Selectboard
Selectboard Meeting Minutes
November 29, 2023
Town Hall Annex and Virtual Via GoToMeeting
Attending: Karen Cruise (KC), Robert Cumming (RC), Phil Gott (PG), Town Administrator Sherry Patch (SP)
Call to Order
Meeting called to order to order at 3:00 PM.
John Mirick representing the Princeton Land Trust (PLT) met with the board to present a Conservation Restriction to Princeton Land Trust for land owned by Bruce Harmony and Kristen Beech on Worcester Road. John advised that the PLT has been working with the abutters and the DCR to protect the property (approximately 190 acres) for watershed purposes for the last four years. THE PLT purchased the property and resold it to DCR who in turn sold the property to the 3 abutters with the Conservation Restriction ensuring that the land will not be developed.
KC moved to approve the Conservation Restriction from Bruce Harmony and Kristen Beech to the Princeton Land Trust. RC 2nd. Voted 3-0.
Board of Assessors Chair Helen Townsend met with the board to discuss the revaluation certification process. Helen advised that the five-year recertification process is a more in-depth process than the annual update, which is based on previous year’s sales. PG stated that a clear policy is needed so that residents know what to expect and that a good description of the abatement process should be in place. Terri Longtine advised that state regulations are available on the DOR/DL website. Helen and Terri will work on a process outline for the town website. KC commented that it would be nice to have a glossary for all the codes on the field cards as well.
Approval of Minutes
KC moved to approve the minutes of 11/15/2023 as amended. RC 2nd . Voted: 2-0-1 abstain (RC).
Approval of Treasury Report -Warrant #11
KC moved to approve Treasury Report for Warrant #11 as follows:
Payroll: $134,263.17
Accounts Payable $121,209.60
Light Department $ 24,252.09
Total: $279,724.79
RC 2nd. Voted 3-0.
Public Comment
Holly Burgess of Sam Cobb Lane commented on the complaint she filed last week. Holly stated that the complaint she filed regarding her assessment did speak to process. Holly stated that what Helen wrote was incorrect and not a fair review.
Appointments
KC move to appoint Jean Green to the Ecotourism Committee. Term to 6/30/2024. RC 2nd. Voted 2-0-1 abstain (PG)
No action was taken on the appointment of Ken Knowles to the position of Election Officer.
No action was taken on the appointment of Melissa Dexter to the position of Election Officer.
PG requested more information regarding the Town Clerk’s recommendation for appointment of the Election Officers.
KC move to appoint Gina Polewaczyk to the Historical Commission. Term to 6/30/2026. RC 2nd. Voted 3-0.
No action was taken on the Board of Health, Alt. Member. Hold pending Board of Health recommendations for appointments.
No action was taken on the appointment of Diana Gubber-Markley to the position of Animal Inspector.
KC requested a job description for this position.
No action was taken on the appointment of Andrea Surabian to the Holiday Lighting Committee. KC would like to invite Andrea to attend the next meeting to discuss the Committee vs. Ad hoc group of residents who decorate the common annually. KC noted no posted meetings and minutes available.
New Business
No action was taken on the Fire Department ARPA Allocation Request for LUCAS Device for A-2. The board agreed to include this request in the FY 25 Capital plan so that the devices are not expiring at the same time.
Correspondence and Communications
The board acknowledged receipt of correspondence from Karen Rossow of the Friends of Mechanics Hall regarding possibly razing the building. RC stated that there are no immediate plans to raze the building and that the Friends of Mechanics Hall would like something attractive. PG emailed Karen Rossow with examples from Hardwick. PG noted that the Housing Implementation Committee is interested in housing . Lar Greene discussed new septic options at the last meeting of the Housing Committee. KC prefers to see commercial use. PG suggested mixed use as a possibility.
KC advised that she reached out to Angela Green regarding her concern about possible discontinuance of maintenance of Thompson Road. KC advised that after meeting with the Highway Superintendent, Fire Chief, Police Chief and Light Department to explore this further, that it is not feasible to discontinue maintenance of any section of the road.
Old Business
No action was taken on the draft Flag Policy. Discussed adding Selectboard as a sponsor for commemorative flags. The board will review and vote on approval at their next meeting.
No action was taken on Mechanics Hall RFP. The board will review at their next meeting. Agreed to include mixed use.
Bid Awards
Library Window Repairs and Restoration Cornerstone Construction & Remodeling
SP advised that the board previously voted (6/14/2023) to allocate $12,684 from the ARPA fund for repairs to the Library windows. However, the low bid for the project was $3,663 over that amount. SP recommended an additional allocation of $3,663 to cover the shortfall.
KC moved to allocate an additional $3663 from ARPA to supplement the previous allocation of $12,684 for Repairs and Restoration of windows at the Library. RC 2nd. Voted 3-0.
KC moved to award the bid for repairs and restoration at the library to Cornerstone Construction and Remodeling and to authorize the TA to execute the contract documents. RC 2nd. Voted 3-0.
KC move to award the bid for Security Upgrades at the Thomas Prince School to American Alarm Company ($49,957.63) and to authorize the TA to execute the contract documents. RC 2nd. Voted 3-0.
No action was taken on the Weatherization Study. The RFP will be revised and reissued to clarify deliverables.
Town Administrator Report
SP discussed the Grant Debriefing for the Rural Small-Town Grant Application for Final Design and Construction bid documents for the new public safety building. The grant scored well especially in the readiness category. They received over $77M in requests for funding. Only $5M was available for awards. We requested the maximum amount of $500K. They did not fund any public building projects this year. Former Senator Ann Gobi who is now the Director of Rural Affairs attended the debriefing. Ann advised that the administration is aware of the need for funding for municipal buildings and that there is a strong chance that something is forth coming but that it will not be through the One Stop grant program.
SP advised that CMRPC submitted a Planning grant for $100K for Phase II of the Master Plan. The application received 100 points. 113 points are needed for an award. Statewide they received $12M in requests and only $4M was available to fund requests. They encouraged us to reapply in the next round, and to work on Scope and Public engagement as they didn’t match what was in the application. Identify what comes next.
SP discussed grant writer opportunities. The Town of Northfield recently utilized ARPA funding to hire a full-time (3-year verbal agreement) grant writer. The TA is hoping that Town Meeting will see the value in this position and fund it in 2026. So far she has brought in just under $1M in grant funding. Salary is in the $70K range plus benefits.
SP also met with Jim Mazik who is a consultant who does grant writing and planning projects. Jim is the former Deputy Director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. He is now retired and does consulting work. Jim suggested issuing an RFQ for Grant Writing Consultant Services
and getting hourly rates from consultants who could do the work on an hourly basis and availability and areas of expertise. SP will draft an RFQ for Grant Writer Consultant Services for the board to review and discuss possible ARPA allocation at the next meeting.
Selectboard Report
RC attended a Solar Farm Committee meeting. There is insufficient capacity in Westminster. Sterling line is needed for transmission. Also making sure that landfill cap meets standards. RC attended the Financial Team Meeting last week for review of FY 25 Capital requests. PG and SP met with Chief Bennett last week to review goals. Better communication with the selectboard is needed. PG attended Ecotourism and Housing Implementation Committee meetings yesterday. Collaboration with the Board of Health and Council on Aging is ongoing for housing. The board discussed postponing the Phase II PFAS Community Information Session until the completion of Phase III as there is nothing new to report at this time.
Adjournment
KC moved to adjourn the meeting. RC 2nd. Voted 3-0.
Meeting adjourned at 4:56 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sherry Patch
Town Administrator