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Board approves $32,650 in transfers, flags multiple departmental cost variances
Summary
The Middlefield Board of Finance approved three transfers totaling $32,650 (Veterans event $2,425; HR consulting $5,225; Old Home Days $25,000) and reviewed several budget variances including engineering work on Strickland Rd, community center heating and boiler repairs, a retroactive Town Clerk invoice, and elevated vehicle fuel and Public Works overtime costs.
At its May 14 meeting the Middlefield Board of Finance approved three transfers totaling $32,650 and reviewed a monthly variance report that identified multiple departmental overages and unanticipated costs.
The board approved a $2,425 transfer from Operational Contingency to Special Event Expense to cover Veterans recognition costs; the motion was made by Lee Matterazzo and seconded by Jeanine Connelly and passed unanimously. The board also approved $5,225 moved to Selectman’s Office Expenses for human-resources consulting tied to the Finance Director search, and a $25,000 transfer to the Old Home Days Committee for event expenditures; Carrie Anderson recused from the Old Home Days vote because of her involvement with the event.
During the monthly variance review staff highlighted several items needing explanation or monitoring through April 30, 2026: roughly $9,400 spent on preliminary engineering related to a Strickland Road culvert as precursor work for a potential grant application; computer consultant expenses that included about $1,350 to upgrade five users to Microsoft 365 and an approximately $5,500 network evaluation and virus-containment cost; the Town Clerk Records System vendor retroactively billed about $7,200 after failing to invoice for roughly six months; community center heating oil costs of about $9,400 plus $4,417 for a boiler pump replacement and $1,277 for changing locks; elevated Town vehicle fuel costs relative to a five-year average; and a Public Works overtime overage attributed to multiple winter storms.
Staff noted the Registrar of Voters department currently appears close to budget but may exceed it modestly if an additional referendum for the school budget is required. Parks and Recreation recently hired a new director and incurred start-up costs to align registration software with the town website; Animal Control has increased personnel coverage and higher impound and supply costs that the town is addressing with department staff.
All three transfers were approved unanimously except for the recusal noted for the Old Home Days transfer. The board did not take further formal action on the monthly variances beyond discussion and follow-up by staff.
