2007-04-04-ATM-AC-rpt1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE lst REPORT, APRIL 4, 2007, TO 2007 ATM Although at this point we do not know what the immediate financial effect of passing this Article would be, the long-term projection is for savings to the Town. This Committee unanimously (9-0) supports acceptance of M.G.L., Chapter 32B, Section 18. Article 19: Accept Funds Re uested q Funding Committee MGL Chapter 71 Source Recommendation , Section 37M Joint None Approve (9-0) Facilities Department) Town Meeting has already voted affirmatively on the main action requested by this Article-"To see if the Town will vote to accept Section 37M of Chapter 71 of the Massachusetts General Laws relating to the consolidation of maintenance functions of the School Committee with those of the Town"-under Article 7 at the first 2006 Special Town Meeting (STM #1) on November 29, 2006.1 However, because the statute arguably requires that such acceptance take place at an annual town meeting, it is now deemed prudent to revote and ratify that acceptance, and thereby to approve consolidation of the school and town maintenance functions, at this year's Annual Town Meeting.2 Since 2006 STM #l, the Town Manager and School Superintendent have been engaged in negotiations on the organizational structure of a joint facilities department with the expectation that any such department will ultimately be funded in the Town budget as a shared expense. Although we understand that these negotiations have been productive, they have not yet been completed as of the publication of this report, they may not be concluded before the adjournment of the Annual Town Meeting, and the operating budget which has been presented to Town Meeting does not contemplate a consolidated facilities department. If the negotiations conclude favorably this spring, and the School Committee votes to approve the consolidation, it should be feasible to have a joint facilities department up and running during FY 2008. The Town Manager believes that there will be adequate latitude under the statute and under the currently proposed budget to a) appoint a Joint Facilities Director, and b) allow that Director to take control of a combined facilities maintenance budget, even though its components will have been appropriated separately for the municipality and schools. As we noted in our report to 2006 STM # 1: "until an organizational structure and budget [for a combined school and town maintenance department] are agreed upon, we cannot evaluate the potential savings or costs of this consolidation." However, it is our hope and expectation that the negotiations currently 1 In our report to 2006 STM #l, we explained that the proposed consolidation would be taking place as a two-step process, with acceptance of the statute occurring at the Special Town Meeting and the actual vote to consolidate taking place at an annual town meeting, likely the 2007 Annual Town Meeting if by that time a plan of consolidation had been negotiated between the School Department and the Town. ~ The full text of G.L, c. 71, § 37M is as follows: "(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter forty-one or any other special or general law to the contrary, any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section may consolidate administrative functions, including but not limited to financial, personnel, and maintenance functions, of the school committee with those of the city or town; provided, however, that such consolidation may occur only upon a majority vote of both the school committee and in a city, the city council with approval of the mayor required by law or in a town, the annual town meeting or in a town with no town meeting, the town council. (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a decision to consolidate functions pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section may be revoked by a majority vote of either the school committee of the city or town, or the city or town, or both as such vote is described in said paragraph (a)." Page 12 of 39