Minutes of Budget Meeting on March 12th, 2009

Present Y- N

Regular Members;

Y

Anne Ingvertsen

Y

Earl Brecher

Y

Celia Senzer

Y

Sally Hart

Y

Ralph Gold arrv: 7:36

N

Tom Bechtle

Alternates;

Others;

Y

John LaPorta

Y

Barbara Herbst, Board Clerk

Y

Jack Preston

Y

Gordon Rigeway, First Selectman

Y

Richard Bramley, Selectman

Y

Members of the Cornwall Board of Education & Clerk

Y

Sam Herrick and Judge Manning from Region #1

Y

Principal, CCS

Call to Order:

7:34 p.m. by Celia Senzer, Vice Chairman

Chairman

Asked John LaPorta to sit in for Tom Bechtle

Additions to the

None

Agenda

Minutes:

None

Motion:

Sally Hart - made a motion to switch the order of the presentations

Anne Ingvertsen seconded

Chairman

Asked for any discussion

Motion passed unanimously.

Reports of Boards

Region #1

and Commissions:

Copies of the proposed Region #1 budget were distributed. Sam Herrick, Business Manager

for Region #1 presented the budget adhering to the Table of Contents.

Executive Summary: A Glossary of Terms was provided to facilitate understanding of the

document. The expenditure portion of the budget is an increase of 1.06% however, the overall

budget will net out to an increase of 1.99% because of a reduction in revenues.

Certified Salaries, Non-Certified Salaries and Employee Benefits are increasing per contracts.

Special Education is another item driving the increase. Health Savings Account Health Insurance

is being encouraged as a viable way to save costs in Employee Benefits. Anthem Blue Cross has

submitted an initial increase in premiums of 24 %.

A reduction in staffing for the custodial/maintenance portion of the budget is being considered.

Operating Budget: Overall increase in the Operating Budget is 1.14%, Education is 94.5% of the

operating budget and consists of instructional, salaries, benefits, supplies and equipment.

The balance of 5.5% is Facilities Maintenance, which encompasses salaries, supplies, service

contracts and equipment to maintain the school building and grounds.

Education: 90.1% of the total budget - Enrollment is projected to go down slightly in 2010.

Staffing recommendations reveal a cut in Family Consumer Science (Home Economics).

The Technology budget reveals 35 new PC's, replacement of the library server, smart boards,

tablets and some pod casting. Library lab computers will be cycled out and the technology ed. lab

will be upgraded.

Facilities: 6.1% of total budget - Capital Projects for 2009-2010 reveal a reduction over the

2008-2009 budget of $73,500. This reduction is directly attributable to the Gym Floor Project

that is being appropriated over five years.

Debt Service: 3.8% of the total budget - carries out until 2021.

The debt from 1998 (Building Project) will be retired in FY 2018.

The debt from 2002 (HVRHS Renovations/Ag. Ed. Addition) will be retired in 2017.

Summation: The Region #1 budget showed an increase in FY 2008 of 5.38%, in FY 2009 of 6.46%

and FY 2010 of 1.6%

Discussion:

General discussion, questions and answers centered around key issues of Employee Benefit Costs,

Staffing, Plant Operations/Maintenance, the gymnasium flooring useful life and the replacement

thereof and student transportation.

Chairman:

Thanked Sam for his presentation, answering all the questions and for all of his hard work.

The members of Region #1 took leave of the meeting @ 8:20 p.m.

Cornwall Board of Education:

Copies of the Cornwall Board of Education Proposed budget were distributed. Barbara Gold,

Chairman of the Cornwall BOE presented.

Overall the proposed budget is a decrease of .81% The CCS portion of the budget is an increase

of 3.9% and the Region portion of the budget is a decrease of 7.82% attributable to lower enrollment.

Staffing influences include the CCS Principal will be leaving and one teacher returning

from leave and one temporary teacher leaving as a result. Technology support will be outsourced.

Accounting software costs have been reduced by virtue of changing software systems. Legal Fees

have been reduced by virtue of the settlement of contract negotiations.

Currently there is a region wide bus contract in negotiation, there has been a reduction from five

to four busses this year and next, there will be a change in field/sport trip calculation from hourly rate

plus mileage to increased hourly rate only.

The budget reflects a reduction in teacher requests for classroom supplies, a reduction in electric

utility expense, a reduction in books and periodicals and a reduction in all school and office supplies.

Barbara Gold wrapped up her presentation by reviewing the history of Budget increases, and

reiterated that this budget increase is less than 1%, attributable to Dr. Kathleen Fitzgibbons and

her superior fiscal responsibility.

Discussion:

General discussion, questions and answers centered around the key issues of staffing changes,

AFSCME contract wages, Employee Benefit Costs, Staff Tuition reimbursement, Security &

Fire Alarm Systems costs and the installation of the solar panels on the roof.

Chairman:

Thanked Barbara for her presentation, answering all the questions and for all of her hard work.

Adjournment:

9:04

Motion:

Sally Hart made a motion to adjourn

Earl Brecher seconded

Motion passed unanimously.

Respectfully Submitted:

Barbara Herbst

Board Clerk