HomeMy Public PortalAboutSelect Board -- 2021-12-13 Minutes S oav �� r� Town of Brewster Office of:
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3 9 . y Brewster, MA 026314898
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MINUTES OF THE SELECT BOARD & FINANCE COMMITTEE JOINT MEETING REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
DATE : December 13, 2021
TIME : 6 : 00 PM
PLACE : Remote Participation
REMOTE PARTICIPANTS : Chair Bingham , Selectperson Whitney, Selectperson Chaffee, Selectperson
Hoffmann , Selectperson Chatelain , Town Administrator Peter Lombardi, Assistant Town Administrator Donna
Kalinick, Pete Dahl , Robert Young, Honey Pivirotto, Robert Tobias, Frank Bridges, Bill Meehan , Alex Hopper,
Mimi Bernardo, Hal Mini , Tino Kamarck, Sharon Tennstedt, Sharon Rooney
Call to Order & Declaration of a Quorum, Meeting Participation Statement and Recording Statement
Chair Bingham called the meeting to order at 6 ; OOpm . A quorum was declared , and all Select Board members
present were announced . Chair of the Finance Committee , Pete Dahl declared a quorum and announced the
Finance Committee members present . Chair Bingham read the meeting participation and recording
statements .
Public Announcements and Comment
Hal Minis, President of the Brewster Conservation Trust ( BCT) , addressed the group and stated he is proud of
the growth and activities the BCT has taken to enlarge its portfolio . Adding that he is particularly proud of
the partnerships with` the Town in land preservation , management and public education . Mr . Minis
announced that after? 8 years he is stepping down and is pleased to introduce Tino Kamarck who has been
elected as the new President . Mr . Minis commented that Tino is a committed conservationist and a proven
leader . Mr . Kamarck joined the meeting and acknowledged the great shape the organization is in and is
happy to be able to take the position . Mr . Kamarck is looking ahead to an exciting time working with the
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Town on Open Space issues and providing more visibility within the community . Moving from a passive
owner to an active steward in terms of making spaces much more available to the community for use and
education .
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Select Board Announcements and Liaison Reports
Selectperson Hoffmann reported on a recent visit to SEMASS, where she and others were able to learn what
happens once trash leaves our homes . The route it takes on the trash train, how that trash becomes fuel I
that then becomes power to be used for electricity . Chair Bingham added that it was a great tour and
encouraged anyone who has the opportunity to take the tour .
Chair Bingham mentioned that she went with the CPC to the Cape Rep Theater where the barn is being
rebuilt . It is about two-thirds completed and will be wonderful once completed .
Town Administrator's Report
Mr . Lombardi provided an update on COVID , data for both Brewster and Barnstable County daily and weekly
positive case totals have been similar to where we were last January . This trend started well before j
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Thanksgiving and before the latest variant . Mr . Lombardi noted that we are keeping a close eye on the data
and our Health Department is very engaged in working with impacted facilities to address the mini clusters
that have presented over the past month or so . in Brewster, numbers have us at 44 new positive cases, our
second highest single week total since the start of the pandemic . New cases in people ' under the age of 19
have been up significantly over the past month , noting that there are multiple cases III the same household .
The State continues to push for vaccine and/or the booster . They will also be expanding testing, having
announced today that the State is offering free in home Covid tests for hard hit and challenged cities and
towns, though Brewster was not on that list . Mr. Lombardi noted our vaccine rates in Brewster are very high
and we anticipate the same for boosters .
Mr . Lombardi acknowledged the success of the Sea Camps property guided tours in which we hosted 575
residents . We have received a lot of good feedback from those who were there . Mr . Lombardi extended
thanks on behalf of the Select Board and Administration to the many volunteers, noting that we had over
fifty residents who volunteered . We also had CERT volunteers who continue to be a great asset regionally
and here in Brewster, Chief Moran takes the lead on providing support through CERT. In terms of
transportation , we had five drivers from CCRTA, three from Cape Cod Collaborative and two from Council on
Aging . The Whitecaps provided a six-seater golf cart and driver as well . Mr. Lombardi recognized the DPW
crew, who did a terrific job the week leading up to the tours getting the site ready. Tom Thatcher, the
Facility Manager and Ed Barber long time Cape Cod Sea Camps property manager did a lot of work behind
the scenes . Thank you to Ms . Kalinick, Selectperson Whitney, Selectperson Hoffmann , ; and Erika Mawn in the
Administrator' s office who put in a lot of work to pull off the tours and it was well worth it . Mr . Lombardi
also thanked the residents for showing up, we wanted to provide an opportunity for residents to get on the
property as soon as possible . There will be more to come in terms for public access for both properties once
we get into better weather next year .
Consent Agenda
• Meeting Minutes : November 29, 2021
• ( 2 ) One - Day Liquor License Application - Cape Rep Theatre
• Gift Acceptance : Captains Golf Course memorial bench and putting green clock
• Appointment : Scott Leonhardt- Stony Brook Millsites Committee
Selectperson Chatelain moved the consent agenda for December 13 , 2021 . Selectperson Chaffee second . A
roll call vote was taken . Selectperson Hoffmann -yes, Selectperson Whitney- yes, Selectperson Chaffee -yes,
Selectperson Chatelain -yes, Chair Bingham -yes . The vote was 5 -Yes, 0 - No .
Vision Planning Committee Status Update ( Select Board FY22-23 Strategic Plan Goal G -5 )
Chair, Hal Minis, Vice Chair- Sharon Tennstedt and Sharon Rooney, consultant to the Vision Planning
Committee joined the meeting for the presentation . Mr. Minis shared the PowerPoint that is available in the
public packet . The update included the following :
• Vision Planning Committee Charge :
o Foster outreach around the implementation of the 2018 Vision Plan
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o Work with Town staff and the community to develop a Local Comprehensive Plan ( LCP ) based
on the Vision Plan goals
•
Brewster Is Local Comprehensive Plan
o Adapted to the updated Cape Cod Commission LCP regulations and regional policy plan goals .
o Scheduled for adoption at Fall Town Meeting 2022
• Roadmap of the LCP which details the elements of the plan including, status, actions and schedule .
o Elements include vision statement, inventory, stakeholder outreach , goals/objectives, housing
plan, capital facilities plan , targeted action plans, performance measures . These will all lead to
a draft` of the LCP , in which the public will have opportunity to comment .
o Ultimately the final LCP will be developed for the Fall Town Meeting which will then be sent to
the Cape Cod Commission for review and certification .
• Public Outreach provides an opportunity for residents to get involved . The goal is to increase
representation of groups that did not participate in the Vision Plan by making the participation more
accessible and to build relationships for town engagement and implementation .
o Public Survey will address the importance of actions under each Vision Plan Building Block
■ will be available online and in paper copy at key locations
■ Timeline : Live January 15 — February 15 .
■ Target sample size : 1, 500 - 2, 000
o Pop Up Events and Focus Groups
Selectperson Chaffee commented the important work that the Vision Planning Committee has done and
continues to do, however she believes it is hampered by a very unfortunate name " Local Comprehensive
Plan " , asking Mr . Minis to explain what the overarching goal is and what the product of all this work is going
to be so residents can get excited to take part ? Mr . Minis noted the point about the name and provided that
the Vision Planning Committee is talking about more than just the LCP, but how we keep Brewster moving
forward by taking the Vision Plan one step forward so that we get more detailed information than what the
plan states .
Mr . Bridges asked if the idea behind the LCP is taking the general goals from the Vision Plan and detailing
how the Town is going to accomplish the goals ? Mr . Minis responded that though the Vision Plan did have
actions, the LCP will be more refined with a timeframe and responsible parties .
Ms . Tennstedt referenced the update to the plan that was prepared last June, noting there has been a lot
accomplished already and more to be done . The LCP will include new actions that were not included in the
original Vision Plan . Ms . Rooney added that the idea behind the LCP is to identify locations for
redevelopment, resource protection , and that the capital infrastructure plan will be tied to the capital
facilities plan which will also be in coordination with land use of the Town .
Mr . Young inquired about the timeline given the Sea Camps future planning and the elementary school
consolidation study . Mr . Lombardi acknowledged that the Sea Camps processes are going to take time, I
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several years, adding that it is important to continue to move forward with our work on getting to the finish
line with our first LCP and making sure the Vision Plan is implemented . Mentioning that the LCP' s primary
lens is looking at land use which certainly integrates more broadly into community goals and that updates to
the LCP are not a static document . Mr . Lombardi stated that there will be interest in integrating the work of
the Sea Camps into th.e update and that we wouldn' t want to put this process on hold . for the several years it
will take to get to the finish line with a clear plan for the Sea Camps properties . The actionable items coming
out of the LCP are potential changes to our zoning bylaws to accommodate the future , growth that the
community supports . This will run in parallel , and in some ways be independent from our conversation
around the Sea Camps as those are site specific .
Mr . Meehan asked for clarification on the relationship between the LCP process and the Cape Cod
Commission as well as the planning for the Sea Camps property usage and the Cape Cod Commission , Ms .
Rooney answered that the relationship between the LPC and the Cape Cod Commission is that the Cape Cod
Commission , once the Town has adopted the plan, certifies the plan , verifying that it is consistent with the
Cape Cod Commission Act and the Regional Policy Plan . Certification by the Cape Co & Commission comes
with a couple of benefits under the Cape Cod Act, first is that the Town is eligible to participate as an entity
as development agreements either with or without Cape Cod Commission as a party in the future . Secondly a
certified plan affords the Town the ability to impose impact fees . Beyond these, the Cape Cod Commission is
available for technical assistance and to assist the Town in acting as a consultant . Mr . Lombardi included that
in terms of the Sea Camps property planning, the Commission doesn ' t have a formal role, unlike the LCP
process, ultimately the comprehensive plans that are developed will go back to Town Meeting, but do not
require Cape Cod Commission approval .
FY23-27 Financial Forecast Presentation , Discuss FY23 Budget Development Guidelines , and Review FY23
Budget Calendar (Select Board FY22-23 Strategic Plan Goal G -6)
Mr. Lombardi reviewed the Brewster Budget Forecast presentation completed by Mr . Lombardi, Mrs .
Bernardo and Ms . Kalinick . A reminder that there will be some new charts, since the Town has transitioned
to the OpenGov budgeting platform . This is the same platform that will be used in building the FY23 budget
with department heads . Noting that there will be forward facing components to the OpenGov platform in
terms of budget and tracking progress in real time . Mr . Lombardi thanked Mrs . Bernardo for many hours of
work in taking a $ 45M operating budget to the new OpenGov platform , this will be well worth it over time .
Mr. Lombardi stated this presentation is a kickoff for the annual budget process . The presentation will focus
on the general fund and as a reminder the Water Department completed their 5 -year rate study last year
and will be following that in terms of capital and operating expenses going forward . There are talks about the
potential transition of the Golf Department to enterprise fund accounting as early as FY23 and will be
working on developing a 10-year capital plan .
The key points of the presentation include :
• Overview of the FY22 Budget :
o Continued to be conservative in terms of State aid and local receipt projections
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Town of Brewster Office of:
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o Personnel expenses include 2 % COLA and another . 25 % in other compensations . All included
in the employee benefits contractual obligations line item in this year' s budget . Also
accounted for contractual step increases and carried a $ 100k appropriation for the
compensation and classification study .
o Shifted some capital to operating budget, +$ 55K in the DPW operating budget to cover
ongoing maintenance expenses .
o Increased our contribution to Other Post Employment Benefits ( OPER ) Trust fund by $ 50k to
$ 300k ( $ 267k of which was from General Fund , the other $ 33k split between Golf and Water ) .
o Accounted for $ 500k in new Short-term Rental Revenues, the second year that those have
been online . The State allowed for additional revenues to be accounted for in building the
FY22 budget . Consistent with the Select Board ( informal ) policy at the time, of those $ 500k,
$ 225k appropriated to Capital Stabilization and $ 250k to Affordable Housing Trust .
o Creation of new Human Resources Department, an increase of 1 . 5 employees, with a net
expense increase of $ 96k, including benefits .
o Increase in Brewster enrollment at Cape Cod Tech , our assessment was increased over $ 250k .
• FY23 Budget Forecast : Revenue Assumptions
o New Growth
■ Up slightly from what was originally forecasted based on the construction projects at
Brewster Woods and Serenity, as well as general building permit activity . $ 225k in
FY23 & FY24 and $ 200k in FY25 and beyond .
o State Aid ( cherry sheet )
■ 5 % increase in FY23
■ 2 % increases in FY24 and beyond
o Local Receipts
■ Assuming a 10% net increase in projections . Looking back on FY20 & FY21 we ended
up with record high free cash totals . As an example, in FY21 we certified free cash at
$ 4 . 5M , almost a third was from excess revenues . Noting that $900k was from short-
term rentals alone . We were very cautious on projections the past few years, now in a
position to look at the past 4-year actuals .
■ Local receipts comprised of about 20 different categories, looked at each and made
Individual adjustments .
o Short-Term Rental Revenues
■ FY22 budget assumes $ 500k in revenues , didn ' t have our FY21 actuals when
, developing the FY22 budget, which came in at over $ 11VI .
■ Increased the total up to $ 750k for FY23
■ 5 % increase in FY24 and beyond
■ Reminder that the Select Board approved a short-term revenue allocation policy last
spring were 50% is allocated to Affordable Housing Trust, up to 10% to the General
Fund for specific operating expenses and a minimum of 25 % to Capital Stabilization .
o New Solar Revenues ( Captains Golf Course )
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■ Will be 100% online before start of FY23, a little over $ 85k per year in new revenues
for the 20-year term of the lease agreements for the driving range and main parking
lot . The Select Board approved an allocation policy in which $ 26k a year would be
directed to the General Fund with an annual escalator, which is meant to fund a new
part time Energy Manager position .
■ The balance of the funds will go directly to the Golf Department .
o New Marijuana Revenues
■ There will be an update in January at a Select Board meeting, at this point we aren ' t
assuming any revenues in FY23 or beyond . There needs to be some clarity and full
year of actual revenues before we would account for them in our budget .
o Indirects ( Water & Golf)
■ Estimating a $ 120k increase in FY23 , between both, currently in the $ 130-$ 1401< each .
Intended to capture the costs that general fund employees time is spent supporting
operations for each department .
■ FY24 and beyond assuming a 3 . 5 % increase
o Overlay Reserves ( Abatements )
■ Based on the balance, we are projecting $ 100k appropriation in FY23 , $ 200k in FY24,
and $ 250k in FY25 and beyond .
On page 48 of the packet, Mr . Lombardi acknowledged the following on the visualization chart :
• "Taxes" line in revenue ( top line ) is personal property and property tax revenues with a 2 . 5 % annual
levy increase + our new growth assumptions included in the figure .
• Short term revenues- FY20 has $ 0, which is more than that, but we don ' t know exactly . It was the
first year the revenues were being collected and the State didn ' t account for them separately . For
the purposes of this forecast didn' t think it was appropriate to guess .
• The line for "Ambulance Receipts Transfers" were adjusted up to reflect the full costs of running the
ambulance program , we have a 3 . 5 % assumption for FY23 and going forward .
• " Excluded Debt ( Town & School ) " line is rolled up, and on the expense side they are split out . On the
Revenue side goes from $ 2 . 1M this fiscal year to $ 3 . 5M in FY23 when the Sea Camps ( Bay Property)
comes online to $ 6 . 4M in FY24 assuming the high school project stays on schedule and debt is issued .
FY23 Budget Projection : Expense Assumptions
• General Expenses — typically use a 2 % escalator, the net actuals usually come in lower than this, but
use 2 % to be conservative .
• Personnel - contracts now in place , 2 . 75 % COLA for FY23 ( partially to account for the 1% COLA
employees received in FY21 ) . Recommendations from the compensation and classification study are
a standard 3 % increases for all Town employees . In FY23 and FY24 there are some planned
implementations of the study . For FY23, 2 . 75 % COLA, plus step increases . Mrs . Bernardo completed
an analysis on employees across unions and the impacts of step increases, based on this we have put
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in a specific escalator for personnel expenses starting in FY24 at 4 . 2 % increase ( COLA & step ) . In FY27
down to a 3 . 69/o based on the analysis .
• Nauset School — assuming a 3 % in FY23 and 2 . 5 % in FY24 and beyond . We have most of the school
enrollment data for this year that will drive where we end up for student population . Don ' t have
school choice data at this time .
• Cape Cod Tech - Brewster enrollment has basically doubled in past 2 years, from 2019 to 2021 , gone
from 29 to 59 Brewster students . Percentage of Brewster students to total number of students has
gone from 4 . 7 % to 9 % of total enrollment . Total enrollment has increased by more than 6% in the last
two years, up to 654 students in total for 2021 . The new school was designed for 650 students, they
do have some . flexibility and can exceed by up to 15 %, which would put them at almost 750 students .
In talking with the CFO, they have practical limitations, and it is not feasible at 750, they are nearing
their max carrying capacity in terms of operations . The assessment increases by 55 % from FY22 to
FY23 .
• Pension - 9% increase based on the Barnstable County Retirement Boards schedule to pay off the full
pension obligations by 2037 . Our actual increase from FY22 to FY23 is going to be closer to 4%, one of
the major drivers on next year' s budget . Will continue to hold the 9 % for out years .
• Health Insurance - we have a 5 % annual escalator for FY23 and beyond . For FY20 and FY21 there was
0 % increase in terms of premiums, for FY22 a 2 - 3 % premium increase and a one - month premium
holiday that was applied to both employers and employees . In developing the FY22 we applied 50%
of the premium holiday savings to this year' s budget, so for FY23 we have eliminated the premium
holiday and accounted for a 5 % increase .
• Liability Insurance- initial appropriation to cover operation expenses at the Sea Camps, we know now
that this adds an additional $ 50k expense, included a 3 - 5 % escalator .
• Short-Term Dept- impacted by the Sea Camps, our financing plan for Long Pond property acquisition
accounts for the $ 1 . 5M from Mass Audubon , the $ 1 . 75M from Brewster Conservation Trust, the
$ 1 . 75M appropriation from free cash and the $ 250k initial from water commission with a pledge of
another $ 100k, we still have about three quarters of a million to cover in acquisition costs . Our FY22
budget includes $ 250k in short term debt, we are hopeful to go to Town Meeting in May and pay off
some off short-term debt . Regardless , our assumption for FY23 is to increase our short-term debt by
$ 150k so that in the next two to three fiscal years we can cover the additional acquisition costs
specific to the Long Pond property within the levy capacity using available short-term debt .
• OPEB - FY23 and beyond set at $ 300k, about $ 267k from General Fund , consistent with the OPEB
funding plan approved two years ago by the Select Board . Increase our annual contributions to $ 300k
and to maintain the annual appropriation until the mid to late 30s when our pension obligations are
anticipated to be paid off at which point, we significantly increase those contributions to our
unfunded liabilities in terms of OPER . a
• Housing Trust ` & Capital Stabilization - both are set to increase . Based on the increase from short term
rentals, the Housing Trust will increase $ 125k to $ 375k and Capital Stabilization increase $ 75k to
$ 300k .
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• Personnel — The Select Board approved the creation of the full time Sea Camps property manager
position which will be covered with the initial appropriation by Town Meeting . : For next fiscal and
beyond , we increase the operating budget by $ 100k, includes benefits, and then $ 20k a year expense
for the Energy Manager . For the Sea Camps property manager positions we are proposing to use
$ 75k of the short-term rental revenues ( 10% ) consistent with the Select Board allocation policy .
FY23 Budget Forecast : Excluded Debt
• Sea Camps Properties - $ 20M debt issuance
o 30-year term ( level debt ) - starting in FY23 .
o Net increase of $ 1 . 25M in FY23 from FY22 . Annual payments over the 30 -year term are just
under $ 1M per year . For year one, our first payment is closer to $ 1 . 3M due to the timing of
issuing the debt .
o Will see a drop off in terms of debt for the Sea Camps from FY23 to FY24 of about $ 350k . FY24
and beyond will be between a $ 35 -50k/year net decrease in terms of total Town excluded
debt .
• Nauset High School - $ 95M debt issuance ( still working through the design stage )
o Assumed : 25 -year term ( level principal ) - starting in FY24
o $ 3 . 25M net increase in terms of Nauset debt once project is online, assume in FY24
o Due to level principal term , there will be about a $ 90k/year decrease in our assessed debts
specific to the project, if our enrollment remains constant at 48 % .
• Cape Cod Tech High School - $ 81M debt issuance
o 20-year term ( level principal ) - started in FY20
o $ 140k net increase in FY23 due to 44% increase in enrollment from FY22
o $ 15k/year decrease in FY24 and beyond if enrollment remains constant at 9 %
FY23 Budget Forecast Implications
• Estimated FY23 General Fund revenue totals ; $49, 502, 640
• Projected FY23 General Fund operating appropriations : $49,411, 210
• Estimated available FY23 levy capacity : $92k ( 0 . 2 % of annual operating budget )
• Limited levy capacity in FY24 and beyond , but no looming structural deficits ( i . e . , need for operating
override ) .
o FY26- 27 shows some small negative balances, a result of being conservative on both the
revenue and expense side, particularly when looking at health insurance and pension .
These assumptions and the limited levy capacity are premised on both Nauset and Cape Cod Tech coming in
with operating expense increase of up to 2 . 5 % . Important to communicate that this is our capacity as we
develop the FY23 budget . Providing instructions to department heads to deliver a level service budget . The
requests are due on January 6 and have asked that any substantial increases will need justification and
supporting data . Internal review will be completed by end of January, the budget overview presentation
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r Town of Brewster Office of:
� .b BF '%� Select Board
1 ° 9Pa • ;s 2198 Main Street Town Administrator
AAAm Brewster, MA 02631 - 1898
go _ Phone : (508) 896 -3701
Fax : ( 508) 896 -8089
with the Select Boardsand the Finance Committee will be on February 7, 2022 . The department head
presentations are planned for February 9 , 2022
In terms of capital budget, even with the changes that have been made to the revenue and expense
assumptions the goat is to continue to maintain $ 1 . 75M of free cash available for capital appropriations . We
are making sure we invest at that level year over year, capital requests are due just after the new year, the
Capital Planning Committee will meet throughout January and will present to the Select Board and Finance
Committee on February 16, 2022 . Mr . Lombardi stated that we have a little over $ 1 . 1M in unappropriated
free cash available to fund capital in the spring, noting that we took care of most capital request at Special
Town Meeting in the fall . As reminder, to be consistent with our financial reserves policy, we generally want
to leave about $ 900k-$ 11VI to close out the fiscal
Select Board FY22- 23 Strategic Plan Goals : Budget Implications
• Develop a short-term property management plan for the Sea Camps .
• Interim public ' access for the Sea Camps properties , need to understand what the expectations are for
this summer . 'If we have plans to provide any expanded public access, will have both one -time and
ongoing expenses .
• Identify local tax relief options
• Affordable Housing Trust has a dedicated revenue stream with short-term revenues , need to
understand the ongoing programming and their capital needs .
• Comprehensive assessment of Captains Golf operations, finances and capital needs to determine
feasibility of transitioning to enterprise fund .
• Develop plan to support the new Human Resources Department needs in meeting the organizations
expanding services and project demands .
Select Board FY22 =23 Strategic Plan Goals : Capital Implications
• Drummer Boy ; Park Master Plan update approved by Town Meeting last month , now translating the
plan into phased implementation . Make sure it is coordinated with the Wing Island boardwalk
project .
• Complete design and permitting of Wing Island boardwalk
• Millstone Road project is the top priority of the Affordable Housing Trust, balance is available to
supplement development costs if needed . Bids are due this week .
• School Consolidation Feasibility Study is nearing completion , anticipate a report in January .
• Millstone Road construction project, planning on restarting community engagement process in
February. Looking at road capital prioritization in the new year with real decision points to be made .
• Continue hydration station installation project
Select Board FY22-23 Strategic Plan Goals : Other Financial Implications
• Launch new operating and capital budget platform , prepare for the forecast and work through the
budget, a lot more to come over the next several months .
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• Continue to explore potential partnerships for Sea Camp properties that may help with operating
costs and capital .
• Community Preservation Committee is developing a 5 -year plan, soliciting input from stakeholders
and residents to consider changes to the allocation formula .
• Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection fund members for over two years, the regulations have been
finalized . Work to develop clear timeline/plan for moving water quality initiatives forward and
evaluate Town benefits .
• Develop net zero energy roadmap ( for next fiscal year) .
O
• American Rescue Plan Act funds, Brewster received a little over $ 1M allocation), have until 2024 to
spend, there are five broad eligibility categories . Will be creating a plan on how those funds will be
spent .
• Improve information and clarity around school budget .
Selectperson Chatelain asked if we have any budget impact from short term debt for the Nauset Regional
High School on this coming year? Mr . Lombardi responded that our working assumption based on what has
been most recently provided to us, is that we do have the bond anticipation notes that will be issued for the
project . This is in the budget, but we are awaiting an updated schedule . We have asked for clarity on the
project and will hopefully know more in the coming months .
Finance Committee Chair Dahl stated that looking at the full term of the 5 -year projection, it appears that
from the information there should be no need to consider an override, doesn ' t mean things can 't change,
but it paints a picture of a solid financial organization .
Mr . Meehan noticed that there is a substantial increase in the allocation for Cape CodJechnical High School ,
44% increase in enrollment from Brewster, asking if we can expect concomitant reduction in enrollment at
Nauset Regional High ? Mr . Lombardi stated that it is a little too early to say, when looking at the Brewster
High School enrollment numbers are down a little bit, but not significantly . Adding that he doesn ' t think we
will see another 50% enrollment of Brewster students at the Cape Cod Technical High School for next year .
Mr . Hopper asked if we are assuming a $ 50k increase due to the Sea Camps in the expense assumptions for
liability insurance, do we know the need for property insurance on the buildings that exists ? Mr. Lombardi
answered that the liability insurance category covers all different insurances and includes the total costs to
add properties to our current plan .
Mr . Henchy asked how much does the 5 % increase of State aid mean in a dollar amount ? Mr . .Lombardi
responded that it is a little under $ 100K . Mr . Henchy asked how the Brewster share of the tax budget is
determined for the school budget ? Mr . Lombardi stated that it is assessed the same way that many regional
school districts are allocated , which is the percentage of Brewster students as a percentage of total
enrollment from the previous year. Mr . Henchy asked how the assumption of 2 . 5 % of new growth for the
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school budget compares with prior years ? Mr. Lombardi answered that their target has been a 2 . 5 %
increase in their operating budget year over year for the past several years .
Mr . Bridges requested clarification on the employee benefits expenses ( page 51 of the packet ) , noting that
for FY22 there is a budget of $ 6, 585 , 000, then for FY23 ( reclass year ) we are at $ 5 , 631 , 000 and then one year
out with COLA and other expenses we are at $ 6, 400, 000, seems low compared to our FY22 budget of $ 6 , 8M .
Mrs . Bernardo responded that in FY22 we knew about a significant amount of retirement payouts , adding
that she has already reached out to department heads to see if anything significant is coming online, and
there is not . Adding that we had a large amount of money in contractual obligations in FY22 and in FY23
spread amongst departments, starting in FY24 and out it is starting back in contractual obligations, we have
money added in for retirement payouts, but we don ' t have the big ones we had this year . Noting that
starting in FY24 we already have employees at the top of their pay scale . Mr . Lombardi added that we had a
place holder for the anticipated implementation costs of the compensation and classification study, those
have been allocated Within the department budgets for FY23 and beyond .
Mr . Bridges shared his observations that our overall expense budget is increasing by 14%, then when debt
starts the following year, we are going to be up 24% . While Mr . Bridges understands the explanations, he
feels it is important to understand we will be getting into big increases and may be entering into a high
inflationary environment . Mr . Lombardi commented that the thing to keep in mind that for FY20 and FY21
those budgets the tax rates were artificially low, we ended up with record high free cash in both years for a
reason, we were ultra conservative in terms of projections . Adding that it is fair to say we don ' t want to be in
a place where we close out the books on $ 4M + in free cash . Moving from FY21 to FY22 to FY23 we are
increasing those revenue projections in particular up at a rate closer to where they should have been in
those years, as it shows a larger percentage increase than the actual dollars in the door that we have been
seeing . Mr . Lombardi stated this timed out well for applying those funds to the Sea Camps and investing in
capital . Keeping in mind , through this we have made signification contributions to OPER, unfunded liability,
capital stabilization and to the Affordable Housing trust, dollars have been reinvested in other areas .
Both Boards expressed their gratitude on a very clear and thorough budget presentation provide by Mr .
Lombardi , Mrs . Bernardo and Ms . Kalinick .
i
Review and Discuss Select Board FY22 - 23 Strategic Plan Goal G - 1 Regarding Nauset Regional School j
i
Budgeting
Mr . Lombardi reviewed that the Select Board has developed a Strategic Plan that identifies specific goals
across the organization for the upcoming fiscal years . Through this process, the town solicits feedback from j
town staff, department heads and board /committees as to what they see as important . The Finance
Committee had put together the statement that is included in the packet on page 64 urging the Select Board
to prioritize the schools' budgets and operating expenses . The Select Board ultimately decided to include
this as one of their goals and building block for this fiscal year . Mr . Lombardi noted that some version of this
goal was included In last year' s strategic plan as well , but there is still progress to be made on this front . Also
included in the packet are the latest data that is available in terms of enrollment trends across the district . A
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copy of these monthly dashboard reports that Nauset Schools put out and will start to be shared on a
monthly basis .
Finance Committee Chair Dahl addressed the group on what the committee sees as a very important topic .
When looking at the out years of the budget and debt start to climb and expenses are unknown at this point,
the town has been giving 2 . 5 % increase for the better part of a number of years . In the packet there are
enrollment charts, enrollment from the town has declined , yet we still have upgraded their budget
repeatedly . Mr. Dahl expressed the need for transparency, for instance, the need for reconciliations to
understand where their numbers come from . Mr . Dahl gave credit to the Nauset Regional School
Department for the dashboard reports, as they are timely and illuminating and this is a good step in the right
direction . Noting that the presentation provided in the packet by Mr . Young goes to the heart with some of
the issues we are having with an increasing school budget and a decrease in school population .
Mr . Meehan spoke on the increasing burden of local taxes on what we know to be the constituent
population of our town . Mr . Meehan looks at the school budgets which automatically increase 2 . 5 % each
year, despite the fact that no one' s income is increasing at that rate . It is a burden that is acceptable to Mr .
Meehan in his view as long as we are doing the job, as long as we are successfully serving the interest of the
taxpayers of the town , and in particular those who send their children to our schools . Adding that the
schools do a great job, but it is time to look into the increase .
Mr . Dahl stated that while the Select Board has made a strong commitment to this, it is something everyone
should think about . When asked why it is 2 . 5 % every year, the answer was it is an informal agreement . The
agreement with the school committee doesn ' t necessarily have to be 2 . 5 %, we can take a look at what is
actually necessary to educate the students from the town that are members of the district .
Mr . Bridges reviewed the enrollment numbers for the high school , noting we are up this year about 22
students, numbers are also up at Light House Charter and Sturgis . Adding that the issue of the entire expense
picture at the high school is complicated by the fact that we have a much higher capital costs with the new
building coming on, we also have to watching enrollment trends . The communities in the district have all
made an investment in the facility, Mr. Bridges noted that we know have to find ways we can at least
decelerate the cost increases each year .
Mr . Henchy asked if the school budget was level funded , and not increased 2 . 5 % each ' year, in the next FY
coming up, how many dollars would that be in savings back to the Town of Brewster? ,. Mr . Lombardi
answered generally speaking our assessment to Nauset and the school budgets are about 50 % of our
operating budget, a significant driver .
Mr . Dahl commented about the transparency that is needed , for example in the presentation in the packet,
there is a budget line item for FY22 that include over $ 1 . 3M in reserve for negotiations, this would be an
item that details can be shared to start to build the transparency and trust .
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Mr . Lombardi commented when talking about transparency relative to the Nauset Regional Budget that it is
important to note that we also need to talk about transparency and improving accessibility on the town ' s
side as well . We are not just focusing on the schools but holding ourselves to the same standards . Both goals
are under the governance building block, part of the reason why we are transitioning to the OpenGov
platform . Mr. Lombardi added that historically we have used certain assumptions in our forecast and have
assumed 2 . 5 % for Nauset, other member communities in the district have been more explicit and have said
they want to see an increase of x, which we have not done . There is a little bit of a shift this year when
looking at our forecast, we can ' t assume an increase that is greater than 2 . 5 %, this is our ceiling . Mr .
Lombardi noted that our plan in communicating to the school district is up to a 2 . 5 % is what we could
Incorporate to deliver a balance budget .
For Your Information - None
Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair - None
Questions from the Media - None
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Next Meetings :
December 20, 2021, and January 10, 2022
Adjournment
Finance Committee member William Meehan moved to adjourn at 8 : 31pm . Member Frank Bridges second . A
roll call vote was taken . Member William Henchy- yes , member Honey Pivirotto -yes, member Frank Bridges -
yes, member Robert Tobias- yes, member William Meehan -yes, member Alex Hopper-yes, member Andy
Evans-yes, Finance Committee Chair Pete Dahl -yes . The Committee vote was &Yes, 0- No .
Selectperson Chatelain moved to adjourn at 8 ; 32pm . Selectperson Whitney second . A roll call vote was
taken . Selectperson Chaffee -yes, Selectperson Whitney- yes, Selectperson Hoffmann -yes, Selectperson
Chatelain -yes, Chair Bingham -yes . The Board vote was 5 -Yes, 0 - No .
Respectfully submitted by Erika Mawn , Executive Assistant
01 / 11 / 2022 Fdwowd 9 CAaAelawn
Approved : Signed :
Date Selectperson Chatelain , Clerk of the Select Board
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1
Accompanying Documents in Packet : Agenda, TA Report, Consent Packet, Vision Planning PowerPoint, Brewster Budget Forecast, Nauset
Regional School Budgeting documents, FYI packet .
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HELL ® SIGN Audit Trail
TITLE Meeting Minutes 12 . 13 . 21
FILE NAME BoS 12- 13 -21 . doc
DOCUMENT ID Obc64712ab74190af15c3e2fe337838dcacc77f4 .
AUDIT TRAIL DATE FORMAT MM / DD / YYYY
STATUS Completed
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01 / 11 / 2022 Sent for signature to Edward Chatelain
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�0 01 / 11 / 2022 Viewed by Edward Chatelain (nchatelain@brewster- ma .gov)
VIEWED 16 : 06 : 53 UTC IP : 73 . 167 .45 . 86
01 / 11 / 2022 Signed by Edward Chatelain ( nchatelain@brewster-ma . gov)
SIGNED 16 : 07 : 08 UTC IP : 73 . 167 .45 . 86
C✓ ' 01 / 11 / 2022 The document has been completed .
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