Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the April 27, 2023 Finance Committee 

Members                                   Absent                                      Other                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Shaun Galliher                         Russ Parks                       Bob Graves, Town Administrator                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Jim Chivers                               Tracey Lussier                                     

Bonnie Conner                                                                      

Mary Rice                                                                            

Heather Brown                                                                              

Candy Galeucia                                                                             

Sarah Baumann

The meeting was opened at 6:33 pm. 

A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes of the April 20, 2023 meeting as written.  The motion passed unanumously. 

Chairman Galliher, Bob Graves and the Committee went over each one the Draft Warrant Articles.  There are a few figures that need to be adjusted but those will not change the intended content of the Article and the adjustments are minimal.

Article 3, C, I.  CBRSD Assessment.  A motion was made and seconded NOT to recommend the CBRSD Assessment of $2,684,535.00. This is an increase of $115,966.00 over last year's assessment to Hinsdale.  We had asked the School Committee to try to revisit the Budget and make some cuts and they basically refused to do so.  

Article 7.  Winter Roads.  A transfer from Free Cash and Stabilization to balance the Winter Roads budget can be ammended at the ATM if needed.

Article 11.  Fire Department Tanker.  There was a discussion concerning the Town's portion of the cost for the Tanker.  Bob will draft a Warrant Article and present it to Legal to make sure it is written correctly.  It will authorize the Select Board, at this meeting, an option to borrow up to, and not to exceed $155K for our portion.  This will be an option only at this time and possibly eliminate the need for a SPTM in the near future.  The monies that were to be allocated may be needed in other areas and we want to be careful not to drain the Capital Stabilization.  This would be a back up plan in case we do not get the 35% USDA Grant, or the total 35%.

Article 16 – Outstanding 2022 bill $55.45 in Highway. This will be removed  because  the tranfer from Free Cash is not needed.  Funds can be taken from another line item.

Article 17, 18, and 19 do not require a Finance Committee vote.

A motion was made and seconded to recommend all the Articles in the Draft Warrant as discussed, with the acception of the CBRSD Assessment. The motion passed unanimously.

Bob will include explainations of the Articles, and our recommendations, with the final Warrant at the ATM on May 10, 2023, at 7:00 pm in the Gym at Kittredge School. 

The Select Board will meet next week to review and make their recomentations on the Draft Warrant.

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn at  8:01 pm, the motion passed unanimously.  The next  meeting of this Committee is Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 6:30 pm in the downstairs Community room at Town Hall.  

Respectfully submitted,

Mary A. Rice, Secretary