Finance Committee - Regular Meeting

seconding in progress the first is article one and it's to accept Town reports this is um for the newer members we this is kind of a standard one that that we do every year just to accept the town reports that um that Dan sent out earlier today so if everyone is all set could I get a motion to recommend some of I just have one comment I'm sorry Christina comment Kristen I was looking at the Town report and I just glancing at all the committee names that are there the ones for the finance committee I see my name is on there but John Leer's name is not on there and there are some people who are no longer on the committee there so the town reports are as ofal 24 report so as of it ends June 30th 2024 okay all right so we have to be careful about that all right so I I just snuck in before the end of the last I remember that okay thank you no problem any questions no okay all right so Dennis made a motion to recommend could I get a second or did I get a second second oh thanks Shelby okay so all in favor I'll do roll call Hari yes Dennis I Beth I John leers I Shinji hi John frier hi Shelby I Nate I and I'm an I so that passes unanimous ly okay and the next one Article 5 is listed um we did vote on it last time but there have been a just two slight modifications one under technology the school computers um increased by $20,000 so it went from 360,000 to 380,000 um and Dan correct if I'm wrong but I

believe that's because we got some fresher quotes in is that correct yeah U Mike Wells got updated a quote with newer model uh the good news is the warranty's extended an additional uh two years with the the new quotes So Okay and then the other thing is that I think originally on our last meeting the wa lights were listed on there because CPA hadn't reconsidered them um so if everyone is okay with the with that change um we actually don't need to vote again because nothing has has really shifted that much um does anyone have any questions or okay all right so our vote stands from last time I believe it was unanimous um okay article six is to approve supplemental appropriation for construction of the past treatment plants and this one is actually being recommended to um be dismissed because the additional funding is not needed um I don't know if anyone has questions Dan I think you sent something out explaining that yeah just in an email uh basically the bids came in favorable um there were two add alternates that are not being funded through this uh at this time that may be reconsidered at a future town meeting uh but the base project that was proposed did come under which is good news Dennis just a question where does that money now go we going to put it into free cash or what there there's no money it's just we had a debt authorization for 24.5 million at last year's annal toown meeting so if it comes in under budget we just borrow less okay um if there are no other are there any other

questions nope okay so could I get a mo a um recommendation to dismiss so this is a recommendation to support the dismissal right the is it is it to to dis how do we word this is it to dismiss the article or recommend dismissal recomend recommend dismissal has been the historical okay so recommend dismissal I'm move it all right second thank you and roll call all in favor um Hari yeah Dennis hi Beth I John leers I Shinji hi John frier I Shelby I Nate I and I'm an I so that passes unanimously as well okay article8 um the community preservation recommendation so we reviewed all most of these last time the only sort of new one is um the wa lighting which CPA um decided to fund or to to recommend to to fund um as I looked down the list of projects um does anyone have questions on any of these that was the uh outstanding question that meline had with um CPA in Boston is that correct yeah right yeah okay so she's got the okay yes and they voted to recommend it on their meeting Monday night I believe it was okay so if you look at the warrant now um that line has been added in 350,000 for wa lighting field

lighting okay okay um I do see a question from the audience um sorry I'm just kind of reading it well I'll just I'll just read it um so this is from hea Heather Fitzpatrick for the gold Farm article I don't think we in this so this is on the CPA this is the metal Brook Farm I don't think we know if any Westford residents benefited and it's too late to get that info but I would caution the committee on this with a tight budget many in town do not have an appetite to support private companies this is not the only working farm Drew Boston and Greenwood are all farms in town uh this Farm runs runs camps schools and Boards horses through good picking farm previously it was another popular School Camp um okay so I don't know if anyone has any any thoughts on that um I can just provide some reminders for those board members who were on last year and uh those who are new so the community preservation committee did vote to uh support an article a year and a half or two years ago for the farm to expand to um grow squash um I was actually out there for a a ceremony this past fall where they showed us the harvesting process they had built um a silo Associated that with that using CPC funds so this ask my understanding is to extend Plumbing for additional irrigation associated with that previous CPC ask so it is related to something that CPC had already um supported U I'd also note that CPC is is separate from the general fund and separate from any debt exclusions or any uh other debt that we have it's a

specific account that we do get funds from the state and from our taxpayers through your CPC tax um so just want to remind the finance committee members that it is somewhat a separate account than the standard Town budget can I can I just ask for clarification is this the the one that's uh I'm just make sure right number here um $15,000 dollar or so yeah 15,600 okay the Meadow Brook Farm yeah okay so I mean just just looking at at what's on here anyways to me it talks about this also helping with food insecurity for the community uh which is a serious issue as well as the opportunity to participate in the process so seem seems to me it certainly does benefit West Residence my understanding is that some of the produce did go to our food pantry I can confirm that with Jennifer I don't have that information this evening but I seem to recall that that was the case yeah but but I guess the question is will whoever's using the land use it to make a profit as a private company that was really I think Heather's question if I correctly well yeah and I think her her point is that um there are other things going on on that land that that good pick and farm that is um generating Revenue I don't I don't know if they're a nonprofit I don't know Kristen do you know if metal Brook Farm is a is a nonprofit I would have to look that up I don't know it off the top of my head okay I I don't neily have an objection to this all right because frankly I'd rather the houses w built on any land like that but it is a question that the

CP you know the community preservation account is funded by the taxpayers and if a private company's going to get you know benefit from that in terms of making a profit it's an issue sure I yeah I share that concern too Dennis yeah I recall having a conversation with uh is Mr West kevich who um supports that about two years ago when he first came forward he uh as I recall he reported to me that this is strictly a nonprofit operation so I just want to put that on the record I got it directly from the from the F person who's benefiting by this any other questions or comments okay um so unless we want to break any of these out which I'm kind of not hearing that that um could I get a motion to recommend article 8 approve Community preservation committee recommendations so moved and Dennis was that you that seconded I'll second it okay thank you all in favor Hari hi Dennis hi Beth hi John leffers hi Shinji hi John frier hi Shelby I Nate I and I'm an I so that passes um okay so old business um anything that we still need followup on I think we've gotten just about everything Dennis yes I have uh I just have an issue I hope that maybe uh both Dan or Chris could address

um and it's just a it's just a kind of an informational question but it has to do with um with the library um you know we had a conversation last week and and you know we were talking about potential uh new debt and things like that it became very uh clear that you know there's some concerns about the debt and I wanted to uh I you know I got some information I think it was from a meeting that we had in with the finance committee that um the continued funding State funding for that library is dependent upon state certification and um I am concerned that um as to what specific requirements the state is is expecting us to fulfill so that we may cont we may be able to continue to get that additional funding so if somebody can address that I'd be very very grateful Dan or Kristen Kristen um I'll let Dan take that he's been working with Len rainville uh it's called the they are and we've been requesting a waiver we've been granted a waiver for fiscal 25 we expect to request a waiver for fiscal 26 and be granted and expect to be in good standing for fiscal 27 but I'll let Dan go through the details of that all right so the the current short shortfall in the FY 26 budget is about $75,000 away from the M um however we do have an unsettled contract for the CWA employees and the OPI employees who are both within the library budget uh the actual settlement might be close at 75,000 however I think it' be my recommendation that we fund to get to that minimum recommendation minimum Reserve just so we don't have to file for a wave or two so um it's going to be close based on the collective bargaining but um or I think the our intent is to fund it so we don't run any risk of losing that state funding so so here's my concern about this okay we have a u

supposedly a joint partnership with the commw Massachusetts which we have several joint Partnerships with the schools with the with a few other things and it's now CLE as you just stated that this is dependent upon a contract settlement now that can be problem problematic and um I just want to make sure do I understand that that we have to they have to they they're guaranteed a certain minimum off this or we don't get the certification or am I am I hearing that wrong if if we don't hit that minimum number then we have to apply for a waiver so the goal would be not to have to apply for the waiver we're not at risk I'm just GNA just to clarified for you Dennis it doesn't mean that that $75,000 needs to be spent on salaries it's just the the library budget as a whole correct Dan yep so so this so this isn't it's not necessarily contingent on the contract negotiations it's how much we're spending on our library like how much is in that line item budget the overall budget of the library that sense whether it's whether it's direct or indirect um it still is it's not it's not it's a conditional it sounds like a conditional offer from the Commonwealth um that can be pulled back if we don't meet certain requirements which include uh which could include not directly but could include contract negotiations and that's that's that's a uh that's a concern uh either they give them they give it or they don't you you know yeah I mean I I I hear your I definitely hear your concern um I mean we're not meeting that number this year but we got the waiver so we could we could apply next year for the waiver as well but you know well I mean the only the only thing I would end says I don't want I know that Chris has a lot in her plate she's

dealing with a lot of U in Union and the last thing that I would like as a citizen is to know that she has to go in there with a back of head with some some sort of a little implication that this could have an effect on whether or not we have the the waiver and I think that's that's to me is out of the uh it should be out of the bounds of that type of agreement but I'm just expressing that to you and um you know it's on the record so that's all I want no it's it's a good point it I mean there's definitely a lot of requirements for the library that you know get get sort of uh thrust upon us a little bit I mean some of them are fine but I hear you but they I just want to make CLE make sure I get it straight they do do they expect a certain minimum salary being paid to these people for it to be qualified no no it's the the total it's not minimum and there are many many other employees in the town in that Union um the library has a very small amount percentage in that Union okay thank you any other old business I think the only thing I'm still waiting for Dan and I know you're kind of catching up um is the number of the Food Service employees um and that dollar figure for benefits yeah I've put all my efforts into the fincom book this week I did start it I'll work with Jenny on that next week and we'll have something for you yep thanks no I I that's totally fine I just wanted to just plug the just as a reminder um okay so any other I think we're all set with old business anything else okay um finance committee um report discussion so like this is um for our report anyone have any issues anyone not going to be done

with their section by tomorrow all in I will get it Mine by end of today yeah I I may need to Saturday okay for risk um yeah that's that's that's that's why we have the the date so you know kind of far ahead but yeah um okay so maybe Saturday and Harry what did you say do you need like maybe an extra day or no no no Dan sent Dan sent me an offline copies which I should be able to uh I just I had problem with online copies gotcha okay um and John frier is going going to be our proof reader this year thank you so much for for volunteering for that I figured I probably that's more spare time than just about anybody else but you Dennis so if he has any questions he may he may reach out um God bless you well I read it all last year so I figured I could read it again this year no it's it's good to have somebody new do it because sometimes you you know you you know you're can't see the forest with the trees kind of a thing you're writing something and you're like oh yeah I should have explained that read what you expect to read right exactly exactly all right um if we're all set on that we'll go on to the approval of minutes um anyone have everyone have a chance to take a look at our February 13th minutes yep um could I get a motion to approve those please don't move all right one of you can John you can take the so moved and Hari can take the second um all in favor Hari hi

Dennis hi Beth hi John leers hi Shinji hi John frier hi Shelby hi Nate hi and I'm an I so that passes as well um all right I don't think I mean our board and committee updates I unless there's something that has happened in the last week or so I feel like we're we're set there um there uh Dan Dan maybe we could do an update on the just quickly for the committee because there is a change on the finances for the ins trust oh yes um we actually and I was unable to attend uh because I was at a conference and they needed an emergency meeting but Dan and I talked on Friday about it so if you could just brief what what what happened that' be great sure so on the uh the stop- loss insurance we we got bids back last month and uh you know we had originally recommended that we go with um a plus 200,000 stop loss limit uh however um they took into consideration some new information and we're were able to get a lower rate with a $150,000 stop loss limit that went to the board on Tuesday night so it's great news um they they took into consideration somebody that um had a change in their their medical situation so uh that was very favorable and also happy to announce that um as of this month our our total funding for the health insurance trust exceeded 3.7 million so we just surpassed our Target so oh good good news all around okay so Dan so our our stop loss now is 15,000 instead of the 200 that we originally recommended oh okay it was it was 150 it was 125 last year or 125 last year we considering 200 we were considering 200 got at my last update that I provided to

the committee um which was still going to be a very large increase after uh presenting additional data they came back and resubmitted some bids that allowed the trust to go with the one recommend the 150 um at uh at at a lower rate than what we were looking at for the 200 so very good very good job fabulous um if there's no other updates our future meetings um we we're not going to need one on March 13th so next time we will see each other will be March 22nd at town meeting yep on the floor toown meeting um I think the new people were there last we there last time we we sit at a table no you were not okay I was okay so a finance committee sits at a table sort of towards the front of the room so just come come find our table do we first check in yes yeah there'll be a special check-in table for you um the moderator and the clerk set aside a table just for elected offical and appointed officials who need to to be in that room okay thank you yeah so we'll be guaranteed in the in the gym and you can bypass the line if there's a line so okay all right um if that's everything I'll take a motion to adjourn just a good job to Chris and for Dan is as they always do their hard work keeping the town together you guys work hard and very appreciative yeah great job especially after the rough year we had last year thank you so motion to adjourn so move second second all in favor I I I goodbye bye everyone see you in a few

weeks e