MONSON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2007
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 Edward S. Harrison, Kathleen C. Norbut and Richard E. Guertin. Also present were the Town Administrator and the media.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:
Mr. Guertin made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of November 13, 2007 – open session. Ms. Norbut seconded and it was so VOTED.
FY 2008 CDBG Proposal – Jim Mazik, PVPC:
Jim Mazik of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission approached the Board of Selectmen regarding the FY 2008 Community Development Block Grant proposal.
Mr. Mazik said the scoring has been reallocated and Monson is now a CDF 1 community, which allows for larger money benefits. However, Monson is on the lower end of the scale which is not good because those scores are a big factor in the overall rating. There are other ways to address the low score rating. Mr. Mazik explained with the recent changes in the program, the Town of Belchertown is not competitive. The Town of Belchertown has looked into the single purpose application and they cannot get any bonus points, leaving Pioneer Valley Planning Commission unable to obtain funding for them anymore. Mr. Mazik suggested the Town of Monson participate with the Town of Belchertown in a Regional application, which would provide Monson with extra bonus points and improve our chances of receiving grant funding, while at the same
time assisting the Town of Belchertown so they would now qualify as well. The Town of Belchertown has agreed to participate in the Regional application. Mr. Mazik noted Ms. Neggers had presented this joint application to the Monson Board of Selectmen at their meeting held last week, and they also had agreed to this concept. Mr. Mazik explained there are three components; the Park Avenue Infrastructure Improvements Project, Housing Rehab (8 units) and Child Care Services. The Day Care Subsidy program scored very poorly last year, while the Infrastructure scored very highly as did the Housing Rehab. The Town of Belchertown would receive a portion of the Housing Rehab grant money if the grant application is approved this year, probably in the 50/50 range. If Monson applied for this on our own, we would be lucky to end up with the same amount as if we entered into this with Belchertown and only took a piece of it. Mr. Mazik is hoping by applying for the Regional application, this will
be just the sliver Monson needs to put us into the range where we would qualify for the grant this year. Monson would still qualify to apply for the grant again next year, even if we are awarded the grant this year. Mr. Mazik said he would like to see Hampden and Wilbraham in the Regional application as well to get a larger regional grouping, allowing everyone to go for the $1.2 million.
The next step of the CDBG application is the CD Strategy open discussion, which has been advertised and will be held on December 11th, followed by a public hearing to be held sometime in January.
Representative Mary S. Rogeness - Speaking on the Mass. Municipal Finance Relief Act of 2007:
Representative Mary S. Rogeness approached the Board of Selectmen. Representative Rogeness explained the Partnership Act, which is a bill regarding local taxes the Governor has filed, where he would like to have cities and towns have the ability to impose on their own. Representative Rogeness didn’t know if this would be beneficial to Monson. Representative Rogeness added she did not support those taxes. The way the bill is drafted, the money coming in from taxes is sent to Boston; some of it is returned, but not all of it. An example of those taxes are the hotel taxes which would also include Bed and Breakfasts (which was approved at the Special Town Meeting just last night for the Town of Monson) and a restaurant tax, both of which local business would feel the pinch here in town making it hard for some people and
really wouldn’t generate that much money. Representative Rogeness added she feels the odds are very low that those local taxes will be approved.
One of the things Boston has done with the possibility of helping the town is allowing the town to put employees into the GIC (Group Insurance Commission) for health insurance. Representative Rogeness said she has spoken to Ms. Neggers about this and it is not simple. Monson allows for different percentages of health insurance to be paid depending on how expensive the plan is and the GIC does not allow that, therefore, the GIC may not save the town any money. Mr. Harrison added it may be hard getting the unions to agree on giving this up as well. Representative Rogeness also explained with pensions, the currant Governor, Governor Patrick and the previous Governor, Governor Romney had both wanted pension systems to be in the State system for all public workers. By the time it came through the legislature, it was limited to
a mandatory takeover if our pension system was significantly under performing the State system. Any pension system can join the State system. The permission to join the State system, as well as the mandated, is new. Representative Rogeness said the Hampden County Pension Fund is underperforming the State. The State system is huge, so the administrative costs are less and the performance has been very good. They are allowed to invest in enterprises that smaller, local or regional are not allowed to invest in. Representative Rogeness added towns that opt in, as opposed to being captured, have the option to opt back out if it doesn’t work for them. Ms. Neggers said Town Finance Director Debi Mahar has recently spent time at Hampden County discussing this. Representative Rogeness added she would do anything she could to help Monson and Ms. Neggers thanked her for helping Monson try to understand the complexity of this. Another item Representative Rogeness has been working on in
Boston that could provide some real relief to the town is, in 2003 when the State had the collapse with revenues, they had spent down a lot of the “rainy day” reserves that were built up in the 1990’s. When there was no more money, and the State’s revenues had collapsed more than the local revenues had collapsed, the State cut the Local Aid and a three year cap was imposed on the Lottery Funds, so the State could keep its operations going. The State’s revenues are not fixed and in the years since then, the State’s budget has been developed using conservative projections, and the revenues have come in higher than they were projected. The States’ Stabilization Fund was a little over $500 million at the worse, and is now up over $2 billion. This year they had a State surplus at the end of the fiscal year of over $500 million. The town’s check was $450 million over a three year period. A proposal is being put forward as an amendment to
the bill taking care of that $500 million that would take $450 million and send it as a one time donation to the localities. This would come back to the cities and towns as a one time lump sum payment. Monson’s amount would be about $700,000.00. Some cities and towns would get more; some would get less, depending on the demographics of the town. Ms. Norbut said she would be willing to work with Representative Rogeness on this.
Representative Rogeness said one of the issues often recognized at the political level is, that the coming crisis will be union benefits. In a lot of the communities surrounding Boston, not so much in Western Mass., 90% of their health care is paid by the city or town and most people working for a private company don’t have that benefit. Mr. Harrison mentioned his take on some of this is, municipal jobs generally pay less than outside commercial industry type jobs and a couple of the reasons for that is the potentially better job security and the officially better benefits. Ms. Neggers and Ms. Norbut agreed this isn’t true anymore. Ms. Neggers added she just read over the weekend that historically that was the case and Ms. Norbut noted over the past five or six years this has really shifted.
Also discussed were the casinos and lottery. Representative Rogeness understands there are a lot of oppositions out there right now and added if she becomes aware of a kind of center point for dealing with the issues brought up tonight she would pass that information along to the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Harrison felt he would like to see some kind of an independent study done, as the State has different groups looking at it from different parochial perspectives. For example, the State is looking at all the revenue they are going to get while the surrounding communities are saying they are going to end up funding some unfunded mandates and sees each one submitting their own studies, and wonders where is the truth. Mr. Harrison added he would like to see an independent body look at this who is not beholden to the
developers, or to the State, or anyone else, but to the truth. Representative Rogeness noted when casinos come to the state they might not make as much money as they anticipated as the casinos will be smoke free and it is illegal to serve free drinks in the state, both of which go hand in hand with casinos. Ms. Norbut asked Representative Rogeness to please keep the Board of Selectmen informed if she hears of any hearings or public comment periods where Monson’s community concerns could be brought.
Also discussed was Special Education in Monson, which is now getting quite expensive, and how the increases in utilities, pensions and Special Education are all tweaking from the cost of the normal education of students.
The Board of Selectmen thanked Representative Rogeness for coming in to tonight’s meeting.
Review Departmental Budgets – Purchase of Petroleum Products; Board of Selectmen; Legal; Maintenance of Public Buildings; Town Report; Weights and Measures; Street Lighting; EAP; Blanket Insurance; Medicaid Reimbursements; and Special Health Services:
The Board of Selectmen reviewed the departmental budget prior to it being passed on to the Finance Director. Ms. Neggers explained the itemized budget to the Board. The non-budget of Memorial Hall was discussed and Ms. Neggers explained when the offices were moved from Memorial Hall to the Town Administration Building in 1992, the town had no money. It was during a time when the Police Department didn’t even have a day shift; therefore nothing was appropriated for the up-keep of Memorial Hall other than the heat and electricity. Mr. Guertin said he felt there should be a budget in place for Memorial Hall as it is a unique historic building, getting quite a bit of use. Ms. Neggers and Ms. Mahar explained Memorial Hall’s needs are being taken care of out of the Building Repairs Account for the Town Office
Building, and it was felt the biggest expenses are in Capital items.
Ms. Neggers said in regards to posting the Town Report on the Town’s web site, it would require her to purchase a program that would allow her to do so.
Ms. Norbut said she didn’t feel the Town should be paying Valley Human Services, but instead fund it over to the Council on Aging, keeping it in Monson. The seventeen or so individuals using Valley Human Services would not be refused. Ms. Neggers said she would find out just how many towns are paying Valley Human Services.
Review December Meeting Schedule:
The December meeting schedule for the Board of Selectmen was discussed. The Board of Selectmen agreed to hold meetings on December 11th and December 18th, canceling the meeting on December 25th due to Christmas, and then go back to their normal schedule with their meeting scheduled for January 8th.
In Other Business to Come Before the Board of Selectmen:
Ms. Norbut announced the Santa Train will not be held this year due to new owners not being interested. Ms. Neggers said she did provide Carolyn Bedard with a letter of support on behalf of Monson prior to her meeting with the new owners of the Railroad. Mr. Harrison questioned just what would be needed to persuade the new owners into continuing with the tradition of the Santa Train. It was noted in the past Monson, along with the Town of Palmer, have paid for the heat and fuel for the Santa Train and provided the certificate of insurance. The Board of Selectmen felt the decision to not have the train this year should be appealed. Mr. Guertin said Monson has Americana which he felt should be drafted into a letter if one is written, as Monson still has soapbox derbies, frog jumping contests, etc. and added these are all
cherished memories for children and felt the tradition should be continued. Ms. Neggers said she would draft a letter.
Mr. Guertin thanked everyone involved in putting the Christmas lights up in Monson, as they always do an excellent job and look great.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 9:05 p.m., Mr. Guertin made a motion to adjourn from open session. Ms. Norbut seconded and it was so VOTED.
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Richard E. Guertin, Clerk
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