Chairman Stephen Curley opened a meeting of the Pembroke Advisory Committee at the Pembroke Town Hall on 8 September 2008 at 7:35 PM. Also present were: Russell Bullock, Stanley Carita, Mary Dio, Matthew McNeilly, Marie Peeler, Linda Peterson, and Anne Marie Stanton. Lewis Stone was absent.

The Committee reviewed items on the agenda.

The Committee noted the announcement of a special town meeting to be held on 21 October 2008 and reviewed a tentative list of requests for articles to be put on that warrant. The Committee noted that two transfer requests still outstanding from FY08, one for auditing expense and another for postage, were not on the list of unpaid bills of a prior year. The members asked that the Town Administrator be advised of the omission and that he also provide the explanation for the transfer that the Committee requested of him in July. The Committee also noted that the Board of Selectmen would be reviewing the list for the first time this evening.

The Chairman announced the next meeting of the Advisory Committee would be on 29 September 2008.

Upon motion made by Mary Dio and seconded by Anne Marie Stanton, following discussion, it was unanimously—

Mr. Bullock joined the meeting following vote to accept the Minutes.

The Committee reviewed requests for transfers from the Reserve Fund submitted by the Emergency Management Agency for the cost of providing bottled water to residents while the town was under a MA DEP order because of contamination of the Town’s drinking water.

The Committee deferred action on the request PEMA made for a transfer of $3,217.63 for bottled water purchased from Belmont Springs; of $3,439.38, from Stop & Shop; of $2,995, from Polar Beverages; and $697.58, also from Stop & Shop. The Committee noted the Selectmen declared a state of emergency upon learning of the contamination and postponed action on the transfer requests until it can be determined whether the Commonwealth will either pay the $14,949.59 billed or reimburse the Town if it pays them. The Committee agreed that it would ask the Water Department to pay the bills if the Commonwealth will not do so.

Town Clerk Mary Ann Smith met with the Committee to report that she needs $614.20 for computer maintenance expense for which no line item was included the Town Clerk’s FY09 budget request and $1,854 for salary and wages which she said should have been added to the FY09 budget for a cost-of-living increase to the Town Clerk’s salary. The Committee took no action on her transfer request for the stated amounts and indicated it preferred that her request be made to the special town meeting. Mrs. Smith also advised that she may need to request additional funds in the future to cover an employee’s absence and that the Registrars may need funds to cover time they are spending on signature certifications and for work to be performed during elections. Mrs. Smith left the meeting following her presentation Discussion followed.

There being no other discussion or vote, the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Matthew D. McNeilly, II

Clerk