On January 25, Town Administrator Michael Gagne and the members of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee met to begin the budget review process for FY18.
While each department they met with on this night had its own narrative to supplement spreadsheets, there were a couple of reoccurring themes: succession planning and the use of technology.
From Brenda Herbeck, treasurer and tax collector, the committee members learned that a new software package is in the process of being launched that will allow municipal employees online viewing and interactive functions related to healthcare coverage and retirement planning.
“Hopefully, they’ll be more aware of their benefits,” Herbeck said.
Gagne added that, by giving employees easier and more timely access to healthcare information, the employee would be able to answer their own questions versus calling the one person in town hall currently designated to oversee all matters related to insurance coverage.
“This single staff member is inundated daily and unable to do other things,” Gagne said.
With the new portal from Mass Mutual, employees will have real-time answers to their questions.
Herbeck also said that improvements had been made to online tax payments. She explained that an earlier version only allowed bills to be paid online within the 30-day grace period. Now, tax bills may be paid after the due date as the system will update interest to outstanding bills every 24 hours.
Regarding the treasurer/tax collector’s office, the FY18 budget is pegged at $225,725, just over $3,000 from FY17. The increase is primarily due to contractual increases.
Up the corridor from the tax office, Kathleen Costello, administer of assessing, is also pleased with technology that has aided in making complex issues more easily understood by property owners.
Costello lauded the efforts of staff member Nick Nelson, whose role as data collector and GIS coordinator has brought the department into the 21st century.
“We are able to do everything consistently for the resident,” she said. With uniformity in the process of evaluating properties, Costello continued, abatements are declining.
Costello pointed to the fact that during her first year in Mattapoisett, abatements ran as high as 200. Now she said, “We’ve done twenty-two in spite of property values skyrocketing.”
“An educated taxpayer is one who isn’t going to try and seek an abatement…. People like the GIS system,” she said.
On the theme of succession planning, Costello said that Mia Robinson, formerly of the tax collector’s office, has been able to come up to speed very quickly in the assessor’s office. Robinson will be pursuing certification through MAAO and will be in-line to replace Costello when she retires.
Gagne said that the selectmen have come to appreciate the importance of identifying those municipal employees who show interest and aptitude in advancing their careers. This allows the junior staff members to train under the tutelage of senior staff members for greater continuity in service to the community.
Of the GIS system, Costello said that in the coming months the council of aging, water and sewer, safety personnel and building department will all be trained and using the GIS system. Costello did not present a spreadsheet.
From the town hall’s second floor, Director of Inspectional Services Andy Bobola shared big changes coming to his department.
“The biggest change,” Bobola said, “is the ninth edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code.” He said the updated code and standards manual is a mandated document and that this edition makes significant changes in the areas of plumbing, framing structures located in flood zones, and a new energy code.
Bobola said that the new code would affect every segment of his department including administrative staff members.
Bobola said he is just starting with the GIS system, but that the system will be critical to online permitting that he sees coming in the near future.
Bobola and Gagne discussed the development of a video library that could be accessed on the town’s website; the videos would help property owners understand the permitting process and the importance of inspectional services for the safety of their homes.
“The more we educate the public, the better,” Gagne said.
The building department is also looking to provide professional development opportunities to its staff members with Bobola saying Robin Shufelt has excelled in the transition to the GIS program.
Bobola said Shufelt is advancing in her duties towards becoming the administrative assistant to the inspectional services department. He also applauded Mary Lynch for the work she is doing.
Bobola said that a new part-time inspector in training, Stephen Broto, has come aboard.
Gagne also shared his appreciation for the work done by the zoning board of appeals that Bobola directly assists. Gagne said, “I think they’ve done a great job, especially with some of the large contentious hearings … keeping them civil.”
Bobola’s spreadsheet also shows an increase of approximately $27,488 over FY17, primarily reflective of increases in training, conferences, in-state travel, and contractual commitments.
A stone’s throw away up Church Street, the council on aging continues to see greater demand for services.
Jackie Coucci, director of the Mattapoisett COA, presented a summary of activities and a spreadsheet of expenses associated with providing a myriad of services to the town’s aging population.
And, given the sheer volume of people reaching out to the COA for assistance in areas such as tax and Medicare information, medical rides, social services, enrichment programs, shopping trips, and medical equipment, Coucci is concerned about staffing.
“The census showed in 2016 that thirty-five percent of Mattapoisett residents were sixty years of age or older,” Coucci said. “We are serving just over a third of the population.” She continued, “The 2020 projections show Mattapoisett ahead of all other communities in Plymouth County,” in terms of aging residents she added.
Given this, Coucci said being able to provide continuity in services was critical.
“I’m just one person,” she stated.
In the narrative she provided, Coucci wrote, “…[S]hould there be an unexpected absence, having someone available to serve full-time will enable responsibilities to be rendered without concern.”
She asked that the committee consider increasing the number of hours the part-time administrative coordinator works by adding five hours per week, making that position full-time. Gagne said that a review of that position would be forthcoming.
In spite of requesting more hours for a staff member and contractual agreements, the COA budget shows a bottom line of approximately $121,503 or $1,523 over FY17.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee is scheduled for February 1 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell