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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINCOM09262013Town of Mansfield Finance Committee Minutes of September 26, 2013 Present: Chairman Walter Wilk; Steve Schoonveld, Vice Chairman; Liz Christo, Clerk; Members: Michael O'Brien, Scott Feely, James Bazinet, and Yogen Chemburkar. Bill Ross4�To��i4 l llrpagcr ;'jcThi# Stanbrook, Town Accountant Call to Order: Chairman Wilk called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm Discussion -on Opera tio nal Review. and Policies and Procedures Update on Organizational Chart — Bill Ross and Brenda Hodges will be making an offer to employ a Human Resource Director. This is a major step in moving forward in operation study. Ed Vozella, John Stanbrook, Brenda Hodges, Bill Ross and Town labor attorney all made a unanimous decision. This is another example of working together to meet the goals in the operational study. The audit for the Electric Department has been completed and accepted by the Audit Committee. John Stanbrook has filed with the State all the financials for FY 2013. The State will be here next week to complete the process and it will be a couple of days after that before we get the certification. The auditors will be here next week for the Town and should be done by the end of the year. Steve Schoonveld would like policies and procedures done before the budget process begins. Walter Wilk says capitalization is 95% done; reserve fund policy; stabilization policy, debt policy and free cash. Finance Committee can mark up policies and procedures. ',ogen Chemburkar will take the lead with policies and procedures. Finance Committee will make changes and send them to Yogen. Scott Feely asks if there is documentation on descriptions of jobs. John Stanbrook will work with the new Human Resource Director to do this. Liz Christo asks if all departments will be doing job descriptions. Bill Ross says it will be on more financial policies. Walter Wilk asks about timeline on Operational Review and is the Board of Selectmen expecting a review of the progress? Bill Ross says the Board of Selectmen will be updated every six months if not more of progress. John Stanbrook is going to start with receivables and try to wipe all old receivables and then write them off. Roxanne Donovan is working on getting titles on properties and we will sell the land and add as a receivable. However, researching titles takes a bit of time. James Bazinet will be looking at financial policies and procedures and the accuracy of the financials. James Bazinet became Chairman of the audit committee on Tuesday night. Discussion on Budget Walter Wilk asks if there is an updated on High School Gym Wall. Bill Ross and Ed Vozella spoke to Walter Wilk about a reserve fund transfer and the recommendation Walter made to Ed Vozella was to go cough their budget first because it is still the beginning of the year and then come back at end of year and if Page I I Finance Committee Meeting September 26, 2013 there is not enough money then Finance Committee will look at it in the spring. Liz Christo said there is a reserve fund on the school side as well. Bill Ross spoke with the Municipal Building Committee to keep them updated. MBC was satisfied with the numbers. The walls were being reinforced and then found ( asbestos in some of the adhesive that covers the wall. That was not anticipated. Walter Wilk asks Bill Ross if anything else is floating around on the Town side that Finance Committee should know about. Bill Ross says telephone system upgrade is on schedule and getting ready to go out for bid. The consultants are not concerned with amount budgeted. Fire department projective equipment came about $10,000 under budget. Bill Ross says the Governor will not release all of the Chapter 90 money and we will have about $200,000 less in work than we anticipated. Governor will not be releasing the money in FY 14. Legislature does not agree. This is the Governor's cut back. Otherwise Bill Ross feels we are in good shape. We will be working on some building improvements in the spring (library, COA, and Town Hall). Bill Ross said the FY 15 budget begins a couple of weeks after Thanksgiving. The capital budget is in process now and the CIP meeting is soon. Bill Ross said he spoke to Brenda Hodges and reminded her there is only a $1 million plug. Liz Christo gives updated on schools. The ELL training has not cost the Town anything this year. All the training has been funded by the State. Walter Wilk talks about the calendar for Finance Committee. We need to realistically look at the 2nd week in May for Town Meeting. The purpose of the timeline is to prepare the schools and the Town to have their budgets finalized by mid April and not be running around 72 hours before town meeting. Bill Ross presents the Town budget to Board of Selectmen the first week in January. ( `peoming meetings for Finance Committee: October 10t', October 24'h, November 7111, November 21st, December 12t", joint meeting with school budget hearing, January 7d1, joint meeting January 8 °1, January 9th possible continuation of school budget meeting, January 23`d, January 25th Town presentation, February 8th School Presentation, February 13'h, February 27th, March 13th, March 271h, April 10t', May Is'. Capital prioritization schedule: October 22nd, November 5 "i, November 19'h and December 3`d, discussion and prioritization scheduled for December 171h. Scott Feely feels they may need another meeting after December 17th. No Fall Town Meeting is scheduled. Other Items for Discussion Industrial Park Zoning Update — Bill Ross talked to Prologis, real estate marketers. Southcoast Rails had a presentation and the train station area improvements needs to be a priority. Bill Ross is looking for way to add additional parking in the areal. Sub committee assignments Liz Christo and Steve Schoonveld will work on the School sub committee. Liz Christo wants a definition of what she should be doing. Liz goes to the meetings, follows what they are doing and updates the Finance - ommittee. Liz Christo wants to set up a meeting with schools and talk to them about the finance Page 12 Finance Committee Meeting September 26, 2013 } committee and finance committee's expectations and define each others role. Steve Schoonveld asks if Finance Committee should be a liaison with the schools for the community. 'cott Feely and Michael O'Brien will work on CIP sub committee James Bazinet will work on audit committee. James was elected as chairman of the audit committee last Tuesday 9- 24 -13. Audit committee is made up of five members: one finance committee member, one Board of Selectmen member and one school committee member and two at large members appointed by Board of Selectmen for two year term Adjourn Motion to Adjourn at 9:OOpm (Schoonveld /Bazinet) Approved Roll call vote: Christo aye, Chemburkar aye; Schoonveld aye, Feely aye, Bazinet aye, O'Brien aye; and Chairman Wilk aye. Page 13 Finance Committee Meeting September 26, 2013