Date of Meeting: Monday, October 5, 2009
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:35 PM
Members Present: Chairman James Stanton; Roger Deal; Ken Sydow
Others Present: Nancy Colbert, Town Administrator; others as listed on attached Sign-in sheet.
Financial Warrants signed in approval.
1. Sign Requests:
a. Friends of Library: Sign request for Fall Harvest
Upon a motion made and seconded, all voted in favor of granting the request.
b. Boylston Historical Society: Various events, Oct ‘09-April ‘10
Upon a motion made and seconded, all voted in favor of granting the request.
2. Permission request for Carols on the Common 12/20 5-6:00pm
Upon a motion made and seconded, all voted in favor of granting the request.
3. Vacancies: Boards and Committees
The Board reviewed the list of appointments and made the following edits: remove Dan Duffy from the Conservation Commission (he resigned earlier in the year). Change the Treasurer/Collector to Alyce Johns. A question as to the correct number of members (5 or 7?) was raised based upon the list, and Nancy responded she would report back.
Members discussed several vacancies and potential Town’s people who should be contacted to determine their interested in serving. The topic of serving simultaneously on multiple boards and committees led to the Board confirming its past policy of trying to limit service to a maximum of two positions at a time, and only then if the nature of the positions are unrelated. The Board seeks to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest which may arise with multiple appointments.
The Board requested an updated list of vacancies for its next meeting. Roger Deal noted that Zoning Board, Finance Committee, Conservation Commission, and Affordable Housing Committee appointments were a priority. Jim Stanton suggested the Personnel Board be re-appointed this year to work on the classification plan, the role of the Board, and other issues. He recommended the willing members of the Board be contacted in advance of considering their appointment at the next meeting.
The Board requested that letters be sent to all Boards and Committees that have representatives to a variety of positions to remind them to make these appointments.
4. Draft Meeting Minutes of 9-18-09:
Ken Sydow moved to approve the minutes with typos corrected, and Roger Deal seconded the motion. All voted in favor to approve. Jim Stanton requested that the Executive Session minutes of 9-18-09 be provided and approved at the next meeting.
5. Special Town meeting warrant review / Approval of articles
The Board reviewed the draft warrant.
Ken Sydow questioned Article 4 (replacement police cruiser request), as to whether now is the right time to be considering this expense. He noted that although the car may need repairs, he would like to see an analysis of the cost of recent repairs vs. the purchase price of a new vehicle, and whether the repairs are at the point where they are excessive. Jim Stanton said that the Police Chief has been reminding the Board that two vehicles are approaching the point of replacement, and that the Chief has been concerned about the Town’s ability to handle two at the same time vs. spreading out the requests over a few years
Ken praised the Chief for doing a great job in using grants to update the fleet in recent years, and unfortunately the grants are not longer offered. He understands that the Chief is being conscientious in trying to keep the fleet in good shape, but questions if this is the right time for this request. Roger Deal cautioned the Board to be careful about recommending additional spending during these tight times. Jim agreed that the financial situation is not likely to improve quickly.
The Board asked the Town Administrator if they could finalize their review at the next meeting on the 19th. If so, they requested the Police Chief attend that meeting and they could discuss this article further.
Additional edits to the draft were made: the zoning change article should be reported on by the Planning Board, not Finance Committee. Various other minor changes were handed to the Town Administrator.
6. Town Administrator’s Report
Town Administrator Nancy Colbert Puff reported the following:
· The Web-based Payment System was operational as of October 1st and collected approximately $17,000 in payments through the system. Alyce is present and can elaborate on this.
· The Town Hall Window Replacement project has been successfully completed.
· Solutions and cost estimates to repair the Town Hall’s HVAC for the Gym and Basement continue to be pursued.
· Four qualified professionals have expressed an interest in the Town Accountant opening. Ms. Colbert Puff hopes to have a recommendation for the Board by its next meeting.
· Compass Pointe Road Opening – Tonight, the Planning Board is hearing a petition to extend the time for completion of this subdivision. Please see the letter from Attorney Cheryl J. Morrill for more details as to possible next steps.
· Regional Dispatch Feasibility Study – Boylston is part of two concurrent feasibility studies that are now underway. The first will evaluate the feasibility of offering joint dispatching services with the Towns of Rutland and West Boylston. The second is a study involving 13 surrounding communities, including Rutland and West Boylston. Colbert Puff met with area Town Administrators/Managers to review and comment upon the attached draft scope of work for the consulting team. More information about this and other regional dispatch efforts can be seen at: www.sterlingfd.net/dispatch/library.php .
7. Alyce Johns, Treasurer/Collector
Alyce came to the meeting to informally update the Board on the Town’s new on-line permitting system and was pleased to report that over 20,000 payments were made using the system in just its first week of operation. Ken praised this improvement, noting it was fantastic for a new system, and thanked Alyce for getting it up and running. Roger Deal and Jim Stanton also thanked Alyce for a job well done.
8. FY2010 Budget/Discretionary Spending Freeze:
Chairman Stanton presented a news article regarding the State’s lower than projected revenues for this quarter. He proposed that the Board consider imposing a spending freeze in advance of expected cuts to local aid to ensure against overspending, similar to the action the Board took last year. Both Ken Sydow and Roger Deal concurred, with Roger asking for the School Department to be included in this freeze. Stanton offered that if the expected cuts are not as deep as reported we may find that we have some flexibility later in the year to restore some capacity to purchase needed items.
Upon a motion made and seconded, all voted in favor of invoking a spending freeze. Memos should be distributed to all departments.
Chairman Stanton noted that the Board should work with the Finance Committee to establish budget guidelines within the next six weeks. FY09 free cash should be determined, and a date for a joint meeting with the Finance Committee should be scheduled.
Upon a motion made by Ken Sydow and seconded by Roger Deal, and voted All in Favor, the meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Nancy Colbert Puff
Town Administrator
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