West Newbury
Board of Selectmen
Dec. 9, 2009
APPROVED
Going into Executive Session from 6 to 7 p.m. for contract discussions with a representative for employees of the three unions in town (3-0) The board came back into Open Session at 7 p.m.
DISCUSSED
A $62,395 municipal funding and staffing grant obtained by police Chief Lisa Holmes. She will use the grant, which runs from January 2010 to January 2011, to cover costs to use part-time officers to fill the four to five shifts currently open in the police schedule.
The merits and detriments of regionalizing the public safety dispatch department with Holmes and Bill Bachrach of the Finance Committee. Fire Chief Scott Berkenbush could not attend due to illness.
Concerns about underfunded liabilities with the director and actuary of the Essex County Retirement Board.
A lease renewal request from the Learning Tree Pre-School. Selectmen will run it by the Building and Grounds department and then discuss it during an Executive Session next week.
A decision not to pursue installation of a message about the town's new Webcasting service provided by Granicus onto its phone system for callers to hear played during wait times. The town would have been charged for the upgrade.
Proposed language changes to the Pentucket Regional Agreement that the board wants Selectman Dick Cushing to bring to the agreement review committee at its first meeting on Dec. 10. Selectman Tom Atwood asked that the document be amended in order to require staff salary and benefits to be limited to a percentage of the overall annual budget so that there is enough money remaining in the budget to allow for educational supplies and equipment and building maintenance. The board also supports wording changes to allow bonding for elementary school renovations and host community compensation for costs associated with services provided to the middle and high schools by public safety officials from Groveland and West Newbury.
Correspondence regarding an update on water levels at the old town landfill off Georgetown Road.
ANNOUNCED
Selectmen encouraged residents to participate in a toy and clothing drive sponsored by the Council on Aging by picking an ornament with a child's name and size written on it hanging on a Christmas tree in the 1910 Building lobby. The unwrapped gifts must be returned to a box near the tree no later than Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. The COA will wrap them and deliver them to Turning Point, a domestic violence shelter in Amesbury.
POSTPONED
Discussions about costs for e-mail storage and Internet blocks for the town's computer system until Jim Teal of the Cable Advisory Committee is present.
