2/10/2020 BOARD OF SELECTMEN Minutes

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9 Board of Selectmen Minutes February 10, 2020 Town Manager Rodney Collins: Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Recommendations: Town Manager Rodney C. Collins presented the Town Manager's Recommended Budget for FY2021 to the Board of Selectmen. The $61,966,072 budget is reflective on an increase of 1.5% overall, with 0.9% increase on the Town side of the budget. The School Budget of$22,778.314 represents an increase of 2.7% overall. Contract negotiations are ongoing and anticipated to be settled and funded at the May Town Meeting. The Town Manager's Recommended Budget as presented does not include the funding that may be required for collective bargaining. Funds have been set aside for this purpose from Funds Available for Appropriation or Free Cash. Town Manager Rodney C. Collins highlighted some of the expense line items as follows; Using the Cape Cod Municipal Health Group's recommendation, the Town budgeted for an anticipated 12% increase in Health Insurance. Figures have been obtained and the cost has resulted in a net increase of zero. Tuition for the Cape Cod Technical School has also decreased due to lesser enrollment, 48 students, but the assessment has increased by 3.8%. The School Superintendent will be invited to attend the next Selectmen's Meeting to review the budget and progress of the construction. The line item budget of the Finance Committee appears to have a 146.7% increase. This is reflective of a recent transfer of funds to the Transfer Station solid waste contract. Although departmental requests are down by $900,000 there are increases within the operational budget. This includes Human Resources a 7.6% increase due to required medical exams and other examinations. The IT Department is reflective of an increase in the salary/wage and expense line items. One hundred percent of the GIS salary/wage funds were transferred to Information Technology as GIS is not considered a department. Elections and Registration has increased to allow for additional elections. The budget of the Department of Natural Resources has increased substantially to support the purchase of an upweller pump system and to purchase and install surveillance cameras for security. It was suggested the Director of Natural Resources be consulted regarding the upweller system. This may be a more appropriate expense for the Special Town Meeting to get the equipment in place and operational for the benefit of the shellfish propagation program. A definitive cost would be obtained to segregate this expenditure. The sum of$500 was added to the Planning Board expense budget for professional development. The Building Expense budget has increased due to the costs of the contract for Weights and Measures with the Town of Barnstable. The Tree Warden line item has increased to conform to OSHA requirements for licensing and training. DPW is seeing an increase to allow for beach nourishment, drainage work, and for the continuation of the road maintenance plan and the pavement management study. The Veterans budget is based on prior estimates. The Engineer position has been transferred from the DPW salary/wage expense line item to the Sewer Commission salary. The Board of Selectmen agreed to take the Town Manager's Budget Recommendation for FY2021 under advisement to the March 2, 2020 Selectmen's Meeting.