February 2, 2009 Post-Meeting List
No meeting summary again today - sorry. But here's another post-meeting list, as sent this morning to Kate, the Select Board and the Town Manager.
FEBRUARY 2 POST-MEETING LIST
Voted:
• Unanimously to elect Alisa as the Select Board
representative to the Regional Elementary School Study Committee
• Unanimously to support the Parking Task Force's
plan to deter meter feeding in order to make prime parking spots more available
to customers of downtown businesses
• Unanimously to support Larry's and John's
recommendation to close the gap created by the State's mid-year FY09 cuts as
outlined: by using one-time revenues reimbursing already-appropriated funds, to
include the grant from the WiIdwood roof project, and possible grant money for
fire apparatus, stimulus money from the Bangs Center roof project, or a
one-month health insurance premium "holiday," as appropriate
• Unanimously to approve the Town Manager goals
for FY09, as amended (Stephanie will make the edits and submit the goals to the
Town Manager as a memo, on behalf of the Select Board)
Agreed, without voting:
• To appoint Gerry as Select Board representative
to the Audit Committee, and that if he isn't available when they plan to meet,
that we will appoint someone else next week instead
• That Diana will draft a letter to legislators
expressing the Select Board's support for allowing municipalities more
flexibility in health care plan design, and support for single payer health
care
• That Alisa will draft a letter to legislators
expressing the Select Board's support for the Governor's proposed
"Municipal Partnership II" initiatives
• That both letters will be sent to Senator
Rosenberg, Representative Story, Senate President Murray, Speaker of the House
DeLeo, Governor Patrick, and the MMA
• That Aaron will explore options for aligning
with a coalition of communities from
• That Stephanie will, through Larry, ask Town
Counsel: 1) if the citation in the
Amherst Town Government Act about the Select Board approving contracts over $1
million applies to labor contracts; 2) if a change to the language of the
Amherst Town Government Act or MGL would be required to allow Select Board
representation at the table for collective bargaining, and if that is possible;
3) to what degree and with what specificity the Town Manager could inform or
involve the Select Board in collective bargaining strategy determination and progress
updates without violating the requirements for bargaining in good faith; 4)
whether other communities in Massachusetts give their Select Boards an official
role in collective bargaining (having a seat at the negotiating table, being
the ratifying body or other) and what
those models looks like
• That the Town Manager should have a strong
collaboration with the next School Superintendent, and that a performance goal
in FY10 may be to explore a more coordinated budget creation process between
the Town and School administration
• To support a monthly Select Board report, to be
written by Stephanie and to be put up on the Town web site and published in the
Bulletin (if the Bulletin is willing; Stephanie will find out)
• To send any suggestions on the January Select
Board report draft to Stephanie in time for an edited version to be included in
our packets this week, for approval at the 2/9 meeting (we did not specify a
deadline for getting those edits to me, but I suggest Thursday morning, to give
me the opportunity to incorporate the changes)
Requested:
• That a map showing the location and duration of
different parking options be included on the back of the flier about pending
enforcement of the bylaw prohibiting meter feeding
• That the details of the money being used to
close the FY09 gap be made clear for Town Meeting
• That the information for the 2/9 litigation
update be provided as a document in our packets, listing who is suing the Town,
the nature of the litigation, and the cost to the Town of each suit to date
• An update at the next meeting on Town Counsel's
opinion as to whether or not a warrant article is required for updating the
Town's human rights language
• That the cut list for the municipal budget be
ready for the Wednesday 2/25 meeting, in preparation for the 3/2 Budget
Coordinating Group meeting
Items to be added to the 2/2 agenda: (oops: should say 2/9 agenda)
• Approval of the 1/21 minutes (postponed due to
time, and not everyone had read them)
• Discussion of how to encourage the posting of
committee minutes (postponed due to time)
Materials to be brought back for the
next meeting:
• 1/21 draft minutes
