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 7:00 pm with the traditional salute to the flag.

2.    Disabilities Planning Committee:    LA started by having everyone introduce himself or herself to the Committee.  Elaine Ostroff, Marc Guillmette, Stan Cornwall and Rick Squire were in attendance to speak on behalf of Article 38 & 39.  These two articles would establish a Disabilities Planning Commission with a budget of $1,000.  Her presentation included the fact that 160 communities around the state have a Commission.  The committee itself was formed because of citizens concerns regarding the lack of compliance of businesses with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) rules.  The budget would be to cover a recording clerk and any incidentals.  EO wants this commission to be a place that citizens and businesses can go to find out more information regarding the ADA and what can be done to be compliant with it.  The laws are not cut and dry and can be confusing.  EO said she has worked with this law for a very long time and would like to be able to help others understand it.  The Fincom has concerns that this may be a Pandora’s box and end up costing the town in legal bills.  LA thanked everyone for his or her time and attendance at the meeting for such a cause.

3.    FY 10 Update:        Michael Coughlin was in attendance to give the Fincom the update on the cuts from the State.  (See attached.)  He came with a new copy of the Cherry Sheet cuts the House made was restored.  The departments also came through containing some of the restorations made by the final House vote.  MC said he was going to start working with the school committee on the process of a consensus budget.  He is scheduling another department head meeting on 5/13 to discuss the Senate first round of cuts.  He feels we should have the final Senate numbers and the revised budget schedule, including school numbers, by 5/19.  The town has cut all that is possible and is now relying on the school to pick up the rest.

4.    Annual Town Meeting:    See attached final recommendations.

5.    Other:        A brief discussion was entered into regarding the grant writer that the auditor had suggested.  MC said we could look into companies that write specific grants however; we already have wonderful grant writers in different departments that do a fantastic job finding and getting grants to benefit the town.
    Questions were also raised concerning where the money would come from to cover the budgets if the cuts from the state were too great.  The only recourse would be to raise fee or taxes once again or to cut services to the townspeople.
    LA presented her letter to include with the Town Meeting Warrant.  After some changes and discussion, HM made a motion and TV seconded it, with a unanimous vote, to put it in the warrant after reprinting.
    TV also made a request that each member of the Fincom get a copy of the Landfill audit and the Management letter.  LA asked that this be sent by e-mail.
 
Adjournment and next meeting: There being no further business to come before this meeting, CG moved and WM seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:55pm.  The vote in favor was unanimous.   The next meeting will be May 19th at 6:30 pm.
                            
Respectfully submitted,
Nicole Botelho, Recording Secretary