Joint Select Board Meeting Minutes 9/13/22

Minutes of the meeting of 9/13/22

Meeting Opened at: 5pm

Select Board Members Present: Justin Makuc, Chair and Susan Cooper

Select Board Member Absent: Scott Jenssen

Finance Committee Members Present:  Michele Miller, Frank Abbott

Also present remotely: Melissa Noe

Call to Order 5pm

Meet with Finance Committee

1. Special town meeting articles:
   1. The first item in no particular order that the Select Board has agreed upon is the estimated $25,600 for the tree work at Bidwell Park.
   2. The second item that the Select Board has agreed upon is the estimated $25,600 for the tree work at the Community Center which is less critical and is not preventing the Community Center from being open, but a pattern is developing with each storm. There would be about twenty trees removed that are becoming weaker and five broken trees cleaned up. The Board feels it is more fiscally responsible to do the work once rather than splitting the job as the town would then have to pay for the setup of equipment twice.
   3. The Special Town Meeting will be held on October 15^th and the warrant will likely be signed at the Board’s regular weekly meeting on September 28^th.  Justin would like to have a joint meeting on the 27^th to have the Finance Committee and Select Board vote on whether they support the articles.
   4. There are unpaid bills from FY22 mostly from the Cemetery Committee and some smaller bills from the Council on Aging and transfer station. These are required to go before a Town Meeting, special or annual, to be paid. It would be good to pay those who are owed, especially because in some cases it is not their fault that the bill was not submitted, but the Town’s fault.
   5. There may be a $15,000 item from the Regional School District Planning Committee. The Board will discussing this tomorrow and decide whether it will go on the warrant or not.
   6. The Parks Commission has requested $10,000 for the baseball field but the Board would like to see actual bids and a better accounting of where their current budget has been allocated and why they do not have the funds in their current budget.
   7. The Conservation Commission has also requested a new line item which the Board has mostly agreed will not be placed on the warrant as the Board is recommending that the Commission raise fees to offset costs and that the agent be paid out of the revolving fund even if it dips below $0. If the revolving fund is in the negative during budgeting season, it will be reassessed and possibly replenished at that point.
   8. There is also a bill from former counsel for the Hume appeal which came in higher than the original estimate. The Board is consulting with current counsel for possible negotiations of the bill.
   9. As of right now the plan is to use free cash which the Accountant is working to get certified soon.
   10. Justin informed the Finance Committee that there is another pending litigation against the town but it is the Board’s understanding that our insurance will cover these legal fees, except for a deductible.
2. Continue work on capital plan: The Finance Committee has added some additional infrastructure projects as well as equipment after having met with the Director of Operations and Town Administrator.  The Finance Committee will continue to organize the list in a comprehensive manner and add projects that the Town should be aware are on the horizon. Justin also suggested considering all the funding sources that can be used to pay for each item and making a plan for stabilization, free cash, and loans.  Susan would like to see a way to prioritize the projects and equipment as well. 

Correspondence, minutes, public comment

1. Comments & questions from the public:
   1. The Finance Committee is recommending that Ilene Marcus or Roger Tryon be appointed to fill the vacancy.  The Board will add this to next week’s agenda to discuss and make an appointment.

A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting by both the Finance Committee and Select Board at: 6:00pm

Submitted by:

Melissa Noe, Town Administrator

Approved by:

Monterey Select Board

cc: Website (www.montereyma.gov)

Select Board Members

Minutes Book

Town Clerk

Any documents used in the meeting are listed below and are available by request at town hall.

1. none