HANSON – The Select Board, on Tuesday, April 25, came to a consensus agreement to join with Whitman and the W-H School Committee in voting to require a two-thirds vote for all financial votes of the School Committee, rather than only financial votes, as part of a revised Regional Agreement.
“Although that doesn’t put us back to the per-pupil method, I think it does go a ways toward showing that there’s some partnership among the School Committee and the town of Whitman,” Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said, thanking Select Board member Jim Hickey for his “swan song” in persuading the other boards to agree to his proposal. “He really worked hard on it and it was very persuasive.”
Hickey was absent from the meeting.
Town Administrator Lisa Green added that a consensus document, with all the areas of the sections discussed and agreed on – dealing with transportation, building leases, the two-thirds vote and capital expenses – will be forwarded to the school district’s legal counsel for a review of language.
The Regional Agreement Committee will reconvene after town elections to discuss any questions or concerns stemming from that review.
Whitman agreed on a consensus basis to the revisions during their April 18 meeting.
“Every group brought their suggestions back,” Select Board representative Justin Evans told the Whitman board, reminding them there were not a lot of contentious issues. He reviewed the most contentious issues with his board – including the two-thirds vote.
Whitman Chair Randy LaMattina said Hickey’s argument that a two-thirds vote on the assessment method would “go a long way.”
Emergency capital expenses have been another concern of Whitman’s particularly the debate the board has had with the school district on maintenance responsibilities vs emergency repairs.
Evans reported the schools were concerned about the timeliness of doing emergency repairs.
“You’re talking about half an hour,” Vice Chair Dan Salvucci said, by the time the facilities direct can inspect a problem to advise the town administrator on whether or not it is an emergency.
“If something is an emergency, you have an obligation to act immediately to remediate it,” Former Whitman Town Administrator Frank Lynam said to help clarify the matter. If the expense involved a large sum of money the Select Board was uncomfortable approving the expenditure, one can always go to the director of accounts under Ch. 41 and seek an authorization for emergency spending. “It’s not a complicated process.”
Most emergencies are obvious, but he said he has seen some over the years that “were not that exigent.”
“It’s common sense,” he said.
Evans said the language concerning emergencies makes sense.
In other business, the Select Board also voted to appoint Laurie Cogan and Jason Green as caretakers at Camp Kiwanee. Green recused herself other than to say many caretakers are needed, because she filled out a potential conflict of interest disclosure on one of them. She said there are not enough caretakers to work weddings and other events for the upcoming season.
FitzGerald-Kemmett said she didn’t think Green needed to recuse herself, but that she didn’t think the optics looked good for Green’s son to be applying for the job since she is town administrator and, as personnel director, she would have to be involved in any performance issues that might occur.
Select Board member Ann Rein said she thought it was a “shame” that he could be precluded from doing something because his mother works for the town.
Select Board member Joe weeks said he understood the concern, but was feeling conflicted about it and Heal agreed it was a tough call.
“I don’t see a real issue, but I’m wondering,” Heal said.
Weeks asked if her son has financial ties to her or lives with her. She said there are no financial ties, but he does live at home. When Weeks questioned if it even mattered, FitzGerald-Kemmett said it could be argued that, because he lived at home, it could be argued that Green benefits financially from her son’s working for the town.
The Camp Kiwanee Commission has voted to hire both.
The Select Board voted 4-0 to hire Cogan and 3-1, with FitzGerald-Kemmett voting no and asking Green to not take it personally. Green said she did not regard it that way.
The board voted a conditional approval to the application for a Class II auto sales permit from: Limitless Auto Sales, 200 Liberty St. They are new owners of the property. The acting fire chief has to inspect the existing building to ensure it meets safety regulations before the board signs off on it.