Budget Committee Meeting

                                                         Non-approved Minutes

                                                                  May 23, 2006

                                     Mt. Caesar Elementary School, Swanzey, NH

 

Members present: Jane Fortson, Eric Stanley, Robert Smith, John Tommila, Thomas Parker, Richard Bauries, Neil Moriarty, George Tremblay, Jim Ells, Don Arguin and Robert Mitchell. Absent: Richard Thackston, Norman Dion and Andrew Bueckner.

Administrators Present: K. Dassau, Superintendent, D. Hodgdon, Assistant Superintendent and L. Biron, Business Manager.

 

1.      Approval of the April 26 2006 Minutes: MOTION: J. Fortson MOVED to accept the April 26, 2006 Minutes as presented. SECOND: J. Tommila. VOTE: 10.390/0/.815/3.307. Motion passes.

 

1a.Communications: N. Moriarty commented that the letter from K. Dassau was in the packets.

 

2.  Public Comments: D. Arguin, speaking as a citizen, commented on a previous incident that occurred at a Budget Committee Meeting. He explained that he had been shut off by the chair of the Budget Committee. He felt that the public should be concerned. He said that the credibility of the committee should not be flushed down the toilet. He said that the incident occurred two meetings ago and he was unable to continue with his point. He also commented that the chair is also on the taxpayers committee, which he felt is a conflict. E. Stanley said that he does understand about the not being able to continue but commented that D. Arguin’s wife works in the district. J. Tommila asked if D. Arguin felt that the credibility is flushed down the toilet then why serve?  D. Arguin said that he would like to make things better. 

 

3.  Status of paying the committee secretary: N. Moriarty asked that J. Kenyon, the Board rep. bring this issue back to the Board. K. Dassau commented that she is being paid when she submits the bill. There is no issue.

 

4. Sub-Committee Organization: Savings Committee: The Savings Committee has not met.

4aSub-Committee Reports: Oversight Committee: N. Moriarty reported that K. Dassau was going to look at the concern about the same person making purchases and signing for them.

5. Discussion on Mailing of political documents: N. Moriarty commented that the Budget Committee felt that B. Tatro bent the rules when a political mailing was sent from her office. K. Dassau reported that the Board discussed the issue in length. N. Moriarty asked if the employees have received the message. K. Dassau reported that everyone is aware. K. Dassau asked if it was the PTO Newsletter that they were referring to. E. Stanley commented that it was Notes from B. Tatro’s office. K. Dassau explained that the employees would be told through the building principals.

6. Application to budget committee to approve the District to execute Over expenditures per RSA 32-11 section 1: N. Moriarty reviewed the information from the hand out titled For MRSD Budget Oversight Committee May 1, 2006 Projections.

 

     R. Smith arrives at 7:30 PM.

 

     N. Moriarty asked if anyone had questions on the hand out. It was asked if there was significance on the Feb. 1, 2006 and the May 1, 2006 dates. N. Moriarty said that there was not much of significance. R. Mitchell asked why the Budget Committee was addressing the deficit now. K. Dassau explained that historically this is the time. He is not sure if there is an optimal process. L. Biron and K. Dassau came to the Board to ask to overspend the deficit of $210,000.00. R. Bauries commented on the warrant article that informed the public of the deficit. J. Fortson commented that she asked the Board to rewrite the article and they did. R. Bauries asked why this deficit was not in the budget. L. Biron commented that at the time we were not asking the public for the money. MOTION: J. Fortson MOVED to accept the $570,132 overspending coming from revenue as detailed in the worksheet. SECOND: D. Arguin. DISCUSSION: T. Parker said that he is opposed to this motion. He said that the $110,000.00 should have come out of the deficit. N. Moriarty commented that the Budget Committee voted on this amount in a public hearing. R. Mitchell commented that he is not sure that the committee is not doing what the voters asked for. R. Mitchell felt that the motion should be approved. N. Moriarty said that the $210,000.00 is in excess of the budget and just one big pile of money to use from school to school. T. Parker commented that statutorily you could not overspend the budget. We should set the example. D. Arguin commented that we are not the only district with this issue. N. Moriarty commented that this should have been dealt with much earlier. K. Dassau said that he asked to meet earlier and thought the Budget committee said to do it later. J. Fortson said that they wanted to wait. She said that she will approve and do this but would not expect this to happen again. K. Dassau commented that some districts under estimate spec. ed. and do this every year. J. Fortson does not want this to happen again. She suggested that the insurance savings be set aside for an emergency. She will be saying no to anything next year. R. Bauries commented that they are overstaffed, to many administrators and enrollment is dropping. He said that if we rubber stamp it we are just as bad as they are. The taxpayers have been very good over the years. He said that if we rubber stamp it we are not doing our jobs. E. Stanley asked about the insurance. J. Fortson explained that it would reflect next year. R. Mitchell commented that too much staff and fat in the budget are good topics at budget time. He said that this is not the time or the place. J. Fortson commented that the spending has been frozen and steps have been taken. She said that Spec. Ed. is a wild card and the septic is not  a problem. R. Mitchell asked how he would know that this would not happen again. L. Biron explained that the Budget Committee cut out $1 million dollars plus out of the budget and we are coming in at less than $210,000.00. He said that the Budget Committee should be patting them on the back. J. Fortson asked to move the question. R. Bauries commented that this is not a cut in the budget but in the increase. K. Dassau explained that the RSA allows you the right to grant this. T. Parker read RSA 32:11(b). He explained that if it is overspent you might be taken to court. J. Fortson asked to move the question. VOTE: 6.70/5.993/0/3.307. Motion passes.

7. Other discussions as desired: J. Fortson asked about the initial proposal adjusted warrant for 2006-2007. This issue is still being revised.

8. Superintendent’s comments: K. Dassau thanked the Budget Committee for approving the request. He commented that 2/3rds of the Oversight Committee voted against the motion. He asked the role of the Oversight Committee. He would request the practice of the Oversight Committee. R. Bauries asked L. Biron for the vote again. He also said that if people attended the Oversight Committee meetings they would have voted this past motion down. J. Ells commented on the fact that L. Biron read the names of the members and their votes and R. Bauries sat there and shook his head. R. Bauries said that he would shake his head whenever. N. Moriarty asked for the commented to go through the chair. 

9.  Chairman comments: No comments.

10. Public Comment Period: The Budget Committee told L. Biron that it was nice working with him. The Budget Committee applauded L. Biron.

11. Set Agenda:

1.      Adopted Budget (if available)

2.      Budget Oversight

3.      Savings (if you would like to be on this committee meet after the meeting)

12. Motion to adjourn: G. Tremblay MOVED to adjourn the meeting at 8:31 PM. SECOND: E. Stanley. VOTE: Unanimous for those present.  Motion passes.

 

Respectfully submitted, 

 

 

Laura L. Aivaliotis

MRSD Recording secretary