Town Council - Ways & Means Committee

Braintree Town Council MEMBERS Meredith Boericke, Chairwoman Committee of Ways & Means Peter Morin, Vice-Chairman One JFK Memorial Drive Joseph Reynolds, Member Braintree, Massachusetts 02184 Julia Flaherty, Member Elizabeth Maglio, Member MINUTES Monday, March 10, 2025 A meeting of the Committee of Ways & Means was held in Johnson Chambers on Monday, March 10, 2025 at 6:45pm. Councilor Boericke was in the Chair. Clerk of the Council, Susan Cimino conducted the roll call. Present: Meredith Boericke, Chairwoman Peter Morin, Vice-Chairman Julia Flaherty, Member Elizabeth Maglio, Member Not Present: Joseph Reynolds, Member Also Present: Kara Nyman, Chief of Staff Mike Esmond, Director of Finance Freddie Viola, Fire Chief Hilary Lawless, Finance Coordinator Approval of Minutes • February 4, 2025 Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Minutes of February 4, 2025 Second: by Councilor Maglio Roll Call Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) Old Business • None March 10, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 1 of 5 New Business • 25 006 Mayor: FY2025 Supplemental Appropriation #2 or take up any action relative thereto The supplemental items and motions relate to funding needs at the Braintree Fire Department for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). The funding items within the Fire Department have been anticipated and tracked closely with the new Fire Department leadership since the adoption of the FY25 budget. While we expected at that time that supplemental funding may be necessary to support Fire Department operations this year, the Fire Department team has been diligent in taking steps to limit the funding requirements where possible and continue to work closely with the Mayor and the Finance Department on additional funding exposures and requirements heading into FY26. In total, the motions would provide for $2,000,325 in supplemental funding which would be appropriated from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash. Free Cash was just certified last month at $5.5 million. We have every intention to restore the free cash we use to the greatest extent possible. Chief Viola stated thank you for letting us explain this unusual circumstance. It started with the budget and not funding it sufficiently. We also made a deal with the union to keep the lights on and keep the funding in place going from a 13 to 16 person understanding moving forward we would have this supplemental budget to operations. There were also $542,000 uncollected from the Clean Harbor details and $120,000 from other uncollected details. We had an under budgeted overtime line which only called for $122,000. All across the budget the programs for CBA (collective bargaining) increases were not budgeted for. Inadequate budgeted lines for maintenance/apparatus repair. We have an aging fleet. We had to invest money to get them running in reliable condition. Shawn McGoldrick, CLA concurred with Chief Viola something needed to be done because we have an issue. Moving forward we made some changes. One of the first things is a numbered invoice system that allowed us to track each detail. The detail payments are about 90% current with the others within the 30-day payment period. We have an aggressive payment system now. A lot of the lines in the budget have been corrected to show accurate numbers. We are reviewing a new software system to track just about everything we do. All of our invoices are currently done by hand. We created a detail intake form. We increased our fee structure for permitting. Moving forward this has given us a good base line for our FY26 budget. We are working through the uncollected detail invoices from the previous administration. We are going all the way back to FY24. The town needs to get a better system for collection of delinquent accounts. I have moved personnel around to fill holes and try to keep it balanced as best I can. We have also hired 4 lateral firefighters. Councilor Morin asked if there is an alternative rather than just use Free Cash and to write off bad debt. There are occasions when the town does write off bad debt. My question is why wasn’t that done with stuff dating back to 2019. Why aren’t we doing that now rather than wiping out 40% of our Free Cash? Director Esmond stated it should have been. Essentially if we write it off, when we report the balances DOR will essentially account for that in our Free Cash. So we would essentially discounting receivables that will essentially require them to hold the Free Cash calculations. Councilor Morin asked but you have $2 million outstanding in collectables now, don’t’ you? Director Esmond stated Yes but we don’t expect to write those off. Councilor Morin stated this is where I am struggling with this. Everyone who worked a detail has been paid. No ones been shorted except for the town and now we are wiping out our reserves for an March 10, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 2 of 5 accounting correction. You have to weigh the benefits. There are other things we could be doing with this cash. Director Esmond stated what we can do is work diligently after we use this and see how much we can get paid and transfer any funds back from the fire detail account back to the general account. Councilor Morin stated to spend $895,000 to correct a collectible issue is well you could be using it for other non-recurring things like put $1 million into the station. If I’m given the choice I know which way I would go. A write-off would impact our next fiscal year cash because it would have to be subtracted from that just like if we occurred any other debt or obligation. I understand that. I think we are going to be in a position where we are going to be generating more surplus revenue and probably be in a better position to absorb that than when we only have $5.5 million. Director Esmond stated I acknowledge that and it is something we internally discussed. It felt like we wanted to get past these issues, be transparent about them and get them cleared. Councilor Morin stated it would be no less transparency. You would be writing off a debt. Director Esmond stated last year we came in and said we are going to limit these one time resources on what they are going to fund. Councilor Boericke stated I have great faith with this team now. Councilor Flaherty stated this is the best, transparent explanation of why this department needs a supplemental I have heard to date. It is deeply appreciated and a great relief. Councilor Morin asked are you referring any of this debt to collection agencies? Director Esmond stated that is something we have to look at. I would welcome it. A lot of them work off a fee from collections. A collection agency would want to look at the file. I don’t know why they didn’t take a more hands on approach in 2018 with these unpaid bills. This is not a new problem. Chief Viola stated the budget was not accurate when I took over. I now get a monthly overtime chart comparable to the past year. As we move forward things will level off. Budgeting for FY26 will be more of a reality. Chairwoman Boericke stated we knew the reduced minimum staffing would be a risk. It’s the vacation buy back and other overtime that is challenging to get our heads around. Chief Viola stated fire truck maintenance is expensive. Councilor Morin stated you should put it in the CBA as an incentive to have mechanical knowledge. Chief Viola stated we are looking at that. Chairwoman Boericke stated I hope we are seriously considering a debt exclusion for taking care of our fire department. March 10, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 3 of 5 Councilor Morin made the following Motion asking Motin 1 be tabled and ask for the Town Solicitors opinion on the below. Also stating everyone had been paid except for the town. If everyone had not been paid, I would not be doing this. I’m looking for every possibility to reduce this because it drains our free cash. For the other 7 Motions I am fine with and understand the rationale for them. 1. Fire Details Motion: That the sum of $895,725 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash to the Fire Department Details Fund (Fund 8910). MOTION: I move that Fire Detail Motion 1 be Tabled and Pursuant to Councils authority under Section 2-7 I would ask that the question of whether or not the authorization of details at Clean Harbors once the emergency situation had been declared over by the state led to a violation of Section 6-9 of the Charter. I would ask for Town Solicitors opinion on that. Motion: by Councilor Morin to Table Order 25 006 Motion #1 Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) Motions 2 through 8 read by Councilor Morin for favorable recommendation to the full Council: 2. Fire Administration Motion: That the sum of $11,800 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash to Fire Department / Administration Program. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 006 (2) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) 3. Fire Building Maintenance Motion: That the sum of $12,350 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash to Fire Department / Building Maintenance. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 006 (3) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) 4. Fire Equipment Maintenance Motion: That the sum of $50,200 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash to Fire Department / Equipment Maintenance Program. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 006 (4) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) March 10, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 4 of 5 5. Fire Suppression Overtime and Payroll Motion: That the sum of $1,023,000 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash to Fire Department / Fire Suppression Program. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 006 (5) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) 6. Fire Alarm Repair Motion: That the sum of $1,250 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash to Fire Department / Fire Alarm Repair Program. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 006 (6) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) 7. Fire Hazardous Materials Motion: That the sum of $3,900 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash to Fire Department / Hazardous Materials Program. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 006 (7) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) 8. Fire Training Service Motion: That the sum of $500 be transferred from Fiscal Year 2024 Certified Free Cash and a sum of $1,600 be transferred from the Fire Department / Fire Prevention Program to Fire Department / Fire Training Service Program. Motion: by Councilor Morin to approve Order 25 006 (8) Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Flaherty, Maglio, Morin), Against (0), Absent (1-Reynolds), Abstain (0) It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 8:08p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan M. Cimino Clerk of the Council Documents provided for Meeting • 25 006 Mayor: FY2025 Supplemental Appropriation #2 or take up any action relative thereto March 10, 2025 Ways & Means Committee 5 of 5