The Petersham Selectboard met with the Advisory Finance Committee for a joint meeting this week in Town Hall, discussing everything from funding live music for a 20-week program to broadband installation.
Roy Nilson, Petersham Friday Market coordinator, requested $1,000 to fund the market’s live music for its 20-week program at the meeting. He said 98 percent of the previous year’s total budget was spent on the music.
“We have succeeded, at least to some extent, in becoming a community event, and a new and interesting addition to activity on the common,” Nilson said.
The board declined to approve the funding, referencing a tough budget year ahead.
“It is going to be a tight budget year with the school budgets and the police budgets and all of the rest of it, and I just don’t think we have the $1,000 to put toward it,” said Henry Woolsey, Selectboard vice chairman.
Chip Bull, chairman of the town’s Broadband Municipal Light Plant board, and Chris Lynch of Matrix Design, were at the meeting to update the board on the broadband installation process.
Bull said construction will start around June and July of this year and will be completed by November. Around 70 to 90 percent of Petersham subscribers, Bull said, will be connected and receiving service by December — the second anniversary of the town’s vote to pass broadband authorization.
The board authorized a request for proposal from the Broadband MLP for fiber optic cable installations by Matrix Design for Monson Turnpike, Carter Pond Road and Glenn Valley Road.
During the meeting, the board also reviewed possible increases of multiple town employees’ wages. The board recommended an increase of hourly or salary wages for the town treasurer, animal control officer, Board of Health office assistant, building technician office assistant and the Selectboard office assistant for Fiscal Year 2019.
The treasurer and animal control officer were recommended a $1,000 increase to their annual salaries each. The Board of Health office assistant and the building technician office assistant were each recommended an increase of their hourly wage by 50 cents per hour, while the Selectboard office assistant was recommended an increase of their hourly wage by 75 cents. The recommendations will be sent to and reviewed by the Advisory Finance Committee for next year, which begins July 1.
The Capital Improvement Planning Committee was set to meet this week with the board, but did not make an appearance this week. Nancy Allen, Selectboard chairwoman, said CIPC will meet with the board next week to discuss future projects.