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Notes for Tue, Dec 15 2025

12/15/2025

5:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order (This meeting may be recorded.)
Review Agenda
5:05 p.m. Appointment: Highway Superintendent—winter preparation & plans

Robyn would like to work with Ironhorse to create a way to enclose the space with money left from the project.
Enclosing the space would add longevity to the building, to better store the product, and perhpas store some equipment
Tyson would like to purchase more product this year as the price will be going up next year
Resident called to give the highway dept kudos for the road clearing this year.

7:15 p.m. Appointment: Hilltown Youth Performing Arts—usage check-in

Everything is going smoothly
Jonathan provided a list of furniture being used by HYPA.

Review Minutes: 12/09/2025
Public Comment - I know you are working on Personnel Safety, but would it be possible to add it as an agenda item so that we can track progress.
Other Business
Office Assistant Resignation—SB voted to accept Nancy Thane's resignation as of Dec 23. Will decide in Jan if the position will be filled.
Sawyer Hall Rental Proposal

The rental proposal is for the former meeting room on the second floor.
An artist who recently purchased a house in Heath wishes to rent the space for a studio there starting March 1 at $300/month to include the consideration of offering 3 free classes to the community.

Town Nurse Position

There is not a lot of overlap to what our town nurse does and what FRCOG offers. Should we continue to have a town nurse.
The Board of Health would like to weigh in on this.
SB wants to have the pros and cons to having this position as other towns don't have this position
SB would like to service all generations along with the older generation currently served.
Mia spoke about community paramedicine in lieu of certain nursing levels.
SB needs to reimagine the position.

Facilities Report

Robyn started a report which both Tim and Hilma have added to.
Town has received a grant to have FRCOG assess the accessibility of all our buildings.
SB voted to allow Robyn to sign the contract to accept the Municipal ADA Improvement Grant for $8750. An MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is initiated and FRCOG will begin.

Wood Bank

There is a wood bank in Colrain. You split the wood and put it in a location where folks who need wood could come and get it.
Need to have a place to put it and a way to police it.

Town Coordinator Transition update

Mia came back the second day so that's a good sign.
There is a seminar Mia can attend via Zoom on municipal finance for $925 and the SB has money available in their budget. SB voted to expend the money for the class.

Winter Meeting Schedule
Mail, not already discussed

Letter from chief regarding how should money be allocated—office vs out on the road
Reports from Fire Dept
FY27 fees from Franklin County Solid Waste Management
MTRSD 2D8T (2 districts 8 towns) project information
Badminton area in front of the Preschool and Firemen's area—SB agreed that the preschool fence can be taken down and vestiges of the preschool sandbox can be removed.

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

SB voted to make Mia, as Town Coordinator, as Signatory for FRCOG Highway bids.
National Grid is rolling out its Smart meters in the coming 2 to 6 weeks.

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Notes for Tuesday, December 9 2025

12/9/2025

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5:30 p.m. Call Meeting to Order (This meeting may be recorded.)
Review Agenda
Welcome to incoming Town Coordinator, Mia Francesconi
5:30 p.m. Appointment: MTRSD Representative—Budge Litchfield, updates

We still need capital improvements at the schools due to health and safety issues such as lighting, fire alarm systems. There has been a decrease in funding of $4 million.
Hawlemont and MTRSD consolidation makes sense.
Moving of 6th graders to MTRSD allows staff to coordinate and work well together.
Regional agreement must be amended to make these changes
We have a 250 square mile school district and a complete consolidation would cause students to be traveling too far.
Towns with the highest level of low income families may end up traveling the furthest.
Preschool concern - parents not close to a consolidated Mohawk Trial school would have considerable driving time and parents may not choose to enroll their children in preschool.

Resident—Ken Rocke, 2D8T considerations

Ken would like the SB and FinComm to take a stand on some of the considerations and communicate those to the other towns and the the district in a timely manner and not be put into the position being a spoiler.
If the regional agreement comes forward with none of Heath's issues addressed then
Feels that we should regionalize.
Hawlemont and Rowe should regionalize and remain open, and they should be our schools due to proximity.
The plan to be brought forward will be to close at least two schools, but Ken feels it is unlikely that Rowe would regionalize if they are required to close their school.
Is there a way to keep our small schools and still regionalize?
Keep the current methodology for calculating choice students is important
Base capital improvement assessment based on students who actually attend the school, not those assigned to the school.
We are limited because we only have one person on the school committee.

6:30 p.m. Special Town Meeting Article Votes
1 - Petition the state to allow Nick Anzuoni to continue past 65 as Fire Chief - passed unanimously.
2 - Petition the state to allow Will Emmet to continue as volunteer fireman past 65 - passed unanimously.
3 - Transfer $40,000 from School/Town Buildings Improvement Stabilization account to new JRMC Roof Repair account. - passed with 2 or 3 nos.
4 - Transfer $2,871 from IT Stabilization Fund account to the IT Equipment Upgrade account - passed unanimously.
5 - Transfer $10,000 from Free Cash to Fire Chief Vehicle Purchase account - passed unanimously.
6 - Zoning changes to add a definition of "street", and amend definitions of "Exterior Architectural Features", "Frontage", "Lot", and "Lot-line". Requires a 2/3 vote for passage - passed unanimously.
Review Minutes: 11/17/2025, 11/19/2025
JRMC Roof Repairs—vote to select contractor

SB voted to accept the $35,015 bid from Titan Roofing for the repair vs the one that was over $50,000 from Vermont Roofing.

Mail

Quite a bit of mail the most significant being the retirement letter from Town Nurse set for a future date when her license expires. She will continue the Bones and Balance class after retirement since this does not require a license.

Next Meeting, December 16: Highway Dept. winter road care update (weather pending)
Hilltown Youth Performing Arts review of use
Other business that could not be anticipated 48 hours in advance.
NOTE: Any of the items of business listed above or other business that could not be anticipated at
the time of posting may involve decisive action on the part of the Select Board.
Adjourn

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