HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-06-07-AC-minJune 7, 2010
Minutes
Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee
June 7, 2010
Place and time: Town Office Building, Room 111, 8:00 p.m.
Members present: Alan Levine (Chair), Glenn Parker (Vice - Chair), John Bartenstein
(Vice Chair and Secretary), Rick Eurich, Mollie Garberg, Susan McLeish, Joe Pato, Rob
Addelson (ex officio, non - voting)
The meeting was called to order at 8:05 p.m.
1. Staff Reports. Rob Addelson reported that the finance staff is working on
year -end transfers from the Reserve Fund, from the salary adjustment account and under
the "3% rule." The proposed transfers will be presented to the Board of Selectmen on a
preliminary basis on June 21 and for final approval on July 12. They will be presented to
this committee at its next meeting on June 30.
Rob also advised that Town Manager Carl Valente was planning to come to the
June 30 meeting to update the committee on the coalition bargaining negotiations with
respect to health benefits. The Town Manager hopes that the negotiations will have been
concluded by then.
Rob reported briefly on the fire department's request for approximately $60,000
to upgrade a recently installed communications system to address coverage gaps in a few
locations in East Lexington. The expenditure is required for safety reasons and may be
covered by the transfer of surplus funds in the health insurance budget under the 3% rule.
2. Input for BoS Goal- Setting. Al Levine advised that the Board of Selectmen
had requested the committee's input for its upcoming goal- setting process, to commence
on June 29. The committee discussed a number of topics that might be included in a
letter from Al to the Board of Selectmen, including continued efforts to reduce health
insurance costs, continued progress on determining the disposition of the Munroe School,
review of the use of CPA funds for the restoration and maintenance of town facilities,
exploration of opportunities for regional cooperation and cost - sharing, the need for an
analysis of how a number of upcoming major capital needs will be financed, and the
committee's interest in performing an analysis of snow and ice removal costs. Al said
that he would circulate a draft letter to the committee for further input before finalizing it
and sending it on to the Board of Selectmen by the June 18 deadline.
3. Committee Work Plans. There was a brief discussion of matters the
committee might work on during the coming fiscal year. Among the topics discussed
were analyzing recent trends in snow and ice removal costs, which have been a
continuing source of cost overruns (JCB); arranging for a meeting with the Community
Preservation Committee (CPC) to discuss policy issues, including the use of CPC funds
for town projects and the use of debt to finance land acquisitions and other projects (EM);
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June 7, 2010
continued attention to health care cost reduction issues (JP and AL); and the disposition
of the Munroe School (GP and JCB).
4. Miscellaneous. Rick Eurich has decided to resign from the committee at the
end of his third full three -year term, and not to accept a reappointment. As of July 1, the
committee will then be in need of two additional members to reach its full complement of
nine. The committee discussed future meeting dates and an agenda for its next meeting,
to be held on Wednesday, June 30. It was agreed that the election of officers for FY2011
should be deferred until the following meeting, scheduled for August 9.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
John Bartenstein
Approved August 9, 2010
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