Members present: Mark Karlberg, William Elovirta, Jeanne Pryor
Others Present: Joseph Kellogg, Ray Tarjick
10:06 AM Meeting opened.
Ray Tarjick, the Fire Chief, discussed his budget with the Select Board. Joe advised that he put in for a 2% raise for all employees. Ray explained why he needed an increase in his expense account. Briefly discussed emergency training. Joe will contact Jim McGarry to see if he could do a training session sometime in Becket. Ray explained that the car he uses as fire chief is very old and will need to be replaced. Bill advised that the Selectmen and Finance Committee were never told that the fire chief would be getting a vehicle and he feels they should have been involved from the start. He also advised that a capital article should have been turned into the finance committee by December 31, 2012 and the budget should have been turned in by the end of January. Briefly
discussed the fire chief’s car being used for personal use. Joe advised that he would bring this to the finance committee but he could not promise that they would do anything with this because it came so late. Joe also asked Ray where his report was for the Annual Town Report. He feels that Ray receives a stipend every year so he should be doing this. He would like Ray to submit this report so even if it does not get in the Annual Town Report they would have a record of this. Briefly discussed dry hydrants. There was a question as to who was responsible for the maintenance of these hydrants. Ray was under the impression that the fire department was responsible for the installation but the developments would be responsible for their maintenance. The Select Board feels the town should be maintaining them because the hydrants would be used for all areas of town. Joe would like Ray to try to find out what the cost would be to
repair the dry hydrants that are already installed but are not working so the Finance Committee would have something to work with. Joe will look to see if he can find the contracts for the dry hydrants. Joe will add a dry hydrant and an emergency management training line item in the budget. The Select Board is not in favor of the new fire chief car. Joe will not add the new fire chief car to the budget but would speak with the finance committee about this.
Discussed the correspondence folder. Joe advised that any correspondence that comes in or out of the office will be put in this folder and the Select Board can come in to review what is in the folder and will initial each piece that they have read. It puts the responsibility on the board to make sure they read the correspondence. If something comes up that he feels they need to see he will make them aware of it. Once all three selectmen initial it then it will be filed.
The Select Board reviewed the budget and discussed any changes that were done since their last working meeting. Briefly discussed the health insurance budget and high speed internet (Wired West). Also discussed hiring the new highway superintendent and his salary and what would be expected of him. Briefly discussed a new phone system for the town hall.
Any other business: Bill brought in a survey of the town beach that shows what Camp Greylock owns which is the entire parking area. Briefly discussed how the town could resolve this issue. The Select Board will discuss this at an Executive Session with the Parks Commission to decide how to proceed.
Briefly discussed the possibility of having an assistant town clerk. ~There are times~when notices need to be posted or someone comes in to be sworn in and the clerk is not here. ~The Select Board feels it would be good to have an assistant. ~Jeanne advised that she spoke with George Roberts about this and~she~volunteered to~be the assistant town clerk in his absence, if he would like, to~do certain things such as post meeting notices, swear people in, and accept Special Permit Applications.
The next tentative working session of the Select Board will be April 5, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.
11:59 AM Jeanne motioned to adjourn, Bill seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted, _______________________________
Nina Weiler, Secretary Mark L. Karlberg, Chairman
Documents discussed at meeting:
| 
