Town of New Haven                                                                                    Back to Home

Town of New Haven Selectmen’s Meeting

7:00 pm Town Clerks Office

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Present: Keith Hall, Burt Allen, Paul Audy, Barb Torian, Pam Kingman

Others: Dr. Paulette Bogan, Jim Gallott, Harold Tricou, Suzy Roorda

Agenda Results:

Read and approve minutes make corrections if needed.

New Business

Visitors Business

·        Dr. Paulette Bogan came to discuss the Mt. Abraham budget. In order to maintain a 1% increase, these are the following positions that will be cut:

·        The F.I.S.H. (fifteen minutes in a safe haven) room supervisor will be cut. They were hoping to retain this teacher, but it is not possible. The plan is to move the program into the Guidance Office.

·        Dr. Bogan said the school will be taking advantage of teachers who will be retiring at the end of this year, by hiring support staff to fill in and by shifting some existing positions to help out.

·        Two classroom assistant positions were cut in the middle school.

·        Discussed the contract Mt. Abe has with the Counseling Service of Addison County; this will be cut back three days a week to two.

·        Overall there will be five positions cut.

·        Additions to the budget include the dean of students responsible for grades seven – nine will increased from part time to four days a week. The other dean will be responsible for grades ten – twelve.

·        There is a need for summer tech. support to get computers back up and running after classrooms are cleaned. This position would also give tech. support to the main office over the summer.

·        Dr. Bogan talked about the largest increase ($43,000 ) is for tuition to other schools. This amount covers tuition for two students who are not safe to be in school or are substance abusers. These students need intensive counseling as well as a residential program. Mt. Abe does not offer this service and they are not considered Special Ed. Students, so Mt. Abe has to pay their tuition.

·        The sinking fund for the Drivers Ed. Program (voted on last year to create; in the amount of $5,000 per year) enables the school to buy  a new vehicle when it becomes necessary; car dealerships no   longer lease vehicles out to schools.

·        Discussed that in the coming years our enrollment will be declining; Mt. Abe does have a plan to reduce staff over time.

·        There was discussion about the amount of students not taking advantage of the Hannaford Career Center.

      Kirsten Pitts – Ball Field Grants – No show

      Suzy Roorda – Town Hall permits:

Brownies would like to take over the Girls Scouts time slot- Selectboard ok

Bingo night / Soup Supper – March 31^st town event

Community D.J. dance on St. Patrick’s Day – town event

• Discussion about hiring Bill Masterson as a sub-contractor and the type of work he has been doing for the road crew. Paul Audy made a motion to hire Bill Masterson as a part time employee at $12.00 per hour with no overtime because he is not a full time employee. Burt Allen seconded the motion. The amount of hours the road crew put in during the Valentine’s Day Blizzard was also discussed. It was agreed that there would be no over time for snow storms. If there was ever another unusual flood or something out of the ordinary where the road crew would be out for three days straight for example, then the selectboard would consider compensating them.

Sign overweight permits

Sign liquor licenses

Paul Audy – motion to pay $338.12 for mailing out the Town Report, seconded by Burt Allen.

Reviewed the Warning for the upcoming Town Meeting

Clarification of computer consultant from February 12, 2007 minutes: Selectboard would hire Barb Torian to help with networking computers if the voters approve on Town Meeting Day, due to the fact that she knows the computers.

Adjourn: 8:05 pm

Respectfully Submitted

Pam Kingman