Select Board Meeting Tue, Sep 2 2025

5:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order
Review Agenda 
5:02 p.m. Appointment: Fire Chief Nick Anzuoni—mid-year report

•  Spoke about the fire on HO cook, they had lots of mutual aid  from  other organizations, lots of risks had to be assessed. They opened up a logging road with a dozer and were able to get near to the fire. 
• Some lessons learned which will need to be evaluated.
•  The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built cisterns are low or unusually dry indicating the our drought situation.
• New brush  truck helped out. All the vehicles are in good shape except for the chief's truck.
• Discussion of possible combined fire departments.
• Colrain kids drew maps and the jail made them.

5:30 p.m. Appointment: Police Chief John McDonough—mid-year report

• Biggest time consuming task involves firearms  renewals. 
• These renewals go out state and federal agencies and may come back with questions that need to be resolved.​
• Clinician who responds with police and covered by a grant has proven to be helpful.
• John drove through Mohawk Estates during the Labor Day fireworks, met new president, David King.

Review Minutes: 8/5/2025
Public Comment

• Resident asked for a timeline for backstop repair, can it be added to agenda,? Response was SB needed a date for when pickup softball would start.
• Can the room vacated by HYPA be available for the town to use until rented?  There may be a proposal from a party wanting to use the room.
• Can there be a working group about painting the paneling? Yes. There are improvements grants for buildings.
• HCC - grants are opening now and will  close Oct 17.  
• Resident would like a Heath-only bus route for tech kids who spend an hour and a half on the bus both ways. Select Board to contact Franklin Tech to determine what the current laws regarding length of walk to the bus stop and limit to how long a child can stay on the bus. [Update from Devon Clark:  ". . .  you mentioned that there was one bus stop.  There’s actually multiple bus stops, but the bus stop at the intersection of 8A and Number Nine Road was the one I was complaining about (safety).  The bus also picks up the majority of the kids there and drops the majority off there. ]
• Resident raised the issue of the dangerous situation of no barrier across the street from Bob Dane's. 

Other Business 
Transfer Station—update on new hire transition

• Attendant's dog was running freely at the station.  After being discussed, the situation seems resolved.
• Gates were closed 10 minutes early. Tyson to address it.

Salt Shed update - Tyson is scheduling the final grading and blacktop. ​
Highway Department Position and Wage Evaluations—vote possible

• Discussed reinstituting the foreman position so Tyson has a backup, a role Jason Lively has performed at times.
• Discussed rate increase for both Jason Lively (due for increased responsibilities) and Jason Boutwell (due for his 90 day review).
• SB voted to increase  Jason Lively rate by $1 per hour starting Sept 1.
• SB voted to increase Jason Boutwell by $.50 per hour starting Sept 1.

FY 25 Special Fund Review

• Robyn, Hilma, and Accountant have been working on clearing up funds. 

General Town Building Use policy
Town Coordinator Transition Plan

• Two applicants have responded to ad and another applicant is expected.

Preliminary Interview Committee—vote possible

• ​Proposed 5 people interview team: SB members suggested Nancy Thane, Hilma, Elissa, Dina Briggs, Alice Wozniak, Kate Barrows, Sheila Litchfield, Barbara Gordon,  David Gordon, Jim Cerone, Pat McGahan, Ken Gilbert.​

Mail--
Other business that could not be anticipated 48 hours in advance.