Continuing their long journey towards the Annual Town Meeting, the Mattapoisett Finance Committee on April 1 met with Town Administrator Michael Gagne and Harbormaster Jill Simmons.
Simmons was making a return visit to the FinCom after having had an opportunity to meet with Gagne and learn what type of Fiscal Year 2016 budget details were needed from her. On this night, she was fully prepared.
Simmons presented the committee with her suggested FY16 budget and started her commentary by saying, “I have to sit down with the selectmen … I’m basically working all winter instead of the part-time job this was supposed to be…” On the worksheet she presented, the FY15 column noting her salary was set at $24,250. On the FY16 worksheet she is requesting $30,000 for her salary.
And with only marginal increases in a few categories, the harbormaster’s budget was level-funded.
Simmons noted that the electricity bill for Shipyard Park was out of control. She wondered aloud if all that consumed electricity should be allocated to the waterfront enterprise fund.
“We will break out electric used at Ned’s Point and the lights around Shipyard Park,” said Gagne. “We’ll pull some of that electric away from the harbormaster.”
Another expense that Simmons questioned was the telephone bill.
“I don’t know what I need to do,” said Simmons, regarding the $1,900 expense her department had incurred. Gagne said he would discuss investigating these costs with Verizon.
Regarding the revenue from the waterfront enterprise, Gagne said that FY16 would be the first year the account would be receiving the full excise boat tax collected. He hoped these assets would offset expenses.
On the issue of needed repairs to the wharves, Gagne said that a combination of Community Preservation funds, appropriations, and other grants would help with the multi-million dollar long-range needs of the waterfront.
Simmons and Gagne discussed winter damages to pilings associated with the wharves. Gagne said that some funding would be coming from the State’s Public Access fund, while other repairs will need to be funded locally.
Simmons’ budget totals approximately $121,408 versus an FY15 request of approximately $146,979. The big difference reflects boat equipment needs satisfied in FY15 that are not required in FY16.
Next up was the Old Rochester Regional school budget. On the evening of this meeting, the ORR School Committee was meeting at another venue to vote on their FY16 budget. Gagne presented to the Finance Committee the budget he hoped would be passed.
The total price tag for FY16 for the ORR budget stands at $12,818,923 (including transportation). In a conversation he had with ORR District Superintendent Doug White, Gagne said that White committed to work within the budget presented if the School Committee passed it.
An area of continuing concern was the OPEB obligation the School Department is facing, Gagne stated. He said that the towns had not been given an opportunity to review the audit of the school finances.
“Why aren’t we entitled to see the audit?” asked Finance Committee Chairman Patricia Donoghue. “This is baloney.”
Gagne guessed that the ORR OPEB obligation stood somewhere around $12 million, while agreeing that the towns should have visibility into the schools’ finances.
Rounding out their evening of topics, Gagne touched on several areas that affect the Town’s coffers.
He said that there was a need to increase the on-call firefighter hourly rate. Gagne said it was tough to get people during the weekdays and that it was imperative that the Fire Department has a reliable source of manpower.
The bike path will continue to require financial support from the Town. Gagne explained that the documentation required to build a bridge across the breach at Eel Pond was not unlike any other bridge funded by the state, requiring the same level of copious paperwork and engineering detail to the tune of as much as $70,000 just for that portion.
On the theme of OPEB at the municipal employee level, Gagne said he wanted to continue to put away money in that fund and bring it up from $278,000 per year to $325,000 to be on the safe side.
The aging management profile of town employees was also on his list of “things to be aware of,” as Gagne noted the average age of department heads and senior level staffing is 57 years old. He said the Town should look at succession planning now in order to be prepared with qualified personnel for the not-too-distant future.
Gagne also asked the committee to let him invite Library Director Susan Pizzolato to meet with the selectmen, whom he would also invite to the next FinCom meeting. He said he wants Pizzolato to present for herself her need for a new part-time librarian.
During Pizzolato’s FinCom presentation, she indicated that her staffing was stretched to the limit. She said that the Sunday hours had been a great success, but also caused staffing concerns. Another point she made was that the community’s need for technical expertise in the library staffing is high. Gagne asked if she could return with the selectmen to more fully express the need. Pizzolato’s return was agreed upon.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee is scheduled for April 8 at 6:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell
