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Meeting of 2009-10/13
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY – OCTOBER 13, 2009

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 Richard E. Guertin, Edward S. Harrison and John F. Goodrich II. Also present were the Town Administrator and the media.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Lee Williams – Regarding Monson Memorial Classic Road Race:
Lee Williams approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Williams said the 14th Annual Monson Memorial Classic Road Race will be held on Sunday, November 8th  at 12:00 noon, check in will be from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mr. Guertin noted Ms. Williams will have access to Memorial Hall on November 7th to set up. Ms. Neggers noted Police Chief Steve Kozloski did contact her and said Ms. Williams will have to cover the salaries of the two Police Officers working the Road Race detail, as was done last year.

Mr. Guertin read the flyer information into the record. The race is in memory of sisters Kelly Waldron and Kathy Waldron Perry who died eight months apart from different types of cancer. This year the proceeds will be going to The SHADE Foundation of America and to Griffin’s Friends. Ms. Williams explained the Curt and Shonda Schilling Foundation of America was founded in 2002 after Shonda’s successful battle against melanoma. SHADE’s goals are to provide education and awareness toward skin cancer prevention. Griffin’s Friends was founded in 1994 in Springfield, MA and named in honor of Griffin Kelliher, who lost his courageous battle with cancer at 14 months of age. Griffin’s Friends is a nonprofit group that provides support to children who are stricken with cancer, and their families. There will be a half marathon, 5K race and 2 mile fun walk. Ms. Williams noted the planning is going well, and they are anticipating more runners this year. The half marathon is $35 pre-registration by 10/31/2009 or $40 on race day. The 5K is $20 pre-registration by 10/31/2009 or $25 on race day. The 2 mile fun walk is $13 or just $5 for the walk without an event T-shirt.

Ms. Williams said the race will be the same as last year and people may register on line at their web site at http://monsonmemorialclassic.com/ . Ms. Williams said she would submit the certificate of insurance to the office.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to approve the Monson Memorial Classic Road Race as presented. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.

Council on Aging – Regarding Director’s Pending Retirement and Filling of Vacancy:
Mary Ann Brazas – Chair, and Joan Simmons – Vice Chair for the Council On Aging approached the Board of Selectmen regarding the retirement of Judy White effective January 4, 2010 as the Executive Director of the Council On Aging. Ms. Simmons said she wants to implement a step plan in searching for a new director, and the steps will include the town’s current hiring procedures.

The first step will be to form a Search Committee, which will be separate from the Council On Aging Board. The Search Committee will consist of three Council On Aging Board members, one Council On Aging staff member, one senior citizen, one representative from the Home for Aged People, one Select person, and one person from the community.

The second step will be having the Search Committee review all the incoming applications; narrow the search down to three candidates to be interviewed by the Council On Aging Board, and to come to the Board of Selectmen with the name of the final candidate.

Ms. Brazas noted the position will be advertised in the newspaper, on the Council On Aging web site, on the Springfield Greater Services Bulletin Board and on the MMA (Mass. Municipal Association) web site.

Mr. Goodrich suggested leaving all the incoming mail containing applications sealed until they can be opened by the committee.

Ms. Neggers suggested having the job advertisement ready for approval at the next Selectmen’s meeting, scheduled for October 27th, as well as the list of members to be appointed to the Search Committee.

Community Preservation Committee – Presentation on Recommended Projects for STM Approval:
Leslie Duthie and Dennis Swierad approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Duthie explained Monson will receive approximately $160,000 from the State; the CPC has expended $100,000 from the $300,000 with the match and what was raised last year. This year Monson has approximately $500,000 available. Mr. Swierad presented the following articles for placement on the warrant for the Town Meeting, as requested by the Community Preservation Committee:
  • A warrant article to see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of $150,000.00 to restore the existing windows, sash and surrounds and install new black aluminum storm windows and repair or replace 3 doors as needed. $3,688.92 was expended from the Community Preservation Committee administrative expenses account to provide a preliminary survey of the investigation, conditions assessment and treatment recommendations for windows, doors and art glass at Memorial Hall by the New England Preservation Collaborative. If this approved at the Town Meeting, it will go out to bid. Mr. Goodrich suggested hurricane glass for the storm windows protecting the stained glass windows, as it is required by code in high wind areas and felt it might be worth looking into for better protection.
  • An article to vote to appropriate the sum of $19,000.00 to replace the steeple and repair the tower on the Monson-Glendale United Methodist Church. The church will spend $34,000 as its portion of the church rehabilitation. The work will consist of removal and demolition of the upper deck, removal of the top plate and transfer beams, installation of a new I beam, rebuilding the decking, new roofing with ice and water barrier and lead coated copper standing seam roofing, installing a new spire and painting current tower to ground level. All exterior surfaces of the tower will be pressure washed, sanded and scraped prior to coating the exterior in two coats of Martin Mathis Elastomeric Noxyde and one finish coat of Sherwin Williams Duration.
  • An article to vote to appropriate the sum of $68,300.00 to purchase 165 acres of the Flynt Quarry land, not including the former town landfill, located on Margaret Street. The amount of money represents approximately 18% of the towns required contribution to supplement the Local Acquisition for Natural Diversity Grant provided by the State under Article 97. This land will remain in permanent conservation land to be used for recreation and open space and includes the Monson High School Cross Country race course, per the restrictions of Article 97. $45,000.00 will be transferred from the FY ’09 Open Space budget and the remaining $23,300.00 will be transferred from theFY’09 Undesignated Account for the purchase of this land.
     
On November 8, 2009, at approximately 1:00 p.m., a historic walk will be held, leaving from the former dump site. Ms. Neggers encouraged everyone to join as it’s just spectacular.

  • An article to vote to appropriate the sum of $5,180.00 to purchase and install a handicap ramp for a Housing Authority property in the Town of Monson. The ramp will allow accessibility to the property for a wheel chair. The ramp is pre-constructed and can be removed and used at any Monson Housing Authority property as tenants change.
  • An article to vote to appropriate the sum of $5,200.00 to install metal roofing on the west side of the Monson Bellman’s building to match the east side which was installed when the building was expanded. The roof will protect the antique fire equipment and Monson Firemen memorabilia that reflect 194 years of Monson Fire equipment and the history of the Monson Fire Department.
  • Mike Benfield approached the Board of Selectmen to explain the next warrant article request, to see if the Town will vote to authorize a revolving fund under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 44 Section 53E1/2, to pay expenses associated with providing home modifications to insure safe and handicapped accessible residences for the towns elderly and disabled residents, with receipts to the fund being provided by the people of Monson through the Monson Community Preservation Committee and which will be expended only by the Monson Council on Aging. Any funds remaining at the end of the fiscal year shall be encumbered for future expenditures.
  • And to see if the Town will vote to appropriate $25,000.00 to the Revolving Fund established by the previous vote to allow the Monson Council On Aging to pay expenses associated with providing home modifications to insure safe and handicapped accessible residences for the towns elderly and disabled residents. No single project will exceed $5,000.00.
  • To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $29,193.00 to construct a 75 foot little league field at Rogers Fields. The land has been cleared and the work is ready to be done on the site. There is currently only one field of this size in Monson, and six teams play on the field.  The cost will include installation of a backstop, dugout benches, infield material and fencing around the field consisting of home run fence, foul poles, dugout fencing and equipment gate.
Ms. Duthie said the total is $341,817.00 which still leaves funds in the account for next year.

Mr. Harrison suggested a report of what CPA funds have done for the community. The email is www.monsoncommunitypreservation@gmail.com for anyone with any questions. The Town web site also has an email connection for the CPC. There aren’t any vacancies on the committee at this time, however the CPC meets every first Tuesday of the month in the Historic Room on the second floor of the Town Office Building. The meetings are open to the public and they encourage everyone to attend.

Mr. Guertin commended the Community Preservation Committee for all the work they have done. Ms. Duthie thanked the community for voting the 3% as this really made the difference.

Memorial Hall:
Mr. Guertin explained last year Memorial Hall was closed from December 1st to mid-March to save on heat, etc. and recommended doing the same thing this year. There aren’t any events planned until April.

Ms. Neggers said the usage was looked at and the savings totaled $7,000.00, which meant a lot.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to close Memorial Hall after the MAC craft fair until April. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.

MAC Craft Fair Banner:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to allow the MAC craft fair banner to be placed across Main Street from November 15, 2009 to November 29, 2009. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.

Fiscal 2010 Budget Status:
Ms. Neggers said it is October 2009 and the town is still trying to come to terms with the budget. The town is still in very difficult financial times and the worst is still not over. Ms. Neggers gave a slideshow presentation and explained the new growth in Monson is down and the State has cut the Local Aid. Ms. Neggers added Monson is not alone; it’s affecting all cities and towns. There is an impact on schools, even with the stimulus funds. Ms. Neggers noted 39% of the town’s budget comes from local receipts, 48% comes from State aid, and 4 % is debt exclusion. Monson is 35 to 50% reliant on State aid, therefore the cuts from the State have a greater impact and the budget reductions hurt every department.

Ms. Neggers showed a list of approximately twelve departments whose hours and services have been reduced, and explained we are out of balance and further reductions are needed. $35,700.00 has been identified with the help of the Finance Director Deborah Mahar. Ms. Neggers stated the town is currently short $47,382.00 and we still need to pay for elections and Pathfinder.

Ms. Neggers presented a list of mandatory services in the budget which total $19 million that can’t be cut and noted essential accounts already have a negative cost factor and with any more cuts the town would lose its financial aspect. Ms. Neggers presented a list of what is left totaling $2.3 million and said additional State Aid cuts are coming. Ms. Neggers explained $387,000.00 in free cash is being used this year, and this will be half of what is collected this year. Ms. Neggers noted there could be another undetermined amount in cuts coming from the State this year.

Ms. Neggers provided a list of recommendations as follows:
  • Implement an immediate spending freeze on all non-essential items.
  • Give consideration for paying for two Special elections from the Gifts to the Town Account.
  • Limit use of reserves as much as possible.
  • Prioritize the remaining budget.
Mr. Guertin suggested some cuts to come up with the $47,382.00 needed, which included:
  • Cutting $10,000.00 from Legal Fees, going from $60,000.00 in that account down to $50,000.00 and being a little more selective with what the Town goes to Town Counsel with.
  • Turning off the streetlights in all areas with the exception of the downtown business area.
  • Eliminating the Hazardous Waste Day, saving $8,900.00.
Mr. Guertin supported taking the funds for the two elections from the Gifts to the Town Account as well as supporting the spending freeze.

Ms. Neggers responded she didn’t feel the town could cut $10,000.00 from the legal expenses and thought most of the streetlights paid for by the town are at intersections or the stop light, as most of the residents pay for the streetlights in the residential neighborhoods, but said she would look into it to see. Ms. Neggers had no idea how much money would be saved from instituting the spending freeze.

Mr. Goodrich said his thought process was; local aid will be cut and the town’s deficit will increase, therefore he was wondering if the approach should be taking revenue from a non-essential department instead. Mr. Goodrich said he needs to look at this more, but felt the non-essential department could be run a little differently. Mr. Goodrich said the non-essential departments he would look at are the Parks and Recreation, Council On Aging and possibly the Cemetery Department, as public safety has been cut to a point where he doesn’t feel it can be cut any further.

Mr. Harrison reiterated the Board of Selectmen have talked about combining the maintenance between Parks and Rec. and the Cemetery.

Mr. Goodrich noted the Parks and Rec. Department was started by operating on fees collected and wondered if the budget were cut if maybe people would volunteer more to help out to keep the programs running. Mr. Goodrich suggested cutting the budget for Parks and Rec. by a certain amount and letting the Commissioners and Superintendent figure out how they will run the department. Mr. Harrison responded, that would be the easiest way, but wanted to see what that cut would mean to the department. Mr. Goodrich felt if $12,000.00 were going to shut down a department, the town might as well take all the funds. Mr. Harrison suggested asking the department what would happen if the town didn’t give them any money.

Mr. Goodrich also suggested cutting Meals-On-Wheels two days a week possibly, and serving the meals only three days per week.

Mr. Guertin suggested prioritizing, and also suggested shutting down the Town Office Building one day a week. Ms. Neggers said the work wouldn’t get done. Mr. Goodrich suggested closing the building to the public one day and not even answering the telephone on that day so work could get done and then have the employees only work a half day that day. Ms. Mahar said she could talk to the departments that are interrupted by the public. Mr. Guertin said it would be all the departments. Mr. Harrison wondered just how much money would be saved by doing this. Ms. Neggers said this is very risky as it could trigger early retirement for a lot of employees. Mr. Guertin responded he is just trying to come up with new ideas and other ways of doing things.

The Board of Selectmen agreed they would want to pose questions to the Parks and Rec. Dept., Cemetery Dept. and Council On Aging as to what happens with $30,000.00 cuts and what happens with no funding at all. Mr. Guertin said he has asked for a breakdown of fees collected and funding from Parks and Rec. and didn’t feel as though he received good answers. Mr. Goodrich felt a Director might need to be retained and everything else cut, but wondered what functionality there would be with just a director. Mr. Guertin didn’t know what the impact would be on the children already signed up for sports. Mr. Goodrich added Parks and Rec. is a department that is set up to generate money. Mr. Guertin asked Ms. Mahar to look at the departments mentioned and to include the Library; what percentage would be needed if all the departments were cut the same percentage to equal $150,000.00, and wondered if all the departments aren’t equal, what percentage is needed for the more important departments.

Mr. Goodrich said it seems to him like more of the focus was on the Parks and Rec. and Cemetery Departments and not on the Library and Council On Aging, and felt he would like to see 40% of the burden come from Parks and Rec., 40% of the burden come from the Cemetery Dept., 10% of the burden come from the Library and 10% of the burden from the Senior Center. Mr. Guertin said he didn’t know just what the paid positions at the Library do and wondered if volunteers could do the same work. Ms. Neggers responded to the 40% of the burden from the Cemetery Department by stating the town is obligated by law to bury the dead. Ms. Neggers said she would focus on the $48,000.00 right now and not the $100,000.00 at this time. Mr. Goodrich felt it would be much more difficult to recoup the $100,000.00 if it is done two months from now instead. Ms. Neggers felt due to the State, the town is obligated to manage its finances in the dark. Mr. Guertin said these departments need to start thinking of what they are going to do.

Mr. Goodrich made a motion to enact the spending freeze on all non-essential items effective immediately. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Goodrich made a motion to pay for the two special elections mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to fill the vacancy in the United States Senate created by the death of Senator Edward Kennedy from the Gifts to the Town Account in the amount of $8,400.00 with any funds not expended being returned to the fund. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Ms. Mahar noted the union would need to be spoken with regarding any cuts in hours.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to see what a 30% reduction on the remaining balance in the budget would do and how they would adjust for the Cemetery Dept., Parks and Rec., Council On Aging and the Library for the next Selectmen’s meeting and also to invite the Commissioners and Department Heads to the meeting. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.

Review Special Town Meeting Warrant Articles:
It was reiterated the Special Town Meeting is scheduled for November 16, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. in the auditorium at Granite Valley Middle School. Ms. Neggers presented the following articles for placement on the warrant:

Mr. Goodrich made a motion to place an article on the Special Town Meeting warrant to raise and appropriate a sum of money for Pathfinder to meet the assessment. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to place an article on the special Town Meeting warrant asking the town to exercise its’ option of creating a local optional excise of .75 percent for sales of restaurant meals tax. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED

Mr. Goodrich made a motion to place the articles presented earlier by the Community Preservation Committee on the warrant for the Special Town Meeting.  Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Goodrich made a motion to place an article on the warrant for the Special Town Meeting to see if the Town will vote to rescind portions of the appropriations made as part of the Fiscal 2010 Budget Omnibus. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Discussion Regarding Participation in PVPC Regional Performance Contract with Energy Services Company:
Ms. Neggers said she was contacted last week by Catherine Ratté of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission asking the town to really consider participating in this program. Monson signed onto the regional energy initiative, and as such we were able to participate in a regional approach. Ms. Neggers added they would hire an energy service company for the regional towns participating, and they would engage in energy audits leading to specific recommendations to give us an idea and then lead to an investment grade audit. We are in line to have energy audits done by the DOER and these audits will likely be a little more robust. Once you have the investment grade audit, you are essentially eligible to move forward with the recommended projects. Ms. Neggers added there is no negative in going along with this contract, unless you proceed with the investment grade audit and don’t move forward. At that point there would be a cost to be determined and we would know the breakup costs before the audit was done. Everything is ultimately paid for through savings, and there are no up front costs for the community. Ms. Neggers felt it was worth going through the first round. Mr. Goodrich reiterated this is a two step process with step one being a no cost, no obligation, in which the town could walk away without any problems. Step two is the commitment on the financial side. Mr. Harrison felt we could go alone with this as long as it isn’t costing the town anything.

Mr. Goodrich made a motion to join the Energy Savings Performance contract for the purposes of gaining initial audit information and analyzing prior to engaging in step 2. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Set Halloween “Trick or Treat” Hours and Associated Events:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to set the Trick or Treat hours from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on October 31, 2009 followed by the Rotary sponsored parade at 6:15 P.M. and to allow them use of Memorial Hall. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.

Correspondence was read and completed.

At 9:50 p.m., Mr. Harrison made a motion to adjourn from open session. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.

__________________________
John F. Goodrich II, Clerk