Lenox Finance Committee Meeting
Date: December 13, 2017
Members Present: Elliot Morss (EM), Mark McKenna (MM), Joe Nejaime (JN), David Neubert (DN)
Guests: Jim Wilusz (Tri-Town Health Dept Executive Director), Diane Romeo (Chair, Lenox Board of Health), Eric Federer (prior chair of Lenox Environmental Committee) , Clarence Fanto (Berkshire Eagle)
Absent: Vytas Barsauskas, Scott Pignatelli
Meeting called to order at 5:30 PM.
Jim Wilusz explained the need for an additional health inspector, as the current inspector has been out for several months and a back-log of inspections (inclusive of about 600 restaurant inspections) needs to be addressed. He requested $10,656 from the Town of Lenox be appropriated to advertise, train and hire an inspector thru the end of FY 2018. The amount reflects Lenox’s 40% share of the total $26,640 anticipated need.
The allocation request was approved unanimously by the Finance Committee.
More discussion about future concerns on staffing, cost sharing allocation, right sizing of fee structure, and Air B and B inspections.
The TTHD FY 2019 budget will most likely be increased to reflect a two inspector department with increased salaries in an effort to maintain employees.
Cost sharing will be looked at with the anticipation that appropriations would be based on percentage of Town costs, vs population.
The permit fee structure needs to be increased to help offset the cost of the department.
Lenox currently has a committee looking at the Air B and B. Inspection issue is not an easy solution, as it could involve the health department (commercial kitchen, pool, septic), the building inspector (egress, structural) and fire inspector (sprinklers, smoke detectors). More to follow.
Meeting adjourned: 6:05 PM
Respectively Submitted,
Mark McKenna, Secretary
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