Coordinator Report

April 17, 2008

Policy Questions for Friday's Selectboard Meeting:

Do we want retiree spouse health insurance coverage? The Town has never
considered it.  If wanted we will need an article accepting MGL 32B Sec
9D. I have the language.

Do we want to follow DOR suggestion and adopt Enterprise Account for
Transfer Sta.? I have written the article and it is acceptable to
counsel. It is included in the current draft of the Warrant.

We should include PVRS Capital items. Northfield is likely to vote them
down. If they do they are not funded.  I moved them to articles and out
of omnibus budget after a conversation with the Superintendent.  Do we
recommend against them?

The board had voted to recommend 98% of PVRS budget per Mr. Raymond's
presentation and request. However, the school does not have the sort of
reserves thought to have.  The school has made an effort and made cuts.
Does the BOS want to stay with this recommendation even as the
underlying analysis was flawed?

In the past we have voted money to an account / fund to pay for audits.
Do we want to add an article to do this?  In a previous budget iteration
I had put in $5k.  The Fin Com wants to put $25k into Capital $tab so
even without an earmark we could consider this covered by the
appropriation. The important thing is the discipline of setting aside
money someplace to cover the expense so we don't get whacked all at once
down the road.

If we follow that logic, do we want to vote $3k to assessor's
revaluation account, which I have included? Chris suggests it might be
able to come from assessor's overlay surplus.

Article 9: Cap $tab to new truck could have an "alternately" clause and
make it possible to lower the highway machinery repair by $10k. I think
a line of inquiry by Jim Toth at the last meeting suggest this is
perhaps a bad idea depending on timing of the purchase.

Some feeling by some Fin Com members that we NOT make a down payment on
the truck.  We could word article so any "excess" of truck repair
appropriation is directed to down payment; that amount and a trade-in
will lower the borrowing. First payment will be due in FY10

Report:

Got overlay amount from accountant. Assessors need to vote an amount for
TM to vote to transfer. Corresponded with Chris Ryan who will set up a
meeting for early next week.  Likely we could vote $10,000 from this to
the general fund.  And if there is more we could bring it to fund the
revaluation article.

Ordered hosted voice mail for Town Hall. This will cost $31 / month for
auto attendant at front end, call processing, and seven voice mailboxes.
 The fax line will be shared with Treasurer's data line and the old data
line will be dedicated to line one on the alarm.  We will delete $4 /
month charges for white pages listing charges saving $16 toward the
above cost.  And we won't have to add a line for the Building Inspector
at a cost of $30 / month. BOH and others will have voice mail, which
will be accessible from out of the office as well as within.

Contacted PVRS Superintendent with Fincom question about capital
requests.  These can be articles instead of omnibus budget items. I
moved them there.

Got BOH chair to release Cap $tab in amount of $5k to un-appropriated as
project is complete and funds not any longer needed.

Reviewed FD budget, capital budget and DCR grant request.

I printed postcards for the Town Meeting notification mailing and
purchased postage. These will go out next week to each household with
voters.

Developed "best case" budget reflecting an increased state grant to the
Community School bond debt.  This is going to be adjusted before we set
the tax rate next fall and will lower the tax rate by more than a
dollar.

Moved three donated file cabinets into Town Hall to be used for older
record storage so room can be made in the Board Meeting Room for
Building Inspector to establish an office. He will get a voice mailbox
in the new system.

Met with FinCom to refine money articles and budget.

Slated Town Hall uses coming up are use of kitchen, children's art show,
church use for tag sale, Dinner Theater, Candidate Meet and Greet, and
children's piano recital.  Some of these uses are concurrent with others
so had to coordinate users.

Met with Moderator for look at Warrant. He asked that I confirm the
adjournment date. I did so with FinCom and BOS. We will meet again after
the Warrant is ready for posting and will include Ted Cady to plan the
approach for zoning changes.

Attended STAM meeting on highway grants.  Got to the meeting too early
and got to hear people complain about the trench digging regulations.
Not a lot of money in the grants and the applicant pool for Small Town
grants was expanded from 3500 to 7000 population.

Drafted highway truck debt exclusion question for election for the
Selectboard to vote to place on the ballot.

I reviewed warrant with Town Counsel including some articles that need
to be considered for their policy implications.  Things the Board needs
to consider are listed at the top of this report.

Referred a FRCOG Highway map to planning board for comment.  Followed up
by getting another copy of the Emergency management map so they can
comment on that data layer. Thanks to Ryan at FRCOG GIS dept.

Nick reported to me that he spoke with one key Unitarian Universalist
Society Trustee who is enthusiastic about the prospect of placing cell
phone antenna in the church belfry. That is very encouraging of our
prospect for Warwick wireless Internet and eventual cell phone coverage.

I visited the Town Clock while under repair and have heard the striker
tested on two days in the past weeks.  It sounds good to have it
ring-able.

The town treasurer submitted his resignation today.  He is leaving to
take a FT job as CFO at Pete's Tire Barns. He starts this Monday.

Processed payment requests that included same day turn-around to
D'Avanza final clock repair bill.  Thanks to Janice, Accountant.  George
reports striker mechanism is now functional.

Had a conversation with our EMD re: handling of VT Yankee payments. Used
to go to Fire Assoc. but state has been wiring to Town account. Need to
create a fund or not for profit to handle this grant.

Forwarded maps from Historical Society to Dodson Associates for Heritage
Landscape project.