Board of Selectmen      
Meeting Minutes
September 22, 2008

Present: All Selectboard members, Fred Vanderbeck, Kim Leahey, Judith Eiseman, Kristin DeBoer, Tilman Lucas and, Dave Goldin, Mary Carey of the Gazette and John Jerome.

Meeting called to order at 6:04 p.m.

Approval of minutes from the meetings held on August 18th and on September 4th: Ed Martin made separate motions to approve the minutes of each meeting; Jim Huber seconded the motions, motions passed unanimously.

Liaison reports:
Police – Chief Fleury is away at conferences for the week, Lieutenant Thomann is covering. The Impala cruiser had a strut break which caused a tire to be punctured, it’s getting fixed.

Fire Department – No report

Town Offices – No issues

Schools – Mr. Huber told the board that the schools are buying wholesale electricity at 11.16 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH); a guaranteed, one-year flat rate.

There was discussion regarding the alliance that is shared between the Amherst Pelham School system (APRS) and Lower Pioneer Valley Education Collaborative (LPVEC).

Huber reports that LPVEC has offered to let us buy in at the same rate.

The questions raised are:

• what are we paying now through our agreement with the Hampshire Council of Governments (HCOG) and,
•  what would it take to get out of the contract and is it beneficial to the town to belong to HCOG?

The board learned that the Town pays 12.2 cents per KWH through the HCOG and that rebates are currently being calculated. It was also learned that DPW Superintendent Rick Adamcek believes that membership in HCOG is still advantageous for purchasing other things such as ‘cold patch’, gravel, etc.

The Board learned that the HCOG electricity contract expires on October 19, 2008 but that 60 days notice must be given in order to be released from it.

Selectman Martin expressed a desire to remain in the HCOG but he and Mr. Huber agreed that the Energy Committee should “track” the electrical expenses over the next year and then meet to determine if it would make more fiscal sense to get out of the HCOG contract and purchase electricity from another entity.

DPW
The Department has been paving South Valley Road and other locations. Mechanic/Foreman James Kicza has given notice.

KESTRAL TRUST

• Judith Eiseman passed out proposed language for Warrant Articles to be presented at the Fall Town Meeting.
• The Articles deal with the Kestral Trust’s purchase of a Conservation Restriction for the Keyes’ property on So Valley Road.
• The proposal is that the Trust will loan the Town the $300,000 purchase price and apply for a State grant which, if awarded, will allow the Trust to recoup $199,000; the Trust will donate the remaining $101,000.
• It will cost the Town nothing.
• Selectmen asked Leahey to send the language to town counsel for review.
• There was also discussion regarding whether or not the discontinuing of an existing right-of-way on the property could be included on the Fall Warrant or if it should be deferred until Spring or, made contingent upon the passing of the Article and award of the grant.
• It was agreed that Jeanne McKnight of Kopelman and Paige, town counsel, would be the one to approach regarding these questions.
• Kristin DeBoer, director of Kestral Trust, shared that the purchase, for purposes of the grant, must be executed by June 30, 2009.
• Chairman Martell advised DeBoer that she “must make clear” at the Town Meeting that the purchase of the Conservation Restriction will not cost the town any thing.
• Eiseman, Lucas and DeBoer asked when the next Pelham Slate would be distributed and was told by Leahey that it was slated to go out on October 15th and the deadline for submissions is October 6th. Eiseman promised to supply information regarding the restriction by the deadline.
• In response to a question from DeBoer regarding whether or not a plea for donations to cover the $101,000 could also be included; Selectmen agreed that it could.

DPW SEARCH COMMITTEE

• The Board reviewed the Job Description for the Truck Driver/Laborer to be hired to replace James Kicza.
• Chairman Martell said that the Personnel Board had recently reviewed and approved it.
• In response to the question of why the position has changed from a Mechanic Foreman, Selectmen explained that new automotive equipment requires computers and specialized knowledge to repair and that Pelham doesn’t have that type of equipment by and large, nor does the Town have the resources to purchase the computers needed or, to pay someone knowledgeable in that repair process.
• The change in position allows the Town to hire at a lower wage and thereby save the Town between six and eight thousand dollars a year.
• Discussion around who would be the “second in command” in the DPW and, therefore, the ‘go-to’ person if Adamcek were ever out for any extended length of time. It was agreed that, for now, that person would be decided by seniority. The Selectmen agreed to revisit the issue after the new hire and, also, to consider putting in the DPW Superintendent’s job description that he/she is responsible for choosing a second in command.
• The Board reviewed the ad that Adamcek had drafted and decided that they would place ads in the Amherst Bulletin for the week, the Daily Hampshire Gazette for Thurs/Fri/Mon/Tues and, possibly, the Sentinel. It was decided that the deadline for applications would be October 10th and that the Committee/the Board and the Personnel Board (Bill Martell suggested he would approach them about meeting) would meet on October 14th and ‘whittle down’ the applications to three.

APPOINTMENTS

• Huber made a motion to appoint Alice Suprenant to the Council on Aging for a period of two years, Ed Martin seconded, motion passed unanimously.
• Martin made a motion to appoint Beverly Ingram to the COA for two years, Huber seconded, motion passed unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS

• John Jerome presented a physician’s note to Selectmen regarding his disability.

• Chairman Martell informed Jerome that it would be faxed to Town Counsel for review.

• It was the Board’s opinion that Town Counsel would probably ask Jerome to go to an appointment with a town appointed physician for a review of his condition.

• The Board assured Jerome that he would be reimbursed for his time and the appointment would be paid for by the Town.

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• Selectmen Huber and Martell expressed extreme displeasure that Administrative Assistant Leahey had not yet purchased the flash drives that had been voted on at the last meeting and further decided should be given to town office employees for back up. Leahey apologized and accepted full responsibility for not having followed through. She promised to purchase the drives the following morning at Staples while in Amherst for another appointment.

• Selectmen agreed that an IT provider is needed but had no suggested solutions for the issue.

• Leahey also reported on her visit to Valley ComputerWorks for a quote on computer backup service. She handed out an information sheet regarding an online backup system with daily monitoring by Valley ComputerWorks. Leahey felt strongly that this would be an economical (approx. $10/computer/month for a total of $30/month) and reliable solution. Selectmen were not convinced and Selectman Huber expressed a desire to solicit other quotes.

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• Bucket Loader – discussion regarding whether or not a Warrant for funds for the bucket loader would be drafted for the Fall Town Meeting.
• Discussion around who can approve funds from the Special Stabilization account recently established for Capital Expenditures i.e.: two thirds vote or simple majority?
• DPW Superintendent Adamcek has arranged for four or five different loaders to be at the garage the next day for demonstrations.
• Adamcek, according to Martell, favors the John Deere at a cost of about $90,000.
• It was felt that the Loader Committee could make a decision by the Warrant deadline of October 1st.
• Adamcek and Tony Cohn-Haft volunteered to look at used loaders but the trip that they made did not offer any viable choices; Rick is going to try again at another time.
• Selectmen cautioned that, for Fall Town Meeting, a definite price and model should be presented.

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• Adamcek has gotten an estimate for power washing and painting the Community Center. The bid is a very low $20,000 for the entire job. Selectmen felt that it would be important to get at least two more bids.

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• Brief discussion regarding the need for a Warrant Article that addresses the relocation of Amherst Road – can DPW Superintendent Rick Adamcek supply the language?

• Discussion regarding the need to gather the articles which are to be proposed so that they can be sent to legal for review in enough time to then have copies made for the meeting.
• Articles which should be included:
1. The borrowing of funds from the Kestral Trust to purchase a Conservation Restriction on the Edmund Keyes property.
2. Approval of purchase of a bucket loader for the DPW.
3. Approval of funds to wash/paint the Community Center.
4. Amherst Road right-of-way.
5. From accountant Gail Weiss: the transfer of funds from the “Overlay Surplus Account”

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• Selectman Huber said that the State is ‘looking for a poster child’ for an energy savings campaign and he wondered if Pelham would be a viable option for wind energy.

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• Chairman Martell asked Leahey to put the disposal of old town vehicles on the agenda for the next meeting.

Ed Martin made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Bill Martell seconded, motion passed unanimously.

Meeting adjourned 7:38 p.m.
Respectfully submitted
Kim Leahey