HomeMy Public PortalAbout08.25.21 FinCom Packet
Town of Brewster Finance Committee
2198 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631
fincommeeting@brewster-ma.gov
(508) 896-3701
MEETING AGENDA
Remote Participation Only
August 25, 2021 at 6:00 PM
This meeting will be conducted by remote participation pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021,. 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.
The meeting may be viewed by: Live broadcast (Brewster Government TV Channel 18), Livestream (livestream.brewster-
ma.gov), or Video recording (tv.brewster-ma.gov).
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Finance
Committee
Harvey (Pete) Dahl
Chair
Frank Bridges
Vice Chair
William Meehan
Clerk
Andrew Evans
William Henchy
Alex Hopper
Honey Pivirotto
Robert Tobias
Robert Young
Town
Administrator
Peter Lombardi
Finance Director
Mimi Bernardo
1. Call to Order
2. Declaration of a Quorum
3. Meeting Participation Statement
4. Recording Statement
5. 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.
6. Town Administrator/Finance Director Report
7. Progress report of Cape Cod Sea Camp
8. Special Town Meeting – Sept 25 - Update
9. Discussion and Votes on Sept 25, 2021 Special Town Meeting Warrant Article
10. Liaison Assignments/Reports
11. Review and Approval of Minutes of July 14, 2021
12. Request for agenda items for future meetings
13. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
14. Next Finance Committee Meeting – Sept 1, 2021
15. Adjournment
Date Posted: Date Revised: Received by Town Clerk:
August 23, 2021
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CCSC Articles – Special Town Meeting (09.25.21)
Article 1 - 500 W.H. Besse Cartway
To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to acquire, by purchase, gift, and/or eminent
domain, the parcel of land with the improvements thereon located at 500 W.H. Besse Cartway,
Brewster, containing 66 acres, more or less, shown on Assessors Map 84 as Parcel 45, and
described in a deed recorded with the Barnstable Registry of Deeds in Book 1388, Page 1185, for
habitat protection, watershed protection, open space, conservation and passive recreation, active
recreation, community housing, and/or general municipal purposes, and for the purpose of
granting conservation easements and/or restrictions on such portions of the property that the
Select Board may determine to provide for habitat protection, watershed protection, open space,
conservation and passive recreation purposes, and to raise and appropriate, transfer from
available funds, and/or borrow a sum to fund the foregoing acquisition and the payment of all
costs incidental or related thereto; provided, however, that the appropriation authorized
hereunder shall be contingent upon approval by the voters of a ballot question to exclude the
amounts to pay for any bonds or notes authorized for this purpose from the provisions of
Proposition 2½, so called, and to authorize the Select Board to convey the foregoing
conservation easements and/or restrictions to charitable corporations or trusts whose purposes
include conservation of land or water areas on such terms and conditions as the Select Board
deems appropriate, and, further, to authorize the Select Board and/or its designee to apply for,
accept and expend any state and/or federal grants and/or loans or other public or private funds
that may be available for the foregoing purposes and to take any and all actions and execute any
and all documents necessary or convenient to accomplish the foregoing purposes; or take any
other action in relation thereto.
Motion 1 – 500 W.H. Besse Cartway
That the Select Board is authorized to acquire, by purchase, gift, and/or eminent domain, the
parcel of land with the improvements thereon located at 500 W.H. Besse Cartway, Brewster,
containing 66 acres, more or less, shown on Assessors Map 84 as Parcel 45, and described in a
deed recorded with the Barnstable Registry of Deeds in Book 1388, Page 1185, for habitat
protection, watershed protection, open space, conservation and passive recreation, active
recreation, community housing, and/or general municipal purposes, and for the purpose of
granting conservation easements and/or restrictions on such portions of the property that the
Select Board may determine to provide for habitat protection, watershed protection, open space,
conservation and passive recreation purposes; that $4,200,000 is appropriated to pay costs of the
foregoing acquisition, including the payment of all costs incidental or related thereto, and that to
meet this appropriation, $250,000 shall be transferred from water system retained earnings,
$1,500,000 shall be transferred from [Free Cash][Community Preservation Act Funds], and the
Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board, is authorized to borrow $2,450,000 under and
pursuant to G.L. c. 44, §7(1) or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or
notes of the Town therefor; provided, however, that the appropriation authorized hereunder shall
be contingent upon approval by the voters of a ballot question to exclude the amounts to pay for
any bonds or notes authorized for this purpose from the provisions of Proposition 2½, so called,
and to authorize the Select Board to convey the foregoing conservation easements and/or
Locke Lord LLP Draft
8/19/2021
96191227v.2
restrictions to charitable corporations or trusts whose purposes include conservation of land or
water areas on such terms and conditions as the Select Board deems appropriate, and, further, to
authorize the Select Board and/or its designee to apply for, accept and expend any state and/or
federal grants and/or loans or other public or private funds that may be available for the
foregoing purposes, which amounts shall reduce the amount of the total borrowing authorized for
this purpose, and to take any and all actions and execute any and all documents necessary or
convenient to accomplish the foregoing purposes. Any premium received upon the sale of any
bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs
of issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to the payment of costs approved by this vote
in accordance with G.L. c. 44, §20, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to
pay such costs by a like amount.
Ballot Question
Shall the Town of Brewster be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and
one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to acquire some or
all of the parcel of land with the improvements located at 500 W.H. Besse Cartway, Brewster,
containing 66 acres, more or less, shown on Assessors Map 84 as Parcel 45, and described in a
deed recorded with the Barnstable Registry of Deeds in Book 1388, Page 1185, for habitat
protection, watershed protection, open space, conservation and passive recreation, active
recreation, community housing and/or general municipal purposes, and for the purpose of
granting conservation easements and/or restrictions on such portions of the property as the Select
Board may determine to provide for habitat protection, watershed protection, open space,
conservation and passive recreation purposes?
Locke Lord LLP Draft
8/19/2021
96191227v.2
Article 2 - 3057 Main Street
That the Select Board is authorized to acquire, by purchase, gift, and/or eminent domain, the
parcel of land with the improvements thereon located at 3057 Main Street, Brewster, containing
54.7 acres, more or less, shown on Assessors Map 101 as Parcel 45, and described in a deed
recorded with the Barnstable Registry of Deeds in Book 1388, Page 1188 (excluding therefrom
the parcel shown on Assessors Map 101 as Parcel 46) and in Certificate of Title No. 30242, for
habitat protection, watershed protection, open space, conservation and passive recreation, active
recreation, community housing, community center and/or general municipal purposes, and for
the purpose of granting conservation easements and/or restrictions on such portions of the
property that the Select Board may determine to provide for habitat protection, watershed
protection, open space, conservation and passive recreation purposes, and to raise and
appropriate, transfer from available funds, and/or borrow a sum to fund the foregoing acquisition
and all costs incidental or related thereto; provided, however, that the appropriation authorized
hereunder shall be contingent upon approval by the voters of a ballot question to exclude the
amounts to pay for any bonds or notes authorized for this purpose from the provisions of
Proposition 2½, so called, and to authorize the Select Board to convey the foregoing
conservation easements and/or restrictions to charitable corporations or trusts whose purposes
include conservation of land or water areas on such terms and conditions as the Select Board
deems appropriate, and, further, to authorize the Select Board and/or its designee to apply for,
accept and expend any state and/or federal grants and/or loans or other public or private funds
that may be available for the foregoing purposes and to take any and all actions and execute any
and all documents necessary or convenient to accomplish the foregoing purposes; or take any
other action in relation thereto.
Motion 2 - 3057 Main Street
To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to acquire, by purchase, gift, and/or eminent
domain, the parcel of land with the improvements thereon located at 3057 Main Street, Brewster,
containing 54.7 acres, more or less, shown on Assessors Map 101 as Parcel 45, and described in
a deed recorded with the Barnstable Registry of Deeds in Book 1388, Page 1188 (excluding
therefrom the parcel shown on Assessors Map 101 as Parcel 46) and in Certificate of Title No.
30242, for habitat protection, watershed protection, open space, conservation and passive
recreation, active recreation, community housing, community center and/or general municipal
purposes, and for the purpose of granting conservation easements and/or restrictions on such
portions of the property that the Select Board may determine to provide for habitat protection,
watershed protection, open space, conservation and passive recreation purposes; that
$15,215,000 is appropriated to pay costs of the foregoing acquisition, including the payment of
all costs incidental or related thereto, and that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the
approval of the Select Board, is authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to G.L. c.
44, §7(1) or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the Town
therefor; provided, however, that the appropriation authorized hereunder shall be contingent
upon approval by the voters of a ballot question to exclude the amounts to pay for any bonds or
notes authorized for this purpose from the provisions of Proposition 2½, so called, and to
authorize the Select Board to convey the foregoing conservation easements and/or restrictions to
charitable corporations or trusts whose purposes include conservation of land or water areas on
Locke Lord LLP Draft
8/19/2021
96191227v.2
such terms and conditions as the Select Board deems appropriate, and, further, to authorize the
Select Board and/or its designee to apply for, accept and expend any state and/or federal grants
and/or loans or other public or private funds that may be available for the foregoing purposes,
which amounts shall reduce the amount of the total borrowing authorized for this purpose, and
to take any and all actions and execute any and all documents necessary or convenient to
accomplish the foregoing purposes. Any premium received upon the sale of any bonds or notes
approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs of issuance of
such bonds or notes, may be applied to the payment of costs approved by this vote in accordance
with G.L. c. 44, §20, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs
by a like amount.
Ballot Question
Shall the Town of Brewster be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and
one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to acquire some or
all of the parcel of land with the improvements located at 3057 Main Street, Brewster, containing
54.7 acres, more or less, shown on Assessors Map 101 as Parcel 45, and described in a deed
recorded with the Barnstable Registry of Deeds in Book 1388, Page 1188 (excluding therefrom
the parcel shown on Assessors Map 101 as Parcel 46) and in Certificate of Title No. 30242, for
habitat protection, watershed protection, open space, conservation and passive recreation, active
recreation, community housing and/or general municipal purposes, and for the purpose of
granting conservation easements and/or restrictions on such portions of the property that the
Select Board may determine to provide for habitat protection, watershed protection, open space,
conservation and passive recreation purposes?
Article 3 - Maintenance and Upkeep of Properties
To see if the Town will vote to transfer from free cash the sum of $200,000 to pay costs
associated with the maintenance, security, operations, repair and/or rehabilitation of the parcels
of land and the improvements thereon located at 3057 Main Street and 500 W.H. Besse Cartway,
with said moneys to be expended under the direction of the Select Board; or take any other
action in relation thereto.
Motion 3- Maintenance and Upkeep of Properties
That $200,000 shall be transferred from free cash to pay costs associated with the maintenance,
security, operations, repair and/or rehabilitation of the parcels of land and the improvements
thereon located at 3057 Main Street and 500 W.H. Besse Cartway, with said moneys to be
expended under the direction of the Select Board.
DEVELOPMENT & ZONING
Can the Sea Camps
properties be developed?
Yes. Though there are certain limits on the extent of development, both can be
developed.
What zoning areas are
the properties in?
The Bay parcel is in Residential Medium (RM) zoning. About a third of the
parcel is in the Old King’s Highway Historic District.
The Pond parcel is in both the Residential Rural (RR) and Residential Medium
(RM) zoning districts. About half of the Pond parcel is in Brewster’s public
drinking water protection district known as Zone II and is in the Natural
Resources Protection District.
How could the Bay parcel
be developed?
Cluster development, major residential development, planned development,
church, educational uses, and others. See Brewster’s zoning table of uses (Ch.
179-11) for all possible uses.
How could the Pond
parcel be developed?
Cluster development, major residential development, church, non-profit
recreational facilities, and others. See Brewster’s zoning table of uses (Ch. 179-
11) for all possible uses.
What role would the Cape
Cod Commission have in
regulating future
development of the Sea
Camps properties?
Because each Sea Camps property is larger than 30 acres, their size would trigger
a Cape Cod Commission regulatory process called Development of Regional
Impact (DRI). The Cape Cod Commission Act charges the Cape Cod Commission
with reviewing certain proposed developments which, because of size or other
characteristics, are presumed to have development effects beyond their local area.
FUTURE USES OF THE SEA CAMPS
How could the Town use
the Bay parcel?
Possible uses of the Bay parcel could include:
New public beach (potential resident-only) & beach parking
Community center and group meeting spaces
Municipal recreation facilities: athletic fields, swimming pool, tennis/pickleball,
basketball, outdoor theatres, boating/sailing, playground, trails
Town offices
Conservation land, open space & habitat protection, & coastal resiliency –
conservation restriction on portion of property
Potential partnerships to expand recreational activities & programs
Public watercraft storage (kayak, canoe, SUP)
Bike trail spur from Cape Cod Rail Trail to beach
How could the Town use
the Long Pond parcel?
Possible uses of the Long Pond parcel would include:
New public beach (potential resident-only) and beach parking
Recreation Department activities, e.g., swimming lessons, boating, & sailing
Conservation land, open space & habitat protection, & watershed protection –
conservation restriction on majority of property
Public watercraft storage (kayak, canoe, SUP)
Potential partnerships with other agencies to manage open space and develop
on-site programs
Appropriately scaled affordable housing off Long Pond Road (Route 137) in
partnership with Brewster Affordable Housing Trust
C. FAQS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, ZONING & POSSIBLE FUTURE USES OF THE
CAPE COD SEA CAMPS
Credits: Cape Cod Sea Camps Facebook; Keen-Summit Capital Partners, Phoenix Management; Town of Brewster
COSTS & FINANCING
How much were the two
properties appraised for?
The Town hired a professional appraiser to appraise the market value
of both Sea Camps properties. Because the parcels are unusual in
their size and waterfront locations, local land use and conservation
experts consulted during the appraisal process to verify the accuracy of
the appraisal analysis.
The Bay parcel was appraised at $15,215,000 and the Pond parcel
was appraised at $4,200,000.
Are the ASSESSED property
values the same as APPRAISED
values?
No, assessed property values are used only for property tax purposes
utilizing current uses and data from previous fiscal years. The appraised
value is based on analysis of the property and reflects what a buyer might
expect to pay for one if it is on the current market.
What were the listing prices for
the CCSC properties?
The sellers did not identify listing prices; they only invited confidential bids
from interested parties.
Why did the Town bid on the
properties?
The sellers set out a process for parties interested in buying the Sea
Camps which the Town followed in an effort to negotiate a sale with the
sellers.
How much did the Town of
Brewster bid for the properties?
The Town submitted bids on June 23, 2021 of $15,215,000 for the Bay
parcel and $4,200,00 for the Pond parcel.
How will acquiring the Sea
Camps affect my taxes?
The Long Pond acquisition will require a debt exclusion for financing
purposes only and would have no impact on resident tax bills. The
projected impact of acquiring the Bay parcel on Brewster’s tax rate would
be 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. For the FY21 median
home value of $461,500, the Bay parcel debt would increase annual
property bills by about $90 for the next 25 years.
Are there other parties interested
in working with the Town and
making contributions toward the
properties’ costs?
The Town has been in communication with several possible partners and
other interested parties to create relationships that could reduce the costs
of acquisition to Brewster taxpayers. For the Long Pond acquisition, the
Brewster Conservation Trust has offered $1.5 million, Massachusetts
Audubon has offered $1 million, and the Brewster Water Commissioners
voted to make a $250,000 contribution from available funds over a 5-year
period. For the Bay parcel, Massachusetts Audubon has pledged $1
million and an anonymous private donor has offered $750,000.
What happens if the Town is not
the winning bidder on the
properties?
The public has the opportunity to use eminent domain to acquire important
properties for public purposes. If the Town is unable to negotiate a sale,
which is the priority, Brewster voters can authorize the Town to proceed
with eminent domain and acquire them through a legal process. The
owners would be compensated at fair market value through this process.
D. FAQS ABOUT COSTS & FINANCING A POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF THE
CAPE COD SEA CAMPS
Credits: Town of Brewster; Keen-Summit Capital Partners, Phoenix Management
EMINENT DOMAIN
What is eminent domain? Eminent domain is a legal right given to municipalities and other
governments to acquire property for public use.
Why use eminent domain in
this case?
The Town may not be the winning bidder in this matter. The Select
Board believes Brewster voters deserve the opportunity to decide the
future of these parcels – and the possibility of eminent domain ensures
that the Town isn’t precluded from competing with private developers
to acquire these or similar properties. Eminent domain gives a local
government, working on behalf of its residents, the chance to acquire
property for public benefit.
Has the Town used eminent
domain before?
Yes, Brewster has used eminent domain at least 31 times to acquire
major properties like public beach and hundreds of times for small
acquisitions needed for road improvements. These acquisitions
through this process have fundamentally shaped the Town.
What has the Town of Brewster
acquired by eminent domain?
Our first eminent domain acquisition appears to have been Saint’s
Landing beach in 1918 and the most recent was about 56 acres off
Slough Road for watershed protection and recreation in 2007. Other
eminent domain acquisitions include:
At least 6 public beaches including Crosby, Fisherman’s Landing,
Ellis Landing, and Paines Creek.
Land for Captains Golf Courses
Land for Eddy and Stony Brook schools
Land to establish and protect our drinking water supply
Land for conservation including the Punkhorn parklands.
What are the risks of using
eminent domain to acquire the
Sea Camps?
Eminent domain consists of a legal process that may end in a jury trial.
The jury would hear evidence about the value of the property and then
determine the amount that the Town would have to pay the sellers.
This might be higher than an amount reached through a negotiated
agreement. Since the sellers have recently received multiple bids on
these properties, the acquisition costs would be informed by those
amounts, thereby limiting the Town’s potential financial exposure.
E. FAQS ABOUT USING EMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE CAPE COD SEA CAMPS
FOR PUBLIC USE
Credits: Town of Brewster; Keen-Summit Capital Partners, Phoenix Management
WHAT’S FOR SALE & WHY SHOULD THE TOWN ACQUIRE IT?
What is for sale? Two Cape Cod Sea Camps properties are for sale:
The Bay parcel: 55-acre parcel with frontage on Main Street (Route 6A) with
~800 feet of Cape Cod bay shoreline.
The Long Pond parcel: 66-acre parcel with frontage on Long Pond Road
(Route 137) and ~1,200 feet of Long Pond shoreline.
Why is the Town interested in
acquiring the Sea Camps?
Acquiring the Sea Camps would give the Town control of two of the largest
undeveloped properties in town, both with significant waterfront. It would prevent
private development of the properties and would offer Brewster residents
numerous benefits.
What are the potential benefits
for the Town?
The two Sea Camps properties offer opportunities for substantial public benefits
including:
conservation of land, coastal dunes, and wetlands
habitat and drinking water protection
beach access and parking
a home for a community center
extensive recreational amenities
potential for appropriately sized housing
ability to determine the future of the properties
Are others interested in buying
the Sea Camps?
Yes, the Town has confirmed other parties have submitted bids to buy the Sea
Camps including at least 2 major developers.
Who decides if the Town buys
one or both Sea Camps
properties?
Brewster voters have the authority to decide if the Town buys the Sea Camps
properties. To acquire these properties, Brewster voters will need to approve the
acquisitions at Special Town Meeting in September and approve debt exclusions
at the ballot in a special Town election in October.
ABOUT THE SEA CAMPS PROPERTIES
What buildings are on the Bay
parcel?
The Bay parcel has more than 50 cottages, cabins and dorms that were used to
house campers and staff; most are not winterized. The Bay parcel also has a new
arts center and boathouse as well as a dining hall with a commercial kitchen, an
infirmary and an administration building. There is a garage and maintenance
building onsite.
What buildings are on the
Long Pond parcel?
There are several small boating equipment storage buildings on the Long Pond
parcel; it is otherwise undeveloped.
What recreation facilities are
on the Bay parcel?
The Bay parcel offers these recreation facilities:
Beachfront (~800 feet)
Boathouse
Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool
Art center with ceramics studio
Basketball courts
9 lighted tennis courts
Fields for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, archery, field hockey, & other sports
2 outdoor theatres
Woodworking shop
What recreation facilities are
on the Long Pond parcel?
The Long Pond parcel has these recreation facilities:
1,200 feet of pond shoreline
66 acres of undeveloped land with the potential for an extensive trail system
A. FAQS ABOUT THE CAPE COD SEA CAMPS SALE
Credits: Keen-
Summit Capital
Partners,
Phoenix
Management
THE SELECT BOARD’S ROLE
How long has the Select Board
and Town Administration been
working on this?
Recognizing a rare opportunity, the Select Board and Town
Administration began to explore a possible acquisition as soon as the
Sea Camps announced their impending closure and sale in November
2020.
The Select Board convened in executive session to protect the interests
of Brewster taxpayers and has met nearly 40 times on this matter.
The Board confidentially conducted research into a possible acquisition
in an effort to attempt to negotiate an agreement with the sellers which is
likely to be the lowest cost real estate transaction.
Why did the Select Board meet so
many times in Executive Session?
The Select Board conducted extensive research and analysis to determine if
acquiring the Sea Camps would be feasible, beneficial, and aligned with the
Town’s values. Specific activities included:
Title research
Appraisals of both properties.
Zoning and potential development scenarios.
Cape Cod Commission and local regulations.
Legal aspects
What has been the Select Board’s
goal?
The Select Board’s overarching goal was to identify and pursue the lowest
cost and most expeditious route to a potential acquisition.
What are the roles of the Select
Board and voters in this matter?
The Select Board is responsible for determining if a possible acquisition
should be brought to Town Meeting and for negotiating the terms of an
acquisition, subject to voter approval.
Brewster voters will make the decision about whether to acquire the Sea
Camps properties.
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING & THE SPECIAL ELECTION
When is Brewster’s Special Town
Meeting?
Special Town Meeting to consider acquisition of the Sea Camps for
public use will be held on September 25, 2021, at 10AM on the Stony
Brook field.
What is the purpose of the Special
Town Meeting?
Brewster voters will decide if the Town should acquire one or both Sea
Camps parcels.
When is the Special Election? A special election will be held on October 5 from 7AM to 8PM at the
Brewster Baptist Church.
What is the purpose of the Special
Election?
On the ballot, Brewster voters will be asked if they approve debt
exclusions to finance the costs of acquiring one or both properties.
B. FAQS ABOUT SEA CAMPS SPECIAL TOWN MEETING, SPECIAL ELECTION & ROLE OF
THE BREWSTER SELECT BOARD
Credits: Cape Cod Fieldtrips.com; Keen-Summit Capital Partners, Phoenix Management
Brewster Finance Committee
Liaison Assignments 2020 – 2021
Group Member
Select Board/Town Administrator Pete Dahl – Chairperson 1
Board of Assessors Bob Young 1
DPW (TA)
Police (TA)
COA Honey Pivirotto 1
Fire (TA)
Crosby Mansion Andy Evans 1
Planning Board Honey Pivirotto 2
Nauset Regional Schools** Bob Young 2
Brewster Elementary Schools ** Robert Tobias 1
Brewster Ladies Library** Andy Evans 2
Cape Cod Tech** Pete Dahl 2
Golf Dept. * Bill Meehan 1
Water Department * New Member
Recreation Department (TA)
Community Preservation Committee Alex Hopper 1
Human Services
Board of Health Alex Hopper 2
Housing Trust Robert Tobias 2
Energy Committee
Non Resident Taxpayers Assoc. Pete Dahl 3
Recycling Commission Frank Bridges 1
Capital Planning Committee Frank Bridges 2
Personnel Bylaw Committee OPEN
Vision Planning Honey Pivirotto 3
*Enterprise Fund - Require Liaison
** School Committee – Independent Board – Requires Liaison
Inactive Committees
Comprehensive Water Planning
Brewster Taxpayers Association
Building Needs Committee
All Citizens Access Committee
Finance Committee Minutes
July 14, 2021 Page 1 of 4
TOWN OF BREWSTER
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Date: July 14, 2021 Time: 6:00 PM
VIRTUAL MEETING MINUTES
Present: Chair Pete Dahl, Vice Chair Frank Bridges, Clerk Bill Meehan, Honey Pivirotto, Bob Young, Andy
Evans, Robert Tobias, Alex Hopper
Also present: Mimi Bernardo, Finance Director; Peter Lombardi, Town Administrator
Absent:
The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm and announced a quorum.
This meeting will be conducted by remote participation pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021. 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.
The meeting may be viewed by: Live broadcast (Brewster Government TV Channel 18), Livestream (livestream.brerwster-ma.gov), or Video
recording (tv.brewster-ma.gov).
1.Public Announcements and Comment- none
2.Finance Committee Reorganization – Nominations and Votes for Chair, Vice Chair, and
Secretary
Chair – Frank Bridges nominated Pete Dahl. Bill Meehan second.
Frank Bridges MOVED to appoint Pete Dahl as Chair of the Finance Committee. Bill Meehan second.
Roll Call Vote: Frank Bridges – yes, Bill Meehan – yes, Bob Young – yes, Honey Pivirotto – yes, Andrew
Evans – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Alex Hopper – yes, Chair Pete Dahl– yes.
The Committee voted: 8-yes 0-no
Vice Chair – Bill Meehan nominated Frank Bridges. Bob Young second.
Bill Meehan MOVED to appoint Frank Bridges as Vice Chair of the Finance Committee. Bob Young
seconded.
Roll Call Vote: Frank Bridges – yes, Bill Meehan – yes, Bob Young – yes, Honey Pivirotto – yes, Andrew
Evans – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Alex Hopper – yes, Chair Pete Dahl– yes.
The Committee voted: 8-yes 0-no
Clerk – Frank Bridges nominated Bill Meehan. Andy Evans second.
Frank Bridges MOVED to appoint Bill Meehan as Clerk of the Finance Committee. Andy Evans second.
Approved:
VOTE:
Finance Committee Minutes
July 14, 2021 Page 2 of 4
Roll Call Vote: Frank Bridges – yes, Bill Meehan – yes, Bob Young – yes, Honey Pivirotto – yes, Andrew
Evans – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Alex Hopper – yes, Chair Pete Dahl– yes.
The Committee voted: 8-yes 0-no
Pete does want to reiterate his view that all committee members should rotate through leadership positions.
Frank said he did not see the posting for the open FinCom position on the website and was wondering if the
open position is filled or if candidates are seriously being considered. Pete said he has not heard from the
Moderator yet. He believes there was one resume submitted and there may be more. Peter Lombardi said the
Moderator was looking to set up interviews and we don’t know if that has been done yet. We will let you know
as soon as we know.
3.Town Administrator/Finance Director Report
Peter Lombardi said briefly this is the time where we are closing out one fiscal year and opening another. The
Finance Team is doing a lot of work to this end. There is a lot coming in the next couple months. It is a
reevaluation year, which is on a five-year cycle instead of a three-year cycle. Because of the nature of the
housing market, there will be some adjustments to valuations. There will be info on the website and a formal
public comment period during reevaluation years that will be open in August. Everything is in good shape; we
are following our normal schedule cycle. We are having initial discussions about Special Town Meeting in mid-
November, and one of the big pieces on that Warrant will be the Capital Requests. We will be working with the
Department Heads to review the Capital Plan voted in by the Select Board and see what adjustments need to be
made there in terms of funding requests heading into the fall.
4. Policies & Procedures Update - none
5.End of Year Budget Transfers – Discussion and Vote
Mimi Bernardo said there was only one $225 transfer from the Health Insurance Budget to the Budget for the
Sealer and the Weights and Measures; a payment we make to the Town of Barnstable for shared services where
we were given the incorrect amount. Pete said this is amazing, you deserve all our accolades and support for
this. It shows the quality of our financial management.
Bill Meehan MOVED to approve the transfer of $225 as requested in the memo from the Finance
Department. Frank Bridges second.
Roll Call Vote: Frank Bridges – yes, Bill Meehan – yes, Bob Young – yes, Honey Pivirotto – yes, Andrew
Evans – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Alex Hopper – yes, Chair Pete Dahl– yes.
The Committee voted: 8-yes 0-no
6.Discuss and Determine Feedback to Select Board on Priority Goals for Upcoming
Annual Retreat and Updated Strategic Plan
Pete said that Bob Young submitted a statement of where he thinks the Select Board should continue to
prioritize looking through Nauset Budgeting. Bob Young said he put this together in the last couple of days. The
way he interpreted the discussion last time is that the Finance Committee request the Select Board make their
goal of improving the transparency and relationship with the School Committee be a high priority.
Finance Committee Minutes
July 14, 2021 Page 3 of 4
Pete is going to look at the letter and make some edits before sending to Peter Lombardi for the Select Board.
Bob Young doesn’t think the letter should be sent at this point, only that we recommend the prioritization of the
effort to work with the Nauset Regional School Committee, Nauset Regional Administration, Brewster School
Committee, Brewster Select Board, and Brewster Finance Committee to enhance our understanding of the
budgeting process without using the wording of transparency, etc.
Peter Lombardi said the Select Board Retreat is scheduled for August 19, 2021 with comments in at least a
week before the meeting. What we want to hear is what you see as important going forward. Clearly the Town
has done a lot with Open Space acquisition. When looking at the current Strategic Plan, there are goals related
to that specifically. Pete will clean up the document and send it over to Peter Lombardi for the Select Board
Retreat.
Frank thinks this document should be included with the Minutes of this meeting so the Select Board sees where
the Finance Committee is coming from with its recommendations. Make this our internal document and a public
document in the Minutes and then see what is going on in August after the retreat. Bill said this may be an
opportunity to take a clean break between old and new regimes. Attach the memo to the Minutes to be reviewed
at the next meeting.
7.Discussion – Nauset Regional Public Schools, Budget, and Finance issues
No further discussion from the last Agenda Item.
8. Liaison Reports
Bill submitted a one-page summary of the year-end golf financials. They are not the final results but very close.
We originally expected total revenues quite a bit less, with a surplus of $137,000 and came in at just over
$1.3M. The pandemic accounts for some of this, but not all. This result surpasses remarkable. It is almost
humbling what they were able to accomplish. Through the end of the fiscal year, they recorded almost 85,000
rounds of golf. This is 3rd place in 10-years of record keeping. They are running at 450-480 rounds per day
which is almost unachievable in a golf facility.
Frank attended a Recycling Committee meeting – there is a new Head of the DPW, Griffin Ryder. We are going
to go to glass recycling sometime in October - straight pure glass bottle recycling only – we will be shipping
and getting paid for that. We are going for complete newsprint separation, and we will get paid for that as well.
They are thinking to make a recommendation to the Select Board to eliminate nip bottles – there are so many
around town. The plastic bottle ban is in effect on September 1st, and the plastic bag ban is effective now. They
are discussing reopening the Swap Shop but are still working that through.
Robert said the Brewster School Committee – question he had at a June 17th meeting, the Director of Finance
from Nauset Public Schools, Giovanna Venditti, asked to vote on an end of year spending plan, because they
under run the budgets by $139,000. They said that if the funds were not spent, it would revert to Brewster Free
Cash – they used it for iPad replacement. He asked about over budget spending and if it would fall back to the
town. If some special funds were out, it would come back to the Town for over-spending if that did happen. So,
he was wondering if that is how a department in Town Hall would operate as well? Is that good? Pete said the
Town has overages and “underages,” when we need to make transfers, we do. If it is under budget, the money
goes into Free Cash to a certain extent. So that money does get used in a planned way – usually for Capital
Items. Peter Lombardi said for the past two budgets, there was a spending freeze. We talked about good
budgeting practice and what a great job our department heads do to be conservative in their spending. There is a
Finance Committee Minutes
July 14, 2021 Page 4 of 4
culture in some communities that if you don’t spend your budgets, there will be questions for next year, and
your budgets may be cut for next year. That is not how we approach budgets here. We have had some internal
communications with Nauset School officials and expressed interest in having a conversation with them next
fiscal year and going forward prior to their recommendations to the School Committee if they do have an excess
capacity. They have been receptive to that which is positive and goes to building relationships.
Brewster Affordable Housing Trust – Robert said Brewster Woods had a groundbreaking in June for the Phase
2 component – resulting in 30 affordable units some time in March of next year.
Andy said the Annual Meeting of the Brewster Ladies Library occurs tomorrow. Masks are required.
9. Review and Approval of Minutes- 6/23/21
Bill Meehan MOVED to approve Minutes from 6/23/21 as presented. Frank Bridges second.
Roll Call Vote: Frank Bridges – yes, Bill Meehan – yes, Bob Young – yes, Honey Pivirotto – yes, Andrew
Evans – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Alex Hopper – yes, Chair Pete Dahl– yes.
The Committee voted: 8-yes 0-no
10. Request for agenda items for future meetings – please email Pete
11. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair- none
12. Next Finance Committee Meeting – 8/11/21
13. Adjournment
Bill Meehan MOVED to adjourn the meeting at 7:27 PM. Frank Bridges second.
Roll Call Vote: Frank Bridges – yes, Bill Meehan – yes, Bob Young – yes, Honey Pivirotto – yes, Andrew Evans
– yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Alex Hopper – yes, Chair Pete Dahl– yes.
The Committee voted: 8-yes 0-no
Respectfully submitted, Beth Devine
Packet of additional materials for public review posted on the website.
Town of Brewster July 14, 2021
Finance Committee
Prepared by: Harvey Dahl, Chair
Re: NRSC
A Way Forward
Purpose: To define the Brewster Finance Committee’s role in FY 2022 with respect to Nauset
Regional School Committee and define action items that will improve relations with NRSC while
ensuring that Brewster’s Finance Committee performs its primary function to review financial
information relevant to Brewster taxpayers and make recommendations to Brewster Town
Meeting
Scope: NRSC budget for FY2023.
The Finance Committee’s role is limited to the review of the budget as presented by NRSC and
to make recommendations to Town meeting. Recognizing that 40% of Town Meeting voted
against the NRSC budget and 48% of the Nauset Public Schools Assessment is paid by the
taxpayers of Brewster, we express the following concerns and will move forward with the
action items outlined below.
Concerns:
1.We did not get a full look at the NRSC budget until March 2021
2.We have recently received pdf’s of poorly copied budget material.
3.Many revenue and expense items are unbudgeted.
4.Difficulty reconciling Budget to Year-End Report to the Annual Audit
5.Budget is compared to previous budgets as opposed to recent actuals
6.Large reserves items (Reserve for Negotiations) need to be reconciled to the actual
contracts/expenses
7.Lengthy delay in releasing audited financials (2 years) and concerns over material
weakness and significant deficiencies.
8.NRSC and Superintendent not accepting requests to attend additional meetings of the
Brewster Finance Committee during budget deliberations.
Action Items
1.Work with Select Board to include improving relationships with NRSC as an integral part
of their Strategic Plan.
2.Work with Select Board to help them understand the Finance Committee’s desire to
prepare and present analysis to Select Board on NRSC budget.
3.Invite Interim Superintendent to a Finance Committee meeting to welcome her and
discuss budgeting concerns.
4.Work with NRSC to fully understand budget calendar and make certain that all budget
materials distributed to School Committee officials are provided to Brewster Finance
Committee as required of public documents.
5.Present requests for information early in the budget process.
6.Request budget materials in original form (i.e., digital, excel) that will allow improved
analysis.
7.Request detail on Revenue and Expenses for unbudgeted Revolving Funds and grants
with historic information.
8.Assign multiple liaisons to NRSC with the intent of keeping current on the budget
process and following the process of hiring a new Superintendent.