Selectmen Meeting Minutes — April 12, 2010—7:00 p.m. — Memorial Hall.

Call to order: John called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Other members present: Joe Judd and Robert Manners.

Media Present: Cameron Graves, Shelburne Falls Independent

Acceptance of Minutes: Motion made by Joe to accept the minutes of April 7, 2010 as presented. John seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

Noteworthy News:
Regionalization; a seemingly new concept in recent years; or so we thought. Joe discovered a newspaper article in the Greenfield Recorder dating back to May, 1947. The headlines read: "Buckland, Shelburne May Unite to Regulate Traffic."

Department Liaison Reports:
Highway -- street sweeping will take place in the early morning hours this Tuesday. Residents were reminded via the town-wide telephone system to remove their vehicles from the street and town-owned parking lots. Line striping will take place within the next two weeks. Lastly, work on Zerah Fiske Road will begin in May.

Pratt Memorial Building Committee -- John reported that the Committee met last week and continues to develop fundraising strategies. Trust fund accounts have been divided into individual accounts and work has begun to distinguish annual operating expenses into two categories; building maintenance and user expenses.

Old Business:
Open Meeting Law RE: New Posting Requirements -- Effective July 1st, cities and towns will be required to post "notice of meetings" in an area that is accessible to the public 24 hours a day; 365 days a year. After exploring several options, the most cost effective alternative would be to install two glass enclosed display cases in Memorial Hall's front foyer; and changing the door locks so that the front entrance is accessible at all times. Joe has obtained a quote from Bruce Stetson for the construction and installation of: (2) 43" x 46" glass enclosed display cases; made from white oak; sliding glass doors with locking mechanism for an estimated $1,700. Following a brief discussion, Joe presented a motion to authorize Bruce Stetson to construct and install two glass enclosed display cases in accordance with the specifications above. Execution of the agreement will be contingent on the availability funding within exiting budgets. Bob seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.

Energy Committee Update -- The Energy Committee had planned to hold a public hearing at Memorial Hall on April 19th to discuss proposed energy saving upgrades however, because the 19th falls on Patriots Day; a state holiday, the hearing will be rescheduled. Open meeting law prohibits governmental bodies from meeting, except in public emergencies, on Sundays or legal holidays. In the meantime, the Energy Committee has developed five sub-committees; each assigned to a specific town-owned building. Their task will be to assess each building and develop a list of needed improvements. The Committee is also pursuing a variety of funding opportunities through WMECO.

New Business:
Timothy Smith, Apex Orchards RE: Discontinuance of Lease -- Apex Orchards, Inc. President, Timothy Smith sent a letter to the Selectboard notifying the town of their intention to discontinue leasing approximately 6.9 acres of orchard along the Colrain-Shelburne Road. Joe presented a motion to accept Apex Orchards letter of intent with significant appreciation. Bob seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. With the Board's permission, Bob will contact neighboring orchard owners to see if they would be interested in leasing the orchard.

7:30 p.m. Finance Committee RE: Review of Annual Town Meeting Warrant (John Wheeler and Charlie Cohn) -- The annual town meeting warrant and accompanying fiscal year 2011 budget remains unchanged since the Selectmen's last meeting on April 7, 2010; a meeting which both John and Charlie attended. In the absence of the Moderator and other members of the Finance Committee, the Board saw no need to review the budget again. Joe made a motion to close the warrant and post as presented subject to any changes brought forth by vote of the School Committee on April 14th. Bob seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

Adjournment: Joe made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 p.m. Bob seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Terry Mosher
Executive Secretary