Coordinator report December 29, 2016

Selectboard are asked to sign a letter regarding pipeline infrastructure
and our energy future. All signing communities are asked to sign the
letter as presented. Notwithstanding the issue of the efficacy of
numerous identical letters, this is the request.

Planning Board is working on a draft herbicide by-law which is being
reviewed by the Tree Warden and Highway Department. This is included for
your information and the board will be asked to put something on the TM
Warrant once it is hashed out. This is for your information.

I don't have anything to report on our desire to undertake a phase one
environmental study (historical) on vacant property near the town beach.

Highway employees noted that the current draft of Personnel Policy if
adopted this fiscal year would seem to strip employees of the vacation
time that currently is available on July 1 at the start of the new
fiscal year. Unless it was your intent, a way to make this work is to
agree that employees get their FY18 vacation time on July 1 as before
and then begin accruing vacation as described in the policy from July 1.
This will have the effect of making the vacation accrued under the
former policy available and then going forward recognizing vacation
accrual in an incremental fashion instead of the current pass Go,
collect a year's worth of vacation. Reminder we will have a Personnel
Policy Hearing 1/17, a Tuesday following MLK Day.

Tom, Dawn and I met by phone with MBI key staff on the subject of
Warwick's Broadband Grant Term. We agreed to three progress payments of
$150k each. They agreed that valid project expenses incurred under the
TM voted borrowing authority are in general allowable and noted that our
"working ahead" with "skin in the game" strengthened our proposal.

Wired West is asking municipal leaders to sign their letter that is
critical of MBI and the readiness assessment process. Essentially they
want MBI to change the last mile rules yet again, and stop protecting
Towns from themselves. Our joining this latest revolt would be terribly
disingenuous if not crass. Warwick did leave its fiber "make ready",
engineering and construction project oversight funding on the table and
it will go where it is needed.  And, Warwick is getting our construction
grant in full. Reading the letter they have drafted I was struck by the
tacit admission that some towns subsidize others (those with a bad
business case) and that makes a regional solution possible and is a good
thing. My advice is to just say no, either affirmatively or by ignoring
this. It is bad form to bite the hand that feeds. And at some point to
get the job done you figure out the rules and play by than instead of
arguing about the rules for a fourth or fifth year. Maybe the
Selectboard should refer this to the Broadband Committee. Or maybe we
should try again to get our individual $50 WiredWest deposits back and
tell them to pay attention to that matter.

There is a Workshop on Marijuana Legalization 1/12 at 6 pm at the FRCOG.
We have a meeting about Pioneer budget 1/10 in Bernardston. That is
Northfield's regular meeting time so their Selectboard may not be
attending.