TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN MINUTES PRESENT: Stan Corneille, Chair -Larry Hebert - Vice Chair, Chris Peloquin, Rodney Graham, Absent: Art Stone Town Manager: Garrett Earls NEMRC President: Ernie Saunders Selectboard Meeting NEMRC Demonstration for Select Board At 5:30 pm Stan opened the Williamstown Selectboard meeting with Ernie Saunders, President of NEMRC which is the accounting system for the Town of Williamstown. Ernie Saunders spoke to the Board about NEMRC explaining it is a sophisticated fund accounting system that is relatively simple to use. It needs to be flexible enough to handle the complexity of a multiple fund account. When we released this software it has a default password and many towns still use it. When they got more involved in the politics of how town’s work we needed to build a sophisticated password system that is menu driven. He explained that it’s a password that allows certain menu items. So if you went into the general ledger and had the proper password you could go in and post a transaction. We build a matrix that says this password; the person can do all of these things. Ernie said Bob Cleaves - Treasurer had the Town Managers password to be able to access certain reports. The way our system works is that each module is two menus. The regular menu with all the things you can do and then there is a report menu. When he mentions modules he is speaking of: general ledger is one module, payroll is another module, grand list would be another and they all tie back to the general ledger. When Garrett didn’t have access to all the reports Ernie didn’t understand why not. You can’t do any damage and you can’t change anything. Bob does understand accounting, he can explain everything, but for some reason here in Williamstown at this given time is the communication is not here. Stan said Bob is very capable but has stonewalled Garrett and other Town Managers in the past. Rodney said he just wanted to know if the software is capable of giving off reports. Ernie said giving the Town Manager access to all reports does not allow him to change anything. Ernie said we have worked with Towns that put on paper who has access to what. On paper it lets everyone know who has access to what. Stan asked how can we get access for Garrett that he can’t have access to now. Those menu items would need to be added to his password. The Board would need to write a letter to NEMRC as a vendor asking to allow Garrett access to the entire reports menu, he would do it. Larry made a motion to have NEMRC give Garrett the password to give 100% access to the computer system and set it up so he can not change anything he isn’t suppose to. Rodney second for discussion purposes. Chris asked if in any other town are these reports withheld. Ernie said he didn’t know of any the Manager didn’t have access to run reports. Chris then asked if any of this is not public information. Ernie said only certain pieces. Saying the payroll module has certain information that is not public. The other may be the tax refund where some state officials think it is and some think it’s not. Chris said he is trying to figure if really beside payroll now, that sounds like the only piece that Garrett can’t see the full report. He thought as Town Manger Garrett should. Beside payroll your seeing everything off the street can see. There is no reason why Garrett shouldn’t see payroll information. Chris said he felt that Garrett should see everything the public can see and more. Payroll is very important that he be able to see that report. The point he was making he certainly thought the Town Manger, with the information he gathered which is very little, is the Town Manager should see everything. He felt if Bob was here and asked to do this and he said no then he would support the letter to NEMRC. Rodney thought they should write a list of the reports we want the town manger to have access to and if he didn’t then send the letter to NEMRC. Chris said this is very clear, he never guess it was this simple. There are only two modules someone can’t walk off the street and demand to see. There is no reason at all why you should not be able to see those. Stan asked for the vote and by voice vote of 2-2 the motion did not carry. Rodney made the motion that we draft a letter to Bob Cleaves, the Town Treasurer of the reports of all modules we want the Town Manager to run and submitted to Bob Cleaves for consideration. Chris second it. Ernie said in that letter it should say to generate these reports is not allowing any changing of data. All modules have a list of reports. Chris asked if it would wise to put in the letter the up to date of these reports. Ernie said that is a communication issue and if it gets to the point where there isn’t any communication then it becomes a policy issue. Stan asked for a vote and the motion passed by voice vote 4-0. Stan called a motion to adjourn, so moved by Rodney and second by Larry at 6:30 pm. Approved 10/19/2009
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