Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 12/7/16
Meeting Opened at: 9am
Select Board Members Present: Kenn Basler, Chairperson, Steve Weisz and Carol Edelman
Also in attendance: Willie Morales, Laurie Shaw, Joe Baker, Michael Banner, Cara Carroll, Evelyn Vallianos, Mary Makuc, Maryellen Brown, George Cain, John Hockridge, Don Clawson, Dennis Lynch, Ray Tryon, Larry Klein, Cliff Weiss, BJ Johnson
The Board held a moment of silence in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
At 9am the Board and Town Administrator met with members of the Friends of Wilson McLaughlin House to discuss procurement and any projects at the community center. Willie notified the committee that any future projects must go through the Town Administrator/Chief Procurement Officer. Bills that have been submitted to date will be paid next week. Willie will meet with the FWMH to discuss the projects that remain and how to proceed.
At 9:30am the Board met with John Hockridge of the Berkshire County Education Task Force (advisory group) www.Berkshireeducation.org . The task force wanted to take this time to make all the communities in Berkshire County aware of what they are and what they do. The Board filled John in on some of the challenges that Monterey faces.
At 10:07am Willie Morales recommended going into Executive Session with regards to MGL Chapter 30A Section 19(a)1 to discuss a personnel performance issue. Roll call was taken by the Chair. All Select Board members were present as was Town Administrator, Willie Morales. A motion was made by to go into executive session, seconded, and approved unanimously. The Board agreed that they would return to an open session. Open session was resumed at 10:24am.
At 10:30am the Board met with Principal Assessor, Don Clawson to discuss the tax rate increase and the reasons behind it. Everything is based on the value of the town which is $504+million, dividing this by 1,000 adds a penny to the tax rate. The operating expenses of the town (of which we actually have very little control over) automatically added another $0.39, the raise and appropriates added another $0.71, then you back out the stabilization, free cash and debt exclusions which dropped it $0.38 at the end of town meeting we were at a tax rate of 7.04 then we held a special town meeting and added another $0.15 bringing us to 7.19. The assessors then have to account for all the borrowing and other items and the accountant lists all the receipts and estimates for the next year, the mistaken Chapter 90
accounting money, the deficit in the assessor’s office for 2 unexpected abatements plus new growth which brought us to 7.30 tax rate effective January 1, 2017. The payments for the fire truck and transfer station borrowing are not factored into this; they will be in next year’s calculations of the tax rate. Don cautioned that if we go along with the current proposal for the borrowing for broadband it will add approximately $0.50 to next year’s tax rate. The Board requested that M. Noe and Willie create a simple to understand sheet that gives specifics for why the tax rate went up. Don also explained that the bills that will be sent out in January will actually be higher than a 1.05 increase because the previous 2 tax bills are estimated.
Miscellaneous Items Reviewed:
1. The Board discussed the new law featured in the latest edition of City & Town that will allow us to use monies received from rental properties on other town owned properties such as the community center when it opens.
2. Maryellen Brown came in to discuss Steve’s comments in the Monterey News regarding other potential uses for the Monterey School. Maryellen informed the Board that she will be working on getting a kindergarten program back in Monterey. She suggested a meeting with the Superintendent, the elementary school principal, herself and the Board.
3. Cliff Weiss and BJ Johnson were asked to come in to provide a broadband update and the MBI meeting last week. This process has been ever-changing and ever-morphing. The MBI RFP did go out and is due back on January 11 and it has been opened up to services beyond fiber. Our broadband committee is looking into releasing a tri-town RFP through our MLP. There is a meeting scheduled for tomorrow night. After January 11 Monterey will have a much better idea of the direction we will be headed.
4. The Board signed the contract for the new copier/trade in.
5. M. Noe advised the Board about a request from the residents on Old Beartown Rd to have the town start maintaining the road which is owned by the Commonwealth (which according to the residents the state has deemed discontinued). M. Noe and Willie will continue the research with Town Counsel and the Board will continue the discussion next week.
6. Kenn reported on a BRPC meeting he attended last night that focused on bridges and some positive changes that are on the horizon.
7. Carol reported on the Hampshire Council of Governments meeting she attended this weekend.
8. Willie reported that he met with the Town Clerk and she will stay under 19 hours per week for the next 24 weeks. He provided a letter to that effect to the Board.
9. Kenn reported that he received a figure of approximately $850 to construct the wall and electrical for the new office being proposed, this does not include the other items that will need to be done to make this office functional. Don suggested that the total cost should be figured out first and then a special town meeting should be scheduled and free cash should be used.
10. Warrants were signed.
11. Minutes from 11/30/16 were approved.
12. Administrative Assistant’s weekly report was reviewed.
13. Police Chief’s weekly report was reviewed.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 12:40pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Administrative Assistant
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
Town Clerk
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