Queenstown reviews FYE-2016 statements, confirms USDA loan timeline and hires administrative assistant

At the Jan. 25 Queenstown Commissioners work session, Rick Tull, CPA of Lank, Johnson & Tull, reviewed the town's fiscal year end 6/30/16 financial statements; minutes note they were completed on time and filed with the State of Maryland.

The recorded fund balances in the minutes list the General Fund at $313,260.78, the Water/Sewer Fund at $120,460.54 and the WWTP Project Fund at $39,087.57.

Town Attorney Brynja Booth reported the Town has five years to close on a $350,000 USDA loan; she said bond counsel would need to be re-engaged and that she expects lower costs because counsel already holds much of the prior closing information. Booth also said she was assembling the Growth Allocation packet to submit to the State and noted updates to the Town Code.

Patricia Bowell of the Finance Committee said the Muni-Link contract is ready to sign but that importing historical data into the new system will not begin until about mid-March to allow time to gather records. The minutes also record continuing review and production of a Risk Management Manual with work by Perry Stutman and Phil Snyder.

Procedurally, President Thomas B. Willis Jr. moved at 8:01 p.m. to close the regular meeting for the purpose of obtaining legal advice on a personnel matter; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Hogie Schuster and passed 3-0. The minutes later record that President Willis moved to close the executive session at 8:42 p.m. and reopen the regular meeting at 8:43 p.m., also passing 3-0.

The board voted to hire Aaron R. Horney as an administrative assistant at $12.00 per hour; the motion (moved by President Willis and seconded by Commissioner Schuster) passed unanimously, 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:48 p.m.

No formal budget amendments or contract awards are recorded in these minutes.