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Budget Committee Meeting

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633 like to this is the budget committee meeting we could do budget allegiance
so we're going to do roll call I'm Barbara Ryman Riemann she's came
with name on that I'm still on Hawaii time Ryan I am the chair of the budget
committee Lori Swede select board member here as the finance liaison Ellen Fawke
liaison from the board of selectmen
okay and so Pam Brown had sent me an email she is unable to attend so she is
an excused absent Joe Gagnin we have not heard anything from and Trish Titt I have
not heard from so and Lori Mori I have not heard from so there has been a
little bit of mix-up so we'll give benefit of the doubt I would be
surprise the story doesn't come running in and at any point so I'd like to discuss
the minutes of May 13th and April I did not have that on the agenda so I
apologize we did table it but now that we have enough here to you went through
them right am Marie okay I wanted to make sure am Marie had gone through
and seen everything
So we can do them individually or we can do them together whatever your liking is.
Together is good.
Perfect.
Motion.
The motion.
Martha 2nd.
All those in favor of approval of the minutes.
Say aye.
Aye.
Aye.
Any abstentions?
You're abstaining.
Any nose?
The ayes happen.
Cindy Ellen abstained.
Cindy Ellen abstained.
Okay, so what I have next on is our minute taker has resigned effective August 1st.
Ellen sent me an email to inform me, and she also informed me that there would be a discussion
on putting it on the website to hire.
One, has that been approved?
We did, I did let Robin know.
right as you said you wanted us to put something on, to be honest with you, I haven't checked.
She said she put it on, but I haven't double checked to see if she has or has not posted it.
She said she would that day, but I can double check with her and confirm.
So if anybody knows anybody who would like to take minutes for us? Is it any, does it, I did have
someone asked me if they have to be a town resident?
No.
And I don't think so, right? No. No. I looked for the RSA and it didn't say that.
So going forward, it is on the, I have not seen it, so you're going to double check.
I'm letting myself a note right now.
It's not posted.
I'll double check to see.
Okay.
Is it a requirement that they need to be here to take the minutes?
Do we make an exception for the current minute taker or?
The only time they, and again, this would be in conjunction with the chair, but usually they only have to be here for,
the Saturday meetings in January because they're so long and extensive in case there
was any mess up with the recordings that would be really a problem because that's when
you vote so usually they just have to be here for those Saturday meetings and but other
than that they usually can watch watch it at home as long as they get cable that they can
watch it then they don't have to be at the meeting except for those two dates unless
unless you decide differently but that's usually
what they do because that's when you usually take votes and things of that nature.
So usually you want the person here in case the system goes down or something.
Oh, I would definitely say for the ones in January and public hearings.
Absolutely.
My concern that I had and just because there was this whole big discussion with the BOS about time cards and stuff,
how does a minute taker put in for their time?
to be paid and who verifies and nothing against anybody that's there.
I just know there was the discussion of time parts and things like that.
So does the recording secretary, I'm just going to tell you what past experience is.
I have to say I do not know what agreements were made with this committee on how they wanted to do it.
What it used to be was that the person would be at the meeting and they would get the hours
that that meeting and then to do the minutes it was time and a half of that meeting.
I don't know what they do now.
So I will double check that for you and get back to you.
Not salary time and a half.
No, not salary time and a half.
They got like if the meeting was for three hours, they got four and a half hours to do those minutes.
That's what I mean.
I'm sorry, that's what I mean by time and a half.
So if you had a three hour meeting, it was four and a half hours to do the minutes.
Yes, total.
But again.
Or however long it takes them.
some yeah right i mean like budget planning those are really hard if cindy does five committees
some of them are really quick and you know it takes an hour to type up them yeah and i and i and i would
just so if somebody asks me i have never known how that paid out um when i looked at expenses
and went how could we be halfway through our budget already and then it dawned on me deliberative
all the beginning of the year yeah well that was a little like whoa how did that happen it took
me a minute to do the same thing because i'm like how could they oh yeah all the all the big ones at the
beginning of the year so but i will confirm that that's how it's still done and let you know but that that's
that used to be the policy basically on minutes so we put it we advertise that we're going to hire
for one how does they come in are they go through a whole employee process they do they do they
usually would happen and i haven't heard any i haven't heard any differently the board of
selectmen hire but we would take your recommendation on that you would you would look at any of the
applicants and you could interview them for the one that you liked and give that recommendation
to the board of selectmen for the board of selectmen to hire okay again sure of
course unless you just be done every year you know why would you know
no no no no so well and last times i was on board so we had a town manager who did all that so
and again if that's something that does not work for your committee let us know if you want to change it
but that's usually what i'm sorry to see her leave i just um go from the air stephanie go right ahead
yeah so i'm just wondering if there are other committees that have minute takers that would be interesting
just adding an hour on or you know two hour however many hours she's the one who resigned
Cindy is the one who does all of the other okay so so it would be more than just the budget
committee who would be no no no she only resigned from this oh oh oh i see okay all right that's
different she has conflict she does other towns and so she just is the scheduling stuff and she took
the budget committee hoping that it wouldn't become a conflict for her and that you've tried to help out
and she's realized with because she does other times as well and she's realized at this point that even though
she tried to be able to work the budget committee in it's just not going to work so that's why she tried to give a
little bit of notice so the board would have time to find somebody all right thank you you're welcome
and barb are you okay if i just send this information to you once i have the answers
i appreciate stephanie you asking about the revenue sheet year to date so
that was a great call and we got it has everybody had a chance to look at it at
it at least okay did you have some questions I have a lot of questions that's fine
please feel free okay so I was looking at contracted services both cemeteries and the
planning board have contracted services they
haven't spent any of the money yet and I'm just curious if folks know what
that's intended for are we talking about revenue are we talking about the budget
okay so we're talking about expenses okay gotcha four one nine five and four
one nine one one one cemeteries had thirty nine thousand and ninety four hundred
five is it I don't know yeah that's all there it's all the stuff for the cemeteries for
yeah
The contracted services for cemeteries, a lot of that is reimbursable, I believe.
For certain cemeteries, the trustees have their own guidelines of what can be reimbursed and utilized and what can't.
And a lot of that has to do with the mowing and upkeep of the cemeteries.
My thought is that whoever does it hasn't put in yet.
They should, but they haven't.
This is my guess, but we can double check that.
Yeah, and then for the planning board, do they have
something similar?
Yeah, I just want to look at the right line.
What's the number?
What's the number?
I think it is 4191,65,000.
I don't think that's.
So that's the master plan.
That's no content.
Yes, it is.
That's the master plan.
It's the remainder of that contract.
Okay.
Does anyone know how your fringe benefits are paid?
For example, health, dental, disability.
Those are all a smaller percent of
than everything else.
So through June 8th, it was 43% for, you know, if you just did the number of days in the year.
But all of those had between 24 or 25% of the budget.
So I was just wondering, are we missing a payment, or is it, you know, self, I'm not sure how benefits are.
Are you talking about the percentage that's been spent?
Yes.
Versus, I'm assuming that part of it is because there is one employee in particular.
particular that's been budgeted for for full time that has not been hired yet.
So at the time that would have been budgeted, I'd have to double check with the finance officer about any other specifics.
And one of the ones that was budgeted for, fully for the year, because that's how the town had voted that,
wasn't able to be hired until within the last month.
So I'm assuming that a lot of that had to do with the personnel that had not been able to be hired yet for the fire department.
But I can double check on the exact numbers, but I know those two things were.
missing so then I looked at the fire department and it seemed like full-time
salaries are lower than you might expect at this time of year and overtime and per diem
are higher on it seems to offset and I'm just wondering is there something going on that
maybe they're short staffed I think it's the fire people they hadn't been able to hire
yet for the first six months of the year one is that department yeah okay
So they're using overtime and per diem to make up?
To offset the personnel that they haven't been able to hire yet.
Okay.
Then I noticed the library expenditures from May to June decreased about $100,000.
Do we know what happened there?
We can ask the library, but the library trustees are their own entity, so we can ask that question for them and see if we can get an answer.
but they're like their own board of selectmen for the library trustees and had control over their budget
so the concern is the library is about a hundred thousand it went down a hundred thousand
compared to last year you mean no compared to may okay and then in executive salaries
both overtime and part-time are higher than what you might expect at this time of the
you know so far in this
year do we know why those would be trending higher the the overtime
is Marissa part of the overtime I'm again without seeing a detail I can only
assume it's because we have the finance officer is part of that overtime line
at least currently and with all of the new procedures and things we have going on
she's had to work overtime for a lot of meetings
with with things that are going on the finance department and meaning she's got ahead
and with the auditors that we're trying to get some things taken care of so Jen is
also and yeah and we also have somebody helping her out at this point and those numbers at
this point of being charged to that that may be amended but right now we found out that
it's being charged to that line because she's I have to say I didn't where I'm having I'm
having I'm sorry can you not hear me
I'm not and I understand your question the answer that overtime is finance the finance officer at this point
she has additional she's been having an awful lot of extra meetings because of the updates to the system
the auditors the other accounting office that we have trying to take care of some previous issues
so she's some of that overtime has been her and then we also have another employee who's been helping with payroll
because she's so swamped with things
and right now that's also being charged to that line although we may put that
in a different line so is a new person who's helping with the payroll stuff is that a
new position not a new position it's a person who works in this town hall already
who's actually taking on some additional duties not much but some and so does
that put her almost to the full time not even close not even not even close is it the
girl who's in Robin's office no no so it's
it's not even close right so the the next was the heating fuel and it looks like
you're going to be over for that and last year's actual was around 36,000 but it
was budgeted lower at 32,000 and I'm wondering if that's because maybe the expenses
were moved into museum or town hall or is there is there something different that's
being done with heating fuel this year than last year is it a
it's in government buildings right it's a 4194 4194 what number there we go
oh nine a heating service no not heating service you're not talking about heating
fuel what's the number 4194 um oh here we go 303 down the bottom okay did that one
one didn't know see this is that we don't have all of that
a little breakdown so your question is well it seemed like something when I went
back and looked at the the budget worksheet it looked like maybe in last year they were all
there were several different categories for the town hall the museum everything else
and now it looks like it's all budgeted in one line and it does seem to me that you're going to spend
more than the 32,000 that was budgeted so I just wanted to see if I understood
it correctly that it's all in one line or is it still in other categories as well it's
as far as I know it's all in one line I think everybody decided to move it to
one line last year yes yeah is that the museum study that they're going over there
no this all has to do with fuel heating the building yeah yeah so um
there's not going to be fuel used for months and take into account that prices skyrocketed
this winter so we don't know what it's going to look like when we have to start using it again but it is all on the same way
yeah okay um and then sort of obvious with everyone's own vehicles trying to gas those up but the gasoline line i just did an estimate it seems to me it'll be a
about $18,000 over budget if the trend continued just so an FYI I also had a
question about the telephone and internet for the police and fire both of those seem to be higher
than you might expect at this time of the year and I was wondering if there's something going on
with those two departments that they're having higher expenses
double check that those are standard that's a standard cost so I don't know
know what would spike something like that but yeah and that's the fire phone and internet your question
phone and internet yeah okay um almost there no keep going that's great i'm good um so the highway department
um their overtime and part-time is um running higher than you might expect i'm sure that they did a lot of
snow plowing there's a lot of snow i guess my question is do they typically have um overtime and you know
extra work in the summer as well um should you expect that trying to continue or is it going to lay off
that's a great question and we actually asked that i think at the last select board meeting and no it'll it'll
they won't be doing overtime so it it we shouldn't unless it's going to snow super early this year
but shouldn't even out so they don't typically have overtime in the summer no in the summer okay
um all right um then i just wanted to understand um with the residential trash collection and recycling
i know that there was um that was on the ballot and um i think the recycling center uh closed down after
that um it does seem that the expenses are going to be higher um
than what was budgeted and i was just wanting to understand a little bit more with the change
that was made how is that supposed to affect the budget it hasn't been a change yet that that that contract
is not now we have an existing contract so anything to do with what the board's talking about
with the contract and what everybody wants us to do is in a couple of years so right but like didn't
the recycling center closed right so is your question did when they budgeted
did they factor in the increase from closing the center the increase for curbside i don't
know that they factored in how much more whatever they were collecting at the collect at the collection
center now is going to be in curbside i don't know that they factored that into the budget to make up for that
cost is that where you're saying yeah yeah and part of what the town has done is sent out things in tax bills
and things of that nature to remind people don't put glass in your recycling because the weight of that
as to the cost so that kind of educational stuff's trying to go out to keep
everybody to do it the correct way so at the end of the year's cost won't be as elevated as
it might be showing in December the current trend the trash would be about 48,000 over
and recycling would be about 28,000 so it's more just like the math yeah no it looks like you're
going to end up with overspending
that category and that was what i had oh i guess i did have one question on the revenue
that we can yeah so i wanted to understand a little bit more what the departmental revenues
are because um they've only collected a little bit less than eight percent and were 43 percent
of the way well actually this was only may so it was maybe 35 40 percent of the way through the year so
So what, is that typical that it's slow coming in or is this an area where there might be short falls by the end of the year?
The planning board fees depend on how much activity they have.
We're seeing more activity and not less, so that should help to balance out a bit.
Most of these, the same with the ZBA, those are done on fees.
So they've had a couple more.
meetings and they usually have so these items may not have hit get the ones to like the past
couple of weeks and fees that they might have had we'd have to double check with them
specifically but some of these things unfortunately our guesses to be honest with you they
just the the budget committee does the best they can with the information that people give them
to estimate what the what the revenues would be for the end of the
year but there's little rhyme reasons to it not a lot but there is some and the
revenue is accounted for in the same way that say expenses would be like they go
through the same accounting department or yes yes so when these fees come in they go
to the finance officer and they're separated as to what they are and she logs them
appropriately okay yeah it just seemed quite light you know for this time of the year
a lot of it too is the as you read the property taxes are due by July 1st so that part of it is too is what they're waiting for and you'll hear us talk about cash flow and I'm sure so will we see the property tax receipts at some point because they weren't on here at all no because they're not actually on this revenue sheet the property taxes are separate from these revenues because the property taxes are basically going to be any
thing that this isn't covered so that's why they're not added into this
because if you need X amount and you reduce this that tells you how much you have
left to get for taxes so taxes are shown on on this sheet it's shown separately the
tax collector has that information we can get it for you as she gets it yeah what would
just seem though if your taxes that you collect are not coming in
at the level that you actually she addressed that at the last meeting
that they they had been coming in so and she actually on the first week had more than
she had anticipated coming in so that's been working out okay at this point we can
also ask the finance officer to include that report if that would make you feel
make you help understand it a little bit I think it just goes the whole picture it does
this was so keep going your I'm cutting off some of my questions so thank
you okay no you and that does make there's the revenue and especially for us to better
understand it is there is there is or was I'm not sure the latest update of the cash flow
problem where we stand with that and that would be the you guys have it
Marista sent it out to you there's a cash flow
she she sent it along with the revenue sheet there were two attachments
I did not do that well you know it has the estimated
it has the estimated property taxes on their two taxes are due July 31st
they're July 1st I'm sorry July 1st they're collected twice so you don't have to count
for revenue every month because they come in twice a year so over
30 to 45 days depending on when the bill goes out so you know this cash flow
the estimated tax payment for this time is 12 million 213 13,938 so that's the next
property tax yeah so that's listed on the cash flow sheet did everybody not get a
copy of that no it would be it would be Hawaiian internet I'll blame on that oh okay okay
did you get a copy of it do you know what I'm talking I did not see it no
do you mind if I show them you want me to go make a copy I'll run downstairs hold on
okay I think wrong while she's copying that is there are you able to give us an
update on the school payments or is that I actually want to look at this to give me
I believe the school payments are I thought they were caught up but I don't
something on this gave me that answer but I don't have it now so good a minute
and I'll figure it up okay okay Ellen one question I had we were talking about the
trash do we have a new contract not yet isn't that do soon Monday Monday's the meeting
for it oh okay it's not due for a couple days afterwards the board has met once on it
we had some other questions we're meeting Monday to decide that okay good so that will happen
Monday and actually just just in case something bizarre comes up the
contract does say we can extend that if we have to but the board's intention is
to do it Monday okay did I did everyone receive the profit and loss versus
actual the profit and loss I was curious on cemetery burial fees is that
reimbursement I'm thinking that based on the questions we
had earlier on cemetery that the trustees haven't done all of the paperwork
they they want to to reimburse the town out of the fees that they get sometimes
that's not done too close to the end of the year that's a process okay so that was
do you think this is a reimbursement or usually if there's cemetery burial fees and
we're getting it as departmental revenues there are some of the cemetery and
costs that are reimbursable to the town they're in the budget but we get them
reimbursed and talking to Marissa today sometimes those things don't come
until close to the end of the year because of the trustees can vote multiple
things at once and I believe that would be one of them some of the cemeteries
are reimbursed and some of the monies come in and talk about it so I believe that
that would be one of those items police detail reimbursement what do you
on your cash blow planning
okay is that the detail fund that is separate that the police department uses
there's only one revolving fund that's the police detail fund so the SRO is paid out of
that so there's there's things that go in and out of that revolving fund so I don't know
what I mean if you want detail you can ask for us I don't know what the 73,500 is
encompasses but you know
they're paying salaries they're they're doing stuff out of the detail fund so
do you want do you want details on the details well I can get all we can ask for
yes no no I know I know and so part of it is and that's trying to understand
more for a lot of us so with that though there was the last year's detail fund
was in question sure is so that's that's sort of
it out it's not that's it's the balance is sorted out so what happened last year
happened last year and that is been resolved so but you know how money goes I
mean you can't all of the transactions aren't done in the revolving account so if
payment has to occur there has to be interfund transfer stuff and then that's what
this is reflecting okay that's not how I understood the detail what am I so
that's fine I can reach out to Joel
well and because I have no problem asking Marissa to give us an in-and-out
number if that's what you're looking for I don't have a problem asking Joel either I
well she's super busy so he hand his detail fund was used remember he told us how he
used to buy the cruiser and he couldn't buy the cruiser because it was missing so I
guess a better understanding of the detail fund I understand Marissa knows the numbers
but I think that an explanation for better for clear unless everybody else is
fine with the detail fund an explanation for Marissa or Joel of how it works
you never have to get more information right yeah so are you just looking for
like January 1st police detail fund this came in this came out this came in this came out
this came out kind of thing are you looking for that kind of detail for the detail fund so
you'll have a better
understanding of what's going in and what's coming out I just want to make
sure I'm asking Marissa for the right information or are you just going to go
right to Joel no offense I'm going right to Joel because I I and then if
you bring back information there's further I will ask you to go find it
absolutely perfect I just in our mind and is everybody okay with that I don't
why not go to both oh we could go to boat
up we could do that so do you just want for example sake the police detail at
this point good idea thank you do from trustees that same same thing when you have to
request to the trustees money that they owe the town because you pay that you pay
the bills out of the general fund and then you request reimbursement so that's what
all of those are
is the bills are paid and then Marissa is requesting reimbursement from all of those
accounts whether they're the detail fund or one of the trustee account yeah okay I just
didn't know which trust they were looking to get it depends on on what the bill was
for it and I think on this one well I understand that but at the same token I can get you
the detail of the request I saw the letter that went in it was multiple things yeah
for reimbursement I can get to that okay
again it's not it's it's the clarification and understanding for all of us
to be so you're just looking for the details of that particular request up to
the trustees of the 46th whatever it was sure and last but not least on it on the
cash flow planning is the school payment now that you have it in front of
it looks to me like there's a school district payment due July 1st and then
we'll be all caught up good to know I lied one more thing
I sound like Lord I lied one way I know
you're reserved the right to be able to go back
yes the TAN loan so we never needed
we haven't taken out a TAN loan so that's 75
I think it is is how much some mark
and that's still intact yep we haven't needed
it no nope no it doesn't
anybody else have anything
they want to ask mark does that revenue sheet I mean the the the cash
below planning sheet does that help you Stephanie or do you have another question
no I think it does help me I will just need to process it a little bit and see how
everything fits together but this is very helpful thank you I do have
due from the trustees is that all software is that the software is that the software
None of them.
No, no.
We're, what happened there?
We're still waiting to the trustees.
We put questions to the trustees for different funding other than the requests
for that package that included software and we're waiting for their replies.
So right now it's still sort of sort of in a limbo.
The trustees have to vote.
But that has nothing to do with the software.
That's all multiple other things that.
get reimbursed from the trustees.
Okay.
Thank you.
Okay.
Moving on.
Unless anybody has anything else.
So number seven was the bylaw update and
Lori Mori, who said she was taking that on,
is not here to give us an update
and I will reach out to her because I have the bylaws in front of
the bylaws in front of us and they are definitely old to the point of we meet on
Sundays to yeah so it definitely and actually I'm curious as to how much more it will
change now which coincides with number 12 the new legislation with the default
budget how much of the bylaws will end up changing because there's quite a bit in
in there that depends on the BOLS.
the BOS and now that changes because of the new legislation that puts the default
budget into the hands of the budget committee and probably with the tax cap as well correct
not really now that I think about it right and that is what it is it is it's not like
you I know that's what I said well I'm yeah processing I mean it's all new to all of us
so we have to figure
out the new lanes we have to work as a team the pinacolades have to get out of
the head too from all right okay so that goes there update update on the calendar
obviously now with a few other things added into the mix like the default budget
and all of that I will have our calendar set for the next meeting for sure okay to
you haven't decided on the next meeting date yet I have I have not to be totally just
just wondering for my own self you where as it's status quo you guys get everything
by to us by yes so unless something you know then then we'll figure it out from there
but I don't anticipate so we still the third Wednesday at 630 so even for July
um that's probably I'm going to say yes right now unless something changes and it
will be here and I'll make sure the agenda is appropriate and yada yada yes because
only because of we have these questions that we want to know and why wait let's be ahead
of the game and still see where we're going forward so that's the 50th the 50s
We meet that week? Do we meet that Monday?
When is it?
They have it the third Wednesday in July.
Are we good?
We're just checking to make sure that we got our documentation that week too and that we were meeting so it didn't mess you up.
So but we do meet that Monday so that Wednesday all works.
We'll all be on the same page.
Okay.
I did number nine.
Mark has been attending the NHMA.
Um.
classes and I asked him kind of at a short notice, but I'm sure he'll be okay, to share with us, especially the importance of learning the new, the
ins and outs of the whole budget process and all of that.
So I asked him if he would mind sharing what he's found out so far.
Are you, is your mic on?
Yes.
The New Hampshire Municipal Association.
The New Hampshire Municipal Association.
It is an agency in New Hampshire specifically to help serve.
No good yet?
No.
It might be your mind or your fellow on it.
Because I know that's not going to hear you.
Hello.
That's better.
Got it? Okay.
They help train new members in multiple areas.
This particular course is
is for a financial certification, so to speak, for someone who's not used to municipal budgeting like myself,
it's like getting a little cup of water from the fire hose.
Very complete, hits the high spots.
The instructors are excellent.
But as it's true with anything, you've got to put a lot in to get a little bit back out.
So there's still a lot of stuff.
There's still a lot of studying on my part to be done, but some of the things are becoming clearer because I'm used to commercial, private, industrial.
This municipal budgeting is a very different animal.
I'm sharing all of the presentations with whoever wants them.
I can email them to you.
And if you get a chance, just look at their website, because I think all of us could
all of us could benefit from all of us that aren't already versed in municipal budgeting could learn from it.
It's a lot of work.
I wouldn't even know where to begin.
I have to re-look.
You and I have been chatting a little bit about it, so I think that's good.
It is, in September is the...
I've got more to do in September.
But I'm talking to workshop for...
Go ahead.
I have a list of all the things.
I just signed, there's an estimating revenue webinar on 5 August, it's from 12 to 1.
Registrations open.
I already signed up, so that's 5 August, estimating revenue.
17 September, it's a budget and finance class.
Registration isn't open until 5 August.
Right.
30 September is a finance 101.
Registration is a business.
open on 17 August and then 18 November there's a webinar from 12 to 1 for default
budgets and that's 17 October is a different one or the same one oh right I don't
know good point so those are those not all of them are listed if you go not all
of them are listed you know how they do a calendar they're not all listed you have to go
through each month and look at each thing and that's how I found a couple of them
and they're not all open for registration.
So I have all of the dates like so I can get in and sign up.
But so, the estimating revenue one would be good.
It's just only an hour, so.
What is that one again?
That is on 5 August from 12 to 1.
So, I mean, it would be unlimited because it's virtual,
so I don't think they limit how many people sign up for that.
And then the budget and finance, the finance 101,
and then a default budget one in November.
The budget and finance and the finance 101 are in class, so you'll want to make sure you get the sign up when the registration opens.
They do fill up quickly.
They do fill up quickly.
Yeah.
Yep.
And anyone who wants to participate, I can get you the information for sign-ups.
You can sign it up yourself, but I'd be more than happy to help whoever might need assistance or not.
Thank you.
Mark, I appreciate that and Lori.
The training side we talked about.
Any concerns that the committee itself may have as a whole of questions that we're all here we can hopefully get for anybody.
Go ahead, Ellen.
This is not meant to the criticism for anybody, but I do just want to clarify in a kinder and gentle way that to have a legal posting,
it does have to include the date and location I wasn't no I'm aware of that and
and I do I just felt it was incumbent on me to make sure that everybody was aware that's
not a criticism of anybody no it's just knowledge and I did read that there was a
thought that maybe not to put them on the website that came through was one of the
emails I just want to tell you that while you don't necessarily have to put on
the website if you don't put it on the website you have to post why it's not on the
website and where people can find it so it might just be easier to put it on the website but
that's that's your decision i just want that it correct and however i did um do some research i i i
don't the rsays that i read did not say we were had to put why we posted the point of the matter was
i'm sorry i where you posted it you need to right to be able to let people
find it correct correct and yes that was my snarky comment i didn't take it this snarkey
no no it was meant to be snarky so i own that i felt that that that whole email chain that went back
and forth was i because it would it requires talking about a ton employee i will not do that
because i know it's against the rules however i
I took much offense to it and responded snarkily and got told to watch my snarkiness.
I think everybody took it as snarky.
Well, it was, I was trying to be on vacation.
This process is new. I do have a new laptop that was not working.
By the gracious of Stephanie, thank you very much for getting it there.
I do have a trouble with PDFs that I make no bone.
about that seriously i don't we don't need to even go into the whole well i just you know just wanted
to make sure that we were aware of what the requirements are and that's right you as to what you
want to do right so with that being said thank you i appreciate that yes parra please was that being
said i'm going to take it another step further um i think the snarkiness was because snarkiness was
given um i think a lot of us kind of intercepted it that way but
kaitland was on vacation we know we're not talking about employees i'm sorry the individual
who sent the original email is that better that's right okay with the requiring pdf
claims that they were on vacation so my question is if a salary employee of the town is on vacation
they should be on vacation why is somebody else not handling that she was trying to be nice
i had that same discussion okay if you're on vacation be on vacation no no offense if people need to
have something posted a certain date feel free to put out that if you don't get it to me by this date it's
not going on correct well that's my but she was she was trying to be nice she saw that somebody who
hadn't done it before and she was trying to do the best she could and was trying to be nice to say i can do this
but in the future these are the requirements she wasn't trying to be snockey she was just trying
to let somebody who obviously didn't know the requirements know what they were so in the future
this could be addressed that was the intent of that employee okay well my my thing is if you're an
employee take your vacation we all work hard you're entitled to that i had that same discussion
i had that same discussion with her today there is somebody else training to do it but this person
this person saw it come in and knowing that there was a new chair and all that stuff
she just figured that on her vacation she would do the best she could to get it on the website but to also let
that person know that in the future these are the requirements so i'll do what i can to get it on today
because obviously you can't fix it but all she was trying to do was share that in the future these are the
requirements i think back and forth people all they could i don't know i don't know i don't know i don't
don't try to determine how people read emails because sometimes there is a tone sometimes
it's a perceived tone and sometimes everybody doesn't understand why everybody's being snockey when
nobody's intention necessarily was so that's why i didn't want to make a big deal of this i just wanted
to say in the future this is a requirement you can put it on the website or not but if it's not on the
website you have to say where it is so people can find it and not get into particulars about things
because stuff happens right no it does my whole thing was like i said everybody works hard
if you're on vacation be on vacation and that's why i i mentioned that i had the same discussion
today that i do not like it when employees work on their vacation they need the vacation it's good for
them to take a break it's good for chairman of committees to take breaks and it's important and i have
suggested it in the future it might be if you need anything posted on these states it has to be in by this
state or else it's not getting posted until this other person is fully trained to be
able to do it so that is in the process okay perfect thank you okay and I'm not
trying to however I just part of our bylaw state because in part of informing me of how
to do something was that I need to post public comment on the agenda and I do not
not not according to the bylaws um i have no problem with public comment but at the same
token it gets voted on according to the bylaws which needs to be updated but currently i'm just saying
i don't have to other than deliberative or whatever i choose to because i'm one of those
who's you know don't forget me but i just wanted to clarify that it is in the bylaw
and that i didn't do anything wrong i think those bylaws were written when i was on the board and that
could very well be right now they're eight in front of the number there they're uh they are there
they are there from there and um hopefully we don't have to bring up the subject again because i'm over the
whole thing moving forward was the new legislation of the default budget um i don't know if anybody's
the new legislation on the default budget okay so i will get a copy and get it sent out to you
to everybody um the new house bill 1575 i believe it is and it pertains to how the default budget
used to be put together by the board of selectmen and it is now done through the budget committee
so going forward part of one of our meetings will be and that's why the agenda will change
the calendar will change is because we will have to put together a default budget as opposed to just
reviewing the one that currently the board of selectmen used to do so but i will get all that i was
hoping p.m would be here and she could clarify a little bit more but she's been excused she's not here
today so that is all that i have can i just clarify i know there will be additional
information on it but are you saying that the budget committee needs to put together
a budget a default budget for the town um in case the budget that's voted on by the
residents does not pass that that would automatically go into the town um in case the budget that's voted on by the residents does not pass that that
that would automatically go into place okay and there is um there is criteria and that's
how a default budget is put together and that's something we'll go over before we take on that task
and you can't really set up a default until you have your regular budget uh presented in front of us
from there so but i i would like to get everybody out the right legislation so that we're all
on the same page do you guys have anything for us is the default that we're currently using
the same default budget you would be working on at the end of the year i don't know the answer to
that but we'll find all and Barbara says us all the information yeah i would say you're i use
referencing the budget that we have right now before us yes yes
going from those numbers yes i don't know well no soon what i said well no soon i'm assuming
yes because usually the default budget is based on the current operating budget with ins and outs
depending on what's required and whatever but this is a new law so we'll all have to look into it to confirm
how it's done so i guess i do have a follow-up question um i noticed i think that the the budget on the
expenditure worksheets is 10.3 million and if you look at the worksheets that are on the
website i think that the ones that um were out there for public comment for folks to vote on it was
10.4 7 so there's about a hundred and fifty thousand dollars it's 150,000 left is there
some document that walks from the 10.4 down to the 10.3 to understand
where the differences are so it i'm assuming that the 10.3 is a default budget the one that we have right yes and then so on the website there's also no we didn't do a crosswalk so you you would have to look at both of them and then you'd have to figure out um there is from the like from the account level that we had to submit to the DRA but not a chart of account level is that is that the detail that so because this is your chart of accounts
yeah so this is actually the child of accounts not the budget yeah we always refer to
with this budget because it's just easier for everybody to talk the same numbers but this is actually
the town's child of accounts which is not the same thing that the department of revenue administration gets
it adds up to the same number but that won't just have a line that might have uh planning in it zba in it right
hdc in it and that number is different than what you're going to find in the planning and zoning but if you add up
those three departments it's the same number that goes to the Department of
Revenue Administration they don't get the chart of accounts they don't care about that so
when people talk about the budget that's why sometimes we have to ask are you
talking about what the DRA gets or are our chart of accounts so and the child
of accounts is obviously more detailed than the budget that the Department of
Revenue Administration gets because they don't care about the details every time every
town has different child accounts so on that on the town clerk's website
right under town reports you'd have 2025 town report which would have the proposed
budget which went on the ballot right which was voted down and then the line under
that says the 2026 operating budget which is this so you would have to compare the
two okay to determine your where did we take money from what did we move it yeah yeah the
10.47 number was coming from a budget worksheet on
the budget committee oh gotcha okay maybe that is not I wouldn't even
yeah I wouldn't go right out to look at it because some of that includes the Warren
articles that have been recommended by the budget committee so I would have to
double check it to look to see if what I'm imagining you're talking about is
actually what you're talking about but oftentimes what the the information that goes
to the DRA not only includes what they recommended for the budget but anything
they've recommended for the
articles gets added together because that helps determine the 10% rule you know
that one just seriously what the 10% rule is that at at deliberative session the
town can vote to change certain requests but they can't go above the total
can't go above 10% of what the budget committee is recommended and not just of
the budget but anything they've recommended in Warren articles gets added together
and then the town can at their discretion increase spending should they
choose but they can't go over 10% of what the budget committee is recommended that's
what the 10% rule means so but again they all pass and it's higher than 10% then
the select board needs to go in and no the DRA goes in and if it goes up higher and
they've done that before if you go above the 10% once you hit the 10% they just
regard the rest yeah
how does the new cap affect that we'll have to read that yeah we because that
one's going to be an issue it's like okay how does that work so that will be
in question and who I have no idea how that one's going to work so we'll have to
look into that and find out how that's impacted oh make sure you have you
up here I know the formula that's in the tax cap that was passed is pretty much
self-explanatory oh no I've said I've said I've been to that I
seen that the question is you have everything all set you know what the tax
scouts going to be everything's worked out what happens if the deliberative
session they decide to up everything within the 10% rule that they can I don't
know what the rule is on that one can however I'm not positive that's why I said
we'll have to read that one because it's like that I don't know how that one
works we'll have to check we should all educate each other together we should have
one big happy I'm sure that's I'm waiting for you to do that in July well
or August or September whatever
correct and just
Stephanie
I don't know if this
helps or not you understand
as much as we
look at the chart of accounts that is
part of our budget process
sometimes
we spend a lot of time
trying to take out
and whatever but at the
very end of the day
it doesn't really seem to matter sometimes
because they can
shift and move money within certain guidelines so if we took something out recommending not
recommending and we removed it from our budget and it's they if they have the money and they
chose to fund it they can do them because it's right we they just can't go over the
bottom line is they the select board yes definitely oh yeah just check it because we're they
and we're they I
right that's okay I
accept the select board can move money from one
account and one line item
to another they just
can't go over
the bottom line
so but there has to be a line item for it
and they have to show
where they took and where they put
it so I mean there and that's
kind of why we like
or we've chosen to meet
once a month so that we understand so when we're going forward because there is a lot of questions of what's what and it's better that we're all on the same page well i think it also helps um when we do the budget that we know where the money is moved to that way we know okay well they seem to need more money here than on this line and we
can make sure there is more money there instead of you know widgets over here that
nobody cares about because unfortunately in general public's eyes you know we keep we have to keep
keep saying your vote bottom line your vote bottom line so that when they think that just say oh 10,000 for
books for the police department he's going to kill me i'm sorry Joel i shouldn't have said that like that but and
and he didn't need it and they move it over that they're going to say okay the bOS took 7000 from jol's 10 000 books then joel never needed that so to speak and that's not quite true but if an emergency comes up or and they have to find money as people will say they find money they find money well in everybody's budget i guess suppose you
could find money but they're under the some there are a good amount that are under the
pro the uh yeah i'm trying to think of the appropriate words to use you right but they
under the perception thank you is that they vote that 10,000 for that and this for that and
unfortunately it isn't like that and that's where uh you know Senate bill too
when it used to be you were in the town hall that was uh you know yay name the gym okay it
was the gym from there so but does that do we did we explain it uh i hope i'm and i'm not trying to
imply that you don't you know no but the general consensus yeah no it's very helpful thank you
you're welcome anything else yes i would like it's okay i would like to start using
the term reallocating funds instead of finding money because we because that's what we're doing
we're real we're not finding money there's no money to be found it's all it's all here it's all here for
everybody to see we're not finding anything that's hidden we're just reallocating it right and it just
doesn't sound as nefarious as finding money does anyway that's just my two cents you have two cents
we all had a little bit of two cents today didn't we anything else yes sir
and i uh plan to reach out to trish and um jo and see what's going on because they're both
minus two with no contact are you leaving it at 630 yeah i especially for the summer
and if we can get through as quickly as it may be a half of once a month for the summer
but i i think it's a good i think it's a good thing all right i'll entertain the motion to return
second all those in favor aye unanimous uh unanimous uh i guess i didn't not the second