SB Notes Feb 22, 2022

Special Town Meeting

• Set a tentative date for the STM discussed last meeting for moving money from another account to pay for the overage in the legal account caused by unanticipated legal fees from the AT&T lawsuit. 

6:15 p.m. Heath Historical Society
5 Ledges Road

• HSS needs a place to build a climate control building, 20 x 20
• Ledges Road is a non-conforming lot, there are wetlands, but building would be far enough away from them
• If auctioned, the HHS would be interested in bidding for the land. Have in hand half the estimated cost to build.
• Sue asked if the building inspector or other authority has been consulted on the feasibility of a building on the non-conforming lot

 
7:00 p.m. Budget Hearing~~Municipal Light Board
Cebula Alarm System for the broadband hut by the basketball court on South Road.

• Was a $13,000 capital cost, and installed. The card access entry and tracking to be installed in the next couple of weeks.
• There is an outstanding  invoice for $576
  • Already paid $6000, and not fully covered yet.
  • The MLP Board needs to ensure that that all items in the hut are covered.

Broadband Loan

• Heath can apply now for the state  money and reconcile in the spring when there are more drops. Amount expected is  $214,682
• Expect the budget amount for MLB Plant Manager will stay the same and likely go down in next fiscal year
• The board is working with other towns to create resiliency.  WG &E has provided a design.  The hope is that this will  reduce cost.
• Asked that the SB agree that Heath will work with 4 other towns on a proposal to get grant money for the resiliency  project. Towns are Leyden , Rowe, Colrain, and Charlemont.

 
FinCom – Tom Lively
Review of Budget Requests
Highway dept

• Jeff Johnston could only get 1 bid for an expensive truck which was very high and out of our price range.
• Jeff was unable to get a response from other sources that he contacted.
• Will Emmet, Finance Committee member, to meet with Jeff to over some of the other highway budget items
• Budgeted amount of $7000 for a plow seems reasonable

Police and Fire seem to be ok
Broadband

• Options for the $2 and a half million $2,450,000 loan repayment options are 18 yr or 15 yr.
• Decided to go with 18-year payback.
• There will need to be principal and interest line items for 3 broadband loans on the spring warrant. 

 
Potential Capital Expenses
Salt Shed replacement:

• Robyn and Jeff continue to work on pricing the project and what type of structure to consider.

 
MTRSD FY’23 operating assessment:

• School committee member Barbara Rode was reported to be very concerned about the MHTRS budget vote to be taken on Feb 22 when they are only getting a budget the day before they need to vote. Barbara has several questions regarding the budget.

• $90,000 error:  Heath was reported to have been underassessed last year by $90,000 last year. The majority of time at the meeting was spent on the  call Hilma received from a representative of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District to say there was a calculation error in last  year’s assessment.
• Their budget left out the 33 Heath children going to the Hawlemont school.
• Ned Wolf, former FinCom chair, had questioned the assessment when the FinCom received the budget last year He was assured our assessment submitted at town meeting was correct.
• FinCom response to the $90,000 error: Heath cannot be responsible for this money. We voted on our assessment last ATM and cannot go back.