Notes for Tue Apr 7 2026

Agenda Items
➢ Call Meeting to Order, Review Agenda, Consent Agenda, Meeting Minutes: 03/31/2026
➢ Select Board Discussion/Decision Items
o Town Nurse – Discuss Next Steps & Position Posting – Vote Possible
The BoH has reviewed the position description and clarified that the nurse will report directly to the BoH, but also be under the general town employee policy. The nurse salary will be $31.25 per hour with the  COLA increase. In looking at other nurses in the area no one receives less than $40 per hour.
o Annual Town Meeting Warrant

• Review/Discuss Most Recent Draft; Select Board Recommendations – Vote Anticipated
• The warrant article is close to being finalized.
• The SB is waiting review by Finance Committee at their meeting this Thursday, April 10.

o FY ’27 Budget – Review/Discuss Most Recent Draft

• Spoke of consolidating some items in the Highway Dept
• Reviewed stipends and agreed to lower two.
• Elissa pointed out that the two School Committee roles are quite different. MTRS committee work is extraordinary.   The FCT school board is basically a monthly meeting. The time commitment of the two are not equivalent.  Elissa suggests the FCT stipend be reduced from $1000 to $275 to reflect the time commitment and the MTRS member stipend remain as it is.
• Elissa looked at the BoH stipends and, compared to Library Trustees, it is out of balance from a time commitment perspective due to state training requirements for BoH which are time consuming.  SB recommended lowering Trustees.
• SB recommended  that BoH member stipends should be raised to within $25 of the chair.

o Office Assistant & Boards’ Clerk Positions – Review/Discuss Next Steps

• There are 2 applicants for the office assistant (10 hours), none yet for boards clerk although interest was expressed in the position.

o Town of Colrain Surplus Police Cruiser – Review/Discuss Vehicle Information, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and Bill of Sale

• ​SB needs more time to review.  The MOU implies more coordination of shared activities rather than just the sale of the truck.  There is an additional expense requirement of $6000, it is not clear which town will pay for this addition, but consensus was as part of the prep work, it should be done by Colrain.

o REVISED Colrain Ambulance Contract – Review/Approve – Vote Anticipated

•  SB voted to accept the revised contract, no significant changes from previous version.

o Tri-Town Landfill – Possible Contract Amendment for Post-Closure Monitoring; Mowing
Contract

• Mia said this was specialized mowing and we are still waiting for bids. It's a 3- or 4-day job.
• Someone is coming to look at it on Wed, April 8. 

o Sand on Roads/Street Sweeping – Review/Discuss Complaint & Street Sweeping Options

• Residents have complained about to amount of sand in the roads.
• Will suggested we hire a street sweeping machine, but it is not in the budget.
• Robyn wants to monitor the use of sand vs salt. Cleanup of sand needs to be budgeted, and Tyson needs to come up with a plan for the cleanup.
• Pavement of Colrain Stage is scheduled for May 7 to 12, but need to make sure grant money is in place.
• HWY Dept spent a day repairing a culvert collapse.
• Robyn wants updated reports on what the Highway Dept is working on now that they have shifted to a 10-hour day, 4 days a week.

o Letter Against S2874, Discuss & Decide Whether to Sign – Vote Anticipated

• An Act to Increase Opportunity by Ending Debt-Based Driving Restrictions 
• SB voted to sign the letter against the act because it removes the incentive to pay excise tax.

o Letter of Support, Franklin Land Trust, Heath and Colrain Conservation Effort 

• Discuss & Decide Whether to Sign – Vote Anticipated
• SB is not ready to sign the letter as there are outstanding questions.

o Town Common Spring Clean-Up – Volunteer Work Bee Requesting Approval

• Bob Gruen is seeking SB permission to clean up the common.
• SB approved. 

o Sabra Billings, Candidate for State Representatives -  Brainstorm Topics of Discussion for Meeting with Town Coordinator

• Mia does not feel she has been here long enough to understand all the issues
• Sandra is now asking for an appt w the SB, wants to hear about Heath problems
• Mia will schedule a meeting after ATM.

o Council on Aging Action Plan – Review/Discuss

• Addresses key missions for Councils on Aging

​o Community Hall Cupola – Discuss Repair/Replacement Options

• Decorative pieces are falling off the cupola. Need to take the remaining two down for safety.
• Would require a lift to reach the cupola safely.

➢ New Information/Updates
o Lease Agreement Next Steps – Hilltown Youth Performing Arts; Valerie Isaacs; Heath Historical
Society (HHS); Carin Freeman

• Waiting to hear from Jonathan
• Valerie is not ready to sign the lease
• HHS, Freeman - Mia to work on

➢ Public Comment

• Resident discussed  the Parks & Rec  proposed warrant article: "To see if the Town will vote to move $1152 from the Parks & Recreation Committee Stabilization Account, 83-630-3590-83010 with a balance of $2,152 to the General Fund to support park"  and recreation "operations. This will leave $1000 in the Parks & Recreation Stabilization Account while allowing Parks & Rec to fund initiatives in a timely manner."
• There was a lengthy discussion about the purpose of stabilization accounts. and the purpose of a Parks & Rec stabilization account.
  
•  The article will go to town Council.

➢ Mail - not already covered

• Jacobs Road sign on 8A is being worked on but there is some confusion on the timeframe. The design will be sent to the SB possibly as soon as next week.
• Resident submitted a parking proposal for the oval at Jacobs Road.
• Letter from Franklin Tech Superintendent regarding special town meeting in the fall to vote on construction project.  Cost is estimated at $80,000 a year for 30 years but SB needs the exact detail.  It should be raised at the ATM but is not a warrant article. 

➢ New business that could not be anticipated 48 hours