FINCOM 01-23-2013

Source page 1

Town of Canton Finance Committee V O k 1 17- 6 ) 113
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 VO'
Members Present:
Rob Barker, Sarah Calabria, Mark Porter, Barbara Saint Andre, Jim Sims and Eric Zine.
Members Absent:
Pat Johnson and Diane Wolff.
Guests Present:
Debbie Sundin, Designee — Community Preservation Committee (CPC); Chairman - Conservation Commission
Jim Murgia, Finance Director
Ellen Jones, FINCOM Secretary
Opening:
A meeting of the Canton Finance Committee was called to order at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 in
the Salah Meeting Room of Town Hall.
A. Approval of Agenda
Chairman Porter reviewed the agenda.
Announcements
There were no announcements made.
B. Approval of Minutes
A motion made by Rob Barker to approve the December 19, 2012 meeting minutes as written was seconded
by Barbara Saint Andre. Vote: 5 -0 -1. Mr. Sims abstained from the vote because he was not present for the
December 19 meeting.
C. New Business
Community Preservation Act — Deb Sundin, the Conservation Commission's designee to the Community
Preservation Committee (CPC), gave the Finance Committee a brief overview of the progress of the Community
Preservation Committee. All nine members have been appointed to the CPC, their first meeting would be held on
January 31 and on March 31 training would be provided to the CPC by the state's CPC Coalition. Ms. Sundin
invited town boards to send representatives to the training to be held at Pequitside Farm, The CPC would also be
working on setting procedures for vetting projects. Ms. Sundin anticipates that at the ATM 2013 there would be one
article on the warrant establishing a budget for the CPC's administrative costs. This budget would be used for
purposes such as secretarial support to the CPC for posting meeting notices, distributing materials, etc.
A Finance Committee member suggested that a second CPC article be placed on the ATM 2013 warrant for
appropriating funds collected in FY14 to be used for historical projects such as a display case at the Canton Public
Library and the preservation of cemetery markers at the Canton Cemetery. The Finance Director confirmed that the
Town is allowed to earmark funds at ATM 2013 that would be collected through the CPA tax in FYI 4. Ms. Sundin
recommended funding projects for FYI at the ATM 2014, once the CPC members have received the proper
training from the state CPC Coalition.
Mr. Murgia suggested that a representative from the Assessor's Department attend a Finance Committee meeting to
discuss how abatements would be handled by the Assessor's Department as a result of the additional CPA tax on
ratepayers. Ms. Sundin stated that CPA tax abatements would be handled through the same process and same form
as established and regulated by the state for which regular abatements are processed.
There was some brief discussion that the acronym established under the by -law for the Community Preservation
Committee is CPC and that the Capital Planning Committee may have to establish a new acronym other than CPC
for its committee.
FINCOM 01232013 MINUTES.doc Page 1 of 1/27/2013