Coordinator report March 28, 2013

Fire chief Gates has requested a spot on the agenda. Actually two spots.
In the first instance, to discuss Fireman's Association business and
specifically progress on the public safety building. That will be
followed by a report from the chief on the Fire Department and a
continuation on road closed sign status.

Chairman Magi, Chief Gates and I have begun the chief employment
performance evaluation and will be able to report back in a few weeks.

At a member's request there is an agenda item for the Selectboard to
rescind the voted policy that bans all dogs from town hall.

We were contacted by an agent of the Richmond NH board of selectmen,
Richard Drun, who request we appoint someone to participate in the
perambulation of our boundary with Richmond. Yes it has been five years.
There are about six boundary markers to rediscover. They would like to
do this survey before the black flies make it unpleasant.

We need to "open" the Annual Town Meeting warrant and declare a date to
close it. I suggest opening it April 1 and closing it April 15 at 6 pm. 
This is a legal requirement and is establishing the window for the
voters to request articles by petition. The Selectboard may add articles
right up to the signing and posting of the warrant which must be done at
least seven days in advance of the Annual Town Meeting which is Monday
May 6 at 7 pm.

Town departments and any committee that wants its report published in
the Town report need to submit it.

The independent auditors recently completed the audit of the Town's FY12
financials. A copy of the audit is at the Library for your reading and a
copy is posted on the town website,  http://www.warwickma.org. After we
get through the town meeting I will schedule Mr. Scanlon to meet with
the board to discuss in particular implementing their seven
recommendations and to as well answer any questions you have regarding
the audit.

The town has its "free cash" certified in the amount of$135k which will
help us reduce the tax levy if appropriated by Town Meeting to that use.
The Solid Waste Enterprise Fund had a smaller surplus than I expected by
about $3k so the Commissioners and Selectboard will have to decide if we
can make up that amount in fees or need to ask the taxpayers to fund the
$3k. The trend is promising having appropriated over $20k four years
ago.

Town counsel is reviewing the four by-law changes of which only one is
arguably a zoning matter - the planning board alternate item.

Miryam has requested on behalf of the ZBA that Arthur Long, 35 Chestnut
Hill Rd be appointed to the ZBA as an alternate member. Has been awhile
since resignation of Joe Paul and we are fortunate to find a taker so I
recommend the board appoint. This has been publicized over the past few
months in the newsletter and on the list-serve.

This year, by vote of the Selectboard, the town election is being held
in combination with the special statewide election on April 30. We have
candidates for all offices with exception of a two year position on the
Transfer Station Board of Commissioners. There are no races for office
except for the US Senate primary elections. We will be running two
parallel elections and the warrants will be before you to be signed so
we can get this posted in plenty of time.

I have advertised the collector position in the Daily News and posted
the job opening as required under our personnel policy. To date Terry is
the lone applicant. He has retired and would be available after 30 days
of retirement to be re-employed.

The concept of a "village post office" is on the agenda for discussion.
USPS are closing post offices right and left and ending Saturday
delivery.  Our post office was closed at the request of the community in
the 1960s for two reasons. People wanted rural home delivery rather than
having to go to the store to retrieve their mail at their post office
box and as well the vast majority of residents preferred to close the
Warwick post office rather than have any of the five registered
democrats in Town appointed postmaster.   Postmaster was a patronage
job.  Today, since we don't have a store and for the above reasons I
don't see this getting off the ground.

Diana has agreed to the continuation of the gathering place / soup lunch
on Friday's in April. Coffee and tea are available from 10 am and lunch
beginning at 11:30 am through 1 pm.  Dinner Theater is April 26 and 27.
Clare Green is organizing a May pole and May basket making the following
day, April 28. Mark your calendars for June 23. That is the day the
Women's Guild hosts a high tea to celebrate the Town's 250th.

Remember that solar "hosting" contract we voters authorized at a Special
Town Meeting last summer where we were going to get paid for putting our
name on a project built out of town? It is getting real. We are host of
a 6,000 kW project going in Ware, 1,500 kW proposed in Oxford, and
another 2,500 kW at another site proposed in Ware. Besides putting green
energy into the electric grid we will start making $50k a year when the
projects go live in a few months.  We are a little behind schedule
because the Brimfield project turns out didn't have needed wired
capacity to support the development and a new site had to be found. On
the local front the planning board is considering developing zoning to
apply to commercial solar though I don't see much development of any
large scale due to the insufficient capacity of the wired distribution
infrastructure.

We have a dedicated local phone number for broadband. For service or to
report an outage call 978-633-9544. We will welcome our 155th customer
this month. Installation cost is now only $100.

I owe the board and public a clarification on the Selectboard meeting
minutes on the subject of the FRCOG contract for rentals the board
approved.  It is for procuring rented equipment from a company in the
business to rent apparatus. Thanks to FRCOG we do as well have forms for
inter-governmental rentals but this isn't it and we'll get the record
corrected.

Public safety and other town officials are working with the assistance
of FRCOG planning department to finish our Hazard Mitigation Plan to
submit it to FEMA so we can apply for financial support to address
issues we identify as possible future problems.  The next meeting which
is to review the draft plan is scheduled for 2 pm on Tuesday April 3 at
the Town Hall. Come join us if you feel you can contribute or would like
to watch the action.

The Recreation committee has events happening for adults.   ZUMBA is
held three times a week. Adult volleyball occurs on Wednesday and Sunday
evenings.  In addition the Council on Aging conducts Tai Chi wellness
for an hour each week at 11 am on Tuesdays.

To check the Town's on-line long range calendar go to this Internet
address. Some folks find it helpful to bookmark the URL in a browser as
it is not an intuitive address. Or go to the Town web site and click on
the link
https://cid-c0dbb3e127216945.calendar.live.com/calendar/Warwick+Calendar
/index.html

David Young

Administrative Coordinator