Finance Committee Minutes
Wellfleet Finance Committee
September 27, 2017, 7:00PM
Wellfleet Senior Center, 715 Old Kings Hwy
Present: Chair Janet Loewenstein, Stephen Polowczyk, Kathy Granlund, Linda Pellegrino, Ira Wood, Fred Magee, Robert Wallace
Others Present: Dan Hoort (Town Administrator)
Chair Loewenstein called the meeting in order at 7:00 P.M.
Board Reorganization-Election of Vice-Chair
Chair Loewenstein announced that Vice Chair Kirsch has resigned. The Committee members expressed their gratitude for her service. Polowczyk moved to nominate McGee for Vice-Chair. Pellegrino Seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.
Transfers-No transfers to report.
Budget Task Force-
Polowczyk read an email from Lori Meads of the Truro Finance Committee, and discussed how it how it would be organized: The meetings start in December, they will include a member from the Board of Selectmen, the Town Accountant, at least one person from the Finance Committee, and the Selectmen would act as Chair for the task force. Loewenstein offered that the task force would be better centralized within the committee, rather than as a separate group.
The Committee members discussed whether it would be beneficial to have more meetings a with the Selectman and/or Department Heads. McGee offered there are systemic factors that appear, and to have a task force to monitor and plan the big-ticket items.
The Committee discussed what the task force is supposed to accomplish, and Loewenstein suggested that the entire Committee act as the task force. Loewenstein reviewed with the members that there might be extra meetings and maybe a couple of longer meetings during the budget season.
Strategic Planning-
McGee passed out a pamphlet: Strategic Planning-A Basic Approach to Financial Foresight for Wellfleet. He reviewed the factors which could have a significant impact on the Cape and planning for such changes. They discussed how the opportunity is present to monitor the size of impact, near-term impact, as well as long-term impact.
Wood asked Town Administrator Dan Hoort how the aforementioned would impact staff and affect staffing needs? Hoort explained that there are certain functions that can be solely done online, but there will still be person-to-person functions for particular department needs. The Committee members discussed unifying departments across Cape towns.
Loewenstein suggested keeping this topic as an ongoing agenda item for future meetings.
Liaison Reports-
McGee met with Tom Connery regarding the Technical HS; presented a handout
-Wallace offered that there is a new Shellfish Constable.
Correspondence-
Resignation Letter from Arlene Kirsch dated September 21, 2017
Minutes-
Wood moved to approve as amended, seconded by Stephen All in Favor 7-0
Agenda Items for October:
Preliminary Budget Discussion
Budget Task Force
Strategic Planning
Liaison Reports
Correspondence
Minutes
Public Record:
-Strategic Planning-A Basic Approach to Financial Foresight for Wellfleet
-CCRT High School Pamphlet
-Resignation Letter from Arlene Kirsch dated September 21, 2017