January 12, 2016 Minutes

Meeting date:

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Westport Finance Committee (Fincom)

Meeting Minutes

Westport Town Hall

January 12, 2016

Present: Mark Carney (MC), Shana Shufelt (SS), Dick Brewer (DB), Gary Carreiro (GC), Hugh Morton (HM), Charles “Buzzy” Baron (BB), Bob McCarthy (BM), Karen Powell (KP), Tracy Priestner (TP)

Attending: Tim King (TK), Town Administrator

SS, Chair, opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. with the traditional salute to the flag.

Minutes:

11/17 was presented for approval. BB motioned and BM seconded to approve as presented. The vote was unanimous in favor.

12/01 was presented for approval. DB motioned and KP seconded to approve as presented. The vote was unanimous in favor with GC abstaining.

Reports:

Administrator: None.

School Building: None.

Accountant: None.

DB distributed a handout from CIPC that showed a request for FY17 of $621k and further through FY27 of $3.4 million. HM would like to not reference the stabilization fund for funding of this as we are trying to build it up to effect the borrowing rates. DB said they are suggesting taking $150k from the operating budget and the rest from other sources.

GC stated that the Personnel Board met last week and they are working with the Harbor Advisory Group on a job description for an Assistant Director of Marine Services to hold a salary of $30k.

FY17 Budgets:

TK began discussion on the FY17 Budgets by distribution of the budgets. He also had handouts on the Enterprise funds and OPEB. He felt confident that the versions he distributed tonight would be the ones approved by the BOS at their next meeting. There may be some minor changes, like with the COA, because of trust funds or revolving accounts.

His proposal includes the Transfer Station as an Enterprise with $50k from the general fund and adding the Shellfish Department to the Harbor Enterprise with $65k from the general fund. TK is still waiting on an opinion from Town Counsel on whether we need a vote at Town Meeting to move the Shellfish Department. There have been no funds budgeted for pay increases. SS is asking that liaisons encourage their departments to do narratives and show the differences between their requested budgets and the budget presented tonight.

Adjournment and next meeting: There being no further business to come before this meeting, a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:10 p.m. was made by TP and seconded by BB and the vote in favor was unanimous. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on February 9th at 7 p.m. at the Westport Town Hall.

Respectfully submitted,

Nicole Botelho, Recording Clerk