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Home My Public Portal AboutTA Report 06.17.19 Town of Brewster 2198 Main Street Brewster, MA 02631-1898 Phone: (508) 896-3701 Fax: (508) 896-8089 MEMORANDUM TO: Select Board FROM: Peter Lombardi, Town Administrator RE: Town Administrator Report DATE: June 17, 2019 Personnel Marie (Mimi) Bernardo has been hired as our new Finance Director. Mimi comes to our organization with an extensive background in municipal accounting and finance, having most recently served as the Finance Director & Town Accountant in Sandwich for the past 4 years and having worked in Bridgewater and Yarmouth Finance Offices previously. Mimi is a Massachusetts Municipal Accountants and Auditors Association Certified Public Accountant and is also a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Officer. She attained her BA from Suffolk University in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting and has her MBA from Suffolk as well. She also taught Financial and Managerial Accounting classes at Cape Cod Community College for 7 years. The high value that she places on communication, cohesion, collaboration, and teamwork set her apart throughout the interview process. Mimi is scheduled to begin in Brewster on Monday July 22 and we have developed a transition plan to help ensure her success. Financial Management Review Last week, the Department of Revenue (DOR) delivered their Financial Management Review report as well as their recommended financial policies to the Town. Marcia Bohinc (Project Manager) and MJ Handy (Director of Bureau Accounts) will be presenting their findings at a joint meeting scheduled for Thursday June 27th at 6PM. Mark Abrahams will be providing a final update on his work since last September and Bob Brown will be presenting on the FY18 Audit at this meeting as well. The goal of this meeting is for everyone to have a complete picture of what transpired in FY17 and FY18, understand the processes that have been put (back) in place for FY19, and then look ahead to what needs to be considered for implementation in FY20 and FY21. It is important to note that many of DOR’s recommended financial policies are either a past or current practice but have not, for the most part, been formally adopted or otherwise memorialized. There is much to be considered in DOR’s analysis and, while Office of: Select Board Town Administrator the Finance Team has had preliminary discussions about their recommendations, we expect to further delve into their feasibility and advisability in the coming months. This report and DOR’s related policy suggestions have provided the Town with an incredibly useful roadmap in line with best practices in municipal finance. Charter Committee The Charter Committee is planning to hold their first meeting at the end of next week. The Committee is charged with developing a recommended charter document to the Select Board to bring to Town Meeting which will govern the overall form, structure, and organization of Brewster town government. Using our current Town bylaws and standard operating procedures as a baseline, the committee will also consider various relevant studies (ie. Vision Plan, Government Study Committee report, DOR Financial Management Review, etc) as well as charter documents from other comparable communities to identify what framework will work best for Brewster. The committee is comprised of 8 voting members: the Town Moderator, Town Clerk, Town Administrator, a Select Board designee, a Finance Committee designee, and 3 at-large residents who were appointed by the Select Board earlier this spring. Their goal is to present the Board with their recommendation in time for consideration at next spring’s Annual Town Meeting. Recount On the morning of June 5, the Board of Registrars conducted a recount regarding the results of Question 1 on the Town’s May 21 ballot. The override ballot question was affirmatively approved by 1 vote (521-520). We have posted the new Natural Resource Officer and Council on Aging Program Coordinator positions, and funding for the 2 full- time Firefighter/Paramedic positions will transition from the SAFER grant to the Town’s operating budget in FY20. Kudos to the Town Clerk’s Office, Board of Registrars, and Town Counsel for running an incredibly efficient and professional recount process.