Town of Warwick
Selectboard
March 23, 2009
Minutes
Present:
Board members present: Patricia Lemon, Rick Abbott; Nick Arguimbau
Others present: Town Coordinator David Young, Selectboard Secretary Rosa
Fratangelo Calcari, Miryam Williamson, Board of Health/Finance Committee
member Dick Whiting, Buildings and Energy Committee member Janice
Kurkoski, Tax Collector/Treasurer Terry Kemerer, Dawn Magi, Jon Calcari,
Paula Robinson (Athol Daily News)
I.	Call to Order 
Vice-Chairman Abbott called the Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. at the
Warwick Free Library.
II.	Minutes
Arguimbau MOVED to approve the Minutes of the March 9 meeting as printed
separately from the Agenda. Lemon SECONDED.  VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
III.		Presentations/Discussions
1.	Renewal of 911 Agreement - The board needed to approve the 5-year
agreement between Warwick and the Massachusetts State Police, allowing
for the continuation of emergency dispatch from Shelburne Control.
Arguimbau MOVED to authorize the Chair to sign the 5-year agreement
between the Town and the State Police for 911 services. Lemon SECONDED.
VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
2.	Set Date for Chase Hill Road Pole Hearing - Young suggested April
20 (April 21 if April 20 is Patriot's Day), all three Board members
agreed.
3.	Perfecting Previously Voted Pole-Hearing Documents - Young
explained that per Massachusetts General law, the Chair's signature is
required on pole hearing documents. However, Verizon and National Grid
wanted the signatures of all Board members for the Shepardson Place Pole
Hearing documents. All three Selectmen signed the documents provided by
Young.
4.	Letter of Thanks to Gill for Loan of Sander Truck - Young had
drafted a letter of thanks to Gill Selectboard Chair Nancy Griswold in
appreciation for the loan of a sander truck. Young requested the Board
approve and sign the letter.
Lemon MOVED to authorize David Young to send the letter as it appears in
the Agenda. Arguimbau SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
5.	Authorize Town Coordinator to Accept and Execute or at His
Discretion Reject April 7 FRCOG Fuel Bids - FRCOG fuel bids will be
received when they are opened April 7. The Town will have just three
days to accept or reject the bid. Young explained that the Selectboard
would have to either hold a special meeting on April 8 to deal with the
bid, or authorize the Town Coordinator to act on their behalf.  He noted
that the Town is using far less oil than in the past, and that his
strategy is to bid on half of the anticipated fuel needed for the coming
year and purchase the balance at market price to minimize the potential
for being locked in at a higher rate for all fuel oil to meet the needs
for FY '10.
Lemon MOVED that Town Coordinator David Young be authorized to act in
this matter on the Board's behalf with the assumption he will keep the
Board informed. Abbott SECONDED. VOTED 2-1: Lemon and Arguimbau - AYE;
Abbott - NAY.
6.	Clarification of Transfer Attendant Hiring and Pay Rate - Board of
Health member Dick Whiting had requested this item be placed on the
agenda. He told the Selectboard of a problem involving the Board of
Health Chair Rita McConville's interpretation of the terms under which
David Shoemaker and Mary Thomas were hired. Whiting sought
clarification, saying his understanding was that David Shoemaker was
hired as the Transfer Station Attendant at a pay rate of $10.00 per hour
and Mary Thomas as Alternate to fill in if Shoemaker was ill or away at
the same rate of pay, whereas McConville had split the job between the
two, alternating attendants at two-weeks intervals. Whiting expressed
concern that Shoemaker would not be willing to continue under these
conditions.  He also said that McConville had been applying the former
pay rate of $10.85 for the Attendant, despite the increase in the weekly
hours, which necessitated the pay rate, be decreased in order to stay
within the budget. Young thought the confusion might have stemmed from
an interview question on job-sharing that may have been taken out of
context.  Whiting pointed out that the minutes of the Selectboard and
the Board of Health meetings reflect the hiring of David Shoemaker as
the Transfer Station Attendant and Mary Thomas as Alternate.  Arguimbau
said that it is the recollection of the two Selectboard members present
at the January 26 meeting that Shoemaker's hiring as Transfer Station
Attendant and Mary Thomas' as Alternate/ back up were approved.
Lemon MOVED that the board affirm the vote taken on January 26, 2009,
and inform the Board of Health that if it wishes to make changes as a
body they must do so by vote and inform the Board of Selectmen in
writing. NO SECOND. The Motion FAILED.
	Young said that he and Town Counsel had developed a memo stating a
	Board Chair cannot act unilaterally, and that any change must occur
	by vote of the full Board.
Lemon MOVED that David Young be directed to send a letter of
clarification making clear the terms under which David Shoemaker and
Mary Thomas had been hired, with copies to the appointees and the Board
of Health. Arguimbau SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
8.	Town Meeting Warrant Articles - Buildings and Energy Committee
chair Janice Kurkoski spoke about her committee's newly prioritized Town
Hall repair list for the consideration of the Selectboard in
determining, along with the Finance Committee, how to recommend the town
pay for the repairs.  The committee has obtained estimates, and Kurkoski
outlined what the Committee has identified as the most important repairs
for FY '10.  Young said the Capital $stabilization Fund is a possible
funding source, along with the $5,000.00 in the Town Hall Improvement
Fund. He and Abbott expressed support for having the Town Hall painted;
Whiting agreed, but preferred to defer the project until FY '10. Young
estimated that an additional $10,000.00 would be sufficient for FY '10.
Lemon MOVED that David Young craft appropriate warrant articles and
bring them back to the Board with his recommendations.  Arguimbau
SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. 
Young said that the Firefighters want to get paid.  Volunteer
Firefighter Joe Paul had provided a small sample from which Young
extrapolated an analysis of call hours per year. Young said this is not
yet well developed and requires more data. He suggested referring the
matter to the Personnel Committee, which is chaired by former, longtime
Fire Chief George Day.  Arguimbau wanted to see a breakdown of how much
is spent out-of-pocket by the volunteer firefighters who seek
reimbursement. It remains unclear whether the core issue is
reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses or the end of the volunteer
fire department, as we know it.  Whiting suggested a five-year history
of Fire Department calls and hours would make a better basis for
decision-making.
Arguimbau MOVED that the Board request that the Fire Department provide
by 5 p.m. on April 3, 2009, a breakdown and total of currently
un-reimbursed costs which could be covered by a warrant article, and
that the "we want to get paid" issue be referred to the Personnel
Committee for its review. Lemon SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
IV.	Reports
1.	Selectboard Reports - Arguimbau and Young had met with Highway
Superintendent Kilhart to follow up on the snow-and-ice report. 
Arguimbau was particularly pleased with Kilhart's report that his crew
members like the increased use of compensatory time and the decreased
use of overtime.  Arguimbau also said that Kilhart feels the complaint
system is working well, as he likes that complaints now come to him
first.
Lemon reported on the MMA Legislative Breakfast meeting held recently in
Athol, during which Senator Stephen Brewer gave an interesting, in-depth
synopsis of the fiscal goings-on in Boston.
She also spoke about the tentatively named Friends of State Forests in
Warwick meeting held last week. Lemon said there were about 24 in
attendance and that Warwick residents and members of the North Quabbin
ATV Association had a polite and conciliatory discussion, but that ATV
riders want access to the trails and approval to use them. The next
meeting is scheduled for the third Thursday in April (4/16). Arguimbau
said it was appropriate to restrict voting membership to Warwick
residents.
2.	Town Coordinator Report - Young reported on continued progress
with the installation of Broadband. The Highway Department, Town Hall,
and Library now have a working broadband connection. The Police
Department will soon have a working broadband connection as well.  In
the interest of time, the rest of the report, which was printed in the
agenda, was not discussed.
V.	Public Comment ACO Calcari reminded everyone about the annual
Rabies Clinic on April 4th, praising Gardner Animal Care Center
veterinarian Brian Hurley and his staff for their continued excellent
services, which are provided at no cost to the Town.
VI.	Adjournment
At 7:54 p.m., Lemon MOVED that the meeting be adjourned.  Abbott
SECONDED.  VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. 
Minutes taken by Rosa Fratangelo Calcari.
 		 		 
Patricia Lemon		Frederick H. Abbott III		Nicholas C. Arguimbau
Selectboard Chair		Selectboard Vice-Chair		Selectboard Member
 				 
Rosa Fratangelo Calcari				James David Young
Selectboard Secretary				Town Coordinator