Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectboard’s Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 – 4:30 PM
Selectboard: Chairwoman Debra Davidson, Selectwoman Karen Day, Selectwoman Margaret Charig Bliss
Staff: Administrator Patt,
Public:
The meeting was called to order at 4:35 PM by Chairwoman Davidson.
Documents for Approval/Review/Signature
The Selectboard reviewed and/or signed the following items:
§ A/P Invoices
§ A/P Checks
§ Payroll
§ Primex Risk Management Audit – D.P.W
§ 2015 Schoolcare Health Insurance Rates & Co-Pay
§ Letter: Town of Peterborough – Perambulation 2014
§ Land Use Transfer – Gen. Fund (G.F.) to Conservation Fund
§ Oak Park Fund Transfer – G.F. to Oak Park fund
§ Meeting House Rental – 11/22
§ Meeting House Rental – 12/6
§ Vacation carry-over request – C. Burgess
Chairwoman Davidson opened the meeting at 4:35pm.
4:30 PM: Tim Murray, DPW Supervisor
At 4:35 pm the Selectboard noted that Mr. Murray was in the boiler room with the technician from the oil company, as the oil furnace was not firing. The Administrator provided an update on the task list that the Selectboard has been monitoring. At the completion of the half-hour period Mr. Murray came before the Board and discussed briefly the oil furnace and outlined several tasks that had been completed by the DPW. These include the installation of the gate at the Waste Water property, paving the apron at the Old Town Office, fixing the railing behind that building, examination of the Library basement and meeting with a contracting company to discuss possible drainage solutions. He also reported that he had tilted the lights on the Meeting House so that they were not shining on vehicles coming down Francestown road. The
furnace was on when Mr. Murray left the meeting
5:00 PM: Budget Advisory Committee
At 5:00 PM the Board welcomed Norm Nickerson, past Chair of the Board of the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC), Diane Boilard, Susan Moller, and Ken Paulsen to the meeting. The Chair outlined the interest of the Selectboard to have a good budget process with the Advisory Committee on the 2015 budget. The Chair discussed the possibility of the BAC formulating a mission statement and formalizing their meetings for the 2014-2015 budget season. The Chair outlined that the Selectboard is interested in meeting with the BAC during the year starting directly after Thanksgiving.
The BAC and Selectboard discussed the preliminary draft 2015 budget. Ms. Moller asked about the timeline associated with the Annual Town Meeting. The timeline was published at the end of September and the Chair asked the Administrator to send out the timeline again. The Chair outlined that one of the interests in the 2015 budget was to consolidate the insurance lines so that the department budgets would be closer to representing the actual departmental spending. There was some discussion about resident’s interest in see the actual costs of the departments in the past with Norm Nickerson noting that it was a change that a resident requested at that time. The Board suggest that comparing towns of similar size is difficult because many other towns do not include the insurance items in the departmental budgets the way
that Greenfield does. Hancock, Bennington, and Francestown were used as examples of other towns where insurance is rolled into one line. BAC members indicated that they would review the budget details and have a meeting in the near future.
6:00PM: Stephenson Library Director Julie Stevenson, Library Trustees
At 6:00pm Library Trustees and Library Director Stevenson came before the Selectboard. The new Library Director was introduced to the Selectboard by the Stephenson Memorial Library Trustees, Julie Steenson. Ms. Steenson opened the budget meeting with a short introduction about the ‘modern library’. During the introduction she noted that there are space considerations within a library and that one focus will be to create adult spaces as well as space for children. She also noted that modern libraries are now technology centers as well as ‘a building full of books’. There is a focus to help people learn technology so that they can make use of e-books and online resources. Libraries, she said, are community and cultural centers and with that in mind she has exhibitions and artists booked through 2015.
Ms. Steenson said that ultimately the question she is there to answer is “what does the community want from their library?” Ultimately it’s not what I want, she said, “it’s what the community wants”. As the Stephenson Library goes about solving for that question she said that the library staff will focus on increasing their professionalism. As librarians, she said, we used to be gatekeepers to books and knowledge. “Now we are key holders to open the world”. With this in mind the library will update its ‘marketing’ and one such service is a new email newsletter to help promote its services.
The Selectboard and the Director went through the budget. Ms. Steenson indicated that she has not made any changes to the lines or line item amounts that the Trustees have put together for 2015. The only monetary changes to the budget are in the wages line item, which is based on the Trustees offer for the director position. While the bottom line has not changed greatly except based on wages pursuant to the Trustees, Ms. Steenson outlined several changes she is undertaking within the budget line items. This includes a new and more accessible library inventory system, which will include an interface for patrons, which will allow them to rent books through Amazon online. There was discussion about how this service will provide people the ability to visit the library ‘at 2AM from home, while they are in their pajamas’. She also said that the inventory system would simplify and track interlibrary loans more effectively.
At the end of the meeting the Board expressed their appreciation for the hard work that the new director has already put into the budget.
Documents for Approval/Review/Signature
The Selectboard reviewed the Schoolcare health insurance rates for the 2015-2016 year. The Board signed two Meeting House rental agreements. The Board reviewed a letter from the Town of Peterborough regarding perambulation in 2014. The Board granted a vacation carry-over request to C. Burgess for one additional week of vacation time from the 2014 year to 2015.
Adjournment
On a motion by the Chair, and a second by Selectwoman Charig Bliss, the Board voted to adjourn. The motion carried 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM.
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Selectboard. A signed copy is on file in the Selectboard’s office.
______________________ _______________________ ______________________
Chair, Debra Davidson Karen Day, Selectwoman Margaret Charig Bliss, Selectwoman
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