MEETING POSTED, NO QUORUM

Finance Committee Meeting

Minutes – April 26, 2010—Open Warrant Meeting

Sharon High School Library, 8:00 P.M.

Members Present:  Brian Fitzgerald, Donald Gilligan, Gordon Gladstone, Charles

                               Goodman, Josh Kiernan, Joel Lessard (Hamilton)

                Absent:   Maria Anderson, Keith Garte, Jonathan Hitter, Ira Miller, Laura

                               Nelson, Edward Philips

1. The agenda was the Open Warrant Meeting.

2. Special within the Annual

3. Article 1.  Snow and Ice Deficit.  Allocating $175,000 to the Snow and Ice above and beyond FY’10.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

4. Article 2.  Supplemental appropriation for school capital projects by reallocating funds.  Authorization of Article 21 of the last Annual Meeting which authorized $223,000.  Out of available cash for capital items.  Allows town to access cash.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

5. Bill Fowler explained that this appropriation would come from the debt service budget.

6. Annual Town Meeting

7. Article 1.  Finance Committee Members.  Election of new Finance Committee members.  Three year term.  There are four members that are on the slate to be elected.  Brian Fitzgerald, Gordon Gladstone, Josh Kiernan.  New is William Brack.  Resumes in Warrant.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

8. Article 2.  Act Upon Reports.  Pro forma.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

9. Article 3.  Addition to Stabilization Fund.  As of right now there is no money.  Nothing added or taken out of Stabilization Account.  Voted 9-0-0 for indefinite postponement.

10. Article 4.  Personnel By-Law.  Approval would increase 1% except School Department and Town Administrator.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

11. Article 5.  Budgets/Compensation of Elected Officers.  Approval of this article would accept budget in Warrant.  $66M.  Increase a little over 1% over FY’10.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

12. Article 6.  Norfolk County Retirement.  Would allow town to pay cost to county retirement.  $2,325,188.  Slight increase over last year’s appropriation.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

13. Article 7.  Unemployment.  $75,000.  12% decrease from FY’10.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

14. Article 8.  Sharon Friends School Fund records and appointments.  Choose trustees for school fund.  Voted 8-1-0 to recommend.

15. Article 9.  Annual Audit.  $52,800.  Slight increase over last year, $52,799.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

16. Article 10.  Remove Deputy Chief of Police position from Civil Service.  Create position of Deputy Chief.  Expected to be filled by one of the lieutenants.  Voted 11-0-0 to recommend.

17. Article 11.  Grant match for fire fighter training for $3,382 for Homeland Security grant.  Invest a total of $3,382 outside of budget.  Voted 11-0-0 to recommend.

18. Article 12.  Authorization of sale of 9 Glenview Road.  Completed action of May 2007.  Authorize Selectmen or Housing Partnership to sell.  Will sell through lottery.  Voted 10-0-1 to recommend.

19. Article 13.  Zoning by-law to allow for for-profit recreational use at Sacred Heart property.  Allow to be used for recreational purposes.  Rural District 2.  Only Sacred Heart.  Voted 11-0-0 to recommend at Town Meeting.  Planning Board just voted on their hearing.  3-0-1.

20. Anne Bingham stated that this zoning applies to all 140 acres and not just Sacred Heart property.  Right now what is allowed in Rural District 2 is single family dwellings and agricultural.  Language proposed is not sufficiently restricted.

21. There was some discussion regarding this new information, and it was suggested that Ben Puritz should be asked to attend the meeting prior to Town Meeting to clarify this information and also regarding the statutory authority under Chapter 40, Section 15.

22. Article 14.  Change in use for the Sacred Heart Property.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

23. Anne Bingham also questioned who was the permit granting authority, under what statutory authority, and the parking issues.

24. Article 15.  Long-term lease for Sacred Heart Property.  Note.  Motion is slightly different than in Warrant.  To a successful bidder for term of up to twenty years.  Puts a cap on lease to twenty years.  Finance Committee has not voted its position and will do so prior to the Town Meeting.  Voted 11-0-0 to recommend at Town Meeting.

25. There was discussion with Ben Puritz to address concerns of Article 13.  He stated the area involved was up to eight parcels abutting recreation property.  He will attend the Finance Committee meeting prior to Town Meeting with Town Counsel to clarify the information on Article 13 and Article 15.

26. Article 16.  Horizons for Youth Property Conservation Restriction Conveyance.  Held by party in town.  $15,000 to be spent.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

27. Article 17.  Authorize the Board of Selectmen to negotiate and enter into a written agreement and/or modify certain terms and conditions contained in the Waste Acquisition Agreement.  To be indefinitely postponed.  No action to be taken.  Voted 11-0-0 to recommend at Town Meeting.

28. Article 18.  Capital Outlay Articles.  All of the Capital Outlay expenditures are printed in detail in the Warrant.  All of those items were vetted by Capital Outlay and the Finance Committee.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

29. Article 19.  Veterans’ Exemption.  Real estate tax exempt.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

30. Article 20.  Community Preservation Committee Annual Funding – Administrative Expenses.  Presented by the Community Preservation Committee.  It has two expenditures, $15,000 for various improvements on Pleasant Street School and $20,000 for administrative expenses.  Voted 7-0-0 to recommend $15,000 to Housing Authority.  Voted 7-0-0 to recommend Administrative Expenses.  The item which was $20,000 for consultant for Affordable Housing for land use has been pulled from the article.  Voted 6-1-0 for indefinite postponement.

31. Article 21.  Revolving Funds Reauthorizations.  Revolving accounts.  Renewable every year.  Thirteen revolving funds.  No budget appropriations.  Accounting device.  Voted 9-0-0 to recommend.

32. The Open Warrant meeting concluded.  The Annual Town Meeting will be on Monday, May 3, at the High School starting promptly at 7 p.m.  The Finance Committee meeting will be here in the High School Library on May 3 at 6 p.m.  Two articles on Sacred Heart property to be discussed and voted.  On Tuesday, May 18, to vote on the Charter recommendation.

33. The next meeting will be May 3 at 6:00 p.m. at Sharon High School Library.

34. The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.