HomeMy Public PortalAbout04.07.21 FinCom PacketTown of Brewster Finance Committee
2198 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631
fincommeeting@brewster-ma.gov
(508) 896-3701
MEETING AGENDA
Remote Participation Only
April 7, 2021 at 6:00 PM
This meeting will be conducted by remote participation pursuant to Gov. Baker’s March 2020 orders suspending certain Open
Meeting Law provisions and imposing limits on public gatherings. No in-person meeting attendance will be permitted. If the Town is
unable to live broadcast this meeting, a record of the proceedings will be provided on the Town website as soon as possible.
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Finance
Committee
Harvey (Pete) Dahl
Chair
Frank Bridges
Vice Chair
William Meehan
Clerk
Andrew Evans
Alex Hopper
Honey Pivorotto
Robert Tobias
Robert Young
Town
Administrator
Peter Lombardi
Finance Director
Mimi Bernardo
1.Declaration of a Quorum
2.Meeting Participation Statement
3.Recording Statement
4.Public Announcements and Comment: Members of the public may address the Finance Committee on
matters not on the meeting’s agenda for a maximum 3-5 minutes at the Chair’s discretion. Under the Open Meeting
Law, the Finance Committee is unable to reply but may add items presented to a future agenda.
5.Welcome Guests
6.Town Administrator/Finance Director Report
7.Policies and Procedures Update (Standing Item)
8.Discussion and Vote Road Betterment – Article 23
9. Discussion and Vote on remaining Town Meeting Warrant Articles
10. Discuss and approve Finance Committee Report - Town Meeting Warrant
11. Discuss and approve Finance Committee Report – Annual Town Report
12. Liaison Reports
13. Review and Approval of Minutes
14. Request for agenda items for future meetings.
15. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
16. Site Visit 4/15 – Cape Tech
17. Next Finance Committee Meeting – 04/21/21
18. Adjournment
Date Posted:Date Revised:Received by Town Clerk:
4/5/21
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
TO: Select Board
FROM: Peter Lombardi, Town Administrator
RE: IAFF Local 3763 FY21 Collective Bargaining Agreement
DATE: March 26, 2021
The Town and Fire Union recently renewed contract negotiations. As a result of these
discussions, the Town and Fire Union have tentatively agreed to the following terms,
which the union has affirmatively voted to ratify. These terms are exactly consistent
with what was previously agreed to by both parties last September.
1. 1 Year Term (FY21 – July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021)
2. Amend all references of “Board of Selectmen” to “Select Board”.
3. Amend Article 11, Section 7 Standby as follows:
“All employees shall be furnished with department communication equipment
designed to support the notification of off-duty personnel during recall events.”
4. Amend Article 12, Section 1 Holidays
Add Juneteenth (June 19) holiday
5. Amend Article 14, Section 2 Sick Leave
Increase maximum accumulated sick days from 180 to 190 in line with current
practice and other union agreements
6. Amend Article 15 Bereavement
Add partner and stepchildren to immediate family, move sisters/brothers and step-
parents from extended to immediate family, increase leave for extended family by 1
day from 3 to 4, and add step-brother/sister/grandchild to extended family list.
7. Add new Section to Article 23 Licenses and/or Certification
Add a new $15/day Paramedic Refresher Meal Stipend for offsite trainings (with
receipts – proof of payment)
8. Amend Article 24, Section 1 Uniforms and Foul Weather Gear
Remove reference to $150 cleaning allowance (now included in base pay).
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
9. Amend Article 24, Section 3 Uniforms and Foul Weather Gear
Increase annual amount from $750 to $1000 & memorialize current practice for
Class A uniforms and new hires.
10. Amend Article 27, Section 9 Miscellaneous (Fire Prevention Officer) to read as
follows:
“1. The Fire Prevention Officer is assigned to work within the Fire Prevention Bureau
of the Department under the direction of the Deputy Chief and Chief of Department.
In addition to his/her normal fire prevention duties the Fire Prevention Officer shall
also be responsible to assist the Chief and Deputy Chief with special projects,
details, and other duties as assigned.
2. The Fire Prevention Officer position shall be a staff position within the department.
The individual assigned shall be compensated at a Captain's rate of pay. He/she
shall not assume any fireground authority other than that provided by this agreement
under Article 9 Seniority. The position of Fire Prevention Officer shall have a work
schedule of four (4) ten (10) hour days per week. The workweek shall be Monday
through Thursday 0800-1800. During the course of his/her normal duties the Fire
Prevention Officer’s uniform shall be a white 5/11 polo shirt with their position
indicated as “Fire Prevention Officer”.
3. In the event a tested Shift Captain assumes the role of Fire Prevention Officer
said individual shall maintain his/her rank, wages, title, and uniform designation.”
11. Add new Section 10 to Article 27 Miscellaneous re. Vehicle Design &
Specification Committee to read as follows:
“Prior to developing specifications for new Emergency Medical, Fire Apparatus, or
other specialty vehicle as determined by the Fire Chief a committee of three full-time
personnel shall be established. In the event the committee is designing a new
emergency medical vehicle the EMS Coordinator shall be included but not counted
toward full-time representation. Notification and selection of full-time members shall
follow Article 10 Section 1 of the current contract. The committee shall be
responsible to make recommendations to the Chiefs office concerning the design,
carried equipment, and specifications of said vehicle. The Fire Chief reserves the
right to make all final decisions concerning same. Members serving on this
committee shall do so on a voluntary basis.”
12. Add new Section 11 to Article 27 Miscellaneous to read as follows:
“In the event that the Town offices are closed by order of the Town Administrator
due to inclement weather or related emergency conditions and employees impacted
by such closure are unable to work remotely, essential employees covered by the
Collective Bargaining Agreement shall be granted equivalent compensatory time.”
13. Add new Section 12 to Article 27 Miscellaneous
Establish a minimum living radius of 15 miles and a minimum callback radius of 9
miles.
14. Amend Article 30, Section 3 Longevity as follows:
“The longevity plan is eliminated in its entirety for all employees hired on or
subsequent to July 1, 2015.”
15. Amend Article 31 Compensation
FY21: 1% COLA retro to July 1, 2020
16. Amend Article 36 Stipends as follows:
A) “The Town will provide an annual stipend of $1,000.00 to a member assigned as
the Vehicle, Facility, and Equipment Maintenance Manager. This stipend shall be
paid in the first pay period of each July. Primary responsibilities include
completing minor maintenance and repairs to equipment including vehicles,
referring equipment repairs to vendors, minor facility repair/maintenance,
coordinating the annual testing of ladders, pumps, SCBA, extrication equipment,
and hose, ordering replacement parts, and assisting the Chief and/or Deputy
Chief on other maintenance related issues. Work performed in this capacity shall
be administered by the Fire Chief and/or Deputy Chief. The Fire Chief retains the
right to assign a member to this position following Section 1 of Article 10 Job
Posting and Bidding or to refrain from filling this stipended position.
B) The Town will provide an annual stipend of $1,000.00 to a member assigned as
the Mobile Computer and Software Maintenance Manager and a $500.00 annual
stipend to a member assigned as the alternate Mobile Computer and Software
Maintenance Manager. These stipends shall be paid in the first pay period of
each July. Primary responsibilities include attending applicable meetings and
training sessions, performing minor maintenance and repair of all computer
components and software, coordinating upgrades and system improvements,
coordinating new purchases with appropriate vendors, coordinating with Brewster
Information Technology staff and Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office Information
Technology staff when needed, and training fire department personnel on mobile
computer systems. Work performed in this capacity shall be administered by the
Fire Chief and/or Deputy Chief. The Fire Chief retains the right to assign a
member to this position following Section 1 of Article 10 Job Posting and Bidding
or to refrain from filling this stipended position.”
17. Amend Article 41 Training Time
Increase annual cap from 24 to 36 hours per person and formalize Deputy Chief
review/approval.
18. Amend Article 45 Video Surveillance Cameras, Location
Delete last sentence of third paragraph, as it refers to the former fire station building,
and amend last sentence in section to use video from surveillance camera only for
investigative purposes in response to specific incidents.
19. Add new Article 46 Paramedic Training to read as follows:
“Any current employee taking a paramedic training and certification program, or new
employee hired as a Firefighter/Paramedic who is enrolled in a paramedic training
and certification program said employee will be given a three-thousand five-hundred
dollar ($3500.00) one-time bonus for receiving certification as a Massachusetts
licensed Paramedic with authorization to practice from Cape and Island Emergency
Medical Services. Any employees who receive this one-time payment and leave
employment with the Town within less than one (1) year after receiving certification
shall reimburse the Town the entire payment amount prior to separation. With
approval by the Chief, when the paramedic student has required classroom time and
is on duty, the Chief may provide administrative leave for the paramedic student
when the vacancy created will not affect minimum staffing levels for that period or
create the need to fill the employees shift with overtime personnel.”
20. Add new Article 47 Station Coverage
Transfer current policy to contract (see attached).
21. Add new Parental Leave Policy consistent with state statute.
See attached.
22. Incorporate terms of Fire Academy & Training Memorandum of Agreement
between Town and Union from January 2021
See attached.
After the Select Board discussion and vote on this matter, Town Meeting will then need
to vote in May 2020 before the contract terms take effect. We have sufficient funding
in the FY21 operating budget to cover all elements of this new one-year contract. The
Town and Fire Union continue to negotiate a two-year successor agreement (FY22-23).
REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
Fiscal Year 2022
Dear Town Meeting Members:
What a challenging year it has been. The pandemic put health and lives at risk, changed our behaviors, left us
feeling anxious, isolated, vulnerable. And yet, we carry on. And Brewster Town government carried on stepping
up to the challenge, its operating rules flexing with the ebb and flow of the severity of the pandemic. Town
government adapted to remote work when possible. Town Boards and Committees met remotely by Zoom,
maintaining all important openness and transparency in government. Based on its frequency of use this past
year, perhaps the new town motto should be “You’re on Mute!”.
In the fiscal year starting July 1, 2020, The Brewster Finance Committee, consisting of up to nine members
appointed by the elected Town Moderator, has met 21 times up to the date of publication of this Town Meeting
Warrant to undertake its duties; those being to consider all articles in the Town Meeting warrant, and report its
recommendations to Town Meeting.
If we consider our elected Select Board the Executive Branch of Town government, then the eligible Brewster
voters appearing at Town Meeting represent the Legislative Branch of Town government. The Finance
Committee seeks to serve Town Meeting members, our legislators, by informing your debate and deliberations
with our reviews and recommendations.
As with all good committees, members of the Finance Committee do not always agree. Our votes appear
following each article of the warrant, as do those of the Select Board. We offer some selective commentary
below.
Town Operating Budgets
Our votes recommending your approval of the Town Operating Budget as well as those in support of Golf
Department, Water Department, & Capital and Special Projects Expenditures are the result of our having the
opportunity to meet jointly with the Select Board to hear budget presentations by, and ask questions of, Town
Department Heads. You may watch the video recordings of these meetings and we think you will agree with our
recommendations. You should note that Golf and Water Department costs are fully funded by Golf & Water
usage fee revenues, respectively.
School Operating Budgets
School budgets represent a significant share of the spending you will decide upon at Town Meeting. Brewster is
one of twelve towns in the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School District; Brewster’s assessment, based on
enrollment, appears in Annual Town Meeting warrant article 1. The funding request for Brewster Elementary
Schools – the Stony Brook School (grades PreK-2) and the Eddy School (grades 3-5) – appears in warrant article
2. Brewster Elementary Schools are part of the Nauset Regional School District but Town Meeting votes on their
budget separately. Finally, Brewster is one of four towns in the Nauset Regional School District that includes a
District Middle School, a District High School and Elementary Schools in each of the four District Towns.
Brewster’s assessment, based on enrollment, appears in warrant article 3. Note that you elect representatives
to school committees overseeing each of these three education entities in the annual Town Election.
Pandemic aside, perhaps most consequential to Brewster voters this year has been the subject of a new High
School for the Nauset Regional School District. This January, the Finance Committee voted 3 in favor and 5
opposed to supporting and recommending to the voters in Brewster the High School Project. This March, the
District (6,321 in favor, 2,577 opposed) and the Town (2,160 in favor, 1,456 opposed) overwhelmingly supported
the High School Project.
To be clear, the members of the Finance Committee are united in agreement for the need of a new high school.
The District has an excellent education program rated among the best in the state; we need a high school that
can support & maintain that excellence deep into the century. We congratulate and commend the Nauset
Regional School Committee and the Nauset Regional High School Building Committee on their work thus far and
offer our counsel and support for their work in the future.
The Finance Committee members opposed to the High School Project, and I suspect, a number of those who
voted ‘opposed’ in the March election voted so based on their feelings about School Choice, the state-wide
program that allows Out-of-District students (258 students representing 18% of combined Middle & High School
enrollment on October 1, 2020) to attend Nauset District schools at a state-fixed fee well below the average cost
per District student. Strong arguments have been made both for and against the extensive use and impact of
School Choice.
The Finance Committee notes that, along with the high educational excellence rating, Nauset District cost per
student is also among the highest in the state, compelling the Finance Committee to seek a better
understanding of the value - costs and benefits – of School Choice. Our position might be stated thusly, to
borrow the words of a former college professor, ‘it is our duty to pay every dollar necessary to provide our
children an outstanding education, but not one dollar more!’ The Finance Committee has been unable to obtain
and analyze the facts necessary to adequately assess the impact of School Choice to provide the clarity around
this issue that we think taxpayers deserve.
The Finance Committee votes on Warrant Article 3, Nauset Regional Schools Operating Budget (3 in favor, 4
opposed, 1 abstention) and on Warrant Article 26, Citizens Petition/School Choice (4 in favor, 4 opposed), reflect
the Committee’s desire to raise awareness of School Choice, improve transparency around it, and better inform
our taxpayers. To that end, we note the Select Board has a Strategic Plan Goal (Goal #G8) to “Foster stronger
relationships with Nauset School District officials, especially regarding finances.” We sincerely hope all key
stakeholders will embrace that goal to include knowledge sharing around School Choice.
In closing, the Finance Committee applauds the work of so many town and school employees for their “above
and beyond” efforts in service, in this most trying year. We especially acknowledge and appreciate our close
working relationship with the Select Board, the Town Administrator, Finance Director, Assistant Town
Administrators and the many Department Heads and their staff who helped us understand the work they do,
and the budget and other warrant articles here presented.
Finally, we thank you, the voters who attend Town Meeting and undertake to do the business of the Town. We
are proud to serve you and the Town of Brewster, happy legislating!
Respectfully submitted,
Harvey (Pete) Dahl, Chairman
Frank Bridges, Vice Chair
William Meehan, Clerk
Andrew Evans
Alex Hopper
Honey Pivorotto
Robert Tobias
Robert Young
4/5/21 11:46 AM
REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Finance Committee currently consists of eight members who are appointed by the Town
Moderator. New members are appointed each year so that members serve staggered three-year
terms. The Committee meets throughout the year, usually weekly during the Town’s budget
review process. The Committee reviews all operating budgets, other issues that may have a
financial tax impact on town residents, as well as all Spring and Fall Town Meeting warrant
articles. The Finance Committee is ably supported by Town staff including Peter Lombardi
(Town Administrator), Mimi Bernardo (Finance Director), and Beth Devine ( NEED TITLE)
who regularly attend all meetings.
The Committee’s main purpose is to represent the interests of Brewster taxpayers and is,
therefore, independent of the elected and appointed Town administrators. The Committee
provides recommendations and guidance to voting taxpayers for their consideration at Town
Meetings. Committee members also attend other Town board and committee meetings as
liaisons. Members expend significant personal time reviewing and evaluating department
budgets, warrant articles, and reports.
Finance Committee members perform cost/benefit evaluations of Town governmental
operations. In the taxpayers’ interest, the Committee will continue its thorough analysis of all
expenses to promote efficiencies and prudent financial management practices. As part of these
evaluations, the Finance Committee meets with Town staff members as well as with Department
heads to review budgets and to learn more about new initiatives, other sources of revenues,
actual expenditures, and forecasts for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The Finance Committee controls a $100,000 Reserve Fund to provide emergency appropriations
for any Town department that may request funding due to an unforeseen shortfall in their
operating budget. Appropriation of these reserve funds requires a formal request through the
Town Administrator, a public review by the Committee, and a majority affirmative vote of the
Committee.
During this year of the pandemic, the Finance Committee monitored closely those departments
with budgets, in particular those that included projected revenues. Despite our trepidation of
what local receipts would look like broadly as well as the property tax collection rate, revenues
came in strong and better than expected in this pandemic. Earlier in the year we ended up
bringing in more revenues than projected and local receipts were over projections including the
major drivers: vehicle excise, meals tax, lodging tax, trash/beach permits, and building permits.
Projections/receipts for those departments, e.g., Golf, Water, that are self-supporting including
capital needs (no tax revenue from the tax payers fund either of these) were also strong.
The Finance Committee devoted a great deal of its meetings to discussions about the Nauset
Regional School District operating budgets as well as to discussion about the significant capital
plan for renovation and construction of the high school. We were well informed by Peter
Lombardi who briefed us regularly on updates between Finance Committee meetings. We met
jointly with the Select Board for NRSD presentations, heard school officials describe the
program need for the project, discussed analyses that the Finance Committee performed
examining funding needs for this project and the higher tax implications for Brewster residents,
worked to understand the enrollment projections and the per student costs for students from the
4/5/21 11:46 AM
four towns, and the per student costs for those students coming from outside the district
including those students in the CHOICE program, and received the results from the special
election held on March 30th. The approval of this capital project on March 30th and the
initiation/completion of this project will result in increased taxes for all Brewster property
owners.
During this year Brewster Finance Committee members acted as liaisons to Town boards,
committees, and commissions to facilitate effective communication between those groups and
the Finance Committee. As the primary role of the Finance Committee is to review budgets and
make recommendations to Town Meeting, the role of a Finance Committee liaison is primarily
of a financial advisory nature.
During the remainder of this year, the Finance Committee will continue to perform cost/benefit
analyses of all Town financial commitments. The Committee will also play an active and guiding
role in evaluating the needs and additional services required of our fellow residents as a result of
the pandemic.
Respectfully submitted,
Pete Dahl, Chair
Frank Bridges, Vice Chair
Bill Meehan, Clerk
Andy Evans
Alex Hopper
Honey Pivirotto
Robert Tobias
Bob Young