6:30 p.m. Annual Town Meeting Review with Moderator

• ​Logistics discussion on which articles to move forward
• The final article needs clarification as to what is allowed. It reads, "To see if there is any other business for discussion to come before the Town Meeting, or take any action related thereto." There was some confusion last year at the end of the meeting  for which the moderator apologized. 

7:00 p.m. Joint Meeting with Finance Committee - not held due to late meeting notice
Budget and Warrant

• Robyn recused herself on line items that referenced the highway department.
• SB voted to approve Article 3 (budget) and the rest of the warrant pending FinComm meeting on Wednesday.
•  SB to meet on Thursday for Finance Committee Recommendation of Art. 3 for the Warrant.

Other

• Trailer removal on Bray Road - discussion of whose authority it falls under and weather it is a camper or a trailer. Hilma to check.
• Elissa Viarengo has resigned from BoH
• Municipal Light Board internet troubleshooting document was discussed. The troubleshooting contact is the MLP Manager, Sheila Litchfield, but a backup name is needed. Elissa said there has been a contact list on the hub in the past with a list of contact names.
• Transfer Station update - tabled to next week
• COA would  like to create a patio outside the Senior Room. SB voted to have the COA create a planning group to create a report on the proposed project.
• Nurse's hours were corrected to 8 and the job description will be updated with the correct number.
• Public Comment Policy
  • KP Law has sent out a policy document on Public Comment
  • Public Comment period is not required by Open Meeting Law
  • Robyn recently attended a Zoom meeting on Open Meeting Law

Salt Shed

• Walter Cudnohufsky and Kim Berringer from Walter Cudnohufsky Associates, Inc, walked the Bray Road site  and the current site with Brian.
• They will create a plan for Bray Road if feasible for the salt shed. Would  require a retaining pond.
• They also looked at the current  site where there is  concern about how to handle runoff.

Separation Agreement for Mike Shattuck

• Robyn recused herself.
• [Mike Shattuck's benefits will continue to July 1: this includes all vacation, all wages, all currently enrolled insurance. If Mike chooses to accept a job before July 1, the above benefits will still continue to July 1.]
• Voted on and approved

MTRSD—4 proposed articles one of which is to amend the regionalization agreement.  This will remain on warrant but the SB and FinComm have not had time to understand the implications of the amendment. 
MTRSD Assessment Amendment, Budge Litchfield and Ken Rocke
Discussion of the Regional agreement amendment which the district requested be on the warrant:

• Students are assessed in different ways depending on whether they are a charter school student, a choice student, or a resident student (lives in the district where they go to school).
  • Towns that would benefit from the amendment have highest number of student attending in-district schools.
• A regional agreement amendment can only be approved if every town votes it in at town meeting.
• The proposed agreement amendment could have us paying up to $65,000 per student in 5 years and every year after.
• The current year is a $13,000 increase in our assessment.
• We need to slow the amendment process down so the implications can be understood.

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[Added info]
DESE
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Chapter 70 Program
"The Chapter 70 program is the major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools. In addition to providing state aid to support school operations, it also establishes minimum spending requirements for each school district and minimum requirements for each municipality's share of school costs." Chapter 70
 Charter School
"Charter schools are independent public schools designed to encourage innovative educational practices. Charter schools are funded by tuition charges assessed against the school districts where the students reside. The state provides partial reimbursement to the sending districts for the tuition costs incurred."  Charter Schools
Choice School
"The inter-district school choice program under G.L. c. 76, § 12B, allows families to enroll their children in schools in communities other than the city or town in which they reside. Tuition is paid by the sending district to the receiving district."   School Choice 
Resident public students attending District Schools
Towns pay both a Minimum Local Contribution and an Above Minimum Contribution.
Average MLC and AMB are both about $8,000. Interest of
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Estimates on MTRSD may just be one fifth of the assessment. If this is true and the assessment is incremental, then the assessments for the next 5 years would be $13,000 in FY24, then $26,00 in FY25, $39,000 in FY26, $52,000 in FY27, and $65,000 in FY28 and level off at $65,000 every year from then on. In some case the interests of the various towns and the interests of the district are not going to coincide, there are winners and losers. 

Notes
Salt Shed Update
​Study of two sites for salt shed—current or Bray Road—will start next week.  Brian has offered to continue to work on the Salt Shed project as a volunteer after retiring from the SB.
Downsizing
Mike Shattuck benefits will continue to July 1: this includes all vacation, all wages, all currently enrolled insurance.
If Mike chooses to accept a job before July 1, the above benefits will still continue to July 1.
New Computer for Treasurer
SB voted to get new computer from Northeast IT

FY 24 Budget
The budget and warrant are reaching a final state and the Finance Committee will vote next week on their recommendations.

• The accountant agreed to accept $5000 rather than his requested $10,000
• Nurses hours were reduced from 8 to 7 to agree with the job description.
• Winter Temp help was adjusted from $4000 to $5000. 

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Community Hall

• Next week the flooring contractor will take measurements  and submit an estimate for repair.
• There was discussion whether or not to use epoxy flooring rather than tile. This was looked on favorably as less likely  to be affected by water leaks.

There was a lot of discussion about the highway department as that is our biggest expense after the $1,000,000 plus  Mohawk School District assessment.

Alice Wozniak of the finance committee compared the Mohawk budget to another like district whose budget was $10,000,000 less than Mohawk.  Did I get that right? Holy smoke! 
​Some Select Board Humor: A tongue-in-cheek comment was made that we could hire a bus and send our kids to Deerfield Academy or Northfield Mount Herman as day students for less money that it costs to send them to Mohawk.  

Meeting Notes
Budget discussion with Finance Committee
FinComm recommendations to try to mitigate the increased financial burden the town faces next fiscal year:

• Decrease highway department staff from 4 to 3  
  • Reports by FinComm members research indicates this is viable and necessary due to our rising tax  rate. Research of other towns was done by Will Emmet and Alice Wozniak.
• Do not replace leaf blower, repair the old one instead. Will Emmet to assist in repair.
• Take $20,000 from free cash towards Mohawk School District $40,000 plus assessment error.
• Avery Brook Road cutback of brush and trees.  FinComm suggestion was to take $34,329 from the Flag Hill improvement fund (the extension of Flag Hill Rd may not take place) to do what cutting can be done within budget. Leave the rest of cutting for later.
• Truck: Need $94,512, one suggestion from SB was to not use Chapter 90 money as it is needed for roads—take approx. $30,000 from free cash and finance the rest.  FinComm leaned toward using the Chapter 90 money rather than incur more debt.

o FY24 Budget— discussion

• Hilma and Robyn created a list of concerns with the way our accounting is done. Needed to check with FRCOG regarding their accounting services. 
• FinComm suggests to move to a supported accounting system rather than what we are currently using. A Community Compact grant may fund new software.
• Sue Lively had a discussion with Claire Rabbitt, our Town Nurse. 
  • Claire spends 8 hours per week, the job is more technical then in the past. Young persons are not using her services. She has no immediate plans for retirement. The biggest need in Heath is the in-home services area. FRCOG can do some of the work that Claire does.  Claire's Bones and Balance class is volunteer time. Discussed whether this is still a valuable position for our town.  Barbara Gordon pointed out that FRCOG charges for additional services and does not always have the personnel to fulfil community needs.

• Smith school student is returning to Mohawk eliminating $30,000 from the budget for 2024.

MLP

• Will pay for the manager's salary
• Anticipates returning $39,000 to the town by July 1, 2023, maybe more
• Takes seriously their commitment to repay the $200,000 from General Stabilization. $100,000 has already been returned to the town.

o Review of ATM articles

• Mainly an elimination of some articles no longer relevant (Smith Vocational) and the tweaking of others.  Hilma to update and send to legal for review.

o Phone service—presentation of research and options

• Hilma would like to find a less expensive solution for town phones.
• Bill Fontes, MLP member, is assisting.
• Hilma to attend a presentation from an alternative company

Items unable to complete
Review of Minutes: 3/21/23, 3/28/23
Votes to be done at next meeting (due to posting error):
o Joining Age-and Dementia-Friendly Communities recommendation from COA 

• Hilma to draft acceptance letter pending the vote by the SB next meeting

o Renaming Jacobs Road building