Call Meeting to Order – THIS MEETING MAY BE AUDIO RECORDED➢ Review Agenda ➢ Consent Agenda
o Meeting Minutes: 04/21/2026 - Approved
o Accounts Payable/Payroll Warrants
➢ Appointments
o 5:30PM – Sabra Billings, Candidate for State Representative – Discussion re. Challenges with State Funding

• Understands the issues of Chapter 70.
• Bundling of amendments makes it impossible to have discussion on a specific amendment.
• Rural education funding is of great concern to Sabra.  Brought up State Pilot Programs:  ["Overall, pilot programs can hurt rural communities by failing to address their specific needs and challenges. Instead of enhancing educational opportunities, they may inadvertently undermine the resources and support systems that are crucial for rural students' success."]
• Addressed energy initiatives that often create financial challenges.
• Top third in the county with percentage of state owned land but we are not getting our fair share of state money.
• Rapid discussion of many topics. [I recommend listening to the tape.]

➢ Select Board Discussion/Decision Items
o Select Board Annual Town Meeting Hand Outs – Review Final Draft Handouts: still requiring changes

• Robyn and Elissa recommended changes to the format to make it more readable.
• No recommendations for the content of the notes themselves
• Waiting until next week to sign off on the notes

o Lease Agreement, Hilltown Youth Performing Arts – Approve & Execute One-Year Lease 

• A signed lease was returned from HYPA.  Payments are up to date.

o Office Assistant & Boards’ Clerk Positions – Review/Discuss Next Steps; Job Descriptions

• Boards Clerk: Only two boards are using the clerk- Planning Board and Board of Health. Need to re-envision the position. No applicants for the position yet
• Office Assistant: Interview scheduled

o Town of Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser – Review/Discuss Vehicle Information, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and Bill of Sale  - no updates​
➢ New Information/Updates
o Community Hall – Elevator & Cupola

• Elevator: part was fixed and will be shipped back to Florida, but we do not have an install price yet. 
• Cupola: Two of 4 decorative pieces have fallen. Colrain has a bucket and we are working on getting use of it to take down the last two.

o Highway Department – Salt Shed; Taylor Brook Road Bridge; Street-Sweeping; Colrain Stage Road Paving

• Salt Shed:  Tyson is renting a trencher to get the electrical work done to tie the salt shed into the Highway Garage.
• Street sweeping: may need some finishing up. So far have not rented a street sweeper, still assessing
• Colrain Stage Road: starts on May 7, Tyson would like to close the road while some work is being done.

o HVAC – Sawyer Hall & Jacobs Road Municipal Center

• JRMC: seems to be working
• Sawyer Hall: need more input on how to correct the heating there.

o Tri-Town Landfill – Clearing of Vegetation; Invasive Species Eradication

• Still waiting for additional mowing and removal of invasive species quotes.
• A contractor is doing a walk around on Wednesday, April 29.

➢ Public Comment:

• Resident has an issue with the sand road cleanup. The blower has been used in front of resident's homes.  The sand and salt mix coated windows and lawns.  We need a better plan for next year about what we use and how to clean up. "Blowing is not sustainable as a remedy for putting sand on the roads."
• Resident expressed concern about high cost listed for the light bar on the Police Cruiser

➢ Mail
Part 1

• DRAFT Annual Town Meeting Warrant &  Budget Notes (7 pgs.)  
• Hilltown Youth Performing Arts Lease Agreement FINAL (16 pgs.)

Part 2

• Office Assistant Job Description, Approved October 26, 2021 (2 pgs.)
• Boards’ Clerk Job Description, Approved June 18, 2024 ( 3pgs.)
• Town of Colrain re. Surplus Police Cruiser Information (7 pgs.)
• W. Lattrell re. Taylor Brook Road Bridge (1 pg.) - Insurance company forgot and is now taking action
• B. Kovacs re. Property on Bray Road (1 pg.) - Town cannot take any action if there is no violation
• C. Curtis (DRWA) re. Letter of Support for Waterway Designations (3 pgs.)
• L. Cregan (Franklin Land Trust) re. Behl-Amter Conservation Restriction (1 pg.) - Liam will be in attending a future SB meeting.  Elissa to meet with him on Thursday.
• FCSWMD re. April Recycling Costs (2 pgs.)  

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

• JRMC Signage  - needs to be paid for before the end of this fiscal year (beginning of June)
• 8A culvert: there are no landmarks for right of way. Engineers said it would be $10 to $20,000 for the Engineering & Design, to have it surveyed and to make a Metes & Bounds plan.  [Metes and bounds is a system used to describe land boundaries by referencing physical landmarks, directions, and distances, starting from a specific point known as the "point of beginning."]

➢ Meeting Adjournment

​Call Meeting to Order
➢ Review Agenda ➢ Consent Agenda, Meeting Minutes: 04/07/2026; 04/14/2026
➢ Select Board Discussion/Decision Items
o Select Board Annual Town Meeting Hand Outs – Review/Discuss Handouts & Final Wording to be Included
Budget

• The SB worked on explaining increases on various budget line items. 
•  One significant increase was   VADAR  Municipal software that replaces a previously home-grown system which is a significant increase in our budget.  
• Northeast IT cost has gone up. Have one laptop that needs an upgrade. Server warranty extension was also significant.
• Some increases that appear on the budget come from adding money from existing revolving account for that line item and are not actual increases to the budget.

Warrant

• There is an article to move money in revolving funds to more appropriate accounts.  See last bullet above.

o JRMC Parking Proposal – Review/Discuss

• A community member submitted a proposal to add parking spaces on the left side of the oval at Jacobs Road and other areas of the oval. Both the Highway Dept and Fire Dept felt it is a good plan.

o Parks & Recreation Committee Annual Assessment – Review/Discuss

• Discussed the needs for the center area playground and agreed some were of immediate need such as removing the dome play structure.

o Lease Agreement, Hilltown Youth Performing Arts – Review/Discuss Proposed Edits

• Not much to note on the HYPA lease. 
• Artist wanting to rent upstairs in the Community Hall has not signed a lease yet.

o Town Nurse – Discuss Next Steps & Position Posting – Vote Possible

• Tabled

o Office Assistant & Boards’ Clerk Positions – Review/Discuss Next Steps; Job Descriptions

• Initial interviews to start for the Office Assistant position.

o Town of Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser – Review/Discuss Vehicle Information, Memorandum of Understanding, and Bill of Sale

• No updates

➢ New Information/Updates
o Community Hall – Elevator & Cupola

• Seeking a bucket lift or ladder truck from nearby towns to reach the cupola to remove the last two decorative pieces before they fall (the last two did).Tyson to make calls to determine possibility of a loan.
• The Community Hall elevator part that failed is no longer manufactured. It has been sent down to Florida for repair. Cost to date from the elevator company  is $1200 for research and shipping.

o Highway Department

• Need a definite date for Palmieri to do the electrical work of connecting the salt shed electrical to the Highway Dept electrical.   Palmieri needs to coordinate with the Highway Dept. who will need to dig a ditch across the road.

o ADA Compliance – Website; Transition Plan; Upcoming Grant Opportunities

• Deadline for website ADA compliance has been extended, and we do not need to take immediate action. Town website host, Montague Webworks, has implemented ADA compliance on the site.​

New
Heating problems in both JRMC and Sawyer Hall. Tim is investigating.  
➢ Public Comment

• Resident requested a candidate night for the two SB members. 
• Resident praised the Community Resource Fair as well organized and worthwhile.

➢ Mail List - If anyone wants the mail packet, let me know.
 C. Curtis (DRWA) re. Grant Application for Woodlands Partnership (3 pgs.)
 B. Lattrell re. Bridge Damage on Taylor Brook Road (1 pg.): Bridge repair needed from when a Fed X truck hit the bridge.
 T. Lively re. Community Hall Lift Update (2 pgs.)
 P. McGahan re. JRMC Parking Proposal (3 pgs.)
 P. McGahan re. Parks & Recreation Committee Annual Assessment (4 pgs.)
 W. Baker re. New Printer/Copier for Front Offices (1 pg.)  Update on new copier
 D. Clark re. Equipment Transfer for Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser (1 pg.): Email refuting the high cost of the light bar for the Colrain vehicle.
 D. Parsons & N. Anzuoni re. Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser (7 pgs.)
 M. Maloni re. Community Compact IT Grant & WCAG ADA Compliance (2 pgs.)
➢ New business that could not be anticipated 48 hours prior to the meeting

Agenda Items
​➢ Call Meeting to Order  ➢ Review Agenda ➢ Consent Agenda
o Meeting Minutes: 04/07/2026 - Not ready for review
o Accounts Payable/Payroll Warrants
Budget

• Stipends discussion - After a 25 minute discussion most of the stipends will be level funded. 
• Land fill expense account - need to address the large amount of knotweed in the fall so SB will add an additional $1000 (?)  towards the removal.  Landfill line will be $8500.
• SB approved the budget (Article 3 of the Warrant)

Warrant

• Reviewed the Warrant.  Want to remove Moving Revolving Funds into an Operating budget.SB voted to approve the budget.

➢ Appointments
o Finance Committee – Final FY ’27 Budget, Final Annual Town Meeting Warrant & Warrant
Recommendations
o 6 PM Eric Sumner, Moderator & Mary Sumner, Town Clerk – Discussion re. Annual Town Meeting

• A suggestion was made to vote the budget in chunks (high level sections).  Then if there were questions people would raise their hands rather than have Eric read them line by line.
• The concern is the amount of time it takes to get through Town Meeting

➢ Select Board Discussion/Decision Items
o FY ’27 Budget – Review Final Draft; Vote to Accept for Inclusion on Annual Town Meeting Warrant – Vote Anticipated. SB voted to approve.
o Annual Town Meeting Warrant – Review Final Draft; Select Board Recommendations; Vote to Accept, Sign, and Move to Post for Annual Town Meeting and Annual Town Election – Vote Anticipated

• SB voted, approved, and signed the final warrant.

o Town Nurse – Discuss Next Steps & Position Posting – Vote Possible

• ​Claire is to retire in the fall. The current salary is very unlikely to attract a nurse. May have to reimagine the role.   One issue is do we want a senior center nurse or a community nurse.​

o Office Assistant & Boards’ Clerk Positions – Review/Discuss Next Steps; Job Descriptions

• Office Assistant has 3 applications; interviews will be scheduled.
• There are no applications for the Boards Clerk.

o Town of Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser – Review/Discuss Vehicle Information, Memorandum
of Understanding, and Bill of Sale

• We are waiting to hear who will cover expenses for needed upgrades.

o FRCOG - FY ’27 #2 Heating Oil, Gasoline, Diesel Bids – Authorize Town Coordinator/CPO as Contract Signatory – Vote Anticipated

• SB voted to authorize Town Coordinator to sign contracts.

​​o FRCOG – Fire Extinguisher, Alarm, and Sprinkler Testing/Inspection Services Bids –Review/Approve Bid; Authorize Town Coordinator/CPO as Contract Signatory – Vote Anticipated

• SB voted to authorize 

o Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Services District – Approve Two-Year Membership Continuation – Vote Anticipated

• SB voted to approve the continuation of the membership for the next two years.

o Highway Department – General Updates

• Palmieri will do electrical work for salt shed and garages in May.
• The street sweeping started, but the sweeper broke down. Tyson will rent one.
• One truck needs to be towed for service .
• F550 needs repair which will be done under warranty

 May, June, & July Meeting Schedule - done
➢ New Information/Updates
o Lease Agreement Next Steps – Hilltown Youth Performing Arts; Valerie Isaacs

• Robyn to request that HYPA lease come back signed or unsigned in a week
• Need to work on updating the rental policy for the buildings.  
• Lease is paid.
  

➢ Public Comment

• Resident asked if there could be a list of future topics somewhere on the agenda or elsewhere  accessible by the community.
  
• Resident asked if their public comment could be read at the meeting. Mia to get back to the person for context.
  

​➢ Mail
➢ New business 

Agenda Items
➢ Call Meeting to Order, Review Agenda, Consent Agenda, Meeting Minutes: 03/31/2026
➢ Select Board Discussion/Decision Items
o Town Nurse – Discuss Next Steps & Position Posting – Vote Possible
The BoH has reviewed the position description and clarified that the nurse will report directly to the BoH, but also be under the general town employee policy. The nurse salary will be $31.25 per hour with the  COLA increase. In looking at other nurses in the area no one receives less than $40 per hour.
o Annual Town Meeting Warrant

• Review/Discuss Most Recent Draft; Select Board Recommendations – Vote Anticipated
• The warrant article is close to being finalized.
• The SB is waiting review by Finance Committee at their meeting this Thursday, April 10.

o FY ’27 Budget – Review/Discuss Most Recent Draft

• Spoke of consolidating some items in the Highway Dept
• Reviewed stipends and agreed to lower two.
• Elissa pointed out that the two School Committee roles are quite different. MTRS committee work is extraordinary.   The FCT school board is basically a monthly meeting. The time commitment of the two are not equivalent.  Elissa suggests the FCT stipend be reduced from $1000 to $275 to reflect the time commitment and the MTRS member stipend remain as it is.
• Elissa looked at the BoH stipends and, compared to Library Trustees, it is out of balance from a time commitment perspective due to state training requirements for BoH which are time consuming.  SB recommended lowering Trustees.
• SB recommended  that BoH member stipends should be raised to within $25 of the chair.

o Office Assistant & Boards’ Clerk Positions – Review/Discuss Next Steps

• There are 2 applicants for the office assistant (10 hours), none yet for boards clerk although interest was expressed in the position.

o Town of Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser – Review/Discuss Vehicle Information, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and Bill of Sale

• ​SB needs more time to review.  The MOU implies more coordination of shared activities rather than just the sale of the truck.  There is an additional expense requirement of $6000, it is not clear which town will pay for this addition, but consensus was as part of the prep work, it should be done by Colrain.

o REVISED Colrain Ambulance Contract – Review/Approve – Vote Anticipated

•  SB voted to accept the revised contract, no significant changes from previous version.

o Tri-Town Landfill – Possible Contract Amendment for Post-Closure Monitoring; Mowing
Contract

• Mia said this was specialized mowing and we are still waiting for bids. It's a 3- or 4-day job.
• Someone is coming to look at it on Wed, April 8. 

o Sand on Roads/Street Sweeping – Review/Discuss Complaint & Street Sweeping Options

• Residents have complained about to amount of sand in the roads.
• Will suggested we hire a street sweeping machine, but it is not in the budget.
• Robyn wants to monitor the use of sand vs salt. Cleanup of sand needs to be budgeted, and Tyson needs to come up with a plan for the cleanup.
• Pavement of Colrain Stage is scheduled for May 7 to 12, but need to make sure grant money is in place.
• HWY Dept spent a day repairing a culvert collapse.
• Robyn wants updated reports on what the Highway Dept is working on now that they have shifted to a 10-hour day, 4 days a week.

o Letter Against S2874, Discuss & Decide Whether to Sign – Vote Anticipated

• An Act to Increase Opportunity by Ending Debt-Based Driving Restrictions 
• SB voted to sign the letter against the act because it removes the incentive to pay excise tax.

o Letter of Support, Franklin Land Trust, Heath and Colrain Conservation Effort 

• Discuss & Decide Whether to Sign – Vote Anticipated
• SB is not ready to sign the letter as there are outstanding questions.

o Town Common Spring Clean-Up – Volunteer Work Bee Requesting Approval

• Bob Gruen is seeking SB permission to clean up the common.
• SB approved. 

o Sabra Billings, Candidate for State Representatives -  Brainstorm Topics of Discussion for Meeting with Town Coordinator

• Mia does not feel she has been here long enough to understand all the issues
• Sandra is now asking for an appt w the SB, wants to hear about Heath problems
• Mia will schedule a meeting after ATM.

o Council on Aging Action Plan – Review/Discuss

• Addresses key missions for Councils on Aging

​o Community Hall Cupola – Discuss Repair/Replacement Options

• Decorative pieces are falling off the cupola. Need to take the remaining two down for safety.
• Would require a lift to reach the cupola safely.

➢ New Information/Updates
o Lease Agreement Next Steps – Hilltown Youth Performing Arts; Valerie Isaacs; Heath Historical
Society (HHS); Carin Freeman

• Waiting to hear from Jonathan
• Valerie is not ready to sign the lease
• HHS, Freeman - Mia to work on

➢ Public Comment

• Resident discussed  the Parks & Rec  proposed warrant article: "To see if the Town will vote to move $1152 from the Parks & Recreation Committee Stabilization Account, 83-630-3590-83010 with a balance of $2,152 to the General Fund to support park"  and recreation "operations. This will leave $1000 in the Parks & Recreation Stabilization Account while allowing Parks & Rec to fund initiatives in a timely manner."
• There was a lengthy discussion about the purpose of stabilization accounts. and the purpose of a Parks & Rec stabilization account.
  
•  The article will go to town Council.

➢ Mail - not already covered

• Jacobs Road sign on 8A is being worked on but there is some confusion on the timeframe. The design will be sent to the SB possibly as soon as next week.
• Resident submitted a parking proposal for the oval at Jacobs Road.
• Letter from Franklin Tech Superintendent regarding special town meeting in the fall to vote on construction project.  Cost is estimated at $80,000 a year for 30 years but SB needs the exact detail.  It should be raised at the ATM but is not a warrant article. 

➢ New business that could not be anticipated 48 hours