FINCOM 01-29-2013

Source page 1

Town of Canton Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Members Present: V o k,d �r c ,L j�
Rob Barker, Pat Johnson, Mark Porter, Barbara Saint Andrd, Jim Sims and Eric Zinc. 1��G
Members Absent: tl om ; 5-0—/
Sarah Calabria and Diane Wolff.
Guests Present:
Debra Bromfield, Director of Student Services
Jeff Granatino, Superintendent, Canton Public Schools
Ken Leon, School Business Administrator, Canton Public Schools
Cindy Thomas, Vice Chairman, School Committee
Karen Zukauskas, Assessing Director
Jim Murgia, Finance Director
Ellen Jones, FINCOM Secretary
Opening:
A meeting of the Canton Finance Committee was called to order at 7:03 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 in the
Salah Meeting Room of Town Hall.
A. Approval of Agenda
Chairman Porter reviewed the agenda and stated the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the FY13 Special
Education (SPED) budget with members from the School Department and to also discuss the Assessors
Department's FYI budget requests.
Announcements
There were no announcements made.
B. Approval of Minutes
A motion made by Rob Barker to approve the January 23, 2013 meeting minutes as amended was seconded
by Barbara Saint Andre. Vote: 5 -0 -1. Dr. Johnson abstained fi the vote because she was not present for the
December 23, 2012 meeting.
C. New Business
School Department — FY13 SPED Out of District Tuitions and SPED Transportation — (handout) Ms. Cindy
Thomas, Vice Chairman of the School Committee, informed the Finance Committee that the purpose for meeting
with them was not to request a supplement to the School Department's FYI 3 SPED budget, but to update the
Finance Committee with information about the School Committee's concern with regard to a potential budget
problem with the FY13 SPED out of district tuitions and SPED transportation costs. Mr. Leon and Ms. Bromfield
review tuitions on a weekly basis. The School Committee will continue to monitor these costs at every meeting.
Superintendent Granatino and Mr. Leon spoke about the approximately $494,000 additional funds that may be
needed for FY13 Residential Tuitions and Collaborative Tuitions and the approximately $155,000 additional funds
that may be needed for FY13 SPED Transportation.
Mr, Murgia provided information with regard to the current balance of $650,000 in the SPED Circuit Breaker Fund
and that if circuit breaker estimates for the remainder of FY13 come in as projected, the Town may have a balance
of $1.1 million which would be sufficient to meet the FYI SPED obligations.
Mr. Sims inquired about the unfunded mandate of a school district having to provide transportation for homeless
students. This is a function that passes through Ms. Bromfield's office, could cost approximately $25,000 to $50,000
per year and is not part of the SPED budget.
FINCOM 01292013 MINUTES.doc Page I of 2/3/2013