2005-09-19-AC-summit - Laserfiche WebLink

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Budget Collaboration/Summit 1 September 19, 2005 A joint meeting olthe Board ol'Selectmen, School Committee and Finance Committees was held on - Monday, September 19, 2005 at 5:30 p.m. in Estabrook Hall in the Cary Memorial Building. Chairman Krieger, Mr. Kelley, Mr. Pagett, Mr. Cohen; and Mr. Manz; Ms. Vine, Assistant Town Manager; and Ms. Pease, Executive Clerk were present. The Chairs ol the respective committees called their members to order. - Special Town Meeting — FY05/06 Budget Review/Adjustment Ms. Vine and Mr. Young reviewed the FY06 balance issues. They include: Snow & Ice Deficit for FY05 - $646,688; Prior Year's Bills (FY05) - $529,005; Municipal Utility Costs (estimate) - $106,000; FY06 School Adjustments - $563,535; and Contractual Settlements (unknown at this time). Dr. Ash, School Superintendent, reviewed the Prior Year's Bills for FY05, which includes the following outstanding bills: Special Education - $113,296, Kelly Services - $1 17,572, Legal Services - $1 x,019, Tsongas Arena - $2,899, Misc. vendors - $5,973, Curriculum work done in June - $12,000, ServiceMaster - $25,750; Bills Returned from Town - $12,090; Utilities - $224,406. The Board questioned what the new process for state reimbursement on school projects is. Selectmen would like to have Lexington's legislators invited to a meeting in the near Iuture. The Selectmen feel the outstanding bills need to be paid and therefore need to go before Town Meeting in November and will need a 9/10' vote olTown Meeting Members. `h- Dr. Ash reviewed the FY06 identified deficit items as olthe end ofAugust. The total is - $1,292,235. The Schools have made reductions in the budget for FY06 totaling $728,000, leaving a deficit of $563,535. It was requested that the School Committee provide a list ol the FY05 projections and actuals. - To help with the problem of deficits in the tutor accounts, Dr. Ash plans to have the Director of Education approve timesheets for all tutors to make sure it matches with each contract; no additional tutors will be hired without the approval o(the Director ofEducation, and current tutors - will be reviewed to see if they are all necessary. There was discussion about the need for a contingency fund for special education expenses, what the process should be, and what year it should be implemented. The School Committee would like to have a contingency fund, but it is too early in the school year to come up with a figure. Budget Collaboration/Summit I — September 19, 2005 There was much discussion about whether to ask for a supplemental appropriation at the November Special Town Meeting or wait until the April 2006 Annual Town Meeting. Individual members of the Appropriations Committee felt it was important to report to Town Meeting what is known now. One School Committee member thought it should be brought to the Special Town Meeting.; another as concerned about what the message would be. N\