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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINCOM02282013 Town of Mansfield Finance Committee Minutes of February r, F' ; Cr F10E 2013 APR -S A 8: 2 U Present: Chairman Walter Wilk; Vice Chairman Steve Schoonveld; Liz Christo, Clerk; Members: James Bazinet, Michael O'Brien, Scott Feely and Yogen Chemburkar. Otf( ,s-Oresent included Bill Ross, Town Manager; Lee Azinheira, Director of Public Works, John Stan'rook; bwirrdok.rntant, Robert Barry, MBC Committee Call to Order: Chairman Wilk called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Request of the Town"Manager to Allow the Town to Deficit Spend in the Snow & Ice Budget for FY 2013 All the money in the snow and ice budget has been spent or will be spent with outstanding bills. It is almost March and most likely we will get more snow. There are also repairs that need to be made to equipment. The law provides that the Town Manager can request approval from the Finance Committee to deficit spend and at the end of the year sit down and fund that deficit. Bill Ross states that he cannot determine how much will be deficit spent. It is based on the weather and quality of the snow. Motion: To approve deficit spending in the Snow and Ice Budget for FY 2013 (Feely/Bazinet); Approved Roll call vote: Christo aye, Bazinet aye, O'Brien aye, Chemburkar aye; Schoonveld aye, Feely aye, Chairman Wilk aye. Review of Minutes Motion: To approve October 25, 2012 minutes (Christo/Schoonveld); Approved Roll call vote: Christo aye O'Brien aye, Chemburkar aye; Schoonveld aye, Feely aye, Chairman Wilk aye, Bazinet abstains Motion:To approve November 1, 2012 minutes (Christo/Bazinet); Approved Roll call vote: Christo aye, Bazinet aye, O'Brien aye, Chemburkar aye; Schoonveld aye, Feely aye, Chairman Wilk aye. Motion: To approve January 10, 2013 minutes (O'Brien/Schoonveld); Approved Roll call vote: Christo aye, Bazinet aye, O'Brien aye, Chemburkar aye; Schoonveld aye, Feely aye, Chairman Wilk aye. Motion:To approve January 24, 2013 minutes (Schoonveld/O'Brien); Approved Roll call vote: Bazinet aye, O'Brien aye, Chemburkar aye; Schoonveld aye, Chairman Wilk aye, Christo abstain, Feely abstain Overview of DPW Projects and Design Costs—Presented by Lee Azinheira, DPW Director Walter Wilk states that the general questions from the Finance Committee are that $900,000 is a lot of money to spend on design when it costs a couple million dollars to spend on building and why is the current Page I 1 Finance Committee Meeting February 28,2013 footprint of the new DPW facility not sufficient to support a new DPW facility and move into a residential area by the airport. Lee Azinheira states that as far as the area, one study that was done 10 years ago looked at putting a Fire and MEMA building by the Highway Building but it was a tight area and Fruit Street was not considered at the time because we were doing composting on Fruit Street. (Walter Wilk asks for copy of the study that was done 10 years ago.) The salt/sand pile has been stored on Fruit Street for 20 years. They also stored sludge on Fruit Street. Now the sludge is hauled out and that is when they started looking into the Fruit Street area for the DPW facility. Walter Wilk summaries that we are spending lots of money for many studies on public safety, how do we more efficiently spend out money on selling police station, selling fire station and putting everything together in one place. Is it more efficient to hire one engineering study to complete project? Steve Schoonveld feels it not the actual location on Fruit Street but what are the long term plan for the needs of public safety over the next five years. Lee Azinheira states that it a flat site and will have minimal earth work. By putting highway garage on Fruit Street they are reducing the size of the area because they have the compost area there and other needs of the Highway Department. If the highway department is moved elsewhere, then it will cost more to build the areas of compost and salt/sand shed that are already being used. Highway also has an active trucking route going in and out of Fruit Street. Lee Azinheira states that the long term plan is to build the DPW Facility; move the Highway Operations to Fruit Street; demolish the existing Highway Garage; move public safety buildings to where the highway garage is now; emergency vehicles can enter and exit more efficiently according to the master plan. Walter Wilk says Phase I is to build the DPW Facility/Highway Garage to Fruit Street. What is the estimated cost of building the DPW facility? Robert Barry, Vice Chairman, MBC Committee, says it will cost approximately $9 million. (Budget and study is $11.5 million for project). Lee Azinheira will get copies of the final draft of the study. Lee Azinheira states the goal would be to have completion done by FY 15. The design for the Public Safety Building on East Street can begin as soon as construction starts on the new DPW facility. Bill Ross states the ball park cost for the Public Safety Compound would be in the area $15-16 million if not more. All would depend on size and construction costs at the time of building. Bill Ross states that this is being timed with the end of debt exclusion bonds. Walter Wilk asks if this includes the selling of old parcels. Bill Ross suggests selling the fire station and relocate the School Administration into the existing Police Station and expand office space for the Town Hall. The MEMA building on County Street would be included in the Public Safety Compound and that parcel of land can be sold. It can only be sold for commercial use not residential. Town Accountant to Update;.Budget Review wi-th Scenario of Governor's Proposals The Governor came out with his budget in late January and the Legislature will not start until late March or early April with their numbers. The highlights of the Governor's plans are to give out a lot of money in regards to State Aid. (Walter Wilk states as long as the Governor's gets all the tax increases suggested.) Page l 2 Finance Committee Meeting February 28,2013 John Stanbrook, Town Accountant, says Governor wants to increase State income tax rate to 6.25%; eliminate 45 itemized income tax reductions; double personal income tax; reduce sales tax from 6.25% to 4.5%; expand sales tax on candy, soda, and tobacco; new formula for local aid based on formula from Department of Revenue; take 25% of local aid and use as incentive for Towns (not clear who will get incentive money from Towns); at least every town would get$25/student. Bill Ross states that he feels the major portions of the Governor's increases has little if no possibility of going through Legislature. This is structured to develop a graduated income tax because it gives credits for lower income tax people and takes away credits for higher income tax people. The rate would be the same for all people, however, the credits would not. Bill Ross does not feel we will see a reduction in State Aid. He feels we could use a flat number for both Chapter 70 and unlimited local aid which is where we thought we would be. Walter asks John Stanbrook for flat full time equivalent for schools and asks John to take out mandates from school. Finance Committee needs take what money is left over and prioritize what is needed and what we have the funds for. Finance Committee does not want to use the $1.5 million plug. Finance Committee needs to get the priority lists from Town and Schools. {Important Dares and UpcomingNleetings List of priorities identified with options and numbers directly attached including Capital and draft of five- year plan due by March 21St from Schools and Town. Combined priority plan due March 21st (Town, School and Capital plan). Finance Committee is available to review drafts. March 26th at 9am Standard & Poor visit to Mansfield. Final five-year forecast plan done by Town, School and Capital due by March 28tH Meet with Board of Selectmen on April 3rd at 7:45pm; meet with Assessor at 7pm Finance Committee Meeting on April 4th I CIP Updates The major change in the CIP request is the request of$165,000 for a new sidewalk plow. Bill Ross said we put a significant amount of money ($900,000) aside for self-breathing apparatus. Fire put out a proposal for that and there is $110,000 remaining in that article. We an fund the tulrn out gear with that money from Town Meeting. There is about $90,000 remaining. Roads; bridges;telephone system; vents; sidewalk plow/snow blower are the top five priority list. Municipal Building Committee did not want to do design/build on DPW facility. A design/build is hiring one group to design and then build. It is more cost effective. MBC feels uncomfortable with design/build and they are in charge of projects from Town Charter. MBC is concerned it does not meet state law Page I3 Finance Committee Meeting February 28,2013 requirements on bidding. Bill Ross has been successful with Design/Build and also Design then Build. Three votes are needed to proceed with projects; one vote to move ahead with design; one vote to move ahead with construction; and one vote from all the citizens on the debt exclusion. Debt exclusion is voted at town meeting to put on ballots. Scott Feely wants to make clear at town meeting that if the citizens vote to design, they also need to vote to build. Scott Feely spoke with Shawn Burke, Town Planning, on their five year plan. Two items they spoke about were that the DPW would like to spend $1 million on roads and bridges to accomplish what they want to accomplish; DPW would like to do more. The other item was the work we need to do on dams. Bill Ross wants the whole Town on a five-year plan and not continue to working from year to year. General Discussion on School Budget and Mandates & Unanticipated Business General discussion on school budget and mandates. Need to discuss with school riorit li adjustments that can be made to mandates. p Y st and -���asih�"Disccussion �� , n Meeting on Saturday, March 3, 2013 for Town Budget Presentation at 9am Yogen Chemburkar; no Liz Christo; no James Bazinet; no Mike O'Brien; no Scott Feely; no Steve Schoonveld; met with Town Assessor and would like to meet with her before Board of Selectmen's meeting. Also Steve feels March is a very important month and we need to keep to the meetings. Adjourn A :^ ' v B a a 3`' N % t; Motion to Adjourn at 9:47pm (Shoonveld/Christo) Approved Roll call vote: Christo aye, Bazinet aye, O'Brien aye, Schoonveld aye, Feely aye, Chemburkar aye; Chairman Wilk aye. I I i4,„./Ii/A Cr 1 /4 /13 Signs ure of Clerk Date of Approval Page 14 Finance Committee Meeting February 28,2013