BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2014
The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen convened at 7:00 p.m. in the conference room at 29 Thompson Street in the Hillside Building. In attendance were Edward S. Harrison, Dr. Richard M. Smith and John R. Morrell. Also present were Town Administrator Evan Brassard and the media.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:
Dr. Smith made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of October 28, 2014 – open and executive sessions. Mr. Morrell seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Council on Aging Lease:
Senior Center Director Lori Stacy approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Stacy said the Senior Center is now open Monday and Tuesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and the Woodcarvers are there on Wednesday evenings. The Senior Center is trying to attract the 60 to 65 age group. Ms. Stacy noted the Senior Center opens at 8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday and offers free WIFI.
Ms. Stacy noted if a senior is getting ready to retire, the Council on Aging can assist them with the paperwork and answer any questions they might have.
The Senior Center receives three grants from the Greater Springfield Services. The transportation grant, the nutrition grant and the Outreach grant. The transportation grant is about $7,000 and is only good for seniors 60 years of age and over, however the federal government tells them they need to transport anyone who is disabled regardless of age. The nutrition grant is at about $20,000 right now. With the Outreach grant Ms. Stacy said she gets about $11,000 but this is always up in the air as it runs in a three year cycle and she is in the last year of the cycle. Ms. Stacy said she will be reapplying for another three year cycle in 2015.
Ms. Stacy said the Senior Center delivers 35 to 40 home meals a day. If the number of meals goes down, the grant they receive goes down. The grant states if the person can’t afford the $2.50 for the meal, they still have to feed them. The $2.50 is not called a payment, it’s called a donation.
Ms. Stacy said the Federal Formula grant is done every year and it’s a set grant, which pays $8 per senior in our community.
Mr. Brassard stated he met with Ms. Stacy and two members from the board of the Home for the Aged, and went through the preliminaries regarding the new lease. A lease was drafted and it was reviewed by Town Counsel.
Mr. Brassard noted the previous lease was basic, and the new lease spells it out in really specific detail. Mr. Brassard roughly explained the new lease, and noted it is a one-year lease expiring on October 31, 2015; and if everything is going well, it will automatically renew. Ether side can terminate the lease with a 90-day notice, and it can be re-negotiated at that time.
Mr. Harrison explained the Home for the Aged owns the building and the land, and the lease agreement is between them and the Town of Monson.
Dr. Smith made a motion to accept the Council on Aging lease as written. Mr. Morrell seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Winter Parking Ban:
Mr. Morrell stated the winter parking ban can go into effect any time now, and read the Winter Parking Ban bylaw into the record.
Mr. Morrell said when he issues a winter parking ban, or lifts it, he notifies the Police Chief who puts it on the web site. Mr. Brassard noted it is also listed on the Town’s Facebook page, a Code Red alert is sent out, and the media is notified.
New Building Update:
Mr. Brassard said we are officially in our new building, and the telephone service was working as of 3:00 p.m. today. We are still in the punch list phase, with small details needing to be completed. There is a deadline of 30 days to complete this. The deadline date is December 5th.
The moving was done on November 13th and 14th, and went efficiently. Mr. Brassard stated it’s a beautiful building, and the public is welcome to come and stroll through it. A grand opening is scheduled for Sunday, December 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. During the Open House, visitors will be able to see the Police side, as well as the Town side. Mr. Brassard said there were a lot of glitches, but that was expected, and feels the employees and the public are very impressed.
Mr. Brassard stated phase III is the removal of the Police trailers. Four poles must be removed prior to the trailers being removed. Mr. Brassard said National Grid went above and beyond to help; Verizon gave a hard time. The poles are now vacant and should be removed tomorrow. The construction trailers will also be removed soon.
Mr. Morrell noted the Cemetery Superintendent and his laborer, and custodian Paul DeMaio really helped out a lot with the moving.
Mr. Brassard noted the move was just under $2,000.00 in cost. The building will not be over budget, but he wasn’t sure just how far under budget it will be. Mr. Brassard said it is targeted for a couple hundred thousand, however they could run into more dirty dirt when doing the sally port or something else, changing this figure.
Memorial Hall Update:
Mr. Brassard said the only bid received on the Memorial Hall sheetrock repair, came in at $73,000 which is high, and as only $25,000 was budgeted for this; and more and more electrical code violations were uncovered.
Mr. Brassard said at the meeting last night, the Memorial Hall Safety Oversight Committee agreed to hold off on the sheetrock and to concentrate more on the electrical service, to get more of this accomplished. Also, the Committee wants to rebid the doors as they aren’t up to code either, and get that section of the project completed. If the sheetrock is done, there wouldn’t be enough money to do the electrical work or the doors. The sheetrock will be rebid.
Mr. Brassard stated the handicapped ramp has been completed; there is progress and everything is moving forward. The Finance Committee approved the expenditure from their Receipts
Reserved for Appropriation account of $8,700.00 for the removal of all the asbestos, and this has also been completed.
Mr. Brassard noted it’s a lot cheaper to have the people finding the errors repair them while they are already in the building, from the money allocated, if they can provide reasonable estimates. The balance of what is left is about $192,000.00 and there is no contingency money.
Mr. Brassard noted the north tower, and the north and south office spaces will be closed off, if the code enforcement people will let us cap the wires, shut them off at the panel, and make those areas inaccessible to the public, and still use the main part of the hall.
Mr. Brassard said in the spring we will go after a Green Communities grant to assist with the repairs, and added there are a lot of other possibilities to explore.
In Other Business to Come Before the Board:
- Replanting Monson Tree Committee members Valerie Beaudoin and Leslie Duthie approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Beaudoin stated the Committee was formed to plant trees lost in the tornado and now it is coming to an end. Nine hundred sixty-seven acres of trees were lost in the tornado. Six hundred public trees have been planted along the roads and byways, and they don’t want to stop. They would like to become a Tree City USA community. Ms. Beaudoin explained the required steps in becoming a Tree City and said she has met with Mr. Morrell as the Tree Warden, and noted he would still be responsible for the pruning and removal of dangerous trees.
Ms. Beaudoin stated the Committee already has the required funds in place, so this won’t affect
the taxpayers. The deadline for submitting an application is December 31st in order to be
designated as a Tree City for 2015. This will allow the Committee to move across the entire town
and to work in other areas, such as the areas that lost trees due to the October snowstorm.
Dr. Smith said as long as the Committee can iron out the budget and not ask the town for any
money, he is in favor of their request.
Ms. Duthie said they will write the application and have the Board of Selectmen look it over,
prior to submitting it at the State level.
Dr. Smith made a motion to approve the process that would make Monson a Tree City USA
designee; and the current Tree Committee satisfy the requirements of becoming designated. Mr.
Morrell seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
- Director of the Keep Homestead Museum EmmaLadd Shepherd approached the Board of Selectmen and announced at last night’s meeting, the Board nominated to appoint two new members.
Dr. Smith made a motion to appoint Vicky Prior and Moira Hatton to the Keep Homestead Museum Board of Directors. Mr. Morrell seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Ms. Shepherd said the Museum has been given a pretty good size distribution from their trust fund. With this money, the furnace has been replaced and the oil tank that was very badly rusted was replaced as well.
Ms. Shepherd said in the cellar at the museum, there is a dirt floor and a high water table. Plastic was placed over the dirt which helped some, but moisture is ruining the collections. They have been getting bids for either a cement floor or for drainage. Ms. Shepherd said they need help as they are not knowledgeable in this area. They received three quotes, one said they need three sump pumps, another one said they need two sump pumps, and the third said they didn’t need any sump pumps.
Ms. Shepherd said they would also like to insulate the walls of the museum. Last year the attic floor was insulated, and this really helps with the heating bill. They received an estimate of $5,500 to insulate the outside walls, but they need to repair the water problem first.
Ms. Shepherd said the Building Inspector was very helpful with advice regarding the water issue. Mr. Brassard suggested Ms. Shepherd speak with Linda Hull in the Building Inspectors Office to see who in the area would be reliable, since they are receiving conflicting information.
Dr. Smith told Ms. Shepherd to get the bids and come back before the Board with the best one for approval.
Ms. Shepherd noted the museum will be closing for the winter on December 9th and reopen on
March 1st with an Open House planned in April. It was also noted custodian Paul DeMaio, will be
plowing snow this winter at the museum. Ms. Shepherd also mentioned someone from the
museum will be checking on the place to make sure there are no issues with anything.
- Mr. Harrison said he received a letter from Elise Keston-Smith Environment Massachusetts stating the deadline to sign onto the Environment Massachusetts letter in support of solar energy is November 26th and wondered if they can add our name to their letter. Eighty-three cities and towns from all across the state have signed onto their letter so far.
Mr. Harrison read the letter into the record.
Mr. Brassard said the Selectmen will be meeting on the 25th, so the letter can be signed then and either scanned in and emailed or faxed back to them so they know it’s coming, and mail the original.
Dr. Smith made a motion to sign the letter to the Governor Elect in support of the continued use of solar power in the state. Mr. Morrell seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 8:30 p.m., Dr. Smith made a motion to adjourn from open session to go into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A § 21 (3), not to return to open session. Mr. Morrell seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
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John R. Morrell, Clerk
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