HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCMeetingMinutes_04.02.13
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TOWN OF NORTH ANDOVER
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
Meeting Date:
April 2, 2013
Meeting Location: Town Hall 1st FL Meeting Room Meeting called to order: 6:45
Alan LeBovidge AL, Chairman Michelle Nadeau- MN
X X
Tom Dugan TD, Vice Chairman Robert Norbedo-RN
X
Karin Blake KB Matthew Remis-MRem
X X
Dan Leary -DL
X
Bill Callahan BC Pat Sifferlen, PS, Admin
X X
Donald Elliot DE
X
Non FinCom Members in Attendance
OTHERS: Jim Mealey (JM), Heather McNeil (HM) Laurie Burzlaff (LB) Kevin Hutchinson (KH)
Note: All FINCOM votes are subject to change upon receipt of new information.
Note: Documents used in this meeting are listed in Document Table, herein.
II. Previous Minutes Approved
DATE March 12, 2013
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AGENDA ITEM A: School Department Budget Discussion
Discussion: KM gives discussion on Superintendents Recommended Budget Summary packet.
Page 2 is the recommended summary page, biggest change is classroom and specialist
teachers with an increase of one million dollars (2.80%) change.
When we prepare budget we try to identify needs that would improve education in North
Andover a large part is Special Education we have implanted more programs within the
district. We do not have a continuity programs from elementary to High School. Largest
increase is the Autism program.
have anything established it ends up costing us more to send them out.
Page 5 to balance the increase in needs we need to make reductions.
Page 6 summary page, FY 13 budget was 38.2 FY 14 Superintendents recommended budget
is 39.8 an increase of 4.2% FY 14 budget after reductions is 39.4.
Gives breakdown of summary indentifying needs and reductions. One need is a Out of
District contingency for 150K special education contingency fund. These are unanticipated
expenses.
With these reductions there will be some increase in classrooms size.
LB we had to look at the budget realistically. Circuit breaker is less than anticipated. There
is a need but we had to be realistic.
AL: there is nothing else you could cut besides teachers. They should be the last.
JM there is million dollar increase in salaries based on contracts. But we are saving a million
in health care premium shifts.
DE Contract Services pg 24 there is an increase from 600 to 6K
JM: most of the cases principals are making decisions on what they need for the following
year they are moving the funds around one line may go up 6k but another is being
decreased.
MN Transportation Increase
JM there are a couple of factors
1)Special Education with out of district transportation
2)2% increase in contractual service for all other transportation
MN in regards to special Education is there an increase in students or increase in the
disabilities.
JM some are with students moving in or students that we were teaching in house and we
can no longer keep them
LB some students we had in house in elementary but do not have the programs in Middle
School so we need to send them out of district.
JM average cost of out of district is 65K plus transportation. Certain disabilities we cannot
handle in house.
MN Tutors went from 69K to 142 K
JM more need for tutors, more economic sense than teachers 4 certified teachers hired as
tutors with no benefits.
BC on page 2 Budget reserve went from 134K-0.
JM budget reserve was used for long term subs. No longer used this has been reclassified.
lumped together?
JM Custodial salaries is for outside hired maintenance
LB the custodial services on pg 22 is a total of all the previous line items
KB Pg 27 tuition out of district what is this?
JM private school or specialized institutions for special education
MN Heating showing quite reduction. Same with Electricity.
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JM I will double check numbers but it possibly is budgeted vs. actual.
DL page 183. Two questions, looks like close to 15 paraprofessionals have been brought on
and administration 16 people under administration how many at osgood landing that would
be moving to new facility.
Federal Funds but now covered under operating staff. Paraprofessionals have increased
based on student needs and requirements.
KB question on Elementary Assistant Principals to be addressed through possible use of
lead teachers.
KH We have two elementary schools with over 500 students that need an assistant
administrator. We also have in the budget lead teachers who teach full time but will get a
stipend when they fill in for the principal.
BC would like to get a list of all school grants. Also have you looked into centralizing any
services?
JM: we have looked into different areas. Have spoken with DPW about will revisit.
AGENDA ITEM B: Budget Discussion prior to Public Hearing.
Discussion: No discussion at this time. Town Manager will attend meeting on April 4th
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AGENDA ITEM C Vote on Snow and Ice Account
Motion by DE seconded by DL: to authorize payment on current snow and ice
invoices totaling $152,975.75 which will bring the account into a deficit of
($544,749.41).
YES 8
NO 0
Passed
III. New Business
Heather McNeil member of league of Women Voters is looking to try and set up budget
preview and a town meeting preview to allow the voters to have a better understanding of
what to expect and be better prepared for Town Meeting. She would like to have a televised
meeting where departments can make presentations on their budgets and warrant articles.
Was hoping the Finance Committee public meeting could be the budget meeting. Maybe the
town manager and school department could make a presentation on how they came to their
budgets. Capit
could sit with NA cam and do other warrant articles for televised presentation. Then she
could package them together to make a televised presentation to the town.
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IV. Next Meetings
April 4, 2013
V. Adjournment-
Motion: DL Unanimous
Seconded: DE Time: 8:15
TYPE FROM TO SUBJECT COMMENTS
ITEM #
1 Budget Book Andrew Maylor Fincom
2 School dept Kevin Fincom
summary report Hutchinson
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