PITTSFIELD SELECT BOARD BUDGET MEETING MINUTES
To listen to a recording of the meeting please click here: https://bit.ly/4f6qqKk
DATE: October 10, 2024
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Trish Abbondelo
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: September 26, 2024 Budget Meeting
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Auditors – Town Report Timeline review
2. Budget – General Fund
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1. Regular Meeting – Thursday, October 17 , 2024 5:30pm Town Hall
2. Budget Meeting – Thursday, October 24, 2024 5:00pm Town Office
ADJOURNMENT:
Ann called this Budget Meeting to order at 5:14pm. AJ seconded. All in favor. The Minutes of September 26, 2024 will be addressed at the next budget meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Auditors – Town Report Timeline review. Discussion. January 16, 2025 was added as the final deadline for submission of an Article with a final vote by the Select Board late in January/early February. Town Meeting will be held on March 4, 2025 at 6pm. The availability of refreshments was discussed but no decision was made. Ann said that she would like to add two items to Town Report: information on Vermont Alert and the volunteer brochure.
2. Budget Meeting – General Fund
Expenses:
· Planning Commission (Printing, Copies, Typing, Advertising, Postage) $150.00
· Recreation Commission (Printing, Copies, Typing, Advertising, Postage) $150.00
· Employee Benefits (Health coverage for Trish and George)
- Medical Insurance for Trish and George - $1,052.10/per month/per employee
- Health Reimbursement for Trish and George- $468.82/per employee for year
- Trish explained to the Board how these figures were obtained; it was agreed that the funds in the HRA account left over would help fund the insurance premiums that exceed $1,000 a month. This cap will be revisited next budget deliberations.
- Town Officer Mileage – discussion mostly addressing mileage for Listers – increase to $400.00
- Town Officer Education – there are not many in-person meetings/webinars, etc. – no change
· Other
- Service Charge – increase to $50.00
- Miscellaneous – meals for election officials, etc - no change
Pittsfield Select Board Budget Meeting page 2
October 10, 2024
· Salaries – COLA 2.5%; discussion
- Auditors – same total budget, adopt Listers’ salary spacing method for 1st year $18.00 and previous years $20.00 per hour
- Election Officials – increase year to $1,380.00
- Custodial-Shovel – Town Office no change, keep at $20.00 per shovel
Town Hall – add to chart, also $20.00 per shovel
- Fire Chief – increase to $1,000.00 stipend
- Select Board – increase to $5,000.00 stipend with Chair receiving $2,000.00 and remaining members $1,500.00 each.
- Select Board Secretary – increase per meeting to $150.00
- Grant Writer – reduce to $1,000.00
- Town Clerk/Treasurer – increased 7.5% to $23,133.75 for each position
- Asst. Town Clerk/Treasurer – increase COLA 2.5% to $16,684.00
- Road Commissioner – 7.5% increase to $28.35 and $42.53 overtime per hour
Ann asked Trish if the Wage Report from VLCT had been received yet. It has not.
AJ moved that the Road Commissioner and Town Clerk/Treasurer receive a 5% increase above the 2.5% for 2026. The Assistant Town Clerk/Treasurer will receive 2.5% increase in 2026. Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1. Regular Meeting, Thursday, October 17, 2024 @5:30pm Town Hall
2. Budget Meeting, Thursday, October 24, 2024 @5:00pm Town Office
ADJOURNMENT: As there was no further business to conduct, Ann moved to adjourn at 6:49pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Approved: October 24, 2024
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben
To listen to a recording of the meeting please click here: https://bit.ly/4f6qqKk
DATE: October 10, 2024
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Trish Abbondelo
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: September 26, 2024 Budget Meeting
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Auditors – Town Report Timeline review
2. Budget – General Fund
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1. Regular Meeting – Thursday, October 17 , 2024 5:30pm Town Hall
2. Budget Meeting – Thursday, October 24, 2024 5:00pm Town Office
ADJOURNMENT:
Ann called this Budget Meeting to order at 5:14pm. AJ seconded. All in favor. The Minutes of September 26, 2024 will be addressed at the next budget meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Auditors – Town Report Timeline review. Discussion. January 16, 2025 was added as the final deadline for submission of an Article with a final vote by the Select Board late in January/early February. Town Meeting will be held on March 4, 2025 at 6pm. The availability of refreshments was discussed but no decision was made. Ann said that she would like to add two items to Town Report: information on Vermont Alert and the volunteer brochure.
2. Budget Meeting – General Fund
Expenses:
· Planning Commission (Printing, Copies, Typing, Advertising, Postage) $150.00
· Recreation Commission (Printing, Copies, Typing, Advertising, Postage) $150.00
· Employee Benefits (Health coverage for Trish and George)
- Medical Insurance for Trish and George - $1,052.10/per month/per employee
- Health Reimbursement for Trish and George- $468.82/per employee for year
- Trish explained to the Board how these figures were obtained; it was agreed that the funds in the HRA account left over would help fund the insurance premiums that exceed $1,000 a month. This cap will be revisited next budget deliberations.
- Town Officer Mileage – discussion mostly addressing mileage for Listers – increase to $400.00
- Town Officer Education – there are not many in-person meetings/webinars, etc. – no change
· Other
- Service Charge – increase to $50.00
- Miscellaneous – meals for election officials, etc - no change
Pittsfield Select Board Budget Meeting page 2
October 10, 2024
· Salaries – COLA 2.5%; discussion
- Auditors – same total budget, adopt Listers’ salary spacing method for 1st year $18.00 and previous years $20.00 per hour
- Election Officials – increase year to $1,380.00
- Custodial-Shovel – Town Office no change, keep at $20.00 per shovel
Town Hall – add to chart, also $20.00 per shovel
- Fire Chief – increase to $1,000.00 stipend
- Select Board – increase to $5,000.00 stipend with Chair receiving $2,000.00 and remaining members $1,500.00 each.
- Select Board Secretary – increase per meeting to $150.00
- Grant Writer – reduce to $1,000.00
- Town Clerk/Treasurer – increased 7.5% to $23,133.75 for each position
- Asst. Town Clerk/Treasurer – increase COLA 2.5% to $16,684.00
- Road Commissioner – 7.5% increase to $28.35 and $42.53 overtime per hour
Ann asked Trish if the Wage Report from VLCT had been received yet. It has not.
AJ moved that the Road Commissioner and Town Clerk/Treasurer receive a 5% increase above the 2.5% for 2026. The Assistant Town Clerk/Treasurer will receive 2.5% increase in 2026. Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1. Regular Meeting, Thursday, October 17, 2024 @5:30pm Town Hall
2. Budget Meeting, Thursday, October 24, 2024 @5:00pm Town Office
ADJOURNMENT: As there was no further business to conduct, Ann moved to adjourn at 6:49pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Approved: October 24, 2024
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben