Notes for Tue, May 20 2025

 Agenda Items
5:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order, Review Agenda, Review Minutes: 5/6/25, 5/10/25
Public Comment - not offered
Annual Town Meeting: Review and after-action planning

• There were 66 attendees, Robyn would like to see more younger people
• Much discussion about how to attract and how a decision can be decided by 1 vote
• Hilma proposed that it not take place on Mother's Day weekend

5:30 p.m. Highway Department: Tyson Howard, Highway Supt.
Trucks update—borrowing for new truck (vote possible)

• Planned on delivering in early June, waiting on one plow blade
• Will be billed in mid-July

Summer schedule and plans

• Working a 4 day week in summer with 10 hour days, more efficient for jobs that take a lot of setup time.

Salt Shed updates and plans—(vote possible)

• All construction documents are in and reviewed  Robyn wants to see a chronological list of dependencies. 
• Iron Horse wants to start next week, but  the Town is not ready. There is electrical work scheduled and we need to move the propane tanks.  Tyson has lined the contractors up and their work will begin soon. 
• NGRID part is difficult logistically, hard to contact and schedule.

Snows is no longer contracting for mowing, too much work and not enough manpower
No word yet on road signs.
​Bridge work is preceding well.
6:00 p.m. Appointment: Representative Natalie Blais

• Agriculture Committee has written 60 bills
• Chapter 90 bill before the legislature is using the existing model, but there is an additional sum being allocated that will benefit western Mass communities.
• Looking at the Chapter 90 formula going forward.
• Working to get $10 mil set aside for unpaved roads.
• Able to get $100,000 for the Heath Fair
• Proposed a formula for protected land western Mass towns are not being fairly reimbursed for publicly-owned land. This is currently being worked.
• Having ongoing conversations with NGRID regarding cost impacts from the storm.
• Robyn asked for $50,000 for generators.
• Changes in Federal funding will impact what the state can do.
• Will brought up a Town quick-response vehicle that can not get registered due to Registry issues. Natalie is going to take this on.
• Police recruiting (?) fee passed the house at $3200, but the senate changed it to $6000.
• Resident asked if there is anything being done to protect the civil rights of legitimate non residents. Response is that the legislature acts with urgency on this type of issue  while still respecting the democratic reprocess.

Other Business
Sawyer Hall Generator—review quotes with vote possible

• Looking at Generac vs Kohler, Will says the quality is about the same
• Noise matters as there are neighbors close to Sawyer Hall.
• https://sourcewell.org/about  is a competitive pricing program that Kingsley uses 
• Kingsley services Heath generators already and there are no issues.  
• SB voted to accept the Kingsley proposal.

RFP for Rental Spaces

• Listed places to send out the RFP for Heath rentable spaces
• Minimum amount for each space is $500.
• SB approved the RFP produced by Hilma

Transfer Station - SB accepted Lee Lively's  resignation as of July 1.
Other 

• Proclamation  stating Memorial Day as May 26, 2026  received from the Governors Office
• Invitation to the Hawlemont School  celebration on May 29 from 4:30 to 7 PM
• Hilma attended a legislative lunch at the Franklin County Tech school to celebrate the opening of the new veterinarian tech program.  
• Mulching for Jacobs play ground and some playground repairs will be covered by previous donation  money.

Mail - [I did not have copies of the email]

• Update on the CH windows
• Update on grant funds from the Woodlands Partnership
• D28T update
• Update on grants from the HHC
• NGRID update
• BoH tick prevention shoe spray on June 7, 10 AM to 1 PM​