6:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order , Review Agenda, Review Minutes: 9/16/2025
Public Comment - Resident expressed concern about mold downstairs in the Community Hall.
6:10 p.m. Discuss Terms of Hilltown Youth Performing Arts Lease

• 6 month lease as a time to see if it works out for both entities. 6 months gives HYPA time to find a new location.
• Mandatory check-in (in 3 months?) meeting with the SB  to discuss a longer term lease
• SB feels that the program is not just about Heath but about the whole Hilltown Community, but this tenant requires a lot of overhead.  
• SB member is not sure there will ever be a compatible use of the space
• All members believe in the program
• HYPA, a large dynamic group,  may not be a good fit for this building.

Other Business
ATM 2025, Art. 21 (zoning bylaw changes)—determination of corrective action—vote possible

• Robyn still has a question for legal so no vote was taken.

Town Coordinator Transition Plan update

• Committee was well selected
• Has a 2 hour meeting which was very productive
• They have determined the questions to be asked
• Reviewed 6 applications and divided them into 2 groups, selected 3 whose qualifications best matched our needs who will be interviewed on Oct 9.

7:00 p.m. MTRSD: 2D8T Update, Plans for Revised Regional Agreement & Closure of Schools

• Martha Thurber, Sheryl Stanton, Budge Litchfield
• SBA (School Building Authority)  was impressed with the work done to date.
•  The members  went over the bullet points of the 5 year plan of school consolidation.
• One of the most repeated issues at community meetings  was transportation—how long kids will be on the bus.
• Hope to have a vote by 2026 on the whole plan at a Special Town Meeting.
• One of the big questions will be what can they do with their building. Committee would like to have other towns reach out to Heath for ideas and help about using closed buildings. 
• Acronym used in the charts SOI(Statement of Interest)
• Hope to have field trips to schools that have a single campus. 

Mail

• Complaint about speeding  in the Center, chief has been informed. He will have some presence in the Center of Town.  Does the chief ticket for violations? Not sure.
• Letter about HYPA lease.
• September recycling rates

5:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order 
Elissa Viarengo was unable to attend.
Review Agenda
5:02 p.m. Appointment: Highway

• SB voted to declare two old trucks as surplus property.
• Jason Lively and Jason Boutwell covered the Highway Dept without issue while Tyson has been out.
• Will Emmet to take the two Jasons to a construction convention on Thursday.

6:00 p.m. Appointment: Hilltown Youth Performing Arts—discussion of lease terms

• Agreement of $500 each for two rooms
• Block method for gym and cafe.
• HYPA objects to being charged $100 for use of the outdoor space. "Never see anyone else using it."  
• Atrium is off the rental list, but HYPA will be allowed to use it two weeks before their winter performance.

Review Minutes: 9/2/2025, 9/8/2025
Public Comment:

• I would like to thank Hilma, Tim, and the Highway Dept for getting the ballfield ready for play.

Other Business
ATM 2025, Art. 21 (zoning bylaw changes)—determination of corrective action

• Town voted for a zoning bylaw change at the last ATM.  The Atty General's office requires it to be published twice in a local paper. It was only  published once. 
• The Town needs to publish the bylaw change a second time —approx. cost is $950 or restart the process at the next ATM.
• SB is leaning towards restarting the process, but will hold off voting for when Elissa is able to attend.

Salt Shed update

• Ready for grading and asphalt.

Health Insurance update

• Our current insurance, Hampshire County, is very good, covers many things, and often there is no co-pay.  In addition it  offers BlueCrossBlueShield as one of its options.
• GIC offers insurance through different companies.

General Town Building Use policy

• Tabled

Town Coordinator Transition Plan update

• Interviewers are finalizing interview questions.
• Plan to have a zoom meeting to finish up and then schedule interviews.

Clinician Responder with Police

• ​The clinician rides with police in hopes to keep issues from escalating. SB voted to approve the clinician.

Items raised at the last meeting that need to be continued: 
Dangerous curve across from Dane's where there is a stream.

• Hilma has asked Tyson to put up warning signs
• SB, Highway Dept, and Cons. Commission will need to meet at the site

Bus routes for the tech school  needs to be addressed at a future meeting

From the draft minutes of the SB meeting which I did not attend:
Preliminary Interview Committee:
The Board discussed the slate of possible appointees to the committee for holding preliminary interviews for the Town Coordinator position. On a motion by Elissa Viarengo and seconded by Will Emmet, the Select Board unanimously voted to appoint Hilma Sumner, Dena Briggs, Alice Wozniak, Elissa Viarengo, and Ken Gibert to the Preliminary Interview Committee. Hilma will send an initial email to the committee members to begin the process of reviewing applications, developing a list of interview questions and, establishing a common availability schedule.
 
Textile Recycling MOU:
The Board reviewed a note of explanation from Jan Ameen and the Memorandum of Understanding from a textile recycling company CMRK. With exclusive use of the transfer station to place a textile box, the company will pay the town $.07 per pound for what it recycles. On a motion by Elissa Viarengo and seconded by Will Emmet, the Select Board unanimously voted to sign the textile recycling MOU with CMRK.

5:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order
Review Agenda 
5:02 p.m. Appointment: Fire Chief Nick Anzuoni—mid-year report

•  Spoke about the fire on HO cook, they had lots of mutual aid  from  other organizations, lots of risks had to be assessed. They opened up a logging road with a dozer and were able to get near to the fire. 
• Some lessons learned which will need to be evaluated.
•  The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built cisterns are low or unusually dry indicating the our drought situation.
• New brush  truck helped out. All the vehicles are in good shape except for the chief's truck.
• Discussion of possible combined fire departments.
• Colrain kids drew maps and the jail made them.

5:30 p.m. Appointment: Police Chief John McDonough—mid-year report

• Biggest time consuming task involves firearms  renewals. 
• These renewals go out state and federal agencies and may come back with questions that need to be resolved.​
• Clinician who responds with police and covered by a grant has proven to be helpful.
• John drove through Mohawk Estates during the Labor Day fireworks, met new president, David King.

Review Minutes: 8/5/2025
Public Comment

• Resident asked for a timeline for backstop repair, can it be added to agenda,? Response was SB needed a date for when pickup softball would start.
• Can the room vacated by HYPA be available for the town to use until rented?  There may be a proposal from a party wanting to use the room.
• Can there be a working group about painting the paneling? Yes. There are improvements grants for buildings.
• HCC - grants are opening now and will  close Oct 17.  
• Resident would like a Heath-only bus route for tech kids who spend an hour and a half on the bus both ways. Select Board to contact Franklin Tech to determine what the current laws regarding length of walk to the bus stop and limit to how long a child can stay on the bus. [Update from Devon Clark:  ". . .  you mentioned that there was one bus stop.  There’s actually multiple bus stops, but the bus stop at the intersection of 8A and Number Nine Road was the one I was complaining about (safety).  The bus also picks up the majority of the kids there and drops the majority off there. ]
• Resident raised the issue of the dangerous situation of no barrier across the street from Bob Dane's. 

Other Business 
Transfer Station—update on new hire transition

• Attendant's dog was running freely at the station.  After being discussed, the situation seems resolved.
• Gates were closed 10 minutes early. Tyson to address it.

Salt Shed update - Tyson is scheduling the final grading and blacktop. ​
Highway Department Position and Wage Evaluations—vote possible

• Discussed reinstituting the foreman position so Tyson has a backup, a role Jason Lively has performed at times.
• Discussed rate increase for both Jason Lively (due for increased responsibilities) and Jason Boutwell (due for his 90 day review).
• SB voted to increase  Jason Lively rate by $1 per hour starting Sept 1.
• SB voted to increase Jason Boutwell by $.50 per hour starting Sept 1.

FY 25 Special Fund Review

• Robyn, Hilma, and Accountant have been working on clearing up funds. 

General Town Building Use policy
Town Coordinator Transition Plan

• Two applicants have responded to ad and another applicant is expected.

Preliminary Interview Committee—vote possible

• ​Proposed 5 people interview team: SB members suggested Nancy Thane, Hilma, Elissa, Dina Briggs, Alice Wozniak, Kate Barrows, Sheila Litchfield, Barbara Gordon,  David Gordon, Jim Cerone, Pat McGahan, Ken Gilbert.​

Mail--
Other business that could not be anticipated 48 hours in advance.