MINUTES FOR SPECIAL TOWN MEETING

To Reconsider the Sabattus School Budget

Articles 50 & 51

 

TOWN OF SABATTUS

June 9, 2007

 

 

State of Maine

County of Androscoggin, ss.

 

The Town Clerk Suzanne M. Adams opened the meeting at 9:10 P.M. by reading the following greeting: (Started 10 minutes late to allow residents a chance to sign in)

 

 

{To: Thomas P. Fales, Sr., a Constable of the Town of Sabattus, County of Androscoggin, State of Maine.

 

GREETINGS:

 

In the name of the State of Maine you are hereby required to notify and warn the voters of the Town of Sabattus, in said county, qualified by law to vote in Town affairs to meet at the Sabattus Central School Gymnasium at 40 Ball Park Road in said Town, on Saturday, June 9, 2007, at 9:00 o’clock in the morning, then and there to act on the following articles:

 

ARTICLE 1.       To elect a Moderator to preside over said meeting.

 

Action taken on Article 1: Motion made to nominate Michael Tardy as moderator made by Robert Gayton Jr. and seconded by Forest Sumner. Ballots cast. Michael Tardy is elected moderator and is sworn in by Suzanne Adams, Town Clerk.

 

The moderator requested a motion to allow the use of the adapted version of “Roberts Rules.

 

Motion made by Amedeo Lauria to allow the adapted version and seconded by Ronald Caron. Vote taken. So moved.

 

The moderator requested a vote to allow the following non-residents to speak:  Suzanne Adams, Town

Clerk, Susan Hodgkins, School Superintendent, Karla Miller, Superintendent Business Manager, Beverly Coursey, Principal & Cathy McCue.

 

Motion to allow only residents of Sabattus to speak made by James Williams and seconded by Robert Tanguay.  Vote taken. It Fails.

 

Motion to allow non-residents to speak made by Kim Veilleux and seconded by Roxanne Blais. Vote Taken. It passes.

 

Motion to recess for 5 minutes to allow people to register made by Kim Veilleux  and seconded by Anna Cyr. Vote Taken. It passes.

 

                                    Note: The additional Local Funds Article below requires a written ballot if the budget is approved at an open town meeting.

                       

                        Appropriation of Additional Local Funds (as required by Maine Revised Statues, Title 20-A, §15690 (3 A-B)):

 

Article 50                     Shall the Town of Sabattus raise and appropriate $732,298.00

                                    in additional local funds, which exceeds the State’s Essential   

                                    Programs and Services allocation model by $ 569,273.00 as  

                                    required to fund the budget recommended by the school  

                                    committee?

 

                                   The school committee recommends $732,298.00 for additional 

                                    local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the

                                    State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by

                                   $ 569,273.00.

 

                                     The Sabattus School Department exceeds the Essential Programs and Services (EPS) model by $ 569,273.00 due to a local choice to have lower student-teacher ratios than proscribed in the EPS model to spend more on Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular activities and instruction-related technology than allowed in the EPS model.  The Sabattus School Department is also over the EPS model in operating and maintenance expenses due to the higher costs of electricity and oil in transportation expenses for fuel costs.

                                                                       Recommend: $               732,298.00

                                    (Explanation:  The additional local funds are those locally raised funds over and above the school administrative unit’s local contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade eight as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and local amounts raised for the annual payment on non-state funded debt service that will help achieve the (municipality/district) budget for educational programs.

 

                                 Requested:                                          $ 732,298.00

                                 Board of Selectmen Recommends:    $ 163,025.00

                                 Budget Committee Recommends:      $ 163,025.00

 

 

Action Taken on Article 50: Motion to raise $163,025.00 made by Philip Webber Sr. and seconded by James Williams. Motion made to amend the amount to $656,461.00 made by Robert Gayton Jr. and seconded by Tracy Rancourt. Discussion follows. Motion to move the question made by Tracy Rancourt and seconded by Roxanne Blais. Vote taken. It fails. Discussion follows. Motion made to move the question made by Phillip Webber Sr. and seconded by Bill Henshaw. Vote taken. It passes. Vote taken on the amended amount of $656,461.00. 201 yes, 104 No. It passes and now becomes the new motion.  Motion to move the question made by Jennifer Waterman and seconded by Roxanne Blais. Vote Taken. It passes.  Vote taken on the new motion.  179 Yes, 90 No. Article 50 passes at $656,461.00.

 

Total Budget Article (as required by Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, §15690 (4A)):

 

ARTICLE 51.         To see what sum the Town of Sabattus will authorize the school committee to expend for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2008 from the school administrative unit’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade eight as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act, non-state-funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15690, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, state subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools. 

                                                   

                                  School Board Recommends:            $6,070,431.00

                                  Board of Selectmen Recommends: $5,501,158.00

                                  Budget Committee Recommends:   $5,501,158.00

 

Action Taken on Article 51: Motion to raise and appropriate $5,994,594.00 made by Gary Blais and seconded by Kim Veilleux.  Discussion follows. Motion to move the question made by Tammy Clifford and seconded by Amedeo Lauria. Vote Taken. It passes. Vote taken on the amount of $5,994,594.00.  Article 51 passes with $5,994,594.00.

 

Meeting adjourned at 11:40 AM.

 

Given under our hands in the Town of Sabattus, this 2nd day of May, 2007.

 

 

 

 

______________________________                                       

William Henshaw, Chairman

 

______________________________

Guy Desjardins

 

______________________________

Mark Duquette

 

______________________________

Gino Camardese

 

______________________________

Paul Loesberg