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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1959-10-05-CEC-min.pdf MEETING OF THE CI.21ToL EXPENDITURES COLalITTEE October 5, 1959 A meeting Was held Monday, October 5, 1969, in the Town Accountant's office, at the invitation of the Ap .ropriatioh Committee. Present were J. Blaisdell, Chairman of Appropriation Committee, and R. Battin, R. Lieyer, N. Richards, sack H. Patterson, and Mr Viano of the Appropriation Committee The Capital Expenditures Committee, D. Noyes, Chairman, P. Pater, xt. Souza, D, •"?o .dberty, and K. Morden, were present. Don Noyes: Do the two committees want to get together for any of these three purposes, 1 sharing information 2. a joint statement about current year capital ex)enditures — or dhould each committee make any comment in its own section 3 considering future years Is there a need for some of the projects? Should a joint statement be made about this or about whether the town is able to afford them even if there is need. John Blaisdell; The combined report is a good idea, should be continued. Howard Patterson, asked whether it was Bon's idea that the two committees meet with the School Committee, for example, together Noyes No. The two committees have different viewpoints; Capital Expenditures asks about this year and also the next four years, Appropriations is more concerned about current expenditures. however, as Appropriations Committee meets with School Committee it might be helpful to have one of' our people present. Patterson suggested that there be one joint meeting on the capital expenditures of a department, and Ncyes felt that an exc.ange of one or two men might be easier than getting everybody together. Norm Richards answered that this exchange would mean taking so act= time that one man would be sitting on :,he other committee rather than on his own. ,folding kkai; out for better cooperation rather than integration, he suggested that it might be better to have two meetings, one a joint meeting with Capitol Expeicitures Committee on the capital expenditures of the curreu- year, the second a discussion aetweeu the two committees of how the financing tnat Appropriation Comm:i tee recommends for this year will affect plans for the next few years. If the two comait:.ees should find it convenient to hear one of the big committees (public works or school committee) together, that would be fine, too. If there should be any great chane in the town's finances (e.g a new fire station or a geuernl pay rtise) ,the two committees should meet. Bob ;. oyer recocmoendeci that we get the Scb:c1 Committee to talk capital expenditures first, then go on to the rest of the budget. Noyes agreed t at that would be g od if it does not get coo cumbersome. Perhaps our points of view are different but, if neither committee gets too specific, it might save time to have st a briefing meeting together, then each commit.,ee could go back to ask additional questions about theix interests. It was agreed that Capital Expenditures would join with Appropriations Committee to hear the Schcol Committee, October 26. kr Blaisdell is to contact Don Clark to let .im know this am d to advise him that C.E.C. would like school enrolment and sites information. Blaisdell said that the ucnool Committee has oliered its room for the meeting and that the suggested agenda is Personal Services, salariesor anizaLional structure, new schools and playgrounds, giftea child progra: , driver training program. To this is now added school enrolment and sites information. Blaisdell added that Mk ;,air had told him that the maximum enrolment had been projected to be 9,000 _ we now have 6,000 enrolled; Blaisdell felt that all uessium %docia$ietc on enrolment figures — that We should be buying land if we are Born ' Capita Expenditures Coaiittee 2. October 5, 1969 r'tg with Aporopriation Committee The xiscussion on ways the two committees might cooperate led to two suggestions. :Beyer said ti.e.t he wanted to keep a level tag rate. It Might be better be build a fire station, e.g. , in 1960 rather than ' 61 if the Grove Street echoolis Postponed to 1961 Exchange of iaforaation woulu help this situation. C.E.0 had not heard of possible postponement of Grove St. School. (Note it is the plan of the Standing School Bldg. Comma to ask for money for Grove St. in the Spring, 1960, as originally plhnned — RES, personal co.rtncnication) Blaisdell would like to see greater effort on — Is it necessary? What is coining? nor example, 'eorthen 'td. is coming and will cost some 'honey directly and some indirectly by displacing the dump, which may be repLaced by a 2 million school, and which may lead to a 64,000,000 incinerator. He would like to see more long— range ongrange facts. The A;prop. Committee uiuet consider this year' s financing guided by what C E. thinks of for tne cominG years. When asked by Don Noyes whether he was interested in getting a copy of the budgets C.L. gets, Blaisdell said he was. Capital Expenditures By—Law Noyes brought up the fact that tne by—law under which C P.C. operates is inter— preted in many ways by different people, ranging all the way from the Opinion that the committee shoulc he concerned only with need to the opinion that it sho;_ld be concerned with whether the town can afford what it needs. Noyes said he thought that the town had the right to some tat x thinking on future projects as to whether the town can afford them. Who puts this thinking in the report is unimporta—t. Blaisdell felt that it is the town meeting members who must decide whether we can afford something. The committees can say only that a thing is good or bad, economically wise or not. Richards ad .ed that a certain amount of controversy may be good because it results in a more open discussion on the town meeting floor and presents more informq.tion to the members who otherwise do not have access to so much information. It has been only the one or two emotionally—chatged articles Which Bate been discussed on the town meeting fleet. Noyes said that he was thinking of agreement on "where is the town going financially?4 :".fere are ifs bonds goinn and its tax rate? What about the M1 zoning? What -wilt it mean to the town"" The selectmen have said that if the ixpprepriatiou Committee and the C.E.C. were to agree on a financial statement,they would go along win- it. Noyes suggested that the two committees think about possible agreement on financial policy He felt that it might oe useful to have Seine inforcxation about the bond structure of the thosm and to ' dedide whether it is good or bad at present. Battin said that it might be informative to town meeting Members if the C:E.C. made a statement of its advice in the same place where Appropriations Makes its recommendation,(i e. under that article in the 4pprop. report) Richards thought that while the eocunitteee could put' out a joint statement of pe if Ki h a�p9lo'�r T ig erlap as Battin suggests: Noyes - 'C:E. does not Brant to comment He a ec haav he question of bonding is Se important that someone should make a study of it but noone has to date. It is possible to get so4et:.idea of the mechanismpf homing, the over—all picture is hard to find. To Don Noyes suggestion thaw the TM' association be asked to set up a study group to study bonding and provide information to the two oonmnitteen, Blaisdell said that basically bonding is for this (A_ipropriatioh) comioits,ee to do. An amateur study may worse than nothing If it is serious- enough, it 'should be- first considered here, then perhaps someone should be hired. It was agreed. that the two committees should meet Dec 14th to consider the capital e n of• th coming year and their im -rtnnce,tt the town (not concentrating ebb c'os� second meeting of tie two committees will be held o consider C P. s and the financing of them and how this year' s financing will affect future plans.