Budget Committee Meeting

                                                         Non-approved Minutes

                                                                March 28, 2006

                              Monadnock Regional Middle/High School, Swanzey, NH

 

Members present: Jane Fortson, Eric Stanley, Robert Smith, N. Dion, John Tommila, Thomas Parker, Richard Bauries, Neil Moriarty, Don Arguin, George Tremblay, Jim Ells and Robert Mitchell. Absent: Neal King and Karen Cota.

Administrators Present: K. Dassau, Interim Superintendent, D. Hodgdon, Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum and L. Biron, Business Manager.

 

K. Dassau called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.  Kathy Schnyer swore in the following Budget Committee Members: G. Tremblay, J. Fortson, J. Tommila and J. Ells. K. Dassau asked that the members introduce themselves to the rest of the people present. He also explained the weighted vote. MOTION: J. Tommila MOVED to nominate N. Moriarty as Budget Committee Chair. SECOND: ??????. VOTE: 12.700/0/.815/2.485. Motion passes. N. Moriarty commented that he would like to follow up on what J. Fortson and J. Gomarlo had started. He does feel that there is increasing staff and decreasing in the student enrollment. He would like to look at this. MOTION: R. Smith MOVED to nominate T. Parker as the Vice Chair of the Budget Committee. SECOND: R. Bauries. VOTE: 12.345/0/1.170/2.485. Motion passes. T. Parker thanked the Board for their confidence. 

 

1.      Approval of the January 12, 2006 Minutes: MOTION: J. Fortson MOVED to accept the January 12, 2006 Minutes as presented. SECOND: R. Smith. VOTE: 11.428/0/2.087/2.485. Motion passes. Approval of the January 18, 2006 Minutes: MOTION: J. Fortson MOVED to accept the January 18, 2006 Minutes as presented. SECOND: T. Parker DISCUSSION: J. Fortson asked that the “Capitol J” be deleted from the minutes. VOTE on the amended motion: 10.613/0/2.902/2.485. Motion passes.

 

2.   Public Comments: N. Moriarty explained to the audience that during “Public Comments” the Budget Committee will not debate but possibly bring the public issue up at another meeting.

 

3.   School Board Liaison: No report tonight.

4.  Budget Committee Updates:

a.        Budget Oversight Subcommittee Report: N. Moriarty asked if any member would like to be on this committee to contact him.

b.        Default Budget Subcommittee Report: Once again anyone wishing to be on this committee contact N. Moriarty. R. Bauries reminded everyone that this committee meets in the morning.

5.  Discussion on the secretary: J. Fortson commented on the fact that the Budget Committee has to approach the Board each year for the secretary. MOTION: J. Tommila MOVED to continue with the Budget Committee secretary and to approach the School Board about the situation. SECOND: T. Parker. DISCUSSION: R. Bauries commented that the secretary should receive the same rate as the School Board. R. Mitchell asked if the Budget Committee has to have a motion to make this a permanent position. J. Fortson commented that we were told not to be bound to a position. MOTION: R. Mitchell MOVED to amend the motion and request that the secretary position be a regular permanent position. SECOND: E. Stanley. VOTE on the amendment: 13.515/0/0/2.485.Motion passes.  VOTE on amended motion: 13.515/0/0/2.485. Motion passes.  

 

6.      Discussion on “Ways to Save Money Subcommittee”: E. Stanley felt that it is a great idea to look at ways to save money. J. Fortson asked N. Moriarty to speak to this issue. N. Moriarty said that his vision is a joint committee consisting of the administration, School Board Members and Budget Committee Members. He suggested that possibly 50% of any savings go back to the taxpayers and the other 50% to district for maintenance items. He also said that money could not cross over years. He would like to have a kick off meeting to organize on April 11, 2006. MOTION: N. Moriarty MOVED to hold a kick off meeting on April 11, 2006 at 7:00 PM. This will be an exploratory meeting. SECOND: R. Bauries DISCUSSION: This meeting will be an organizational meeting. D. Arguin commented that a separate Budget Committee would be forming. N. Moriarty said that he does not see it as a separate committee. N. Dion commented that it would be the subcommittee to the Budget Committee to the full School Board. D. Arguin asked how this committee would be chosen. N. Moriarty said that it is open. R. Mitchell commented that there should be talk about the other committees before this one. There is a situation with the buildings. Should we be focusing on this committee or something else now?  R. Bauries commented that over the past 3 or 4 years a School Board Member should not have been on the Budget Committee. N. Dion commented that the Budget Committee needs to address the School Board when problems arise, not the administration. VOTE: 11.851/0/1.664/2.485. Motion passes.

7.      Review Meeting Schedule: J. Fortson asked that the approval for funds be put off until May. She said that by then the insurance rate would be in. K. Dassau explained that it is a variable. J. Fortson commented that they would have an idea of the balloon payment, the teachers and the insurance. K. Dassau commented that they would have a better sense of the default. L. Biron said that the insurance rate would be official in May. E. Stanley asked if the Budget Meetings would continue to be in the different areas. N. Moriarty asked the will of the Board. J. Ells asked if they accomplished anything. N. Moriarty said that it was a good idea but they did not generate enough interest. R. Smith said it was a good idea. J. Fortson said that it was helpful when it came to the maintenance list. R. Bauries commented that it was hard to hear at some of the meetings. N. Dion said that he hated to drive to the different areas. He said that the meetings need to be advertised to let people know. D. Arguin said that he is in favor of the traveling meetings. It is a matter of being open and accessible to the public. J. Ells asked if there are public comments. N. Moriarty said that there are public comments but not much debate. The Budget Committee has work to do. T. Parker said that it is important to do because it shows that the Budget Committee is interested in the towns. The next meeting will be on April 25, 2006 in Richmond. J. Ells asked if it is going to be posted. N. Moriarty said that it is posted and any local papers should inform their readers of it.

 

8.      OTHER DISCUSSION: N. Dion commented on the fact that a principal sent home a note with the children regarding the vote. He asked the administration if they approved of this. K. Dassau explained that it might have been misleading and that they will be more sensitive to this issue.

 

D. Arguin asked N. Moriarty what clearly the exploratory meeting would be and if this issue had been discussed prior to this meeting. Was this a sidebar conversation? N. Moriarty commented on the Right to Know Law and said that this was not discussed prior to this meeting. D. Arguin could not continue his comments. N. Moriarty interrupted and shut him off. MOTION: J. Tommila MOVED to accept the schedule as printed. SECOND: T. Parker. DISCUSSION: The emergency funds will be discussed in May not April. VOTE: 13.515/0/0/2.485. Motion passes.

 

9.      Public Comments: K. Dassau invited the Budget Committee to meet with K. Chambers who is the finalist for the Business Mangers position.

 

10.  Setting the agenda:

a.       Oversight and Default (Do we want these committees)

b.      Old Business

c.       New Business

 

J. Tommila commented that the Budget Committee is looking forward to working with the School Board and making some good progress. E. Stanley would encourage the Budget Committee to attend the School Board Meetings and visa versa.

 

11.  Motion to adjourn: T. Parker MOVED to adjourn the meeting at 7:20 PM. SECOND: J. Tommila. VOTE: 13.515/0/0/2.485. Motion passes.

 

Respectfully submitted, 

 

 

Laura L. Aivaliotis

MRSD Recording secretary