Minutes of the July 18, 2007 meeting of the Shutesbury Board of
Selectmen, the Buildings Committee and some members of the Library
Board of Trustees as revised and approved July 24, 2007

Select Board Members present: Chairman Rebecca Torres, Debra Pichanick
and Ralph Armstrong.

Buildings Committee members present: Dale Houle, Alphonse Plaza and
Robert Groves.

Library Trustees: Cliff Read and Karen Traub.

Also Present: Town Administrator David C. Dann and Administrative
Secretary Leslie Bracebridge, recording.


Meeting opened at 7:27 P.M.

Topics
Buildings Committee members reviewed the only bid for the library
improvements:
* $13,000 above the estimated cost, Building Committee members felt,
  all things being equal, the project should be re-bid.
* Multiple bids are preferred.  One bid does not give the degree of
  reliability of multiple bids which show the high, median and low end
  of the probable cost.
* 6 companies took out the specs. (One was an advertising company.)
* It would take a month to re-bid – putting actual construction
  September to November instead of August to October.  The fall is
  ideal for building.
* It is not anticipated that construction will be disruptive as the
  addition can be completely constructed before the door is broken
  through to the library.
* The delay wouldn’t affect building as much as the paving.  If it
  got too cold to pave, a gravel surface parking area might be
  required until it could be paved in the following year.
* At least an additional $10,000 is also needed for painting and
  repairs to the front of the building and the chimney. The building
  is basically sound. Some details need attention.
* The original quote may have been under estimated and did not account
  for the slate roof and non-toxic materials and the one bid may have
  been on the high side.
It’s the consensus of the Building Committee that re-bidding might
save $10,000 and it would be worth trying.  There would be nothing to
loose but a month’s time.

Speaking on behalf to the Trustees, while Cliff wanted to see the
project move forward, he didn’t feel that a couple of months would
be a big deal compared to the possible savings.  He added that the
trustees might look differently on a delay to next summer.

Following on Cliff’s comments Selectmen unanimously voted to put
the library renovations out to bid a second time.  Again the bid will
be separated into the two sections of the composting toilet structure
and the slate roof.


Select Board Action Items
1.  Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint Robert Spaulding Jr. as an
Equipment Operator for the Highway Department and to sign his
corresponding Personnel Action Form (PAF).
2.  Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint Sean Therrien as a Highway
Department seasonal employee and to sign his corresponding PAF.
3. Selectmen unanimously voted to sign the PAF for the resignation of
Benjamin Kulp.
4.  Selectmen unanimously voted to accept a state grant reimbursement
of the eligible costs for the removal of the underground fuel storage
tanks and the installation of above ground fuel storage tanks in the
amount of $13,372.41.
5.  Town Administrator David Dann reminded the Selectmen of their
meeting with the Lake Wyola Advisory Committee and the Dam Management
Committee at 8:30 AM at the Lodge at Lake Wyola.

New Topics 
1.  Ralph and Debra unanimously voted for Becky to serve as Chairman
of the Board for another year.  Becky thanked them and accepted the
position.
2.  Selectmen will send a copy of the Dam Inspection report, some
photos of the dam and the status of preparations for the lake drawdown
for dam repairs to Senator Rosenberg via Finance Committee member Lori
Tuominen.
David will make an inquiry about the status of the endangered species
filing.
3.  Discussion of the possibility of a blanket permit for individual
shore front property owners to do limited work to save on the cost of
the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species (NHES) permit fees.  Is
there a limited amount of work that a group form could allow property
owners to do?  David Dann will ask the Conservation Commission if
there is any work that can be done without a permit or that could be
done with a blanket NHES permit.
Ralph stated that at the July 12 Conservation Commission hearing,
Professional Wetlands Scientist and Environmental Consultant Michael
Marcus emphasized that the purpose of the drawdown was for dam
repairs, not for the purpose of private property improvements.

With the state budget signed, the local cherry sheets had no changes.
David will check for changes for the regional school.

The Selectmen will discuss the status of the ownership of the church
next Tuesday.

Selectmen adjourned at 9:02 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,


Leslie Bracebridge
Administrative Secretary