BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014
The regular meeting for the Board of Selectmen convened at 7:00 p.m. in the conference room in the Hillside Building at 29 Thompson Street. In attendance were Edward A. Maia, Edward S. Harrison and Dr. Richard M. Smith. Also present were Town Administrator Evan Brassard and the media.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to accept the meeting minutes for April 8, 2014 – open session. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Destination Imagination – Michelle Green:
Michelle Greene approached the Board of Selectmen and explained she is in charge of one of the two Destination Imagination teams, who won at the State level and will now be going to Tennessee to compete on an international level on May 20th. This year there is one team from Quarry Hill Community School and one team from Granite Valley Middle School. Each team has up to seven students. This year there will be thirteen students within the two teams competing. The funds help pay for the room and board at the University of Tennessee, the transportation costs, and shipping fees as one team has to transport their props, etc. The cost is approximately $9,000.00 per team. Fund raisers have been and are still, being held to try to raise all of the money needed. The total cost needed is $18,000.00
and so far they have roughly $8,000.00.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to allocate $2,000.00 to Destination Imagination from the Gifts to the Town Account. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Appointment of Paramedic – Matthew Sterling:
Fire Chief Laurent McDonald and Matthew Sterling approached the Board of Selectmen. Chief McDonald explained this appointment is to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of John Fitzgerald who left for a position in the Town of Wilbraham. Chief McDonald said five candidates were interviewed and in the conclusion, Mr. Sterling was chosen.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint Matthew Sterling as a full-time Firefighter/EMT-Paramedic on the Monson Fire Department, effective immediately through June 30, 2017. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Emergency Management Director Interview:
Laurie Stewart approached the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Maia noted Ms. Stewart discussed the Emergency Management Director position with Mr. Brassard, and has agreed to become Monson’s new Emergency Management Director.
Ms. Stewart said she is very much looking forward to taking over this position, and is highly impressed with what she saw from both the Fire Chief and the Chief of Police on where the Town of Monson is going, and added she is looking forward to supporting what we have, and making it grow. Ms. Stewart said she has previous experience, and has been in this field somewhat since she was 18 years old working with Civil Defense in the City of Springfield.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint Laurie Stewart to the position of Emergency Management Director for the Town of Monson effective immediately through June 30, 2014. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Principle Assessor – Alyce Johns:
Ms. Johns approached the Board of Selectmen and noted she started this morning as Monson’s Principal Assessor. Ms. Johns spoke of her background stating she worked in Rutland Mass. where she started in 1996 as a part-time Clerk, working her way up to an Assistant Assessor and then up to the Principal Assessor. Ms. Johns stated she has completed all five courses and is up for this challenge.
Mr. Brassard reiterated five candidates were interviewed for the Principal Assessor position and stated Ms. Johns had a really good balance of experience and personality to mesh in with what we do here, so it was an easy choice.
The Board of Selectmen welcomed Ms. Johns.
Approval of AFSCME Contract:
Mr. Brassard went over the AFSCME contract and noted they have a tentative agreement for the Board of Selectmen to review and sign tonight. Mr. Brassard gave an overview of what was negotiated. This is a two year contract from July 1, 2013 until June 30, 2015. There is a wage increase beginning January 1, 2014, meaning this will go back retro to that date of 75¢ an hour; and then beginning July 1, 2014 there will be a 30¢ an hour increase. Mr. Brassard noted there were some other small items such as longevity pay, clothing allowance, neo stipends, vacation, bereavement, where there were concessions on both sides of the table, and feels they came to a fair agreement.
Mr. Brassard noted the Union will be meeting on April 30, 2014 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in this room to ratify.
Ms. Mahar noted this will affect about 30 employees. The impact of the two years together will be about $66,000.00, and added the budget is good with it.
Mr. Harrison made a motion approve the AFSCME contract as described. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Mr. Maia thanked everyone for all the work they did on this contract.
Annual Town Meeting – Closing of the Warrant:
Mr. Harrison read the Annual Town Meeting warrant into the record for Monday, May 12, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., in Granite Valley Middle School on Thompson Street.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to place the articles he read on the Annual Town Meeting warrant. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to close the Annual Town Meeting warrant. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
Correspondence was read and completed.
In Other Business to Come Before the Board:
- Mr. Brassard said a letter was received today from Fire Chief McDonald requesting the appointment of Father John J. Brennan as the Fire Department Chaplain; and Mr. Brassard read the letter into the record, as attached.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint Father John J. Brennan as the Monson Fire Department Chaplain effective immediately through June 30, 2017. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
- Mr. Brassard said due to the Annual Town Meeting being held on May 12th, the next meeting for the Board of Selectmen will be moved forward, from May 13th to May 6th.
At 7:40, Mr. Harrison made a motion to adjourn from open session to go into executive session to conduct contract negotiations with non-union personnel – pursuant to M.G.L. c.30A, Sec21(2), not to return to open session. Dr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously VOTED.
_____________________________
Dr. Richard M. Smith, Clerk
| 
