Finance Committee Meeting Minutes 11/4/20
Finance Committee Meeting Minutes 11-4-20 @ 4PM
Agenda items to be discussed:
Monthly Select board and finance committee meeting
20-21 budget discussion with the Select Board
Present Rebecca Wolin, Michele Miller, Jon Silbert
The joint meeting actually started around 5 pm
The draft memo was read into the meeting. The memo basically had the select board running the entire budget process against state law, and the towns bylaws. Don wanted the boards to work separately which would mean everyone would have to come to two meetings to discuss the budget which makes no sense. Don also wanted the meetings with department heads to be private and not open to the public
Rebecca stated that in the past both boards worked together and the budget was a joint process. In the past both boards ran concurrent meetings with two chairs, Don refused to co chair anything.
Don had sent out the budget process memo to only the select board prior to the meeting and not to the finance committee
Michele suggested that each board chair every other meeting. This
John asked why the budget process was suddenly being changed. Don explained that this was the way it was done for several years prior to anyone else on the select board or the finance committee knowledge
Don & Steve also explained that when the Fin Comm changed the process without input from the Select Board last year the process was not successful in that it produced far too many meetings. Both Jon and Rebecca had no idea what they were talking about. No process was changed in the middle of the budget process the former year
Jon Sylbert stated that the initial meetings, as described in the memo, should not be private. Resolution of that issue was left for the next joint meeting.
There was further discussion of a few aspects of the memo. Don offered to rewrite the memo to address the various concerns raised and to circulate it to the members of both boards for further discussion at the next joint meeting.
Mike Johnson who was joining on a phone and could not be seen asked a question. Don yelled at him as he was not recognized Don refused to let him speak and told Melissa to mute him. On Don's motion to rewrite and circulate the memo, to which no member of the Finance Committee objected, the vote was 2-1 in. Don then recognized Mike Johnson who said Mike stated the vote was illegal because under our bylaws the Fin Comm shall present the budget. Don mumbled something and cut Mike off.
The finance part of the meeting ended at 5:30 PM