Select Board Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of 3/7/19

Meeting Opened at: 4pm

Select Board Members Present: Carol Edelman, Chairperson, Kenneth Basler and Donald Coburn

Also in attendance: Jon Sylbert, Rebecca Wolin, George Cain, Terry Walker, Shawn Tryon

The Board met with the Finance Committee to discuss the following:

• The updated school assessment committee draft documents were reviewed.  The school Business Administrator was unable to attend this evening to answer any questions but the meeting on Tuesday is open to the public for anyone that would like to attend. The general consensus was that everyone was comfortable with our Select Board and Finance Committee representatives speaking on the Board’s behalf.
• Lake Garfield Working Group’s request for monies totaling $50k at town meeting: The Finance Committee is not ready to agree to put this on the warrant and have suggested that the LGWG can put this on as a citizen petition.  The Finance Committee also thinks that the direction the Friends of Lake Garfield should be taking is creating a separate tax district.  The Finance Committee made a motion to reject putting the monetary request on the warrant.  The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
• Terry Walker came in to discuss the grant writer and town clerk budget line items.  The Board clarified that come July 1^st these positions will be paid hourly; wages line items will be “up to” amount not, guaranteed salary.
  1. Town Clerk –The posted office hours will remain 15 hours per week.  A motion was made by the Finance Committee to add an additional 40 hours for the year to allow for elections, town meetings and trainings.
  2. Grant writer – The Boards discussed the new procedure going forward.  All grants must be approved prior to being applied for or any time being spent on them.  It was agreed to level fund the line item and that a grant writer(s) could use the funds up to $10k.  The position will be paid $25/hour for grants that the Board approves applying for.
  3. Fire Department - Jon would like to know when the fire department lease and rent would be amended to reflect that the building will no longer be used for elections.  Jon had concerns with the $47,000 allocated for Fire Dept Utilities and Facilities Rental if some of those monies were being used for capital improvements on a building not owned by the town. Discussion ensued about the various ways this could be adjusted going forward.  A motion was made by the Finance Committee to check with counsel whether the town can donate to the firehouse on the town meeting warrant like we do for other 501c3’s.  The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.  Shawn will come in to discuss the lease renewal with the Board at a later date.
  4. Rebecca reported that Berkshire South (which manages our lifeguards) informed her that we are in need of a new backboard; $1k will be added to the Parks Dept budget.
  5. Reserve fund transfer policy: The Finance Committee has an additional revision to make and will present it at the next meeting for approval.
  6. Jon suggested putting money back in to the Town Administrator line item in case the UMass study we are asking permission to do shows that we need a Town Administrator.  Kenn argued that if the research shows that we need another Town Administrator then we would hold a special town meeting and appropriate the salary when that happens.  Carol stated again for the record that she is not in favor of raising and appropriating any funds for a study or the position.  After much discussion it was agreed but not voted on to ask for half a year’s salary, benefits and expenses should the study recommend a Town Administrator.

At 7pm the Board discussed the need to go into Executive Session as per MGL Chapter 30A Section 21 #6.  Roll call was taken by the Chair. All Select Board members were present.  All Finance Committee members were present. A motion was made to go into executive session, seconded, and approved unanimously.  The Board agreed that they would not return to an open session.

A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 7:00pm

Submitted by:

Melissa Noe, Administrative Assistant

Approved by:

Monterey Select Board

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