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Convened: 10 am
Adjourned: 11:54 am
Link to Zoom recording of meeting
Summary
Chair Lucinda Fenn-Vermeulen called the meeting to order with Select Board members Mary Brazie and Vice Chair Judi Goodman present, along with Administrative Assistant Mindy Nilson. The board’s two biggest items were personnel appointments for the town’s van-driver program and an extended discussion of a regional study proposing new models for ambulance service — a discussion in which the board made clear it wants no part of a regional EMS district or absorption into Great Barrington’s fire department. The board also began line-by-line review of a proposed three-year service contract with Southern Berkshire Ambulance (SBA) and voted to surplus two retired fire trucks.
Top moments
1. Two part-time van drivers appointed (unanimous, 3–0).
Transportation Administrator Melanie Vicneire recommended Todd Jervinson and Anthony Terry for two open positions. The board moved, seconded and approved their appointment unanimously.
2. Regional ambulance study: board resists district and Great Barrington integration models.
Becca Meekins of the Collins Center for Public Management presented findings from over a year of work with the Southern Berkshire EMS Partners group, representing the eight towns currently served by Southern Berkshire Ambulance. She laid out three models under consideration:
Expansion of SBA to provide full ALS/BLS service (rather than intercept-only) to New Marlborough and Sandisfield, requiring two new ambulances, eight new staff, and a restructured assessment formula.
A new EMS district, modeled on state fire-district law but requiring new home-rule legislation (Meekins estimated at least two years to establish), funded through a district-wide property tax based on equalized valuation (EQV).
Municipal integration into Great Barrington, converting SBA into a division of the Great Barrington Fire Department, with eventual (voluntary, incentivized) cross-training of EMTs and firefighters.
Egremont’s board was pointed in its resistance to the latter two options.
Chair Vermeulen said: “Until such time as Great Barrington gets a grip on their life, there is no way that I would allow this town to integrate our ambulance or fire service with theirs.”
Fire Chief Joe Schneider argued Egremont’s paid fire department already functions as its EMS backbone and cross-trains with neighboring towns without needing a new governance layer: “I don’t want another layer of bureaucracy… we will always support the Southern Berkshire Ambulance group of people… it’s part of our blood flow in this community.” A board member raised concern that a district’s board, apportioned by population, would hand Great Barrington outsized control: Meekins herself acknowledged the study’s district model could produce “a district board that is essentially… four people from Great Barrington and one person from [a smaller town], making decisions for all eight towns.” Meekins put the framing of the whole project starkly: “The goal is sustainability, ultimately. It’s not saving money… The goal is sustainability.”
3. Southern Berkshire Ambulance’s finances and rationale for a 7.5% rate increase.
SBA Chief Kevin Wall said full staffing has eliminated overtime costs that previously drove double-digit annual increases, and that private fundraising — including a Yo-Yo Ma benefit concert that raised close to $100,000 — is being used to hold the line on what towns are billed. SBA Treasurer John Halbreich and Clerk to the Southern Berkshire EMS Partners Mary McGurn also participated in the financial discussion; McGurn provided sample district-tax figures ranging from about $101/year on a $300,000 property to $336/year on a $1 million property, under the proposed district model.
4. New three-year SBA service contract flagged for revision before signing.
The proposed contract — closely modeled on Great Barrington’s — sets rates rising from $138,000 to $148,000 to $159,000 over three years. Board members, with input from SBA board representative Peter Most, flagged several provisions for town counsel to review: extending the insurance-cancellation notice period from 10 to at least 30 days; tightening indemnification language that currently turns on an “alleged” claim of fault; and a “termination for convenience” clause both the board and Kevin himself criticized — Kevin conceded, “I have said, this barely makes it a contract,” while a board member called it “the craziest provision I’ve ever seen.”
No vote was taken; the contract goes to town counsel Jeremia Pollard next.
5. Fire trucks declared surplus (unanimous, 3–0).
The board voted to declare a 2008 International pumper/tanker and a 2001 custom pumper/tanker as surplus, to be advertised for sealed bid (Shopper’s Guide, fire trade publications, social media, and the town newsletter) with no minimum bid set this round, retaining the right to reject offers that come in too low.
Other business
Minutes for August 1, 18, 24 (open and closed sessions) and 31 were approved unanimously with minor language corrections (contractor-vs.-employee wording, committee co-chair order, grant-status phrasing).
A brief update noted the town is submitting an expression of interest for a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant related to the town dam.
No public comment was recorded from the citizen (Marj Wexler) noted as present.
Tabled / deferred
Final terms of the SBA service contract await town counsel review; no signing date set.
Fire truck sale minimum-bid strategy pending outreach/appraisal by the fire department.
Scheduling and meeting protocols discussion pushed to the next meeting.
Next steps
Next Select Board meeting: September 29 at 10 a.m.