Coordinator Report 

Next meeting of Selectboard is 6:00 p.m. Monday May 23, 2016 at Warwick
Town Hall. This will be the first meeting of the newly comprised board
following election of James Ervit and re-election of Dawn Magi. A first
order of business is reorganization which involves election of a Chair,
Vice-Chair, Clerk. The chair runs the meeting, the vice-chair steps up
when chair is unavailable and the clerk is called on to verify some
actions of the board. We do have a town clerk for many of the later
functions and the Selectboard Secretary takes Selectboard minutes so
that this sort of work doesn't fall to the board clerk.

MA law says an individual may hold only one office. There are of
necessity exceptions. One is that you may hold as many positions as one
is elected. In recognition that towns with a population fewer than 5000
would be hard pressed to fill their positions without some wiggle room,
the Selectboard is able to offer exemptions allowing named folks to
holding more than one job provided the position is designated as
"special municipal employee" and that the named individual is granted
the exemption. I request that the board vote to declare the positions of
Arts Council Member, Emergency Management Director and Recreation
Committee to be Special Municipal Employees. Further that the board vote
to grant MGL 268:20D exemptions to the following individuals: Lisa
Vanderstlet (Library Trustee), Denyse Dar (Arts Council and Rec.
Committee) and Laurette Crane (Arts Council).

Miryam Williamson, representative to the MCAP Muni Coalition Against the
Gas Pipeline, requests a discussion and some direction regarding Warwick
and the future of our town's involvement in MCAP, the Muni Anti-Pipeline
Coalition. It seems to me that it is too early to let down our guard.
	
The town voted to fund a Broadband upgrade. It involves making ten
repeater sites more robust by providing additional height and newer
technology base stations at the sites, replacing about three quarters of
the radio infrastructure with faster more modern solutions, and going to
higher radio frequencies that have been, before now, deployed because
the old technology at that band was not able to function in our
environment. The upgrade itself does not in any way change the business
model. We are looking for new network monitoring software. We currently
use PRTG which uses probes, is expensive, and isn't optimal for
wireless. John has implemented a new Windows Server to handle the work
and we are looking at Netflow software by Solar Winds.
	
I want to initiate a discussion regarding WBS offering prepay discounts,
and a low income pricing tier such as cable internet providers in
Northfield and Bernardston offer where the family is eligible for free
or reduced lunch as the means test. We won't be spending much on the
upgrade prior to July 1. 

We met with on landowner regarding a pole placement on their "height of
land" on Wendell Rd. I have confirmed that we have in the Town's employ
an "old school" tree climber willing to work for WBS. We need some metal
fabrication done to implement the spatial diversity on the WIMAX 3 GHz
layer which we can have the highway department do for us. We have the
bucket truck rented for a third time this year to trim some limbs
impeding repeater sites.  Also, thanks to the $20k STM authorization
voted, I have ordered a small amount of the new 5 GHz gear so we can
start becoming familiar with it and do some testing. Finally I can, in
advance of the new fiscal year, begin the pole placement petition
procedure with the board.
	
I expect the Broadband Committee will make a report. We have ongoing
meetings of the Sub-Regional Broadband Network group that meets in
Wendell, and the Regional Hybrid group meeting where Steve Harris from
Middlefield presented his write up titled "Wireless Works!" which I have
included in the meeting package.

A lot is happening at MBI on the Last Mile Program. Attached is a recent
informational piece describing further staff changes and an update. MBI
requests we name a point of contact between the town and newly appointed
Implementation Liaison, Bill Ennen who is someone I know personally from
prior community development work.
	
You are provided as voted FY17 Budget and Articles which you should
review and I can answer questions. Is nearing time for the next monthly
meeting with the accountant and the Selectboard should name one of its
members to join the Treasurer, Accountant, and Coordinator as we track
progress on catching our books up by Jan 1. I inputted town employee
emails to the Accountant computer email client software to aid in
communication and have made a priority of answering data requests. As
you may recall I volunteered to be the whip to obtain information that
is impeding progress. So far their have been very minimal requests. One
recent one concerns the Personnel Policy and comp time which says time
must be used within 12 months and not like vacation, in the current
fiscal year. I try and pay our local vendors quickly and had a case last
warrant cycle where a contractor who worked on the Library chimney had
their bill returned to the Library for lack of an attached W-9 which is
tax information we must collect of contractors. In most instances it has
worked to mark the payment for a hold and have the Treasurer wait to
issue until received. The Accountant action delayed payment two weeks
and most concerning is that this was special treatment of the library
where there is history of not playing nice. I think the matter settled
however the board could vote a policy. The jurisdiction in this matter
is the Treasurer not the Accountant.

Warwick members of the School Committee were contacted this week by the
WCS principal regarding proposed changes to classroom grouping and there
was a meeting on Wednesday with parents. We don't have any preschool
students and the administration is proposing to change the class
groupings because more than half of those enrolled will be in either
fifth or sixth grade. The new arrangement proposed for next year will be
k-1, 2-3, 4-5 and 6. I trust that staffing level at school will be
adjusted according to need. Also the school enjoyed the antics of a den
of fox kits. I had the highway department accomplish brush cutting which
was previously planned for fire safety and that caused mother to move
her brood. It was a good teaching moment where kids learned about
wildlife and habituation. Cute as they kits are we wanted to avoid
interaction with students.

We have an item regarding going forward with Master Planning, Strategic,
or Long Range Planning for the Town. Recall that this has been my mantra
at School Committee and with our new Superintendent PVRSD is engaging in
this planning. The best of these efforts which I have been involved in
were led by experienced facilitators. I recommend we find a way forward
to engage in this process.

Requested appointments include: to the Recreation Committee: Erika
Nygard, Holly Manson and to the Broadband Committee: Miryam Williamson

The Wagon Wheel legal case is settled with an agreed upon judgement.
This case was about use. They agree not to provide residency at the
campground, except in the existing, identified dwellings, to assist the
Town in identifying folks residing there as opposed to recreating there,
and to line out, in any rental agreements, that the purpose is
recreational. We agree to amend our Building Inspector order and ZBA
finding. We don't object to their year-round operation, subject to BoH
permit. We can all join in wishing Wagon Wheel a successful season.
	
Under Selectboard reports and items Jim wishes to discuss the enacted
Gun Ban and in addition the Warwick School (this is possibly handled
earlier with the WCS update. Doc wants to have a discussion of
presumably creating a Warwick Childcare business. Perhaps he is thinking
of something that exceeds the "academic" calendar. I note that the
District offers full and half day preschool on a sliding fee scale, and
we have zero demand for next year.

I have written to Senator Rosenberg to advocate for increased school aid
for transportation and have been joined by Mr. Day, our FCTS
representative. I took two days' vacation to work on my motor coach and
got it running only to find out my picture work was cancelled. Maybe
I'll have the bus in the OHD parade if folks can stand the smoke. I get
three weeks' vacation per fiscal year per the personnel policy and need
to take my final four days before June 30.
	
I am procuring quotes on our insurance lines which are due to us in the
first week of June. New policies begin 7/1/16.  I accepted FRCOG fuel
oil and diesel bids at $2.09 and $2.13 respectively.