APPROVED
TOWN OF
BUDGET COMM= ITTEE /= MEETING MINUTES
APPROVED &#= 8211; October 3, 2011
CALL TO ORDER –
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PRESENT: Also Present: |
Mr. Larry Hall, Mr. Dan= iel Guimond, Mr. Gregory Farris, Mr. John Lavallee, Mr. Dennis Viger, Mr. Rob= ert Sherman, Mr. Joe Puddister, Mr. Ken Dunne, Selectmen Representative Edmund Gleason, School Board Representative Meghan Larson Town Finance Director C= indy Kelley |
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ABSENT: |
Mr. David Cate |
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2012 BUDGET REVIEW AGENDA
Town Celebrations, Town Clerk, Elections, Legal, Trust Funds, Bu=
dget
Committee
Town Celebrations – Finance Director Cindy Kelley came forward to present the 2012 budget.
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Town Celebrations |
2012 Selectmen approved= |
2012 Budget increase/(d= ecrease) |
|
Expenses |
9,055 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
Mr. Dunne questioned how many cemetery flags were being purchased. Ms. Kelley believed 5 gross were t= o be purchased.
Town Clerk – Town Clerk Dorothy Marsden and Finance Direc= tor Cindy Kelley came forward to discuss the 2012 Town Clerk budget.
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Town Clerk |
2012 Selectmen approved= |
2012 Budget increase/(d= ecrease) |
|
Salaries: |
179,607.00 |
1,773 |
|
Supplies: Expenses: |
17,275.00 10,785.00 |
(398) 1,788 |
Salaries – Clerk Typist II listed as vacant has been filled with a part time employee. Ms. Marsden hoped t= o have that person go to full time next year.&nbs= p; The number contained in the budget is the full time salary for the position. There was a questio= n regarding the number of overtime hours. Ms. Marsden stated there were 120 overtime hours per year with the rate being calculated using the Deputy’s salary (time and a half). The number may be over inflated fo= r the other employee’s salaries. Mr. Puddister requested clarification regarding the salary increases shown. Ms. Kelley replied that Ms. Marsden’s increase was not contractual, the salary increases for the remaining employees was based on their contract. Mr. Guimond asked why vacation buy= backs were increasing from $206 to $3,791. Ms. Kelley said vacation buy backs was part of a warrant article for= the union contract that had been split between all the departments. The number was based on if everyon= e took their 90% of two weeks (worst case scenario). Mr. Viger questioned if longevity changed in the last contract. Mr. Gleason believed longevity was still in the contract. Mr. Sherman wanted to know what wo= uld happen if no one took the vacation buy back. Ms. Kelley said the money would go= back into the General Fund because it would be unspent budget funds.
Supplies – Decrease of $398 due to better price on tax bills and pre-printed envelopes.
Mr. Lavallee commented that the revenues had not dropped off in spite of the economy. He asked if there was anything that would make the Town uneasy.&= nbsp; Ms. Marsden answered no.
Expenses – Increase $1,788 due mostly to MuniSmart Maintenance contract. Slight increase in Mortgage Searches.
Mr. Sherman questioned when the final number would be known for the MuniSmart contract. Ms. Kelley replied = that the estimate was received in July; the Town won’t be billed until December.
Mr. Viger asked if any progress had been made on the ability to use a credit ca= rd to pay for items in the Town Clerk’s office. Ms. Marsden answered no. The hang up was due to not being a= ble to charge a percentage for the use of a card.= She was reviewing the possible use of on-line registration which wou= ld allow for the use of a credit or debit card. More information will be obtained = at a convention next month.
Elections – Town Clerk Dorothy Marsden was present to dis= cuss the 2012 Elections budget.
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Elections |
2012 Selectmen approved= |
2012 Budget increase/(d= ecrease) |
|
Salaries: |
7,045 |
3,589 |
|
Supplies: |
11,539 |
5,436 |
Increase to budget due to there being four elections in 2012 versus only one electio= n in 2011.
Legal – Ms. Kelley discussed the 2012 Legal budget.
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Legal |
2012 Selectmen approved= |
2012 budget increase/(d= ecrease) |
|
Expenses: |
85,000 |
(5,000) |
The budget was level funded except for $5,000 that had been taken out for the Merrimack Valley Regional Water District funds.
Mr.
Guimond asked if the Town was involved in any large legal actions. Mr. Gleason answered no. There was a brief discussion regar=
ding
the status of the water district.
Mr. Farris questioned who would maintain the existing system in Pelh=
am
once
Trust Funds – Ms. Kelley stated the budget was level fund= ed.
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Trust Funds |
2012 Selectmen approved= |
2012 budget increase/(d= ecrease) |
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Total: |
145.00 |
0 |
Mr. Sherman asked if there were any vacancies with the trustees. Mr. Gleason answered no. Mr. Farris asked if the Board coul= d have a copy of a report. Mr. Gleas= on replied that a copy of the MS9 & MS10 could be provided. Mr. Lavallee wanted to know if the Trustees of the Trust Funds had met with the Cemetery Trustees so everyone would know what was going on. Mr. Gleason answered yes. He said= he met with the Cemetery Trustees when he was on the Trust Funds. They had come up with a resolution= where they initiated the Cemetery Maintenance Fund (instituted in 2009). At that time they got out of perpe= tual care. There was a discussion regarding how the fund functioned. <= /span>Further discussion occurred regarding perpetual care and how those funds could be used. Currently the Town had perpetual care money they didn’t have access to; there was a problem throughout the entire state because of the way it was set up.
Budget Committee – Ms. Kelley outlined the 2012 budget.
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Budget Committee |
2012 Selectmen approved= |
2012 budget increase/(d= ecrease) |
|
Salaries: Supplies: |
3,920 246 |
1,685 140 |
&n= bsp;
Salaries – Increase due to change in Recording Secretary.
Supplies – Increase due to purchase of budget binders.
DISCUSSION
Mr. Guimond commended the Department Heads and the Selectmen for putting togeth= er a great budget. Mr. Gleason sta= ted that the Department Heads spent a lot of time putting the budgets together. They were very cons= cientious about the economy.
Mr. Hall stated he passed out copies of the Budget Committee By-Laws (available= on the website) for review. He s= aid there would be a couple of capital expenditures in the budget for the Highw= ay Department. He read aloud a p= ortion of the By-Laws that addressed capital expenditures. He questioned if more money would = be spent if the Board were to allow replacement capital expenditure items to be placed in the budget. Mr. Lav= allee answered yes. Mr. Hall asked = if the topic was something the Board wanted to review and discuss further. Mr. Lavallee didn’t understa= nd why the By-Laws should be changed to service one department. Mr. Sherman believed the Selectmen= had requested that a list of vehicles be compiled to determine a replacement schedule. Mr. Gleason said the Selectmen’s position was that the voters approved the vehicles when t= hey were purchased. The vehicles = being requested were replacement vehicles for equipment that was exceeding its li= fe expectancy and therefore should be placed into the operating budget. Mr. Farris suggested possible wording. There was further discussion regarding the situation and the need for a replacement schedule. The importance for reforming the CIP was reiterated.
Mr. Dunne questioned if the Selectmen could set up their own CIP, outside of the Planning Board. Mr. Gleason w= as told that the RSA’s didn’t allow for it. In the absence of a CIP, he felt t= he best the Selectmen could do would be to come up with a schedule for replacement. Mr. Farris belie= ved there had to be an updated Master Plan before the CIP could be updated.
ADJOURNMENT
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MOTION: |
To adjourn the
meeting. |
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VOTE: |
(10-0-0)
The motion carried. |
The
meeting was adjourned at approximately
= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = Respectfully submitted,
= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = Charity A. Landry Willis
= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = Recording Secretary
ACTION ITEMS
BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING/Monday