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Date: 7/25/2023
SOUTHAMPTON — The Southampton Select Board continued with a busy slate of information gathering regarding new financial software for the town, adjustments to rules and regulations for personnel and the town administrator job description.
The town has been looking at updating its financial software system for some time and member Jon Lumbra provided an update on that process. Currently, the town is looking at two possible companies: VADAR and Spring Brook. Each has provided quotes to the town in the area of $100,000 and will be invited to make a brief presentation and answer the board’s questions on Friday, Aug. 4 in a Zoom meeting. The board would like more information about when the implementation could take place, as well as what would be included in the package.
“We want to fully understand the ramifications of our choice,” said Chair Christine Fowles.
The board also looked at recommended changes from the Personnel Policies and Procedures Board. One of interest to the board was the ability to work from home and how that is handled. The recommendation is that it must be approved by the Select Board, recommended by the department head and that all documents must remain in the office. Since this would likely be on a case-by-case basis, the department head would clarify if this were full-time working from home and other details of the situation.
In other news, the board also looked at recommendations that only newly created positions go before the finance committee to ensure that there is appropriate funding for them. Other open positions would not need to go before the committee.
The board also agreed to clarify some language with different employee situations. As of July 1, only benefited employees who work more than 20 hours per week will receive holiday pay. Previously this had been available to all employees. Anyone hired before July 1, would be grandfathered in.
The board also officially said that all town public offices will be closed the day after Thanksgiving, with the exception of public safety and, if necessary, public works.
Fowles updated the board that she is in the process of reaching out to three companies to review the town administrator job description. She will be seeking proposals and a proposed timeline for the project.