Back to Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes
March 18, 2010
Regular Session 7:05 pm
Ms. Burns, Mr. Rabuffo, Mr. Riley
Mr. Paicos reviewed the differences between the budgets voted by the Board of Selectmen and the Advisory Committee:
The Reserve Fund was voted at $433,000 but Advisory recommended $550,000.
Town Accountant Budget – the Advisory Committee recommended adding a clerk to the Accountant’s budget to provide clerical services to the Veterans agent. The clerk who currently does the health care budget is eliminated. The Advisory Committee also recommended a increased information technology budget due to contracts.
Assessors budget had $50,000 for a revaluation which Mr. Paicos recommended removing. The Advisory Committee recommended keeping that in the budget.
The Town Clerk received slightly more money in order to process Harbormaster permits. The Police was increased to $4,286,404 which contemplates reinstating three of the four positions that were discontinued. Dispatch originally was decreased by $200,000 but since then implementation of regional dispatch has been delayed so money was put back in the budget.
Building budget - funding was added back in for the Building Inspector’s reclassification and the clerical person who was mistakenly left out of the budget. This budget is still at a 21% decrease.
The Harbormaster budget provides for a full-time year round harbormaster, a deputy for 6 months full-time and 6 months part-time. The revised budget also restores $12,000 of summer part-time help.
Snow and Ice is up to $500,000 which is close to the 10 year average.
Landfill - the budget removes the $75,000 savings in the tipping fee to SEMASS that Mr. Paicos had taken included. There will be a proposal given to the Board in the very near term that will give an opportunity to save this amount and more. A part-time laborer was added to man the scale and control activity in that area.
The Sewer Commission budget was increased by $4,017.
Health Department – the Advisory Committee cut a part-time clerk.
The Library budget was increased to add back in a custodian and staff in the childrens’ room.
The Group insurance line was reduced based on removal of the benefits coordinator.
The Advisory Committee is looking at the Department of Elder Services since some expenses were moved into the gift account. Mr. Alexiades and Mr. Paicos have asked the Advisory Committee to put the money back in IT for part-time hours and funding for the Intern program for next year.
Voted - to vote concurrence with the Advisory budget as currently voted.
School Budget
There is a discrepancy between the vote of the Board of Selectmen and the vote of the Advisory Committee. Ms. Burns said the important thing now for the Town is to avoid rancor at Town Meeting and this is an opportunity to show leadership. Mr. Riley said that his original intention in going with Scenario 3 was because the $961,000 might not be there next year and this would send a message that if there is no stimulus money, there will be a problem. He said he did not want to see an argumentative position at Town Meeting so he would be in favor of changing the Board’s recommendation to reflect the vote of Advisory Committee. Mr. Rabuffo said he thought that if the School Committee voted first it would be better process.
Voted - to revise the Board of Selectmen vote of last Thursday and to support the recommended motion of a $35,165,176 school budget by Advisory Committee.
Offset Receipt Account for ambulance service
Mr. Paicos said that this article has to do with the decision in the budget to pay for the collection of ambulance receipts from the ambulance receipts directly. This is revenue neutral for the town. There is no expectation that there will be any deficit to the account.
Voted - to recommend/not recommend the creation of an Offset Receipts account under the provisions of MGL c. 44, Section 53E.
Beal St Affordable Housing
Mr. Reardon said that two weeks ago the Community Preservation Committee presented all articles recommended it had recommended. This article is for $150,000 to support an affordable housing effort by the Affordable Housing Trust on the Amego property. There were questions as to whether the Community Preservation funds would be held back until the permitting was in place. The Housing Trust had reviewed the carrying costs on the property and the Advisory Committee liaison is satisfied. Not a dime of Community Preservation funds will be spent until it is clear that there is a project. The $150,000 will be used for construction and be used to make the units as affordable as the Town can make them.
Voted - to support the recommendation that the Town appropriate up to $150,000 to fund a portion of the cost of renovating the building at 80 Beal Street. Such appropriation is to be contingent upon building permits and other permits.
Voted - to approve the minutes of February 4, 11 and 25, 2010.
Mr. Rabuffo said there were a series of questions about the harbor regulations as drafted by the Harbormaster. It was suggested that someone with maritime experience could look at this. He noted that Kathy Carr had rendered a pro bono opinion on another maritime issue. Mr. Rabuffo said he would like to have legal review of the regulations. Ms. Carr will be back from New York this weekend and Mr. Rabuffo will get an estimate from her.
Hingham Affordable Housing
The Advisory Committee asked if the Affordable Housing Trust had submitted an article for this year’s Town Meeting. There is an ambiguity in the by-law because the notion of an allocation plan was added to the by-law. The by-law suggests that the allocation plan applies for a given year. The HAHT feels that the allocation plan covers the dollars. The
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housing deals considered under this are multi-year events so it would be impossible to go forward with plans if there was doubt as to the funding in an ensuing year. Mr. White said that the concern about an article was raised by the Advisory Committee. The
funds were allocated in 2008, in 2009 there was no allocation plan filed. The only way the existing funds have been spent is In accordance with the allocation plan. Mr. Rabuffo remarked there must have been a purpose for the requirement for a yearly allocation plan. Mr. White said the initial purpose was to make the plan better than Duxbury’s. The Advisory Committee thought they had some sort of management jurisdiction over what was happening with the Affordable Housing Trust. There are some vagaries in the original by-law that must be cleaned up.
Voted - to support the recommendation that the Town in accordance with the Housing Trust By-law approve an allocation plan for any funds appropriated to the HAHT in FY2010 and FY2011.
Tree and Park Building
The article proposing sale or lease of the Tree and Park Building has caused some discussion. The property is currently zoned as Residence A. Mr Riley suggested the formation of a small ad hoc committee of about three people to research the deed and other restrictions. Cable TV has expressed interest in the building as a studio. If we were to wait two years we would lose the grandfathered use of the property. Mr. Riley suggested the Board come back to this at a future date.
Voted - to withdraw the article about the Tree and Park Building.
Meals Tax Article
Ms. Burns had put forth a proposal to use the proceeds from this meals tax to fund a stabilization fund for certain specific purposes. The Advisory Committee expressed concern about the affect of a revenue stream on budgeting. The Committee seemed to think that the best alternative was to use the proceeds to buy down the cost of tax increases due to debt exclusion overrides for capital expenditures. On the subject of special education Christine Smith was calling towns that have similar stabilization funds for education. Mr. Rabuffo said there was the difficulty in attesting to the management issue when you were not privy to exactly how it was being spent. He did feel that since this sits in an account where it is held for a special purpose, it puts money into the bank and it comes out with a two thirds vote. Mr. Rabuffo suggested the article could list examples of potential use and the matter could be discussed. Mr. Riley expressed concerns about the potential uses as listed in the article. He said that the Town has problems with special education and that the Town should look at the special education collectively as a group of towns in a class action suit this tax could be used to fund the lawsuit.
Ms. Burns noted that Advisory had greater appetite for offsetting future tax increases than some of the other possibilities. This money is for extraordinary expenses and would not be used to fund operating expense.
Voted - to recommend that the town accept C.64L, Section 2(a) of the Mass General Laws which provides for an excise of .75% on the sale of meals within the Town with the intention off funding a new Stabilization Fund to be used for the purpose of providing for extraordinary expenses. Examples of such costs might be (1) snow and ice, or (2) health care costs, or (3) lowering future property taxes due to debt exclusion overrides for capital expenditures, or (4) decreasing debt incurred for capital projects.
Sewer Easement Article
The homeowners at 20 Malcolm Street would like to relocate an existing sewer easement on their property.
Voted - to authorize the Sewer Commission to accept an easement and /or abandon or modify an existing easement for sewer purposes at 20 Malcolm Street.
Voted - to recommend/not recommend the sewer easement article as written
Reports
Mr. Paicos revisited the matter of the Police Department outgoing calls being recorded.
Outgoing calls generated by detectives are recorded with the standard disclaimer that this call is being recorded. The Police Department is well acquainted with the difficulties of not making that disclosure.
Mr. Riley congratulated the Hingham High School hockey team.
Mr. Rabuffo said he received a call from the Planning Board Chair about the Ward Street fields about concerns as to who was in charge of the project. A suggestion was made that the staffs of the various departments be assembled to list the concerns raised and make sure that everything had been assigned for follow up discussion. Mr. Rabuffo offered to convene a group to explore some of the questions about turf fields. Ms. Murphy suggested the most pressing issues are a clear definition of the use and financial feasibility. The permitting boards will be meeting again on May 5th. Ms. Burns said the Board of Selectmen had requested the Recreattion Commission to review the financial feasibility of the project.
Fire Chief is coordinating a collection of information of expenses related to the recent extraordinary rainfall event.
Voted - to approve a transfer from the Reserve Fund to the Emergency Water Service Fee Account in the amount of $29,178.
Voted - to grant a temporary liquor license to Susana Tavara for a birthday party to be held at Old Derby Academy on May 22, 2010.
Voted - to grant a temporary liquor license to Hingham Shipyard Marinas c/o Donna Haggett, 24 Shipyard Drive, for a boat show to be held on May 1 and May 2, 2010.
Voted - to approve the minutes of January 7, 14, 21 am, 21 pm, and 28
Meeting adjourned 9:50 pm.
Betty Foley, Clerk