SB Notes - HEATH CONNECTS

Notes for Tue, Feb 24 2026 at 5:30 PM

2/24/2026

Agenda 
This meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 5:30PM.
JACOBS ROAD MUNICIPAL CENTER – CAFETERIA - 18 JACOBS ROAD HEATH, MA
➢ Call Meeting to Order – THIS MEETING MAY BE AUDIO RECORDED
➢ Review Agenda
➢ 7:00PM Appointment: Budge Litchfield – MTRSD Discussion & Updates

Logged into last week's budget hearing
Budget "is really ugly"
Heath's assessment is moderate, other towns not so lucky. Heath has a 1.31 percent increase; other towns have considerably more.
The largest piece of budget is assessments. Chapter 70 has been stable, but costs have gone up.
Operating assessment is basis of towns assessment which comes $15,000,000 which is a 7% increase.
Biggest increases: utilities, special education transportation ($500,000), general transportation, salary increases and insurance benefits.
To keep assessments down 6.5 teacher positions have been eliminated, para positions have been eliminated.
The School Committee is making significant changes to the regional agreement for ATM.

➢ Review Minutes: 01/13/2026; 02/17/2026
➢ Public Comment - none
➢ Other Business
o Planning Board – Proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment(s) Language – Vote Anticipated

SB voted to approve 3 articles for the planning board regarding, (1) ADUs ( Additional Dwelling Units), (2) cleanup and consolidation of definitions, and (3) moratorium on battery backups with the caveat that they be reviewed by Town council.

o Burnt Hill-Catamount Trail Enforcement Order – Review Scope of Work & Cost

SB voted to approve the estimate to repair the culvert for under $3000

o Sawyer Hall Rental Proposal – Discuss Lease Agreement Details - on hold as lease is not ready
o Green Communities Grant Project – Heat Pump/Mini Splits for JRMC Front Offices –

The SB voted to approve the installation of heat pumps in the two front offices.
There is grant money to cover the cost.
Robyn expressed concern that the two rooms can be isolated and the operation does not increase cost.

o JRMC Security Camera System – Discussion/Review – Vote Anticipated

NE Security System quote indicates it will not affect our ongoing coverage on monitoring
It is for interior cameras that will focus on the 2 main entries for $8625 to be paid from JRMC revolving fund.
SB voted to approve.

o FRTS Proposed New School Building – Discussion/Update
o Northeast IT Annual Review – Next Steps/Budget Planning
o Printer/Copier Replacement Proposal – Discussion

Bill Baker to provide quotes for different copiers

Highway Dept Overview/Discussion
o Recycling Dividend Program (RDP) Fund – Discussion on Project Ideas

Would like to use the RDP money used to replace the platform that accesses the recycling bin.
Will would like a wheeled metal platform

o Truck Discussion

Robyn wants to look at the highway dept as a whole before we purchase more equipment
This will not be done before ATM.
Robyn to look at logs. She still feels it is a 3-man job with the exception of winter plowing being a 4-man job. Needs to understand how much time the superintendent spends on paperwork verses being out on the roads.
On-call plowers will not plow as their unemployment benefits are impacted
The F550 truck has had some problems - defroster not working, heater not working.
Need to eliminate the vehicles that we are not using

Roads

Tyson to get quotes on road repairs and resurfacing
Plowing has gone well overall considering the storms we have had. People are driving more carefully or staying home which helps get the plowing done.

Salt Shed front door - waiting on feedback from Iron Horse on possible heights
o Town of Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser – Discussion/Updates
➢ Mail Not Already Covered

Friends of the Heath Free Public Library turned over $8,543.24 to the Library Trustees. This money had been held by the Friends of the Library in a "building fund" The funds resulted from fund-raising efforts led by the Heath Board of Library Trustees.
Community Resource Fair being put on by the Boh, Library, and COA is requesting the SB to participate.
Letter from FinComm member recommending the removal of the pay phone in Sawyer Hall which costs $1188 a year for under 20 calls and no income from the phone.

➢ New business that could not be anticipated 48 hours prior to the meeting
Snow Day Payment

Town needs to have a policy in place regarding payment for snow days.

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Agenda Tue, Feb 17 2026 at 5 PM

2/15/2026

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➢ Call Meeting to Order , Review Agenda
➢ Welcome Finance Committee – FY ’27 Budget Planning
➢ 5:00PM Budget Hearing: Highway Department – Tyson Howard, Highway Superintendent

Sidearm mower parts needed for John Deere tractor which would eliminate need for two passes Currently there is a cutter pass followed by a blower pass. Former mowing equipment would be sold as surplus.
Doors for Highway garage and Fire Dept. Had two quotes, the better quote has been updated. Considered a high need.
Pickup truck replacement needed as the current truck is not adequate for plowing. Tyson spec'ed a pickup with an 8-foot bed with a sander and plow for $89,730 This truck does not require a special license to drive which is important when hiring contract plowers. This pickup has the same equipment as the 550 so Tyson could keep fewer parts on hand. The existing truck could go to the Fire Dept which needs a new pickup.
Tyson' has a goal to standardize the fleet as much as possible in order to use the same parts
Paving:
- Number 9 Road: Chapter 90 is not sufficient to do Number 9 road properly. Something must be done on the road. Shim and top coat will buy some time at cost of $242,550 from Chapter 90. Possible to get a STRAP grant for $1 mil this year and $1 mil next year, then that would free up money to pay someone to do needed culvert work. There was discussion of doing Number 9 properly in two parts.
- Colrain Stage Rd is a priority as safety vehicles use this road to come to Heath (emergency evacuation road). Cost of $839,187 Chapter 90 money available.
- Sumner Stetson Road - on the list, needs to be done properly, [not clear from the meeting that it will be tackled this fiscal year.]
- East Main Street—drainage by Community Hall lower door will be part of this project when done
- Jacobs Road—on the list of needs [again I was not sure what the plan/schedule will be]
Crack Filling: State will do 8A from town line to state line. May not be done until next year. $20,000 has been allocated for other roads in town.
Culvert work needed on 8A and Burrington Road which will come to approx. $200,000. Can use 2 different grants to get the work done.
Last year's budget items
- Tyson has gone over the winter salt and sand budget of $110,000.
- Tipping budget and winter maintenance will stay the same budget amount.
- Went up 2% in salary
- Summer temp help went up
- Parts and equipment went up between 2% and 7%

➢ 5:45PM Budget Hearing: Fire Department – Nicholas Anzuoni, Fire Chief

There is a lot of turn out gear in the Jacobs attic that is expired.
Nick needs two sets; people cannot take training without compliant gear.
The UTV purchased with a Trail grant is now in service and is able to access areas previously inaccessible.
Elissa asked about dry hydrants in Town which are only plastic and need to be protected. Costs are covered for that. There are two that don't work and are currently in wetlands. The one in the center is protected. [Search Assistant results: "A dry hydrant is a non-pressurized pipe system installed in a water source, such as a pond or lake, that allows firefighters to easily withdraw water for fire suppression in areas without traditional fire hydrants. It provides a reliable water source for fighting fires in rural locations."]

➢ 6:30PM Budget Hearing: Board of Health – Sheila Litchfield, Member

Focus is on Town Nurse position. Currently budgeted at 8 hrs a week for $12,000. Hourly rate is $29.51
Priority is anything that could prevent hospitalization and focuses on the entire population.
Aides the emergency services by knowing who is alone and who is at risk.
Nursing is the number 1 trusted profession. Doctors appreciate when a town nurse is in the community.
FRCOG is an augmentation of public health nursing. Cooperative Public Health Service (CPHS ). There are 5 nurses serving 15 towns. It is a collaboration with the rural town nurses.
Sheila spoke of rural health inequity. Doctors rely on nurses to report on patients at home and their support system. Isolation is a number 1 issue. There are 44 people at risk in Heath.
State does not want to see towns lower their public health budget.
Robyn asked about stipends and required training for BoH members (36 hours a year training per member). There are also several meetings the BoH members have to attend.
We are running out of credits for the mosquito testing that has been done the past years. Testing is done to determine what mossies can turn into carriers. The next step is to treat those mossies before they can grow into carriers.
CodeRED cost is on the BoH budget. The CodeRED system limits how many calls we can make, but there are other reverse 911 companies. There is now a quote for unlimited calls from Code RED. Should be in the Emergency Management budget.

➢ Review Minutes: 02/10/2026
➢ Public Comment

Resident expressed concern about Mass solar initiative and wants to make sure the town was tied into anything needed.
Resident expressed appreciation that there was a Greenfield Recorder reporter attending the SB meetings.

➢ Other Business
Planning Board – Proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment(s) Language – on hold
Parks & Recreation Committee – Enforcement Order; PARC Grant FY ’26 Next Steps

Mia attended the ConComm meeting. Engineer said there was a simple solution which the ConComm liked.
SB voted to not accept the PARC grant . It was not a right fit for the Town due to the requirement to set aside the land as a park in perpetuity.

Fire Department Fee Schedule – Inspection Fee Increase – SB voted to adopt FD inspection fee of $50.
Sawyer Hall Rental Proposal – Discuss Draft Lease Agreement Details
Green Communities Grant Project - Heat Pump/Mini Splits for JRMC Front Offices – Robyn to review grant and where any additional monies will come from.
Board/Committee Email Addresses – Discussion; Email addresses; Post Office and Boards Clerk
Alice W is not in favor of the Boards Clerk handling some email at this time because we are in a lawsuit.
Post Office wants an email address, but does not have a laptop.
Community Hall Storm Windows - Replacement Updates

Robyn called a supplier that already said no to revisit replacing the storm windows.
Mia had asked if the grant manager would at least reimburse for the window restoration portion. No response yet.
Elissa wanted to know what the deadline was for using the grant.

JRMC Security Camera System – Discussion/Review - no notes
MTRSD/HRSD 2D8T Plan of Action – Discussion/Update - no notes
FRTS Proposed New School Building – Discussion/Update - no notes
➢ Mail - not already discussed.

Letter from resident for a proposal for Flag Hill Road Branch - Tyson to do a follow-up for the SB
Letter from FCSWM regarding costs and return of money from RDP (Recycling Dividends Program). SB to see about using the money to improve the transfer station area.
Mass-Care letter re. HCGIT (Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust) Financial Crisis

➢ New business that could not be anticipated 48 hours prior to the meeting

Town of Colrain surplus vehicle offer. Robyn is not comfortable until she understands all the needs.
ATM Report - Liz Canali, who does the report is requesting information. Needs to know who the report is dedicated to.

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Notes Tue, Feb 10 2026

2/9/2026

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Call Meeting to Order – THIS MEETING MAY BE AUDIO RECORDED
➢ Review Agenda
➢ 5:00PM Appointment: Planning Board Chairman – Warrant Article Deadline

Deadline for the warrant article agreed on by the SB and FinComm has caused a compressed schedule for the planning board. A public hearing is required for Planning Board changes to the bylaw, March 11 was proposed.
There is a wording on accessory dwelling units that needs to go into the warrant
Planning Board plans to add a 6% tax on short term rentals
Will hold off on wireless bylaws

➢ 7:00PM Appointment: Hilltown Youth Performing Arts (HYPA) Rental Updates; Discussion

HYPA expressed concern that P&R badminton area might interfere with the Hilltown Youth summer program.
Pat McGahan assured that P &R will not interfere with HYPA's [not stated, but there will not be badminton during the HYPA summer program]
The current lease terminates on March 31, HYPA wants to continue to lease spaces in the building.
HYPA payments are up to date.
If there is a 6-month lease, HYPA would like it to be a rolling lease.

➢ Review Minutes: 01/27/2026
➢ Public Comment - Will Emmet spoke in praise of the Highway department during a difficult winter.
➢ Other Business
➢ Parks & Recreation Committee – Enforcement Order; PARC Grant FY ’26 Discussion;
Enforcement Order

Someone has been contacted to give a quote on the work to proceed on correcting the culvert on the Burnt Hill Trail. Feels it will be simple to be fixed. The Conservation Committee has a meeting on the Enforcement Order that Robyn feels that Mia should attend as Mia is knowledgeable on conservation issues.
Communication should be between ConComm and the SB, P & R should not be involved.

Kiosk

Kiosk in the center will be moved out of line of sight of any neighbors, next to the existing sign by Community Hall

Basketball/Pickleball Court

The requirement to have the court designated as a park in perpetuity is a significant obstacle
The SB will keep it on the agenda for another week, but it is likely that the project can't go forward due to this requirement

Delegate Signatory for Woodlands Partnership FY ’26 Contract – SB voted for Robyn to sign
➢Fire Department Fee Schedule – Inspection Fee Increase – Vote Anticipated

Will Emmet to follow up with questions for Ken Gilbert

➢ Sawyer Hall Rental Proposal – Discuss Draft Lease Agreement Details

Eliss and Mia to get together for further discussion

➢ Green Communities Grant Project - Heat Pump/Mini Splits for JRMC Front Offices – Vote Anticipated

There has been an increase in cost which is over the grant money amount
Robyn and Mia to meet to go over accounts to see if there any money that may be available
New costs need to be paid: door hardware, work by Palmieri
Need to make a decision soon as the rebate will go down over time

➢Municipal Light Plant – Fund Transfer – Vote Anticipated

SB voted to accept the $60,000 from the MLB (Municipal Light Board)

➢ Office Assistant/Town Coordinator Transition – Discussion; Chief Procurement Officer

Need to determine Hilma's role going forward
Mia has progressed enough that Hilma and Mia feel not as much office time is needed
SB can do a part time temp employee, and this is acceptable to Hilma
Chief Procurement Officer (the town must have one) – SB voted to appoint Mia
A second sort needs to be done on the files
SB voted to bring Hilma back as a non-benefited part time employee and on call for reminder of the existing transition fund

➢ Board/Committee Email Addresses – Discussion; Post Office Email Address

An email address was suggested, [email protected], to cover ConComm, Planning Board, BoH, Zoning Board of Appeals
Elissa to reach out to the different boards to determine their feeling on the email addresses
Request by Charlene for a Post Office email address. This would be a budget conversation.

➢ CodeRed – Update on Services [service has been restored, people may need to resubscribe]

Mia and Tim are the only people who will be authorized to send out alerts

➢Emergency Services Regionalization, Request for Meeting with Colrain Select Board re. Emergency Services

SB is backed up with budget hearings
Mia to ask if the Colrain SB could hold off until after Town meeting.

➢Town Nurse Position – New Information

There is a grant that helps fund health services—CPHS (Commission on Public Health System)

➢ Franklin County Technical School Budget Presentation – Superintendent

SB needs to schedule a time as it involves a significant financial assessment

➢ March/April Select Board Meetings – Schedule
➢ Community Hall Storm Windows - Replacement Updates

Town has not been reimbursed form the grant because part of the award was for storm windows
Mia to check into a partial payment for the work has been done

➢JRMC Security Camera System – Discussion/Review – Vote Anticipated

No vote: There is some holdup regarding the inclusion or lack of reference to prevailing wage

➢ Memorandum of Understanding – ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan – Vote Anticipated

SB voted to go forward with the plan

➢ ADA WCIG IT Grant – 15 Town Collaboration – Introduction & Discussion

There is a $200,000 grant for ADA compliance to be shared among 12 towns.
Shelburne is applying for the grant

➢ Route 8A Over Underwood Brook Culvert/Bridge – Engineering Next Steps

Project changed hands, but SB has not been kept up to date
Eligible for $1 mil as long as we do drainage work along with culvert work
Need easements
8A is supposed to be paved in 2028

➢Sustainable Purchasing Policy – Yearly Acceptance - SB voted to approve
➢MTRSD/HRSD 2D8T Plan of Action – Discussion/Update

Robyn attended a meeting where reps were there from all the towns except Colrain
Currently in Phase 3 looking at the one campus option
Looking at changes required to the regional agreement, how assessments will be made, and what will school committee representation will look like
The meeting chair was pushing the SB to start having meetings with resident
Robyn wants an update on where students are going, ages of the students, and how many are home schooled
Transportation is a significant issue

➢ Mail - not already discussed

Communication from Ken Rocke to MTRSD
Email from Tim regarding replacing door hardware on JRMC. SB voted to have the replacement done.
Communication between Will and Natalie Blaise, not sure of the topic.
Parking concern at JRMC

Not anticipated

Mail comes after 12 so Charlene would like to shift hours to 10 AM to 2 PM so she can get people's mail to them sooner that day

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Notes for Tue, Feb 24 2026 at 5:30 PM

Agenda Tue, Feb 17 2026 at 5 PM

Notes Tue, Feb 10 2026

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