Finance Committee Meeting Minutes 10/18/22
JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE AND SELECT BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Meeting Date: 10/18/22
Finance Committee Members Present: Michele Miller, Chair, Frank Abbott, Ilene Marcus
Finance Committee Members Absent: none
Select Board Members Present: Justin Makuc, Chair and Susan Cooper
Select Board Member Absent: Scott Jenssen
Others present: Melissa Noe, Tom Sawyer, Seth Jenkins, Mickey Jervas
Meeting opened at: 5pm
Joint Finance Committee and Select Board Meeting
- Capital projects
Miller presented the working draft of the capital project list summary sheet. This is a preliminary list of capital projects, not yet ranked in any way, over the next three years. The Finance Committee plans for compile a complete list of projects and information about them and possible funding sources to present to the town. Next step is to create a grading system to prioritize and guide decision making – based on three categories: fiscal responsibility, administrative efficiency and productivity, and serve a majority of our residents.
Makuc asked about the number of police cruisers. Noe clarified that the police department will maintain three cruisers going forward.
Tom Sawyer offered the support of the Planning Board and the Master Plan process to contribute information to the capital projects list. The results of the planning process should be available around June. Abbott suggested that information should be incorporated once the report is available. Seth Jenkins suggested that the survey could be a useful tool to solicit input from the town on various projects.
Makuc stated that the goal should be to develop a capital plan that both the finance committee and select board agree upon. The finance committee agreed.
- Discussion of winter road watch
The purpose is to rotate weekends and holidays work, and in conjunction with the Director of Operations to determine when someone needs to come in for sanding and salting. The proposal is to increase compensation, which comes in two ways: a winter travel stipend which runs for 6 months and a minimum three hour call-in time, which only comes into effect if someone is called in outside of a regular shift. The proposal is to increase the stipend from $150 to $200 per month and increase the minimum call-in time from two hours to three hours. The stipend increase would affect 5 employees for 6 months, a total increase of $1,500, which would come out of the salt and sand budget. The increase in call-in time minimum is harder to project. This increase would make Monterey more in line with other surrounding towns.
The Finance Committee opposes rolling the seasonal stipend into the base salary for the highway department.
Miller made a motion that the finance committee approve the request from the highway department for a $200 stipend and 3 hour minimum. The DOO would receive the stipend, but the 3 hour minimum would not apply. Abbott seconded, unanimous approval.
Makuc made a motion that the select board approve the proposal as recommended by the finance committee. Cooper seconded, unanimous approval.
- Comments & Questions from the public
Mickey Jervas submitted a correspondence regarding the library timeclock. The selectboard requested time to review the question.
At 6:06pm a motion was made a unanimously approved to adjourn the joint meeting.