CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Public employees in Clarksburg will see a boost in their wages.

 

The Select Board on Monday approved a new wage scale that includes a cost of living increase of 3 percent and the same COLA for part-time employees. 

 

"We will never be competitive with the cities or whatever, but to get them up to where we're reasonable so we keep people working here in town and we can attract people to apply for positions," said Chair Robert Norcross, noting the town's failure to attract qualified candidates for a highway laborer. 

 

The new pay scale starts at its lowest at $16.70 for a probationary custodian but most starting pay will now be more than $21 an hour with step grades in odd years beginning with year one. It also has increases for licensing. 

 

The last update to the compensation plan was a decade ago.

 

"I think it is important because we do have a very good staff here but we're a lot lower than other communities," said Town Administrator Ronald Boucher. "It's hard to fill those vacancies when your wages are lower."

 

Both he and Norcross credited the former town administrator, Carl McKinney for the doing the research and developing the new scale.  

 

"With these increases, we're looking at somewhere probably around $50,000 a year increase, but that will bring all the employees up to a standard where, I think is is fair or competitive," said Boucher. "And then again, you don't want people to leave, but they do, and if you need to fill those vacancies, we're more competitive dollarwise."

 

He pointed out that the town has some savings with the suspension of the police services that had been about $104,000 a year. The chief is working part time on administrative actions at about $24,000, which leaves enough to cover the raises. 

 

Boucher also recommended the Department of Public Works foreman be retitled as superintendent following discussions with road foreman Kyle Hurlbut. 

 

Norcross and board member Colton Andrews voted in favor of the compensation plan and the 3 percent COLA for part-time workers. Board member Daniel Haskins did not participate in the discussion and abstained from the vote as his wife works for the town. 

 

Board members also continued discussion on the school and its future. Officials are considering asking town meeting to authorize a borrowing and debt exclusion to address the deteriorating roof and possible other renovations. 

 

Norcross said he did not think residents would support investing in the building now if the future meant an attempt at a new building or closing the school.

 

"We gotta give them a choice. If the choice is on the only new school or try to merge in North Adams, you're missing an option of renovation, which is an option you could have," he said. "The town could get grants, do debt exclusions, do what they can repair that school."

 

Andrews has advocated pursuing a new school project and believes the population has changed since a proposal was shot down in 2017.

 

"Every community has had this come up, and every time it passes, we're really one of the few isolated areas that hasn't passed a new school," he said.

 

Norcross objected that the proposed renovation and addition had a price tag of $19 million and would likely be $30 million now. 

 

"I just don't see 700 residents are going to pay for that," he said, adding that investing that much in the school will mean other town buildings and roads would suffer. 

 

Both agreed that voters would have to be well informed to make any choice and charged Boucher with investigating how much the town could borrow toward a renovation and what the impact would be on the tax rate. 

 

The town is currently debt free. 

 

In other business, the board approved the auctioning of two parcels on Morris Drive that were taken by tax title several years ago. Neither lot is building. Andrews abstained from the vote has the parcels had been owned by an in-law.

 

• Boucher informed the board that after discussions with the town treasurer, it was recommended about $3,500 a year in free cash should be allocated to other postemployment benefits, or OPEB, account. 

 

This is about 2 percent of the free cash although some actuarial research will look into a more exact amount. The OPEB account currently has about $3,500.