Tonight's SB Agenda

ASHFIELD SELECT BOARD MEETING AGENDA*
January 27, 2010 8pm
1. Minutes
January 13, 2010 —open session
January 13, 2010 — executive session
January 20. 2010 — open session
January 20, 2010 — executive session
2. APPOINTMENTS:
7 pm — Web Site Review (Web Site Committee)
3. LIAISON REPORTS
a. Police
b. Fire
c. Highway
d. Emergency Manager (Emergency Action Plan)
4. OLD BUSINESS
a. Letter response to DA's office
b. Police department:
- FRCOG study of shared services - Consulting services
- Search for interim chief
c. Technology Support Services
d. CPA memo from Planning Board
e. Future voting location options
f. WWTP contracts
5. MAIL
a. Franklin Regional Retirement System
b. Franklin Regional Transit Authority
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Warrant for Special Town Meeting on February 24
b. Use of sealed bids for selling tax title properties
7. Vote/Signatures
a. Hearing policy
8. FUTURE MEETINGS/APPOINTMENTS
January 28 @ 7:30 pin — Select Board & Finance Committee Meeting
February 3 @ 7 pm — Select Board Meeting February 10 @ 7 pm — Select Board Meeting February 13/14 — sign warrants
February 17 @ 7 pm — Select Board Meeting
February 24 @ 7 pm — Special Town Meeting followed by Select Board Meeting
9. PUBLIC FORUM if timel
10. EXECUTIVE SESSION (if necessary)
* This is a preliminary agenda and is subject to change

This Week's Meetings

Tue Jan 26 7:00pm Assessors (BOA)
Tue Jan 26 9:00am Park Commission at Elmer's

Wed Jan 27 6:00pm Select Board exec session
Wed Jan 27 8:00pm Select Board open meeting
Wed Jan 27 7:30pm Conservation Commission

Thu Jan 28 7:30pm Finance Committee/Select Board
Thu Jan 28 7:30pm Historical Commission

A Voice for Freedom

Ashfield Town Common, a voice for everyone. I have been thinking people need to reawaken their spirit, come alive and believe in their freedom, that it belongs to each individual. It does not belong to others or one single person’s treasure trove of possible favors to devour. We cannot slumber while living in Ashfield therefore, let me remind myself…

I see the situation in Ashfield as being like a domestic abuser and terrorized family when the "Great Santini" type personality dominates, abuses, hands out favors, glorifies in his power and domination, and the family/town no longer even knows what's normal any more...that living in fear becomes the norm, that no one speaks out because they worry about their or each other's safety. And all the while the abuser says how important he is, how all-knowing, how it's all your fault.

Sherry Jourdan

Donations for Computer Forensics

Last night at the Select Board meeting it was mentioned that forensic investigation of computers is expensive. Since this discussion has been around for a long time, I asked just how much this would cost. When I was told$1500.00, I made a donation to Ashfield for the entire amount, to hire a forensic investigator for the sole purpose of finding the e-mails that were found to be missing early last summer. If I had been told, when we first started asking for this months ago, that it was this easy, I would have done it then.

Because I felt some urgency in this matter, I went ahead and did this without taking up a collection first. If there is anyone interested in helping me to defray any of the cost, please just send a check along with "missing e-mails" in the memo space.

Thank you.

Ricki Carroll
P.O.Box 85
Ashfield, MA 01330

Select Board to Start Search for Interim Police Chief

The Select Board agreed tonight to begin their search for an interim police chief. Citing conversations he has had with citizens since last week's open hearing, board chair Ted Murray said that he now felt that the town should work to bring in an interim chief as quickly as possible.

At last week’s meeting on the D.A.’s findings on open meeting law violations, Wayne Sampson of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association said that the town could put an interim chief in place in a matter of weeks. The board agreed to contact Sampson for names and resumes of potential candidates for the job.

In other business, Ted Murray and Dave DeHerdt voted, with Tom Ulrich opposed, to change the current two-day notice time for executive hearings to ten days, except when critical circumstances make a shorter time more prudent.

David King and Ruth Julian

Tonight!

TOWN OF ASHFIELD SELECT BOARD
MEETING AGENDA*
January 20, 2010 8 pm
1. Minutes
January 13, 2010—open session
January 13, 2010 — executive session
2. APPOINTMENTS:
3. LIAISON REPORTS
a. Police
b. Fire
c. Highway
d. Emergency Manager (Emergency Action Plan)
e. Town Hall
4. OLD BUSINESS
a. Hearing policy
b. Police department leadership
5. MAIL
a. Broadband meeting on 2/6/10
b. Community Preservation Act initiative per Planning Board
c. Hilltown Resource Center
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Timing of Special Town Meeting: 2/17 or 2/24?
b. Future location of elections: Town Hall or Sanderson Academy?
c. Fuel oil contract for Ashfield WWTP
Vote/Signatures
a. Application for use of Town Hall
8. FUTURE MEETINGS/APPOINTMENTS
January 21 @ 7:30 pm — Select Board & Finance Committee Meeting January 27 @ 6 pm — Select Board Executive Hearing
January 27 @ 8 pm — Select Board Meeting
January 28 @ 7:30 pm — Select Board & Finance Committee Meeting January 30/31 — sign warrants
9. PUBLIC FORUM (if time)
10. EXECUTIVE HEARING (if needed)
* This is a preliminary agenda and is subject to change.

Ashfield Is True Blue

According to the (truly amazing) interactive map at www.nytimes.com, Martha Coakley earned 75% of Ashfield's votes--that's 670. Her victorious opponent Scott Brown got only 212, or 23.7%. Libertarian Joe Kennedy took 11 votes, for 1.2%.

Coakley won a higher percentage here than in any of the other west county towns, though all stayed blue except for Hawley (a 63 to 63 split).

Ruth Julian