WARRANT & FINANCE COMMITTEE WORKSHOP MARCH 15, 2010 APPROVED A. ROLL CALL 6:00 PM Town Hall Members present were: Members absent were: Debi Rix Chairman Karl Hodgdon Vice Chairman John Moore Roger Roy James Crowley Elias Thomas Also present were Dennis Long, Selectman; Jeanette Bearse, Judi Shain and Richard Michaud, School Committee; Alton Hadley, Superintendent, Linda Heon and Sylvia Emery, school staff. B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES There were no Minutes approved. C. OLD BUSINESS Warrant & Finance Committee s Discussion Regarding Meeting Procedures Ms Rix mentioned the Committee has received the proposed Warrant Article developed by the School Committee and two by the Town. She stated she is aware there were comments about the Committee s Meeting of March 8, 2010 being illegal and after speaking to Ms Crockett and the Committee s secretary after the Meeting, she was concerned about people s perception of how the Meeting proceeded. She therefore apologized to the School Committee and public. She stated she has reviewed the Right-to-Know law and also contacted MMA who told her there was nothing illegal about that Meeting. She said she told MMA how the room was setup and that it appears the public was unable to hear the Committee s discussion. She was told that it wasn t the correct way to conduct a Meeting, but it was not illegal. She mentioned to MMA that one of the public s concerns was their inability to read the cover letter authored by Mr. Thomas which was on his notebook computer that was passed around to the Committee Members for their review and approval. She asked MMA whether the Committee had to make that document available to the public while it was being reviewed and was told if someone had requested a copy, the individual would be entitled to it, but not necessarily at that time or even the next day. She stated in the future, if the audience cannot hear or has any questions, they should let the Committee know at that time. Richard Michaud stated he has a question about that Meeting since he was unable to be present then as he was meeting with the Sanford School Committee. He said he would like to know if the figures the Committee developed were ever discussed in public. He suggested that was a point the Committee should ask the State s Attorney General and not just MMA.
WARRANT & FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING March 15, 2010 Page 2 Ms Rix explained that she had put together a spread sheet in which the figures continually changed during the Committee s workshops. She said the final draft was put together on Monday, March 8, 2010, at the Committee s last workshop on the school budget. Mr. Michaud reiterated that the Committee should speak with the State s Attorney General to determine whether they did anything wrong to see if they obtain the same answer as they got from MMA. Ms Rix stated she would check on that to which Mr. Michaud responded he felt that should be done prior to the Committee voting on the Warrant. Mr. Roy explained as he had at the March 9, 2010 Meeting with the School Committee that the figures weren t the result of just one workshop and the final document was based on the notes they took [at the various workshops that were held]. To Mr. Michaud s comment it would appear that the figures were combined at that Meeting, Mr. Roy replied some of the figures were done at one workshop and some at others and the only item changed that night was the legal expense. Mr. Hodgdon felt this Committee worked in the same manner as the School Committee. He said the School Committee begins with certain figures which have been reviewed by the Superintendent and thereafter, the School Committee suggests changes which the Superintendent incorporates into a new document. He said what this Committee agreed to at one Meeting could be revised at another Meeting. Ms Rix advised the Committee discussed the figures and developed their final recommendations. She stated she would check with the State s Attorney General as requested. Ms Shain felt the confusion arose because when the School Committee received the Warrant & Finance Committee s packet on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, it was noted some of the figures had not been discussed previously or were contained in the Minutes of their Meetings. She said she, personally, hadn t heard any of the figures this Committee made [being discussed]. A Motion was made and seconded to close the public s input and proceed with the work before the Committee. Hodgdon/Moore Unanimous. D. VOTE ON SCHOOL WARRANT ARTICLES Article 1 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee expend for Regular Instruction (Tuition, K -8 and Field Trips). School Committee Recommends: $2,627,628. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend the sum of $2,585,907 Regular Instruction. Prior to the above vote being taken, it was noted that the new figure for health insurance has been set at a 2% increase. It was determined that because the Committee received the information for the Warrant within the last day or so, it was difficult for the group to get together at a workshop to make a determination of what they think should be done with the School Committee s recommendation so some of the calculations will have to be made at this time.
WARRANT & FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING March 15, 2010 Page 3 During a discussion about the School Committee s decision to two cut teaching positions, it was noted it is difficult to determine what figure to use because this Committee doesn t know who the School Committee will eliminate, therefore, it was decided that figure would be rounded off to the nearest $1,000 or thereabout. If the figures previously discussed were used, the final figure would be $2,502,587. That figure was explained as a 3% teacher salary reduction, elimination of one teacher and removal of the long and short term disability benefit, but after further discussion the Warrant & Finance Committee s final recommendation came to $2,585,907. At this time, the Committee went through the figures they worked on previously and made the various calculations as indicated above for Article 1 and did the same for the following Articles. Article 2 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Special Education (All Special Education and the Explore Program). School Committee Recommends: $909,183. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend the sum of $882,891 for Special Education. Article 3 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Career and Technical Education. School Committee Recommends - $0. A Motion was made and seconded to that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $0 for Career and Technical Education. Roy/Hodgdon 4/0. Article 4 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Other Instruction (Co-Curricular and Extra Curricular). School Committee Recommends: $27,294. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $16,000 for Other Instruction. Roy/Moore 3/1 (Ms Rix). Article 5 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Student and Staff Support (Guidance, Nurse, Library, Improvement of Instruction, Instruction Reimbursement and I.T. Person). School Committee Recommends: $262,785. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $238,306 for Student and Staff Support. Article 6 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for System Administration (Superintendent and School Committee). School Committee Recommends: $218,546. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $142,017. Article 7 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for School Administration (Principal and Office Manager). School Committee Recommends: $141,731.
WARRANT & FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING March 15, 2010 Page 4 A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommends $137,301. Article 8 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Transportation and Buses. School Committee Recommends: $228,420. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $228,420. Article 9 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Facilities Maintenance (All Payroll Included). School Committee Recommends: $379,936. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $338,559. Article 10 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Debt Service and other commitments. School Committee Recommends: $169,694. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $169,694. Article 11 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for Other Expenditures (Cafeteria and Staff). School Committee Recommends: $122,354. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $122,354. Article 12 To see what sum the municipality will appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act $3,939,348 and to see what sum the municipality will raise as the municipality s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, 15688. School Committee Recommends: $3,837,025. Explanation: The school department s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act is the amount of money determined by State law to be the minimum amount that a municipality must raise in order to receive the full amount of State dollars. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommends $3,837,025. Article 13 To see what sum the municipality will raise and appropriate in additional local funds (Recommend $1,148,223) that exceeds the State s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by (Recommend $1,060,389) as required to fund the budget recommended by the School Committee.
WARRANT & FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING March 15, 2010 Page 5 The School Committee Recommends $1,148,223 for additional local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the State s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $1,060,389. The Essential Programs and Services allocation model does not fully support all the costs of a K 12 program. These funds support programming not included in the Essential Programs and Services Model. Explanation: The additional local funds are those locally raised funds over and above the School Department s local contribution to the total cost of funding public education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and local amounts raised for the annual payment of non-state funded debt service that will help achieve the Acton School Department budget for educational programs. It was noted that no vote is required for this Article. Article 14 To see what sum the Town of Acton will authorize the School Committee to expend for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010 and ending June 30, 2011 from the School Department s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act, non-state funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, 15690, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, State subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools. School Committee Recommends: $5,087,571. Explanation: This Article is a summary Article and approves expenditures of the proposed budget of $5,087,571. This Article authorizes the School Committee to spend the money appropriated in the previous Articles, plus other revenues. This Article does not raise any additional money. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $4,861,449. Article 15 Shall the School Committee be authorized to expend such other sums as may be received from Federal or State grants or programs or other sources during the fiscal year for school purposes provided that such grants, programs or other sources do not require the expenditure of other funds not previously appropriated? School Committee Recommends: Adoption of Article. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend the adoption of the Article. Article 16 To see if the Town will appropriate the receipt of certain Federal and State Grants and carry any previous balances for the following Special Revenue Accounts: Title IA Title IIA Title IID Title IV Local Entitlement Preschools. School Committee Recommends: Adoption of Article. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend adoption of the Article.
WARRANT & FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING March 15, 2010 Page 6 Article 17 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the following Revenues, Balances Carried and Fund Transfers to cover the expenditures appropriated in the previous Articles. Remaining funding required to be raised by taxation. School Undesignated Fund Balance $ 0 School Nutrition Revenues 65,000 General Purpose Aid (estimated)* 58,470 ARRA Stabilization Funds 43,853 State Agency 0 Medicaid 25,000 Total $193,323 School Committee Recommends: Adoption of the Article. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommend $193,323. It was noted that the next two Articles pertain to the Municipal Government Accounts as follows: Article 18 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $7,500 from unappropriated surplus funds to reimburse the Fire Department Stipend Account used toward the purchase of two used fire trucks and to ratify the Selectmen s use of $5,000 as voted in Article 7 of the June 9. 2009 Town Meeting toward the purchase of the trucks. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommends appropriating $7,500 from unappropriated surplus funds to be put toward the purchase of two fire trucks. Hodgdon/Roy 3/1 (Ms Rix). Article 19 To see if the Town will vote to establish a Fire Department Capital Improvement Reserve Fund and to credit it with $911, the amount which was received in excess of $7,500 which was received from the sale of two old Acton fire trucks which were sold by sealed bid. A Motion was made and seconded that the Warrant & Finance Committee recommends establishing a Fire Department Capital Improvement Reserve Fund and to credit it with $911. Hodgdon/Roy 4/0. At this time there was a discussion concerning the Committee s desire to speak with Messrs. Crowley and Thomas, who could not be present this evening, by telephone to obtain their votes on the Articles discussed this evening. In response to a question of the appropriateness of doing so, Ms Rix advised Mr. Long has a letter dated January 26, 2010 from MMA which indicated that: voting by proxy (by surrogate) is probably impermissible; voting absentee (when physically absent) is probably permissible, though, provided it (voting by telephone) can be done live and in a manner that allows the public to hear the absent members remarks
WARRANT & FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING March 15, 2010 Page 7 It was decided to forego procuring the votes of the absent Members given that it has taken the Committee approximately three and a half hours to go through the Articles and to have to explain their position on every Article to Messrs. Crowley and Thomas could take as much time or longer. D. OTHER BUSINESS There was no other business to come before the Committee. E. NEXT MEETING It was noted that the Warrant & Finance Committee will meet on Monday, March 29. 2010, at 6:00 PM at the Acton Town Hall to begin their review of the municipal budget. F. ADJOURNMENT - The Meeting was adjourned at 9:25 PM. Respectfully submitted, ANNA M. WILLIAMS, Recording Secretary