BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MAY 3, 2011
The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen convened at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at 110 Main Street. This meeting was held in lieu of the regularly scheduled meeting for May 10th which was canceled. In attendance were John F. Goodrich II, Dr. Richard M. Smith and Edward A. Maia. Also present were Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers and the media.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:
Dr. Smith made a motion to accept the meeting minutes for April 26, 2011 – open session. Mr. Maia seconded and it was so VOTED.
Review Finance Committee Town Meeting Recommendations:
Ms. Neggers explained the Finance Committee met last night to finalize their recommendations for presentation at the Town Meeting next Monday, at Granite Valley Middle School at 7:00 p.m. Ms. Neggers said the Finance Committee took into consideration the proposed areas of reduction the Selectmen had approved and passed onto them, noting the Finance Committee did not go 100% with the numbers the Selectmen had proposed. Ms. Neggers noted the Finance Committee hoped their revised proposed budget would be a reasonable compromise and added the vast areas targeted for reduction parallel that which was previously approved by the Board of Selectmen.
Ms. Neggers stated the Annual and Special Town Meeting warrants, including the Finance Committee recommendations, are posted on the towns’ web site at www.monson-ma.gov on the Home Page under the News and Announcements, if anyone wishes to look at them in greater detail.
Ms. Neggers reiterated the Board of Selectmen had identified $124,000 in cuts, and had expressed a great concern about maintaining a replacement schedule for the school busses. The budget approved by the Board of Selectmen included purchasing three new school busses. The Finance Committee reduced that number to purchasing two school busses based on the theory the routes had gone from thirteen down to twelve and they felt at some point it might be possible to consider downsizing the fleet. The Finance Committee used the number provided by the School Superintendent as far as what would be needed in additional funds in the School Transportation budget to pay for mechanic overtime and additional parts to keep the older buses running. Ms. Neggers said the recommendation by the Finance Committee is for $24,795 to be reduced
from the school transportation budget request.
Ms. Neggers explained the Finance Committee reviewed the other recommended reductions, and approved the following:
- The reduction in the Assessor’s expense account.
- The reduction in the Collector’s salary account.
- To retain the hours in the Clerk’s Office for the Assistant Town Clerk at 33 hours per week rather than dropping to 30 hours.
- The reduction of $5,000 in the Police salaries from the budget.
- The reducing the Police expense budget $2,900, to maintain level funding.
- The emergency dispatch, a portion of a grant has been used to offset the salary costs and the Selectmen had talked about using $12,000.
- Building Department part-time inspector from $1,000 to $500.00.
- Emergency Management maintained that reduction.
- Animal Control maintained that reduction in expenses.
- Highway Department maintained using the $25,000 from Chapter 90 money and also the additional $1,800 that was volunteered to offset other reductions.
- Cemetery Department wages were reduced by $2,500.
- Parks and Recreation Department salaries and wages reduced by $10,000.
- Hours for the Board of Health clerk were restored instead of reduced.
- The Greater Springfield Senior Services was cut $101; the Council on Aging was cut $4,000; the Library instead of being reduced by $7,000 is being reduced by $4,000; FICA and Medicare reduction was approved and the elimination of the capital line item was approved.
Ms. Neggers said at this point in time, we have a balanced budget of $22,089,767 excluding the Enterprise Fund. Included in this balance are the increases in the Street Lighting Account, liability insurance and GASB. Other concerns are purchasing petroleum products, since the costs for diesel and gasoline continue to rise; and Pathfinder on the Capital improvement plan as the Finance Committee recommended a lower amount than what they were asking for.
Ms. Neggers added she feels this is a fair and reasonable budget that a number of people have put a lot of effort into developing, with a lot of anxiety and a lot of concerns and in the end Ms. Neggers said she feels there should be some level of satisfaction as the town will be continuing to maintain the town services in some fashion.
Mr. Maia asked if the Finance Committee had thrown out any ideas for the next round of cuts if the budget needed to be increased for the petroleum line or to fund the capital line for Pathfinder. Ms. Neggers replied we will be ending the fiscal year with full tanks of petroleum to try to minimize the impact on the new fiscal year, and noted Mr. Morrell has received word on the reimbursement for the snowstorm in January, that FEMA did approve the appeal, and we will be filing for those funds.
Dr. Smith said he feels the Finance Committee took the general principals the budget was based on and utilized it, and said he feels overall the budget is similar to what the Board of Selectmen presented. Ms. Neggers said the priorities are shared.
Mr. Goodrich said everyone should be proud of themselves for the hard work they put into developing this budget and he appreciates it, and added it is now up to the towns’ people to show up and do their part and have their say.
Update on Status of Senior Center Lease with Home for Aged People, Inc.:
Mr. Goodrich said he met with Council on Aging Director Lori Stacy and Mary Ann Brazas on Friday.
Mr. Goodrich reiterated a few weeks back the Board of Selectmen met with the Senior Center and the Home for the Aged People, Inc. to discuss some issues that the Senior Center had over the past year, with their building in particular, that needed to be ironed out and required some clarification. Mr. Goodrich noted at the meeting held on Friday, there were several things he, Ms. Stacy and Ms. Brazas felt needed tweaking in order to move things along a little more smoothly, and they would like to pass the list as follows onto the Home for the Age and ask them to consider incorporating them into the new lease:
1) Concerns from our Town Counsel regarding insurance requirements for the
Home for the Aged People and some other legal requirements he recommended.
2) They would like an annual general safety inspection of the building with a
walk though by the parties involved and the Building Inspector, checking for
code compliances, safety issues, normal wear and tear, and the upkeep of the
building.
3) Clarification on the responsibilities of snow plowing, snow removal and
sanding; where are the funds coming from.
4) Clarification on who is responsible for the lawn care, landscaping, lawn clean-
up, driveway sweeping and clean-up in the spring and fall.
5) Clarification on the use of the building, when it can be used and when it can’t,
more specifically by the fund raising group Friends of Monson Seniors, since
the town is now paying for the utilities.
6) Response time when issues arise. Mr. Goodrich noted there is confusion as to
what the owners felt was a reasonable response time versus what the Senior
Center felt was a reasonable response time for emergencies and non-emergencies.
7) List of preapproved contractors. Mr. Goodrich said he felt since the building is
aging rapidly, the Senior Center should have a list available of preapproved
contractors to call directly. The contractor, since they are working for and paid
by the Home for the Aged, would need clarification on how much work could
be done without authorization. Mr. Goodrich felt this might speed up the
process and make things move a little more fluently with keeping the building
up to par.
The Board of Selectmen agreed unanimously to pass this list onto the Home for the Aged for consideration in incorporating them into the new lease.
In Other Business to Come Before the Board:
- Mr. Goodrich announced given the current time allowances in his life currently, he doesn’t feel as though he can properly fulfill the position of Chairman of this Board, and said he would like to reestablish the priorities of the Board becoming effective at the end of this meeting.
Mr. Maia made a motion to nominate Dr. Smith as the Chairman effective at the end of this meeting. Mr. Goodrich seconded and it was so VOTED.
Mr. Maia made a motion to nominate Mr. Goodrich as Vice Chair effective at the end of this meeting. Dr. Smith seconded and it was so VOTED.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 7:33 p.m., Mr. Maia made a motion to adjourn from open session to go into executive session for the purpose of M.G.L. c. 30A, Sec. 21, #2 – discussion of non-union personnel bargaining strategy, not to return to open session. Dr. Smith seconded and it was so VOTED.
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Edward A. Maia, Clerk
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