Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 6/11/13
Meeting Opened at: 6:05pm
Select Board Members Present: Muriel Lazzarini, Chairperson, Wayne Burkhart and Scott Jenssen
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting: Susan Gallant for the Monterey News, Maryellen Brown, Bethany Mielke, Stanley Ross, Mickey Jervas, Emily Johnson, Mike Johnson and Donald Clawson
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. The Board agreed to extend their contract with CET for the Household Hazardous Waste Collections.
2. The Board reviewed the proposed special town meeting warrant and agreed to put the following articles on:
a. Septic loan transfer – Don Clawson spoke to Jim Podolak from the State and explained the 2 options we have available. One option requires a 2/3 vote. There are still 2 accounts existing but the program no longer exists. Jim Podolak did not address paying off the balance of the loan. The Finance Committee recommends paying off the loan. Maryellen Brown will provide M. Noe with the figures and wording for the 2 articles.
b. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate an additional $6,100 to the Computer Software & Supplies account for fiber services to the Town Hall, Library and Fire Department and for the installation of additional software to the Cartographics Mapping Program which will enable town departments access to department specific features, or take any other action relative thereto.
c. Assistant Town Treasurer – The Board will need an amount to put this newly created position on the warrant. Muriel noted that the Assistant Town Clerk was only $1,800 so that should be a guideline. Pat Mielke has suggested $3,000. Maryellen noted that an Assistant Treasurer is typically used in the absence of the Treasurer and should be paid hourly when needed. The Board discussed this and felt comfortable with paying the Assistant a flat stipend of $3,000 for the year if approved at the special town meeting. Pat is assisting right now and there was discussion on how she should be paid for her time since there isn’t a line item for an assistant. Stanley suggested that money should be transferred from the Reserve account to the Treasurer Expenses to
pay for the time worked thru June 30th. The Board reviewed the salary survey of surrounding towns and based on Pat’s experience they agreed to pay her $20 per hour thru June 30th.
d. Muriel will follow up with the Moderator to check his availability for the special town meeting and to make sure there aren’t any issues the Board should be aware of.
e. The date for the meeting is still being discussed but the Board is looking at the 2nd week in July.
3. Additional compensation to the Treasurer for assuming all the payroll responsibilities. Muriel reviewed the salary comparison of surrounding towns and suggested that an extra $1,000 be given to the Treasurer and taken from the Accountant’s salary. Muriel questioned whether this is legal since the salaries were approved for other amounts at our Annual Town Meeting. Bethany was satisfied with this increase. This increase and decrease will be added to the special town meeting warrant.
4. Insurance responsibilities – P. Mielke had sent an email to the Board stating that she was asked to handle the responsibilities approximately 8 years ago by the Select Board. She suggested that all of the insurance responsibilities should be turned back over to the Select Board/Select Board Secretary as that position is full time and could better deal with any issues that may arise. Muriel said that she received a call from the Police Chief noting that the coverage for his department was incorrect and did not reflect that there are 2 full time officers. Bethany stated that the only information she needs as Treasurer is the amount to be deducted from the employee’s checks and the amounts to be paid to the insurance companies.
5. Muriel provided a brief report from the Police Department:
a. There was a tree that fell on the Higgins property which involved evacuating the Monterey School.
b. Missing person with dementia found.
c. An Emergency Management Grant has been applied for to provide one year’s worth of reverse 911 service at no cost.
6. The minutes from 6.3.13 were approved as written.
7. Mail was reviewed which included:
a. OPEB Report provided by the Treasurer – The Board felt that the report needed some explanation as it wasn’t clear what it meant to Monterey. M. Noe will provide copies to the Finance Committee to review as well and Bethany will follow up with Pat.
b. Agendas for the upcoming school committee and subcommittee meetings.
c. Expense reports from 7/1/12 – 6/30/13 were reviewed.
i. The Board was concerned with the compensation and education payments to the firemen and Scott stated he was under the impression that the Board and Fire Department had agreed that once the budget reached the amount approved there was to be no more training, only calls. The Board will need to revisit this with Chief Tryon.
d. Proposal from Cornerstone to transfer voice services from Verizon.
e. Letter from MassDOT regarding Chapter 90 funds availability.
f. Invitation to the Hampshire County Select Boards Association meeting.
g. Letter from MIIA informing the Board that Monterey has earned participation credits in the amount of $1,310 towards our Property & Casualty and $347 towards our Workers’ Compensation policies.
8. Mickey Jervas was present to ask questions about the various items to be placed on the special town meeting warrant. She felt that some of these should’ve been anticipated during the budget process. She also requested to add an article for $4,500 to fix the walkway from Main Rd to the entrance to the library as it is very dangerous right now.
9. The Town Clerk witnessed the Board signing the election warrants for the upcoming primary.
10. The Town Clerk provided the Board with a summary of a program that would create marriage licenses, dog licenses (which works with a separate animal control database that is also available and would be of help to the Police), business certificates and track appointment and elected terms and whether or not the official has received the OML and Ethics Guidelines. There is also election software that will be useful. The software would be approximately $8,600 with maintenance fees to follow for each year after. There is one other software that is $99 which would allow Boards and Committees to be responsible for posting their own agendas in the legal timeframe required. The Board will review the information and discuss this further on Monday.
11. Maryellen Brown, Interim Town Accountant stated that there isn’t the agreed upon $1,200 in the Accountant’s salary line item to pay her for the month. The Finance Committee will transfer money from reserve for this and for the one week that Pat Mielke covered the responsibilities. She also had some thoughts on hiring a permanent Accountant; she suggested that we look for someone that may not have all of the qualifications we are looking for but is willing to learn. She also volunteered to help train such a person. The Board was receptive to this idea. Maryellen also asked for clarification on the Parks Department’s request to transfer $5,000 from their budget to pay for parts of the Jamie’s Court project. Maryellen stated that the Parks Department can pay now
for any supplies or services but the money cannot be transferred from the Parks expenses to the Jamie’s Court Fund Account. Maryellen will double check with the DOR on our options.
12. Mickey Jervas inquired on the oversight and or progress of the cell tower construction. We do not have a contract with them so it is not the Town’s jurisdiction to police their progress. Sergeant Johnson stated that power lines have been run to the tower and word from the contractor’s is that we should have service by the end of the summer.
13. Warrants were signed.
14. Inter-Departmental Secretary’s weekly report reviewed.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 8:07pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
| 
