Budget and Finance Subcommittee

City of Amesbury Office of the City Clerk 62 Friend St. Amesbury, MA 01913 By City Clerk at 9:18 am, Jun 22, 2023 City Council Budget & Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 7:30 PM Councilor Stanganelli called the meeting to order at 7:34 PM. Roll call was taken, and present were Councilor Deschenes and Councilor Stanganelli. Absent was Chairman Hickok. Minutes for Approval: February 21, 2023 Councilor Deschenes moved to approve the minutes of February 21, 2023 as presented. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion unanimously passed (2 voting members present). Public Comment: None 2023-019 An Order to accept an in-kind donation of historic preservation consulting services for the Amesbury Public Library from Heritage Consulting Group, valued at $15,000. -Mayor Sponsor Chief of Staff Ann Marie Casey welcomed Heritage Consultant Tracey Fortier and Meghan Fahey, head of public archives, spoke to the benefits of passing the bill. Councilor Deschenes asked if this will help lead to a new library. Ms. Fahey stated that this sets up the library to receive funds that it is not currently eligible for. Ms. Fahey stated the importance of the library as a resource for the community. Councilor Stanganelli asked about the scope of the contract. Ms. Fortier shared the process for the submission and determination of eligibility from the state. Councilor Stanganelli asked if repairs previously approved by City Council needed to adhere to any state guidelines. Ms. Fortier stated that they did not. Ms. Fahey stated that the repairs recommended were all preservation based. Councilor Deschenes moved to send bill 2023-019 as presented back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). 2023-021 An Order to appropriate $10,000 from the Smart Growth Stabilization Fund (7301) for the purpose of assisting the City of Amesbury in reducing carbon emissions through fleet conversion and employee education. -Mayor Sponsor Chief of Staff Ann Marie Casey shared that the current balance of the Smart Growth Stabilization Fund is $204,133.62. Ms. Casey read the definition of the fund and stated the administration’s support of the fund. 1 Councilor Stanganelli asked about the regulation of charging stations. Ms. Casey stated that this is within the scope. Councilor Deschenes moved to send bill 2023-021 as presented back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). 2023-022 An Order to transfer $2,900 from Planning Board Salaries & Wages to Planning Board Other Expenses. -Mayor Sponsor Councilor Deschenes moved to send bill 2023-022 as presented back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). 2023-023 An Order to request the City Council vote to authorize the Mayor to enter into a three-year loan purchase Agreement to fund a replacement School Maintenance truck. -Mayor Sponsor Councilor Deschenes moved to send bill 2023-023 as presented back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). 2023-024 An Order to approve payment from the FY23 general fund operating budget for the below listed prior year invoices. -Mayor Sponsor Chief of Staff Ann Marie Casey stated that this is administrative based, and that she will be speaking with Jane Snow of the Cemetery Commission. Ms. Casey also stated that the other invoices are for CommSat. Councilor Stanganelli read the amounts requested. Councilor Stanganelli also asked if it would be beneficial to include a cemetery line item that would cover such things as opposed to having it buried within the DPW. Ms. Casey stated that she would take this question back to the administration and finance department. Councilor Deschenes moved to send bill 2023-024 as presented back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). 2023-025 An Order to authorize the Mayor to accept and expend a FY23 Cultural Sector Recovery Grant for Organizations from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in the amount of $73,940.00. -Mayor Sponsor Library Director Aimie Westphal spoke to the benefits of the bill as well as what she hoped the grant would be used for within the library. Councilor Deschenes moved to send bill 2023-025 as presented back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). 2023-026 An Order to authorize the Mayor to accept and expend a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for FY 2023. -Mayor Sponsor Councilor Deschenes moved to send bill 2023-026 as presented back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. He was seconded by Councilor Stanganelli. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). Councilor Stanganelli turned over the gavel to Councilor Deschenes. Councilor Stanganelli spoke in favor of not overusing the Public Hearing budget. 2 Councilor Stanganelli moved to recommend to the City Council as a whole to refrain from the practice of adding Public Hearing notifications on all measures and limit it to the list that will be provided by the City Clerk. He was seconded by Councilor Deschenes. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). Adjourn: Councilor Stanganelli moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:38 PM. He was seconded by Councilor Deschenes. The motion passed unanimously (2 voting members present). Respectfully submitted, Jasmine Looney March 22, 2023 3