Reg Mtg
Town of Milton
Board of Selectmen Regular Meeting
Monday November 19, 2012
Milton Town Hall
6:00 P.M.
Meeting Minutes
In attendance: Chairman Bob Srnec, Tom Gray, and Bob Bridges. Also in attendance was Joe Ryan, Town Administrator and Wendy Keane, Recording Clerk.
Public in attendance: Betsy Baker, Nancy Johnson, Michelle Beauchamp, Pat Smith, Larry Brown and Bob Carrier.
Regular meeting opened at 6:06 PM.
Public Comments: There being none, this session was closed.
BUDGET PRESENTATIONS:
Planning & Code Enforcement Deferred to end of meeting due to excused absence of Brian Boyers.
Library - Nancy Johnson spoke on behalf of the Library Budget. She gave a brief overview regarding the proposed budget which was carefully crafted. Libraries today are not as they were when we were children. The computers are 8-9 years old and are starting to freeze up and the library is an integral part of the community with AA meetings, dance classes, craft classes, yoga, etc. Handouts were presented to show there are a large number of patrons and other budgets for similar sized libraries with smaller patronage and higher budgets. We need to stay current with the evolution of libraries with electronic data.
Bob Bridges suggested that the proposed budget be reviewed line by line.
Bob Bridges inquired who gets paid out of PT salary. Betsy Baker stated two assistant librarians, four pages and herself.
3% increase in salaries was left in at this time pending notification of COLA. FICA and Medicare are mandatory. Contracted services remain the same and that line includes website, online catalog and a few performers. Nancy stated what is not reflected are Grants that had been received and returned to the General Fund for the performers. Custodial services $1600. Electric $2200, Heat $ 5657.51, and Telephone $475. Pat Smith stated that last years heat and electric may have reflected lower due to the not so cold winter and furnaces not having to run. It was inquired why the heat is budgeted so high. Nancy stated that is based on data that was received from Tony based on oil costs. Tom Gray stated that the 3.59 seems correct for an estimated number for fuel costs. Supplies $1500, Operating Supplies $8800, which replaces the $800 that was removed last year. Equipment purchase, $6000, Betsy and Nancy stated that this is for computers that are 8-9 years old and are freezing up and not current. Tom inquired if the computers would be better off as a Warrant Article? Betsy stated that it is an interesting idea and may be the way to go. Bob Bridges stated that the benefit would be if the budget goes to default and the warrant passes then they will get the computers but if it is not in a warrant then they will not get them if it goes to default. Betsy will speak to the Trustees regarding this. Mileage and travel $100. Miscellaneous in the amount of $250, Betsy stated that it is a contract and licensing for movie licensing, $250 moved to contracted services.
Data base: Betsy explained that World Book in addition to the encyclopedia and a children’s version, is an online reference center with tutorials and links and includes Gail Reference Company which has children’s information, legal forms, practice tests, catalogues and collectible magazines. Nancy stated that other libraries charge people to use their libraries and we are proud that we are a free library. Nancy stated that we do not charge in or out of town residents. We also have an inter library program where a book can be ordered and received within a few days from another library. Tom Gray stated that if you take the 5k and put it in a warrant article it would still be a 15% increase over last year. Nancy stated that the increases are an increase as a result of changes in technology. Tom stated that from 2008 to present the Library has been running relatively level. Bob Srnec stated that these numbers will be voted on at the meeting on the 28th.
Town Clerk/Tax Collector – Michelle Beauchamp spoke on behalf of this budget. Salary elected should be $55,186 and that represents; Supervisors, moderator, Tax Collector and Treasurer. Bob Bridges stated that there should possibly be an adjustment to the moderator’s salary whereas his assistant got $10 and hour and got more money than the moderator for less time. Moderator gets paid $130 for each election. Michelle stated that she budgeted him at $175 for 2013. It was agreed to put him at $175 which will change bottom line to $55,196.
Salary part time $33,720 and includes more coverage time with extended hours (at least 4 hrs a week and the additional 4 hrs at end of month), election ballot clerk, deputy moderator and clerks.
Professional Services has been raised due to Avitar costs for tax bills and sewer and LHS who maintains the ballot machines and coding on disks for ballot machines. School pays for half in March. Professional services also includes Jane Sanders who does deed research for the liens.
Overall a $2100 increase to the line. The line needs to be looked at to know why there is an overpayment purchase this year.
Mileage and travel is at 3k, includes treasurer, office staff to bank. Michelle stated that Federal Savings will be providing another check scanner for the upper office. Mileage should decrease based on the lesser trips to the bank by the Town Clerk Tax collectors employees. Total increase of $3926, 3.58%. Bob Bridges stated that they do not want to leave the 3k in the budget at this time and would like to reduce that number. Michelle reminded the board that there will be training to consider with travel to Concord and other places. Joe suggested the mileage be fixed through the personnel policy and not the budget.
Govmt Bldgs /Public Works/Solid Waste – Pat Smith spoke in regards to the proposed budgets of these departments: Maintenance on the beach was taken out of the part time salary.
Contract services, electric, and heat remain the same from last year. Line 720 building maintenance with 5 yr plan from the trustees needs to increase by 17500k for 2013 to make it 36k total. The 17500 represents the library improvement siding trim, window sill repair and central fire detection notification repair. Pat inquired if this should be kept in the same line or create a new line. It was general consensus to create a new line for this amount. Pat, only other increase was line 741 for 12688k so that the lawmowers can be replaced as they are 10+ yrs old and at the end of their life. $11318 is the purchase of the lawnmowers and he does have a quote for the price of those. They could possibly trade in the two they have for 1k or they could try to sell them outright. Overall 179105k difference 27829k.
Public Works: Only increase is in salary lines, everything else has been level funded from last year. The salary line increases reflect what changes were made in October but no additional increases in salary. 575421k was bottom line requested amount Solid Waste: Level funded. Capital reserve fund is paying the lines that show a dollar and the only increases are in the salary line based on the October increase. Salary lines all include overtime hours.
Pat further stated that the salary full time does not include cost of living or any other increases, only the payscale adjustment made in October. Pat was told there were some employees that were going to get longevity pay and has questioned how this is going to be budgeted and has not received any concrete answers. This issue needs to be addressed before it goes to the Budget Committee. Discussion was held on pay scale and longevity policy.
Sanitary Sewer: Tabled until the 28th.
Welfare: Bob Srnec stated that the way it was proposed it is down 29K. Discussion was held on filling the position of Welfare Worker and the potential candidate. Joe further noted that a lot of the numbers are guesswork and based on past years, aside from rent and mortgage, we may be inline. Joe Ryan stated he will be back on the 28th with the information regarding salary, Medicaid and FICA and believes the other line items are ok.
Planning and Code: Amounts will be changed within the salary line to reflect 75/25 between planning and sewer and resubmitted. Reminder that insurances are also split the same way.
Town Administrator: Full time salary line has had elected and part time salaries that have been taken out of there as well as pay for Joanne Smith. What Joe Ryan will do is adjust the budget to represent what it is supposed to and move the other items to where they need to be. Bob Bridges asked why the TA line is so high. Discussion was held on the contracted service and professional service lines that have increased and decreased respectively. There will be some increases in the professional services based on what has been expended to get a more accurate picture.
Joe Ryan made the Board aware that the direction he needs from the board is direction on salaries and any proposed increases on the line items to reflect appropriately. He is not clear what the payscale entailed and how it is to be implemented.
Bob Bridges stated that his interpretation was that every dept head should be able to take the payscale and figure out the dollar amount. The department should budget for it even if the person does not receive the increase. Joe Ryan stated that if an employee’s anniversary date is in February, he should receive his evaluation and pay increase at that time. Bob Bridges said the only thing that will need to be addressed is the longevity pay and how it will be implemented.
Joe asked if the intent was to come up with a longevity plan over and above the 7yrs and to incorporate this into the budget and salary lines. Joe Ryan is concerned that the pay scale exists and is based on comparison on competitive communities, and done based on current year figures assuming that communities are based on COLA and if they are not adjusted for COLA then we are back at square one. Most communities use Boston Regional COLA to figure their increases and Tom feels that would be a more accurate representation.
Joe stated as demonstrated by the Public Works Department, the percentage with added in COLA will show a higher percentage increase. New England Regional is mostly used for COLA information. Tom stated that the ones who exceed the 7 years should be addressed right now and the one employee who was informed of the increase needs to be retroactively paid.
Larry Brown asked what date COLA included. Bob Srnec stated January 1st. Larry asked if it depends on when the person was hired. Bob Bridges stated that the employee had to have 6 months or 1 yr before COLA went into effect. Joe stated in reality that COLA is not meant to adjust individual salaries but to adjust the salary ranges. If starting salary is 10 and range is 10-20, when COLA is instituted then it will take the lowest and highest and adjust by 3%. Joe stated that it goes back to the difference between COLA which increases the range and stepping and we do not want to do a step in this town but to recognize that the pay scale is best adjusted when in conjunction with COLA and the regional median.
Joe Ryan stated he has several things to be addressed: Does the Board wish to move forward with the request for curb cuts and the draft letter that was formulated? Second issue is in regards to the approval of work done by John Katwick, is he (Joe) allowed to sign for up to 5k as was previously granted.
Discussion was held on issues regarding welfare payments.
Approval of meeting minutes:
MOTION: Tom Gray moved to approve the minutes of the November 5, 2012 regular meeting as written. Seconded by Bob Bridges. Motion carried 3-0.
MOTION: Tom Gray moved to approve the non public minutes of November 7, 2012.
Seconded by Bob Bridges. Motion carried 3-0.
MOTION: Tom Gray moved to approve the meeting minutes of November 14, 2012 as written.
Seconded by Bob Bridges. Motion carried 3-0.
MOTION: Tom Gray moved to accept and sign the manifest. Seconded by Bob Bridges. Motion carried 3-0.
MOTION: Tom Gray moved to accept and sign the November 16, 2012 manifest. Seconded by Bob Bridges. Motion carried 3-0.
MOTION: Bob Srnec moved to go back into Non Public 91 A 3 II (a). Seconded by Bob Bridges. Motion carried 3-0.
MOTION: Tom Gray moved to come out of non public 91 A 3 II (a). Seconded by Bob Bridges.
Motion carried 3-0.
MOTION: Tom Gray moved to adjourn. Seconded by Bob Bridges. Motion carried 3-0.
Official Minutes
