Meeting Minutes of the Shutesbury Board of Selectmen
With members of the Lake Wyola Dam Management Committee
December 27, 2006 at the Shutesbury Town Hall

Select Board Members present: Chairman Rebecca Torres and Ralph
Armstrong.  Also Present: Debra Pichanick (A member of the Board of
Selectmen but acting in the capacity of an interested citizen for
discussion concerning the Lake Wyola Dam, as advised by the
Massachusetts Ethics Commission,) Town Administrator David C. Dann and
Administrative Secretary Leslie Bracebridge, recording.

Dam Management Committee members present: Chairman William "Bill"
Elliott, member Richard Brazeau and Gate and Dam Keeper Howard Kinder.

Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief:  Walter Tibbetts.

Guests: Lakeview Road residents Judy Smith and Kenyon Fairey, and
Rattlesnake Gutter Road, Leverett resident Elliott Sherman.

Meeting opened at 7:00 P.M.

Selectmen unanimously voted to sign payroll warrants in the total
amount of $77,218.34 and vendor warrants in the total amount of
$53,473.48.

Bill Elliott:
* Preparing emergency action plans is required by federal law.
* An "Act of God" is still the town’s liability.
* A template for an earthen dam Emergency Action Plan (EAP) from the
  federal Natural Resources Conservation Service served as the basis
  for Shutesbury’s EAP.  The goal of the template is for a commonality
  of emergency action plans across the country.
* Shutesbury needs to do some thinking as a town, about the lake.
* Engineer Morris Root has made recommendations about how to make the
  dam safer as a result of this very thorough 2006 investigation and
  report.
* A report concurrence sheet needs Select Board signatures and the
  Emergency Management Directors’ signatures of the three towns:
  Shutesbury, Leverett and Montague.  The report must be sent to the
  Office of Dam Safety before Dec. 31.
* To avoid confusion, the report and EAP should first be submitted to
  the Office of Dam Safety; then the town should distribute the state
  accepted and approved EAP and report to the website and the public
  at large.

Richard Brazeau:
* Reviewed inundation maps and distributed the Sawmill River Flood
  Elevations. (Addendum #1.)

A motion was made, seconded and voted to accept the Emergency Action
Plan for Lake Wyola Dam and sign the concurrence sheet.  (Debra
Pichanick did not participate in the vote following the advice of the
Massachusetts Ethics Commission.)  David will arrange to get
officials’ signatures from Montague and Leverett.  He will also
contact the Office of Dam Safety to find out what their review and
acceptance process involves and how the town will participate in that
process.  He said the EAP will be reviewed on an annual basis.

A motion was made, seconded and voted to accept, sign and then send
the Lake Wyola Dam Phase I Inspection/Evaluation Report to the Office
of Dam Safety.  (Debra Pichanick did not participate following the
advice of the Massachusetts Ethics Commission.)

Richard Brazeau stated his confidence in the way the dam is being
inspected and maintained and with the development of the EAP.  He said
that Leverett is looking at a reverse 911 system.

Engineer Morris Root is on retainer for emergency advice.  His
contract includes preparation of the bid documents for the dam
repairs.  Bill noted that the contract may require some negotiation
for the extra services that Morris has provided.

Becky responded to comments of concerned Shutesbury and Leverett
residents downstream of the dam and asked for their contact
information so that in the future the Select Board can provide them
with information about the management of the dam.

David asked if the duties of the Dam Management Committee should be
expanded to include all issues and activities concerning the Lake.
Becky asked that the remaining members of the Dam Management Committee
first meet with the Board of Selectmen to address the resignation of
their committee Chairman Bill Elliott before they are given additional
responsibilities.  David will coordinate a meeting of the Selectmen
with the Dam Management Committee for January 9, the same night that
Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Walter Tibbetts will be
present.

Walter said that the new mutual aid agreements for fire aid will be
ready for Select Board signatures.

Selectmen discussed emergency management budget items. These will be
further discussed at the January 22 Emergency Management Team meeting.

David announced that the Highway Department will close Cushman Road
from Tuesday to Friday next week to install Geotextile fabric for
improved drainage.

David will tell the Leverett Town Administrator about the Connect CTY
for their consideration as an alternative to the reverse 911 option.

David will reschedule a meeting with the Pelham Selectmen to discuss
sharing resources until the full Shutesbury Board of Selectmen can
participate.

Selectmen will hold a financial team meeting in the New Year.

Selectmen adjourned at 9:20 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,


Leslie Bracebridge
Administrative Secretary

061227 Dam Management and Selectboard 1