The Selectmen are considering taking health insurance off the table for new elected officials and employees working less than 20 hours a week.

CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen agreed Tuesday that it may be beneficial to eliminate future elected officials' health insurance to save money.

The issue arose during discussions over the salary review the town is currently undergoing.

"Some elected officials that hardly do anything are eligible for insurance and we have the right to rescind it," Chairman Paul Astorino said. "Going forward I think we should have a statement saying ... we are not going to offer it to everybody. It's something we should look at for the next annual town meeting. It is big bucks."

Currently, town employees who work 20 or more hours a week legally have to be offered town insurance. However, the town has been offering it to elected officials as well who may not meet that work requirement.

The Selectmen have the power to give insurance to any elected official or town employee who works under 20 hours a week, but they can also take it away.

Astorino said he does not want to take insurance away from anyone who has it currently through the town, but in the future, it should not be offered.

Town Administrator Mark Webber said a family plan could cost the town nearly $18,000 per elected official and with rising health insurance costs, the town cannot continue carrying everybody.

Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said some elected officials may deserve the insurance, but some who receive it really do not put their time in.

"I know there are some elected members if they put in five hours a week they are doing well," she said.

Selectman Robert Ciskowski said this may be true, but it would be fairer to have a blanket ban for all future elected officials.  

"It could become a political thing like if someone had a vendetta, not that we would do something like that but a future selectman could," Ciskowski said. "I'd rather see a blanket thing instead of an individual thing."

Webber also explained the process the town must go through to expand the select board from three members to five.

Last year town meeting accepted a citizen's petition that put this in motion.

Webber said he has been in contact with state Sen. Benjamin Downing, who has been researching examples of past Legislature used to accomplish similar changes.

Town meeting must first pass an article that will then be sent to the state. He said it would be beneficial to allow the state to amend the article "in the spirit of the original article's intent."

"That is to make sure that its fits state law. Like if it says a shall or a may where it shouldn't they may not be able to approve it, and they will just send it back. We would have to start over again," Webber said. "So just giving them the ability to do minor amendments speeds up the process."

He said after this, the state has a process to complete before the change is sent back to the town to accept.

Town Clerk Christine Emerson said she was concerned that voting on the article at a special town meeting would be against the Cheshire Charter.

"We have a bylaw that states we cannot change bylaws or anything unless it is at an annual town meeting," Emerson said. "You are changing town government, and that is a major bylaw."

Webber said he will ask town counsel to give an interpretation of the bylaw to see if it is OK.

In other business, Webber said he has the fourth communication between Foresight Engineering and the state Department of Transportation in regards to the Sand Mill Road Bridge that the town has decided to repair.

He said although there is no sign yet of plan approval by the state, things seem to be moving quicker.

"On the upside, they are continuing the back and forth and it seems to have picked up a little bit," Webber said. "We had one last week and now we have one this week."

Francesconi said she was concerned Cheshire students are already opting out of the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District in anticipation of the elementary school closing.

"People are already reacting to the fact that Cheshire is going to close because we have selectmen in Adams saying they are not going to close Plunkett [Elementary School] because they don't want another empty school," she said. "It's not going to be good."

Because of financial stress, the school district may close one of the two elementary schools. Currently, the district is undergoing a study to determine what school would be better to close.

Astorino feared that if Cheshire School closes the town will get stuck paying for capital projects at Plunkett.

Resident Richard Jennings asked if the town plans to knock down the decrepit mansion on South Street across from the fire station.

Francesconi said the Board of Health could very well condemn it but then the town owns it and has to pay to knock it down. She said when the Cheshire Inn was demolished in 2013, in cost the town nearly $50,000 and since then the town is weary about taking properties.

Francesconi said the town has been in a dispute with Bluebird Farm Animal Sanctuary and Rehabilitation over a dead skunk.

The rehab center received a skunk last week died on the property. The animal control officer gathered the animal's body because it had to be tested for rabies. However, the sanctuary wanted the town to pay for the test because it happened in Cheshire.

At first, the town refused until they received a call from the state Department of Health.

"They said because the skunk died in Cheshire, we were responsible to pay $150 to test it for rabies and if any other animal dies on the property and needs testing it is also our responsibility," Francesconi said. "So there are several areas that raised a little concern with us ... it's like saying if a skunk died in my yard the town has to pay for it."

Francesconi said town counsel has been asked for information and said the situation has raised concerns about the sanctuary that the town didn't even know existed. She there may be zoning and health issues within the sanctuary and they are going to investigate the business.

The Department of Public Works installed a Berkshire United Way book house at Leland Park. Children can drop off and exchange books throughout the summer.