Town of Otis
Select Board Meeting Minutes
January 22, 2019
Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 5:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room. A quorum is present.
Present: Select Board Chair Don Hawley, Selectman Gary Thomas, Selectman Bill Hiller, Town Administrator Becky Stone, Celeste Watman, Terry Gould, Michael Ernst, Dan Hamill, Rebecca Hamill, Dave Hamill, Linda Hamill, Will Sikula
Executive Session: Don made a motion to go into Executive Session at 5:00 p.m. to consider the dismissal of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against a public officer or employee. Bill seconded the motion. Roll call vote: Don Hawley – aye; Gary Thomas – aye, Bill Hiller – aye. Motion carried. At 5:00 p.m. the Board of Selectmen entered into Executive Session.
During Executive Session, Don Hawley was called out on an emergency at 5:05 pm and left.
At 5:25 p.m. the Board of Selectmen reconvened in Open session. Gary made a motion to adjourn Executive Session at 5:25 p.m. Bill seconded. Motion carried. Executive Session adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
Conduct Evaluations: Both Becky and Dan were evaluated. It was decided by Bill and Gary that Town Administrator salaries for surrounding towns need to be reevaluated for budgeting to bring Becky’s salary in line. They also decided that Dan should provide the Board with a list of classes that Dan would like to take and their associated costs and have that ready for budgets as well.
Approval of Minutes: The January 8, 2019 Select Board meeting minutes were approved as written by Bill and Gary.
Harmony Hall: Bill and Gary discussed the roof needs to be repaired so the building does not fall into disrepair and we need a price for that repair. Historical Commission is looking to include that building for National Historic Register recognition, but the Select Board has not made a decision on final use of that building. The Historical Commission would also like to apply for a grant through Mass. Cultural Commission for Harmony Hall building rehabilitation.
Approve Printer for Annual Town Reports: We only received one bid back for the printing of the Annual Town Report and that was from the vendor that has been doing the report for the last few years. Zip ‘n Sort (BC ARC), who has been doing the mailing for the last few years, was also contacted for mailing costs. Lisa provided the Select Board with the costs from last year for comparison purposes. Bill and Gary unanimously approved Select Print Solutions as the vendor for the Annual Town Report again this year. Lisa also requested the Select Board submit ideas to her for the dedication and front cover this year.
Adopt “Buy Recycled Policy”: Becky presented the policy to the board, Gary read the policy aloud, and the policy was approved as written. This policy is required for a DEP grant. Based upon the information in the policy, Lisa was asked if we could include recycled paper with the Annual Town Report.
Other:
Tax Liens: Based upon the audit the Town received from Scanlon, Michael recommended the Select Board needs to focus on the tax lien issue to recover some monies due to the town.
Police Officer Interviews: These are scheduled to begin at 5:15 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2019.
Budget Meetings: Terry recommended we set the budget meeting schedule at the next meeting.
Host Agreement: Becky is waiting to hear from Town Counsel as to where we are with final Host Agreement draft and a Special Permit application.
CDBG Grant: Will arrived for 7:00 pm and presented the documents that needed to be signed. Since Don is not here, he needs to come in and sign the Inter Local Agreement and the ADA Self Evaluation Letter. He will also need to sign the Joint Authorization Agreement when it becomes available from Boston.
Review and approval of Warrants: The warrants are on the Selectmen’s table and are available for review.
Adjournment: At 7:07 pm the Select Board unanimously adjourned the Select Board meeting.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa D’Orazio
Selectmen’s Secretary, Town of Otis
List of Documents
- A copy of an email chain illustrating Dan Hamill’s hands on service for the community will be filed with these meeting minutes.
- A copy of the quote from Select Print Solutions and Zip ‘n Sort, along with copies of last year’s invoices will be filed with these meeting minutes.
- A copy of the “Buy Recycled Policy” will be filed with these meeting minutes.
- A copy of the signed Inter Local Agreement and the ADA Self Evaluation Letter for the CDBG Grant will be filed with these meeting minutes.