Shutesbury Board of Selectmen All Boards Meeting Minutes September 25, 2007 Members present: Chairman Rebecca “Becky” Torres, Debra Pichanick and Ralph Armstrong. Also Present: Town Administrator David C. Dann and Leslie Bracebridge, recording, Board of Health Chairman William “Bill” Elliott, Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Walter Tibbetts, Regional School Committee member Marianne Jorgensen, Highway Superintendent Timothy “Tim” Hunting, Town Accountant Gail Weiss, Library Trustees Jane Urban, Amy Beth, Cliff Read, and David Cormier, Buildings Committee member and Library Facility Needs Assessment Committee (LFNAC) member Dale Houle, LFNAC Chairman Karen Traub, Shutesbury Leverett Broad band Committee member Louise “Weezie” Houle, Shutesbury Elementary School Principal Robert Mahler, Finance Committee Chairman Eric Stocker and member Elaine Puleo and Planning Board Chairman Deacon Bonnar. Becky: opened the meeting at 7:14 P.M. welcoming and thanking those in attendance. She announced that the Leverett, Cooleyville and Prescott Roads bid was awarded July 17. Selectmen are waiting for the pre-construction conference to happen any day. It is not expected that the project will begin before spring, 2008. David Dann read a written report of the Board of Assessors: They are in the middle of the re-valuation year, their software has been updated, and they will need to change numerous schedules and tables as part of the re-valuation process. Board of Health (BOH) Chairman Bill Elliott: * The newest member of the Board of Health, Robert McCormick will be the main BOH person for emergency response and response to pandemic events. * Board of Health survey indicates what the Emergency Management team and the BOH need to know about the respondent in the event of an emergency. How do we notify people in the event of an emergency including such things as events at the 1883 dam at Lake Wyola? Summer Connect CTY test call had over 85% success rate. Neighborhood neighbor to neighbor connections will also be used. * Flu Clinics: Last year’s was and this year’s (hopefully before Thanksgiving) will be run as an “Emergency Dispensing Site. 100 doses should be available. * Drinking water well tests are being done to compile data on existing nitrate concentrations. The Lake area and the town center areas will be focus of study. All private wells should be tested annually. * There are no federal or state regulations for outdoor wood burning boilers. Individual towns are setting their own regulations. A consortium of New England states is developing standards for boilers based on particulates. A public hearing will be held on October 17 at 8:30 PM for Shutesbury BOH regulations. They will be based on the technical standards of the consortium of New England States. As Lake Wyola Advisory Committee member and previous Dam Management Committee Chairman Bill Elliott: * Lake Wyola water quality remains high. * Dam reconstruction engineering is complete; permitting is complex due to the area being identified as a bridled shiner habitat. Bill continues to be in contact with state legislators for financial support for reconstruction. Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Walter Tibbetts: * Staffing continues to be a problem. The new staff has limited experience. Always recruiting anyone 18 years or older, free training, please consider. * Already 26 runs this year and it’s not yet the active fall brush fire season. * As a Tri-state mutual aid member Shutesbury went to the Turners Falls warehouse fire, the Erving mill fire, and a Shelburne Falls brush fire. * A new Jaws of Life update makes them quicker to set up and use (one minute.) * The Fire Department has a new military surplus 4-wheel drive pick-up truck. * The Department received 18 surplus Massachusetts Emergency Management (MEMA) portable radios with a base station for local emergency management. They are programmed to the highway department frequency which is just for the town of Shutesbury. The total value of the radios is $24,000; they were reprogrammed for $130 and for $1,000 they all got new batteries. * Police and Fire Departments are in the region’s new dispatch radio system. This allows emergency staff to talk to all fire and police departments in the state. * A 17-foot Boston Whaler has been refurbished to a very usable rescue boat for use by Police and Fire Departments. * Emergency Management: The summer Connect CTY test identified some holes” that are being tweaked. There is a link on the town website for residents to check and update their personal information and add multiple connection numbers and/or email addresses. * Other work includes the town’s Emergency Management plan, the Lake Wyola Dam Emergency Management Plan, and a regional HAZMAT action plan. * The federal government requires National Incident Management System (NIMS) training of local emergency management officials. * A comprehensive municipal aid emergency assistance agreement will be on the October 9 Special Town meeting. There is no cost for Shutesbury to be a member and membership is required for Shutesbury to receive reimbursement from MEMA and FEMA for declared emergencies/disasters. Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee member Marianne Jorgensen: * Schools opened smoothly. The school committee worked on curriculum, response system for the social well-being of students in the school, social justice commitment which is a part of the multi-cultural goals for the system, and policies and guidelines, this past summer, in place of budget conversations. * Budget: Unexpended funds were used to replenish the Excess & Deficiency Funds (E&D), and make some repairs: field regarding, track refinished, locker rooms refurbished, middle school tennis courts replaced, and more, and still $250,000 in the stabilization budget. Some funds may be returned to the towns. * It is generally accepted that 3.5 to 5% of a budget should be in an E&D account. Marianne will Chair a sub-committee (Becky and Eric will represent Shutesbury) that will look into increasing the Amherst-Pelham Regional E&D Account to the state recommended 5%. The sub-committee will also look at the current transportation plan as it is no longer reimbursed 100% by the state. The School Committee wants the sub-committee decisions in place in time for the budget planning process. The bussing decision will impact all towns including Amherst. * A sub-committee was formed to study food service. The system currently uses Chartwells, a national vender. Feed back on Chartwells concerns lack of use of local foods and satisfaction. It’s less expensive to have Chartwells than in-house food service. The School Committee may continue with an outside vendor but will look at others. School Committee favors buying locally which would mean in-house or a local vendor. * Three-year salary negotiations will begin this fall. Last year’s one-year contract left things the same because the budget was such an unknown. * Working on goals for the coming year. * There will be an Educational Quality Assurance (EQA) audit at the region this fall. (Shutesbury Elementary School has just been through an EQA. It was tough; but on the bright side, Principal Mahler felt it helped him to organize his goals.) Library Trustees member Cliff Read: * Library Director Jane Buchanan has resigned to take a position at the Greenfield Public Library. A library search committee consisting of three trustees and two community-at-large members will make a decision in January. Interim people will keep the library going until then. * In keeping with the accessibility project, CWMARS electronic card catalogue system now provides access from home computers to the Spear and other library collections throughout the region making the library more accessible to patrons. * The Library was awarded a design and planning grant of $40,000 to be matched with $17,500 from the annual town meeting vote and $2,500 from a previous planning grant. The LFNAC is working on the planning and design. * The Friends of the Library needs volunteers for their executive board. Their next meeting will be an October 21 gathering at the Shutesbury Athletic Club. After their report the Library Trustees left for their own meeting. Highway Superintendent Tim Hunting: * Kevin Carey retired in June and was replaced by Robert Spaulding of Gill, who is experienced operating the equipment having run his own excavating company. * Equipment – the new dump truck approved two town meetings back has arrived, having been delayed due to a backlog of truck requests at the Canadian Sterling plant. The backhoe approved in May 2007 should be here in November. * An equipment auction of Highway (and other departments) equipment includes a 1987 Mac truck (minimum bid will be $12,000.) It seemed best to auction it off with one of the old plows. * Summer projects: Replaced guardrails on West Pelham Road. Dug the addition for the Library access project, stripped the loam, dug and graveled the driveway, * Current projects: 1. Stowell Road repairs to pavement and culvert replacement to be re-paved in October. 2. Roadside mowing out-sourced for 5 days. 3. Out-sourced tree trimming on Locks Pond Road. 4. Crack-fillers for Wendell and Locks Pond Roads will be here tomorrow. Crack-filling protects the roads from water seepage freezing and breaking up the road. 5. Preparing storage area for 1000 gallons of magic salt. Use of Magic Salt will cut the use of sand (200,000 tons of sand were used last year alone) * Projects “in the wings”: Town Common and Farrar Roads surfacing will wait. Dale Houle for Library Facility Needs Assessment Committee (LFNAC): * LFNAC is looking for public input. A survey will be distributed at Celebrate Shutesbury. A town-wide distribution of the surveys will be considered. * Library project: In May of 2006, Annual Town Meeting voted $75,000 for the library accessibility project including the driveway. Closer examination of the project indicated that $75,000 was too low. To bring down the cost, Highway Superintendent Tim Hunting was asked to do the excavation and parking lot at cost. Provision of the excavation and driveway would also make it easier for local builders to bid on the project, another way to bring down the cost. Low bidder: Northeastern Commercial Services came in at $69,300. The Highway Department cannot do the actual paving. Diversified bid $13,000 for paving. * Bids will be opened on October 5 for other repair work that needs to be done, estimated at $13,300. Library Trustees will contribute $18,000 of the $24,000 over budget. An overrun for reinforcing the original foundation will be covered by the town Buildings Committee budget. Continuous fear that the town wouldn’t vote for a higher amount. * $150,000 addition and repairs at Highway Garage will be started right away. * A contract has been signed with Jamrog for a heat exchange generator to exchange air in the lower level of town hall in an attempt to make it a better space; may have to rip out the carpeting; one step at a time. Weezie Houle member of the Broadband Committee: * The announced incentive for high speed internet access in under-served or un-served communities, with a 2010 deadline will progress through the legislative process. Pioneer Valley Connect is the local driving force for Western Mass getting high speed Internet. There may be a call to contact Senator Rosenberg and Representative Kulik, though they already both are in support of the effort. Which company will provide the build-out? * The first thing is to document un-served people with a survey to be sent possibly with the town census form. * The Broadband Committee still hopes for Verizon to do something with the West Pelham Road box to provide access in that part of town. Shutesbury Elementary School (SES) Principal Robert Mahler: * Enrollment is up, mostly in classes that were already large. * Staff is dedicated to meeting the needs of these new children. * There are 8 new staff members due retirements, leaves, and resignations. The school continues to seek out interns and other free support. * The school is looking at “new math” ideas. Students are expected to explain how they did their work and how they came up with their answers. The school has a new math coach in her second year who is expected to be there a number of years more. The curriculum is the same as that used in Amherst. * Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten are up for re-accreditation – an enormous amount of work, needed for the $15,000 state kindergarten grant. * The Safety Committee will make a presentation to the School Committee for locking doors and will come to the Capital Plan Committee for about $8,000. * The intercom system is being to use for such things as reassuring bus announcements, even without an emergency need. * Town officials are invited to next week’s Open House. * The school is returning $10,000 from the FY 2007 general school budget and $20,000 of circuit breaker funds. * A lot of professional development is happening, both over the summer and in the school year. English Language Learners (ELL) training is required of all teachers. * Just went through the Educational Quality Assurance out of the Governor’s office. Draft report was relatively positive and not under-performing. Finance Committee Chairman Eric Stocker: * New Committee members replacing out-going members Al Beswick and Russ Greco are Mark Pocsik and Elaine Puleo. For the first time ever, there are more applicants for membership on the Finance Committee than positions available. * The town will have $690,000 in cash reserves once FY 07 is closed. * If the FY 09 budget increases by 3% Shutesbury will have cash reserves totaling about 13% of the budget, compared with a high of 16% in the past. At the May town meeting, money was taken out of Stabilization for the first time in a long time for the library and the dam. * Revenues increase by about 3.1% each year so to keep things stable the budget must only go up by 3%. The Finance Committee doesn’t anticipate any more money coming from the state. * If Free Cash is used to balance the budget one year, it must be used again the following year. So far, the amount used to balance the budget has been equal to free cash generated in the previous year, but it is precarious to do this. * Doesn’t anticipate any demands on FY 09 budget except school transportation and the regional budget. Last year the regional budget line went down because we changed the agreement. The budget will not go down again; it will go up. * All the programs mentioned: the new library, the dam, building maintenance, all create pressure on the budget, both capital wise and operating. New facilities require more hours for people to run them. It is assumed that Shutesbury will borrow money for some big projects. The revenue stream is pretty steady. * Bill Elliott reminded Eric about proposed Community waste-water treatment systems for the Lake area and the town center and asked how to go about funding them. * Debra asked if the departments could be asked to increase their budgets at 2.5% instead of 3%. Eric explained that personnel and fuel costs are going up faster than 3%. 3% is already putting the breaks on the budgets. Cutting back to 2.5% would result in fewer staff hours. Planning Board Chairman Deacon Bonnar: * The Planning Board continues to review the current zoning draft. The Board hopes to produce a new draft soon that can stand for a while. The Planning Board had a couple of workshops in August and September and will have another in October. Some people don’t understand the present proposal. The Planning Board hopes people will read the new draft. * Under the old draft, the density could be increased 2 times with bonuses; now it can only be increased 1.5 times with bonuses. * Ms. Jones has hired Mark Bobrowski, the state’s leading land person use to produce an alternate proposal based on the Planning Board’s up-coming draft. The Planning Board will then review his work. There is no money left for Joel Russell to review this draft. * The Planning Board goal is to have a proposal available for May 2008 Annual Town Meeting. * Questions concerning rock walls have not been developed. * The plan still relies upon on-lot septic systems and wells for every lot. Board of Health Chairman Bill Elliott said the Planning Board should not assume that will always be the case. Bill said that the Board of Health is very interested in some zoning based on soil characteristics that Leverett is considering. Deacon answered that the Planning Board does not want to create any problems; their goal is to concentrate development and increase open space. Bill replied that there’s a real difference between individual lot density and aggregate density. The Planning Board and the Board of Health will meet together to discuss these concepts. Becky concluded that a lot of on-going work has intersecting points between committees. Administrative Secretary and Town Clerk Leslie Bracebridge: * Please get town department FY 07 reports in. * Please refer to department specific record retention schedules recently distributed to all departments before disposing of any documents. Before concluding the All Boards meeting Becky announced that the Recreation Committee needs members. Select Board Action Items 1. On the advice of former town Accountant David Kielson, current Town Accountant Gail Weiss, Town Treasurer Gabriel Voelker and Town Administrator David Dann and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a letter electing their option 2 giving the town more time to locate receipts of costs deemed ineligible for reimbursement because of missing receipts. New Topics Bill Elliott notified the Board of Selectmen that he has a meeting scheduled with Department of Conservation and Recreation Office of Dam Safety Chief Bill Soloma to discuss Shutesbury’s Lake Wyola Dam Management Plan. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously voted to adjourn at 9:02 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Leslie Bracebridge Administrative Secretary ?? ?? ?? ?? 070925 Select Board All Boards Meeting 1