SB Notes Tue April 4

There was a lot of discussion about the highway department as that is our biggest expense after the $1,000,000 plus  Mohawk School District assessment.

Alice Wozniak of the finance committee compared the Mohawk budget to another like district whose budget was $10,000,000 less than Mohawk.  Did I get that right? Holy smoke! 
​Some Select Board Humor: A tongue-in-cheek comment was made that we could hire a bus and send our kids to Deerfield Academy or Northfield Mount Herman as day students for less money that it costs to send them to Mohawk.  

Meeting Notes
Budget discussion with Finance Committee
FinComm recommendations to try to mitigate the increased financial burden the town faces next fiscal year:

• Decrease highway department staff from 4 to 3  
  • Reports by FinComm members research indicates this is viable and necessary due to our rising tax  rate. Research of other towns was done by Will Emmet and Alice Wozniak.
• Do not replace leaf blower, repair the old one instead. Will Emmet to assist in repair.
• Take $20,000 from free cash towards Mohawk School District $40,000 plus assessment error.
• Avery Brook Road cutback of brush and trees.  FinComm suggestion was to take $34,329 from the Flag Hill improvement fund (the extension of Flag Hill Rd may not take place) to do what cutting can be done within budget. Leave the rest of cutting for later.
• Truck: Need $94,512, one suggestion from SB was to not use Chapter 90 money as it is needed for roads—take approx. $30,000 from free cash and finance the rest.  FinComm leaned toward using the Chapter 90 money rather than incur more debt.

o FY24 Budget— discussion

• Hilma and Robyn created a list of concerns with the way our accounting is done. Needed to check with FRCOG regarding their accounting services. 
• FinComm suggests to move to a supported accounting system rather than what we are currently using. A Community Compact grant may fund new software.
• Sue Lively had a discussion with Claire Rabbitt, our Town Nurse. 
  • Claire spends 8 hours per week, the job is more technical then in the past. Young persons are not using her services. She has no immediate plans for retirement. The biggest need in Heath is the in-home services area. FRCOG can do some of the work that Claire does.  Claire's Bones and Balance class is volunteer time. Discussed whether this is still a valuable position for our town.  Barbara Gordon pointed out that FRCOG charges for additional services and does not always have the personnel to fulfil community needs.

• Smith school student is returning to Mohawk eliminating $30,000 from the budget for 2024.

MLP

• Will pay for the manager's salary
• Anticipates returning $39,000 to the town by July 1, 2023, maybe more
• Takes seriously their commitment to repay the $200,000 from General Stabilization. $100,000 has already been returned to the town.

o Review of ATM articles

• Mainly an elimination of some articles no longer relevant (Smith Vocational) and the tweaking of others.  Hilma to update and send to legal for review.

o Phone service—presentation of research and options

• Hilma would like to find a less expensive solution for town phones.
• Bill Fontes, MLP member, is assisting.
• Hilma to attend a presentation from an alternative company

Items unable to complete
Review of Minutes: 3/21/23, 3/28/23
Votes to be done at next meeting (due to posting error):
o Joining Age-and Dementia-Friendly Communities recommendation from COA 

• Hilma to draft acceptance letter pending the vote by the SB next meeting

o Renaming Jacobs Road building