HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCMeetingMinutes_10.07.14
1
TOWN OF NORTH ANDOVER
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
Meeting Date October 7, 2014
nd
Meeting Location: Town Hall 2 floor conf room
Bill Callahan, BC Chairman Susan Almono SA
X X
Marta Solof MS Timothy Tschirhart TT
X
Karin Blake KB Liz Gerron LG
X X
Thomas Ringley TR
X
Chris Nobile CN Pat Sifferlen, PS, Admin
X X
Donald Elliot DE Vice Chair
X
Non FinCom Members in Attendance
OTHERS: Brian Gross
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
September 16, 2014
nd
Motion made by LG 2 by DE to approve September 16, 2014 minutes
Yes 8 No 0
2
AGENDA ITEM A: Televising of Meetings
BC: Would like everyones opinions about having meetings televised pros and cons.
MS would it be all meetings? Would meetings be on different days?
BC we would have to work out with NACAM
DE other towns televised?
KB Maybe only the meetings with Dept Heads.
CN why would you televise?
SA we do want the community involved. Would like people to hear when we have department chairs.
TR what would you like to accomplish having it televised?
LG people wont be able to complain you put it out there for them to see
KB you avoid the questions of where did that come from.
BC if would be good for the citizens to hear the budget and proposals before the Town meeting. Gets
people engaged early in process.
PROS CONS
Transparency playing the Camera
Engagement lack of frank discussion
Citizen education
Will call cable and check with other towns.
Other boards are sometimes not able to sit in on meetings. Will bring boards closer.
3
AGENDA ITEM B Review of FY 2014 Budget
th
BC Showing presentation. Wanted to look at the Fy14 actuals Fiscal Year ended June 30 we are at on
revenue side at 102% revenue. Numbers were received from Lyne Savage. Budgeted amount
$83,584,789.29 actual $85,190,708.48.
TR What is process with extra funds.
Lyne very conservative in her projections.
Shows graph of breakdown of revenues (pg. 23 of Town meeting adopted FY 15 budget) property tax is
75% of revenue not sure of commercial/residential split.
Also shows graph (pg. 24) of expenditures were 67.5% is used for education.
Would like to see projections and how we are compared to last year.
4
AGENDA ITEM C Fincom Objectives for 2016 Budget
BC What would we like to see in a good Budget? What is our mission?
Help people understand what they are trying to do with their budget.
One thing important to me is
Sustainability how can you sustain this over the next 5-6 years.
MS have you found this in past years? Are departments getting ahead of themselves?
CN Consistency everyone is looked at the same way. What are we getting for the numbers? Value for
what the investment is.
SA What is the value to the citizen? Show us how the money works for you will work for us.
Reads pg. 1 of Town Managers report.
TR What are good benchmark numbers? Do we have comparisons?
CN where are we to other communities?
AGENDA ITEM D Liaisons to other Boards
BC previous years committee has assigned members to go to talk to department heads.
Found it very useful to have members attend meetings.
Gives brief overview of each committee/board.
CN will be liaison for school committee.
DE New growth, what is the projection for the facilities?
CN do we know what the pipeline is for growth?
BG Are we at the top of bubble for students? School committee has to figure out how to fix either
move kids to different schools
CN: .school committee has policy about number of students per classroom. Would be interested in
looking back to see what projections were a few years ago compared to actual numbers today.
TYPE FROM TO SUBJECT COMMENTS
ITEM #
1 2015 adopted
budget book
2
3
IV. Next Meetings
Oct 21, 2014
V. Adjournment-
Motion: DE
Seconded: LG Time: 8:45
5
6
7
8
9