Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 3/21/18
Meeting Opened at: 3:30pm
Select Board Members Present: Steve Weisz, Chairperson, Carol Edelman (left at 5:45pm) and Kenneth Basler
Also in attendance: Don Coburn, Kay Purcell, George Cain, BJ Johnson, Mary Makuc, Laurie Shaw, Joe Baker
Miscellaneous Items Reviewed:
- Warrants were signed.
- Minutes from 3/7/18 were approved.
- The Board reviewed Counsel’s opinion on accepting the Curtis Rd Bridge bid and their direct relation to our Director of Operations. A motion was made to accept the low bid from Tryon Construction. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The contract was signed and the Contractor will be made aware that funds still need to be approved at town meeting.
- A motion was made to declare a snow emergency to allow our accountant to overspend from those accounts. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- CART services: The Board has received a breakdown of the costs to provide these services at town meeting. Carol estimates that the cost for the annual town meeting in May would be just under $1,000. A motion was made to hire the CART provider for the May meeting with monies coming from the Select Board expenses and to put an article on the warrant for next year. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- The Board approved the April Select Board corner.
- FY19 transfer station stickers: Kenn proposed to drop the current sticker price from $70 to $60 due to all the savings we are seeing from all of the positive changes being instituted at the transfer station. He also suggested that we should begin discussions next year about changing this to an enterprise fund; discussion ensued. A motion was made to lower the sticker fee for FY19 to $60. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- Kay Purcell informed the Board of an affordable housing grant that is available but is due in one week and has a required match from the town. Carol was concerned about how much money would be required from the town and didn’t want to rush into anything. The Board will review the information provided by Kay but feels that the timeline is too tight to put anything on this year’s warrant.
- Senior/affordable housing proposal heard a few weeks ago. Carol does not feel that Monterey is an appropriate location for this type of housing as we do not offer any services such as transportation, activities, sidewalks, conveniences within walking distance, etc. The Board does not feel we have enough time to put anything on the May annual town meeting warrant but feels it is worth exploring and will continue discussion throughout the year.
- Marijuana moratorium/PB meeting update: Kenn attended the last Planning Board meeting where a request was made to institute a moratorium on commercial proposals. The Planning Board will be discussing this at their meeting tomorrow. This would be a zoning amendment requiring a 2/3 approval at town meeting and properly advertised hearings. This most likely will not be on the annual warrant but may be ready for a special town meeting.
- School update: The school committee agreed to rescind their votes to place articles on the five town meeting warrants to close the Monterey and Egremont Schools. It was agreed that Monterey will take over the property maintenance. It was noted that the April 26th school committee meeting will be held in Monterey at the Community Center.
- It was agreed to continue services with New England Aquatic Services to finish the work at Lake Garfield.
- Administrative Assistant’s weekly report was reviewed.
- Police Chief’s weekly report was reviewed.
- Town Clerk’s weekly report was reviewed. The Board discussed the concerns Terry raised about rumors that her office and staff were soliciting votes in town hall which is illegal. The Clerk and the registrars have all stated they were verifying voter signatures on nomination papers that were submitted. The Board is going to ask the Police Chief to get official statements from all involved in case a formal complaint is filed.
- The Board met with members of the Community Center to discuss the FY19 budget and the change from a budgeted item to a revolving account. Our Accounting firm and counsel have confirmed that Edith Wilson’s will allows for the rent monies collected from Bally Gally and fees from the Community Center to be collected and accumulated in a revolving account to pay for repairs at Bally Gally and operating expenses at the Community Center. The members were uncomfortable with not having an official fallback should the rental property income stop coming in. The Board explained that should something of this nature occur the fallback would be asking for monies at town meeting. The Community Center would like to have a written agreement that guarantees them a specific amount for operating costs and to make sure that
should something unforeseen expense occur at Bally Gally that the funds aren’t depleted; the Board agreed and this conversation will continue when the Community Center comes back on May 2nd.
- Carol gave the Board information on the Green Communities program to review for our upcoming meeting with the state in May. It also included information on a grant thru Berkshire Regional Planning to be considered as a Green Community. A motion was made to have BRPC move forward with the grant. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- The Board met with members of the Finance Committee to discuss the following:
a. BJ requested that it be reported in the minutes that Jon was incorrect and that tonight’s meeting was properly posted.
b. It was also requested that someone speak with Jon about sending correspondence signed by the Finance Committee unless the discussion was had during a properly posted Finance Committee meeting and that all members approved on the communication.
c. Change to the Bally Gally and Community Center expenses to a revolving account. The Finance Committee fully supported this change.
d. Approved budget numbers were received from the school committee.
e. Lifeguard services/payroll final number was received.
f. Library loan: $20,000 has been added for FY19 to cover the interest for the notes.
g. We are anticipating a range of $125k – 200k in free cash; there are 2 issues the Accountant and Treasurer have found from FY17 that we are unclear how they will affect our free cash. We anticipate it will be around $155k.
h. It was proposed to use $75k of free cash to fund stabilization. Kenn suggested raising the amount to put into stabilization to $150k (the other $75k being raised and appropriated). Discussion ensued about spending history from stabilization and our savings goals. All present agreed to $75k from free cash and raising and appropriating $75k for a total in to stabilization of $150k.
i. Everyone present agreed to use $20k of free cash to buy the fire department hose.
j. Everyone present agreed to take a loan out for the loader and boom mower.
k. The amount being allocated to the retiree health insurance stabilization fund has been decreased by $10k based on the recent actuarial study performed
l. Discussion ensued about Jon’s demand to have counsel attend the next meeting with regards to the Finance Committee and Select Board’s roles in the budgeting process. All present felt that the process followed this year was by far the best cooperation we’ve had in years. It was also agreed that a meeting with counsel was unnecessary.
m. The Finance Committee requested an updated revenue report; M. Noe will get that.
n. The Finance Committee discussed the Town Administrator line items and it was unanimously agreed from those present that the salary line item and expense line item should be $1 for FY19 and the health insurance should be lowered to reflect this as well. Everyone agreed that with all of the changes that have been made and continue to be made that waiting another 6 – 8 months and then having a committee evaluate operations would be the best option, the committee would then make a recommendation for FY20.
o. Kay had questions about the Council on Aging budget. Everyone assured her that she was getting $155 more than last year and that the anticipated $5k elder services grant would cover the FY19 SBETC assessment.
- The Board reviewed Baystate Municipal Accounting’s report.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 6:45pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Administrative Assistant
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
Town Clerk
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