from cash for several CIP projects. Motion 2: $1.2M Borrowing for Jordan/Jackson Chiller Replacement (Bond Authorization) Motion 3: $24M PFAS Remediation Borrowing for Albertini Well Motion 4: $14M PFAS Remediation Borrowing for Dustin & Prescott Wells (Supplemental borrowing) Article 6: $800,000 transfer from Free Cash to Finance Committee Reserve Fund. Article 7: $370,000 from Sewer Enterprise to Sewer Reserve fund. Article 7: $780,000 from Water Enterprise to Water Reserve fund. Article 9: $200,000 from Airport Enterprise to Airport Reserve fund. Jack Cooney arrived at 5:55 pm Article 10: $280,000 transferred from parking Enterprise to Parking Reserve fund. Article 11: Moves $700,000 from free cash into OPEB ($400,000) and Compensated Absences Reserve Fund ($300,00). Article 12: Allows the Town Manager to enter into contracts that exceed three years but not to exceed six years for Digital Software, Hardware, Licensing and Curriculum, including digital and hard copies of textbooks. Article 13: Easements on School Street Article 14: Alterations of School Street Articles 15: Accessory Dwelling Units Articles 16: Zoning changes related to R2 to R3 Articles 17: Zoning changes related to lot frontage Ms. Tarsi-Goldfein asked if the $300,000 being set aside by means of this article would be.adequate for uncompensated absences. Matt said he believes it is as typically they move about $200,000, but this year the reserve is unusually low. Mr. Martin asked how much new uncompensated time is owed, and if there is a forced reduction, will $300,000 be enough? Mr. Feely noted that generally when forced reduction is needed it is the employees who were last hired who are the first to be let go. Therefore, those employees would have the ►east amount of liability. Mr. Martin asked, what do most other towns do to cover their liability for uncompensated absences. Mr. Violette stated that he used to see many methods when he was an auditor. He added, some would cover from their budget. He said he is unaware of any communities that have full amount sitting aside for uncompensated absences. Mr. Martin followed up by asking, where do we compare to other towns? Mr. Violette stated that Mansfield is in a better position than many because Mansfield actually sets something aside. Other towns rely on Finance Committee transfers. Mr. Violette noted that the amount ($300,000) in this article was just for the Town, as the schools are covered in their budget. Motion: To support Articles 1-12. Feely/Flaherty Roll Call: Walsh -Yes, Feely -Yes, Thurston -Yes, Tarsi-Goldfien—Yes, Flaherty -Yes, Martin -Yes, Cooney -Yes Vote: Passes 7:0 • January Meeting Plan Ms. Walsh reminded everyone that the Special Town Meeting will be held on January 9, 2025. The Financial Committee will hold its regular January meeting, at which time they will reorganize the Committee. She noted that she is anticipating there to be a Budget Subcommittee meeting in late January. TO Board and Budget Subcommittee • Adjourn to Attend Budget Subcommittee and Tri Board Meeting Motion: To adjourn to attend the Finance Committee meeting at 6:13 . (Feely/Cooney) Roll Call: Walsh -Yes, Feely -Yes, Thurston -Yes, Tarsi-Goldfien—Yes, Flaherty -Yes, Martin -Yes, Cooney -Yes Vote: Passes 7:0 S' nature �/2,0 Date Minutes prepared by Nancy Griffin