Clarksburg Board Votes 3.5% COLA for Town Employees
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Select Board agreed this week to give town employees a higher than usual cost-of-living bump in their salaries next year.
The town has for some years approved an annual COLA of between 2 and 3 percent; this year's was 2.5 percent.
But next fiscal year's will be 3.5 percent to offset higher inflation.
Town Administrator Carl McKinney said at Wednesday's board meeting that the rate of inflation in the past 12 months had been 6.7 percent according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"I'd love to meet that so that our employees don't suffer a loss," he said, but added "I don't see where the town is in a position go up 6.7 percent."
Chair Danielle Luchi said she was comfortable with a 3 percent cost of living raise.
"I think that our employees here at Town Hall and everywhere, given the COVID, our turnover, I just think it's the best thing to do," she said.
Board member Jeffrey Levanos said he wished they could do a little more.
Highway Foreman Kyle Hurlbut asked for 3.5 percent, saying some employees wouldn't even be getting 90 cents.
"It depends on what you make and if you're on the step calendar on not," he said. "You don't fall on [the step calendar] every year."
He said they had discussed 3.5 percent earlier and he had budgeted for that in the highway department.
"You're not talking a lot of money here. You know highway just has three employees. How many employees in the whole Town Hall right now will even be qualifying for this?" Hurlbut asked.
Luchi acknowledged when the COLA went up a half percent it had amounted to about $500. Raising it a full percent for this coming year was estimated at about $1,000.
"So we make people happy for that extra half percent," said Levanos. "It seems like it's not that huge an amount of money. And given that inflation's 6.7-plus, it may not be a bad thing if we can swing that."
Luchi agreed, saying, "we've been through a lot for the last six months, so I really want to help people. I think everyone does deserve this."
The board also signed a new host community agreement with New England Regional Dispensaries, a marijuana grow facility on Cross Road that is now pursuing a retail dispensary license.
"It took me a little longer to get the cultivation up and running there for the extension. And at this point, we're ready to move forward to the retail front as well," said Chad Cellana, co-owner of NERD. "It's the same deal as before, 3 percent for the impact fee and any retail sales on the property generates tax income for the town as well."
The business will be paying sales, property and personal property taxes.
He asked to host a community host meeting, as required by law, at the Community Center at 6 p.m. on Thursday March 3. He anticipated the application will be submitted by mid-March with a turnaround of a couple of months for licensing. At that point, NERD will be meeting with the police chief and Planning Board on renovations and security plans for the building.
In other business, McKinney suggested the use of American Rescue Plan Act funding toward a new fire truck.
ARPA funds are limited to public health expenditures, offsetting negative economic impacts, premium pay for workers, revenue replacement and infrastructure in terms of water, sewer and broadband. But final rules are also allowing expenditures for firefighting equipment such as fire trucks.
McKinney said, if he was reading the numbers correctly, the town should have around $400,000 for a fire truck and possibly COVID-related bonuses for essential employees. The sewer and water infrastructure was limited to certain areas of town so any improvements would not benefit the majority of residents, he said, where a fire truck would.
Luchi said she wanted more of a breakdown on what those costs would be and also what else the town might apply that money on. She noted that the town's recreational facilities, including the pavilion, are in need of work. She also thought the fire company should share in the cost of a new truck; McKinney said that would be necessary since a truck would likely be in excess of $600,000.
McKinney said he was also looking into how the town could benefit from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, preparing a Small Town Rural Assistance Program grant for Middle Road and finishing up work on a hazard mitigation grant and closeout for the Community Compact grant.
• The board also voted to reopen the Community Center, which was closed last month because of a spike in COVID-19 cases. However, no food can served in the center yet and it is not open for leasing. The board will revisit this issue at its next regular meeting.
• On Friday, the board voted to hire Jodi Hollingsworth as the full-time treasurer/tax collector. Hollingsworth has been working part time in Clarksburg and is also tax collector and assistant treasurer in Lanesborough. She starts on Feb. 28.
