Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Community Room, Downstairs, Town Hall, 39 South Street, Hinsdale MA

​Posted at 8pm on 5/6/2022

Members                                   Absent                           Other                                                                                                                                                      Shaun Galliher                                                                  Bob Graves, Town Administrator                                                                                                     

Mary Rice                                                                           Ray Bolduc, Select Board     

Russ Parks                                                                          Ralph Cormier, Fire Chief                                                                             

Bonnie Conner                                                                   Fire Department, Board of Engineers members

Jim Chivers                                                                          Monica Montferret

Heather Brown

Chris Pike

The meeting was opened at 6:34 pm.

A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes  of April 21, 2022 as written. The motion passed with one abstention.

Ralph Cormier, Fire Chief, and the department's Board of Engineer members, presented their proposal to purchase a Tanker for the Department this year at an estimated cost of $570,493.00 paid in 10 payments of $57,049.30 per year. Although our Committee agrees that they need to replace the current Tanker, we cannot support the purchase this year because we simply cannot afford it. The current budget will already increase taxes with an additional few dollars on the tax rate. With valuations also set to increase, this will be an even bigger impact on the taxpayers than it already is.

Chairman Galliher tried to explain to them that they need to have a plan such as bids for the purchase, possible Grant monies available, possible beneficial financing plan, none of which are in the current Warrant article. There was a discussion on re-writing the Warrant Article, which at one point they agreed to do. As far as the Finance Committee is concerned, the commitment of funds is the issue. Without increasing taxes, it is not possible to support the purchase this year. We may be in a better position to support it next year. Finance cannot support it, as it's presented.

Chairman Galliher, Bob Graves, and the Committee went over each of the Warrant Articles and voted whether to “recommend” or “not recommend” each one. Motions were made and seconded and voted on to “recommend” Articles 1 through 5, except Article 3. That vote passed. Article 3 is the CBRSD Assessment, a motion was made and seconded “not to recommend” this, and the vote passed.

Motions were made, seconded and voted to “recommend” Articles 6 through 14 as written excepting Article 7, and that vote passed. Article 7 was amended to include Sewer 2 in the payment plan. A motion was made and seconded to accept Article 7 as amended, and the vote passed.

A motion was made and seconded “not to recommend” Article 15, the purchase of a Tanker, and the vote passed.

A motion was made and seconded “recommend” Articles 16, and the vote passed.

A motion was made and seconded to “recommend” Article 17 to pay past invoices. The vote passed. This Article needs a 4/5th vote at the ATM to pass.

A motion was made and seconded to amend Articles 18, 19, and 20, to put $50K equally in each of those Articles, Capital Stabilization, Roads Stabilization, and Stabilization accounts and the vote passed.

A motion was made and seconded to “recommend” Article 21 and the vote passed.

Article 22 did not need a vote from our Committee.

A motion was made and seconded “not to recommend” Article 23, the civic petition for road work as we already have a plan, and do not have the monies for it to be implemented in 2023.

Motions were made and seconded to “recommend” Article 24 and the vote passed. That completes the votes on the Warrant Articles for the ATM.

A motion was made and seconded approve a Reserve Fund Transfer of 12K for fuel and $4,200 for the Heating account. The motion passed.  That transfer will leave $3,800 in the Reserve Fund.

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn at 8:42 pm. The motion passed unanimously. The next Budget meeting of this Committee is Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 6:30 pm in the downstairs Community Room at Town Hall.

Respectfully submitted, Mary A. Rice, Secretary