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Date: 9/28/2023
WILBRAHAM — Key decisions on bylaw system improvements and town electricity contracts marked the agenda of Wilbraham’s Sept. 18 Select Board meeting. The board also appointed a full-time member to the Conservation Commission.
Police Chief Edward Lennon, a Bylaw Study Committee member, has pushed for modernizing the town’s bylaw publication methods. Lennon cited inefficiencies and challenges associated with the current system, which relies heavily on PDFs for regulatory documents.
“Managing and updating PDFs can be tedious and time-consuming,” Lennon remarked during a recent Select Board meeting. He emphasized the difficulty in editing and reformatting these documents whenever updates are necessary.
In search of a solution, the committee turned its attention to the practices of neighboring towns. Several, including Springfield, East Longmeadow, and Palmer, have enlisted private vendors to manage and publish their bylaws online.
A popular choice among these towns is the General Code software, also referred to as Code 360.
The software was highly recommended after a presentation to the Bylaw Study Committee. Lennon lauded its intuitive online format, easily searchable index, and user-friendly dropdown menus.
A notable feature of the software is its ability to store supporting documents and allow town users to work on draft versions behind the scenes. The chief expected the system to be up and running in four to six months.
Lennon revealed that departments like Planning, Building, and the Clerk’s Office have all shown significant interest in the software, believing it would greatly enhance their current operations.
As for costs, the initial expense to digitize and manage general bylaws, zoning bylaws, subdivision rules and associated regulations is $9,980. There is an annual management fee of $1,195. The fee assumes no future document updates.
Lennon explained that while many stakeholders provided various regulatory documents, from health codes to personnel rules, the primary focus initially would be on the town’s major documents.
“Given the vast array of regulatory documents we possess, the idea is to launch the software with our most critical bylaws. Once established, we can gradually integrate the more nuanced documents into the system,” Lennon said.
The chief also stressed the savings involved with the conversion, noting that the software cost was not only competitive but compliant with procurement rules. “If we tried to include everything at once, we’d run into logistical and potentially budgetary challenges,” he added.
The Select Board’s response was mostly positive, with members pointing to building codes as a prime candidate for future inclusion. Citing frequent public queries on forums about topics like building offsets and fence regulations, they highlighted the importance of such rules in daily community discussions.
Lennon agreed, adding that, if successful, there might be a push to allocate funds for further expansions in future budgets.
Approved energy contract
Town Administrator Nick Breault discussed the town’s process for selecting electricity supply brokers. He detailed that the bidding process with brokers occurs every three years.
“They put out bids with all of our account information to their energy suppliers, and then they come back with their best quotes,” Breault said.
After a thorough analysis, Breault recommended the board award the contract to Constellation Energy with a term of 24 months. This term was seen as a “middle ground,” given uncertainties surrounding the adoption timeline of the municipal aggregation program.
Breault further explained the volatility of the energy market. “The markets have been so volatile that none of the brokers could guarantee the price that even today would be tomorrow,” he commented.
He cited the current rate of 9.116 per kilowatt hour and how the increase to 13.14 would add approximately $30,000 more to the town’s electricity costs for fiscal year 2024. However, he was confident that the budget accounted for such an increase.
In response to Select Board member Michael Squindo about the intersection of the aggregation program and the contract, Breault believed that exiting the agreement early would come with a substantial penalty.
Decisions would be made at the end of the two-year term based on comparisons with potential aggregation contracts.
The Select Board awarded the contract to Constellation Energy Services. The agreement will span a 24-month term, from Nov. 1, 2023, to Oct. 31, 2025. The board authorized Breault to negotiate the final price and sign the necessary documents.
Breault also presented findings on the Municipal Energy Aggregation program. Also known as “community choice aggregation,” MEA programs allows local governments to pool their community’s electricity needs to secure competitive rates.
The goal is to obtain better electricity rates, often with an emphasis on promoting renewable energy. “While a municipality can sponsor the aggregation program, it’s not mandatory for the municipality itself to participate,” he said.
For a basic comparison, Breault pointed out that a regular residential supplier rate might be around 21 cents, while under the aggregation program, it could potentially drop to 15 cents.
Pickleball courts
Breault discussed potential advancements regarding the pickleball court within the Recreation and Memorial Study. He said he spoke with Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Litz about accelerating the pickleball court’s development.
Breault added that Litz will propose to the Recreation Commission about placing the courts at Spec Pond, specifically near the end of the parking lot closer to the pond.
Appointment
The Select Board promoted James Coletta from associate member to full member on the Conservation Commission. The board interviewed Coletta at the meeting’s start and quickly approved the appointment.
Since his induction in February, Coletta has served as an associate member, assuming all responsibilities except voting. He mentioned involvement in site evaluations and monitoring, which he found both enjoyable and enlightening.
Coletta works a licensed landscape architect in the state. The board accepted the resignation of Kathy Lawless from the Conservation Commission.