MONSON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2005
The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen convened at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at 110 Main Street. In attendance were James R. Manning and Kathleen C. Norbut. Richard E. Guertin was not present. Also present were the Town Administrator and the media. Town Counsel was not present at this meeting.
Ms. Norbut made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of January 25, 2005 – open and executive sessions and February 1, 2005 – open session. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Pole Petition #8079 – Bethany Road – for the installation of one pole. Ms. Norbut read the petition into the record. There was no public comment or input. The Water/Sewer and Highway Departments expressed no objection to the pole location. Ms. Norbut made a motion to approve pole petition #8079 as presented. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Pole Petition #8082 – Paradise Lake Road – for the installation of one S.O. stub pole. Ms. Norbut read the petition into the record. There was no public comment or input. The Water/Sewer and Highway Departments expressed no objection to the pole location. Ms. Norbut made a motion to approve pole petition #8082 as presented. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Dot Jenkins and Debi Mahar approached the Board of Selectmen for a discussion regarding the proposal for capital funding. Ms. Jenkins, Ms. Mahar, David Royce, Betty Sloope, and Ms. Neggers, make up the Financial Components' team. Ms. Neggers explained this team has met regularly, debated and researched various topics that the town is facing financially. One of the topics they have been giving a great consideration to is the capital funding of capital needs throughout the town. The team has discussed ways such as the use of the stabilization fund, technology revolving fund, Gifts to the Town, overlay surplus, free cash and operating budgets as ways to fund the capital needs items. A few months back, the department heads were asked to update their capital needs list. The Police, Fire, Highway, Parks and Recreation, School,
Selectmen and Cemetery Departments submitted up-dated lists. Approximately 1.8 million dollars worth of requests were received. Ms. Neggers explained for several years, the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen have expressed serious concerns regarding the lack of available funding for capital items such as trucks, building maintenance, etc. Last year at the annual town meeting, the townspeople voted to establish two capital stabilization funds, one for town buildings and the other for school buildings. The town has not been in a position to recommend further appropriation to these accounts. The annual appropriation for capital funding was eliminated several years ago. Some capital improvements, such as the Fire rescue truck and the Highway backhoe were approved using bonding and one-time revenue, however the amounts appropriated were inadequate to meet ongoing needs. The town faces another challenging budget year next year and it appears extremely unlikely there will be
adequate funds available to restore the annual Capital Account or entertain new bonding for financing. The Financial Component Team is recommending $446,000.00 in Capital Funding for the following items:
a new Fire Department tanker at $200,000.00
a new Highway Department dump truck at $90,000.00 and garage doors at $18,000.00
new sidewalks at Quarry Hill School at $35,000.00 and emergency exits at Quarry Hill at $30,000.00
repairs to the fire escape at the Town Administration Building at $10,000.00
to upgrade software in the Assessors Office at $6,000.00
for the Margaret Street landfill assessment at $57,000.00
Ms. Neggers explained the need for each of the items just mentioned. The team recommends using $34,000.00 from the Gifts to the Town Account for the fire escape repairs at the Town Office Building, the Highway garage doors and the Assessors’ software upgrade. This will leave an available balance of $20,000.00 in the account. The team recommends seeking an appropriation of $412,000.00 from the Stabilization Fund at the next Town Meeting for the Fire Department tanker, Highway Department dump truck, Quarry Hill School repairs and to complete the Margaret Street landfill site assessment. The current balance in the stabilization account is $812,000.00. This will leave an available balance of $400,000.00 in the fund. Ms. Neggers explained by approving these, it will allow the town the time it needs to develop a proper
long-term strategy and to advert a pending capital crisis.
Ms. Norbut said she would like to hold off on voting on this tonight, allowing her time to have a chance to speak with the Finance Committee to explore the issue of the revenue and how the town is going to fund the capital needs without an increase in revenue. Ms. Norbut added the community needs to be informed on the capital needs that are imminent and to explain the choice of taking funds from the stabilization fund or asking residents to fund it though taxes. Ms. Norbut agreed the Margaret Street landfill site assessment could be funded through the stabilization account. Ms. Norbut would like to explore and also receive input from the Finance Committee, to see if there is some way to moderate that and maybe not take quite that big of an amount from the stabilization account and also to offer the community the choice of
how to move forward with this. Mr. Manning said he feels we need to move forward with these items now. Mr. Manning also didn’t feel an override would need to take place this year and added the town doesn’t have enough information just yet as to what the state will be doing financially for the cities and towns. Mr. Manning asked Ms. Neggers about the time sensitivity. Ms. Neggers said the only real time sensitive needs are the Highway garage doors, the fire escape repairs to the Town Office Building and the Assessors software up-grade. Mr. Manning said he didn’t have any problems with funding these three items but would like Mr. Guertin’s presents here for the vote. Ms. Mahar said the use of the stabilization funds would need to go to a town meeting in May prior to being acted upon. Ms. Jenkins said the Financial Component Team was here tonight just to present this information to the Selectmen. The Board of Selectmen gave Ms. Neggers permission to meet with
the Finance Committee to discuss this. Mr. Manning added, the town works the stabilization fund very well and thanked the financial components for being very prudent as they have always had the best interest of the town in the forefront of any decisions made and he respects their opinion. Mr. Manning feels this is something that needs to be thought about. Ms. Neggers said a resolution would be needed within the next month in order to bring this to a town meeting. Ms. Neggers also thanked the financial components who she said are a wonderful group of people to work with who really do have the best interest of the Town of Monson at heart and the department heads for being patient and working with some really sub-standard equipment.
Ms. Neggers explained in December she presented a proposal to the Board of Selectmen recommending a freeze in the management salary grid for department heads and managers who have a contract that do not have raises referenced into it. The salary grid was created as a result of a survey classification plan performed by the MMA Consulting Group in approximately 1999. Ms. Neggers explained the town will abide by the contracts and employees with contracts would still receive their step raises. The cost to implement a 1% pay increase would be $6,859.00. A 2% increase would be $13,718.00. A 2½% increase would be $17,148.00 and a 3% increase would be $20,578.00. In December the Board of Selectmen agreed to wait on making a decision regarding this to see just what numbers came locally from the state and to see what kind of
situation the town was having locally. Ms. Neggers said she is pretty certain there will be a reduction in the operating budget for town departments this year and is recommending the management salary grid be frozen, with the exceptions of the step raises. Ms. Norbut questioned if this could be revisited if the towns’ financial numbers do shift and look more favorable. Ms. Neggers said it is not fair to offer false hope and doesn’t foresee this happening. Ms. Neggers added, right now the towns revenues are down and surplus revenues aren’t generating a lot. They are hoping to generate some money for free cash. Ms. Neggers said the town needs to kick into survival mode by hoping to be able to keep everything level funded and to provide the best services with what the town does have to work with. Ms. Neggers added the time is right to separate the department heads and the union employees from the same inflationary factors, as this grid was developed at the same
time for both management and union employees. Ms. Norbut said she knows how hard the department heads work and feels they deserve to be compensated for that, which makes this decision hard. Ms. Norbut made a motion to freeze the salary grid at this time. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
The next item on the agenda was the Monson Arts Council’s request to change insurance thresholds regarding the Memorial Hall rental. Mr. Manning said the Monson Art’s Council is going though the same monetary problems as the town. The Art’s Council is recommending reducing the liability from $1,000,000.00 to $300,000.00. By lowering the amount of liability required, it will lower the cost of the policy from $4,468.00 to $4,200.00, for a saving of $268.00. The Monson Arts Council is a non-profit entity raising funds through arts and crafts fairs, play productions, art shows, programs and membership dues and their net profit margin isn’t anywhere near that amount. Ms. Neggers added the Monson Arts Council has been using Memorial Hall for over twelve years, on and off, without any problems. Ms.
Norbut made a motion to concur with the request to change the thresholds for the Monson Arts Council effective upon the renewal of the policy. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED. The motion was amended to make this retroactive for the policy period of 9/13/04 to 9/13/05, as requested by Barbara Keffer who was in the audience.
The next item on the agenda was to appoint an acting Sergeant to the Monson Police Department. Ms. Neggers explained one Sergeant is out of work on a long-term medical leave. This is creating a hardship in the department by leaving the Chief and only one Sergeant, placing a strain on the daily supervision, which is critical to the proper operation of the Police Department. Chief McKenzie and Sergeant Kozloski have recommend James Boucher be appointed as the acting Sergeant. Ms. Norbut made a motion to appoint James Boucher as the acting Sergeant effective immediately through June 30, 2005. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
The last item on the agenda was to approve $100,000.00 for the Snow and Ice deficit spending. Ms. Neggers said the Finance Committee has already approved this and this will leave approximately $30,000.00 remaining in the account. Mr. Morrell, who was in the audience, stated he is expecting a reimbursement of approximately $20,000.00 from MEMA on the last snowstorm. The total deficit raised last year was $102,000.00. Mr. Morrell stated the increase this year is mostly due to the increase in the cost of the salt. Mr. Morrell explained there is a $20,000.00 increase in the cost of salt over last year, which is one-third of the Snow and Ice budget. Anther contributing factor is the storms have been falling on holidays resulting in overtime and double time for the Highway employees. Ms. Norbut made a motion to approve the snow
and ice deficit spending of $100,000.00. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Paul Bracciotti of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission approached the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Bracciotti had the final draft of Monson’s Community Development strategy. Ms. Norbut read the opening statement into the record and briefly explained the document and the Board of Selectmen signed the application.
In other business to come before the Board of Selectmen, Ms. Neggers said an offer has come from a local photographer, Nancy Bryant, who has offered through the Tourism Association, to display a panoramic view of downtown Monson in the hallway of the Town Office Building. The Board of Selectmen had no objection to this request.
Ms. Neggers said she received a telephone call from a family with a family member in the military returning home on leave, who wished to have the “Monson Supports Our Troops” banner displayed. However, the banner was destroyed in the last storm by the high winds and frigid temperatures. Ms. Neggers said a new banner that would simply state “Support Our Troops” with American flags on either end and cost $525.00. Ms. Neggers also said she would speak to the Fire Department about taking the banner down or not display it if inclement weather is predicted beforehand. Ms. Norbut made a motion approving the development of a new banner at a cost of $525.00 using funds from the Gifts to the Town Account. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 8:10 p.m., Ms. Norbut made a motion to adjourn from open session to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining, not to return to open session. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
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Richard E. Guertin, Clerk
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