Tonight (2017-01-09) was the Mendon Town Board‘s annual organizational meeting.
Like most organizational meetings I’ve been too, this one had an unusually long agenda. And while the meeting was also longer then usual, it still finished under an hour. With 68 items on the agenda (one added at the start of the meeting), and the meeting taking approximately 50 minutes, they moved through it quickly.
One thing I always wonder at this sort of meeting, is why they don’t restructure the agenda and motions to make it even quickly. As most of the items are effectively the same as last year (date changed, maybe slight change in rates, names, etc) I would think many of them could be lumped together for quicker approval. Something like ‘Motion to approve the (many) following items that are the same as last year’. Then spend more time on the handful that are either significantly different or actually new. Probably a legal reason.
One of the agenda items was the schedule for this boards regular meetings this year. The pattern is the second Monday, 7PM, at the Town Hall (16 West Main, upstairs). That holds except for July and October, where it will be third Monday. Yet, unlike the Town’s other Boards, the pattern isn’t stated. Environmental Conservation 1st Tue, Historic Preservation 2nd Wed, etc… Town Board ‘as schedule above’. Eh, we all have our pet peeves.
The Town supervisor is paid $64,397, while the Highway Superintendent and Town Clerk are paid $81,097 each. I find it amusing how the guy that is nominally their ‘boss’ is paid less. Probably explained by he being ‘part time’, whereas they are ‘full time’. I still find it amusing.
Another agenda item was the “Records Management Advisory Board”. As society is moving more towards electronics for their record storage, I’m wondering where this board stands on things. I’ll have to ask at the office at some point in the future.
The Mendon Republican Committee meets at the Town office once a month (or at least has the room reserved), but the Mendon Democratic Committee doesn’t have a reservation. Google says there is a Democratic committee, I wonder where they meet.
And that is my last observation on the organizational portion of the meeting. At which point they moved onto a more regular meeting format for the remainder.
Bud (Highway Superintendent) reported the ice rink at the Semmel road park was ready, for the first time in three years. Apparently the past few years have had uncooperative weather. Have fun skaters, there’s another rink around.
There was discussion about exploring a law about solar panels. Nothing concrete, nothing definitive, just a statement about pending pondering. It has been said that what is regulated (or taxed) is discouraged. Yet, supposedly we want ‘renewable’ energy sources. I would think the less laws on the topic, the more of it there would be.
John (Supervisor) stated the old Mantegna property (current ‘new’ library) purchase has been paid off. Always good to hear debts have been paid. From the way it was said, I believe this was the property itself, not the construction cost. Was not exactly clear.
The town owns some land that is currently being rented out for farms (approximately 33 acres on Semmel road). From the conversation it sounds like the Town doesn’t particularly want the land, but has had difficulty finding a buyer. Apparently the town is not allowed, by law, to sell the land for less then it’s assessed value. Perhaps another case of a well intentioned law preventing what ‘should’ be done.
The town will be buying two new vehicles (a dump truck and a pickup truck). The current vehicles are being auctioned off. If past pattern continues, the auction will more then cover the difference of the new vehicles. In other words, each year they get new vehicles, and the only real cost is gas. I can’t say I understand all the details, but it appears to be a good replacement system, so long as it works.
And those are my Observations From Audience Land for the January 9th, 2017 meeting of the Mendon Town Board.
Link to agenda on Town website.
Link to agenda stored on this site, should the town lose their copy.