6:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order (Meeting will be audio-recorded.)
Review Agenda
Public Comment
6:05 p.m. Highway Department Update
6:30 p.m. Appointment: Wanda Mooney to discuss new power line installation
Review Minutes: 6/20/2024, 7/2/2024, 7/16/2024
Select Board FY25 Appointments: offices, representatives, boards & committees—votes anticipated
Other Business
Continuation of FY2024 End-of-Year Transfer Discussion and Review of Accountant Reports
HYPA Lease Update
Vincent Road—update on lawsuit and appeal of building permit
Community Hall Windows Fundraising and Construction Project Update
Salt Shed Progress Update
Town Building Appraisal Project—Update
Mail

6:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order, Review Agenda
Public Comment - None
6:05 p.m. Highway Department Update - Steve Thane, interim superintendent

• $200,000 has come in from the Mass.gov Chapter 90 for the highway dept.
• Robin would like a schedule of work to be done, and Will asked that estimated times be included.
• Day 2 is going smoothly, mostly ditching.
• Steve would like "Truck Entering" and "Trucks Crossing" signs at the Highway Dept.
• Town has received 3 application which will be reviewed for qualifications.
• The snow plowing contractor reported that the cost of additional insurance would be $10,000 to plow in Heath so that wasn't viable.

Salt Shed Update

• Robin received sketches from the contractor. The design was for a building 52' wide and 70' long. The current salt shed is 40' wide x 60' long. 
• Templeton and Montague both have the same structure, but different lengths and widths.  Robin would like the highway dept to do site visits.
• Should the EOC building come down at the same time as the salt shed to take advantage of the dumpster?  If so there is a list of items that need to be addressed before the EOC building can be taken down? Steve and Kyle to create the list.

6:30 p.m. Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District—John Briggs and Heath Board of Health

• 8 pools have come back positive for Triple E
• Seeing lots of high numbers. Come out in spring.
• Barbara Gordon: how many traps are there in Heath. Answer-2. Are there any around the fairgrounds?  There will be more frequent testing around the fair time.
• BoH, Sue Gruen: climate change causing increase in the problem.  Take the precautions listed in the various available literature. From BoH webpage: The 5 D's of Mosquito Protection.    BoH, Tim Lively and Claire Rabbit took part in a drill  on how to deal with an emergency.   
• Will Emmet: how do you reconcile beaver dams creating standing water which breed mosquitos.  Town can get permission to put in devices to prevent dams.

Review Minutes: 6/20/2024, 7/2/2024
Select Board FY25 Appointments: offices, representatives, boards & committees—votes anticipated

• Conservation Commission - Sue Draxler
• BUC - Amy Webb, Mary Findley

Other Business
Conflict of Interest Exemption for David Conlon, MTRSD employee—vote anticipated

• Hired to teach at Buckland Shelburne school, and also employed at Colrain school
• SB approved holding two positions in MTRSD (all district towns must vote)

FY2024 End-of-Year Transfer Discussion and Review of Accountant Reports

• Budget is too tight, does not allow for contingencies. 
• Can not continue to ask departments to level fund, costs go up every year.
• Must not try to maintain the tax rate at the cost of fiscal responsibility.
• Because we are in the black, there need not be line by line transfers.

HYPA Lease Update

• Insurance form needed for Hilltown Youth
• Trapeze is a separate insurance
• HYPA is 3 months behind in payment, has not signed new lease. 

Vincent Road—update on lawsuit and appeal of building permit

• ZBA or PB had a hearing, 4 people attended, ZBA had questions for all parties and for legal.  ZBA has 100 days to make a decision, but can request an extension.

Community Hall Windows Fundraising

• An additional $800  has been donated.
• Benefit concert is Friday, July 26 at 7 PM.

Community Hall Update

• Upstairs is clean, Exit light batteries replaced, curtains need to be cleaned, appliance company came and sanitizer is fixed.
• SB voted to reopen Community Hall

Town Building Appraisal Project: Discuss steps forward

• SB received a letter suggesting that the SB was derailing or delaying the effort to move forward on HHS using the former Assessors' office in Sawyer Hall.  The SB has no intention of derailing or delaying the effort.
• The chair has been working with Kim Levitch, a broker in Charlemont, who maintains he can do the report the SB needs, but was delayed due to medical issues.

Municipal Light Board Communications/Meetings

• SB proposed quarterly meetings with the MLB/MLP
• Concern about check coming in for returned wire
• Need to get rid of 3 remaining spools left by Tri-Wire

Other Business

• SB voted to approve a letter of support for the Heath Ag Society grant to replace the well house

Mail

• SB to have a representative, Will Emmet, attend the Informational Session on Alzheimer  and Dementia on Friday July 26 at 10:30 AM in the Senior room at Jacobs Road.
• Reports from Fire Chief and Police Chief
• KP Law update on fair labor standards

e 6:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order, Review Agenda, Review Minutes: 6/18/2024, 6/20/2024
Public Comment - none
6:15 p.m. MTRSD School Committee Representative, Budge Litchfield—update

• Mentioned the Sustainability study, would like updated links on the town website, and have the school committee come under Boards and Committees.
• Would like more school links, and to make the MTRSD school information more accessible.
• Budge looked back over six decades and the one thing that stands out is that Heath students lack stability unlike other towns in the district—5 school sites over time.  
• He detailed Heath's unique quest for a school of its own. He stressed the importance of awareness of all parties to the experiences Heath has gone through trying to have a school—first working with Rowe, building our own school, making an agreement with Hawlemont, and finally joining the district for elementary students making the Colrain school it's home school. During this  process Heath elementary students have spread across 4 different schools, only 9 elementary students going to Colrain.  He has provided the BERK12 Sustainability study with a report covering this quest.  
  

6:30 p.m. Highway Superintendent Position—update

• Will and Steve Thane met with Jeff Johnston to learn his contacts, the hwy garage computer password, access to Mass Chapter 90 Grant Central website, covered status of jobs being completed and where materials come from, equipment needed, vehicle maintenance needs.
• Highway dept needs its own access to sand pit and will be making one.
• Went over accounts, Steve Thane spent time with Jeff on this.
•  during
•  Reorganization of Duties & Compensation—SB voted to approve salaries for a 3 month period.
  • Will reviewed the duties in light of Steve Thane working as acting superintendent.
  • Will presented a breakdown of foreman duties vs acting superintendent for the interim period. Items that are considered long range planning were removed for now. 
  • Steve and Kyle will share the 24/7 on call duties.
  • Steve will get Jeff's hourly wage of $33.50 for 20 hours/week barring emergencies for 3 months, to be revisited as needed. Kyle will get an increase of $2 during this time until a superintendent is hired.
  • Will asked Rep Natalie Blaise about the process of getting CDL licenses which currently costs $4000 to $5000 for schooling. Will wants to know if the training requirements have been relaxed.

Select Board FY25 Appointments: offices, representatives, boards & committees—votes anticipated

• ​PO Substitute list of 4 names provided was approved.
• Historical Commission: Dane Davidson, Kathy S [did not catch the name]
• CHFRC: current member list was approved.

Other Business
Order of Taking for property along Rte. 8A by W. Branch Brook bridge—SB voted to approve

• Temporary taking for the purpose of relocating utility poles for the bridge construction
• The property owners have donated the temporary taking to the town

FCSWM Annual Agreements for Services—SB approved the agreements

• Three standard agreements: General, third party inspection of transfer station, hauling contract for transfer station.

Lawn Mowing Agreement—Snows Landscaping—SB Approved
Vincent Road—update on lawsuit and appeal of building permit

• July 10 there will be a public hearing on an appeal to a building permit for garage/barn type building. 
• There is an ongoing lawsuit regarding whether or not Vincent Road is a private road. 
• One of the landowners as filed a lawsuit claiming the road is privately owned by them which would bar other landowners access to their land.
• Heath has been named as a defendant by the plaintiffs lawyer because they recently clarifed the status of the road in anticipation of a trail easement.

Community Hall Windows Fundraising—update & review of charge—vote anticipated
Community Hall Update

• Dish sanitizer has not been repaired yet so kitchen is not available.
• Downstairs can be used except the kitchen, upstairs needs to be cleaned.

Mail - items  already covered in the agenda.
Other business that could not be anticipated 48 hours in advance.

• ​Ambulance Service contract needs a vote. SB approved the contract.