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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE REPORT TO NOVEMBER 2011 STM I This report includes the Committee's advice and recommendations regarding all appropriations of Town funds that are anticipated in the Town Warrant, and other municipal matters that may come before Town Meeting. The report is published and distributed to the members of Town Mting as a printed document and as an electronic document via the Town website. The Committe Town Meeting, including recommendations on appropriations and other matters fort- tees formal position was pending at the time of publication. DevelopFY2012 Work has proceeded on the design and engineering for the proposed renovations at the Bridge and Bow- man Elementary Schools. The November 2011 Special Town Meeting (a- tion of funds for the construction phase of this project under A exclusion override. Work on the design and engineering for the proposed replacement School has also proceeded on schedule; however, the appropriatio not be requested until the annual town meeting next spring since the final cost and the share to be paid by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) have yet to bn- dum covering both the Bridge and Bowman and the Estabrook projec Town voters in late January 2012. The Town endured two significant bouts of severe weather: Hurric snow storm of October 29. Each produced widespread power outages and trees. The Board of Selectmen have requested an appropriation under Article 4 to cover some costs of the recovery. The Board of Selectmen will also take this opportunity to proposr- ating and capital budgets under Article 4. The Town enters this STM with approximately $2,820,000 available for appropriation. This is comprised of $1,700,000 in revised revenue estimates above those presentedimately $1,970,000 in reduced expenses, less approximately $650,000 for the FY11 Snow and Ice deficit, and less $200,000 used to increase the overlay account. The major driver of the revenue increase is attributable to new $1,465,000 greater than the original estimate. New growth is subject to final approval b Revenue which is anticipated in late November or early December e- lease of the set-aside of $300,000 for the anticipated FY11 Snow and Ice deficit. The reductions in expenses result from two events. With Town Meeg- nize a savings of $1,250,000 on town employee health insurance c to reduced claims in the prior year. The Town will also release the set-aside of $727,628 intended to off- set any reductions in State Aid for FY12. This set-aside is technically similar to the FY11 Snow and Ice set-aside, but for presentation purposes it has been treated as an e State Aid was reduced by only $67,214 and the Town received a supplemental pay negated this shortfall. These positive events were modestly offset by a reduction in est This reduction is driven by a more up-to-date analysis using the actual experience from FY11, but rough- ly one third of the shortfall ($46,000) resulted from the Schoolreduce school music fees by 50%. Page 4