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Thursday, May 12, 2016

ADVISORY Committee Recommendation


ADVISORY Committee Recommendation
Annual Town Meeting
MAY 14th 2016


NO OFFICIAL FY 17 BUDGET POSTED 

AS OF 5/12/16!

 
ARTICLE 1                  CONSENT AGENDA
The Advisory Board is in favor of some parts of this article. Unfortunately some parts are incomplete. In voting these as a whole we would have to take the bad with the good or lose the good parts because of the bad.  For this reason the Advisory board recommends the town separate the motion into separate items.
1A - REPORTS OF TOWN OFFICERS
Advisory Recommends a NO VOTE                Board Vote: 4 NO
Due to the report being incomplete, missing reports from town accountant, and town treasure, as required by town bylaws (article 8 section 4) and mass general laws (chapter 40 section 49 chapter 41 section 61 chapter 61 section 35). We recommend the town vote no on accepting the reports of town officers.
1B - REPORTS OF TOWN COMMITTEES
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES
The advisory board is in favor of communication. This article allows us to hear reports. Therefor we recommend a yes vote on this.

1C - REVOLVING FUNDS
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES

ARTICLE 2                  OTHER POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FUND
Advisory Board is undecided                Board Vote: 1 YES, 2 NO, 1 NO RECOMMENDATION
*At the time we reviewed this article the documents provided showed that the amount specified in this article was not available to be transferred from said account.  For this reason the board was split on its recommendation.  In the end the Advisory Board recommends yes provided the funds are available for transfer.

ARTICLE 3                  FISCAL 2016 FINANCIAL TRANSFERS *
Advisory Recommends a Substitute motion                Board Vote on Substitute motion: 4 YES
The advisory board believes it is in the Towns best interest to put funds into the accounts the money is intended to be used for, rather than into a more general account where the funds would later need to be transferred from.  On this article we discovered that funds that are intended to be used for the town audit expense (which has its own account) were being put into a general expense account to be transferred later.  It is this reason the advisory board recommends amending the motion as follows.
Concern: Thus far in FY16 there will be 48 transfers totaling $508,000.   The fact that a large amount of salary transfers are also occurring indicates the salary budgeting process was flawed. (Salary budgets are known expenses and should never end up being underfunded.)


ARTICLE 4                  FY 2017 OPERATING BUDGET & SALARIES OF TOWN OFFICIALS
Advisory Recommends a Substitute motion       Board Vote on Substitute motion: 4 YES

Upon review of the budgets submitted to us we found numerous concerns.  Many of the concerns were corrected but others still remain.  The concerns include.
·      Missing funding for existing town employee presently on the payroll with no know intent to eliminate position.
·      No warrant article to support budgeted expense items that are listed as “warrant appropriations” in the budget. (Scholarship fund)
·      Selectmen’s budget was not officially voted on at time of Advisory Board’s pre town meeting.
·      The departmental submittal requests column does not match the amounts for many on the departments as actually requested on their submittal forms.
·      The revised FY16 revised budget shown on report does not match town votes.
·      Warrant article 4, motion for operating budget, amount is different than the final paper & emailed budget given to the advisory committee.

ARTICLE 5                  FUNDING FOR AMBULANCE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES

ARTICLE 6                  FIRE DEPARTMENT AMBULANCE LEASE
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES


ARTICLE 7                  FUNDING FOR ASSESSORS’ TRIENNIAL RECERTIFICATION
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES

ARTICLE 8                  DIRECT DEPOSIT
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES

By having direct deposits it reduces the cost the town pays for payroll.

ARTICLE 9                  ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY FOR SEWER PUMPING STATION
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES

ARTICLE 10                  PLEASANT STREET PUMP STATION REPLACEMENT
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES
ARTICLE 11                  FY 2017 SEWER DEPARTMENT BUDGET
Advisory Board undecided                Board Vote: 2 YES, 2 NO RECOMNDATION
The sewer department’s budget had not been received by the Advisory board at the time of the pre town meeting.  It is for this reason two members made “no recommendation”.  However two members did recommend the town vote yes due to the small change in overall budget size and history of the sewer departments budgeting.


ARTICLE 12                  SENIOR EXEMPTION:  COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES

ARTICLE 13                  COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE FUNDING
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                Board Vote: 4 YES



ARTICLE 14                  TRANSFER TO THE STABILIZATION FUND
Advisory Recommends to “pass over”                 Board Vote to “Pass Over”: 4 YES
It is recommended to have 4%-7% go into Stabilization.  A town our size should have around one million dollars ($1,000,000) in stabilization. Unfortunately, there was no money budgeted this year to be put into Stabilization and the Advisory board would have had to recommend major cuts to the budget in order to fund.

ARTICLE 15                  BY-LAW AMENDMENT:  ELECTION OF TOWN OFFICERS
Advisory Board is UNDECIDED                Board Vote: 2 YES, 2 NO
Concern is this was submitted after warrant closed and not pursuant to selectmen policy and procedures page 10.  Requested time stamp of the submittal for this article.

ARTICLE 16                  BY- LAW AMENDMENT:  TOWN MEETINGS
Advisory Recommends a YES vote               Board Vote: 3 YES, 1 NO
Concern is this was submitted after warrant closed and not pursuant to selectmen policy and procedures page 10.  Requested time stamp of the submittal for this article.


ARTICLE 17                  BY- LAW AMENDMENT:  APPOINTMENT OF TOWN MEETING CHECKERS
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE              Board Vote: 4 YES
Concern is this was submitted after warrant closed and not pursuant to selectmen policy and procedures page 10.  Requested time stamp of the submittal for this article.


ARTICLE 18                  BY- LAW AMENDMENT:  RECORDS AND REPORTS
Advisory Recommends a YES VOTE                         Board Vote: 4 YES
Concern is this was submitted after warrant closed and not pursuant to selectmen policy and procedures page 10.  Requested time stamp of the submittal for this article.



ARTICLE 19                  CITIZEN’S PETITION:  FLUORIDE WARNING
Advisory Board undecided                      Board Vote: 1 YES, 1 NO, 2 NO RECOMNDATION


ARTICLE 20                  CITIZEN’S PETITION:  FLUORIDE LEGISLATION
Advisory Board undecided                      Board Vote: 1 YES, 1 NO, 2 NO RECOMNDATION

ARTICLE 21                  CITIZEN’S PETITION:  REVIEW OF CONTRACTS BY TOWN COUNSEL
Advisory Board undecided                      Board Vote: 1 YES, 2 NO, 1 NO RECOMNDATION


ARTICLE 22                  CITIZEN’S PETITION:  PROJECTS TO BE APPROVED BY TOWN MEETING
Advisory Board undecided                      Board Vote: 2 YES, 2 NO


ARTICLE 23                  CITIZEN’S PETITION:  ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
Advisory Recommends a NO VOTE                Board Vote: 1 YES, 2 NO, 1 ABSTENTION


The by-laws for advisory board vacancy has many issues now that would be continued with this language.  When making changes to the bylaws all issues should be addressed.  This language would also create new issues.  For instance in FY16 we had no moderator and we had vacancy’s occur.  Had the board been unable to fill these position we would not have had quorum, not been able to conduct business and not been able to make recommendations on the budget or warrants, causing us to be in violation of state law.



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