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Home My WebLink About2021-06-07 Finance Committee Minutes FinanceCommittee MinutesofJune7,2021 Present:ChairmanSashaWeinreich,EdwardMacMillan,ChristineAllen,DustinSilk,ReginaKean,ThomasRingler, DenevanO’Connell,JenniferBurns-Luz Absent:KevinFoley Non-FinanceCommitteeMembers:MelissaRodrigues,TimothyTschirhart Ms.Weinreichreadaquickstatementbeforethemeetingstarted“PursuanttoGovernorBaker’sMarch12,2020Order SuspendingCertainProvisionsoftheOpenMeetingLaw,G.L.c30A,Section18andtheGovernor’sMarch15,2020 Orderimposingstrictlimitationonthenumberofpeoplethatmaygatherinoneplace,thismeetingoftheNorthAndover FinanceCommitteewillbeconductedviaremoteparticipationtothegreatestextentpossible.” Ms.WeinreichledthePledgeofAllegiance. Ms.Weinreichcalledthemeetingtoorderat7:00PMviaconferencecall. PublicComment TimothyTschirhartof283CampbellRoadwaspresentviaremote.Mr.TschirhartaskedMs.Rodriguesthefollowing questions: 1)HowmuchhasbeenspentonCOVID-19 2)Bywhichdepartmentsandhow 3)HowmuchoftheschoolbudgetwasnotspentasplannedbutonCOVIDrelatedexpenses 4)HowmuchwasreceivedfromStateandFederalrelativetopayingforallCOVIDexpenses Ms.Rodriguesrespondedthefollowing: -ReceivedCARESActfundingintheamountof$2.75million -FY20theSchoolspend$68,960.00($37,690inpersonnelsalariesand$31,000forexpenses) -FY20theTownspent$18,440.00($81,000onPPEandsetupanonlinebillpaysystem) -FY21theSchoolspent$2,086,077.23andTownspent$309,806.03inCARESActfunding -FEMAreimbursementwas$203,456.00whichwenttowardpublicsafetyanddeepcleaningswhentherewere COVIDcaseswithinthebuilding -$75,000insalariesforPublicHealthNursesforpublictracingandaparttimeHealthInspectorduetoCOVID relatedexpenses Mr.Tschirhartaskedaboutthe$53millionintheschoolbudget,howmuchwasspentonCOVIDthatwasnot reimbursed.Ms.Rodriguesstatedabout$900,000. DiscussanyfinancialimpactsofproposedDevelopmentMoratoriumwarrantarticle Ms.RodriguesgaveapresentationontheHousingMoratorium: MoratoriumImpacts Development: o Wouldstopanynewmarketratedevelopmentofthreefamiliesormore. o Wouldnotstopanyaffordablehousingdevelopments,underMassachusettsGeneralLawChapter40B o Wouldnotstopcommercialgrowth,includinghotels,retailorrestaurants* o Doesnotaffectnon-profitsoreducationalinstitution’sprojects o Doesnotappropriateanyfundsforstudies. Impactssmallprojects,likea3-4familyresidentialadaptivereuseconversionrecentlyapprovedbytheZBAandPlanningBoard, andpendingapprovalbytheConservationCommissionandHistoricDistrict. Impacts:Financial Taxlevycanincreaseby2.5%,plusnewgrowth. Newgrowthisnewconstructionorredevelopmentofcurrentproperties. Wetypicallyestimate$650,000innewgrowthofsinglefamilyhomes.Anynewgrowthbeyondthatnumberis extraordinarynewgrowthandtypicallycomprisedofmulti-familyorcommercial. Withnewgrowthatthe$650,000number,thebudgetcanincreaseby3.2percent. Abudgetincreaseof3.2%wouldresultinalevelservicebudgetfortheschooldepartment. Theschoolshavebeenforecastingincreasedneedsoverthenextsevenyears.Withoutnewgrowth,thetaximpactofthoseneeds wouldfallsquarelyoncurrenttaxpayers. Ms.KeanaskedabouttheimpacttotheSeniorCenter,ifitwillbepausedwiththemoratorium.Ms.Rodriguesstatedthe SeniorCenterhasPlanningBoardapprovalandwouldgetapermitevenwiththemoratoriumpassing.Ms.Allenaskedif thereisapossibilityitwillbeonholdifthebuilderdoesnotwanttomoveforwardduetothemoratorium.Ms.Rodrigues statedyes.Mr.Ringleraskedifthereareanypotentiallegalactionsasaresult.Ms.Rodriguesstatedthearticlewould havetogobeforetheAttorneyGeneraltodetermineifthelanguageisproper.Ms.LuzaskedMs.Rodriguesifthereis anythingthatcanbedonebetterregardingthestudies.Ms.Rodriguesstatedmanystudieshavebeendoneandarein progress.Ms.Weinreichaskedifthereareanyexpensesthataremissingandshouldbediscussed.Ms.Rodriguesstated thereisafiscalimpactanalysisforeverymajorprojectthatcomesforwardandtypicallywhennewconstructioncomesin thereisalsorevenuethatcomesintooffsettheexpenses.Ms.Weinreichaskedabouttheschoolenrollmentoverthepast 10years.Ms.Rodriguesstatedenrollmentisslightlydownoverthepast5years.Mr.RingleraskedMs.Rodriguesifshe knewofanyothertownsthathadamoratoriumfordevelopment.Ms.RodriguesstatedSaugushadamoratoriumand othertownshavehadmarijuanamoratoriums.Mr.O’ConnellstatedDedhamhadamoratoriumonmixeduseand Ipswichtriedbutwasnotsuccessfulingettingitpassed.Ms.Keanaskedhowlongthehousingmoratoriumisallowed. Ms.Rodriguesstateditissupposedtobeashortdurationonlyforthetimetocompletethestudyandisnotmeanttobea truepauseindevelopment.Ms.Weinreichaskedifthereareanyappropriationoffundsthatarerequiredtodothestudies. Ms.Rodriguesstatedthattherearenotanyappropriationofanamountorafundingsource.Ms.Weinreichstated typicallynopositionistakenonzoningarticlesunlessanarticlehasafiscalimpact.Ms.Weinreichaskedthecommittee ifthisishowthecommitteewouldliketomoveforwardwithastatement.Ms.Allencommentedaboutwhenthe moratoriumactuallystarted,immediatelyorwhenthestudyisperformed.Ms.Rodriguesstatedimmediately.Ms.Allen statedthesignificantimpactofhavingthehousingmoratoriumandmakingastatementregardingitfromtheFinance Committee.Mr.MacMillanaskedwhatthepurposeofthemoratoriumis.Ms.Rodriguesstatedthemoratoriumisfor2 yearstokeeplargerdwellingsfrombeingbuilt.Ms.RodriguesstatedanycommunitiesthatreceivedMBTAfunding mustcreatehousingandmulti-familyhousingzoningwithin2years. MOTION:Ms.Keanmotionedtoauthorizethechair,SashaWeinreich,todraftastatementtobereadatTownMeeting thatarticulatesthefinancialimplicationsofahousingmoratorium.Mr.O’Connellseconded.RollCall-MacMillan-yes, Allen-yes,Ringler-yes,O’Connell-yes,Kean-yes,Luz-yes,Silk-yes,Weinreich-yes.Motionapproved8-0. Ms.WeinreichstatedshewoulddraftastatementanddiscussatTownMeeting. OldBusiness Ms.Weinreichstatedavotewillbetakenonthearticlethatappropriatesfreecashtotheschoolsatthemeetingheldprior toTownMeeting. ApprovalofMay25,2021Minutes th Ms.KeanstatedshewouldlikeamendmentsmadetothemeetingminutesofMay25priortoapproval. Adjournment Mr.RingleraskedaboutthelogisticsatTownMeetingfortheFinanceCommitteemeeting.Ms.Weinreichstateditisto bedeterminedandwillleteveryoneknowwhereitwillbeheld. MOTION:Ms.Keanmadeamotiontoadjournat7:59PM,secondedbyMs.Allen.RollCall-MacMillan-yes,Allen- yes,Ringler-yes,O’Connell-yes,Kean-yes,Luz-yes,Silk–yes,Weinreich-yes.Motionapproved8-0. Respectfullysubmitted, JillianA.Brothers ExecutiveAssistant