SB Notes Tue Mar 19 2024

8:20 7:50 6:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order, Review Agenda, Review Minutes: 3/12/24,
​Public Comment - none
6:05: Community Hall/Sawyer Hall—Mold Remediation update

• CH: All equipment removed; drywall partially done; ceiling above stage has been removed because of contamination, but did not replace as it was not part of the original quote; Tim to do painting; Tim to contact contractor to replace ceiling. SH: Ready for painting

6:12  Personnel Policy: review and update sections regarding drug testing, hiring requirements—vote

• Update needed to drug/alcohol section, needed terminology for marijuana related substances (cannabinoids)
• Need wording to ensure anyone driving town vehicles are fully licensed, whether Town employee, contractor, or volunteer.
• Extensive review found obsolete data.

6:21 Town Nurse Job Description: review changes—vote possible

• Job description as written not possible in an 8 hour weeks
• Hilma to rework and give to an RN for review.

7:55 Office Clerks: analysis of town and departmental clerical needs

• Role of a Boards clerk is different from Office Assistant.
• Boards Clerk - Now 8 hrs /wk. Currently working for BoH. SB would like to extend this to Conservation Commission, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeal and make this 10 hrs/wk. (5 hrs for BoH, 1 hr for each of the others.)
• Office Assistant - Now 2 hrs/wk.  Robyn wants to push to 2 hrs/day. Current 2hrs/wk is not adequate.

8:13 FY 2025 Budget Planning: review of salaries & stipends, operating budget, capital requests

• Robyn feels everyone should be at least in the middle of their grade.
• Persons below middle are to be reviewed for possible adjustment above COLA. Several were identified. 
• Review of potential increase in building manager's hours.
• Robyn to produce numbers to make these adjustments.
• Robyn recused herself for Highway Dept. discussion. Increases were recommended by Sue and Elissa and the dept. was praised for the work accomplished despite reduced personnel.

Other Business:
8:58 MTRSD Agreement Articles & possible meeting

• March 27 is the best date for the district for a meeting. SB feels they can't schedule a meeting unless we have the numbers ahead of time.
• SB goal is to understand why the numbers from the MTRSD are different from Ken Rocke's.
• Heath is already paying for it's students and we need the numbers to understand the impact on Heath of the agreement amendment.

9:19 Letter to encourage increased rural aid for education

• Reviewed and accepted

9:21 Municipal Aggregation for Electric—vote possible

• Aggregation is a way to reduce electricity cost to Heath residents.
• Residents can opt not to join the aggregation.
• SB voted to accept 2 yr. contract through Colonial Power
• Workers we see around Town lately work for National Grid  are are doing a pole survey and many poles will be replaced. They are also building in redundancy. 

9:39 Hilltown Youth Performing Arts—review of requests, vote possible

• Jonathan sent a letter of thanks. Hilma to send the new lease with the option to sign or go with existing lease.

9:41 Community Hall Windows Fundraising—update

• Donation letter has gone out
• Have $7817 in donations five of which were online donations.

9:42 Animal Inspector--appointment,
["The primary duty of the Animal Inspector has recently become rabies control in the domestic animal population. Municipal Animal Inspectors are also responsible for barn inspections and may be called to assist with domestic animal disease quarantines in the event of an outbreak."
--https://www.mass.gov/info-details/municipal-animal-inspector-resources​ ]

• Amy Jarvis is the current inspector and wishes to continue in the position.
• She has completed the "Barn Book" which records  the number  and type of all farm animals at each location in the coverage area.
•  She does an inspection of the premises for state requirement for care—adequate food, water, and shelter.

9:51 2023 Town Report

• Draft introduction completed. SB voted to accept with corrections which Sue L will make.

9:53 Town Report Dedication

• Sb members to send recommendations to Hilma who will compile a list for review.

9:55 List of Items from Past SB Meetings to Consider

• How to make Town meeting easier on folks
• How to present the budget in a user friendly way
• How to shorten the time to go through the warrant. Hilma presented an alternative used by other towns.

Mail

• items were already discussed