Coordinator report

March 17, 2011

The Scenic Road Cutting Policy has been approved by the Conservation
Commission and adopted by the Planning Board who will use it as guidance
for scenic road hearings. The Selectboard should adopt it as well to
provide guidance to Highway Department and Tree Warden.

As requested the Fire chief and Fireman's Association representative
will be at the meeting to report on their accomplishments and plans to
build a new public safety building.

In order that Warwick residents can participate in the national flood
insurance program and get favorable premiums the Selectboard needs to
vote the resolution supplied by our contact at DCR. Pat Smith, FRCOG
planner, has confirmed that once approved by AG and MEMA/FEMA our by-law
constitutes compliance with Part 60.

Town clerk requests the board consider shortening the polling hours for
the annual town election. Law requires not less than four hours, from
noon until 4 pm. Current practice is from noon until 8 pm. She and I
suggest noon until 7:00 pm because it will save some money and that last
hour is not much utilized.

I have negotiated a new three year lease with purchase option at market
value at lease end. This is on statewide bid procurement such as we
utilize to buy highway trucks. The payments are $10 more per month than
we currently pay. The new copy machine has 11 x 17 glass which is twice
the size of the current model, functions as a scanner, fax and network
printer.  I am proposing increasing the copy machine account by $300
though the town report line item and the interoffice could contribute to
the cost.

I'd like some money for paid interns to undertake such projects as
digitizing town historic records and suggest we shift $1200 from the
Town Secretary line to a new one called "interns". That will leave
funding in the Secretary line sufficient to meet historic expenditures.

Enterprise fund budgets need to be accepted by the Selectboard and then
voted by Town Meeting. I have proposed an in balance budget of $102,700.

It is time for the board to nominate our inspector of barns. In 2000 the
town voted to combine the ACO with inspector of barns. The latter
appointment is done at the state level based on Selectboard nomination.

MASS PIRG would like the board to adopt a resolution widening the scope
of the bottle bill to include water, tea, etc.

I have added a resolution to TM warrant to let the Town residents
aggregate electric purchasing to get lower rates as the Town is able to
do with Hampshire Power. Town got a $100 plus rebate recently and does
every year and our published rate is the best available.

More blue recycling boxes are on their way funded by a grant from DEP.
We are getting 32 of these. We took copy paper as a part of our grant
and the paper has been delivered.

I put our oar in the water regarding a DOR process to develop open
accounting / taxing software though our current solutions are adequate.

I forecast that by fiscal year end WBS (broadband) will retire the
borrowing and pay off the $15,000 upgrade cost for the additional APs
approved by DCR for the Mt. Grace tower that we install in the spring.
Income is $5k per month.

Tim will attend an informational meeting on Mar. 25 to get information
about applying for PWED, CDAG, STRAP and other MassWorks infrastructure
funding opportunities.

FRCOG is beginning a plan for sustainable development for Franklin
County. Each Selectboard is asked to send a representative. I suggest we
see who may be interested from the Transition Town movement. First
meeting is April 5 at 1:00 pm at Greenfield Savings Bank.

We received copies of the letters from area governmental jurisdictions,
including Warwick, regarding decommissioning VT Yankee.

The Ad Hoc Wood committee met for the first time on Mar 10 and will meet
again on Mar 17. We are waiting for an opinion from counsel on ownership
of the wood. I think the law, when discussing disposal, is not silent.
My reading says that hazard trees may be removed by Warden when ordered
by Selectboard. If anyone objects in writing to cutting a shade tree,
the decision is the Selectboard's

Tim's medical absence will likely exceed the last week in March. I
didn't intend the Section 20D exemption the board approved to limit
Bruce's service to late March, just to describe the event causing us the
need. If you differ in your understanding of your action we should
perfect this authorization. One of the applicants for the highway job
has moved out of town. The other is available though works full time.

Do we have any economic development projects we want on the regional
project list to make us eligible for federal funding? Nothing comes to
my mind.  Senator Rosenberg's annual municipal conference is April 9th
in Northampton. Break out sessions are on subjects of Education and
Regionalization. Register by March 22.