• Cost savings as a result of COVID. 
  
• What to do with the funds. 
  
• Come to some understanding. 
  
• How to deal with revenue shortfalls. 
  
• Cost saving in the present fiscal year. 

• Savings will be returned to the Town? (Rone). 
  
• Bill - don't know what incremental expenses there would be. 
  
• Make a COVID-19 fund (Amy). 
  
• Allan disagrees.  Zero.  Not a normal year.  $1,000,000 cut. 
  
• No increase scenarios? 
• Next year a big unknown - Tony.
• Phil:  Health insurance - more people? Running deficit - $140,000 ($90,000 deficit from before Phil got here);  security upgrade - didn't get the grant.
  
• Steve says overall savings too small.  Electricity - thought this would be helped by having the lights out?
• Dick - part of savings weren't COVID related - but the rest will be.  Don't put it in the General Fund.  Make it a Pandemic slush fund (my words here - and who's in charge of its use? 
  
• Town side savings:  Some - no snow was terrific help.  Rick - Library, utilities, est. $190,000. 
  
• FEMA $$ has 75% reimbursement. 
  
• Police overtime costs?  3 payrolls $14,000 left.  $15k overage est.  Chief Henion a hero. 
  

• How many Westonites have contacted Board of Finance in "writing" (more than usual?)  Don't have that number.
  
• 57 comments and more than 130 on the call.
  
• How many of our fellow citizens signed on (successfully) at this virtual public hearing?  If I could manage it, most folks probably did too. Or at least I did after fumbling my first attempt or 2.
  
• What will they say (keeping score)?  We have analyzed comments.
  

------------------------------------------

1. Zero.  Some savings.  Non-lapsing account.  How much?
   
2. Zero.  Unprecedented like WW2.  Can we legally can go forward with no increase?
3. Zero.  Revisit contractual obligations.
4. Zero.  Mil rate too high.  Would you move into this Town?
   
5. Too many questions hanging fire.  Zero.
6. Contractual obligations - get rid of them.  Zero.
7. $900 million this year deficit.  More after.  Appearance that Finance Board has made up its mind.  Zero?
8. Ditto.
9. Cost cutting.  McKercie.
   
10. Increase OK
11. Choices tough.  OK
12. OK
13. OK
14. OK
15. E-mail.  Repeat:  Unlikely to open.  Reasonable person might expect savings - no mention of closure effects.  Easy way is to leave it as is.  No publishing for savings?  Distance learning - contracts prevent savings.  Lay offs were not permitted.
    
16. Much worse.  Zero.
17. Could be more costs.
18. OK  - be strategic - scenarios - renegotiate contracts.  Re-opening.  Next week clear statement on numbers.  Contingency plan needed.
    
19. OK
20. OK
21. OK
22. OK
23. OK
24. OK - noise on social media.
    
25. OK - moi. 
    
26. OK
27. Zero.  Impact of current situation? 
    
28. OK
29. OK - be unique.  E-mail already.  OK
30. Confirm that there are enough funds for seniors.
31. OK
32. OK
33. OK (Gilbertie)
34. OK
35. Procedural question on 0%.  Revenue - collection rate?  And tax lien sail?  Tax Lien sales suspended by Governor.  Collection rate - half of the property taxes are in escrow.  Don't know about the balance.  Tax anticipation notes, others.
36. Maybe you should wait.  Ringing endorsement of the community - great public participation.
    
37. OK - or wait a few weeks.  She works in another school district.
    
38. We keep hoping house prices will go better.  Frank Vallone.  We should tell the Board to cut by 5% of school budget without firing teachers.  Challenge the status quo.
    
39. OK. Be great schools and be safe.
40. Agrees with 38.  Raise home prices.
    
41. Why not wait?  We don't know when schools will open.  Please reassess.
    
42. OK.  Like #37.
43. OK.
44. OK (muffled)
    
45. Agrees with #38 - town center.
    
46. Nurse - 30 yr resident.  #37 right.  Masks no masks - delay decision as long as possible.  Short term perspective.  From The Bronx.  It is time to look a little harder to support senior center.
    
47. OK
48. OK
49. Some of the other assets are great besides the schools. 
    
50. OK
51. Protocol - any opportunity for public comment?  Continue e-mailing.  Public Comment, no.  Disappointment about how you are going to get to zero.  No public discussion yet.
52. Many assets beyond the school.  Inclusive community.
53. Whatever you put into education (MBR) you can't cut it.  Exec. Order Suspend MBR requirement.  Redistribution to the rich. 
    
54. Follow-up:  Cost to reopen?  Will you be able to get it before vote.  Furloughs...could you ask Governor to allow contracts to be rewritten.  Can't predict the public health requirements.  No chance for the MBR idea - won't be changed.  Flexibility questions being raised by Fran Rabinowitz.
55. Great meeting.  The longer you wait, the better the info.  We all want to help.
56. THIS IS A BETTER WAY TO DO THE HEARING!!!  (Noel Lafayette).
57. Price of homes.  Who says so?  Lifestyle?  Will change for our benefit.  "Renegotiating contracts" not a good idea.

Steve: 130 participants plus on this call - may be a better way than ATBM!  Rone, Dick close PH;  Adjourn (motion, second, unan) 12:07pm

Methodology:  We counted the number of responses.  Modified our original table to put Town & Capital together, Schools and new "other" category. No way to know how many had already e-mailed, in total.  We have not identified public commenters for privacy reasons - but their names and addresses were recorded by the Town.

• How many people attended?  For FY21 make that "attended virtually."
  
• How many people spoke?  For FY21 ditto.
  
• What were the issues FY20?  Roads, concern with fiscal future if we don't get a grip, threats from Hartford.  Also dog park.

• Early report.
• Selectmen review
  

• TOWN & CAPITAL BUDGETS
  
• SCHOOL BUDGET RECOMMENDATION
• NEWS:  https://ctmirror.org/2020/02/21/lamont-keeps-pledge-begins-release-of-stalled-municipal-aid/

• Budgets reviewed - first Town/Capital, then Education Budget
  

• MARCH 19, 2020 at SPECIAL MEETING held telephonically - OUR NOTES HERE

• March 26th the Board of Finance met and at the end discussed how the revised budget process would work.
  

• April 2nd Board of Selectmen meeting to propose this method:  Approved with specific language supplied by Town Attorney.
  

• "Deliberation" after Public Hearing, and then on to ATBM...public notice 10 days before. 
  
• BUT JUST A MINUTE - LINK TO NEXT PHASE OF BUDGET PROCESS UNDER COVID-19 - COVID-19 PRECLUDES public gatherings (quorum is 130 - too many in one place)
  

HOME-RULE out the window
EXECUTIVE ORDER #7I GETS RID OF HOME-RULE

ANNUAL TOWN BUDGET MEETING ("ATBM")
DISCUSSION/ACTION ONLY IF

• The School Budget that starts the Process:  https://patch.com/connecticut/weston-ct/weston-schools-seek-budget-hike-public-forum-set
• As noted above, Jan. 30th is the vote on Superintendent's Budget - after, it is known as the "Board of Education Budget."  Superintendent produced reduction level 2.89%.
• After the dust has settled, and the dates for Board of Selectmen reviewing the town & school budgets have changed,
  
• Read the WESTON-TODAY report from Bd of Ed meeting.  "Deliberation" ran longer than "Gone With The Wind"...cuts approved with one "no" vote.

• Trees:  Emerald ash borer effects,
  
• Garbage disposal/recycling cost increases. Long discussion.
  
• Roads (those who were at Finance Board last week know about this) and
• Awesome statement about "shared services" not doing it for Weston - although multi-town voluntary agreements do work (i.e. WWHD)
  

Posted in a timely fashion when we looked February 18, 2020: 

• PLEASE NOTE that the Selectmen have no power to do anything about the school budget BUT TALK. 
  
• But they have everything to do with Tax Relief...Public Hearing March 5. 2020 at 7pm, Town Hall Meeting Room and
• They take their job seriously - Second Selectman goes at the missing details (my words);
• 3rd Selectman on speakerphone did not take part in attacking school budget...
  
• Did they "vote" on recommendations?  When First Selectman backed the comments of his 2nd Selectman, we left.
  
• YES - Unanimous; motion by 3rd Selectman.Thanks to Vimeo, we were able to watch the last 15 minutes - on Friday! 
  

Well that was a meeting where the gloves came off!  Some Board of Finance members questioned "where's the plan?" for the transfer Station. Any "heads" that can be cut  - NO.


"OPTION B" - there are also "a" and "c" (not shown) - for how BETA GROUP suggests funding to bring roads back to par.

And it is very clear that some want to see greater trimming in operating budget.  But also leave room for Special Town Meeting to use low interest environment to take immediate (@June) action to fund the road repair program OUTSIDE the Operating or Capital budget.  So as not to affect the  mill rate - but NOT a Special Appropriation.  Three hour meeting (if you count the half hour the executive session did not take place).