DUBLIN BUDGET COMMITTEE
Minutes – January 22, 2006 Meeting
Present: Nancy Campbell, Judy Knapp, Tracey McTague, Rich Scheinblum - Chairman, Ken Woods and Michael Walker, Selectman
Also present: Bill Raymond
Absent: Charles Champagne
Meeting was called to order by Rich Scheinblum at 7:40 a.m. Minutes of the January 17, 2006 meeting were accepted as written, with the understanding that the Committee would like a clarification of what is covered in Police Uniforms-does this include vests.
Rich Scheinblum handed out budget reduction comparisons between the Budget Committee and Selectmen. The Committee decided to review the budget line by line for any reductions. Tracey McTague suggested a review of 0% variance lines, where review has perhaps been overlooked.~Each line should be reviewed on its own merit, and if spending can be reduced it should done be at every level - including the smaller line items.
Selectmen agreed with no raises for the Treasurer (4150.1-130) and Selectmen (4130.1-130). This will also reduce the Social Security and Medicare lines.
No raise for Archivist (4130.1-140). Motion not to accept this reduction, seconded and passed with 1 abstention.
Election salaries- Social Security (4140.2-220) and Medicare (4140.2-225) – Can be reduced, we don’t need to pay these items because, the with exception of two workers, the individuals involved don’t make $1200. Rich and Bill will work on these figures.
Financial Administration – Telephone (4150.1-341) – Bill will check the bills to see if the budgeted amount of $550 is enough.
Revaluation (4152.1-810) – This figure is $30,000. An additional $12,000 will come from the Fund Balance to fund the Revaluation Expendable Trust Fund. A new line has been created for software expenses association with assessing (4152.1-812) - $3,200.
Legal (4153.1-810) - Discussion on whether or not to put all legal expenses in one line and the dollar amount that should be in the line. Motion made to have all legal expenses come out of one line, expenses broken down by Selectmen, Zoning Board and Planning Board, and to fund this line at $35,000. After discussion about the amount and what happens if legal is overspent, the motion was withdrawn. After more discussion, the original motion was re-moved, seconded and passed.
Prosecutor (4153.2-810) – Question as to why the dollar amount is the same as when the Town was with Jaffrey, considering that there is no support staff with New Ipswich. The agreement is $542/month.
Planning Board - Consultant’s reimbursable expenses (4191.1-389) – Discussion on the need for putting reimbursable expenses in the budget. The consensus of the Committee was that this wasn’t a concern.
Planning Board - Education & Training (4191.1-394) – Motion to decrease this line by $320, seconded and passed (this would eliminate the GIS training). The Committee felt the GIS training was an item that could wait until the Town investigated its mapping options, the Town’s computer capabilities had not been determined and that the GIS mapping was not something the Town was going to be in business to do. This line is now $580.
Planning Board – Mapping (4191.1-393) – Motion to decrease this line by $425, seconded (this would eliminate the Greenways map). After discussion about the purpose of the map, whether or not this map could be done by the Office of State Planning and whether or not the Town already had a map like this, the motion was withdrawn. Rich will contact Ed Germain in regards to these questions.
Planning Board – Postage (4191.1-625) – Motion to decrease this line by $900, seconded and passed. This decrease was based on 2005 actual expenses and the Committee’s feeling that the website and The Advocate could be used as avenues to communicate with townspeople. This line is now $600.
Mike Walker wanted the Committee to know that he twice tried to present the Selectmen’s budget, but he had been unable to because the Committee wouldn’t let him. Rich reminded Mike that the agenda is discussed at the beginning of the meeting and he had never requested that the Selectmen’s budget be presented. Members of the committee suggested that this issue be revisited as the first agenda item at the 1/24/06 meeting. Rich will make it the first agenda item.
Next meeting is January 24, 2006.
Meeting adjourned at 9:05 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy E. Campbell
Co-Secretary
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