Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 10/24/11
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: Will Marsh for the Monterey News, Mickey Jervas and Dan Moriarity
The board reviewed Director of Operations, Maynard Forbes’ weekly report for the week ending 10/22/11 which included:
1. Remove beaver dams on Brett & Fairview Rds
2. Sweep Main Rd
3. Leaf blowing
4. Haul airport mix for shoulders on Main Rd
5. Open Lake Garfield dam
6. Pave swale & ditch at edge of Sandisfield Rd
7. Haul blacktop for Sandisfield Rd
8. Pick up trees and debris on Main and River Rds
9. Clean up intersection of Gould and River Rd.
10. Work in Inter-Departmental Secretary’s office eon desk
11. Parch pot holes on Beartown Mtn Rd
12. Cut up and remove trees on River Rd
13. Review contract with NCRS for Rover Rd
14. MASS DOT and FHA reimbursement paperwork for Main and Pixley Rds
15. Driveway and 911 permit number issued to 320 Beartown Mtn Rd
16. Tree company problem reported at 85 Main Rd
The board reviewed Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus’ weekly report for 10/17-10/23/11 which included:
Calls:
1. Lost dog reported on Tyringham Rd.
2. Accident on Tyringham Rd.
3. Loose cows on Fairview/Main Rds
4. Loose horse on Main Rd.
False Alarms:
1. Carrington-Battelle Rd
2. Roadside
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. Mickey Jervas, Library Trustee came in to thank the Highway Crew for finishing the fence near the dam but stated that she would like to see the gate locked and it moved a bit to deter people from walking around it. She asked for a sign to be placed on the fence.
2. Dan Moriarity, Finance Committee member went to the last five-town school committee meeting on 10/19/11 and came in to summarize the meeting for the Board which was unable to attend. Most members wanted to see the 2006 engineer’s study updated with 2011 figures. Sheffield and New Marlborough want to see more complete and solid numbers before presenting the budgets to their towns. The satellite schools are now a large focus for the budget discussions. The school board is concerned about the cost to bring the 3 satellite schools up to where they need to be.
3. Dan Moriarity is trying to organize a meeting between our representatives, DEP, MEMA, DPH, New Marlborough and our Select Board to discuss the excessive amounts of water causing flooding to the homes around Lake Buel. This will be an open meeting but closed to public input and held within the next 2 weeks.
4. The minutes from 10.17.11 were approved as written.
5. Wayne reported to the other members of the Board his discussions with the full time employees regarding the recent benefits discussions the Select Board and Finance Committee have been having. Wayne stated that the employees are upset that they weren’t included in the discussions from the beginning and that the meeting to discuss the changes isn’t being held at a time convenient for them. The employees also discussed the drawbacks of changing the current sick time policy without having a disability policy in place and without owing current employees that have accumulated 90 days sick time the difference in what they would be cut. Jon suggested that since they haven’t met with the employees yet that a questionnaire/survey on just the health insurance should be sent out with all
the choices the Select Board and Finance Committee has suggested and also leave a blank spot for the employee’s comments. Jon stated that the employees can submit this anonymously so that the Board will have a better idea of what the employee’s preferences are prior to the Nov 14th scheduled meeting. Jon reminded the rest of the Board that the reason changes are being suggested to the sick time bank/policy is because there was an employee here several years ago who took advantage of the policy and used everyone of the days prior to leaving her employment with the Town and they’d like to prevent any future abuse of the policy. The Board agreed that maybe the policy wording and requirements for taking an extended leave may just need to be revised and that if that were to happen the accrued time could stay at 90 instead of changing to 60. The Board asked M. Noe to create the survey. Wayne stated that one other sticking point
was also why these benefits changes have been proposed if Monterey is not in trouble financially. Jon stated it is because a few years ago the town made changes to salaries based on surrounding towns and that the agreement was then that the next items to be looked at would be the benefits.
6. Mail was reviewed which included:
a. An application from KSA for a special event, one day beer & wine permit for a Halloween party on October 29th from 8pm – midnight. A motion was made to accept and approve the application. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
b. An application from the Berkshire Co-Op for a special event, one day beer & wine permit for a party on November 5th from 2:30 – 8:30pm. A motion was made to accept and approve the application. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
c. Letter from Maynard approving the multiple poles on Tyringham Rd (hearing held in February and was continued). He asked the Board to approve and sign the petition. The Board felt that the abutter’s should be notified again to have an option to express any concerns they may have. M. Noe will contact National/Grid and Verizon.
7. Will Marsh reported that New Marlborough has reopened their side of Fish Hatchery Rd/River Rd.
8. Warrants were signed.
9. Wayne asked if there was any ongoing discussion on the town nurse proposal. There wasn’t.
10. Inter-Departmental Secretary’s weekly report reviewed.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 7:30pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary via audio recording
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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