| Joanne Cole |
The select board took up a mix of near- and longer-term items at its August 2 meeting. They heard updates from town manager Christine Landes and department heads, considered an array of action items, and set themselves up for further updates and follow-up at their next August meeting and in September.
Town manager update. Manager Christine Landes offered a crisp financial update, with a month of the new fiscal year now in the books: “We’re in good shape so far,” she said. Revenues are ahead of schedule in the early going.
Landes reported that she and former town planner Paul First will share their thoughts about next steps in the Upper Village with the board at a September meeting. The Upper Village master plan, which First knows well as former manager and town planner, reflects long-term goals for the area, while the former public works building and salt and sand shed may pose more immediate concerns.
Public Works update. Public Works director Ted Shane reported that the Stevens Brook dam and culvert replacement project is on track for late summer and fall, despite earlier concerns that a nationwide shortage of rebar might imperil fabrication of the critical culvert. Contractor Shaw Brothers expects to begin work around Labor Day and have the culvert onsite by late September. The window for work in the water will be extended to October, Shane said.
In a sign of the times, Shane reported that the cost of culverts for general road work has doubled and disposal fees for demolition debris have also risen. On the other hand, the new transfer station loader’s superior compacting abilities mean fewer disposal trips and avoided costs.
Parks and Rec “Kids’ Club” program update. Parks and Recreation director Sarah Rodriguez gave a detailed presentation regarding the department’s Kids’ Club program, including its genesis, operation, and finances through a year when Covid upended plans for area families and for the program.
Rodriguez explained that a community survey had shown a particular need for before-and-after-school care and limited capacity with local private providers. Envisioned as a fee-based activity and care program to help fill the before-and-after gap, the Kids’ Club program plan was dramatically altered by Covid-19. When the pandemic closed in-person school and some area daycare facilities, including the Pineland Y, the program shifted into full-day service mode, Rodriguez said.
Sharing staff with Gray and using the Community Building and adjacent areas for outdoor play, the Kids Club ultimately served a full complement of 23 children, Rodriguez said. College-age and high school students provided frontline staffing and energy, and everyone adapted as the schools moved from full-remote to hybrid schedules, and back, through the year. Summing up, Rodriguez described the program as a “benefit to our residents.”
Board members had questions about operational details and program finances, including Kids’ Club’s dedicated account. Under its current set-up as an enterprise fund, any Kids’ Club program surplus stays with the program, rather than sliding into the town’s undesignated fund balance at year-end. As Rodriguez explained, the goal was to make the Kids’ Club program predictable and dependable for families, with parents’ fees helping build program continuity, avoiding budget uncertainties. The program had a balance of $8000 going into the current fiscal year, Rodriguez said.
Board members were concerned whether a one-time grant from MSAD 15 made the Kids’ Club program viable last year. How will the finances work without the grant, they wanted to know. Rodriguez said that, assuming kids are in school in person this year, staff expenses will be lower and, if need be, fees to families can be increased or other variables adjusted. Landes also sought to reassure the board. She asked for the opportunity to “really crunch the numbers,” return to the board in September, and “show you that this program works.”
Dump truck. The board approved purchase of an already-built dump truck (red, low miles) and associated sander/plow gear. The net cost after trade-in will be $199,000, just under budget. Director Ted Shane noted that none of the bids perfectly met the desired specs, build timelines are uncertain, and the truck he was recommending had the virtue of being available now. The board agreed. Shane hopes the town’s new truck will arrive in time to make a public debut at the community fair later this month.
NG Fire Rescue tuition support proposal. A draft proposal for tuition support for fire rescue personnel upgrading their training and credentials will undergo further refinement. Fire Rescue chief Jon Kiernan had drafted the policy, to help pay for paramedic certification, a credential that’s costly in time, money, and personal commitment. Although the department’s staffing is currently strong, the chief said, retirements are coming; he wants to be proactive. The tuition program would be used infrequently and only for those with “a great track record” in the department, Kiernan said.
Board members called the draft policy “an excellent start” but had questions. Tammy Donovan wondered about education support for other town departments and staff, among other questions. Dustin Ward asked who would make final decisions on applications. Kiernan will take the board’s questions under advisement and return with revisions.
Workshop on town boards and committees. The board split over whether to review policies and practices for town boards and committees. Chair Peter Bragdon had wanted a workshop in order to address ongoing questions about the role of select board members as liaisons to boards and committees, why liaisons have voting power on some committees but not others, and how town staff are used in supporting boards and committees.
Tammy Donovan pushed back, pointing out that a policy on boards and committees was updated in 2019 and saying that the issue should go to the charter commission for resolution, not “back and forth” as select board membership turns over. Vice-chair Paul Larrivee initially agreed with Donovan that the charter commission should be allowed to address the matter. “This is their mission,” he said.
Bragdon, a member of the charter commission, noted that the commission could take up to two years and, even then, the charter might not pass. The select board “can’t just punt to the charter commission,” he said. Dustin Ward commented that this select board has already had an issue with boards and committees: how to make appointments to the planning board fairly. Ward thought the board could “at least workshop” some of the more pressing questions.
The workshop eked through, 3-2 (Donovan, Hathorne opposed), and is set for Thursday September 23 from 6:30-8:30 pm. The board voted that the workshop not be televised.
Proposals for legal services. The board quickly approved asking law firms for proposals to provide legal services to the town. Steve Hathorne said the idea was “long overdue.” There is currently no formal contract or fee schedule with the town’s attorneys, Bernstein Shur. Manager Christine Landes had prepared a draft request for proposals that would invite firms to nail down the details. Landes will tune up the draft, scout the list of municipal law specialty firms, and return at a September board meeting.
Adjournment came after the two-hour mark. The board will next meet on August 16. But September already promises to be busy, too.
To view video of the select board August 2 meeting, click here. For the agenda packet and other select board documents, click here.
