Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 11/14/11
Meeting Opened at: 6:00pm
Select Board Members Present: Wayne Burkhart, Chairperson, Scott Jenssen and Jonathan Sylbert
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting: Maggie Leonard for the Monterey News, Michael Storch (Finance Committee), Daniel Moriarity (Finance Committee), Stanley Ross (Finance Committee), Edith Ross, Robert Lazzarini, Muriel Lazzarini, Maynard Forbes, Melissa Noe, Gareth Backhaus, Peter LePrevost, Lyman Thomson, Rich Crittenden and Michael Johnson
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. The Select Board and Finance Committee met with the 7 full time employees to discuss the benefits changes the Select Board and Finance Committee have been discussing. It was decided that since the Select Board was the ones requesting the meeting that they should begin the discussions. Everyone reviewed the attached letter and supporting documents to the Board that the 7 full time employees wrote (see attached). employeeproposalsigned11.11.pdf
Jon stated that the reason for tonight’s meeting was to continue the discussions and research that began in 2006 with the Employee Compensation Committee (ECC) when salaries were brought up to speed and it was agreed to then evaluate the benefits package. Jon stated that he’d like to see the employee’s proposal incorporated with the proposal that the Select Board and Finance Committee made to come up with the best package that is competitive with surrounding towns. Jon stated that tonight was intended to be a working session and that no decisions would be made tonight.
Everyone agreed that our employees are exceptional and that Monterey is very lucky to have them.
Stanley explained that from an Assessors point of view, Monterey as of today is worth $498 million in taxable assessed property, of that only 70% is in the non-taxable, partially taxable or somewhat taxable category yet we pass a very well done budget. Monterey is Monterey and should be treated as such and not compared to surrounding towns.
Michael Storch stated that his first thoughts in reading the employees proposal was “what will this cost” and those figures weren’t provided and he doesn’t feel that determining those costs is the job of the Finance Committee; he suggested that it would be the Accountant or Treasurers job to provide figures. He had no issues with anything in the employee proposal but wasn’t sure if all the items could be done at once.
Muriel commented that the employee proposal was professional, carefully crafted and balanced and was presented with a respectful dialogue and she could see any reason to deny any part of it.
Maynard stated that several years ago he suggested the creation of the ECC to consist of a Finance Committee member, Select Board member, Monterey citizen and two employees and he helped recruit the members and that it was the first salary committee that worked; the recommendations were all well thought out and they were taken by the Select Board and Finance Committee and then someone decided that there was a conflict of interest because there were 2 employees on the committee (which the employees did not agree with). The ECC had no powers and was strictly advisory to the Select Board. Maynard complained that last year when the Select Board and Finance Committee decided not to give raises to the employees there wasn’t any communication to the employees on this and they had to find out through an article
in the Monterey News which was in his opinion disrespectful to the employees and is one of the reasons why the 7 employees want multi year contracts.
Dan felt that the ECC should be reestablished immediately to begin working on the FY13 proposals and should consist of a Select Board member, Finance Committee member, citizen and at least 2 employees. It was agreed to meet once a week with the employees rather than reinstate the ECC right now.
Scott made a motion to keep the health insurance split as is and add into the compensation package all of the items that the employees asked for in their proposal. The motion was not seconded. It was agreed to meet again next Monday to continue the discussions.
2. Gareth asked the Board to sign the mutual aid “opt-in” form to MGL Chapter 40 section 4J and MGL Chapter 40 section 4k. Wayne as the Chair signed the documents after a motion was made to enter the agreement and the motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
3. Michael Johnson had the Board sign the appropriate paperwork for Council on Aging funds from the state.
4. The minutes from 10.31.11 were approved as written.
5. Mail was reviewed which included:
a. Notice of a public hearing, project file # 605798 on Tuesday, November 29th at 6:30pm at the Monterey Town Hall held by MassDOT to discuss the proposed Route 23 Resurfacing project.
6. Warrants were signed for last week as the Board did not meet on Monday 11/7, this week and next week as the Treasurer will be away.
7. Inter-Departmental Secretary’s weekly report reviewed.
The board reviewed Director of Operations, Maynard Forbes’ weekly report for the weeks ending 10/29, 11/5 & 11/12/11 which included:
1. Beaver dams.
2. Sweeping Main Rd.
3. Blowing leaves.
4. Adding airport mix to the shoulders of Main Rd and Sandisfield Rd
5. Work in salt shed: prep for deliveries of salt and sand.
6. Grade Mt. Hunger Rd
7. Pick up Oshkosh snow plow from Housatonic Welding
8. Mount sanders on small trucks to prepare for storm
9. Get sticker for the 4500, service the 2011 – 550, inspection sticker for Oshkosh and 2011 – 550, take 4500 to Richard Chevrolet and pick up DEF fluid for 550 at Sarat Ford in Agawam.
10. Salt, sand and plow for storm the last weekend in Oct.
11. Close dam on River Rd and begin project to repair bank
12. Mark basins and put up winter signs and whips.
13. Gravel and grade Eaton Rd
14. Patch potholes on New Marlboro Rd.
15. Initial damage assessment for October Nor’easter, send to MEMA
16. Logging problem on Royal Hemlock
17. Meeting with MASSDOT regarding Main Rd paving project
18. Meeting with Jamie Cahillane of CET, inspect Transfer Station
19. Additional reimbursement papers submitted for Strap Grant
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 8pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary via audio recording
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
| 
