The Duxbury Finance Committee grappled with the stark reality of the town’s deteriorating infrastructure during a marathon session focused on the Facilities and Recreation budgets. Facilities Director Katie St. Clair delivered an sobering assessment of her department’s struggle to maintain 920,000 square feet of building space with just two technicians and no administrative staff. We have no tools. We have no employees. We have no money. I am working constantly, St. Clair stated, revealing that 95 percent of current equipment failures are the direct result of long-term maintenance neglect. Member Charles J. Weilbrenner voiced his frustration at the lack of support for the department, asserting, It makes zero sense for you to be captive to that desk and not get out there to take a look because right now the facilities... the lack of ADA compliance, potential lawsuits... this thing is screaming at you. Kathleen Glynn echoed the sentiment, praising St. Clair’s efforts by noting, The support that you have from the department heads is I've never seen anything like it.

The committee also reviewed a complicated breakdown of the town’s educational spending. Al Hoban shared his concerns regarding a recent closed-door school budget meeting, noting the emotional content of the presentation. The concern I have is that the budget presentation started off... with a request to restore I think 8.9 FTEES that were lost in the prior year, Hoban said. Finance Director Mary MacKinnon clarified that while schools account for 45.3 percent of departmental expenses, that number climbs to nearly 60 percent when shared costs are factored in. Jackson S. Kent., Jr. sought further detail on these figures, asking, Mary, if the school is 45.3%, what is shared cost for the town? MacKinnon responded that shared costs, including employee benefits and risk management, account for actually eight almost 19 because that's going to include risk management and employee benefits.

Recreation Director Steve (role-identified) presented a budget designed to sustain quality of life, ranging from youth sports to the popular "Aqueducts" swim program. Steve emphasized the need for competitive wages to retain seasonal staff, explaining that our volunteers are to help run our pros. Say for instance, an example will be wreck basketball. Chair Betsy Sullivan meticulously reviewed the previous meeting minutes, asking the committee, You got all that? Yes. If not, I can give this to you after the meeting. When asked for his input on the proceedings, Theodore J. Flynn simply replied, I'm good. Mark Hokanson questioned the accuracy of peer town comparisons, noting, But we never know on those because the what the peer group what their standards are what's included in their numbers.

Discussions turned to long-term fiscal sustainability and the potential for new revenue streams, such as shifting recreation revolving funds to a more flexible 53G structure. Ashley Maher expressed skepticism regarding some of the comparative budget percentages shared by the school district, noting, I'm not seeing everyone else's at you know 40 and we're at or something. As the meeting concluded, the committee prepared for future hearings on the DPW budget. **Motion Made by Jackson S. Kent., Jr. to approve the minutes of October 21st as amended. Vote Passed 8-0-1** **Motion Made by Mark Hokanson to approve the minutes of October 23rd. Vote Passed 9-0** At the end of the session, Friend S. Weiler, Sr. noted, I still have a motion to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 7:42 PM.