Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 2/25/13
Meeting Opened at: 9:15am
Select Board Members Present: Scott Jenssen, Chairperson, Muriel Lazzarini and Wayne Burkhart
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting: Susan Gallant for the Monterey News, Linda Thorpe, Stanley Ross, Jenn Goewey, Pat Mielke, Bruce Turner, David Hastings, Steve Pullen and Robert Lazzarini
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. Linda Thorpe heard from the scholarship committee and needed to know who the representative from the Select Board would be. Wayne Burkhart volunteered to do this again.
2. The Board met with Jenn Goewey to offer her the position of Town Accountant. In determining Jenn’s schedule, Pat stated that the most important warrants are the payroll warrants which need to be done by 5pm on Tuesday. The vendor warrants could be done at a later date. The week of March 18th Jenn will be attending a municipal accounting course. Jenn will plan to begin training with Steve Pullen on March 25th. Pat suggested adding money to the Accountant expenses for training and education. The Board may raise this line item from $200 to $1,000 for this purpose.
3. Pat suggested increasing the amount put into the retiree health insurance benefit stabilization fund. In years past we have put $3,000 and Pat suggested raising it to $10,000 to be fully funded as the State Retirement Board is requiring. Pat updated the Board on putting Don Amstead on the retiree insurance as was voted on by the Board. This will most likely occur on May 1st as there needs to be a qualifying event in order to add him and not be penalized. The Board asked Pat to justify her request for $4,500 for an Assistant. She is suggesting that money be put in the budget to cover an assistant for the Accountant, Treasurer and/or Tax Collector should any of them go on vacation to continue a smooth operation of issuing checks, payroll, etc. Since Pat will not be
running again (she announced this publically during the meeting) and her salary reflects 18 years of experience the Board discussed lowering this salary. Pat noted that it should go down by at least $1,000 to reflect that whoever is incoming will most likely not be a Certified Treasurer. Pat explained that this $1,000 is a one-time addition voted on by the Town years ago at town meeting (this also applies to the Town Clerk and Tax Collector positions). Pat recommended that the Treasurer salary be lowered by $1,000 and a new line item of $1,000 be added to pay this “bonus” once the new Treasurer becomes certified. The Board will also consider the request made by Pat for a Temporary Finance Assistant to the Accountant, Treasurer or Tax Collector’s office. A new line item for this purpose could be added. Scott inquired of Pat the policy/procedure on handling overages in the Fire Department. It was noted that it is the Fire
Chief’s responsibility to come to the Board and request permission when they know they are nearing their approved budget and might go over.
4. Preliminary FY14 Budget discussions:
a. Scott stated right away that he was not in favor in trying to balance the budget on the backs of the employees.
b. It was agreed that the line items out of our control are the school budget, insurance and retirement.
c. The Board has issues with the imbalances in some salaries and especially with the Fire Department compensation when compared with the surrounding towns (survey results are available at the Town Hall). Stan stated that the Fire Chief spoke to him over the weekend and would like to increase his salary of $2,400 to $7,200 salary and no longer be paid hourly for calls and training. He would like to increase the Assistant Chief’s salary but would continue to pay this position and all others the $25 per hour rate for calls and training. Stan plans to request copies of the W2’s for each firemen to see what each is taking home per year. Muriel suggested fixed salary amounts for each of the positions based on rank totaling $56,000 as a starting point and eliminating the
hourly pay for calls and training and that the stipend would be based on the percentage of calls and trainings attended (she suggested a minimum of 75% attendance in order to receive the stipend). It has been the town’s policy to maintain salaries for town employees commensurate with other towns and there is no reason to treat our volunteer fire department any differently. It was also pointed out that the department is a volunteer not paid department. Scott stated that firemen are volunteers and should not expect increases to compensation/stipends as is done for employees of the town and also that if you belong to a volunteer fire department it should be because you enjoy the benefits of volunteering your time and expertise not because you are expecting compensation. It was agreed that it was time to address the issue of compensation. Wayne was not comfortable with changing it to something far less congenial than what is being done currently
without doing it in small increments as he felt it would not play out very well. Everyone agreed that our fire department is one of the better trained departments in the area.
d. Muriel created two sample budgets which she presented to the other Board members. Each sample had varying degrees of budget cuts, but both of the samples left the proposed salary increases for the full time employees as is or only modified them slightly. Muriel stressed that Monterey has tried to do their best in keeping their positions paid comparably with the surrounding towns and that imbalances that exist should be dealt with immediately.
e. As the preliminary budget stands there is a 10% increase ($330,000) of which 6% is the school and the rest is various town expenses. Steve Pullen told the Board that every $5,000 increase to the town budget is equal to approximately $0.01 per $1,000. The preliminary budget as it stands right now would increase the tax rate by approximately $0.60 per $1,000.
f. The Board will continue to review the entire budget with the goal of reducing costs.
g. Stan strongly suggested that no matter what is done with the budget to consider using $250,000 from free cash of which we have currently $460,000 to help lower the impact on taxpayers (from a $0.60 increase per $1,000 to $0.30) with the budget as is.
5. The Police Chief brought in Stephanie Fredsall to be interviewed by the Board. He is requesting that she be appointed as a part-time officer. The Department currently has 4 part-time officers including one that is only available for approximately 9 months out of the year. A motion was made to appoint Stephanie Fredsall through June 30, 2012. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
6. Bruce Turner, Business Manager with SBRSD and David Hastings the incoming Superintendent came to speak with the Board about the SBA letter of interest to be filed by the district. Bruce inquired as to what Monterey’s plans/intentions are for the current building. Scott explained that there is a sub-committee working on a proposal for a new building once plans are available it will be presented to the district, school committee and the town. Bruce explained that if the SBA approved our proposal they will have input and authority in the scope, design, etc of the building to be built. Mr. Hastings stated that after hearing the arguments of the task force last year he is in favor of keeping the outlying schools and will work hard to change the attitude that these schools are part of an
exclusive club and that in fact they are a part of the district. It was agreed to submit that Monterey is proposing a new building as the current building is irreparable.
7. Scott asked M. Noe to follow up with the Director of Operation on the status of the flagpole repair and asked that it be stressed that this should be fixed immediately.
8. The minutes from 2.11.13 were approved as amended.
9. A motion was made to appoint Michael Banner to the Wilson McLaughlin House Committee for one year. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
10. Steve Pullen was called in to explain the retiree stabilization health fund and the purpose of this fund. The fund is created to handle future liabilities for retiree health benefits and it has approximately $14,000 in it currently. Transfers from this fund require a 2/3 vote as it is a stabilization fund and it has not been used since its inception. The town share (50%) of the one current retiree supplemental policy is expensed through line item 914.
11. Mail was reviewed which included:
a. Renewal letter of intent to participate in the Berkshire County HHW collection program. It was agreed to continue participating in this program.
b. Email from Town Counsel informing the Board that he received a notice that the order dismissing the Complaint was filed by Charles Ferris v the ZBA of Monterey regarding the dog park was affirmed by the Appeals Court. Unless Attorney Ferris appeals to the Supreme Judicial Court the matter should be concluded.
c. Resignation from Lynne Leavitt from the Monterey Cultural Council.
d. MMA info on the upcoming legislative breakfasts to be held.
e. Letter from DEP on behalf of Waste Mgmt Recycle America Alliance extending appreciation to Monterey for continued recycling participation in 2012. Monterey received a check in the amount of $2,162.52 for the first half of FY13.
12. Warrants were signed.
13. Inter-Departmental Secretary’s weekly reports were reviewed.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 12:15am
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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