2004-06-29-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 29, 2004 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE MINUTES -- June 29, 2004 Present: Alan Levine, Sheldon Spector, Karen Dooks, Ron Pawliczek, Eric Michelson, Richard Eurich Also Present: Rick White, John Bartenstein (soon-to-be official member) 1. RE appointed/agreed minute taker. 2. Rick White presented two requests for transfers from the Reserve Fund pursuant to M.G.L., c. 40, sec. 6. Both requests had previously been approved by the Board of Selectmen on June 28, 2004. a. $24,608.00 to be transferred to the Town Clerk’s Election account for unanticipated expenses incurred in FY04 due to the July 2003 Special Town Meeting, the November 2003 Special Town Meeting, and the June 8, 2004 Proposition 2 ½ Override vote. MOVED, SECONDED, AND VOTED (6-0) TO APPROVE REQUESTED TRANSFER. b. $125,392.00 to be transferred to the Town’s Legal budget for payment of legal services for FY04. MOVED, SECONDED, AND VOTED (6-0) TO APPROVE REQUESTED TRANSFER. 3. Rick White reported that the School Committee had reached an agreement with the teachers union for a three-year contract. The Committee and the Union agreed to a 1% increase (for Steps 7 – 12) and 1 ½% increase (for Steps 1 – 6) for the first year of the contract. They have deferred agreement on the second and third years of the contract, negotiations for these years to take place some time in the future. Other features include: (a) a $300 longevity increase at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years’ employment; and (b) a sick leave buy-back option under which a teacher declaring retirement 3 years in advance will be permitted to buy back sick leave not taken at $3300 per year for each of the three years, thus permitting a total of a $9900 increase in the individual’s salary base for pension benefit. The only contract remaining to be negotiated is with the principals, where the major issues seem to be money and the principals’ desire that only superintendents, not teachers, evaluate their performance. Medical Insurance benefits were not discussed or resolved in the agreement. Rick intends to engage all employees in discussions regarding medical insurance costs and percentage shares in September. He wants to reduce the Town’s share to 75 to 80%. He also wants to reduce the Town’s percentage share for part-time employees, which currently is at 50%. 4. Rick White reported that Sheila English has agreed to become the Town’s Comptroller and is scheduled to start August 2. She will assume, as part of her other, more menial, duties, the role of recording secretary for the Committee. EXCELLENT NEWS!!