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Board of Selectmen
August 11, 2009
Minutes
Members present: William Cavanaugh, George Fuller
John Murray-absent
Others Present: Tony Blair, David Bonney, Alice Briggs, Ann Krawet, Madeleine Swindlehurst, Stephen LaBelle, Ann Spadafora, Mike Falk, Gale LaBelle, Sandra Sayward, Amy Fyden
7:00 PM Meeting opened. The Selectmen reviewed the warrant for the Special Town Meeting. Tony explained that the first two articles were on the warrant because we received invoices for FY09 late and they should have been paid with FY09 funds. George motioned to recommend Articles 1, and 2 Bill seconded. Motion passed. Tony explained that Article 3 was money that MEMA overpaid the town during the October 2005 rainstorm. They are requesting a refund for the overpayment. George motioned to recommend Article 3, Bill seconded. Motion passed. Mike Falk advised that the Finance Committee recommends articles 1-3. Article 4 was petitioned by a group of 200 registered voters to bring the animal control officer’s salary back to $10,400.00 which was the original amount
at the annual town meeting. George motioned to recommend Article 4, Bill seconded. Motion passed. The Finance Committee also recommends this article. Article 5 was to see if the town found it to be desirable to increase the Board of Selectmen from a three member board to a five member board. Mike Falk advised that the Finance Committee does not recommend this article. One reason is because each Selectman gets $1,500.00 a year. If the Board increases, there will not be enough money to pay the other two Selectmen. Another reason the Finance Committee does not recommend this article is because they heard nothing about other towns that have five member boards to see if this is really needed for Becket. His third reason was that something of this magnitude should be included on the annual town meeting warrant. Tony advised that this article was petitioned but did not have the required signatures to include it like article 4. He
spoke with Sally Bell and feels that the wording is the intent that the proponent was looking for. Sally also advised that she did not think that the charter would need to be changed if it was voted to increase the Board of Selectmen. The town bylaws would just need to be changed. This article is only an advisory article. If a majority of voters vote for this then the Selectmen will put an article on the annual town meeting warrant that would ask voters to change the number of Selectmen from three to five. Bill feels that this should be done at an annual town meeting. George motioned to not recommend Article 5, Bill seconded. Motion passed. Article 6 would allow that when the last day to register to vote would normally fall on a Saturday, then the actual last day to register becomes the Friday immediately before. George motioned to recommend article 6, Bill seconded. Motion passed.
George motioned to place all 6 articles on the Special Town Meeting warrant, Bill seconded. Motion passed. George motioned to sign the warrant for the Special Town Meeting to be held on August 29, 2009 at 7:00 PM at the Becket Town Hall, Bill seconded. Motion passed.
Tony explained what the job of the Becket CDBG 2009 Task Force would be. There was a list of twelve interested people that wished to be appointed to this committee. The Selectmen briefly discussed the number of members and where in town they were located. Tony originally thought that seven members would be enough for this committee. Mike Falk declined being on this committee so there are eleven interested people. George motion to appoint the following eleven members to the Becket CDBG 2009 Task Force: Meredyth Babcock, Paul Campbell, Zina Jayne, Joshua Lombard, Steve Schatz, Madeleine
Swindlehurst, Beth VanNess, Rita Furlong, Sandra Sayward, Stephen LaBelle and Mike Urelski, Bill seconded. Motion passed.
7:45 PM George motioned to adjourn, Bill seconded. Motion passed.
Respectfully submitted, _______________________________
Nina Weiler, Secretary William F. Cavanaugh, Chairman
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