Coordinator Report

February 15, 2013

I had Rosa catalog our exemptions granted under Chapter 268 Section 20d.
I provided a copy to the town clerk who is the touch stone for inquiries
from the Ethics Commission. I'll have a list of some positions to
designate as special municipal just to be safe. It won't be the final
and comprehensive run at this matter for this Tuesday's meeting but we
are getting on track. Rosa's work product is attached

Recreation committee requests that we appoint Holly Manson to their
ranks. We have publicized this opening for some months and are grateful
to Holly for stepping up. Her focus will be on older youth. Meanwhile
the Recreation Committee sponsored ZUMBA is going strong with three one
hour sessions each week.

Roland Weld and Steve Kurkoski have the generator at WCS working well.
It starts and runs and they adjusted the voltage and tested in on the
school loads. Still worth it to keep it in our plans to replace this as
it is a 1950s machine, is three phase, and was never converted to single
phase. We are using two of the three legs of three phase power.

Town clerk proposes that the board vote to set the date of the Town
Election to coincide with the special state primary scheduled 4/30. I
will have paperwork (election warrants) in hand to go either way but we
need to get the warrants posted soon. I also have nomination papers for
each office that is open.  Thirty signatures are required to get a name
on the ballot.

Highway Superintendent Kilhart asks the board vote to authorize deficit
spending on snow and ice. I recommend we do so.  He reports that all
signs must be compliant and has on order slightly more than $1000 worth
of road closed to vehicles more than 10,000 pounds signs. These number
24.  He has agreed to begin to acquire for the Highway Department
additional signs that say "Road Closed" or "Road Closed to through
traffic" from his budget. I want to tell the board that the town
accountant considers expenditures from the Hastings fund and then
seeking reimbursement an "end run" around the budget process and the DOR
discourages it. I don't see the immediate need and recommend we buy only
legal signs.

FRCOG has worked on contracts to execute between towns for rental of
equipment. The question I was asked to research by Tim is whether if we
rent another town's piece of equipment is the Town covered? The answer
is yes on liability and only if we inform them in advance and get a
rider are we covered for damage to the equipment. The contract has been
reviewed by Attorney Donna McNichols. I am not sure any action is
required by the board and desire to let you know what is happening on
this front. It doesn't make sense for every town to own every piece of
equipment and sharing is good.

Some of our part time employees have a problem with our retirement plan
which leaves them with little after management fees due to their minimal
contributions. Town counsel is investigating whether we can offer social
security as an option. It would cost the town the match and would apply
to retired employees who don't have to contribute under our current
county retirement / OBRA plans.

I was asked to investigate widening participation in the town's health
insurance plan wherein folks could pay 100% of the cost and be part of
it. This isn't legal say both the plan administrator and town counsel.
We could however offer this scenario to town employees who have retired
and are getting a pension from the county retirement system.

Terry's retirement letter is attached. He intends to come back to work
for us after gaining his retired status. Do we really want to engage in
the parody of doing a hiring process?

I responded to FRCOG questionnaire regarding our technical assistance
needs and priorities based on information provided by Planning Board
chair Cady and asked they look at our elder resident's interest in
senior housing being developed in town.

One thing I have learned in life is that running two calendars is
dangerous. I ask the board's agreement that I eliminate the physical
calendar located outside my office in favor of the on-line one. It is
working for most folks and isn't any more work for the rest than the old
way where they call me, I walk out the hall and consult it, make a deal
and write it on the wall calendar. Take a look at this link: 

"https://cid-c0dbb3e127216945.calendar.live.com/calendar/Warwick+
Calendar/index.html"

Town of Rowe, whose elementary school burned, is planning to build a new
school and their building committee visited Warwick this Friday. I was
interviewed over the phone and referred them to former committee
members. They are not getting any help from MSBA and are doing the
replacement all from insurance proceeds. I am concerned about the
Pioneer school district budget as Warwick's minimum contribution
calculated by the state has spiked. Then there are the step increases
and wage increases on top of that. See attached correspondence I had
with the superintendent.

The Thursday morning coffee time and three buck lunch has not been well
attended. We may try an alternate date. I hope Diana is willing to keep
trying. It is not generating much revenue.

The cons com is sponsoring a beaver talk on 3/26. I suggested a title of
"Beaver for Dummies". They countered with "Beaver and the Law". See the
calendar. Their title prevailed.

I issued a press release to promote the 250th ball. A story ran in both
the Recorder and Athol Daily News.  Brenda Shaw contributed a wreath she
made to commemorate the 250th. Claire Green contributed a bottle of
Warwick, The First Lady, wine to present to our Town's eldest resident.
Tom Wyatt is coordinating decorating the main hall for the ball with art
mostly borrowed from the Free Public Library. Diana Tandy will be in
charge of the kitchen for the event and Lisa Vanderstelt has agreed to
bartend. The proceeds of the beer and wine bar will benefit the 250th
celebration. Clauda Lewis, Zak Marti, Nicol Wander and others have
volunteered to help. We have imprinted t shirts and mugs for sale. The
Guild members are contributing food for the event. Senator Rosenberg is
going to wait until OHD to make his presentation. Clauda created a
Facebook page promoting the ball.

I answered procurement by FRCOG for providing Internet to western mass
town halls and other 123 fiber wired anchor institutions. We'd make $50
a connection based on the pricing I developed if any towns want to
contract with us which they can do on a no bid basis. Reva presented on
WiredWest at a recent STAM (small town administrators MA) quarterly
meeting held in Orange that I attended. I just became STAM's list-serve
administrator.