Leverett Town Seal

Massachusetts

Leverett

Town of Leverett
9 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Town Clerk: (413) 548-9150
Tax Collector: (413) 548-9666
Assessor: (413) 548-4945
Town Hall Fax: (413) 548-1035
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Select Board/Finance Committee

Tuesday, July 19, 2022, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
9 Montague Rd.
A meeting of the Selectboard

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94460276391?pwd=N294R3hyQzlyMUtsZ1ZkMTBjL3BPdz09

Meeting ID: 944 6027 6391

Passcode: 650146

Meeting of Selectboard

Members: (Quorum)

  • Present: Tom Hankinson, Chair, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Patricia Duffy, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Melissa Colbert, at 7:00 PM

Also Present:

  • Present: Tom H
  • Pat D.
  • Melissa C.
  • Margie M.
  • Lisa S. for the Select Board. Finance Committee: Jed P.
  • Phil C.
  • Ann D.
  • Nancy G.
  • and Bethany S. Also
  • reporters from Montague Reporter and The Reminder.

See original Agenda Approved Meeting Minutes

Meeting opened: 7:00 PM

Meeting closed: 9:47 PM

  1. Meeting Preliminaries

  2. Appointments

    • 7:00: Finance Committee: year-end transfers

      General Discussion...
      Margie reviewed the list of reserve fund transfers for FY 2022. This fiscal year was particularly difficult due to staff turnover. A total of $21,000 was spent on the library building; an overage of $6,550. Will Stratford and the Library Trustees are working on a solution for heating the building next year. Transfer Station general expenses were over expended largely due to inflation in hauling. Budgeting for the Transfer Station for FY 2023 has been adjusted to hopefully address this. Most overages are transferred from available reserve funds money.
      School/town payroll tax issues were discussed at length. The Finance Committee would like to see better communication between school and town. They would also like to get budgets to departments in a format that they can track monthly.
      Select Board will send a memo reminding departments to monitor their budgets more closely so as to avoid overages.

      MOTION, moved by Tom Hankinson, seconded by Melissa Colbert: Motion Phil for FinCom: To approve $1800 reserve fund transfer for Transfer Station. Vote: 5-0 in favor.
      Motion Phil for FinCom: To approve $3262.70 reserve fund transfer for school transportation. Vote: 5-0 in favor.
      Motion Tom for Select Board: To approve year-end transfers as illustrated on informational sheet provided. Vote: 3-0
      Motion Jed for FinCom: To approve year-end transfers as illustrated on informational sheet provided. Vote: 5-0
      .

      Pass: Aye: Tom Hankinson, Melissa Colbert, Patricia Duffy.

    • 7:30: Doug Slaughter/new track at high school

      General Discussion...
      The regional school is hoping to do more expansive project than the $1.5 million for track which was approved. Doug came to pitch the idea that the other 3 towns in the region consider raising other funds to expand the project. The new plan would, in addition to other things, reorient the fields and track. CPA funds from each community may be requested along with other town resources: reserves, grants, donations? The expanded project is projected to cost $4.7 million. Track money was approved by the Leverett CPC at a previous meeting but was not brought to town meeting. The regional school had extra E and D money which they are required to return to member towns. Leverett’s share returned was $34,193 which will be in next year’s Free Cash which could be put toward the expansion of the project. The board is open to negotiation/options. Nancy Grossman expressed concern about artificial turf. Pat D. questioned the amount of money being asked of Leverett vs the number of children Leverett sends to ARHS and of that number how many participate in sports, and what are the improvement projects focused on kids who are not involved with sports (such as IT programs). She also mentioned that Leverett has projects it would like to spend its CPC money on and recently its CPC voted down a pavilion project that cost only $150,000 more than is being asked for this project. Also, the track is a value-added asset for Amherst as a community and not so much for Leverett residents.

      MOTION, moved by Tom Hankinson, seconded by Melissa Colbert: Motion: To appoint Bethany Seeger; Tom Hankinson to the four-town working group for regional school.

      Pass: Aye: Tom Hankinson, Melissa Colbert, Patricia Duffy.

  3. Business

    • Appoint FRCOG representatives

      MOTION, moved by Tom Hankinson, seconded by Melissa Colbert: Motion: To appoint Tim Shores to the FRCOG council; Heather Hutchinson as the Select Board representative to the Franklin Regional Planning Board; Van Stoddard as the town representative to the FCCIP Advisory Committee; and Tom Masterton as an alternate to the Veteran’s Service Dist. Advisory Board. Vote: 3-0 in favor.

      Pass: Aye: Tom Hankinson, Melissa Colbert, Patricia Duffy.

    • Appoint: Brian Emond; Tom Masterton; John Swartz as constables to the Sept. and Nov. elections

      MOTION, moved by Tom Hankinson, seconded by Melissa Colbert: Motion: To appoint Brian Emond, John Swartz, and Tom Masterton as Constables for the Sept. 6 and Nov. 8, 2022 elections. Vote: 3-0 in favor.

      Pass: Aye: Tom Hankinson, Melissa Colbert, Patricia Duffy.

    • Creating Safety Zones for next town meeting

      General Discussion...
      Creating safety Zones was discussed with a bit of confusion as to its enforceability. To be continued.

    • Film permit

      General Discussion...
      Film crew will be shuttling people and equipment from UMASS so less wear-and-tear on road. Board signed permit. Highway Dept. and police details will be paid for by them. Charged $100/day for use of “town.”

    • Highway Supt. appointment

      General Discussion...
      Matt Boucher introduced Hayden Kanash who was the hiring committee’s first choice to fill the position of highway department laborer/driver.


      Matt asked if the highway dept. could modify their summer hours; Matt and Hayden working 4 10-hour days, Doug working 5 8-hour days. At daylight savings time they would go back to 5 8-hour days. The Select Board agreed.

      MOTION, moved by Tom Hankinson, seconded by Melissa Colbert: Motion: To appoint Hayden Kanash $24 for six months as a probationary period with a possible raise to $25 after 6 months. Vote: 3-0 in favor.

      Pass: Aye: Tom Hankinson, Melissa Colbert, Patricia Duffy.

    • Mosquito Control Update

      General Discussion...
      Med-Zu lab purpose is to monitor and provide prevention and control surveillance is critical for control can be lifesaving measure. Med-Zu eager to provide mosquito surveillance. Ideally there would be 10 trap sites in Leverett over 20 weeks which would be location-based. Melissa will follow up with Med-Zu to see what kind of abbreviated program could be set up at this late date.

    • MVP grant update

      General Discussion...
      MVP Grant update: at least 4 weeks out from now.

    • Pat: new email address for town business

      General Discussion...
      Pat changed her email: pduffytownofleverett@gmail.com

    • Public speaking

    • Select representatives to four-town working group for regional school

      MOTION, moved by Tom Hankinson, seconded by Melissa Colbert: Motion: To appoint Bethany Seeger; Tom Hankinson to the four-town working group for regional school.

      Pass: Aye: Tom Hankinson, Melissa Colbert, Patricia Duffy.

  4. Sign

    • DEP permit for Transfer Station; regional dog shelter contract; FCSWMD contracts

      General Discussion...
      Signed: DEP permit for Transfer Station; regional dog shelter contract; FCSWMD contracts

  5. Meeting Wrap-up

The listing of matters is those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.

Minutes prepared by Lisa Stratford

Minutes approved on Wednesday, Aug 31, 2022

Posted to: Select Board.