October 5, 1999 - The FinCom Speaks
Note - Quotes may not be totally 100% correct - they may be 99.991/2% correct however.
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In ?July of 1999, the Robbins Library began to make the records of the Town Finance Committee available to the library patrons. Here are a few interesting tidbits that I gleaned from the notes of recent FinCom meetings.
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February 17, 1999 - Fire Chief Maimone and the Town Y2K group just met for the first time : no money needed - Minuteman Voke Tech contribution is $2.2 million - Library budget is $1.38 million - Town Webmaster ?instituted/?converted to a contract position : OKed by Comptroller
March 10, 1999 - $4,386,000 for the Fire Dept - fulltime Wire Inspector hired at $50,000 per year - job opening for partime Wire Inspector (at $19,000 per year) cancelled
March 17, 1999 - "more police money will pay for software that allows direct links between patrol cars to state and federal databases"
April 12, 1999 - one police patrolman added at $37,000 for drug control
April 14, 1999 - new position of Signal Maintainer at Community Safety @ $39,000 per year - the Signal Supervisor position was downgraded to a partime position which would be part of the Wire Inspectors responsibilities
May 3, 1999 - "Town departments are not accountable" - "there is still duplicative effort" - "the Town may have not realized productivity improvements from the spread of personal computers" - "departments cannot explain what they are doing" - "FinCom spends too much time number crunching and not enough time analyzing the numbers" - "Town budget heads do not know their budgets" - (the schools) superintendant is OK - Plymouth and Brookline have adequate budgetary processes and knowledge
May 17, 1999 - Most of the money spent on the Patriots Day Parade goes to paying for the police officers who provide public security. "few bands" - "quality falling".
September 14, 1998 - Brackett School - $250,000 for oil leak - Ottoson developed worrisome leak in the courtyard
October 7, 1998 - Capital Planning Committee - Cemetary Dept seeks a new sedan to lead funerals - also request $35,000 for a new FWD dump truck
October 13, 1998 - Capital Planning Committee - money for microfilming of town records - one copy to be kept at Town Hall and one copy to be kept (offsite) not at the Town Hall
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