Notes From Wednesday's Sherborn Selectmen Meeting

Here are a couple quick notes from Wednesday's Sherborn Board of Selectmen meeting:

Potential Green Community Grant Money Discussed

Sherborn Town Planner Gino Carlucci and Sherborn Energy Committee Chairman Daniel Glickman talked to the Sherborn Board of Selectmen, Wednesday, about finding worthy causes for the potential $137,000 the town is eligible for after being named a green community by the state.

Carlucci said they would have lights changed at Town Hall and the police and fire department.

“It’s the low hanging fruit,” Carlucci said of changing the lights. “They are significant changes at minimal costs,” he added.

Glickman also mentioned they will be looking into installing anti-idling devices in town-owned vehicles, which would include emergency vehicles.

Glickman warned the Selectmen that the town needs to take better care of the municipal buildings.

Glickman said the newer buildings were built as cost effective not as, “cheapest ownership cost.”

He explained that the construction of the building may have been more expensive but the building would be cheaper to run and maintain during its life. 

The Selectmen motioned to approve the Energy Committee’s efforts.

Police and Fire Departments to Upgrade Hours Management System

Police Chief Rick Thompson and Fire Chief Josh Buckler asked the Selectmen for a transfer of funds to pay for a new system to record hours in both departments.

The new system is needed in light of the investigation at the fire department by the Federal Department of Labor for alleged unfair pay practices.

“Josh and I participated in a presentation a month ago,” for the new software said Thompson.

Thompson said the police department can pull $3,700 out of their budget but the fire department cannot afford their $3,700.

Currently the fire department manually records their hours and the police department’s current software doesn’t follow the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Sherborn Selectmen Paul DeRensis said the money is too small to come out of any transfer and advised Buckler to take it out of the fire department’s budget.

DeRensis added that later in the year they could give the department an advance out of their 2012 budget. 

Thompson said the system they currently use at the police station is incredibly complicated and this new software is the only one of its kind. 

Selectmen Chair Tom Twining said if not for the current investigation by the Federal Department of Labor they would not have to do this.