Select Board Meeting Minutes 1/3/23 (joint meeting with Fin Comm)
Minutes of the meeting 1/3/23
Meeting Date: Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Meeting Opened at 5:05 pm
Select Board members present: Susan Cooper
Select Board members present remotely: Justin Makuc- Chair
Select Board members absent: Scott Jenssen
Finance Committee members present: Ilene Marcus, Frank Abbott, Michele Miller-Chair
Also Present: Laurie McArthur (Select Board secretary)
Also Present Remotely: Micky Jervas, Jeff Zimmerman, Kenn Basler
Meeting opened at 5:05 pm
Agenda:
Budget Review
Michele recommended having a joint meeting after the Special Town Meeting to discuss this item. There will be a joint meeting on January 17th at 5pm after the Finance Committees regularly scheduled meeting at 4pm.
Capital Plan Review
Michele recommended having a joint meeting after the Special Town Meeting to discuss this item.
Warrant Review
The Select Board and the Finance Committee reviewed each of the individual Articles for the Warrant and discussed budgetary amounts and reasoning for the requested amounts.
Article 1- Transfer the sum of $35,000 to from the Highway Capital Account to the fuel account. Frank presented the information he had and inquired about the projected costs for fuel and how that number was determined. Justin asked about reserve fund transfers and the Finance Committee presented those numbers.
Article 2- The Fire Department will take an additional $20,000 in funding from their compensation account and $15,000 from free cash. The Finance Committee discussed the information that was presented to them by Shawn Tryon, Chief of the Fire Department.
Article 3- To transfer $1,224 from the unemployment insurance line to the Assessors expense account rather than utilize the free cash account. The Finance Committee did pay some previous expenses using reserve fund transfers. The Assessors expense account will cover the shortfall they had for supplies.
Article 4-There is a request to transfer $5,409 to the building inspector wages account due to an increase in hours. Don put in for a certain amount of hours each week, but it was learned since the time clock was instituted that he has been working more hours each week than he had been putting down for.
Article 5- to transfer the sum of $5,250 from free cash to a new Conservation Commission Agent Wages Account. There is also request from the Conservation Commission to increase the agent’s wages to $35 per hour from $25 per hour. Paying the agent out of the revolving fund was not good practice and it was not financially sustainable regardless of the rate of pay, and therefore a new account will need to be created to pay the agent in the operating budget. Susan discussed requests by Con Com and the various issues that arose surrounding the agent and the need for a wage increase. Justin suggested taking this from the health insurance account rather than free cash due to having an overage in this account.
Article 6- $29.30 will be transferred from the Unemployment Insurance Account to pay a bill from a prior year.
Article 7- Transfer the sum of $400 or any other amount from the Unemployment Insurance Account to the Library wages account to account for overages for the time clock. Justin recused himself from this item.
Article 8- To transfer the amount of $30,000 from free cash to litigation fees for the Hume case, which has been transferred to the Supreme Judicial Court. Kenn suggested someone reach out to the Massachusetts Municipal Association for advice and additional information. Oral arguments will be held February 6, 2023 at the Supreme Judicial Court.
Article 9- Transfer $1,500 from the Town Clerk Expenses Account to the Election Account. This amount will be necessary to cover the costs of the Town election in May because of the unexpected special election in August.
Article 10- Vote to rescind the remaining unused library renovation authorization amount of $353,405.
Justin said that the Select Board will vote tomorrow on the Warrant items, and sign the Warrant when all members are present.
Michele made a motion that the Finance Committee accept the amended articles, and move Article 8 into the 3rd position. Ilene seconded.
Call a vote. Michele-yes, Frank- yes, Ilene- yes
Justin made a motion to adjourn the Select Board- Susan seconded. Justin called a vote: Susan- yes, Scott- yes, Justin- yes.
Select Board meeting adjourned at 5:48pm
Documents used at the meeting
- Draft of the Warrant