SUTTON BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING  11-16-21

 

The meeting was called to order by the chair, Robert DeFelice @ 6:00 PM @ the North Sutton Fire Station.  Present were Pete Thompson, John Mock, Gail Guertin, Samantha Gordon, Mark Peterson and BOS liaison, Walter Baker.  It was moved by Guertin and 2nd by Peterson to accept the minutes of 11-8-21; the minutes were accepted without change.  There was a comment regarding the DRA:  the DRA does not retain monies from the town, but sets a bar for which money reserves cannot fall below.

 

Selectman Baker offered up the following information:

  1. Fire Department budget does not anticipate a change; the bottom line figure is $6,500. There may a need for adjusting this for fire engine tires.
  2. The library submitted a wage adjustment. The rate remains the dame, but more hours are required (up to 28 hours a week for both the director and assistant) for administrative needs and upgrades.
  3. BOS considering closing the lagoons, but are still seeking information regarding the costs of such a closing. An additional concern is that once the lagoons are closed, it is very difficult to obtain permission from the state to re-open them.
  4. Budget Committee minutes will be on line and available to the public.
  5. Town population is 1,967 as of 11-15-21.
  6. There was a brief explanation of evictions for not paying property taxes. This cannot begin until after the 3rd year of non-payment and then only reluctantly.  If an individual or family is evicted than the town must put up, at its expense, that family in other housing.  The town cannot dispose of the evicted property for at least 3 years after the eviction, but can continue to charge interest against that property.

 

The chair passed out the 2022 Welfare Budget and budget history.  There is no change in the welfare budget.  He pointed out that line 800 Misc.  Public Assistance is aligned with CR 109 Direct Assistance. The ‘soft cap’ of this CR is $25,000 and the annual deposit into this CR will make it so.  Both these funds are available to the welfare officer, Allison Jones as needed and no action by the BOS is required.

 

The chair declared a recess @ 6:25 PM and then re-opened the joint meeting with the Sutton BOS.  Selectmen Dane Headley and Walter Baker in attendance.  It was a full, open and frank discussion.  While a few of the issues are outlined below, the biggest concern was communication between the BOS and the Budget Committee.

  1. Highway – Selectman Baker offered to provide more information regarding money spent, but the concern was not spending it was budget projection. Major project needs both a time and cost estimate. Major Equipment requires usable life analysis to determine the annual contribution to the CR.
  2. Selectman Baker encouraged committee members to come before the board to share their concerns. He praised the efforts of department heads.
  3. The budget committee chair expressed concern about allegations the ‘budget committee is getting a bad reputation in this town’ when they are asking budgetary questions of department heads.  For example:  a department head went on Facebook to criticize the budget committee rather than write a letter to either the budget committee chair or to the BOS.  The budget committee rule is that a member of the budget committee may offer either in writing or in person a criticism, but only as a town citizen not as a budget committee member.
  4. The Budget Committee makes recommendations for the coming years budget and it is this budget that is the vehicle used at town meeting. To assure the most accurate budget projections
  5. 2

possible, committee members must be able to ask probing questions, and it is the responsibility for each department head to answer those questions.  If an answer to such a question is not known than it is necessary for that department head to get back to the budget committee for a full and complete answer.

The committee recommendations are only as good as the information provided by each department.

  1. The budget committee is accused of only ‘…wishing to cut the (itemized) budget expenses.’ As the budget committee chair explained, the budget committee must defend the budget presented at Town Meeting.  This requires a full understanding of the nature and purpose of each line item and the ability to explain each item questioned @ Town Meeting.
  2. Regarding CR’s, Mark Peterson pointed out (a) need to know functional life of vehicle (b) employee safety (c) maintenance and repair concerns (d) cost of vehicle or equipment replacement in order to determine how much money should annually fund that CR.
  3. Gail Guertin said that ‘much of this is based on perception.’ Some may say that utilizing CR’s is absolutely necessary to maintain a level budget, not one with peaks and valleys; others have said that holding a department to a CR is ‘cramming down our throats.’  Certainly a wide difference in perception, and Samantha Gordon observed that those that have the most difficulty in defending a budget may not be fully prepared.
  4. In past years, the budget chair was attending BOS meetings at the table and was fully used as a resource. He asked questions that were not asked by members of the BOS and he helped that department head to refine that budget and hence that department head was much more prepared to discuss that budget with the budget committee.  This practice was ended by the current BOS chair.  The following, ‘What we have here is a failure to communicate,’ can only be described as a natural result.  The chari stated that he was not allowed to speak on any budget issue until he was able to opine as a member of the public.
  5. Both in the 2021 Town Meeting minutes and the November 2020 minutes was the statement that BOS would hold the line on raises. 2021 would not be an easy year, and it has proven to be true.  More and more people are suffering from the effect of the corona virus, shutting down of businesses, high cost of fuel, inability to get product and a general fear and malaise.  The BOS responded with we had to in order to retain our people.
  6. The budget committee can only look at the position in regard to salary or income, the BOS can also look at the individual.
  7. The BOS is in charge of the town roads, the RA and the purchasing of equipment to maintain and upgrade the town roads. Such equipment is subject to forecasting (see #6)
  8. Selectman Headley emphasized the importance of civility, which is important, but what if the question itself poses a challenge, regardless how is is articulated? For example:  a question may be asked, the person providing the answer does not know, but pretends to – the follow up, no matter how worded is not going to be pleasant.
  9. The chair offered this summation: The BOS is responsible for running the town government and employees, including assignments, job description, evaluation and raises.  The budget committee is responsible for establishing the budget for town meeting approval or amendment.

Both Selectmen Headley and Baker thanked the committee for an open and frank discussion.

 

It was moved by Guertin, 2nd by Gordon to adjourn the meeting @ 7:47PM.  The committee will next meet @ the North Sutton Fire Station @ 6:00 PM, 11-22-21 to review the 2022 budget of the Sutton Fire Department and Rescue Squad.

Respectfully submitted,

 

Robert W Wright Jr.

Scribe