BETHEL — Town Manager Sharon Jackson explained her detailed budget process to the selectboard and three budget committee members in attendance at town office on Dec. 6.
Jackson said $126,000 approved by Bethel last year for social service and non profit entities was high in comparison to other towns she has managed.
“$126,000. I’ve never seen a number like that [in the towns I have managed]. That’s a big number, a very big number.” She said often a town’s selectboard will establish a cap on the amount of money they appropriate to social services.
She said she would first ask requesters for financial statements, their non-profit status, how many Bethel citizens they serve, the annual cost they spend on Bethel and more. She said some requests do not belong on the social service requests’ list. All requests from agencies would be required on the last day of January.
She said a policy adopted by the selectmen could list these requirements.
Budget meetings
Vice Chair Michele Cole, who led the meeting because Chair Meryl Kelly was absent said, “we want to formally and publicly address this and not just get sent a text.” (Kelly had sent budget committee members texts inviting them to the meeting). “The agenda came out on Friday,” said Cole, “it wasn’t fair enough time to have the budget committee come … we can prepare to have a more in-depth conversation on Dec. 20.”
Jackson said she planned to present her method not make a decision.
Budget Committee Member Cheri Thurston said, “I don’t feel the budget committee is relevant … We are rubber stamping, we’re not part of the discussion. I can sense from other members who are not here, it’s just a joke to get through this [budget approval] as fast as possible.”
Thurston asked Jackson for her experience with other towns and how the budget committees worked with other selectboards.
Jackson said she requires department heads to present their own budgets. The department heads also go to town meeting and she knows in advance what each line item means, if asked at Town Meeting.
Cole said she was excited to have the department heads’ present since that has not happened in the past.
Inventory, expenses
“Not all P.O.s are signed by a Town Manager?” asked Frank Del Duca.
“Not all of them … Anything over $1,000.” replied Jackson
“We are technically signing off expenditures for purchases made by personnel we personally do not have managerial control over. Our control is with the town manager and the town manager handles the department heads. That’s just a comment,” said Cole.
Article 3 passed by voters at Town Meeting in June allows the Town Manager a $1,000 minimum amount for “purchases, contracts, agreements and so forth … ” The previous minimum was $100.
Jackson said she looks at all the invoices over and under $1,000.
Del Duca asked Jackson about department specifics: inventory, unused product inventory, self-audits, and obsolete items. Jackson said unused items should not be shared with other departments. “I do keep close tabs on the budget and what as been spent,” she said.
Other business
“Organizations have one source of information … We should establish this, the official source of information for the town of Bethel is our website. We should have official news bulletins, kind of like our own newspaper… The public now has a reliable source of information that comes from the town. Right now it seems to be a hit or miss… The official information comes from that website,” said Del Duca.
Following interviews by Town Clerk Jessicca Grover and Jackson, the deputy clerk position has been offered to a candidate. They will start Jan. 2 if their references check out.
They removed codes for about 14 people that had code access to town office. They will be creating a master key that cannot be copied.
A new animal control officer has been appointed.
The town’s code enforcement officer position is open.
Jackson will present a list of projects underway in Bethel.
John Walker of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce updated the board on holiday decorating. He hung 20 high quality flags around town. They had a tree lighting on the common on Dec. 1. He said with the help of Artist Jewell Clark they created a light-up Bethel sign that hangs on a barn at the corner of Walkers Mills Rd. and Railroad Street.
Walker said the holiday parade, Dec. 16 at 3:45 p.m. and organized by Stephanie Herbeck, will start at the River Lanes parking lot. Decorated cars will go up Main Street, around the common and finish on Church Street.
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