Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 2/22/17
Meeting Opened at: 1:11pm
Select Board Members Present: Kenn Basler, Chairperson, Steve Weisz and Carol Edelman
Also in attendance: Town Administrator, John Szablowski, Maryellen Brown
Town Administrator Items Reviewed:
- Budget meetings will continue this Friday and the final meetings should be next Friday.
- The DEP transfer station grant is almost finished.
- Letters were submitted from the Treasurer and Accountant with regards to the condition of the financial offices when they started, the way duties had been separated and the lack of reconciling the cash books; the letter included suggestions on how to make improvements going forward.
- YTD reports will be distributed to all departments this Friday.
- The credit card training for the transfer station will be soon, the necessary computer equipment was just ordered.
- Town Administrator reported on a meeting he had with 2 former employees, he was unaware that press would be in attendance nor was he aware of the subject matter that would be discussed at said meeting. The Town Administrator maintains that he is committed to facilitating the professional delivery of services from all town personnel regardless of appointed or elected status.
- Grant writer Dennis Lynch has met with the USDA regarding the library dam, the Town Administrator will be speaking with him later today for an update.
- It was proposed that at the March 8th meeting a 3 month evaluation would be had with Town Administrator to have a general discussion to see how things are going, the Town Administrator pointed out that the terms of his appointment did not include a three month evaluation.
- The Board asked the Town Administrator to look into changing the way we pay the salary and expenses for the Building Inspector into a revolving fund rather than item that is raised and appropriated.
- The Board asked the Town Administrator to follow up with the Fire Inspector about changing the Fire Inspector’s stipend from a salary to a revolving fund which was discussed last year but held to allow Shawn to get a better tally of how many inspections are being done.
Miscellaneous Items Reviewed:
- John Szablowski of Hume came in to report on the meeting the Planning Board Chair with regards to the complaints of noise and increased traffic. Hume will be making modifications to their end times of noise amplification and moving activities farther away from the neighbors. Hume is also reminding all their vendors to follow the speed limits on Cronk. Hume is looking at alternate routes into the camp but right now it is cost prohibitive; the Board stressed that they would like to see this be a front burner issue.
- The Board met with Maryellen Brown, School Committee Representative to discuss the following:
a. She was concerned that she hadn’t received a budget sheet for the stipend she receives. The Town Administrator assured her that she would get a budget request form. The select board chair pointed out to Mary Ellen that since it was only stipend, perhaps the form and meeting might not be necessary, Mary Ellen insisted that she simply did not want to be left out.
b. School committee update.
c. Maryellen’s position on the proposed SBRSD budget is that she intends to bring about a real program to the Monterey School building (which is not currently included) and will vote “NO” on the budget unless a school program in the Monterey School is included as an item in the budget. Mary Ellen stated that even if the budget presents other benefits to the school district overall, she will still vote “NO” if a program to the Monterey school is not included in the budget. Kenn had a conversation with the New Marlborough Selectmen who are considering proposing closing their building and moving all the kids to Sheffield. The Board is concerned with the rising school costs, declining school aged population and other factors that play into the future of keeping our
building open and reluctantly believes that we may need to look at other uses for that building besides a kindergarten program.
d. A community discussion was proposed for the spring to hear from the parents. Carol and Maryellen will work on this.
- Warrants were signed.
- The Board discussed the health insurance benefits currently being offered to full time employees. The Board reviewed the impact on the tax rate as well as to the employees if any changes were to be made and determined that with the quality and longevity of the employees we have working here that if changes were to be made the savings to the town would be minimal and the impact to the employees would be dramatic; it was agreed to keep the current benefit as is. A motion was made to change the split to 75/25 for any new employees hired after today. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
- The Board reviewed the warrant for the upcoming special town meeting.
- The Board inquired of the Chief about the sedan; the Chief’s intentions are to use it in the summer. A new transmission has been put in that was donated.
- Police Chief’s weekly report was reviewed.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 3:33pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Administrative Assistant
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book Town Clerk
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