At Wednesday’s Select Board meeting, member Doug Field read a letter from Laura Blakesley, publicly thanking the Highway Department for their work in cleaning up behind Town Hall and the firehouse.
Blakesley, the Town Collector, also thanked volunteers Paullette Leukhart, Ricki Carroll, and Karen Sullivan for helping her with the tax bill mailing.
David King
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
A Smooth Special Town Meeting
Under the guidance of temporary moderator Phil Pless, last night’s Special Town Meeting voted on all four warrant articles unanimously.
The only article that generated substantive discussion was Article Two, to fund the town street lights. In introducing the article, Select Board Chair Dave DeHerdt explained that the town had voted to turn the street lights off at Annual Town Meeting in May. Since then, the Select Board has heard from several residents who would like to see certain lights left on. Because it’s not yet certain how many lights will remain lit, DeHerdt proposed a successful amendment to return the street light funding to its FY 2010 level of $2,000.
When asked if the Select Board still had a commitment to turn off as many lights as possible, DeHerdt assured voters that it did. It simply wants to give the Street Light Committee, formed at last week’s Select Board meeting, an opportunity to make responsible decisions as to how to handle the street lights. DeHerdt said that the committee should have recommendations ready for the board by August.
The other three articles involved end-of-the-fiscal-year bookkeeping. The first appropriated funds to make the last payment for damage cleanup after the ice storm of December, 2008. The third, cleaning up an accounting glitch that came to light at May’s Annual Town Meeting, appropriated $6000 for the Belding Memorial Library from the Library Revolving Fund rather than free cash. The fourth article, referred to by Pless as “the last and least,” appropriated $74 to pay for repairs and inspection for the van operated by the Council on Aging.
David King
The only article that generated substantive discussion was Article Two, to fund the town street lights. In introducing the article, Select Board Chair Dave DeHerdt explained that the town had voted to turn the street lights off at Annual Town Meeting in May. Since then, the Select Board has heard from several residents who would like to see certain lights left on. Because it’s not yet certain how many lights will remain lit, DeHerdt proposed a successful amendment to return the street light funding to its FY 2010 level of $2,000.
When asked if the Select Board still had a commitment to turn off as many lights as possible, DeHerdt assured voters that it did. It simply wants to give the Street Light Committee, formed at last week’s Select Board meeting, an opportunity to make responsible decisions as to how to handle the street lights. DeHerdt said that the committee should have recommendations ready for the board by August.
The other three articles involved end-of-the-fiscal-year bookkeeping. The first appropriated funds to make the last payment for damage cleanup after the ice storm of December, 2008. The third, cleaning up an accounting glitch that came to light at May’s Annual Town Meeting, appropriated $6000 for the Belding Memorial Library from the Library Revolving Fund rather than free cash. The fourth article, referred to by Pless as “the last and least,” appropriated $74 to pay for repairs and inspection for the van operated by the Council on Aging.
David King
Appointments for FY 2011
In a break with past practice, the Select Board voted last night on all town appointments individually rather than by slate.
The list of reappointments is as follows:
Agricultural Commission (two-year terms): Joel Arsenault and Robyn Crowningshield
Agricultural Commission associate (one-year term): Nancy Garvin
Three-Year Terms:
Conservation Commission: Lester Garvin and Willis Thayer
Historical Commission: Molly Babize, Gerard McGovern, and Steve Gougeon
Youth Commission: Deborah Duchin
One-Year Terms:
Zoning Board of Appeals associate: Anne Yuryan
Highway Superintendant: Thomas Poissant
Highway mechanic: Curtis Pichette
Highway laborer/equipment operator: Jeff Clark, Richard Turner, Alan Taylor
Transfer Station Attendant: Phil Nolan III
Wastewater Treatment Superintendant: Elizabeth Nichols
Fire Chief: Del Haskins
Emergency Management Director: Doug Field
Police Officer: Jared Konopko
Auxiliary Officers: Betty Lesure, Walter Zalenski
Animal Control Officer: Warren Kirkpatrick
Town Administrator: Maryellen Cranston
Assistant Municipal Town Clerk: Nancy Dunne
Town Tax Collector: Laura Blakesley
Town Treasurer: Laura Blakesley
Assistant Town Treasurer: Maryellen Cranston
Assessor’s Assistant: Faye Witney-Lussier and Nancy Dunne
Registrar of Voters: Nancy Intres and Susan Gambino
Fence Viewer: Alden Gray
Field Driver: Roland Townsley and David King
Surveyor of Wood and Lumber: Raymond Sears
Frederick W. Wells Trustee: Molly Robinson
Carl Millman Scholarship Member: Sheila Graves
Except for the vote for Emergency Management Director, from which Select Board member Doug Field abstained, all votes were unanimous. Select Board Chair Dave DeHerdt reminded all appointees who require swearing in that they must make an appointment with the assistant town clerk to be sworn in again.
David King
The list of reappointments is as follows:
Agricultural Commission (two-year terms): Joel Arsenault and Robyn Crowningshield
Agricultural Commission associate (one-year term): Nancy Garvin
Three-Year Terms:
Conservation Commission: Lester Garvin and Willis Thayer
Historical Commission: Molly Babize, Gerard McGovern, and Steve Gougeon
Youth Commission: Deborah Duchin
One-Year Terms:
Zoning Board of Appeals associate: Anne Yuryan
Highway Superintendant: Thomas Poissant
Highway mechanic: Curtis Pichette
Highway laborer/equipment operator: Jeff Clark, Richard Turner, Alan Taylor
Transfer Station Attendant: Phil Nolan III
Wastewater Treatment Superintendant: Elizabeth Nichols
Fire Chief: Del Haskins
Emergency Management Director: Doug Field
Police Officer: Jared Konopko
Auxiliary Officers: Betty Lesure, Walter Zalenski
Animal Control Officer: Warren Kirkpatrick
Town Administrator: Maryellen Cranston
Assistant Municipal Town Clerk: Nancy Dunne
Town Tax Collector: Laura Blakesley
Town Treasurer: Laura Blakesley
Assistant Town Treasurer: Maryellen Cranston
Assessor’s Assistant: Faye Witney-Lussier and Nancy Dunne
Registrar of Voters: Nancy Intres and Susan Gambino
Fence Viewer: Alden Gray
Field Driver: Roland Townsley and David King
Surveyor of Wood and Lumber: Raymond Sears
Frederick W. Wells Trustee: Molly Robinson
Carl Millman Scholarship Member: Sheila Graves
Except for the vote for Emergency Management Director, from which Select Board member Doug Field abstained, all votes were unanimous. Select Board Chair Dave DeHerdt reminded all appointees who require swearing in that they must make an appointment with the assistant town clerk to be sworn in again.
David King
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Select Board Agenda--6/30/2010
TOWN OF ASHFIELD
SELECT BOARD MEETING AGENDA
(Preliminary and Subject to Change)
June 30, 2010 Immediately following STM
1. OLD BUSINESS
Town Warrant time card review (continued from 06/23/10)
Police Dept. FY2010 budget adjustments
2. NEW BUSINESS
FY 2011 Appointment/Reappointments
FUTURE MEETINGS/APPOINTMENTS
Select Board Meeting – July 14, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m.
Select Board Meeting – July 28, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m.
SELECT BOARD MEETING AGENDA
(Preliminary and Subject to Change)
June 30, 2010 Immediately following STM
1. OLD BUSINESS
Town Warrant time card review (continued from 06/23/10)
Police Dept. FY2010 budget adjustments
2. NEW BUSINESS
FY 2011 Appointment/Reappointments
FUTURE MEETINGS/APPOINTMENTS
Select Board Meeting – July 14, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m.
Select Board Meeting – July 28, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m.
Town Hall Reorganization
A reorganization plan completed at the Select Board meeting last night aims to open Town Hall to the public for more than its current two days per week.
After talking extensively to town employees over the last few weeks, town administrative offices liaison Norm Russell presented a plan that separates the Town Administrator, Town Clerk, and Town Treasurer’s positions, all currently held by one person. Russell explained that, if the town can hire a new clerk at a lower hourly rate, that would free up funds to expand the hours of other employees, allowing Town Hall to be open more days of the week.
Russell also said that they hope to find a candidate with computer experience, since part of the clerk’s duties is to be keeper of public records, a position that today requires familiarity with computers. Until a new Town Clerk is found, the Assistant Town Clerk will fulfill the clerk’s duties.
Russell’s plan will couple the position of Town Treasurer and Town Collector. The current Treasurer will become Assistant Treasurer, so someone will be available to generate payroll when the Treasurer is on vacation.
After discussion, Chair Dave DeHerdt summed up next year’s proposed appointments as follows:
Town Administrator/Assistant Treasurer: Maryellen Cranston
Town Clerk: vacant
Town Collector/Treasurer: Laura Blakesley
Assistant Town Clerk: Nancy Dunne and Maryellen Cranston
All appointments are for one-year terms. Appointments are expected to be made at tonight’s Select Board meeting, following the 7 p.m. Special Town Meeting at Sanderson Academy.
David King
After talking extensively to town employees over the last few weeks, town administrative offices liaison Norm Russell presented a plan that separates the Town Administrator, Town Clerk, and Town Treasurer’s positions, all currently held by one person. Russell explained that, if the town can hire a new clerk at a lower hourly rate, that would free up funds to expand the hours of other employees, allowing Town Hall to be open more days of the week.
Russell also said that they hope to find a candidate with computer experience, since part of the clerk’s duties is to be keeper of public records, a position that today requires familiarity with computers. Until a new Town Clerk is found, the Assistant Town Clerk will fulfill the clerk’s duties.
Russell’s plan will couple the position of Town Treasurer and Town Collector. The current Treasurer will become Assistant Treasurer, so someone will be available to generate payroll when the Treasurer is on vacation.
After discussion, Chair Dave DeHerdt summed up next year’s proposed appointments as follows:
Town Administrator/Assistant Treasurer: Maryellen Cranston
Town Clerk: vacant
Town Collector/Treasurer: Laura Blakesley
Assistant Town Clerk: Nancy Dunne and Maryellen Cranston
All appointments are for one-year terms. Appointments are expected to be made at tonight’s Select Board meeting, following the 7 p.m. Special Town Meeting at Sanderson Academy.
David King
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Agenda for Tonight's SB Meeting--6/29/2010
Due to our being unable to convene our open session meeting yesterday, the Select Board will bring all agenda items from yesterday's cancelled meeting to its posted meeting for tonight. I anticipate that the Select Board will conclude its presentation of the STM Warrant to the Finance Committee at approximately 8:45 p.m., after which the Board will continue in open session to address the open meeting agenda items from Monday, June 28, 2010.
R. Dave DeHerdt, Chair
Ashfield Select Board
Editor's note: The agenda for yesterday's cancelled meeting is posted below. Scroll down and click on "older posts" or click on the item in the archives.
R. Dave DeHerdt, Chair
Ashfield Select Board
Editor's note: The agenda for yesterday's cancelled meeting is posted below. Scroll down and click on "older posts" or click on the item in the archives.
The Unposted Meeting--An Opinion
After yesterday's posting "mishap" and all the other issues going on in town hall, I hope people are finally getting the fact that the police department isn't the only problem in town hall. All the other postings made it up. Friends helping friends-- looks pretty bad for the town not being able to control employees.
The board allowed it to go on too long. They have had many chances to deal with this prior to the end of the appointment season, and now it's too late. Their selective discipline has been the board's downfall to this point.
They finally get the guts to put one of the real problems in front of them, thanks to Chief Cotton, in executive session, and look what happens. The board's chance to make it right both procedurally and morally has come and gone. That person will leave with a perfect personnel file and another law suit to come.
Now let's deal with the un-posted meeting in the proper way. We can't allow any employee to hide behind an illness as a reason for mistakes or misdoings. If that employee can't do the job they have, then have them take a leave until they are well enough to do it right. My sympathy is there, but you have a town to run.
John Svoboda
The board allowed it to go on too long. They have had many chances to deal with this prior to the end of the appointment season, and now it's too late. Their selective discipline has been the board's downfall to this point.
They finally get the guts to put one of the real problems in front of them, thanks to Chief Cotton, in executive session, and look what happens. The board's chance to make it right both procedurally and morally has come and gone. That person will leave with a perfect personnel file and another law suit to come.
Now let's deal with the un-posted meeting in the proper way. We can't allow any employee to hide behind an illness as a reason for mistakes or misdoings. If that employee can't do the job they have, then have them take a leave until they are well enough to do it right. My sympathy is there, but you have a town to run.
John Svoboda
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