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APPROVED
Town of Hingham
Advisory Committee
January 8, 2008 Meeting Minutes
Hingham Town Hall
Present: Committee Members Bierwirth, Asher, Barclay, Ellison, Farrell, Friedman, Johnson, Kiernan, Lauter, Manning, Port, Seelen.
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1. Chair Joe Bierwirth called the meeting to order at 7:37 PM.
2. The Committee reviewed and approved the minutes from the December 18, 2007 meeting.
3. Harbor Development
Sturt English of the Harbor Development Committee presented a summary of the Master Plan for Hingham Harbor, dated July, 2007. He stated that the current focus of the Committee is on the following two components of the Master Plan:
- The concept for the “bridge” to Whitney Wharf Park has been revised. It is now shown as more of a sidewalk on the water side of the existing guard rail along 3A. This will eliminate the need for any agreements with abutting property owners since the bridge will begin and end on Town property.
- The Committee believes that the Town should establish as a long-term goal the Town’s ownership of all the property between 3A and the water. The Committee’s immediate priority is to encourage the Town to consider purchasing the Old Salt property since it is apparently on the market.
4. DPW Reserve Fund Transfer
A reserve fund transfer was voted at the 12/18/07 Committee meeting to cover the purchase of a new DPW truck, subject to verification that the truck would be available sufficiently in advance of the end of the fiscal year to justify the Reserve Fund transfer. Irma Lauter reported that the truck will be available well in advance of the end of the fiscal year.
5. DPW Project Update
Irma Lauter reported on the DPW project as follows:
- Site work is proceeding generally according to expectations, although the cost of removing ledge has exceeded initial estimates.
- Bids for the DPW building and cold storage building portion of the project are due on 1/10/08.
- Bid packages for the sand/salt shed, site utilities and additional ledge blasting will be issued in the near future.
- Bid package for the completion of the athletic fields will be issued within a few months, after progress has been made on the construction of the cold storage building.
6. School Building Project Update
Members of the School Department, the School Committee and the School Building Committee Provided an update on the new school building project. The School Committee has voted to request that a Special Town Meeting be scheduled for 2/25/08, with the required town election to follow, to consider a debt exclusion override for the expenditure of $26,565,000.00 for the construction of the new elementary school, plus another $7,000,000.00 for improvements to Foster and Plymouth River Schools, all as generally described in the current School Master Plan. These figures are based on recent cost estimates; bids for the new elementary school will not be in hand until mid-March. Advisory Committee members expressed concern about not having bids in hand for the Special Town Meeting; however, the School Department is comfortable with the estimate and does not want to further jeopardize the possible completion of the new school by September, 2009.
The MSBA is considering the town’s request for partial reimbursement for the new school, and a decision from them is anticipated by 1/22/08; a minimum of 40% of the $26,565,000.00 project cost is hoped for. The MSBA will not consider providing any reimbursement for the work at Foster and PRS.
The Selectmen have requested a more solid commitment for State reimbursement from the MSBA prior to deciding to call the Special Town Meeting.
7. Workers’ Compensation Budget
Ted Alexiades stated that there is currently a projected shortfall in the Workers’ Compensation budget item of approximately $90,000.00.
8. Mailing of Town Warrants
Mike Barclay had remarked at a previous Committee meeting that a number of residents had not received their Town Warrants by mail prior to 2007 Town Meeting. It was determined that an outdated mailing list had been used, and this will be corrected for this year’s Warrant distribution.
9. General Government Budget
Tony Kiernan presented the General Government budget as recommended by the Selectmen. Tony stated that the budget is a level services budget with only one request for additional funding in the General Government category, a $20,000.00 increase in the telephone line item for Town Hall expenses. Ted Alexiades explained that this would not result in a net requirement for additional funding since the on-going consolidation of telephone systems will result in savings equivalent to this figure from other budget categories. Other than this item, increases in the operating budget are limited to those mandated by contractual obligations. Tony also stated that the Selectmen recommended only two other requests for additional funding, one for Veterans’ Services Benefits, which will be partially reimbursed, and one for Sewer Commission, which will be covered by Sewer Commission receipts. The Selectmen continue to be concerned that departmental budget cuts might yet be required.
The Advisory Committee voted favorably on the General Government operating budget as shown in Attachment A.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 PM.
The next Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for 1/15/08, 7:30 PM. Meetings will continue thereafter on a weekly basis, Tuesday evenings, 7:30 PM, unless otherwise scheduled.
Respectfully submitted,
Jerry Seelen, Secretary