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| By Sarah M. Corigliano Assistant Managing Editor EAST LONGMEADOW Last Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting covered a range of topics from deciding to remove a pet dog from a residence in town, to getting ready to renegotiate a cable contract in 2007. The meeting ran until midnight. Building inspector Dan Hellyer presented the Board with recommended fee increases, mainly for electrical projects. The major changes, Hellyer explained, were recommended in new construction, including condominiums. He said that new construction inspections are often more labor intensive and require return visits to the site, and that condominium developments require as many visits as new houses and should require the same rate. Hellyer said he also examined fees in surrounding towns and saw that his proposed increases would not be out of line with what those towns are charging. The Board voted to approve the changes, which will take effect Oct. 1. The Board also voted to lift the moratorium on department head raises since the outcome of the Aug. 14 Special Town Meeting left all budgets fully funded again. East Longmeadow call fire fighter Sean Strohman met with the Board regarding a personnel matter and asked to break protocol and allow his meeting to be open to the public. Board chair John Claffey allowed this. "It is the employee's final decision to keep the meeting in public session," Claffey explained. The meeting was called in reference to an e-mail Strohman sent to Board members several weeks ago. "It [the e-mail] caused a level of concern ... was it intended as a resignation?" Claffey asked Strohman. Clerk of the Board, Selectman Gary Delisle, read the e-mail out loud. Strohman explained that the e-mail he sent to the board, expressing his frustration with the new trash policy and saying that he was "embarassed" to wear his fire fighter's uniform, was an expression of frustration and not meant as a resignation from the department. He said when he is off-duty, like many fire fighters, he wears an "ELFD" tee shirt. He said he would run into neighbors and friends when out in town and many would ask what the Selectmen were up to when deciding the new trash policy. He said he felt that people thought, since he is a fire fighter, that he had some kind of "insight as to how the town works." "I was sick and tired [of all the questions]," Strohman said. "I stopped wearing my uniform [tee shirt]." Selectman James Driscoll asked if Strohman was embarassed or just tired of all the questions. "Those are two different things to me," Driscoll said. The Selectmen asked Strohman if their decision had somehow impacted his ability to serve as a fire fighter. Strohman said his job ability was not affected, and that so far, he does not think the Waste Reduction Program is bad. He said he was not embarassed to wear his fire fighter's uniform. "I still have reservations about the communication [between the Board and the town]," he added. The Selectmen said they would not have been as confused about the e-mail if Strohman had not mentioned his role as a fire fighter. "As a citizen, you have First Amendment rights," Claffey said. "But you brought in your status as an employee with the Fire Department ... you cross a line when you mix opinions with your employment with the town, and in the future you should be cognizant of that." Driscoll reminded Strohman that there is a chain of command in all town departments, "for good reason." Claffey added that there are a "wealth of court decisions about public safety employees ... their First Amendment rights are somewhat curtailed when it affects their employment." The Board also met with Attorney Peter Epstein about renegotiating East Longmeadow's 10-year cable contract when it expires in October 2007. He explained to the Board that there are many points that can be negotiated with cable companies, but that rates are non-negotiable. However, the length of the contract is negotiable, he said, and the next contract need not last for 10 years. He told the Board their first step should be to renew or re-form a Cable Advisory Committee and start collecting comments from town residents about what they want from their cable provider when it's time to renegotiate. "They have one year to do this [collect comments], and in October 2006 they can produce a report," Epstein suggested. After that, he said the Board could use the language in the report as its Request for Proposals for a new cable provider in town. The Selectmen also discussed updating their letter to the Mass. Housing Finance Agency regarding their disapproval of Developer Jay LaFebvre's proposed Seven Roads Station project at the site of the former Community Feed complex. The Selectmen said they saw potential "devastating effects" on the center of town if the project goes forward as proposed and would express their concerns Next the Board discussed asking Library Director Susan Peterson for a key to the Library's outer doors so they may unlock those doors during public meetings in the Library's community room. "The Library closes at 8 p.m., but the Community Room is used for public meetings and the exterior doors are locked," Claffey said. Delisle said Peterson's suggestion to leave the door ajar until the end of meetings was "inadequate." He said he is afraid doing less than leaving the doors unlocked would violate Open Meeting laws. The Selectmen also announced that a Sergeant's exam will be hosted on Oct. 12 for qualified East Longmeadow police officers. The Board also announced the next meeting of the Open Space Committee Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library's Community Room. "If you can get in, you're welcome [to attend]," Claffey said jokingly. "Look for the door ajar," Delisle added, smi.ling. The next Board of Selectmen meetings are planned for Sept. 6, Sept. 13 and Sept. 27. |