Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes — October
18, 2007—7:00
p.m. — Memorial
Hall
The meeting was called to order by Chairman, Judd at 7:00 p.m. Other
members present were John Payne and Bob Manners.
Acceptance of Minutes: a motion was made by John to accept the minutes
of October 4, 2007 as printed. The motion was seconded by Joe. Motion
carried unanimously.
Noteworthy News – nothing to report.
Department Liaison Reports:
John Payne reported that bi-weekly payroll begins this week. From
this date forward employees will be paid every two weeks rather than
weekly. John attended a quarterly meeting of the Franklin Regional
Council of Governments and reported the following: the F.R.C.O.G. will
be hosting a technology communication forum sometime in early 2008. The
purpose of the forum is to highlight the need for better technology in
this area. Local legislators have been invited to attend. The
F.R.C.O.G. is also looking at ways to help local Boards of Assessors. They
are investing the need for a regional assessor’s clerk to assist
various town boards. They will also begin to look at local Conservation
Commissions to see what services they may be in need of on a regional
level. F.R.C.O.G. will also be sponsoring a series of workshops
for Selectmen starting on November 29, 2007. The topic of the first
workshop is: Public Decision Making. Members of the Board would
like to attend the workshop so they will cancel their regularly scheduled
for that evening. The NIMS compliance schedule has been extended
to January 28th and there has been some ease in requirements. Since
the closure of the Engineering Department Program, the F.R.C.O.G. has
suffered a loss of $75,000 in anticipated revenue. The closure has resulted
in a total of $36,000 in savings. Terry Dun was in attendance to
present the Oversight Committee’s budget for fiscal year 2008. In
that presentation Terry Dun noted that there are 66 emergency response
teams hooked into the $5 million communication system. The overall
budget is approximately $92,000. John is unsure what Shelburne’s
assessment will be.
Bob Manners reported that the annual white goods and scrap metal collection
day was a success. Work on Guy Manners Road and Hawks Road have
been completed and the crew is continuing to perform routine maintenance.
Joe Judd – is still having preliminary discussions with the Mohawk
Trail Regional School District with regards to a potential land swap. Joe
stated that despite rumors, the proposed police station facility will
not be a $1.2 million complex.
OLD BUSINESS:
Proposed Police Department Relocation – discussion tabled.
Arms Library – Joe suggested asking a member of the Finance Committee
to assist Bob in any future discussions concerning ownership and/or future
maintenance of the library building. Joe is concerned that the
Board will find themselves back at town meeting with nothing resolved. Bob
has been unable to meet with Town Counsel as a result of his accident
but indicated that he would be happy to have a member of the Finance
Committee involved in the process.
Senior Center Lease – Terry Mosher spoke with the Masons attorney
Ken Chaffee and he indicated that the lease document is near completion.
Draft Guidelines for Recording of Meeting Minutes and Fulfilling Requests
for Public Records – the Board reviewed and discussed at length
the proposed guidelines. John felt that the first draft that was
tailored using the Public Records Law Handbook would be difficult for
Board and Committee members to understand as they are part-time volunteers
not lawyers therefore he created a second draft that he felt was more
user friendly. Areas of discussion included acknowledgement of
requests; who would be responsible for responding to requests within
10 days; the record request form; the clerical rate to be assessed if
it became necessary; and that Boards and Committees should be encouraged
to post their minutes on the town website to make them readily available
to residents. Suggested changes will be incorporated into the draft
document by John for future discussion.
Cowell Gymnasium Fire Escape Quotes – still waiting on one more
quote for fabrication and installation of a new fire escape.
F.C.Solid Waste Management District RE: Sale of Earth Machines & Blue
Recycling Bins – Bob recommended that the town decline the F.C.
Solid Waste Districts request to sell recycling-related devices at the
transfer station. Residents seeking such items can obtain them
through the Solid Waste District or by visiting Colrain’s transfer
station.
Update Policy on Grant Related Payments – the Board of Selectmen
adopted a policy relative to the payment of grant-related invoices in
2005. Since that time, there have been some changes made to the
manner in which the draw downs are processed. The Treasurer, Virginia
Peck brought those changes to the attention of John Payne and asked that
they be incorporated. After review of the minor changes, the Board
agreed to incorporate them into the document. No further action
required at this time.
NEW BUSINESS:
Kevin Parsons RE: Legalized Gambling in Massachusetts – Mr. Parsons
submitted an email to members of the Board stating that he believes that
the governor’s proposal to legalize casino gambling in the Commonwealth
is good for the Commonwealth. He further believes that boards of
selectmen and municipal government representatives should stand up and
put pressure on the legislature to approve this proposal. Mr. Parsons
is hopeful that the Board will discuss legalized gambling and make its’ position
known. In a brief discussion Bob stated that he was supportive
of the concept of legalized gambling in Massachusetts however, he would
like to see the equity spread across the Commonwealth (notably Western
Mass). John recognizes the desperate need to broaden the tax base
and provide for more employment opportunities however; he does not have
a particular view as to whether or not gambling should be legalized. John
expressed a willingness to listen to both sides of the proposal. Joe,
although not a gambler, is disappointed that only three towns have been
approached as potential casino sites. He stated that he is not ready
to make a statement in support of the concept. He would prefer
to watch and wait.
Letters of Interest RE: Board/Commission Vacancies – as a result
of the town-wide telephone call the Board of Selectmen have received
several letters of interest from residents willing to fill town vacancies. Those
letters received by individuals wishing to serve on the Board of Health
have been forwarded to that particular Board for their review. Two
letters of interest were received from individuals wishing to serve on
the F.R.C.O.G.’s Greater Franklin County Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy Committee. Those individuals are: Bill Ennen
of Patten Road and Kevin Maroney of Main Street. After reviewing
both letters a motion was made by Bob to appoint Bill Ennen to serve
as Shelburne’s representative and Kevin Maroney to serve as an
alternate member. The motion was seconded by John. Motion
carried unanimously.
Three letters of interest have been received from residents wishing to
serve on the Historic Commission. Before acting on those appointments
however, the Board wants to learn more about the role and responsibilities
of that particular Commission.
2008 License Renewal Fees: the cost of doing business in Shelburne
will remain the same in 2008. Executive Secretary, Terry Mosher
presented the Board of Selectmen with a list of licensing fees charged
in 2007. Before sending licensing reminder notices to businesses
she wanted to provide the Board an opportunity to review the fees and
increase them if they deemed necessary. The fees have not changed
since 2004. The Board of Selectmen reviewed the list of fees and
felt they were in order. A motion was made by Bob to approve the
list of fees as presented (i.e. liquor license, food service, etc). John
seconded the motion. Before putting the matter to vote, John asked
why the town needs to charge any fees at all. He feels that people
pay enough in real estate taxes without having to be “nickel and
dime” with fees. Although John agreed to leave the
fee structure as is for this year, he would like to have a philosophical
discussion involving all town fees between now and next year. The
original motion was put to a vote and passed unanimously.
Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School 6th Grade Class RE: Request to Close
Baker Ave. – Tammy Shippee has requested permission to close Baker
Ave. on Saturday, October 20, 2007 so that the 6th grade class can hold
a fundraiser. A race car driver from Colrain will be on hand
with his race car allowing individuals to have their picture taken with
the car for a small fee. A motion was made by John to allow the
fundraiser. Motion seconded by Bob. Motion carried unanimously.
Award of Grant Administration Services RE: Main Street (phase 1) – only
one proposal was received following the town’s advertised request
for proposals. Terry recommended that the contract be awarded to
the sole proposer, Breezeway Farm Consulting, Inc. of New Salem, MA for
a fixed price of $65,800. A motion was made by Bob to award the
contract to Breezeway Farm Consulting, Inc. The motion was seconded
by John. Motion carried unanimously.
Price Proposals for Demolition of Cross Street Barn – in the preliminary
stages of the grant application, it was estimated that the barn could
be demolished and disposed of for no more than $10,000. With that
figure in mind, the town solicited proposals from three contractors.
Two proposals were received and both exceeded the minimum bid requirement
set forth by M.G.L. 149. Terry Mosher recommended that the Board
of Selectmen reject both proposals. The Town will then advertise
the project in the Central Register to accommodate the higher bid threshold. A
motion was made by Bob to reject bid proposals submitted by Bob Cook
and Carson Ovitt. The motion was seconded by John. Motion
carried unanimously.
Sale of Town-Owned Equipment – the town will be placing an advertisement
in the local newspaper seeking sealed bids for four surplus items. The
items are as follows: 1999 Chevy One Ton Truck with Plow; 1994 Ford Aerostar
7 Passenger Van; 1993 Dodge Intrepid; and a 10’ Power Angled Plow. Items
can be seen at the Town Highway garage and will be sold in an “as –is” condition.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Halloween RE: Mechanic Street – in keeping with past practice,
Bob suggested that Chief Walker speak to the residents of Mechanic Street
about closing the street to vehicular traffic during “trick or
treat” hours. Bob noted that Mechanic Street in particular
has an extremely high volume of trick or treaters and in the interest
of their safety, the street should be closed.
Adjournment – a motion to adjourn was made by Bob at 9:05 p.m. Motion
seconded by John. Motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Terry Mosher
Executive Secretary
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