From the Board of Selectmen meeting on August 24, 2015

Charlene Van Cott appointed to Veterans oversight board.
There was a new hire to the highway department.

There will soon be a parking adjustment on Baldwinville Road and Boyton Street which will become one way and no parking on Baldwinville Road by the Country Mischief on the North bound side.

Town Clerk vault is basically complete and the Town Clerk will be moving to Town Hall this Thursday. The Sheriffs dept. will be supplying labor  for this move as well as pressure washing Town Hall.

There is new carpet in the hall at Town Hall and next will be insulation added to the attic.
Windows are next inline.

On discussion of the elementary school, it was mention the faculty has concerns or questions if there will be air conditioning in the school, it is all about the children.

There is a new contract with Templeton dispatch signed and Templeton has a new fulltime health agent.

Look for a police station addition debt exclusion to be included with the ballot and town meeting in November and December this year. It was pointed out the police station debt exclusion would be for 6 years at about .55 cents per thousand increase on your tax rate for the six years.

There was a vote for a new excavator with 3 selectmen voting yes and one no. Chairman Columbus stated before the vote that a no vote was a vote against future road projects.

Selectmen Morrison stated he had heard from a resident that there are 15 area towns that do not have an excavator and he wondered how they get road projects completed without an excavator. Chairman Columbus asked if there was documentation on this and Mr. Morrison stated he had been told of this by a resident so he brought it up to which Columbus again asked if there was any paper work, as if he did not believe or trust what he was told so I guess i will email and ask for email response of 15 or more area Towns, and no, I am not the one who provided that info to Mr. Morrison.

The limit was for up to $193,500.00 and it was stated that one dealer would give a $14,500.00 trade in and the other would be $10,000.00 trade in. It was stated that the highway dept. would demo a John Deer and a Volvo and make a decision.

Doing a lease to purchase means the total amount of chapter 90 money will be frozen to cover the purchase. One option mentioned was the fact that the financial team had found another $120,000.00 in a dormant bank account and some other dormant performance bonds, some dating back to 2001,  so the plan is to ask town meeting vote in the fall to use this found money to cover the cost of the excavator so as to free up the chapter 90 money. Question is what if town meeting says no, says to put the money in rainy day fund to aid in getting a bond rating back for the Town. Either way, looks like no new trucks for the highway department, you know, the ones that plow the roads and the ones we are always told are worn out, just like the two old loaders that seem to be still working after a new loader was purchased.

The vote for the excavator was Brooks, Morrison, Columbus yes, Julie Richard no.

Jeff Bennett