Shutesbury Board of Selectmen
May 12, 2009 Meeting Minutes

Members present: Co-Chairmen: Ralph Armstrong and Al Springer. (Vacancy to be filled on June 23.)
Also Present: Town Administrator David C. Dann and Leslie Bracebridge, recording.
Meeting opened at 7:04 P.M.
Appointments  
 Police Chief Harding:
* Using the Governor’s Highway Safety Grant funds from now through the Memorial Day Weekend.
* Projecting how many vests will be needed for the next 2 years using funding from a different grant.
Highway Superintendent Tim Hunting:
* FEMA/MEMA funds:  The Highway Department has been chipping brush since early March.  The tree company that did the “hangars”/dangerous trees is done.  Tim will do the best he can to be 100% finished by May 26, weather permitting.  Public Roads are pretty much done.  There’s a couple hours left at the elementary school, and a ½ day left at the back of Town Hall. David needs the bills by Tuesday May 26 so that Selectmen can sign the reimbursement contracts on May 26.
* Summer hours will be reviewed annually: 10 hours per day from 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM with ½ hour for lunch.  Selectmen don’t want to see a rise in overtime hours and said that the Highway employees should first work off the equivalent 6 hours extra that they get over 5 –day/week town employees for the three summer holidays.  If extra time is not needed, they will still get the 6 hours.
* Gravel roads funds will be used to improve the driveway in front of Town Hall.  People will be asked to only park on one side and short term parking only in front.
Board of Health Chairman William “Bill” Elliott and Emergency Management Director Walter Tibbetts:  Distributed the After Action Report/Improvement Plan:
* The World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts a world wide pandemic flu.
* The town is required to be able to dispense medications to a substantial fraction of Shutesbury’s population in a short period of time.
* A few years ago, the Council on Aging flu clinic (previously shared with Leverett) was shifted to Shutesbury and reconfigured as an Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS).  Shutesbury and Leverett are still paired for the EDS.  The original plan was for Shutesbury residents to be bussed to Leverett for medication.  How Shutesbury will retrieve the medication from Leverett and bring it to Shutesbury for administration, still has to be determined.
* Flu vaccine must be administered by nurses or higher trained.  
* Previously the focus was for anthrax, requiring an oral medication.  There are several ways to distribute an oral medication.  Because of the wide spread nature of the population, it would be easier to distribute to people at their homes, Shutesbury’s Plan C.  (Plan B was the central location.)  
o We have a lot of cooperation with resident volunteers (all based on neighborhoods identified with neighborhood leaders identified in advance what their role is and who are in their neighborhoods) providing we can communicate with them.  Power outages are something that have to be dealt with.
* Need more space than Town Hall has to offer to administer medications to large numbers in a central location.  Deerfield runs their EDS at the Frontier Regional School.  Shutesbury Elementary School would be ideal, but it needs a back-up power generator.  
* Last week, Shutesbury was granted a vaccine license number with our own resident supervising physician, Dr. Alan Calhoun so now we can order our own vaccine.  (Shutesbury’s flu clinic was previously a subsidiary of Deerfield Board of Health.) 
* It is anticipated that along with this year’s vaccinations for seasonal flu, there may be an additional vaccine for the H1N1.  Shutesbury needs to be prepared to do the vaccinations.  
* Shutesbury needs a planning committee to organize all that must be done.  It is well beyond what the Board of Health can do alone.  It involves Police, School and Administrative support.  It needs funds.  
* Selectmen were asked to name a committee to help the Board of Health which has done EDS planning thus far, to next apply EDS planning to the school.  Suggested members from:  Police Department, School, 3 or 4 members of the Board of Health: Bill Catherine, Bob McCormick, and probably Arleen, Walter for Emergency Management, the Highway Department would be important though not necessarily practical for meeting attendance.  These would not be long meetings.  Review materials, make suggestions on specific decisions that need to be made: parking, selection of rooms at the school.  The Committee could include many of the same people on the Emergency Management Team, but they would be making a different set of decisions.  
* Timeline:  Formal planning needs to be done with Leverett.  A committee should be named and informed.  A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has to be in place with Leverett for the end of June concerning whatever supplies they receive from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).   (A virus could mutate over this summer and become more lethal.)  We need a legal document saying how the supplies with be distributed.  Town Counsel should draft the Memorandum of Agreement.  FRCOG has provided model documents.  David will arrange with Leverett for Town Counsel to split the cost of review of the MOA. 
* Medications should be picked up by an armed person.  The medication can be transported readily in a police vehicle for a brief transport; for the long term, vaccine must be temperature controlled.
* We must have storage facilities with adequate refrigeration, and controlled for needles and syringes; storage facilities are not provided as part of the vaccine.  Bill suggests locating a refrigerator in the town hall storage room where it can be monitored.  This must comply with the vaccine management standards.  It cannot be a small dorm size fridge.  
* Need a planning committee: Selectmen will appoint a committee at their next regular meeting (May 26) and  they will identify a charge for the committee.   
* We must make identified progress.  Shutesbury is essentially required to follow the timeline provided by FRCOG planners, because we are formalizing an agreement with Leverett.  
* The report must be prepared under requirements of Homeland Security.  FRCOG emergency planners have been very involved with the timelines, sequence of steps and workshops.  David will talk with Leverett Town Administrator and contact Town Counsel Donna MacNicol.  
* The H1N1 has a potential to be very dangerous because it can switch back and forth between birds, swine and humans.  It is also very fragile because it is so complex.
Emergency Management Director Walter Tibbetts:
1. MEMA Emergency Management Performance Grant Award: 
o Previously funds were used to re-do the comprehensive emergency management reports.  
o This is the first time the grants will be awarded directly to the towns.  
o The grant can be used to strengthen emergency management in any way:  “enhance the town’s overall emergency management program.  
o Short notice monies that have to be used up quickly.  
o Grant application forms to Town Administrator to complete and send back.  
o We will get $2500 which must be matched by money paid out or in kind services.  We’re already covered because the federal fiscal year is Oct. 1, 2008 to Sept. 30, 2009.  Anything spent for emergency management since October 2008 can count.  We have Connect CTY payments, guidebooks, anything spent from emergency management funds from October 1 of 2008 would all count as a match.  
o Still trying to find out what would qualify.  Continuing EDS planning could probably qualify, refrigerators for storage of vaccine, equipment for EOC, anything spent through September 30 2009 would qualify. 
o With assistance from FRCOG emergency planner Bob Berry, Walter will make an official plan stating what the town is doing that will qualify for the grant.   
Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a contract for the Emergency Management Performance Grant once it is prepared and reviewed, and to authorize Emergency Management Director Walter Tibbetts to prioritize the list of things for which the funds are to be used.  
2.  Red Cross shelter evaluation of the Town Hall and the School.  
* Walter reviewed a proposed contract between the town and the Red Cross.  
o Possible concerns regarding the wording for Red Cross use of the facilities upon request “if feasible,” and about reimbursement for damages.  They will pay for water sewer heat over what is normal use.  
o Read through the contract carefully then make a decision.  
o Ralph:  Thinking will pass to the next Select Board to decide, feels that #9 is where “the rubber hits the road.”   
o Bill:  The School is the best site except there is no emergency power.  
* Red Cross will support emergency power at the school but they have no funds.  
* They do have a lot of interaction with MEMA and FRCOG.  
* This is one of the first agreements of this kind in Franklin County.  
* Shutesbury has no capacity for providing shelter in an emergency.  of this kind of 
o Al:  We don’t have $34,000 to put out for a generator.  Selectmen agreed it should be incorporated into the Capital Management Plan.  David will keep it in a file for the next Select Board.

Topics
1.  It’s again time to participate in the CDBG grant.  David is moving forward with the housing rehab portion of the CDBG application.
2.  David has submitted a traffic count request from the FRCOG for both ends of Montague Road.
3.  The Committee to negotiate the new Town Administrator contract should include a Selectman a representative from the Personnel Board and a member of the Finance Committee.  Both Selectmen will participate in the negotiation.  David will email the Finance Committee and the Personnel Board to select who and what dates they will meet:  The Selectmen will meet for ½ hour and review the current Town Administrator’s contract, and then meet with the selected new Town Administrator on Wednesday, May 20 at 6 PM.  A three year contract will be negotiated with salary for one year only.  Future salaries will be determined in the future due to the current unknown economy.  Selectmen discussed the room set-up for the final interviews.  Ralph will conduct the meeting.  David will take written questions from the audience and pass appropriate questions to Ralph.  Ralph to contact Lori Tuominen.  


Select Board Action Items
1.  Selectmen unanimously voted to approve the April 28, 2009 Select Board minutes.  
     Selectmen signed vendor warrants totaling $113,636.40 and payroll warrants totaling $81,733.89.
2.  Selectmen will sign MEMA/FEMA reimbursement contract when work is completed as noted in appointment with Highway Superintendent Hunting above.

New Topics 
1. David spoke with Peggy Sloan from Franklin Regional Council of Governments to see if Shutesbury could qualify for stimulus funds for the soil contamination clean-up (based on news that Holyoke got funds for a firing range site.)  Peggy will put David in touch with a Boston contact.  It is too early to contact Senator Rosenberg and Representative Kulik for help with this.  Selectmen may want to give Rosenberg and Kulik status updates, before they are asked to campaign for Shutesbury.   Peggy said it might be a combination of grants and low-interest loans.  There may be a fresh start on seeking insurance and finding funds in the new fiscal year.
2. Selectmen will offer an invitation to Elaine Puleo to attend the next Select Board meeting.
3. Shutesbury owns a home at the lake:  
* Voelker is looking into auction.  
* Selectmen agreed it would be worthwhile to spend $300 to see if the septic system would pass Title V, because the house would be worth so much more if it is in compliance.  
* Selectmen will vote when the rest of the information is available from the auctioneer.  
* Put a minimum down such as $100,000.
4. CPA reimbursement will come in the fall; the reimbursement is drastically down from previous years.

A motion was made, seconded and unanimously voted to adjourn at 8:45 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,


Leslie Bracebridge
Administrative Secretary
090512 Selectboard 1