The meeting commenced with the announcement of critical transitions in the finance department. Ezekiel Ayala, the finance director, announced his resignation effective in October, as he takes up a new role with the Latin American Health Alliance in Worcester. To fill this gap, an offer was extended to Katie McKenna, the finance director from Oxford, who is set to assume the position on October 20. The department is also experiencing the impending retirement of Nancy Oor, the payroll and benefits administrator, at the end of October. These departures leave the department largely vacant, as the assistant accountant has also moved to a new role. In response, the town has enlisted the services of Eric Kinurf, a CPA with expertise in transitional municipal services, to assist during the interim period and recruitment process. Additionally, Steve Barrett, a retiree previously helping the town, is temporarily managing accounts payable on a part-time basis.

The committee’s discussion progressed to the TC Pacios roof project, a topic of contention. Three years ago, a recommendation was made against proceeding with roof repairs due to the building’s condition, with some suggesting demolition as a preferable option. During the meeting, the facilities director and another member confirmed their stance against partial repairs, advocating for a comprehensive approach through the standard capital planning process. Despite appropriating $300,000 for the roof project, there was debate about whether to maintain these funds within the article for potential reallocation or return them to free cash. The complexities of fiscal processes were acknowledged, with opinions diverging on the best course of action.

Another focal point was the upcoming town meeting on November 18, with three meetings scheduled prior. The committee was reminded to review the draft warrant, which had not yet been thoroughly examined. Members were alerted to the potentially heavy load of the warrant, with some proposals possibly being deferred for further review. This includes amendments to the personnel administration plan, which aim to improve clarity and align with current practices. Proposed changes include adjustments to vacation policies to attract talent and potentially dissolving the personnel board, currently inactive. Concerns were raised about the concentration of hiring and management authority in the town manager’s role without the checks and balances typically provided by a personnel board.

In preparation for the upcoming tri-board meetings, the committee discussed unresolved budgetary needs, particularly within the public safety and Department of Public Works sectors. The town manager highlighted the fire department’s need for a fourth shift and other unmet needs identified in meetings with department heads. The committee agreed on the importance of addressing these matters early in the budget process to allow for more thorough planning.

The meeting also tackled procedural improvements, specifically regarding financial management practices. Discussions addressed the need for better management of purchase orders to prevent discrepancies in financial reporting. Emphasis was placed on leveraging data from Munis, which can be exported into CSV format to streamline financial analysis and avoid past issues of inaccuracy from manually recreated data in Excel.

As the meeting drew to a close, members noted the importance of ensuring proposals brought before the Finance Committee are properly vetted by relevant groups. A hypothetical scenario was mentioned to illustrate the need for consultation with appropriate stakeholders, such as the Parks Commission, before advancing projects like a water slide at Veterans Park. Members stressed the importance of having a clear implementation process for any proposed idea.