Selectmen Meeting Minutes — January 27,
2009—3:00
p.m. — Memorial Hall
Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Manners at 3:00 p.m. Other
members present: John Payne and Joe Judd.
Acceptance of Minutes: Joe made a motion to accept the minutes of January
8, 2009 and January 22, 2009 as presented. The motion was seconded by
John. Motion passed unanimously.
3:15 p.m. Executive Session - a motion was made by John to enter into
executive session for the purpose of investigation. Joe seconded the
motion. A roll call vote was taken as follows: Bob - yes; John - yes;
and Joe - yes
Attorney Donna MacNicol was present for the discussion.
Bob Manners announced that the Board would reconvene in open session
following the closed session.
4:15 p.m. Reconvened in Open Session - the
Board reconvened their meeting in open session.
OLD BUSINESS:
Winter Parking Ban RE: Lack of Tenement Parking - to date the Board has
received four responses from landlords who own multi-unit apartment
buildings on Bridge Street and only one has designated parking for
their tenants. Joe has begun dialogue with the Building Inspector and
the Zoning Board Chairman to see what can be done to rectify the problem.
In the meantime, the Town has offered the Cross Street lot and the
Arms Academy lot as locations that can be used by tenants and their
guests without being towed. In addition to those two lots, a motion
was made by Joe to allow parking in the town-owned lot below Mole Hollow
Candle between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. John seconded the
motion. Motion passed unanimously. Terry will speak with the Highway
Superintendent to determine how many spots are available so that the
town can notify landlords.
Proposed Meeting with Town of Buckland to Explore
Regionalization Opportunities - Shelburne Selectmen would like to schedule a Tuesday afternoon meeting
with Buckland Selectmen to discuss the possibility of regionalizing or
sharing some of the town's functions (i.e. libraries, accounting services,
assessing services and police coverage). Terry Mosher will contact Buckland
to schedule a meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
Memorial Hall Association RE: Metropolitan Opera
Broadcasts - Memorial
Hall Association is embarking on a project that would allow live broadcasts
of the Metropolitan Opera in the upstairs theater. In order to accomplish
this, they would need to install two satellite dishes on the roof of
Memorial Hall. The satellite dishes are provided by the Metropolitan
Opera and are 3.5 feet in size. They would be supported by a non-penetrating
roof mount and weighted down with cinder blocks. Wiring would be run
thru the air-conditioning ducts into the projector booth so to eliminate
the need for any roof penetration. Bob Manners met with representatives
from Memorial Hall Association, Charlemont Television (the installer)
and Highway Superintendent, Pete Hillman to review the intended installation
plans. Memorial Hall Association would like to have the installation
complete as soon as possible so that broadcasts can begin in March.
Bob indicated that he sees no reason why the Board should not support
this endeavor. Memorial Hall Association is hopeful that the broadcasts
will be well attended; bringing life back to the Village on a Saturday
afternoon/evening. John would like to know if the satellite dishes
could be used for other types of broadcasts. After no further discussion,
Joe made a motion to approve Memorial Hall Association's request to
install two satellite dishes on Memorial Hall's roof. John seconded
the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
Memorial Hall Association RE: Proposed Renovations - the Board
received a letter from Richard Warner, President of Memorial Hall Association
apprising them of the Association's plans to renovate the second floor
of Memorial Hall. MHA is currently exploring four capital projects:
- Replacing
425 seats;
- Upgrading the electrical system;
- Upgrading the dressing rooms (better
heating, lighting and amenities for performers);
- Explore the possibility
of installing a small bathroom backstage for performers;
None of the projects are currently funded and a time-frame
for completion has not been determined. Memorial Hall Association will
keep the Selectmen informed as they move forward.
Memo to All Town Boards
RE: Limited Meeting Spaces & Professional
Courtesy - tabled.
Governor Patrick's Address to Municipal Officials
at MMA Trade Show RE: State Budget - the Governor reported that
state aid will be cut by $128 million this year and another proposed
cut of $375 million will follow in 2010. The $128 million dollar mid-year
cut is the largest mid-year cut on record. Chapter 70 appears to be
safe for now. The Governor was clear that he would penalize communities
by reducing their local aid distribution unless they either enroll
their employees on the state's GIC Health Plan or offered a plan that
cost less than the GIC Plan. Joe felt that the Governor's points were
blunt but necessary and urged the Board to consider implementing the
following changes in preparation of the Governor's cuts:
- An immediate
freeze on all non-essential spending;
- Amend budget directives for fiscal
year 2010 asking all departments to submit budgets depicting a 10%
reduction and a 15% reduction;
Spending Freeze - John agreed that a
spending freeze was essential. Following a brief discussion, the following
motion was brought forth by Joe: Based on the current economic climate,
all non-essential spending is to be suspended until further notice.
In the event expenditure is necessary, prior approval must be obtained
from your department liaison. Nonessential spending includes: mileage,
conferences, training, luncheons, clothing allowances, cell phones,
office supplies, etc. John seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
A memo will be sent to all town departments, elected officials, boards
and committees.
Revised FY'2010 Budget Directives - in view of the Governor's
proposed budget cuts, Joe presented a second motion which would require
departments to submit budget requests that reflect a 10% reduction and
a 15% reduction. John seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
Dedication
of Annual Town Report - Bob supplied three names for the Board to consider
for this year's dedication. Terry Mosher will follow-up to verify that
none of the individuals have received this honor in prior years and report
back to Chairman.
Adjournment: a motion was made by John Payne to adjourn the meeting
at 5:30 p.m. Joe seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Terry Mosher
Executive Secretary |
