Board of Selectmen’s Minutes

April 1, 2008

Bourne’s Veteran’s Memorial Community Center

239 Main Street

Buzzards Bay, MA  02532

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Attendance

Thomas M. Guerino, Town Administrator

 

Stephen F. Mealy, Chairman

Jamie J. Sloniecki, Vice Chairman

Judith W. Conron, Clerk

Linda M. Zuern

John A. Ford, Jr.

 

Selectman Sloniecki MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Conron to go into Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation, and to reconvene in Open Session.  ROLL CALL VOTE – S. Mealy (yes), J. Sloniecki (yes), L. Zuern (yes), J. Conron (yes) and J. Ford (yes). 

 

Selectman Sloniecki MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Conron to go into Executive Session to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property and to reconvene in Open Session.  ROLL CALL VOTE – S. Mealy (yes), J. Sloniecki (yes), L. Zuern (yes), J. Conron (yes) and J. Ford (yes). 

 

Meeting Called to Order

Meeting reconvened in Open Session at 7:10 pm.

 

Moment of Silence/Salute the Flag

 

Approval of Minutes

Selectman Sloniecki MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Zuern to approve minutes of March 25, 2008 as amended.  VOTE 5-0.

 

Announcements

Several announcements were made of upcoming events

 

Public Comment – Non-Agenda Items

 

Correspondence

Selectman Conron reviewed the correspondence.  All correspondence is on file in the Town Administrator’s Office.

 

TA Guerino raised issue with:

 

Item C – Documentation on increase in operating cost from the Town of Wareham.

Item I – Troy Wall Assoc: Contracts for the Sale of an Intangible Asset – carbon trading credit.

 

Licenses and Appointments

  1. St. Margaret’s Church – One Day Liquor

Selectman Ford MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Sloniecki to approve One Day Liquor License for St. Margaret’s Church for the 50th Jubilee of Priesthood on June 21, 2008 from 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm per Board of Health (any food vendors other than the church should also be licensed).  VOTE 5-0.

 

Final Budget Presentation – possible budget adoption – discussion action

TA Guerino believes the Finance Committee is in concurrence with the budget as presented and are waiting on Selectmen’s position of said Budget.

 

Finance Director Linda Marzelli and the Town Administrator reviewed said Budget, comparisons from FY08 (a copy of which is attached hereto):

 

Property Taxes - $33,592,928 increase of $1,691,176

State Aid - $9,412,154 –little increase of $290,966

Local Receipts - $4,802,279 – increase of $127,572

 

Other Sources - $2,838,822 – increase of $252

Available Funds - $5,767,035 – increase of $686,411 –

Grand total (other sources and available funds) - $56,417,218 (increase of $585,976)

 

General Fund Expenses

Operating Budget - $49,986,882 – (includes $95,000 of school budget)

General Articles ($1,737,667) /Capital Articles ($1,730,459)/Off-Budget Expenditures ($2,962,210) Total $56,417,218 – increase of $599,653

 

ISWM Enterprise

Operating Expenditures - $15,164,156 – increase $1,174,966

Operating Revenues - $15,164,156 – increase of $1,174,966

Capital Expenditures - $3,520,000 – increase of $2,115,000

Capital Financial Sources - $3,520,000 – increase of $2,115,000

 

Sewer Enterprise

Expenditures - $1,003,495 – increase of $131,573

Revenues - $1,003,495 – increase of $131,573

 

Budget Highlights Revenues

·        Property tax revenue is estimated to increase by 3.5% with new growth estimated to decrease in FY09.

·        State Aid excluding school construction reimbursements is estimated to increase only $351,230 in FY09 – increase of 4.39%.

·        Local Receipts estimated to remain flat or even decrease in revenues such as licenses & permits, marinas and investment income.

 

Budget Highlights Expenditures

·        State Assessments estimated to increase $362,619 in FY09 – increase of 18.65%

·        FY09 total overall general fund operating budget increased $931,461 – increase of 1.90% from FY08.  total budget excluding shared costs and debt services remained the same as FY08 the net increase in budget would have been 3.5%

·        Net decrease in budget for shared costs which includes all insurances and county retirement was $802,609.

 

Use of Reserves

·        Use of free cash in the amount of $923,362.  $611,381 is for the operating budget; $181,981 is for capital and $50,000 is for stabilization fund and $80,000 is for articles.

·        The special town meeting also uses free cash in the amount of $699,878.87.  The unpaid bill article uses $4,848.87, the economic development article request and zoning bylaw review request is for $45,000.  There is also an article to transfer $650,000 from free cash to the stabilization fund.

 

Reserve Balances

·        Current balance in the reserve accounts are:

o       Free cash - $4,262,471

o       Stabilization – $1,877,286

 

·        The balance if all articles are voted would be:

o       Free cash - $2,639,230

o       Stabilization - $2,577,286

 

Town of Bourne Financial Policies

·        Unreserved Fund Balance – to maintain an annual Unreserved Fund Balance of at least 5% of the General Fund Operating Budget

·        Stabilization Fund – to maintain a stabilization fund balance of at least 7% of the General Fund Operating Budget

 

Reserve Fund Balances - 2008 Current

Stabilization Fund & Undesignated Fund Balance - $5,940,360

Operating Budget - $49,055,421

12% of Operating Budget - $5,886,650.52

 

Unreserved Fund Balance - 2009

Unreserved Fund Balance at Fiscal Year End –

Operating Budget for Next Fiscal Year - $49,986,882

5% of Operating Budget - $2,499,344.10

 

Stabilization Fund – Estimated 2009

Stabilization Fund Balance - $2,577,286

Operating Budget - $49,986,882

7% of Operating Budget - $3,499,081.74

 

Selectman Conron MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Sloniecki to adopt budget of Operating Budget - $49,986,882; and additionally as presented ISWM Enterprise - $15,164,156 and Sewer Enterprise - $1,003,495.  VOTE 5-0.

 

Complete Article Review – ATM/STM

Special Town Meeting

Article 8 – parcel of land to Buzzards Bay Water District

Joe Carrara, Sr. and Barry Woods, Buzzards Bay Water District, presented said Article.  Article will authorize Board of Selectmen for the Town to convey a parcel of land (7,350 sq. ft.) to the Buzzards Bay Water District.

 

TA Guerino reviewed the remaining Articles in the Special Town Meeting for the Selectmen.

 

Annual Town Meeting

Article 20 – Providing Additional Police Services (General Override)

Chief Baldwin present if the Board had any additional questions relative to the additional $370,500 amount for the officers.  There were no additional questions.

 

Article 23 – Zoning Bylaw Section 3100 Lowland Regulations

Getting people to improve their properties.

 

Article 24  - Zoning Bylaw Section 2500 Intensity of Use Schedule footnote “q”

 

Article 25 – Zoning Bylaw Section 4250

 

Article 29 – Zoning Bylaw Section 2220 Village Mixed Use Development (This Article is contingent on Article 25)

 

Article 26 – Zoning Bylaw Section 2200, Use Regulations

“Housekeeping Article” - adding correct language and updating tables.  Coreen Moore reviewed the table changes.

 

Article 27 – Local Comprehensive Plan

Coreen Moore noted the Local Comprehensive Planning Committee went to the Cape Cod Commission to amend and update the LCP.  Articles are conditioned upon acceptances of revisions on said plan.  Once adopted, a complete full plan will be handed out to all department heads and will be implemented.

 

Article 28 – Massachusetts General Laws, The Mullen Rule

All boards, committees or commissions holding hearings in the Town, provide a member not be disqualified from voting in the matter solely due to a member’s absence from one session.

 

TA Guerino reviewed final Articles in the Annual Town Meeting.

 

TA Guerino noted that in Article 10 of the Annual Town Meeting – Capital Outlay - the $22,000 for Wastewater Phase I Study is under the Selectmen rather than the Sewer Commissioners.  He is asking the Board take a vote, if in concurrence, when they vote the warrant articles.

 

Jim Mulvey raised issue of the $22,000 amount being available 12 months from now with no design and is a ten year project.

 

Selectman Zuern MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Sloniecki to adopt the Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting and also the Special Town Meeting; and to put $22,000 for Wastewater Study for capital improvements and capital projects for the Capital Outlay Committee.  VOTE 5-0.

 

Selectman Ford encouraged voters to come out at Annual Town Meeting.

Selectman Sloniecki asked parents of young children and asked to mention daycare for the Special Meeting at next week’s meeting.

 

  1. Vote ballot questions per Town Counsel final wording

Selectman Sloniecki read Ballot Questions into the record

 

Question One – Shall the Town of Bourne be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to design, construct, renovate, add to and equip the Jonathan Bourne Public Library, including the payment of any and all other costs incidental and related thereto.

 

Selectman Sloniecki MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Ford to approve Ballot Question One as written and to put into the Town Warrant.  VOTE 5-0.

 

Question Two – shall the Town of Bourne be allowed to assess an additional $370,500 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of providing additional police services for the fiscal year beginning July first, two thousand and eight.

 

Selectman Sloniecki MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Conron to approve Ballot Question Two as written and to put into the Town Warrant. VOTE 5-0.

 

Question Three – Should the Town of Bourne approve the following statement of public policy as a non-binding public advisory question?

 

Selectman Sloniecki MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Conron to approve Ballot Question Three as written and to put into the Town Warrant.  VOTE 3-2  with opposing votes from L. Zuern and J. Ford.

 

Second Review of Financial Policy Amendment for Health and Dental Insurance

It shall be the policy of the Town of Bourne to hold a reserve in the Health and Dental dedicated fund an amount to be less than four (4) months of average costs of Health and Dental assessments including all administrative fees.  Additionally, at no time shall the fund hold less than one million six hundred thousand dollars ($1,600,000) in reserves at the close of any fiscal year.  The Town Administrator shall report the status of the Trust Fund to the Board of Selectman in February of each year and make the necessary adjustments in conjunction with the Town Finance Director.  Should an appropriation be necessary, the Town Administrator shall bring forth an article for a Special or Annual Town Meeting for approval by the Board of Selectmen. 

 

Selectman Conron MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Ford to approve Second Review of Financial Policy Amendment for Health and Dental Insurance as submitted.  VOTE 5-0.

 

Town Administrator’s Report

TA Guerino noted update on Picture Lake by Eagle Scout next week.

April 15, 2008 the Board will meet at 6:00 pm – Mr. Keyes (Sandwich)

 

Other Selectmen Business

Chm. Mealy attended the Operational Management Meeting in Falmouth.  There was discussion of 10% of the operational fees charged for the transfer station for other municipalities.  Chm. Mealy suggested meeting with ISWM (Brent Goins), discuss the possibility of a percentage of maintenance fees, and to respond by the next Operational Management Meeting of April 9, 2008.  TA Guerino will speak with Town Counsel on how to discuss.

 

Selectmen’s Report

Selectman Zuern attended the Shellfish Working Group meeting.  She also attended the SMB Meeting and noted discussion of keeping ground water clean.  She also noted discussion on how to merge committees PTC and IART.

 

Selectman Conron attended the signing of the beam at the Hoxie Elementary School.

 

Adjourn

Selectman Sloniecki MOVED and SECONDED by Selectman Conron to adjourn.  Meeting adjourned at 9:20 pm.  UNANIMOUS VOTE.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lisa A. Groezinger, sec.