ARTICLES OF THE WARRANT
FOR THE BOURNE
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
Monday
October 17, 2016
7:00 P.M.
BOURNE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
Town of Bourne
Finance Committee Report
for the
Special Town Meeting
October 17, 2016
7:00 P.M. at the BourneHigh School
Finance Committee Members
Mary Jane Mastrangelo, ChairMichele W. Ford, Co-Vice Chair
John Redman, Co-Vice Chair
Judy Conron / Brian Lemée
Renee Gratis / Karen Meehan
Rich Lavoie / William Towne
Kathleen Legacy
October 3, 2016
Introduction
It is the Finance Committee’s primary responsibility to advise Town Meeting on warrant articles and to give a report stating an opinion of agreement or concern regarding the proposed budgets, which include operating budgets and capital outlay. In addition, the Finance Committee often comments on general issues surrounding the budget, and this year is no exception.
This report is intended to give voters a summary of the overall financial condition of the Town with comments on three major articles proposed at the Special Town Meeting.
Article 1 – Peebles School Project
and
Article 5 – Police Facility Project
What will the new Police Station and Pebbles School cost?
The tax impact of the two projects combined is estimated at about 70 cents per thousand of property value. To the average taxpayer in a $398,944 home this cost is $283 per year which is 78 cents per day. The cost is based on 20 year borrowing at a 3.75% interest rate. If we can get going on these projects now, get a lower interest rate, keep at current construction costs, coordinate the bonding to reduce interim interest costs, the yearly impact on the taxpayer may be less. When the Town started working on these projects in 2009 the cost to the Town for both (after MSBA reimbursement for the school) was $24million. It is now $42 million. What will it be if we delay?
How did we let these buildings get in such disrepair?
In March of 2008 the Capital Outlay Committee toured Town Facilities. An assessment of Town Facilities was then done in 2009 by the Cecil Group. In addition to recommending replacement of four buildings and substantial repair of a fifth, the report recommended that the Town hire a Facilities Manager. The COC advocated for the position for several years before the position was put in the town budget.
After the Facilities Manager was hired by the Town, Facility Maintenance was added as a new category in the Capital Plan. Before that each Dept. head would put in the building maintenance requests. This meant that, for example, the Police Chief would decide between staff and building repairs. After the override failed in the 1990’s staff were laid off and for years staffing was the choice made by department heads. We now have a Facilities Maintenance budget in the Capital Improvement Plan of about $500,000 per year. However, if either of these projects fails the Capital Plan will end up putting money into the Police Station and/or Peebles and the other buildings will get bad as well. It takes a long time to change the way a municipality works. If we pass these two projects as debt exclusions we can put our capital plan focus on maintaining the other Town buildings.
What about the Fire Stations?
The plan for the Pocasset Fire Station is to combine the Monument Beach Station and the Pocasset Station into one Southside Fire Station. The May Town Meeting this year approved an Operations/Feasibility study for the Southside Fire needs. The new ambulances will not fit in the Pocasset bays and the floor needs significant structural work. The estimated cost for a new Southside Fire Station is about $3 - $5 Million. If the debt exclusions for the Police Station and Peebles School pass, the Southside Fire Station replacement can be done in the next few years with general debt borrowing and NO debt exclusion. If the Police and the Peebles projects don’t pass the debt exclusion vote then the capital facilities maintenance budget will be used up with the repairs needed for those buildings and the replacement of the Pocasset Fire Station will be further delayed.
The Buzzards Bay Fire Station also needs repair. There is no current plan to replace that station as repair was deemed by the Cecil Report in 2009 to be more cost effective. This year the administrative headquarters will be moved to the Sagamore Station. Recent capital plan repairs and upgrades to the Buzzards Bay Station have included: repair and upgrade of the HVAC system, bathroom repairs, sleeping quarter’s upgrades, emergency power upgrades, and the telephone system. Roof replacement is on the plan for next year (FY18).
What about declining enrollments?
Student enrollments in Bourne Public Schools have declined since 2005. However, there are now fewer schools and fewer classrooms than in 2005. Enrollments fluctuate based on many trends. Millennials have now surpassed Boomers and Gen X in the workforce. They are at the age for having children in the next 10 years. 2017-2018 enrollment projections have K-8 grade level enrollments ranging from 131 (5th grade) to 187 (2nd grade). K-2 is projected at 537, grades 3-5 at 403, grades 6-8 at 450 and 9-12 with 493 at BHS. This trend, although lower than 2005, does not indicate that student enrollments are in a continuing downward trend at this time. There are more students projected in grades K-2 than in grades 3-5 and an enrollment projection of 153 students per grade for the new 460 student Peebles School makes sense. MSBA (the Mass School Building Authority) did the enrollment projections on size of school needed for the new grade 3 - 5 Peebles School as part of the Feasibility study.
Will there be another operational override request?
There is no current plan for an operational override in the near future. The Town made the budget cuts that needed to be made and is keeping budget expense increases in line with increases in revenue.
The Town is implementing Priority Based Budgeting for the operations budget. It is in the second year of a three year implementation plan. The biggest change that has been made is in the Sources and Uses document that presents the budget revenues vs. expenses. Last year FinCom made a change in the formatting to separate out the use of Free Cash so the increase in revenues without Free Cash can be compared to the increase in expenses. This has made budgeting more transparent and will help prevent the need for an override in the future. If a budget increase is requested we can now ask: “What is the additional revenue that will be used to fund this additional expense?” For example, there is a request at the Special Town Meeting for $36,168 for additional staff in the Town Planner’s office, but there will be a $36,168 reduction in staff at the Council on Aging to offset the increase. These are the tough budget decisions that are being made.
Why two projects now?
The Police deserve a new facility. Children should be learning in a school building that doesn’t have leaking roofs and buckets catching rain in the classrooms, doesn’t have music classes in old locker room showers, and doesn’t have the risk of an addition settling that would disrupt plumbing and heating lines. The Town has delayed both projects for years and both are important. This is not a contest. It is about providing adequate facilities for police and school children. If we do pass these two projects now we can handle the fire dept. facility needs without debt exclusions. If we don’t pass them we are in for years of paying for repairs that don’t solve problems but only cause more problems in other buildings that won’t get the attention they need.
Over 100 school projects apply for MSBA funding each year and only about 10 get approved for funding. This is Bourne’s opportunity. It took us years to get here and if we miss the opportunity now it may be another 5 – 10 years before we can address the needs at Peebles and by then the cost will be higher.
It will never cost less to replace our Police Station and Peebles School and the 78 cents a day that it will cost the average taxpayer is less than the cost of a cup of coffee. If you are thinking of voting “no” take a tour of the facilities and become an informed voter before doing so. Supporting both projects will get the
Town of Bourne moving forward on a solid capital plan.
Article 8 - Adjustment FY17 Budget $ 65,680
The FY17 Budget approved at the Annual Town Meeting included Revenue increases of 3.49% over FY16 and Expenditure increases of 4.04% over FY16.
Some highlights of the FY 17 Budget approved in May were:
- FY17 increased the budget for Snow and Ice from $92,900 to $338,000. This is close to the five year average for Snow and Ice expense and will help avoid future budget deficits in the Snow and Ice account.
- Continued most of the personnel reductions that were implemented after the failed override. These personnel reductions have put a strain on operations and have resulted in staff in higher paid supervisory positions doing administrative work more suited to a lower paid employee.
At the time the FY17 budget was developed there were several positions and budgets that were of concern and were earmarked for possible adjustment in the fall if the FY16 year-end closing was positive. These included:
- $12,180 for additional hours for the Town Clerk support – from 19 to 35 hours. These hours had previously been in the budget and were paid for with increased fees. This adjustment will reinstate the Town Clerk support staff hours to the prior level.
- $36,168 for additional Support Staff for the Town Planner – this position will provide administrative support to Planning, Conservation and Engineering where there has been no administrative support in recent years. It is the transfer of a position from Council on Aging.
- $18,500 for additional funding for the Library to maintain certification.
The Proposed Budget Adjustment in Article 8 includes these items as well as $25,000 for the Board of Selectmen to work on a Strategic Plan, $5,000 to save the historic Buzzards Bay National Bank sign, and $5,000 for Town Planner expenses.
The budget adjustments will be paid for with Free Cash. Although this will increase the use of Free Cash for the FY17 budget, Free Cash was certified at $6,714,795 as of July1,2016 which is above policy and an increase over the amount that was projected for Free Cash at the Annual Town Meeting.
Initial projections for revenue and new growth for FY17 are positive and the Town is maintaining its solid financial footing.
Respectfully submitted,
The Finance Committee, Town of Bourne
STATEMENT OF THE MODERATOR
TOWN MEETING PROCEDURES
THE PLAYERS
As you face the front of the auditorium, you see on the stage various officials and resource people in the following approximate positions: In the middle is the Moderator, an elected town official who conducts the meeting. Beside to your left and behind him is the Town Clerk and staff who record the proceedings. Seated from left to right: Finance Committee; School Committee; Planning Board; Town Administrator and Board of Selectmen; and, Town Counsel, to the right of the Moderator.
WHO MAY VOTE?
All registered voters of the Town of Bourne who have been checked in at the registration desks, and who display their identification tag.
THE QUORUM
One hundred twenty five (125) voters present constitute a quorum required for commencing the business of Town Meeting. Once the meeting opens, the quorum drops to one hundred (100) voters.
THE WARRANT
The official listing of articles compiled, publicly posted and distributed to
voters at Town Meeting.
ARTICLES
Articles are the individual subjects to be acted on by Town Meeting. They have been submitted by Town Boards and Departments, by the Selectmen, and by private petition endorsed by ten or more registered voters (for an annual town meeting) or one hundred or more registered voters (for a special town meeting).
ORDER OF BUSINESS
The Moderator determines when a quorum is present and calls the meeting to order. Following the pledge of allegiance and invocation, the Moderator reviews the basic rules under which the meeting will be conducted. Special Resolutions, if any, are presented and acted upon. With some exceptions, articles are called by lottery, discussed, and voted upon. This procedure is followed for each article until the warrant has been completed. If necessary, due to time constraints, additional meetings will be scheduled.
MOTIONS
When an article reaches the floor, the Moderator will usually ask if the Finance Committee has a recommendation and a motion to offer. This is because Town Bylaw requires the Finance Committee to review and make recommendations on all articles in the warrant. On articles presented by the Planning Board, the Moderator will ask them to present a motion and their official report. The Finance Committee will then make its recommendation. Motions not related to subjects in the warrant or to the conduct of the meeting are not permitted.
INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT
A motion to indefinitely postpone action on an article is a motion not to take positive action at this town meeting.
NEGATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
If the action recommended by the Finance Committee on an article other than zoning bylaw articles is negative, the Moderator will ask if any voter present wishes to make a positive motion. If so, the person making the motion must also be prepared to submit the motion in writing to the Moderator.
AMENDMENTS
Any voter present may request to be recognized by the Moderator for purposes of offering an amendment to any motion under discussion. The motion to amend must be in writing and include the specific words to be deleted in the original motion as well asthose to be substituted.
PARTICIPATION
If you have a question of clarification concerning an article or motion under discussion, or wish to participate in such discussion, please do so. To be recognized by the Moderator, raise your hand or if necessary, stand in place. When recognized, step to the nearest microphone as quickly as possible and state your name. Speak slowly and clearly into the microphone. Be as concise and brief as possible, and by all means stick to the point at hand.
VOTING
Generally, after appropriate motion and discussion, if any, the Moderator will call for a voice vote. If he is not clear as to which response constitutes a majority, he will call for a standing vote, which will be counted by designated checkers. On votes requiring other than a majority, if the result is not unanimous, a standing vote is required. On certain occasions, a secret ballot may be taken if requested by at least 15 registered voters.
DEFINITIONS
For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with some of the financial terms appearing in or used in the course of considering various articles, the following much simplified definitions maybe helpful:
GENERAL FUND
The account in which general and/or undesignated revenues are deposited for use in paying the general expenses of the Town.
STABILIZATION FUND
Monies appropriated by the Town to fund capital expenditures for equipment, land, or large-scale projects or for any other lawful purposes. An appropriation both into and from the Stabilization Fund requires a 2/3 vote.
RESERVE FUND
Monies appropriated by the Town to cover extraordinary or unforeseen expenses during the fiscal year as approved by the Finance Committee.
FREE CASH
The amount of the Town’s surplus revenue over and above uncollected taxes of prior years.
RAISE AND APPROPRIATE
The authority voted by the Town to raise by taxation and spend Town Funds for purposes stated in various articles in the warrant. The dollar amount, which can be raised by taxation, is limited by the state law known as “Proposition 21/2”. After the setting of the tax rate, no funds may be raised and appropriated by taxation at a special town meeting.
TAX LEVY
The maximum amount of money that by State law may be raised through property taxes in any given year. The Tax Levy is by far the largest of a number of revenue sources for the Town, accounting for over half of the total. The maximum tax levy is limited by Proposition 2 1/2.
TAX RATE
The dollar amount per $1000 of property valuation required to collect the Tax Levy through property tax bills.
THE BOURNE RULE
The "Bourne Rule" controls unlimited spending by town meeting in violation of Proposition 21/2. The rule, adopted at the beginning of town meeting by resolution, requires any amendment seeking funding in excess of the amount recommended by the Finance Committee to state an equal dollar reduction in another appropriation or appropriations in order to maintain all spending in balance so that the tax levy will not exceed the maximum levy limit imposed by Proposition 21/2.