Lanesborough Briefs:Contract Set With New AdministratorBy Andy McKeever,
03:53AM / Tuesday, September 11, 2012 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass — The Board of Selectmen reached a three-year contract with new Town Administrator Paul Sieloff for $70,000.
Sieloff accepted the job offer and entered into negotiations two weeks ago.
He will become the town's first full-time town administrator after Paul Boudreau resigned what was then a part-time position. Voters approved bumping the position up to full time earlier this year.
Sieloff will start on Oct. 29.
• The agreement adding Lanesborough and Cheshire to the Northern Berkshire Regional Vocational School District has been approved and went into effect on July 1. The town needs to appoint a resident to that School Committee in the interim to have a voice in the budgeting process for McCann Technical School. The appointment will serve until a representative is chosen in the June town election. Candidates for the interim position are asked to send a letter of interest to the Selectmen.
"We certainly would be looking for folks who would be interested," Selectman Robert Barton said.
• The board opted to hold the Chapter 90 paving project until the spring. The town took longer than expected deciding on which roads would be done and now the bid process would be at the end of the construction season. Interim Town Administrator Joseph Kellogg said the town would likely receive a better price if the project goes out to bid early in the spring.
"We'll do two Chapter 90s next year. One in the fall, one in the spring," Kellogg said.
• Also with Chapter 90 funds, the board opted to spend $25,000 to hire an engineer to design a resurfacing of Summer Street. The work will have to be done eventually but the town stands a better chance at securing grant funding if the project is ready to bid.
• The board also opted to ask voters for $1,000 to join Wired West. Wired West is an initiative of multiple towns to bring broadband to the "last mile." The goal is to connect every home to high-speed Internet.
Voters already approved joining the group but the town had not put forth the funding. Kellogg previously recommended that the town hold onto the money because there are many groups working on the project and there could be a better option later.
Barton, however, said he would like to give the support to the initiative and if something else does come along, the town can switch directions.
"It is very unclear on how the last mile will get done but it is clear that these people are going for it," Barton said. "I think it takes that kind of zealous energy to make a breakthrough."
• The board agreed to spend just short of $1,000 to install alarms and an automatic-911 call if anyone opens the cabinet to use the new automatic external defibrillators at the Elementary School. Voters already approved purchasing defibrillators for all town buildings but the school's will be the only one hooked up to an automatic-911 call.
• The town settled negotiations with the police union on a three-year contract. There will be no raises for fiscal 2012 and there will be 2 percent step raises in fiscal 2013 and 2014. There will also be incentives for those who receive or have first-responder licenses.
Kellogg said the contract is in line with what the town settled with the Highway Department.
• The police also received new tasers and are beginning training. No officer will carry a taser until he or she is properly trained, Kellogg said. A new cruiser, which the town previously had on order, has arrived.
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