Board of Selectmen, October 2, 2017
HOLDEN BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING MINUTES
October 2, 2017
6:38PM Memorial Hall
Present: Chairman Robert Lavigne, Geri Herlihy, Tim Ethier, Jeremy Kurtz (6:38PM), Anthony Renzoni
Others Present: Peter Lukes, Town Manager
Stephen Madaus, Town Counsel
Liz Fotos, Town Recorder
Chairman Lavigne called the meeting to order at 6:38PM. The Board stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sel. Kurtz entered the meeting at 6:38PM.
- Halloween Hours- October 31, 2017 5-8PM
Mr. Lukes stated that these were the hours recommended by Chief Armstrong.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE TOWN HALLOWEEN HOURS FOR OCTOBER 31, 2017 FROM 5-8PM.
Chairman Lavigne called a brief recess at 6:40PM to call the applicant for the Wachusett Regional School District Committee.
- Interview and Vote to fill Wachusett Regional School District Committee
Chairman Lavigne called the meeting back to order at 6:41PM.
Tyler Gibbs was present via telephone for the Board to interview.
Chairman Lavigne stated that the Board had interviewed two candidates and they will take a vote this evening to fill the spot. He stated that there were five Board members at the table and each can ask a few questions. He asked Mr. Gibbs to give a brief introduction to himself and why he would like to be on the Committee.
Mr. Gibbs stated he had spent his life in Holden and graduated from Wachusett schools. He stated that his younger brother was still in the Wachusett system. He stated that he was on the ad hoc school board when he was in high school and that a big reason that he wants to be the representative is that he thinks he brings great perspective as a representative with a different background. He stated he is currently in administration at WPI and he brings that experience of curriculum as well as being a younger individual on the Board as well. He stated being 1 of 4 children he has seen a lot of different resources being used and he is hopeful that he can serve on the Committee for longer than just this term. He stated that he wanted to advocate for students of the future and help students get the services that they otherwise could not get. He stated that his experiences and his passion for public service as well as his interest in public education would make him an asset in this role.
Sel. Ethier welcomed Mr. Gibbs and apologized for not speaking with him at the previous meeting. He stated that looking ahead would his travel schedule have an impact on attending meetings.
Mr. Gibbs replied back that he did not believe so. He stated that he has control over his schedule and would be able to schedule accordingly. He stated that if he did not think he had the time to put into this role he would not have applied as it is an important one.
Sel. Ethier stated that Mr. Gibbs mentioned being a student rep to the School Committee, he asked if that was during his senior year.
Mr. Gibbs replied it was a full year from the summer through graduation. He stated he felt that his voice was heard as a student and it solidified for him that he wanted to pursue a career in education and in the public.
Sel. Ethier stated that he was involved as well and asked the year.
Mr. Gibbs replied 2011-2012.
Sel. Ethier stated that it was a challenge to stand out in such a large committee, he asked if the size of the committee should be reduced.
Mr. Gibbs stated that was a great question. He stated that he very much appreciated the fact that there was a Committee with such diversity, parents, educators, students, former superintendents, etc. He stated that was the upside of a large group. He stated the down side was that the meetings go long and harder to get a voice. He stated that if there was a way to shrink it that was okay as long as the different voices were heard.
Sel. Ethier asked what he thought of cell phones in school and them being used to search information; he asked if that access should be restricted.
Mr. Gibbs replied that he thought back to laptops not being used in schools and that he would advocate for this technology in free time. He stated he is not sure how to address cell phone use but that proper use of electronics with education is something that needed to be addressed.
Sel. Ethier stated that there were four qualified candidates and this was only for an 8 month appointment. He stated should he not be the one chosen, would be run in May for a seat.
Mr. Gibbs replied that come May, if he was not selected the Board will see his name. He stated if he was selected, you would see his name. He stated that he knows the demands of the school Committee and he wished to serve.
Sel. Kurtz thanked Mr. Gibbs for joining them. He stated that there have been a lot of financial issues, he asked if there was a balance between the Town’s finances and the children’s needs.
Mr. Gibbs replied that he hoped some day there could be a balance found. He stated that transportation costs were a big fight and that he thinks that it may be reached gradually. He stated that he thinks they are at a unique time in the conversation and that he thinks change will be coming. He stated he hopes over the next few years a balance can be reached.
Sel. Renzoni stated that there were two towns not supporting the assessment and having a negative impact on the Town. He asked what his opinion was on that and the two other towns.
Mr. Gibbs stated that he had grown up in one of the Towns that was not supporting the agreement so he has that perspective as well. He stated that he thinks it is important to know that we were a district of five towns and we needed to come together. He stated as soon as you start to separate Holden from other towns it is hard. He stated he thinks that these are 5 powerful small towns that can get a lot done and he thinks that it is important to maintain the strength that is the Wachusett Area. He stated that he thinks it is a benefit and we should take advantage of it.
Sel. Herlihy asked what his opinion of standardized testing and student assessment was.
Mr. Gibbs stated that he thinks standardized tests have come away from the root of what they once were. He stated that teachers teach to the tests and that he does not think that standardized tests correlated to how well a student does in school/ student intelligence. He stated that he thinks the future is moving away from this type of test.
Chairman Lavigne asked what if any plans does he have to fix the funding issue in the short term and what does he feel like the game plan would be for the longer term.
Mr. Gibbs replied that in the short term, it was important to get people energized. He stated that Dr. McCall stated to get the education where we want it, an extra 1/3 of the budget is needed. He stated that if we come together it is possible. He stated that Rep. Ferguson sat on a task force that went over special education and costs as well. He stated that the solution is getting involved. He stated the dialogue needs to increase as well.
Chairman Lavigne stated that looking over his resume, it looked like he spent 6 months at the Department of Education for the Grant Recipients. He asked what lessons he learned with grants and what particular programs seemed to be effective and how they would implemented.
Mr. Gibbs replied that the main goal of his time at the Department of Education was with grant work. He stated that there was potential for the Town to apply for grants and that he knows that the District has someone that works on grant writing but that may be something interesting to explore. He stated there were grants for many things and money out there, you just have to know where to look and then go for it.
Sel. Renzoni stated that as a follow up, Mr. Gibbs stated that he sees the 5 towns standing strong, he asked how he would see his (Gibbs) roll as a representative of Holden School Committee.
Mr. Gibbs replied that as a resident he is supportive of schools and wants the best education for the students. He stated that is what the people of Holden want as well.
Chairman Lavigne thanked Mr. Gibbs for calling in and for the conversation. He stated that he was an impressive young man. Chairman Lavigne stated they were going to interrupt the interviews and call Citizens Address.
Mr. Gibbs thanked the Board.
- Citizens Address
None
Interview and Vote of Wachusett Regional School District Cont.
Amy Michalowski was present at the meeting.
Chairman Lavigne asked for her to introduce herself to the Board and tell everyone why she would want to be the representative to the School Committee.
Ms. Michalowski stated that she was a lifelong resident of Holden and went to Wachusett in the 80/90’s. She stated that she has four kids in the District at Mayo, Mountview, and the High School. She stated that she has thought about serving on this Committee in the past but life interfered and she thought this was a good time to learn and see if she could leverage her professional background and personal background to help with the schools.
Sel. Ethier thanked her for being here. He stated that he hoped if she did not get this position that she would consider the May election. He asked about her thoughts on working with a group this large.
Ms. Michalowski stated that she has 12 years as an educator as well as working in strategic planning. She stated she does have concerns with the size of the Committee but not any concerns about working collaboratively.
Sel. Ethier asked what her opinion was on charter schools.
Ms. Michalowski replied that charter schools were complex; she stated she was not a fan of allowing unlimited charters but she was not opposed to the notion of them. She stated in the 90’s they were meant to be an area of incubator and the idea was to tie the information back to the public schools. She stated that there were not a lot around but the innovative practices that come through the charters don’t get pushed back to the public schools.
Sel. Ethier asked what her thoughts were on lap top and cell phone use in the schools.
Ms. Michalowski replied that she is more of a fan of the chrome book models in school. She stated it was hard to manage and not a problem with tech access but it needed to be tightly controlled. She stated that they needed safety for students and educationally relevant activities. She stated she was not a fan of her 16 year old having access to a phone during class time though. She stated that teenagers think they are better multi-taskers than they are.
Sel. Ethier asked about the Chrome Book and how to improve them.
Ms. Michalowski replied that for the last 12-14 years she had been working for a non profit that supplemented online course providers. She stated the online enhanced what was happening in the schools or to give schools access to curriculums they otherwise didn’t have access to. She stated she is a firm believer in technology but of technology done well, not just technology for the sake of technology. She stated it is part of a package and it needed to be well managed at the school level.
Sel. Ethier stated that he had watched the evolution of technology and felt it was important in schools.
Ms. Michalowski stated that it was not inherently bad but that it was bad if it was done poorly. She stated it needed to be measured and there needed to be a plan as to how to support the teachers with professional development and there needed to be consistency. She stated that there could be cross curriculums done and if it was done well it could be powerful. She stated that there was also a lot of bad stuff out there so it needed to be looked at carefully.
Sel. Kurtz asked if she felt with all the different towns and finances was there a balance that could be reached.
Ms. Michalowski replied that she had just finished this past year in Education Leadership and part of it was dealing with the budget. She stated she worked with the budget director Mr. Scanlon and they spoke about different challenges and there was a lot to be said. She stated that she thinks they need to find a way forward and that cooperatively was better than antagonistically. She stated that she wrote to the Board because she was concerned with the little picking away. She stated that no Town can sustain this over decades and that if they don’t stop and think ahead and look for a plan we wont get to where we need to be. She stated that it needs to be what is best for Holden but that she thinks we are stronger if the problems can be solved together.
Sel. Renzoni asked if they wanted to de regionalize K-8 what her thoughts would be.
Ms. Michalowski replied that she did not think she had nearly enough information on that to answer it. She stated that if you de regionalize K-8 you could be putting the high school in a really bad place. She stated if you don’t have the strong foundations across the Towns then there will be a detrimental effect in the upper grades. She stated that she also thinks that if that happens, administration is stretched even thinner. She stated there were a few schools that did it this way, Berlin/ Boylston, etc and she would like to speak with them and see the impact from the school side as well.
Sel. Herlihy asked what her opinion on standardized testing and school assessment was.
Ms. Michalowski replied that she thought that it was a necessary evil to some degree. She stated that they don’t have a lot of choice in the matter and that it was a state mandate for federal funding. She stated sometimes you need to look back at the genesis of something to see what problems they were trying to solve. She states she does think there is too much testing and that it puts schools in difficult positions with teacher performance and teacher ratings. She stated that she wished they could do less but that it is something that needs to get done.
Chairman Lavigne stated that she keeps speaking about funding and foundation and that is a much larger conversation but he asked what in her opinion could be done to provide the kids with a better education experience.
Ms. Michalowski replied that she thinks that it will vary on the kid and the school. She stated she thought he was going to ask her about solving the budget problem and she thinks that there is a lot going on behind the curtain and she has a lot of questions she wants to ask about how we approach things and what we are seeking for funding. She stated that she thinks that the District may have some missed opportunities and she is not sure how aggressively we sought some of the innovative private/ public STEM programs. She stated there also may be members of the community that may want to support a program or two. She stated she would like to know what has been looked into and what was successful. She stated that she thinks there are opportunities and she thinks we can get there.
Chairman Lavigne asked her on day one what was the first few things she would do.
Ms. Michalowski replied that she thinks it is a lot about relationships and getting to know people. She stated that she has spent a lot of time volunteering and she would like to continue to ask people questions. She stated that she was interested in strategic goals and superintendent goals and that everything she found was vague regarding the School Committee. She stated that the School Committee is a board of accountability, they hire good administration but do they understand what they are asking their admin to do.
Chairman Lavigne thanked Ms. Michalowski for coming out. He stated that there were four outstanding candidates for the position.
Sel. Renzoni made a motion to appoint Amy Michalowski to the Wachusett Regional School District Committee, Sel. Herlihy seconded the motion.
Sel. Renzoni stated that all the candidates were impressive in their own way but he feels that Ms. Michalowksi’s experience in virtual education could move the District forward and do more with less. He stated he encouraged the other candidates to stay involved as they were all impressive as well.
Sel. Herlihy stated that she thinks Ms. Michalowski would bring innovation to the District and bring the District to the future especially with technology in the classroom. She sated that she was hopeful that she could help bring more online classes or specialized curriculums that were not being offered currently.
Sel. Ethier called for a point of order. He stated that he thinks that Ms. Michalowski was an excellent candidate but in the past they had used a numerical system to rank candidates.
Chairman Lavigne replied he did not want to rank candidates and a Selectman could speak to the motion on the floor which was to appoint Ms. Michalowski.
Sel. Ethier stated that his only point was that if he voted against the motion it was not because Ms. Michalowski was not highly qualified.
Sel. Renzoni stated he was open to hearing other opinions but he was very impressed with Ms. Michalowski.
Sel. Ethier stated that all the candidates were strong, Mr. Gibbs with his enthusiasm, and how he would be a good representation of youth, Ms. Kirshenbaum he felt was very qualified along with Ms. Gustafson. He stated he did not have a problem with the appointment he just hoped to see the others in the running in the future.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he was very impressed with all the candidates and he supports Ms. Michalowski as well. He stated that he hoped that if Ms. Michalowski was voted on that she would also give honest feedback during the superintendents review process.
Chairman Lavigne stated that for him it came down to two people, Ms. Michalowski and Mr. Gibbs. He stated that Ms. Gustafson was a great asset in town as was Ms. Kirshenbaum but that these two was what he felt. He stated that regarding Ms. Michalowski he had never seen a resume like hers or seen this angle presented before and he supports her.
Sel. Renzoni that Mr. Gibbs was also very impressive. He stated he did not want to speak about why he did not support someone however he encouraged all those who did not get the position to get involved because the town could use good people. He moved the question.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Herlihy, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPOINT AMY MICHALOWSKI TO THE WACHUSETT REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITTEE UNTIL THE NEXT TOWN ELECTION.
Chairman Lavigne told Ms. Michalowski to go to the Town Clerk’s office to get sworn in and to take an ethics course online. He stated that the Town Clerk would be in contact along with the Chairman of the School Committee.
Ms. Michlowski thanked the Board.
Chairman Lavigne called a recess at 7:29PM.
Chairman Lavigne called the meeting back to order at 7:33PM.
- Education Option Review Committee – Final Report
Sel. Lavigne stated that they had asked the Education Options Review Committee to come up with some ideas with regards to education. He stated that Ms. Sullivan, the Chairperson, presented the Board with the final report. He asked her to walk the Selectmen through the process and findings.
Mrs. Sue Sullivan was present at the meeting. She introduced her Board: Brian Allen, Liam Dempsey, Chris Larsen, Laura Puleo, Lauren Salmon-Garrett, Kristin Turner and Thomas Curran and Tim Ethier were the two ex-officio members. She stated that they were charged with leaving no stone unturned so they did some brainstorming to see what some feasible ideas were and that is where the report generated from. She stated that they reviewed the Regional Agreement at all their meetings because the District is covered by the Regional Agreement.
Mrs. Sullivan stated that the way that the Regional Agreement is written currently, there is no mechanism to leave K-8, you either leave K-12 or you stay in. She stated she was involved when the Towns wanted to go to K-12 and that all the Towns wanted it to pass. She stated that was in 1994 and that K-12 had served Holden well in the past. She stated that there is frustration now with two Towns not passing the budget but if there is interest in leaving K-8 it would need to involve more than Holden, the entire Regional Agreement would need to change which would require cooperation with all the Towns and would be a lengthy process and require separation of district assets, etc. She stated it was this Committee recommendation to not go down that path.
Mrs. Sullivan stated that one of the suggestions was to create a Holden Education Stabilization or Reserve Fund. She stated that it would need Town Meeting vote to go forward but if there was approval of the budget and it was reduced later, the difference would go into this fund. She stated the funds in this account could only be used for educational purposes such as technology or even infrastructure of Holden’s schools.
Ms. Sullivan stated that another recommendation they had was to not leave the District, K-8 or otherwise. She stated it could be explored further but that was their current recommendation.
Mrs. Sullivan stated that the Committee also felt that the lease agreements should be reviewed. She stated perhaps Holden could increase what it does regarding maintenance and that would be a way that the Towns could support schools a little more.
Mrs. Sullivan stated that mini grants were another area they explored. She stated that they felt that procedures should be developed to help with applying for mini grants for teacher supplies and more.
Mrs. Sullivan stated lastly, they wanted the Board to know that they did not have any input from the High School because that once a student walked in the door they were no longer a “Holden” student, they were a Wachusett student and they were not assessed separately within the school.
Ms. Sullivan thanked Lauren Salmon-Garrett and Tom Curren for being here tonight. She asked if there were any questions.
Sel. Renzoni thanked Ms. Sullivan and the Committee for their work. He stated that they speak about fiscal goals and overall goals and he brought up removing K-8 to see what could possibly come out. He stated he thinks it was a long process and they need to look at all options.
Ms. Sullivan replied that the Committee had come up with the conclusion that it was a long process and then the District would need to decide who owned what and see who was interested in then coming back in at K-8 and then what to do with the high school and so on and so forth.
Sel. Renzoni stated that task would be outside their Committee’s scope and they have a regional meeting coming up if it did not serve the Town any longer.
Ms. Sullivan stated that the Committee spoke about staffing but there is always the problem of if you have money this year and not next then the issue of unemployment comes into play, so it is general practice that one time monies are not used for staffing purposes. She stated that the Committee felt like the staffing piece needed to be looked at but it was problematic with the teachers unions etc. She stated for example, if you hired a librarian, they would not have the same working conditions with the union so that would cause issues.
Sel. Renzoni stated that they were going to have a roundtable soon so it was good timing to bring up these questions.
Sel. Ethier thanked the Committee for its efforts he stated that it was a very professional Committee that worked very hard. He stated he hoped that this Board took their recommendation regarding de-regionalization seriously. He stated that the reasons were clear, 5 school committees, finances, not fiscally solvent etc. He stated that it has been difficult the past few years, but there was a time when Holden was the Town holding everything so things did change over time.
Sel. Ethier stated that looking at this Committee’s credentials, they were a professional Committee and they worked long and hard on these recommendations. He stated that he felt that they owed it to the Committee to present at least one of these recommendations to the Town.
Chairman Lavigne stated that was a different debate.
Sel. Ethier stated that they often discuss ways to increase the amount of money in the schools. He stated at the last Town Meeting, the school budget was passed and in the end it was cut and they left about $250,000 on the table. He stated the Town authorized money to be spent and if it was put into this account then 100% of the funds could go to Holden students. He stated that he knows it would be an effort by Town Manager and Town Counsel but he thinks that the Committee should present it to the Town at Town Meeting.
Chairman Lavigne stated that before they make any determinations, the purpose of this meeting is to ask the Committee questions. He stated that following up on mini-grants was one. He stated that once that happened, the Board could make it a goal for the Town Manager.
Sel. Ethier stated that the goals of the Town Manager were different than warrant articles. He stated that he thinks that this Committee should put a warrant article up to Town Meeting.
Chairman Lavigne stated that they were not discussing which items were going to be put into play at this time.
Sel. Herlihy stated that when the revolving account/stabilization account came up last time, they were bound by the Regional Agreement as to what they could spend money on.
Mrs. Sullivan stated that was why they floated the idea. She stated that was why this idea came up, the Committee felt that they could put a suggestion out there but they were not going to start to speak to lawyers and figuring out the ins and outs. She stated that this was as far as the Committee could take it without some legal opinions on the matter.
Ms. Salmon-Garrett stated that they had looked a lot at the revolving accounts and the mini grants. She stated that they had discussed with the superintendent his thoughts and he felt that the Town would be able to give small grants to Holden teachers for school curriculums, materials, workshops, etc. She stated that they had felt that these two idea were related.
Ms. Sullivan replied that they kept coming back to money being voted on and then ultimately reduced.
Sel. Renzoni stated that it was not just tax money, it was over-taxation. He asked if they were suggesting that grants come out of the stabilization funds.
Ms. Salmon-Garret replied that it could.
Mr. Madaus stated that it was an interesting report and that his concern was that it was not vetted and it seemed closer to what the Board had authorized previously and that it was recognized as a unique way to fund the account from the Town Manager as a conditional gift to the District. He stated that at any time they could appropriate funds to the School Committee but that was not to Holden resources. He stated that they would need to navigate appropriations for educational purposes that excluded the School Committee and that in MA appropriations for educational purposes were in the express control of the School Committees. He stated that this would require a special act 16b Special Law and would require Special Legislation to move forward. He stated it would also need to be decided on as to who could expend the funds, could the Board of Selectmen do it with staff or a different way, he stated that the details got dicey.
Mr. Lukes stated that the Wi-Fi deal that they did was very specific and was not placed into an open fund.
Mr. Madaus stated that the superintendent acknowledged that they would accept a gift and they had made certain it was a win/win on both sides.
Ms. Sullivan stated that was the type of information they would need legal help moving forward with.
Chairman Lavigne stated that he loved the idea of the mini grants. He stated he had a lot of issues with how the Town was moving forward with giving the superintendent funds and hoped that it was done properly to support Holden schools. He stated his fear would be that they went all in for Holden Wi-Fi and then were on the hook for half for the rest of the regions. He stated that they would not be able to get that level of comfort and he was hoping that the mini grants would allow them a level of control without tipping their hand to the district.
Mr. Madaus stated that the appropriation was made to the Town Manager’s Office and was indicated that the Town Manager could enter into agreement with the Superintendent.
Ms. Salmon-Garrett stated that they were discussing the mini grant as away to support teachers with professional development or programs to help them not pay out of pocket.
Sel. Herlihy stated that she thought the maintenance plan was important and was wondering if these could help with that.
Chairman Lavigne asked if they were talking about reviewing the lease agreements for Holden to spend more.
Ms. Sullivan stated that it was worth looking at. She stated for example, they received all new mulch under the playground and it was delivered to the school and then they asked the PTO to volunteer to spread it. She stated they could possibly look to see if the Town could contribute.
Chairman Lavigne stated that they had to look carefully at it to make sure that the Town was not paying more than their own fair share.
Sel. Ethier stated that as a result of Holden putting in Wifi, 4 other Towns did as well.
Sel. Ethier stated that they had discussed the Regional Agreement and that it was very hard to change it. He stated that they could always wait for it to come up for review as well.
Ms. Sullivan stated that it was only up for review, not renewable. She stated that the Agreement can be reviewed at any time by the School Committee.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he appreciated the recommendation from the Committee. He stated that it gave them a starting point when they go to the Regional Meeting.
Chairman Lavigne stated Ms. Sullivan said that they had some out of the box ideas, he asked what they were and why they were not being considered.
Ms. Sullivan replied that it was a lot to do with staffing; add a psychologist, librarians in the schools and things like that.
Ms. Salmon-Garrett stated that they also looked at the foundation formula and thought about taking action with the state to force their hand. She stated they even spoke about suing the state but did not think that would go too far.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he thought they should do that on a bigger level. He stated they should reach out to the other regional schools and sue the state to force them to come up with their obligation. He stated this was not a problem only with Wachusett, it was state wide.
Ms. Sullivan stated that if they did leave the District they would not get 60% off the 100% of transportation, they would not get any.
Sel. Kurtz congratulated the Committee on excellent work. He asked if they reached out to other regional schools for input.
Ms. Sullivan replied they did not.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he was interested in how to legalize putting money aside. He stated that he thinks it required a lot of homework to do so and that his fear was that when they started to set money aside it was viewed as available funds. He stated he did not want to run into the same issues that they did with the IIF. He stated the IIF was created to shelter some funds and help stabilize growth and stabilities without putting money aside that the schools would have access to. He stated the funding assets to help teachers out was something to talk about. He stated that when they start to talk about providing resources for the K-8 then the concern is does it become a detriment in the high school when they can’t add AP courses or other advanced things. He stated he liked the ideas and would like to see what they can do as a group.
Sel. Ethier stated that he appreciated Mr. Madaus’ comment that he had done research to petition the state to change it to make it possible to take excess money to go to Holden’s schools. He thinks that it made sense to keep looking at this. He stated that as far as the make up of a committee that would be responsible for that, it would make sense to appoint one person and then come up with ways that the money would need to be spent, school enrichment, school trips, possibly paying independent contractors. He stated that 3 out of 5 of the Committees recommendation tied back to the creation of the fund.
Sel. Ethier stated that they needed to make a decision and that it has been looked at over the last two Town Meetings and the money was not spent. He stated that if Holden approved spending the funds, they should be spent. He stated if it was done the right way the District could not access the funds. He stated that the Board should direct Town Counsel to go to the state for the Special Legislation to create a fund. He stated that the Board of Selectmen created a Committee and its number one recommendation was to create a fund and the Board owes it to them to do it and not ignore them.
Chairman Lavigne asked Sel. Ethier to stop. He sated he did not say that the Board was going to ignore it. He stated Town Counsel just gave them information and they were not ignoring it they were learning about it.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he wanted to incorporate it as an Annual Goal for the Town Manager. He stated that many Committees report to the Board and they gather valuable information. He stated if he (Ethier) gets the majority of the vote to move forward then that is the process but they don’t act immediately from a recommendation. He stated he thinks that they save this for Town Manager Goals.
Sel. Ethier stated that tonight was a short night, he stated that Town Counsel explained it to them and that he thought they should direct Town Counsel.
Chairman Lavigne stated that they need to comply with Open Meeting Laws and just because there is time to speak about something does not legally mean that they can.
Sel. Ethier stated that they asked Town Counsel what to do with the fund and this was what he suggested.
Chairman Lavigne replied his interpretation was different than that. He stated he was not against this idea just the conversation. He thanked the Committee for the report and for answering the questions.
Sel. Renzoni stated he was not opposed to it but he thinks they would be out of order to take a vote.
Chairman Lavigne stated they could make it a goal for the Town Manager. He stated he did not think that Mr. Lukes was ready to have the conversation yet and he thinks that he would want to take it to Town Counsel. He stated that there was a lot of thought that goes into creating Special Legislation. He stated they could look at the IIF now and the work that would have to go into dissolving it, so it would take a lot of consideration.
Sel. Ethier stated the Board had this conversation six months ago and they were told that Town Counsel was going to review it. He stated they were given the process to go to the State government.
Sel. Renzoni replied that this sounded like a goal.
Sel. Ethier replied that his goal was to accomplish something.
Sel. Renzoni stated that they have a posted agenda item that does not call for action. He stated that the Board receives a lot of reports from Committees and the information is valuable and helps creates goals. He stated that they had just locked the Town Manager into a three year contract and they can speak to him about goals for the coming years but that discussion was not solely for educational options. He stated a lot of Committees have goals.
Sel. Ethier asked if Committees’ recommendations are not valued, then why anyone would want to serve on a Town Committee.
Chairman Lavigne stated that two weeks ago he (Ethier) stated that the Board did not have to listen to citizen Committees with regards to the Recreation Committee.
Sel. Ethier replied that he did not want to stall and did not want everything pushed to Town Manager Goals.
Chairman Lavigne stated that no one was disagreeing and that the conversation started a few minutes ago with the report from the Committee. He stated that he now has information and he is not ready to have special legislation or to authorize the Town Manager to set up a special fund. He stated he wanted to take the information and be thoughtful because what they were doing was for the kids’ future. He stated he wants it done right and was not going to rush. He stated he wanted to be thoughtful about the process.
Sel. Ethier asked why not do it in open meeting, why do it at the Town Manager goals.
Chairman Lavigne replied that all meetings were open meetings. He stated that he could not argue the same point over and over. He stated that the Board would be having the discussion.
Sel. Ethier replied not everything should be a goal.
Sel. Herlihy stated that she thinks everyone can agree that they want to put X amount of money away. She stated that the ‘how’ is what the discussion will be about.
Sel. Ethier asked again if they will have the discussion. He stated that it had been months and months and the Board received the report weeks ago.
Sel. Kurtz stated that if they look at how business is done, the Board receives a Committee report and then formalize as a Selectboard how they want to move forward. Then they make it a Town Manager goal to accomplish. He stated that they don’t just take a vote and jump to conclusions. He stated that if for example they look at the Open Space, there was a Committee, a policy then a presentation was made, and then finally 12-18 months later the fund was set up. He stated that if he (Ethier) tried to cut corners, this would fail. He stated that he wants this to succeed but that it needed the time to work through the process.
Sel. Ethier replied he disagreed.
Chairman Lavigne thanked the Committee.
- Follow-Up to Citizens Address
None
- Town Manager Update
Composting and Brush Chipping: The DPW will be offering Saturday residential composting and brush chipping events through the fall as follows: October 21, October 28, November 4, November 18, December 2, December 9.
Hours of operation are 8am to 2:30pm, weather permitting. Composting materials will be accepted at the former Landfill (River Street) and brush chipping will be done at the DPW Adams Road facility due to the Asian Longhorned Beetle quarantine area. More information including restriction is available on the Town’s website www.holdenma.gov
Wachusett Regional Recycling Center: The Recycling Center will have free document shredding on October 21 from 8AM to 11:00AM. The center is located at 131 Raymond Huntington Highway in West Boylston.
Town Treasurer: Town Treasurer Sharon Lowder was recently re-certified for a five year term by the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association as a Certified Massachusetts Municipal Treasurer and Municipal Collector.
MMA Quarterly Meeting: Holden Police Chief Dave Armstrong and I attended the Mass Municipal Manager’s Association Quarterly meeting last week at the Devens Conference Center. The meeting included a presentation by the working committee that Chief Armstrong serves on through the MMA which is focused on increasing communication between municipal police departments and municipal managers. The two hour presentation discussed racial and safety issues for the police departments and minority communities, along with theories of how to enhance relationships and community confidence while protecting the safety of officers and residents.
MMA Annual Meeting: The Mass Municipal Association will be holding its annual meeting and trade show once again at the Hynes Convention Center January 19 and 20, 2018. It is the largest gathering of municipal officers in the state, and Holden has traditionally been well represented. Those member of the Board of Selectmen who would like to attend can register through my office by email or telephone
Surplus Items for Sale: The Town of Holden intends to auction surplus equipment, material, and vehicles. The Town is currently accepting written, sealed bids for sale of surplus items until Friday, October 13, 2017 at 10:00am in the office of the Town Manager, 1204 Main Street, Holden Massachusetts, 01520, at which time bids will be publically open and read.
A full list of the surplus items is available on the Town’s website www.holdenma.gov. All of the items will be viewable for inspection on Thursday, October 5, 2017 from 9:00am to 11:00am . Rules for bidding are also available on the Town’s website.
Chairman Lavigne asked if the money was placed in the General Fund.
Mr. Lukes replied it was.
Sel. Ethier stated that he had noticed an article in the Landmark about Chief Dave Armstrong and being contacted to speak about military cooperation with local authorities. He congratulated the Chief on that.
Sel. Ethier stated that there was also some maintenance issues at the railroad crossings.
Chairman Lavigne asked that Sel. Ethier hold off on this as he would like to see it as a future agenda item.
Mr. Lukes stated that the MA Dept of Transportation was doing emergency deck repairs to the bridge on RT 31 from 7AM to 3PM on October 10th. He stated lanes would be open in both directions.
Chairman Lavigne asked if notice would be given to residents.
Mr. Lukes confirmed it would be.
- Selectmen Subcommittees
Sel. Ethier stated that the DPW Committee would be meeting tonight, he asked if they were in line for the Town Meeting on November 27, 2017.
Mr. Lukes replied the date was tentative because they were still waiting on Weston and Sampson to provide schematic designs with a reasonable cost estimate by October 30, 2017. He stated once they have that they can get in front of FinCom and other groups and then move forward.
Sel. Ethier asked about the Farmer’s Markets and the inspection fees for AgCom.
Mr. Lukes replied that the Board of Health had not given him that information yet but he will follow up on it. He stated that when they do it would be public hearing to present the new fee schedule and that they were trying to become uniform in it.
Sel. Ethier stated he was concerned for the vendors of the Farmer’s Markets needing to pay it each week. He asked if they could have an inspection at the beginning of the season as it was hard for them to pay weekly.
Sel. Kurtz: none
Sel. Renzoni stated that the VA had not met. He stated that he did spend some time with the Holden Woman’s Club and they had committed a significant gift to the American Legion to help Chapter 115.
- Selectmen Misc
Sel. Ethier stated that he attended the grand opening of Fairway Mortgage and they did a great job expanding and were an asset for the Town.
Sel. Ethier stated that he went to Wachusett High School to speak about town government as well and it was a very good experience. He recommended other Selectmen doing this as well.
Sel. Ethier stated that October 8, 2017 was the Josh Thibodeau Soccer Tournament and it was to raise money for the foundation. He stated that they had pushed to get all the defibrillators in the schools and public buildings.
Sel. Kurtz: none
Sel. Renzoni suggested reaching out to the Town Moderator to make sure he was available for the Special Town Meeting.
Mr. Lukes replied they had.
Sel. Herlihy: none
- Selectmen Meeting Minutes
None
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Kurtz, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN THE OCTOBER 2, 2017 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING AT 8:37PM.
APPROVED: _____November 6, 2017__________