Shutesbury Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
May 27, 2008

Members present:  Chairman Rebecca Torres and Ralph Armstrong. (Debra Pichanick resigned effective May 23 due to family matters.)  Also present: Selectman-elect Al Springer, Town Administrator David C. Dann and Administrative Secretary Leslie Bracebridge, recording.

Meeting opened at 7:10 P.M.

Appointments  
Neither Police Chief Harding nor Robert “Bob” Thompson was able to attend the meeting.

Topics
1. Suggestions for ways to compensate for the additional 8 hours of holiday time afforded to members of the Highway Department as a result of their request for 10-hour days for the summer hours as approved at the Thursday, May 22 Select Board meeting:
* Forfeit the Thanksgiving holiday pay – all employees must get the same holidays, or work 2 extra hours at another day in the pay period – can’t be overtime.  
* David reported that Treasurer Voelker wants the payroll processing of the holiday benefit left as simple as possible and therefore supports provision of the extra holiday hours for the Highway department employees.  Selectmen made no change to their original May 22 vote that includes the extra holiday hours for Highway Department personnel.
* David reported that Highway Superintendent Hunting is pleased with the new hours for his crew, he understands the Select Board limitations to the weeks involved due to available daylight hours and they will start the 4-day work week on June 2.
* Selectmen will re-evaluate the benefit annually.
2. Selectmen unanimously voted to authorize the Shutesbury Education Foundation to hold their annual Celebrate Shutesbury event on the town common on September 20, 2008 and to use the town hall as a back-up location in the event of inclement weather.
3. Discussion of election methods for replacing the Moderator and addressing the tie vote of the Constable position included:  
* A special election can be held with a minimum of 64 days notice and approximately $1,000 of expense at any time the Selectmen choose to call an election.  
* David has a call into finding what is involved in legislative action required to include the positions on the November state ballot.  
* Leslie will inquire as to the exact costs of programming the AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal (VAT).
* Ralph will prepare a letter to the Secretary of State with a copy to the Massachusetts Office on Disability describing the budget hardship that provision of the VAT creates for running special elections in small towns like Shutesbury.

Select Board Action Items
1A. Selectmen unanimously voted to accept the minutes of the May 13, 2008 meeting after changing “sign” to “discuss” in Select Board Action item number 6.  
1B. Selectmen signed vendor warrants totaling $71,374.15 and payroll warrants totaling $83,044.85.  
1C. Selectmen unanimously agreed to approve the amendment to the Agricultural License Agreement between the Town of Shutesbury and Bill Mitchell of Leverett so that he can mow the field in concentric passes rather than the original statement that the first pass be down the center of the field before expanding outward.               
2.  Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a three-year contract with Police Chief Harding with 3% salary increases per year and a change in wording allowing the Chief to accept outside employment.
3.   Selectmen unanimously voted to sign one-day liquor licenses for the Lake Wyola Association for the July 5 steak roast and dance, the July 19 swing dance and the August 2 beer and wine festival.
4.  Selectmen unanimously voted to accept and sign a hold harmless agreement with Mark and Theresa Rivers of 74 Lake Drive for work that they proposes to do on town owned land under the high water line of Lake Wyola where it abuts their property.  They will not be contributing to the 5,000 cubic feet tally of soil removal.  David responded to Becky’s question that the Conservation Commission is keeping a tally of the limit of soil removal. 

New Topics 
1. Selectmen discussed a Police Department request for $2700 to cover the tuition cost of the upcoming LECP Police Academy for Officer Justin Wall. Officer Wall will be asked to sign a statement which Town Counsel is preparing so that should he leave employment of the town of Shutesbury before three years after the course is completed, he will reimburse the town in proportions related to the 3-year expected stay period. 
2. Becky reported dam funding is in the Senate budget in combination with $8 million worth of amendments that Senator Rosenberg is hopeful will survive the conference committee.  This good news makes state funds for the dam repairs a hopeful possibility for Shutesbury.
3. Discussion of the potential benefit of a local Clerk of the Works for the dam repair project was weighed against the increase of Engineer Root’s hours from 80 hours to 120 hours.  David will make an inquiry call and report back to the Selectmen.
4. Becky proposed a Shutesbury Farmers’ Market to benefit people from having to drive into Amherst, if there are farmers willing to bring their produce to the town center.  Ralph and Selectman-elect Springer agreed with Becky that this could be a good idea, especially if it would bring funds into Shutesbury.  David will make some inquiry calls and put a notice in the next town-wide mailing.

Selectmen adjourned at 8:12 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,


Leslie Bracebridge
Administrative Secretary
080527 Board of Selectmen 1