Shutesbury Board of Selectmen
February 17, 2009 Meeting Minutes

Members present: Chairman Rebecca “Becky” Torres, Ralph Armstrong and Al Springer.
Also Present: Town Administrator David C. Dann and Leslie Bracebridge, recording.

Meeting opened at 7:06 P.M.

Appointments  
Local Clerk of the Works for the Lake Wyola Dam repairs Phil Kinder:
* The last date the contractor was at the dam was Feb. 10.  They will be back around April 1.  
* The lake is up 2½ feet with only 1½ to go to reach the normal winter level.  
* Phil praised the way the contractor worked along with him; one of the best contractors that he ever worked with, though he’s liked them all.
* The contractor is now out of work.
(Selectmen commented that if only the funds were available, the contractor would be welcome to bid on the Wendell Road culvert replacement project at the outflow from Ames Pond.) 
* Selectmen praised Phil’s daily conscientious oversight of the project including weekends and throughout the cold weather.

Topics
1.    David has gathered department head interest in the low-income elderly tax work off program:  
1. The Library Director could use either one or two people on a regular basis at the circulation desk during busy shifts and in processing new materials for circulation.  Library experience is not essential, they must like to read and be comfortable with computers.  
2. The Treasurer and Collector could use help shredding documents.  Leslie stated her concern with creating a new position to do the Treasurer and the Collector tasks when the current Town Clerk Assistant always has been available to do the tasks listed by the Collector and Treasurer, rather than have the current Assistant Town Clerk’s hours reduced, a concept under consideration.  
Select Board discussion included:
* Shutesbury may be too small for the program.
* The Library already has paid employees and volunteers.  If the Library budget were cut down to nothing and we couldn’t get aides and volunteers, this program might make sense.
* In better times the program could be reconsidered.  Now doesn’t seem to be the right time to create positions which reduce tax revenues when budgets, hours and salaries are being cut.  
* The elderly tax work off program sets up too many inequities.  
* It is possible that the inquirer would be interested in bidding on jobs that need to be done.
3. Insurance policy changes agreed to by the Selectmen: 
* The $6,000 Toro lawn mower that was being insured at a value of $60,000 should be corrected.   
* The property value of the Library should be increased to cover the value of the addition. 
David will research the number of accidents that have occurred with the town’s vehicles before Selectmen decide on the benefit of increasing the deductable per vehicle accident from $500 to $1000.  Increasing the deductable would save $413annually in premiums.
3.  Selectmen agreed to meet with the Finance Committee on February 24 as they will be discussing salaries and other important financial questions.  A Select Board meeting will be posted.
4.  Several members of the Planning Board are interested in attending a citizen proposed bio-mass energy presentation by representatives from the Tighe and Bond engineering firm. Planning Board members are interested in alternative energy grant opportunities in Massachusetts, so the presentation is scheduled for February 25 from 7:30 to 8:30 PM to be followed by a late start Planning Board meeting at 8:30 PM.

Select Board Action Items
1.  Selectmen accepted the February 3 and 10, 2009 meeting minutes as written.  Selectmen signed vendor warrants totaling $86,562.68 and payroll warrants totaling $80,224.01.
2.  Selectmen unanimously voted to sign the warrant for the March 24, 2009 Special Town Meeting.
3.  Selectmen voted to appoint Graeme Sephton to the Energy Committee.
4.  Selectmen voted to appoint Benjamin Caulton to the Recycling Committee with voting privileges.
5.  Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint Sarah Martell as the Recycling Coordinator and signed a Personnel Action Form.
6. Selectmen voted to authorize John Root to use the Select Board meeting room on April 23, 2009 for an edible wild class.

New Topics 
1.  Al reviewed the February 11 Planning Board discussion concerning the possible formation of an Agricultural Commission.  A group of interested citizens will be meeting on March 5 to further discuss the formation of an Agricultural Commission.  It would not be under the direction of the Planning Board.  Agricultural Commissions are advisory not regulatory.  

A motion was made, seconded and unanimously voted to adjourn at 8:40 P.M.

Following the meeting Ralph gave Leslie a lesson in reformatting a memory stick while others observed with interest.  Ralph offered to answer future technical computer questions as this is something that he enjoys doing.

Respectfully submitted,


Leslie Bracebridge
Administrative Secretary