Skip Navigation
This table is used for column layout.
 
Select Board Minutes 2/15/12
Members present:        Mark Karlberg, Jeanne Pryor, George Fuller

Others Present: Craig Kleman, Bill & Maddy Elovirta, Colleen O’Connor, Beth VanNess, Nicole Miller, Katherine Hoak, Karen Karlberg, Eva Birkette, John Amato, Rita Furlong, Ann Spadafora, Edd Mange, Shannon Perusse, Kris McDonough, Rob Gorden, Pat Portieri, Angela Hilton, Paula Cianfarani, Eva Bonney, Mark White, Mike Sawyer, Jean Godbout

7:00 PM Meeting opened.

Mark asked if anyone from the audience was recording this meeting.  Beth VanNess is audio taping the
meeting.

Select Board’s Comments and Announcements: George offered Rob Gorden condolences for his loss.  Jeanne advised that the Election Calendar is out and posted on the town’s website.  She also advised that the Town of Becket’s home rule petition to keep Bill Elovirta as police chief is now a law.  The law is Chapter 15 of the Acts of 2012.  She also read a statement regarding the search for a new police chief.  She feels this is very important and feels the Board should not prolong the process and vote to appoint the search committee and vote to approve the police chief job description.  George advised that he did not vote to have the new police chief become a fulltime position.

Town Administrator’s Report: Craig does not have a report for the Select Board.

The Select Board reviewed the minutes to the meeting of February 9, 2012.  George stated that when the Board voted to accept the minutes of January 17, 2012, he voted to accept them with the condition that his additional comments be attached to the minutes.  Now the minutes of February 9, 2012 states that he was supposed to write his comments and bring them to this meeting and have them voted on.  He wants the minutes to show that he is removing his approval of the minutes of January 17, 2012.  He also stated that the minutes do not reflect anything that he says at the meeting; they only reflect how he voted.  He stated that he asked Bill Elovirta if he felt there was anyone who is currently on the police department that could be promoted to police chief.  He advised that Bill Elovirta said no.  Bill Elovirta advised that he was never asked that question.  George stated that he has copies of the recordings and he will find where this was asked.  Jeanne stated that she thought George understood that he needed to write exactly what he wanted added to the minutes and bring it to tonight’s meeting so it could be voted on and attached to the minutes.  Jeanne motioned to accept the minutes of February 9, 2012, Mark seconded.  George opposed the minutes.  Motion passed.  Jeanne stated that the Board is conducting the meetings according to the Open Meeting Law and she read a portion of the Select Board Handbook that states what needs to be included in the minutes.

Public Input: Colleen O’Connor stated that she has been coming to meetings for approximately six and a half years and is sick and tired of reading the minutes to these meetings and finding that they are not complete.  She feels it time to start videotaping the Select Board Meetings so that people could actually see what is happening at these meetings.  She also stated that it was nice that the Governor signed into law that the police chief could continue to work as chief but it is a hollow victory.  He should not have been allowed to work as chief until the law passed but the Select Board allowed him to continue to work which is against state law.  George wanted to go on record that he did not vote to have Bill Elovirta continue working as chief during the time that the legislation was filed.  Rob Gorden stated that he feels that Marc Portieri would make a good chief but if the position needs to be advertised then Marc should apply and all of the applicants should be considered.  Angela Hilton agrees that Marc Portieri would make the best police chief.  Eva Birkette stated that democratic rule favors social equality not snobbishness.

Rita Furlong read a poem she found that was written by Catherine McNerney Flynn about winter weather.  This poem was written in 1840.

Craig advised that the town received bids from 11 firms for the North Becket Infrastructure Improvements.  He also advised that the low bidder was White Engineering and the bid price is $38,900.  He and Patricia Mullins from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission reviewed the bids and found that the low bidder completed work in other towns and was found to be very good.  Craig stated that the Board needs to do two things.  The first thing they need to do is award the bid and sign a letter awarding the bid and the second thing would be to vote to allow the chair to sign a contract once it has been prepared.  Jeanne motioned to accept White Engineering as the low bidder in the amount of $38,900 and to approve and sign the letter, George seconded.  All in favor.  Rob Gorden of the Historical Commission asked if the work that will be done has changed from when the town originally applied for the CDBG.  Craig advised that he thinks it has not changed.  Briefly discussed the work being done in the middle of the summer and how it would affect the Becket Arts Center and the Becket Fair.  George motioned to have Mark Karlberg sign the contract when the contract is put together, Jeanne seconded.  All in favor.

The Select Board reviewed the letter from the Brien Center requesting payment for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.  George motioned to budget item for the Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in the amount of $550, Jeanne seconded.  All in favor.  This amount is based on population.

Jeanne read the letter of intent to participate in the Southern Berkshire County Regional Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program for FY13.  George motioned to sign letter of intent to participate in the Southern Berkshire Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program for FY13, Jeanne seconded.  All in favor.

The Select Board discussed the Police Chief Job Description.  Briefly discussed the section that states the successful candidate will be required to reside within 15 miles of the Town of Becket within six months of appointment.  Some people feel the police chief should reside in town so they would be committed to serving Becket.  Bill Elovirta stated that the town does not currently have a residency policy so he does not think you can make the candidate live in town.  Jeanne advised that if they want to require a candidate to live in Becket it would need to go to town meeting for a vote and then the attorney general would need to okay it before they could require this.  George asked if the search committee could encourage the candidate to live in Becket.  This could be included in the guidelines for the search committee.  Pat Portieri asked why Jeanne and Mark had their suggestions on the memo regarding police chief job description modifications but there was nothing on there from George.  She was advised that George never submitted anything to Craig regarding what he wanted modified.  George motioned to accept the Section: Education and Experience in the Police Chief Job Description draft dated 2/10/12 which reads as follows: EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
The successful candidate must have a Bachelor’s Degree (preferred) in criminal justice or related field or equivalent work experience (10-15 years), minimum of five years of law enforcement experience and possess a Certificate of Completion from the Massachusetts Police Academy., Jeanne seconded.  All in favor.  The next section that the Select Board reviewed was SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS.  Briefly discussed this section.  George motioned to take out section (b) a psychological screening that demonstrates that he or she be mentally able to perform all duties and (d) a physical fitness test including swimming and the last bulleted item that states: The successful candidate will be required to reside within 15 miles of the Town of Becket within 6 months of appointment, no one seconded this motion.  George still feels that the successful candidate should reside in Becket so he/she could quickly backup officers if need be.  Jeanne does not agree with removing the part about the candidate being required to live within 15 miles of Becket.  She does not feel we should require the candidate to reside in Becket when our Charter does not require this and State Law requires that the police chief live within 15 miles of town.  Briefly discussed having the successful candidate provide a driving history check.  Jeanne motioned to eliminate section (d) a physical fitness test including swimming and include after Must have a valid Massachusetts driver’s license and provide a driving history check, Mark seconded.  George opposed.  Motion passed.  George stated that Bill Elovirta, back in October, had put in the guidelines for the police chief search committee that “although not required, should be encouraged to live within the boundaries of the Town of Becket.”  George also stated that in the guidelines that Bill Elovirta wrote stated that the town should decide if the position should be full or part time.  He does not know how they would advertise this position if they do not know if it will be full or part time.  Craig advised that the advertisement would state that it would be contingent on the funding passing.  George wants to wait until after the annual town meeting to advertise for this position.  George feels that the statement that encourages them to live within the boundaries of the Town of Becket should be in the application and the advertisement.  Craig does not think this should be included because it may stifle people from applying.  He feels the search committee could encourage the candidates to live in Becket.  Jeanne motioned when the Select Board gives the guidelines to the police chief search committee that they include the statement “Although not required, candidate should be encouraged to live within the boundaries of the Town of Becket.”, George seconded.  All in favor.  Jeanne motioned to approve the Police Chief Job Description as agreed upon, George seconded.  George wanted to go on record that he does not agree with the fulltime chief until the decision of the voters on whether it will be full or part time position.  All in favor.

The Select Board discussed the Police Chief Search Committee.  Each Select Person listed who they wished to be on this committee.  Mark recommends Nicole Miller as a non-voting member to the Police Chief Search Committee so she could answer questions.  George asked if there was going to be a police chief on the committee from another community to answer questions regarding police policy.  Craig advised that he has not asked anyone yet but they would probably want to be compensated for their time.  He also advised that two people who wanted to be on the search committee has signed the petition in support of Marc Portieri and he was not sure if someone wanted to question their objectivity.  George said they could just ask the person if they understood that they had to choose the person best suited for the position of police chief whether it was Marc Portieri or not.  George asked who signed the petition that was one of the people chosen as a member of the search committee.  Craig advised that it was Eva Birkette.  George asked her if she could be objective.  She stated that she could as well as anybody else.  Jeanne motioned to appoint Nicole Miller as a non-voting member of the Search Committee to supply information about the town.  George motioned to put this on hold until Craig finds out if another chief would be on the committee.  Jeanne wants Nicole on regardless of whether there is another chief on the committee.  Mark seconded Jeanne’s motion.  George opposed Jeanne’s motion.  Motion passed.  George motioned to appoint Andre Ledoux, Stephen Goetz, Chuck Garman and Robert Gross to the Police Chief Search Committee, Mark seconded.  All in favor.  George motioned to make the search committee a five member committee, no one seconded.  George motioned to appoint John Amato as the fifth member of the Police Chief Search Committee, Mark seconded.  All in favor.  Jeanne motioned to appoint Karen Karlberg to the Police Chief Search Committee, no one seconded.  Motion failed.  Jeanne motioned to appoint Phil Conner to the Police Chief Search Committee, no one seconded.  Motion failed.  George motioned to appoint Eva Birkette to the Police Chief Search Committee, no one seconded.  Motion failed.  George motion to go with a five member Police Chief Search Committee, Mark seconded.  All in favor.  Colleen O’Connor advised that she was going to report the Select Board to the ACLU because they did not appoint any women to the police chief search committee.

The Select Board reviewed the monthly reports of the Police Department and Citations Issued.

Any other business: Craig advised that the school superintendent sent an email to see if the Select Board wants the school committee to identify a vocational-technical high school to which Becket students would go so long as that preferred school offers the program the student wants.  Briefly discussed what each school offers and how other towns voted on this.  George wants Craig to check to see what programs Lower Pioneer Valley vocational school offers.  A student in the CBRSD wants to attend this school located in West Springfield.  George motioned to leave it as no preferred school for vocational students at this time, Jeanne seconded.  All in favor.  

Reviewed correspondence.

9:05 PM George motioned to adjourn, Jeanne seconded.  All in favor.

Reviewed payroll/expense warrants.






Respectfully submitted,                                                         _______________________________
Nina Weiler, Secretary                                                          Mark L. Karlberg, Chairman

Documents discussed at meeting:

  • Police Chief Job Description
  • Letter from Brien Center requesting payment for Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
  • Letter of Intent to participate in the Southern Berkshire County Regional Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program of FY13