Print
Share page with AddThis

Select Board Meeting Minutes 2/17/21 (5pm)

Meeting date: 
Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Minutes of the meeting of 2/17/21

Meeting Opened at: 5pm

Select Board Members Present: Donald Coburn, Chair, Steve Weisz

Also present remotely: Jon Sylbert, Rebecca Wolin, Michele Miller, Mickey Jervas

Roll call was taken for the Finance Committee: Rebecca Wolin present remotely. Jon Sylbert present remotely and Michele Miller present remotely.

Roll call taken for the Select Board: Steve and Don present at town hall.  John Weingold absent.

5pm: Meet with the Finance Committee

  1. Jon S is recommending no more than a 3½% increase to the tax levy and we can reach that goal if we cut approximately $300k from the current proposed budget.  Steve pointed out that if we receive the grant applied for to purchase the SCBA there would be $123k coming off the top right away.
  2. Budget recommendations discussed:
    1. Look to use approximately $200k in free cash and leave a balance of $500k in stabilization
    2. Bridges roads and culverts stabilization fund was originally created to create a savings account for large bridge, road and culvert projects.  Discussion ensued about the method of whether to borrow a large, certain amounts of money for these projects or just borrow it all not knowing what interest rates will be in the future.
    3. Rebecca made a motion to keep the target to as close to a 3.5% increase to the tax levy as possible for FY22.
    4. COLA: Finance Committee states that COLA is 1.3% and 2% isn’t in line with inflation which is 1.2%.  The Select Board (2/3) have voted to recommend 2% with the remainder to reward the employees for good works.
    5. Some members wished to leave off the milfoil harvesting special article requested by the Lake Garfield Working Group. Steve disagreed.  Jon Sylbert argued that Steven’s Lake and Lake Buel pay for their own upkeep through a separate tax district and Lake Garfield should too.  Mickey commented that we get a lot of tax revenue from the homes around the lake and the whole town benefits from the asset.
    6. The bank and treasurer will be asked to come back to a future meeting and provide guidance on the library loan.
    7. Meeting will be at 5:30pm next week
  3. Comments & questions from the public: none

A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 6:15pm

 

Submitted by:

Melissa Noe, Administrative Assistant

Approved by:

Monterey Select Board

 

cc: Website (www.montereyma.gov)

Select Board Members

Minutes Book

Town Clerk

 

Any documents used in the meeting are listed below and are available by request at town hall.

  1. Proposed FY22 budget
  2. Jon’s analysis