Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINAL OS Minutes 3.12.13.pdf FINAL Approved 4 9 13 OPEN SESSION MINUTES MINUTEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING MARCH 12,2013 6 09 PM PAUL REVERE ROOM,MINUTEMAN HIGH SCHOOL Present: Alice DeLuca,Chair(Stow) Kemon Taschioglou(Lincoln) Jeff Stulin,Vice-Chair(Needham)(arrived 6 21 pm) Laura Morrissette(Arlington)(arrived 6 56 pm) Came Flood, Secretary(Concord) Dore Hunter(Acton) Cheryl Mahoney(Boxborough) Jack Weis(Belmont) Bella Wong(Weston)(arrived 6 26 pm) David Horton(Lexington) David Manjarrez(Sudbury) Daniel Mazzola(Lancaster) David O'Connor(Bolton)(arrived 6 23 pm) Absent. Ford Spalding(Dover),Don Rober(Carlisle),Mary Ellen Castagno(Wayland) Others Present Superintendent Ed Bouquillon, Student Representative Solomon Rubin,Principal Ernie Houle, Kevin Mahoney,Kris Luoto,Ron Marino, Elizabeth Rozan,Diane Dempsey,Gene DiPaolo, Sheila Nagle,Tracey Sierra,Auditor Sheryl Burke,Attorney Kevin Batt 1. CALL TO ORDER. OPEN SESSION The Chair called the meeting to order at 6 09 pm,citing traffic delays due to the weather A member noted,and it was acknowledged,that he was recording the meeting 2. PUBLIC COMMENT a Tracey Sierra,a Minuteman Faculty member,informed the Committee that the ceiling tiles fell in while teaching in Room 2N12 She noted that no one was hurt,and that the Administration and Maintenance Departments were responsive,but she urged the Committee to get on board and fix the building to protect people who spend time here every day b Anthony Senesi,a Senior from Arlington in the Environmental Technology Program, informed the Committee of the accomplishments of 30 students at the Skills USA District Competition,noting their goal is to go to the State Conference in Apnl and the Nationals later in the year to showcase skills The Superintendent addressed the building tiles issue,noting that it was dealt with immediately He explained that the original tiles are no longer manufactured,and the replacements did not fit as well This is a school wide issue and a solution is being sought He gave reassurance that this was a tile issue,not as a result of leaks It was also pointed out that ceiling tiles are influenced by changes in humidity 3 CHAIR'S REPORT The Chair explained the interest in forming a group to work on the passage of Senate Bill#228(formerly#1052) She noted that Glenn Koocher recommended that the School Committee assemble an informal working group She read a list of legislators who signed on to support the bill,and emphasized the importance of this piece of legislation to regional schools in general and Minuteman in particular It was moved(Flood)and seconded(Hunter)to establish an informal working group to work on the passage of this legislation It was clarified that the purpose of the group would be to work on this piece of legislation,as it is the most important,and that as an informal group,it would not subject to Open Meeting Law requirements It would not be actively participating as a lobbying group, but would be studying the legislation and communicating with supporters It was clarified that it may become more formal eventually,but it is timely and urgent,and the opportunity should not be lost Additionally,as an informal group,parents would be welcome to participate The Chair suggested that anyone who is interested contact Ms Rozan The following vote was then taken ACTION 2013#32 Moved(Flood)and seconded(Hunter) To establish an informal working group to work on the passage of Senate Bill#228 Vote: 9 in favor,2 abstentions (with 11 members present) Additionally,the Chair noted that the Year 2 Race to the Top Report,dated January,2013 is available for perusal in Ms Rozan's office 4. STUDENT REPORT Solomon Rubin reported on the success of the 30 students who did so well at Skills USA,and noted that he won a gold medal for web design He gave an update on the sports team activities and accomplishments,the Student Council's food drive,the National Honor Society's blood drive,the activities of the Drama Club and noted the set on display in the IRC He commended a junior student who recently had an opportunity to sing in a chorus at Boston's Symphony Hall,and he noted that plans for the Senior and Junior proms and the yearbook are underway The Chair thanked Mr Rubin for his report and noted that it was terrific that Minuteman students are involved in musical activities as well 5. FINANCE REPORT a. Update on Treasurer Position Kevin Mahoney gave an update on the Treasurer position,noting that having received 4 applicants through the original website posting,they decided to list the opening on two other websites to widen the pool of applicants He will report on this at the next Finance Subcommittee meeting He also explained that not listing the salary is consistent with past practice b.Update on Marginal Cost Exploration Task Force Jeff Stulin gave an update on the Marginal Cost Exploration Task Force,noting that the final report is being proofed, and will be submitted to the School Committee upon finalization [By 6 30 pm, 12 members were present] c FY 12 Audit Report Sheryl Stevens-Burke of Melanson Heath&Co gave a review of the Annual Financial Statements and Management Letter for year ended June 30,2012(Attachment A) She explained the two methods of accounting,the differences between expenses and expenditures within those methods,and responded to a number of questions With regard to Management not including the Retirement System in the financial statements,it was explained that this is not uncommon, the State Retirement system conducts an audit every three years,and to save the fee,the Retirement Board decided to work within that audit schedule Next year,it will be included The OPEB liabilities were discussed, it was explained that this does not need to be funded,but must be included in government wide financial statements It was further explained by a member that no funds have been set aside,and municipalities are hoping for some legislative solution to this issue Ms Burke then expanded upon the Management Letter,noting that items are included in this section at 3 levels of concern material weaknesses,significant deficiencies,and recommendations Addressing continuing deficits in special revenue grant and revolving funds that refer back to 2010,improving financial reporting,improving the accounting system,improving accounting for student activity funds,and improving controls over receipts were cited and discussed She summarized that Minuteman did not have a great year in 2012,and that this is a significant Management Letter When asked by a member if anything presented was surprising,Mr Mahoney noted that there was nothing surprising that couldn't be handled He clarified that it was not his intention to give the impression that everything would be remedied by June 30 The Finance Committee Chair noted that changes have been made in the Business Office,and it may take a while to unravel the issues A plan of action by June 30 and a better result next year would be the goals It was suggested that the resolution involves policy issues, and that the School Committee could offer support for appropriate professional development opportunities The following vote was then taken ACTION 2013#33 Moved(Hunter)and seconded(Stulin) To accept the FY 12 Audit Report Vote: Unanimous Thanks was extended to Ms Stevens-Burke for the thorough and clear report By an informal show of hands, unanimous support was expressed for the Business Office to pursue resources necessary to make changes [By 7 30 pm, 13 members were present] 6. SCHOOL COMMITTEE TRAINING a. Open Meeting Law Attorney Kevin Batt,of Anderson&Kreiger,LLP,presented training on Ch 30A Sec 18-25,the Open Meeting Law, and the significant revisions to this law,which went into effect July 1,2010 He distributed a press release, dated March 12,2013,which provided an update on OML efforts,as well as a Training Session booklet he prepared, also dated March 12,2013 (Attachment B) He pointed out that the OML Guide included in the booklet is now obsolete,as the AG's office has published a new guide as of today He emphasized that the goal of the OML is to balance transparency and efficiency,and he focused attention on defining terms(meeting,deliberation,public body,and intentional violation)and clarifying exceptions He addressed the problems presented with the use of email,and advised not using the"reply all"button,and keeping comments to oneself until the public meeting is underway He suggested the use of the"hub and spoke"method of communication,as a public body does not include staff,and pointed out the obligation of each member of the body to certify that he/she has received the OML materials,and to comply with the law In response to specific questions,he noted that judgment must be used Individuals can be m violation,serial communication must be cautioned,and there are resources on the AG's website for self-education Details related to filing complaints,establishing a cure,being mindful of a quorum of the body,using titles instead of names,and maintaining confidentiality of Executive Session were discussed 7 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT a RAAS Report Dr Bouquillon gave an update on the Regional Agreement Amendment Subcommittee(RAAS) He explained that Phase I of work on the Regional Agreement involved the Regional Agreement Task Force,which ran from January, 2010 to July,2011 and Phase II involved Town Managers looking at the issues from July,2011-Fall/Winter,2011 The work of the Regional Agreement Amendment Subcommittee(RAAS),established in February,2013, is Phase III He noted that the group met once so far,and has the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday March 27,2013 at 7 00 pm in the Paul Revere Room at Minuteman High School He noted that preparations are underway for the next meeting,and a red-lmed version of possible revisions to the Regional Agreement will be presented for analysis He noted that representatives from Wellesley and Waltham have agreed to participate,and the following vote was taken ACTION 2013#34 Moved(Horton)and seconded(Flood) To appoint two additional members to the Regional Agreement Amendment Subcommittee(RAAS) Lisa Limonciello,Waltham School Committee Tere Ramos,Wellesley School Committee Vote• Unanimous It was explained that since this group is a subcommittee of the School Committee,it made sense to appoint a member of the School Committee as Chair of the group The following vote was then taken ACTION 2013#35 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(Mahoney) To appoint Came Flood as Chair of the RAAS group Vote: Unanimous Ms Flood clarified that she agreed to take on this role to facilitate,and that the direction is not predetermined The focus will not be on the problems of the existing arrangement,but to consider ways to move forward She emphasized that while Concord has currently only 9 students attending Minuteman,it is a community with a long term interest in the activities of Minuteman due to many business interests whose future success depends on the availability of an appropriately trained and qualified workforce b. Appointments to the Massachusetts Bay Health Care Trust Due to the changes in the Business Office,the Superintendent noted the need to make appointments to the Massachusetts Bay Health Care Trust and the following vote was taken ACTION 2013#36 Moved(Horton)and seconded(Weis) To appoint Kevin Mahoney and Kris Luoto as Trustees of the Massachusetts Bay Health Care Trust Fund to represent Minuteman's management participation Vote. Unanimous In response to a question,it was pointed out that each district in the Trust Fund pays a varying percentage rate for their employees'health care coverage A reminder was put forward that the Committee will be asking about the $250K paid forward into the Trust 8. SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE REPORT a. Update on Designer Selection Process Dr Bouquillon gave an update on the Designer Selection Process He reported that there were three finalists,and MSBA's Designer Selection Panel selected Lamoureux Pagano&Associates,Inc as designer for the Minuteman Regional High School project after interviews on March 5,2013 He explained that this design firm is skilled at vocational schools,with Worcester Vocational as a model There are 30 days to develop a contract,and upcoming meetings,led by Mary Ann Williams of Skanska,will focus on doing so within the Minuteman budget If a contract can not be reached with them,the option would be to go to the 2nd choice Lamoureaux Pagano is scheduled to give a presentation to the School Building Committee at their next meeting on Monday March 18 at 5 00 pm in the Paul Revere Room at Minuteman High School Unrelated to this topic,a member inquired about the specific examples referred to on Page 8 of the Management Letter of the Melanson Heath Auditor Report discussed earlier,and asked about a side letter Mr Mahoney responded that the examples were addressed in the presentation,and that there is no specific side letter [Mr Manjarrez left the meeting at 8 50 pm, 12 members were then present] 9 SECRETARY'S REPORT This item was taken out of order, since Ms Mahoney was out of the room The Secretary noted that a number of minor typographical corrections were submitted by Mr Horton for both the minutes of 2 5 and 2 12 13,and she suggested that these be incorporated a Approval of Minutes of 2 5 13 With Ms Mahoney back in the room,the Secretary explained that Ms Mahoney suggested that the word districts on page 10,line 49 and 50 be amended to read towns It was suggested that this be changed to the broader term municipalities instead,and the following votes were taken ACTION 2013#37 Moved(Mahoney)and seconded(Stulin) To amend the minutes of 2 5 13, Page 10,Lines 49 and 50,changing the word districts to municipalities Vote: 10 in favor,with 2 abstentions ACTION 2013#38 Moved(Horton)and seconded(Stulin) To approve the minutes of 2 5 13 as amended Vote: 10 in favor,with 2 abstentions b. Approval of Minutes of 2.12.13 The Secretary explained that Mr Horton had offered an amendment for clarification in the 2 12 13 minutes(Page 17,Lines 9 and 10) After discussion,he withdrew his amendment and a simpler one was offered(Weis)and seconded(Horton) The following vote was then taken ACTION 2013#39 Moved(Weis)and seconded(Horton) To amend the minutes of 2 12 13,Page 17,Lines 9 and 10 with the words It was suggested that at is important Vote. 8 in favor, 1 opposed,3 abstentions She also explained that Ms Mahoney had offered two amendments to the minutes of 2 12 13 as follows 1 To insert on Page 16,Line 32 It was stated that at is the consensus of the Policy Subcommittee that term limits are counterproductive to the business of the School Committee, however 2 To change on Page 16,Lines 47 and 48 2/3 to super majority After discussion of these suggested amendments,the following votes were taken ACTION 2013#40 Moved(Mahoney)and seconded(Weis) To amend the minutes of 2 12 13 as follows 1 To insert on Page 16,Line 32 It was stated that it is the consensus of the Policy Subcommittee that term limits are counterproductive to the business of the School Committee, however 2 To change on Page 16,Lines 47 and 48 2/3 to super majority Vote 10 in favor, with 2 abstentions ACTION 2013#41 Moved(Weis)and seconded(Horton) To approve the minutes of 2 12 13 as amended Vote. 10 in favor,with 2 abstentions 10 POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT Ms Mahoney gave a report on the Policy Subcommittee's recent meeting of 3 5 13 She noted that OML is a priority,comments were considered on the 1st reading of Policy BDA,a draft of the Ethics Policy was reviewed,and it was referred to counsel for review,with the comments received Reviewing policy regarding minutes is still a priority and Ms Wong has taken the lead to review this They considered the Public Participation policy,and agreed that if a School Committee member has a pressing matter to present that falls outside his/her role as a School Committee member,he/she must do so as a member of the public at the public microphone She noted that the Finance policies are still pending,and given the earlier discussion,these will await Kevin Mahoney's practical considerations Finally,they did not get to approve earlier minutes,and will meet again on 4 11 13 She then presented Policy BDA for a 2°d Reading,pointing out and explaining changes that had been made since the 1St Reading,based on comments and discussion The issues of lowering the threshold,the election of Chair, abstention,ballots, and tangled rules were discussed In support of the consensus of the Policy Subcommittee that term limits are counterproductive to the business of the School Committee,an amendment was offered (DeLuca) and seconded(Morrissette)to eliminate the first sentence of Paragraph 4 Opinions offered in response to this amendment included that this goes in the wrong direction,that turnover and leadership should be encouraged, that it's important to provide as much latitude as possible,that the majority of communities in Massachusetts don't impose term limits,that a simple process is preferable to complicated maneuvering,and letting the"marketplace decide" The following votes were then taken ACTION 2013#42 Moved(DeLuca)and seconded(Morrissette) To amend the 2nd Reading draft of Policy BDA to eliminate the first sentence in Paragraph 4 Vote: 10 in favor, 2 opposed ACTION 2013#43 Moved(Mahoney)and seconded(Horton) To approve Policy BDA for 2nd Reading as presented and amended Vote. 11 in favor, 1 opposed 11. NEW BUSINESS There was no New Business 12. POSSIBLE EXECUTIVE SESSION The Chair explained the need for a possible Executive Session to review past minutes It was suggested to include continuing past 10 00 pm to complete the review of minutes,and the following vote was taken ACTION 2013#44 Moved(Stulm)and seconded(Flood) To enter into Executive Session Pursuant to MGL c 30A,s 22(0 to review,amend,finalize,and approve outstanding minutes from Executive Session of the Committee from 11 13 12 through the present, and to determine whether continued non-disclosure of such minutes is appropriate,with Ms Rozan remaining present,not returning to Open Session,and continuing past 10 00 pm to complete the review Mazzola yes Flood yes Horton yes Stuhn yes Weis yes DeLuca yes Hunter yes Mahoney yes Morrissette yes Wong yes Taschioglou yes O'Connor yes Vote• Unanimous 3 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned from the Executive Session at 10 30 pm Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Rozan Carrie Flood District School Committee Assistant Secretary Attachments to Minutes of 3 12 13 A Annual Financial Statements and Management Letter for year ended June 30,2012 B Press release,dated March 12,2013,and K Batt Training Session booklet,dated March 12,2013