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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973-10-01-AC-MIN.pdf a a✓. . APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE DATE: October 1, 1973 TIME: 7:30 P.M. PLACE: Town Office Building PRESENT: Edward E. Furash, Chairman, Jack L. Mitchell, Vice Chairman, Donald E. White, Vice Chairman, Elizabeth M. Flynn, Secretary, Arthur T. Bernier, J. H. Blaisdell, Levi G. Burnell, Howard L. Levingston, H. Bigelow Moore and Richard M. Perry, Comptroller I . CORRESPONDENCE Chairman Furash reported on a letter from Stewart DeBard's rating of our Annual Report. He felt that not printing the Warrant was a mistake and commented on various other facets of the Report that he found unsatisfactory. Also, upon motion duly made and VOTED, a letter from the Massachusetts Auditors' and Accountants Association was noted and is to be filed reporting the election of Town Comptroller Richard M. Perry to the office of President of the Association. (Copy attached) A letter from the Association of Town Finance Committees relative to school budgets and the fiscal autonomy of School Committees was reported on by Chairman Furash. A questionnaire on our Committee 's dealings and rapport with our School Committee was filled in by the Chairman. A Ten Man Committee of the Association of TFC is particularly interested in a change in fiscal autonomy legislature , and Town Meeting passage of school budgets. If desired, a donation of $5.00 or $10.00 may be sent to the Association to assist them in their project. II . REPORTS R. Perry reported that the study group on Chanaina the dates of Town election and Town Meeting had decided to "sit tight" with the present traditional regulations until it is seen what the change to the fiscal year will involve. Don White , discussed his observation of School Committee meetings. He said that the LD programs will return quite a sizable sum to the Town this year. He reported that the School Committee is considering "lumping" their budgets this year. Chairman Furash stated that this will not be allowed. With respect to School union negotiations, Chairman Furash will write a letter to the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee and the Lexington Minute Man requesting that the School Committee make public the initial union demands. 2T Chairman Furash reported on a Compulsory Arbitration Bill, Senate Bill #1929. This bill would legalize strkes of Town employees. The Committee was definitely opposed to this proposed legislature. Mr. Perry reported that a Reserve Fund Transfer request for $7,000 was before the Selectmen and would be submitted to the Appropriation Committee tonight. The funds would be • used for tax billing on a service bureau basis. The present tax billing machine is not functioning properly and a service bureau operation would assure the computing and the mailing of the 1/3 tax bills by March 15, 1974. Some vendors have given an estimated cost of the change-over in billing operation, but they must have a definite commitment by the Town in two to three weeks. Action on the Reserve Fund request was deferred. II . MEETING WITH THE SELECTMEN Meeting was held at 9:00 P.M. with the Board of Selectmen, Town Manager O'Connell, representatives of the Bicentennial Committee and the Planning Board. Town Manager O'Connell presented the current status of plans for the April 19, 1975 weekend celebration. He outlined the logistical problems anticipated for that period; particularly with respect to traffic , parking, crowd control, medical aid, public health, graphics, communications and unknown contingencies. He estimates that the cost for the complete plan for Bicentennial I will be around $250,000. This is $150,000 more than the pro- jected Town budget for the celebration. He and the LBC have met with and worked closely with the military at Hanscom Field. Their physical help with men and equipment is critically needed. Hopefully, the Commander at Hanscom has submitted to the Pentagon, in his budget, a request for $100,000 to cover their assistance to Lexington and to Concord. BUDGETS: Town Manager O'Connell reported the status of budgets as follows: a. Capital Budgets: They will be out by the end of the week. He estimates a $3,000,000 request. He will recommend $1,500,000. b. Expense Budgets: DPW, Police, Fire and most small Departments are in. Town Committee budgets are missing. c . Personal Service Budgets: About two weeks behind but are in good shape. _ The Appropriation Committee will meet in the near future with the Board of Selectmen to discuss personnel, parking lots, etc. The Committee adjourned from this meeting at 10:15 P.M. 4 28 IV. MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS FOR APPROPRIATIONS a. Policy on schools - Chairman says zero dollars. b. Open collective bargaining. c. Personnel policy manual; including job descriptions, reorganization, management, etc. The Chairman wants to see this by December 1, 1973 or we will put an Article in the Warrant. d. Investigation of the question of segregating increase in personnel, numbers, positions and dollars for voting by Town Meeting. V. ASSIGNMENTS a. A. Bernier, H. Levingston and R. Perry will contact other Towns, such as Wellesley and Winchester for information as to the success of segregating salaries from the past years budget to the current budget to show increases. b. B. Moore will check on the status of the sanitary land- fill and the purchase of the machine authorized by Town Meeting. c. J. Blaisdell will request from the Town Manager the status of existing projects. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 15, 1973 at 7 :30 P.M. The meeting was adjourned at 10:S5 P.M. Respectfully submitted,u� ; / 44 Eli abeth M. Flynn/m b Secretary OF BRIDGE A T ACCOUNTING ° 7 DEPARTMENT oma•lab A. EVELYN NOURSE Town Accountant BRIDGEWATER, MASS. 02324 June 15, 1973 Mr. Edward E. Furash, Chairman Appropriation Committee Town of Lexington Lexington, Massachusetts 02173 Dear Mr. Furash: At a meeting of the Massachusetts Auditors' and Accountants' Association held at the Wianno Club, Wianno, Massachusetts on June 13 to 15, 1973, Mr. Richard M. Perry, Comptroller from the town of Lexington, Massachusetts was elected as President of the Association. Mr. Perry has previously served as a member of the Executive Committee and Vice President. He has a keen knowledge of Municipal Finance and is always very helpful to all the group. We are very proud of President Richard M. Perry and know he will have a very successful year as leader of the Auditors and Accountants. Very truly yours, tiC`.l-ljca _-11- CII3 Secretary —`Massachusetts Auditors' and Accountants' Association AEN/lg