Select Board/Finance Committee
Town Hall/remote
A meeting of the Selectboard
The Selectboard is meeting in person and making this meeting available via Zoom for the convenience of the public. Since we are meeting in person, we will not be responsible for any technical difficulties, so if you would like to be sure of participating, please attend in person.
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Meeting Agenda:
Protocols for Public Address to the Board: During meetings, the Selectboard will attempt to find a balance between hearing from members of the community and conducting required business. All public address is at the discretion of the Chair.
When speaking, please identify yourself by name or the company/institution you represent. Please make your comments are concise (less than 2 minutes); avoid repeat statements made by others; address your comments to the Board Chair.
Audience members may not interrupt a recognized speaker nor the discussion of the Board. Please be cordial and respectful of others.
The Selectboard will generally listen to comments rather than respond immediately. If a topic comes up that is not on the agenda yet further action is required by the Board, the Chair will add the matter, as appropriate, to a forthcoming agenda. Depending on the comment, the Board may, if they are able within the confines of the Open Meeting Law, respond with information as opposed to needing to deliberate on the matter.
This meeting agenda is being posted in compliance with Massachusetts’ Open Meeting Law. The agenda may change to reflect unforeseen business.
Meeting of Selectboard
Members: (Quorum)
- Present: Tom Hankinson, Chair, at 7:00 PM
- Present: Jed Proujansky, at 7:00 PM
- Present: Patricia Duffy, at 7:00 PM
Also Present:
- Tom H.
- Pat D.
- Jed P.
- Margie M.
- Lisa S. for the Select Board. For the Finance Committee: Isaiah R.
- Nancy G.
- Bethany S.
- and Phil C. Also present: George for the Montague Reporter
- Eva
- Matt G.
- Steve G.
- Richard N.
- Maureen I.
Final Minutes
Meeting opened: 7:00 PM
Meeting closed: 9:42 PM
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Meeting Preliminaries
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Meeting Opened / Attendance Taken (see above).
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Minutes Approved: Tue, Jan 14 - Select Board/Finance Committee
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Public Comment 7-7:15
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Appointments (open to the public after initial conversation)
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7:15: Highway Department Budget Hearing
General Discussion...
Matt B. presented a budget with a 2.5% increase. Increases were made to the parts/tools/equipment line and the vehicle repair line. The department has a loader and (school) tractor on the capital list but will put them off for now since the pick-up truck needed replacement early.
The line item for “proposed” temporary help will be changed to part-time help. Matt is using co-op students from the Franklin County Technical School and plans to continue to do so. -
7:30: Police Department Budget Hearing and police officer appointment
General Discussion...
Chief Minckler brought in a potential new hire, Matt Regnier. He lives in Wendell and has been on the Wendell Fire for years. He does not have police experience and will need to attend the academy. Leverett will withhold the money for the academy and pay it back to him for participating incrementally, up to three years, until has spent at least 3-years policing for Leverett. Scott would like him to start next week, at 20 hrs./week, with no police powers to ride along and get familiar with the office side of the job. He will also take a physical, psychological, and physical agility test and Chief Minckler will have him take a flagger course for details.
The Police Department budget was presented with a 2.5% increase with increases in training, software support and telephone. A replacement hybrid cruiser is on the capital list this year. Seventy-five thousand has been reserved and although the cruiser is estimated at $71,000, Scott asked to have the total $75,000 to purchase an 8-year bumper-to- bumper warranty. All thought that wise since it’s a hybrid.MOTION, moved by Patricia Duffy, seconded by Tom Hankinson: Motion: to appoint Matt Regier to the police department contingent upon the successful completion of the academy. Appointment will be part-time with no police powers until the academy is complete. The town will withhold the money for the academy and begin him at a Step 1 patrol officer upon completion. Vote: 3-0 in favor.
Pass: Aye: Patricia Duffy, Tom Hankinson, Jed Proujansky.
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7:45: Fire Department Budget Hearing - also fire policies revisions; call Firefighter appointments; and grant opportunity
General Discussion...
Chief Cook presented a budget with a 16.5% increase. Increases were mostly in vehicle maintenance, EMS supplies, PPE, clothing allowance, uniforms and training. Because his budget was outside the guidance, he was asked to go back and show other budget scenarios and reschedule his budget hearing. He also put forth 2 new part time fire fighters.MOTION, moved by Patricia Duffy, seconded by Tom Hankinson: Motion: to appoint Erin Bernard and Michelle Dedischew to the fire department contingent upon successful CORI and physicals. Vote: 3-0 in favor. .
Pass: Aye: Patricia Duffy, Tom Hankinson, Jed Proujansky.
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Business (public participation is at the discretion of the chair)
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Approve minutes of January 14
MOTION, moved by Patricia Duffy, seconded by Tom Hankinson: The minutes of January 14 were approved as amended.
Pass: Aye: Patricia Duffy, Tom Hankinson, Jed Proujansky.
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Coop license fee/approval
MOTION, moved by Patricia Duffy, seconded by Tom Hankinson: Motion: to charge the Coop $100 for the renewal of their liquor license. Vote: 3-0 in favor. (license was signed).
Pass: Aye: Patricia Duffy, Tom Hankinson, Jed Proujansky.
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Declare school milk cooler surplus and decide how to dispose of it
MOTION, moved by Patricia Duffy, seconded by Tom Hankinson: Motion: to declare the milk cooler at the school surplus. Vote: 3-0 in favor. (Margie will see if it’s worth anything or needs to be brought to the transfer station).
Pass: Aye: Patricia Duffy, Tom Hankinson, Jed Proujansky.
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Discuss with FinCom joint response before 4-town meeting on 2/8
General Discussion...
Phil reviewed the status of the shortfall in the Regional School budget. The Finance Committee and Select Board hoped to come up with a unified response for that meeting. The regional school is looking at a $1.6 million deficit with the 4% guardrails (of which it has been reported that Amherst is only willing to contribute 2.3%) which might require laying off 8 teachers and 6 paraprofessionals. Phil suggested proposing a 6-6.5% increase in hopes of encouraging Amherst to pay more. Others on the Finance Committee thought that going with the 4% guardrail was more equitable to those having trouble paying their taxes and let the school endure the cuts.MOTION, moved by Patricia Duffy, seconded by Tom Hankinson: Motion: to go to the four-town meeting with the position of supporting a 6% increase. Joint vote of the FinCom and Select Board: 5-2 in favor.
Pass: Aye: Patricia Duffy, Tom Hankinson, Jed Proujansky.
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LIP process
General Discussion...
LIP process: Jed asked to have the LIP process put on the agenda so the board could begin to discuss what they would like the process to be and what documents to request should someone apply. Pat and Tom were concerned that the timing was unfortunate and didn’t want to send the wrong message in light of the pending Kitteridge proposal. They all agreed that at some point, it needs to done, but not immediately. They agreed to address it in the future if necessary. -
Review request to waive fee for community use of town hall
General Discussion...
Sharon Dunn, on behalf of a community group asked to have the town hall use fee waived for a planning meeting for a community pot-luck in February at the Friends Meeting House. The board approved waiving the fee for the planning meetings.
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Meeting Wrap-up
- Next Meetings:
- Tue, Feb 11, at 7:00 PM "Select Board/Finance Committee" -- Town Hall/remote
- Tue, Feb 25, at 7:00 PM "Select Board/Finance Committee" -- Town Hall/remote
- Tue, Mar 11, at 7:00 PM "Select Board/Finance Committee" -- Town Hall/remote
- Tue, Mar 25, at 7:00 PM "BUDGET HEARING Select Board/Finance Committee" -- Town Hall/remote
- Tue, Apr 8, at 7:00 PM "Select Board" -- Town Hall/remote
- Thu, Apr 10, at 7:00 PM "Town Forest Committee" -- Town Hall/remote
- Next Meetings:
Minutes approved on Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025