Tonight at 7PM in the Community Room of the Reading Public Library, various boards and committees in town will be meeting in the first of two financial forums. Scheduled to attend are Fincom, Select Board, School Committee, Rec Committee and the Killam School Building Committee.
Added to the Financial forum as a late addition was the presentation by the Reading Pickleball Players Association (RPPA). As discussed during the September 12th Select Board meeting, the RPPA is seeking $172,220 for temporary pickleball courts at Symonds Way behind the Burbank Ice Arena. During that meeting, Select Board Chair Jackie McCarthy, had suggested a “Citizen’s Petition” as an option for the RPPA to explore. Board member Chris Haley also suggested that since the town in June completely removed pickleball courts from Birch Meadow Phase 2 with no relocation planned elsewhere, the town should ascribe whatever funds were set aside for that project at Birch Meadow to Symonds Way instead. In the packet for the Financial Forum meeting (page 42 linked below), it appears the RPPA took both Select Board members suggestions and merged them into a new Draft Warrant Article with a modified $200k cap:
Additionally, only 10 signatures were required for the Citizen’s Petition to be added to the November Town Meeting Warrant. The RPPA collected 38, of which 3 Select Board members signed on; Jackie McCarthy, Chris Haley and Carlo Bacci.
The following topics are slated to be discussed as well in the order below:
- Killam School Presentation by the Killam School Building Committee
- The following Financial Updates by Chief Financial Officer Sharon Angstrom:
- Revenue Update
- Free Cash Update
- FY25 Accommodated Costs
- FY25 Operating Budgets under Free Cash Scenarios
- FY25 School Finance Overview by School Superintendent Tom Milaschewski & Finance Director of Schools Derek Pinto
- Discussion on Free Cash Usage in FY25 Budgets by Chief Financial Officer Sharon Angstrom
- Presentation Pickleball Players Association on Potential Citizens Petition for Burbank Ice Arena by the Reading Pickleball Players Association
The Financial Forum will be held in-person in the Community Room of the Reading Public Library, and remotely via Zoom through the following meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85493394505
Meeting ID: 854 9339 4505
The YouTube link for the meeting is below:
