Board of Finance

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of March 16, 2006

Present: Ralph C Gold, chairman, Celia Senzer, Sally Hart, Tom Bechtle, members. John LaPorta and Ginger Betti, alternates. Gordon Ridgway, first selectman and Barbara Gold chair of the Board of Education (BOE). Dr. Kathleen Fitzgibbons, principal of CCS.

Chairman Gold asked John LaPorta to sit for Anne Ingvertsen and Ginger Betti to sit for Earl Brecher.

The minutes of January 19, February 16 and March 9 were approved as presented.

Gordon Ridgway said that he had talked with CIRMA which is offering a zero-increase lock-in arrangement to level insurance costs for three years. The town was intending to agree; Barbara Gold agreed for the BOE.

Barbara presented the changes which have come about in the budget since March 9. One teacher at a fairly high step has resigned and the BOE plans to engage a replacement at a lower step. Removed from the budget were: $8,000 for unemployment insurance, $3,000 for legal fees, $16,000 for computer switches, and $4,000 for painting. Another $3,000 was taken out of the textbook line. The whole is a $37,000 reduction. Electricity costs, however, bumped the bottom line up $10,000. The net result is a 5.3% increase for CCS and $5.2% for the whole budget. The high school is presently at 5.43% although changes are expected which will effect the BOE bottom line.

Gordon reported that the Board of Selectmen had brought their budget down about $7,000. The Board reduced increases of more than 10% for non-government organizations and made other small changes.

One the capital side, Gordon reported that the Nature Conservancy has offered to assist Cornwall with the technical costs of town planning such as GIS mapping and build-out analysis. This may come to $10-15,000, which is expected to reduce the planning costs..

Ralph Gold said the budget total at the moment is 5.6% more than last year. Final amounts will be settled at the April 20 Board of Finance meeting.

Gordon presented the acquisition of the Lorch Farm property, an option for which the selectmen have agreed to undertake for the sum of $1. The final decision will be made by a town meeting. Donors have been found who are expected to contribute the $540,000 purchase price. The land involved is the east portion along Route 7 of approximately 100 acres all of which is under a state easement to preserve the farming purpose of the land. The town has two months to secure approvals and final funding. One half of the money has already been committed. The loss to the tax rolls is about $500.

The town will use the land for agricultural activities organized by the Agricultural Commission; the Vo-Ag program at the high school is interested in participating.

Celia moved and John LaPorta seconded a motion

To accept acquisition of the Lorch property on the east side of Route 7 by the Town of Cornwall to be financed by donors and at no cost to the Town.

Further discussion ensued with Tom Bechtle’s question “why now?” He suggested the Board’s approval at this stage seemed out of sequence. Celia compared the purchase with the sale of Rumsey Hall without sufficient safeguards to maintain the property. Ralph said that several boards are being asked for approvals – P&Z, Wetlands for example – and that a Board of Finance approval had been suggested by Town Counsel Perley Grimes.

Celia amended her previous motion and John agreed to second:

To recommend to the town meeting for consideration the acquisition of approximately 100 acres of the Lorch property on the east side of Route 7 with funds to be donated to the Town for that purpose.

The VOTE to approve was unanimous

Tom moved and Sally Hart seconded a motion to transfer in the General Fund:

FROM: 01-466-100-00 Contingency $10,000

To Increase 01-425-620-50 Snow Removal

The VOTE to approve was unanimous.

The meeting adjourned at 8:45.

Lisa Lansing

Clerk