LONGMEADOW – The Longmeadow Select Board hosted a special meeting on finance and goals and also finance and the Town Charter on Feb. 24. Much of the discussion at the meeting surrounded the amendments made to the charter by the Charter Review Committee. Following this discussion, the board met with the finance committee in a joint session to discuss financial goals for the future.

Prior to entering the Town Charter discussion, Town Manager Lyn Simmons shared an update on a project change order that was considered at the Nov. 26 select board meeting for relocating soil with asbestos containing material at the new Department of Public Works (DPW) facility on Dwight Road. Simmons noted that Colliers, the owners project manager for that project, attended the meeting and recommended the board reject that project change order (PCO) as they believed the cost was too high. The cost of the PCO was $88,338 for the onsite relocation of 2,900 plus or minus cubic yards of soil with asbestos containing material.

Simmons shared that the board rejected the PCO after taking Colliers suggestion into consideration, and subsequently the project was put out to bid in early January.  Three bids came in, and the lowest bid was awarded for $48,276.98. “We reviewed the bid, discussed it with Colliers, awarded it to Salt Marsh Industries,” Simmons explained. “That work will be happening now and was a less costly approach.”

Moving on, Mary Beth Bergeron came before the select board to discuss an Adult Center change order. Bergeron explained that while the agenda for the meeting noted a DPW change order, in actuality, it would be a discussion of an Adult Center change order as the DPW change order was taken off the table.

The specific change order that was up for discussion involves patio lighting in the rear of the new Adult Center building.  Bergeron noted that in the rear of the building it’s “quite dark,” and the patio extends far into the grass area. In the original plans, Bergeron stated, the transition from grass to pavers was not lit. She explained that they requested the contractor provide a price with lighting the area with bollards around the rear of the building.

“We expect the Adult Center will have evening programs, also the gym will be used in the evening, as it goes to dusk and dark it could be a safety issue,” Bergeron said. The estimate that was received to install bollards in the rear of the building comes to a total cost of $26,001. The bollards would be set inside the pavers and be downlit into the paver area.

Select board member Mark Gold asked if the funds for this change order were available in the contingency. Bergeron stated, “absolutely” and noted that this was “more of a scope change than anything else.”

Gold asked if not having lighting in the back of the building was simply an oversight. Bergeron said that she felt it was an oversight and “not taking into consideration what would be happening in that building in the evening at dusk, in the dark, in the winter.” She then explained that it was “cheaper to [install the lighting] now because of power, otherwise we’d be taking up pavers and doing it that way.”

The select board approved the Adult Center change order.

The meeting continued to a discussion of amendments to the Town Charter, per recommendation by the Charter Review Committee. Chair of the Charter Review Committee David Martel came before the board to discuss these matters, in particular one relating to when the finance committee receives the town’s budget from the town manager.

Gold asked Martel what the purpose of changing the specific language surrounding the finance committee in the charter was, asking if this would be expanding the authority of the finance committee. Martel explained that no, the finance committee had concerns about the timing of the delivery of the proposed town budget from the town manager to the finance committee. The finance committee wanted to receive the budget at the same time as the select board, whereas in past practice, the select board receives the budget from the town manager prior to the finance committee.

Gold explained that his understanding was that the finance committee’s responsibility was to evaluate the town’s budget as it was prepared to go to town meeting and to offer a recommendation at town meeting, as opposed to preparing the budget. “Getting [the proposed budget] at the same time as the select board doesn’t mean [the finance committee is] getting what goes to town meeting,” Gold said.

Martel rephrased, explaining that he didn’t feel this was a “material change,” it was more of a “procedural change to give the finance committee a more timely and appropriate role.” Gold responded, “Well what you’re suggesting is they be advisory to the select board.”

Select board Chair Marie Angelides interjected that she felt they were discussing a timing issue. “We’re up to such a huge budget, it’s been difficult for the finance committee to go through the budget in such a short period of time. It takes many meetings and weeks to really dig through it and I think when we get the presentation, this year I invited the finance committee,” she explained. “But I don’t think it means the finance committee is looking to expand their role, it just means they’ll have more time to sufficiently go through the budget and ask their questions as well.”

Gold explained that he felt having the finance committee spend time looking at a budget proposal as opposed to an approved budget “might be a waste of their time.”

The select board continued to discuss whether or not it would be wise for the finance committee to review an unapproved budget, with select board member Richard Foster noting that both the finance committee and select board would be “reviewing the budget in a vacuum,” and if the finance committee came up with many recommendations, how would there be enough time to “give it an honest debate from incorporation or rejection on the town budget for the approval process.” Foster then said that “the reality” of the town’s budget cycles is that it’s “pretty condensed.”

Angelides agreed, stating that the budget would go to the select board on March 2 and it had to be voted on by March 16. She then questioned when the budget had to be finished to make it to the spring town meeting warrant. Finance Director Paul Pasterczyk explained the process: the select board members and finance committee would receive the budget on March 2, they would have a target date of March 16 to have finalized the budget to go to the finance committee, the finance committee would have a two-week window to make their recommendations and have a final report into Administrative Assistant Debbie House to get the warrant printed and delivered to residents. “That is somewhat dictated by timeline or printer, no later than two weeks prior of town meeting,” Pasterczyk said.

After continued discussion of whether or not the select board wanted to accept this change of language to allow the finance committee to receive the budget recommendations at the same time as the select board, Angelides tabled the discussion, explaining that they would not vote on the charter revision recommendations that evening and would take the discussion to the March 16 select board meeting where the finance committee could offer their input on the issue.

“Let’s not rush through this charter change,” Gold said.

After Pasterczyk commented that the select board would have to look at how this change could affect the town bylaws, Angelides agreed that because of this, they would not make the finance committee changes to the town charter for this year and would “deal with [it] in the fall town meeting or the next chair [of the select board] will.”

Following the discussion of amendments to the charter, a joint meeting between the select board and the finance committee commenced to discuss financial goals for the future. There was discussion on measurable goals, tasks, strategic plans, long term affordable plans and sustainability.

Angelides provided several goal suggestions, including maintaining a tax and fee schedule that is sustainable to all residents, and preserving and protecting financial assets. She also noted the importance of developing and implementing a plan to address the tax ceiling crisis, monitoring and managing debt levels and property values, and more.

Finance committee member Maury Garrett Jr. explained that he would like to see the select board adopt a long-term, sustainable policy with respect to tax increases. When suggestions for additional revenue and decreasing operational costs came up, Gold suggested putting in solar fields for rental income and to install town-wide WiFi.

Angelides explained that she wanted the select board to offer a set of financial goals to give to Simmons that are measurable. Finance committee member William Welch suggested that a goal for the select board should be to develop, execute and implement a long–term strategic financial plan for the town. From there, Simmons would create options for the select board.

As the discussion came to a close, Gold stated that he felt the goals mentioned were too open ended and should be more focused to provide Simmons with further guidance. Angelides agreed that she would revise her financial goals list with the suggestions from the meeting.