Select Board Notes Tue Apr 9 2024

Select Board and FinCom left as friends despite some hotly discussed items.

Items
6:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order, Review Agenda, Review Minutes: 3/26/24

6:05 p.m. FY 2025 Budget Planning—with Finance Committee and Accountant
Operating Budget (Article 3)

• Proposal to payoff tractor notes from free cash 
• Proposal to reduce Special Projects from $15,000 to $5000

Capital Expenses
There was a lot of discussion about how to fund these expenses and below have not all been finalized.

• Add money to stabilization accounts: IT ($10,000), Audit ($5,500) Accounts -  account leaving remainder of Free Cash to go into General Stabilization to go towards the Salt Shed.
• Truck $100,000 
• Road Side Mower - take out of Free Cash
• Leaf blower - approx. $4000:  take from Free Cash
• Storage container - suggest hold until next year
• New school phone safety system:  Raise and appropriate (school item)
• Ambulance - separate article for discussion
• Accounting software - come out of ARPA
• Late bus - Raise and Appropriate approx. $6000. Rowe has been paying the full cost and now would like Charlemont and Heath to share.  The payment is for the service not the number of students served. 
• Salt Shed - FinCom and SB suggested to set aside $100,000 of Free Cash, Chapter 90, or ARPA funds in an account for the salt shed.  Money is needed in an account right now to start the planning process—create an RFP.  Recommendation to spend the ARPA money first.

Employee Wages

• Discussion as to how to recognize employees above the cost of living bump which is not really a merit raise.
• Discussion on how to include the value of benefits in calculating salary  increases

Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles

• DRAFT reviewed

Other Business
MTRSD Agreement Articles & possible meeting

• So far the SB has been unable to get the numbers they need to make a decision despite asking for many months. Without the numbers there is no point meeting.

Mail
Sue Lively attended a meeting of a newly forming group, A Coalition for Rural Community Stability.  This is an important effort focused on bringing the issues facing rural communities to the state legislature.  [Add a draft letter]

To be verified
​Left in accounts to use:
$164,000 ARPA
$60,00 Free Cash
$200,000 Chapter 90