Wednesday, November 19, 2008

live reporting - Action items

1. Resolution 08-72: Acceptance of Deed of Open Space in Old Grove Street Open Space
Residential Subdivision - approved, unanimous
2. Resolution 08-73: Authorizing Establishment of Pond Street Priority Development Site -
By doing this, the state will help us market the property. By picking Pond St, our property we can set the process into motion and then get to the owners of the industrial parks to get the owners permission to use their industrial parks for similar marketing efforts. It does streamline the process of the applications which doesn't mean that the individual boards and the approval processes change, it just means there is a single point of contact to verify that everything is in order once things get started. Franklin already generally approves permits within the 180 days unless the project is major. - approved, unanimous

3. Resolution 08-74: Amendments to FY 2009 Budget - approved, unanimous
The revenue to fund these are using new sources of revenue that were not in the budget that are confirmed as coming in

4. Resolution 08-75: Appropriation – School Department Budget (Information Technology)
actually a transfer from Town budget to School Dept budget, approved by Finance Committee 10-0 (with one abstain) - approved, unanimous

5. Resolution 08-76: Appropriation – Stabilization Fund (Hotel/Motel Tax Revenues)
Finance committee voted 11-0 for - approved, unanimous

6. Resolution 08-77: Appropriation - General Stabilization Fund (Free Cash) - approved, unanimous

Free cash totaled 2.3 Million from the FY 2008 year. This would put us up to $5 million in the Stabilization Fund which is the Councils goal.

Feeley - Why don't we use "free cash" for operating expenses?
Nutting - averaged over the last five years is just about 2 million, about 2.1% variation, so we are hitting the target at 98%. You don't want to hit the budget at 102%. Some of the turn backs are personnel related. New position is authorized but may not be filled for the full year due to the hiring process. Even though it is a regular revenue but because it a variable revenue it really doesn't make sense to depend on it for operating budget. If you were to do so, you would expand the budget beyond the ability to maintain that level.

Doak - "free cash" is really a function on how much we are conservative in forecasting revenues?
Nutting - When EdReform came in, they tightened up the ability to underestimate receipts. There is a municpal growth factor that you need to meet.

7. Resolution 08-78: Appropriation – FY 2009 School Supplemental Budget - approved, unanimous

Finance committee voted 11-0; there has been discussion at the Federal level to do away with this. It is currently dead until the new Congress comes in. At the state level, there is talk of having this go direct without appropriation to the schools.

8. Resolution 08-79: Appropriation – Water Capital Projects - approved, unanimous

This continues the program started 8 years ago. Some of these projects have already started, others would get started.

9. Resolution 08-80: Appropriation – Sewer Capital Projects - approved, unanimous


10. Bylaw Amendment 08-629: Amendment to Chapter 25: Personnel Regulations, Appendix A – Classification Plan- 1st Reading; moved to second reading, related to the re-organization of the DPW, this puts jobs into categories - approved, unanimous

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