Finance Committee Minutes

Meeting date:

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Wellfleet Finance Committee

Minutes of Meeting of April 24, 2014

Senior Center, 7:00 p.m.

Present: Stephen Polowczyk, Chair; Janet Loewenstein, Linda Pellegrino, Thomas Reinhart, Sylvia Smith, Liz Sorrell, Robert Wallace,

Regrets: Sam Bradford, Ira Wood

Also Attending: Town Administrator Harry Terkanian

Chair Stephen Polowczyk called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Shellfish Budget

Shellfish Warden Andrew Koch was present to discuss the Shellfish Budget. He explained that the Shellfish trucks are no longer operational. He also explained the Shellfish Department boat engine repairs and the barge needs. Finance Committee asked that Koch provide Rollover forms for all the Shellfish Department engines and keep the maintenance log up to date. FinCom members suggested taking the boat and barge out of the water for the winter, but Koch explained why they remain in the water. Curt Felix of the Wastewater Committee, whose oyster site in the Harbor cleans the water, spoke on the critical need for money for cultch, staffing and a working barge to keep the program viable. Koch, Felix, the Committee and Town Administrator Harry Terkanian discussed the importance of cultch propagation.

Sorrell moved to revisit the Finance Committee recommendation for the Shellfish Capital Budget. Reinhart seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.

Sorrell moved to restore the requested amount to the Shellfish Capital Budget as recommended by Selectmen. Smith seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.

Koch suggested that lines of communications with FinCom and the Shellfish Department continue to remain open.

Loewenstein recommended that in the future votes be taken after a department head had left the meeting. FinCom was interested in conducting an audit of the Shellfish Department, but Mr. Terkanian is currently working with the Shellfish Warden on department procedures.

Finance Committee Contacts

Town Moderator Daniel Silverman had FinCom members fill out contact information sheets and reminded members whose term would be expiring to give him their reapplication papers.

Warrant Recommendations

Recommendations for two Warrant Articles remained to be done. Harry Terkanian explained the transfer requests listed in Article 2.

Sorrell moved to recommend Article 2 Transfers. Loewenstein seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.

Mr. Terkanian said that the negotiations had been completed with the Teamsters and that the Board of Selectmen had voted to recommend Article 15. He discussed the percentage increases that had been settled in two contracts with the Teamsters Union.

Loewenstein moved to recommend Article 15 Teamsters Wages. Pellegrino seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.

Transfer Request #14-05

Transfer Request #14-05* was for $15,000 from the Reserve Fund to the Unemployment line 913 because of a number of unexpected cases this year.

Sorrell moved to approve Transfer #14-05 for $15,000. Smith seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.

Minutes of 3/26/14

Wallace moved to approve the minutes of March 26, 2014. Sorrell seconded, and the motion carried 6-0.

Liaison Reports

Linda Pellegrino reported on DPW snow plowing and the use of subs. She explained why some roads were replowed in certain storms.

Preparations for CIP Fiscal Year 2016

Town Administrator Harry Terkanian asked that Finance Committee make any suggestions for formatting the Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). He discussed setting priority levels for Capital Improvement requests. He said he would be paying attention to Operating Budget costs in relations to Capital requests. Finance Committee members were interested in seeing a draft with the priority listings.

Borrowing Report

Harry Terkanian said he had examined the borrowing Articles in the 2014 Annual Town Meeting Warrant and calculated the debt attached. He also said that some of the current long term debt is being refinanced at a savings of around $700,000 over 20 years.

Agenda for the Next Meeting

Agenda for the May 28, 2014 meeting will include: CIP, Recap of Town Meeting, Liaison Assignments & Reports, and Reorganization.

Charter Amendment

Moderator Daniel Silverman said that he had objected to last year’s Charter amendment regarding the appointment of Finance Committee members to other boards or committees. He explained how he was still against the vote that will be taken this year on the same matter. The Town Moderator, he said, appoints Finance Committee members so that there is a separation of powers. He is not opposed to having Finance Committee members serve on other boards like search committees.

Adjournment

Sorrell moved to adjourn. Wallace seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted

__________________________ __________________________

Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Stephen Polowczyk, Chair

_____________________ (Date)

Public Records Material of 4/24/14

* Transfer #14-05