Westport News

Present:    Lisa Arnold (LA), Bob McCarthy (BM), Warren Messier (WM), Tony Vieira (TV), Hugh Morton (HM), Tracy Priestner (TP), Jack Baughan (JB),Chuck Goldberg (CG), John Miller (JM)

1.     LA, Chair, opened the meeting at 6:30 pm with the traditional salute to the flag.

2.    Minutes:
CG made a motion and WM seconded the motion to approve the minutes of March 10th as presented.  The vote was unanimous in favor.

3.    Budget Hearings:

a.    Highway Department:        Jack Sisson, Highway Surveyor, was in attendance and presented the proposed FY10 budget for the Highway Department.  He started by talking about the need for funds to replace the FY09 ATM article that was not passed.  All the work needed has already been denied by Chapter 90.  JM said to place an article on the STM within the ATM for FY10 to move $30k from personnel to expenses.  TV made a motion to support this article at the ATM.  BM seconded the motion and all were in favor.
He then talked his FY10 budget, which was submitted level funded, and the article on this ATM for $20k for road maintenance not covered under Chapter 90.  JM suggested three items to do going forward: 1-look at a better way of contracting for snow & ice; 2-implement a multi-year capital replacement program and 3-examine job tracking and computerizing expenses.  

b.    Data Processing:    Keith Novo, Department Head, was in attendance and presented the proposed FY10 budget for Data Processing.  He started by handing out a plan for the department (see attached}).  He spoke about the phone system upgrade and his hopes for implementing the rest of the town.  He is just waiting for approval to start the work.  LA asked if he could prepare a plan for the coming year of projects he is hoping to complete.

c.    Conservation Commission:    Michael Sullivan, Richard Lambert and Tanya Ryden were in attendance and presented the proposed FY10 budget for the Conservation Commission.  Mr. Sullivan showed how the Wetlands Protection Act Fund would offset the 7% budget cut that was requested.  He said they were looking into charging fees for building permits that require wetland inspections.  LA said they should also be logging fees to other departments.  Fincom asked them to come back with more specific numbers and the possible fee increases.

d.    Cemetery Department:    Wes Norman, Cemetery Foreman, was in attendance and presented the proposed FY10 budget for the Cemetery Department.  Mr. Norman said the fee scheduled is posted on the web-site.  He stated that revenues are up because of the fee increases.  He said he has an article on the warrant for $20k, which he has every year and requires no funding from the general fund.  WM made a motion to recommend the Cemetery article at Town Meeting.  BM seconded the motion and all were in favor.

Adjournment and next meeting: There being no further business to come before this meeting, JB moved and TP seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:15pm.  The vote in favor was unanimous.   The next meeting will be March 24th at 6:30 pm.
                            
Respectfully submitted,
Nicole Botelho, Recording Secretary