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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Selectmen Minutes March 3, 2010_201402061620226868BOARD OF SELECTMEN Minutes of the Meeting of 3 March 2010. The meeting took place in the Court Room, Town and County Building, 16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA 02554. Members of the Board present were Rick Atherton, Michael Kopko, Allen Reinhard, and Patricia Roggeveen. Brian Chadwick was absent. Chairman Kopko called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM. ANNOUNCEMENTS The US Census Bureau is recruiting workers for the 2010 Census. PUBLIC COMMENT Richard Cooper questioned the cost of items not included in the new public safety facility construction contract, such as furnishings and landscaping. APPROVAL OF MINUTES, WARRANTS, PENDING CONTRACTS Approval of Minutes of 9 September 2009 at 6:00 PM. The minutes of 9 September 2009 at 6:00 PM were approved by the unanimous consent of the meeting. Approval of Payroll Warrant for Week Ending 28 February 2010. The payroll warrant for week ending 28 February 2010 was approved by the unanimous consent of the meeting. Approval of Treasury Warrant and Pending Contracts for 3 March 2010. Town Manager C. Elizabeth Gibson reviewed the pending contract. The treasury warrant and pending contract for 3 March 2010 were approved by the unanimous consent of the meeting. CITIZEN/DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS Cable Television Advisory Committee: Resignation. Mr. Atherton moved to accept the resignation of Peter Sutro from the Cable Television Advisory Committee and to send him a letter of thanks for his service; Mr. Reinhard seconded. All in favor, so voted. Town Clerk: Request for Reappointment of Constables for Town of Nantucket; Registrar of Voters. Mr. Reinhard moved to reappoint Frank Psaradelis, Jr., F. Manuel Dias, Jerry W. Adams, John H. Stover, and Catherine Flanagan Stover as Constables for the Town of Nantucket for terms of three years each, said terms to expire April 2013; Ms. Roggeveen seconded. All in favor, so voted. Mr. Reinhard moved to reappoint Janet Coffin to the Board of Registrars of Voters for a three-year term, said term to expire 31 March 2013; Ms. Roggeveen seconded. All in favor, so voted. Nantucket Land Council: Request for Approval of Conservation Restriction to be Held by Nantucket Land Council, Inc. for Western Portion of Land Located on Muskeget Island. Nantucket Land Council Executive Director Cormac Collier gave background information regarding the conservation restriction (CR) for the western portion of land located on Muskeget, noting Town Meeting voters approved the matter, and a subsequent Home Rule Petition was also approved. Mr. Collier asked the Board to approve the CR as requested, noting that corrective legislation needs to be filed with Senator O’Leary and Representative Madden to add language to allow the CR to be granted to the Land Council. Town Counsel Paul DeRensis endorsed the request made by the Land Council. A discussion followed regarding the corrective language being requested. Mr. Reinhard moved to approve the CR to be held by the Nantucket Land Council for the western portion of land located on Muskeget Island and to find that the CR is in the public interest; Ms. 1 Roggeveen seconded. All in favor, so voted. Mr. Reinhard moved to request the Town’s legislative delegates to take whatever actions are necessary to file corrective language; Ms. Roggeveen seconded. All in favor, so voted. Nantucket Land Council: Request for Approval of Conservation Restriction to be Held by Nantucket Land Council, Inc. and Nantucket Islands Land Bank for Eastern Portion of Land Located on Muskeget Island. Mr. Collier spoke in favor of the request. Mr. Reinhard moved to approve the CR to be held by the Nantucket Land Council and the Nantucket Islands Land Bank for the eastern portion of land located on Muskeget Island and to find that the CR is in the public interest; Ms. Roggeveen seconded. All in favor, so voted. Mr. Collier thanked Valerie Swett of Town Counsel’s office, Land Bank Executive Director Eric Savetsky, and Lynn Zimmerman of the Land Council for the time and effort they put into this matter. Nantucket Land Council: Request for Approval of Conservation Restriction to be Held by Nantucket Land Council, Inc. for Portion of Land Located at 190 Madaket Road. Mr. Collier spoke in favor of the request, noting a CR at 190 Madaket Road would protect a variety of habitat, prevent further subdivision of the land, and protect the view. Mr. Reinhard noted that the property showcases what the Land Council does well. Mr. Reinhard moved to approve the CR to be held by the Nantucket Land Council for a portion of land located at 190 Madaket Road and to find that the CR is in the public interest; Ms. Roggeveen seconded. All in favor, so voted. TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT Review of FY 2011 Our Island Home Enterprise Fund Budget. Ms. Gibson said pursuant to the Board’s decision at its 27 January 2010 meeting, Town Administration is in the process of transitioning Our Island Home to an enterprise fund as of 1 July 2010. Our Island Home Administrator Pamela Meriam gave a presentation on Our Island Home’s proposed FY 2011 budget, noting expenses by function include activity programming, administration, business office/finance, dietary, nursing, plant maintenance, staff education, and social work. Ms. Meriam reviewed revenue sources, including Mass Health/Medicaid, private pay, Medicare, private insurance, and the General Fund subsidy, noting that half of the revenue of Our Island Home comes from the General Fund subsidy. She said that budget assumptions show an increase in all categories except salaries as layoffs occurred in FY 2010, and that salaries are the biggest expense at Our Island Home. A discussion followed on the presentation and the possibility of an increase in the Medicare rate. SELECTMEN’S REPORTS/COMMENT Preliminary Review of Board of Selectmen Comments to 2010 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles. Ms. Gibson explained that the Finance Committee is scheduled to finalize its warrant article motions on Tuesday, 9 March 2010; that the Board is scheduled to finalize its comments on Wednesday, 10 March, and the warrant is scheduled to go to the printer on Thursday, 11 March. She added that Town Counsel is currently reviewing motions. Chairman Kopko suggested that the Board review the articles at its next meeting if a document will be ready for review. Mr. Atherton asked that the Board review the fertilizer articles, saying he would like the Town to “take the lead” regarding organic landscaping. A brief discussion followed. Review Options Regarding Department of Human Services (continued from 24 February 2010). Chairman Kopko said that options have been developed by Town Administration regarding phasing 2 3 out the Department of Human Services, noting that the Finance Committee has suggested the Board rethink eliminating the Department for FY 2011. Mr. Atherton asked the Board to again consider the option he put forth last week to reestablish a budget for the Department of Human Services for FY 2011. Mr. Atherton then moved to restore $125,000 to the FY 2011 budget for the Department of Human Services, leaving the allocation of those funds up to the Town Manager; Mr. Reinhard seconded for the purpose of discussion. Chairman Kopko said he is in favor of option two put forth by the Assistant Finance director in her 18 February 2010 memo to the Board, which would reduce the FY 2011 budget projection for the Reserve Fund by $69,000 to provide operations for Department of Human Services and/or a consultant until 31 December 2010; as of 1 January 2011 the Department of Human Services would be dissolved. Ms. Roggeveen agreed with Chairman Kopko, saying she feels six months is adequate time to make the transition. Mr. Reinhard said he is reluctant to support Mr. Atherton’s motion as he is convinced that a human services collaborative is viable. Chairman Kopko said he feels the Department of Human Services is important but that it needs to offer more and grow and it can’t do that as a Town department; he said it can be better done in the private sector. Ms. Gibson said she supports a collaborative but sees no harm in running the Department in tandem with the development of a collaborative. Finance Committee Chair Jim Kelly said the committee spent a lot of time discussing the matter and voted unanimously on 1 March 2010 to recommend maintaining the Department of Human Services budget for FY 2011. A discussion on the Finance Committee recommendation and Mr. Atherton’s motion followed. On Mr. Atherton’s motion, so voted 1-3. Ms. Roggeveen, Mr. Reinhard, and Chairman Kopko were opposed. Ms. Roggeveen moved to approve option two to “reduce the FY 2011 Budget Projection for the Reserve Fund, Article 5, by the amount of $69,000 to provide tandem operations of the Council on Human Services Town Department and Consultant and/or Consulting Firm until December 31, 2010; as of January 1, 2011, the Council on Human Services Town Department would be dissolved”, striking the word “tandem”; Mr. Reinhard seconded. Following a brief discussion among Board members, so voted 3-1. Mr. Atherton was opposed. Committee Reports. Chairman Kopko noted that the legislation for a separate Board of Heath is currently engrossed by the House and the Senate, and should be law any day. He added that the legislation will need to be signed by the Governor. The meeting was unanimously adjourned at 8:07 PM. Approved the 20th day of October, 2010.