Coordinator's Report - 9/7/2017

Outsourcing accounting - discussion, next steps, action

I suggested the Accountant attend this meeting with respect to the
Board's consideration of outsourcing town accounting and have not heard
back either way.

Since the outsourcing option is being considered, I suggest the board
think about our next move when and if a highway worker retires. I think
we should try an additional contracted one-ton truck route for the
winter if that should come to pass, plus a part-time employee to provide
a backstop in case of illness or fatigue, but plan on parking an
additional vehicle.

I'm keeping these appointments on the agenda until they are
accomplished. We need an alternate Representative to FRCOG Council (Dawn
is Rep). Also need to appoint a representative to the Regional Emergency
Planning Committee. Perhaps our EMD could fill this? And we need
Franklin Regional Planning Board representative from the Selectboard.

Thursday the 7 was the MJ workshop and we look forward to follow-up
discussion led by the members in attendance.

On the subject of the failed dock on town-owned land on Moores Pond, it
has been secured by the highway department. Neither abutter wants to buy
the property subject to bathing easement. The property across street is
for sale and this could be offered, but I doubt there would be any
interest.  I judge the cost to research all the affected deeds and
petition a court for relief from the grant of easement is high and
probability of success low. Shall we go ahead and seek conservation
commission approval to work w/in 100' of pond to pursue demolition of
structure? I recommend this be addressed before it gets much colder.

I request the board to vote to Open Special Town Meeting Warrant. This
means it is open to articles by petition, and this in not optional. I
have asked the Moderator about possible dates of Oct 16 or 23 and await
a reply. There is a fourteen not seven day posting requirement for a
Special meeting. 

Larry reports he is waiting on lower water to address replacing the
stone in the abutment on Gale Rd. bridge and may have to use sandbags.

I am requesting hourly pay raises from $16.00 to $18.50 for our three
lowest paid installers, whose service ranges from four months in one
case, to a year for the other two. FYI, our current ceiling for senior
installers is $27.50.

We are getting close to a test of two competing LTE wireless internet
solutions. Project involves building and configuring another server
(already purchased) and creating multiple virtual networks (VLANs) on it
to segregate traffic. To learn more about LTE, John and I are attending
a two day conference on LTE in Scranton, PA next Wed. and Thurs.