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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, September 29, 2020, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
Repeats until Tuesday, October 27, 2020, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
Town Hall
A meeting of the Selectboard

Meeting of Selectboard

Members: (Quorum)

  • Present: Peter d'Errico, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Tom Hankinson, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Julie Shively, Chair, at 7:00 PM

Also Present:

  • Present (physically): Julie S.
  • Tom H.
  • Peter d.
  • Margie M.
  • Lisa S.
  • George for the MR
  • Josh N.
  • and others remotely
  • Finance Committee Members: Greg W.
  • Steve N.
  • Phil C. physically
  • and Ann D. (remotely)

See original Agenda Approved Meeting Minutes

Meeting opened: 7:00 PM

Meeting closed: 9:35 PM

  1. Meeting Preliminaries

  2. Log-in information

    • - - Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://www.gotomeet.me/townleverett/selectboard-meeting You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 502-625-813

  3. Appointments

    • 7:00: Library solar plan

      General Discussion...
      Chris C. came in to explain the Library plan for installing solar trackers in the field adjacent to the Library to offset the library electricity bill. The Library Trustees were looking for Select Bd. support. The 2 trackers would be no taller than 21’ high. Unfortunately, the best place for them to be located is where the baseball diamond is. The Library Trustees will have to meet with the Recreation Commission since they control that field. It was suggested that the baseball diamond could be moved to the back corner of the field. Greg W. of the Finance Committee asked if they had done a cost evaluation. The money to pay for the trackers would come from a benefactor fund. Tom H. asked if they had thought about fencing the panels off so kids wouldn’t climb on them.

      MOTION, moved by Julie Shively, seconded by Peter d'Errico: Motion: To support the solar panels proposed by the Library Trustees in principal and as long as they are able to work out a solution concerning the ball field. Vote: 3-0 in favor.

      Pass: Aye: Julie Shively, Peter d'Errico, Tom Hankinson.

    • 7:30: Finance Committee

      General Discussion...
      A special Town Meeting is planned for Oct. 24. The CPC will have some items on it that were not addressed in the abbreviated Covid ATM. In addition, the board wanted to readdress some budget items that were left out with state reimbursements unknown due to Covid. Margi rereported that this year’s state funding looks stable enough to address those items. Two bills of prior year were handed in; one for the Highway Dept. diesel for $1968.80 and one for the school for @ $5,000 for heating oil. Usually, bills of prior years are for small amounts. Because of the amount of these, the Finance Com. and Select Bd. agreed that they should be taken out of the respective FY ‘21 department’s budgets. It was recommended that the Finance Committee write a policy concerning bills of prior years for the future. A new plow for the Highway Department will come from Stabilization, raises for the Police and Fire Depts., ice rescue suits, and an HVAC system for the Public Safety Complex will be raised and appropriated.
      STM will be held in the school parking lot or in the public safety complex bays depending on the weather.

  4. Business

    • Biomass letter

      General Discussion...
      A letter concerning biomass will be addressed at the next meeting.

    • FY'17 CDBG Closeout

    • Police Issues with Wendell Regionalization

      General Discussion...
      Margie updated the board about the police union. When the mutual aid begins with Wendell, Scott would like to reopen the Police Contract and give Jeff a $2/hour raise and the part-timers a $1/hour raise which would be dependent on, and paid for by, the continued participation of the Town of Wendell. Scott would also like a stipend.

      MOTION, moved by Julie Shively, seconded by Peter d'Errico: Motion: To open the police union contract for pay increases as long as Wendell continues to participate in mutual aid. Vote: 3-0 in favor. Motion: To open the Chief’s contract for a negotiated stipend contingent on the continued participation of the Town of Wendell in mutual aid. Vote: 3-0 in favor.

      Pass: Aye: Julie Shively, Peter d'Errico, Tom Hankinson.

    • Set meeting with School Com.

      General Discussion...
      Items to discuss with the School Committee seemed to have resolved themselves so no meeting is necessary. The Highway Dept. was recommended to speak to the school directly with their concerns about landscaping and outside work at the school.

    • Statement @ DESE Municipal Funding for Education Study

      General Discussion...
      To be signed at the next meeting.

  5. Sign

    • Amherst Waterline Agreement, Tata/Howard

      General Discussion...
      The board was scheduled to sign the agreement for the Amherst water line project with Tata and Howard when board member Tom H. made the following motion: Not seconded. Tom had wanted to fully inform Town Meeting about the amount of increase they should expect in their taxes. Julie and Peter felt that that had been done at the ATM and subsequent Debt Exclusion Override. There was considerable frustration from Teawaddle residents present remotely. The board eventually signed the agreement.

      MOTION, moved by Tom Hankinson, seconded by Peter d'Errico: : I move we, the Leverett Select Board, prepare and present to the Town of Leverett at the upcoming Special Town Meeting in October, 2020, a plan to sign an Intermunicipal Agreement between the Towns of Leverett and Amherst to spend a sum of money not to exceed the April 27, 2019 Town Meeting-approved amount of 2.33 million dollars for the construction of a water line from Amherst to Leverett for the purpose of providing potable water to certain properties within the Leverett landfill plume zone as described and delineated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. This plan will include comparative costs for other Town-Meeting-Approved options. This plan will also include estimated total cost, and annual costs to each taxpayer for the next 20 years, over and above taxpayers’ annual property taxes. This plan also will include our best assessment of the impact of recent analytical results demonstrating the presence of perfluorinated alkyls [PFAs] on the total cost of the Amherst Water Line Project.
      I further move the LSB then open the floor for any questions or comments from Town Meeting attendees.
      Further and finally, I move the LSB sign the Intermunicipal Agreement between Amherst and Leverett.
      .

      No Vote: Aye: Julie Shively, Peter d'Errico, Tom Hankinson.

      Not seconded.

    • Franklin County Emergency Communications Agreement

      General Discussion...
      Signed.

    • Tech and Civic Life Grant for Elections

      General Discussion...
      $5,000 grant award signed.

  6. 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 Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020

Posted to: Select Board.