Shutesbury Board of Selectmen September 2, 2008 Meeting Minutes Members present: Chairman Rebecca Torres, Ralph Armstrong and Al Springer. Also Present: Town Administrator David C. Dann and Administrative Secretary Leslie Bracebridge. Meeting opened at 7:10 P.M. Appointments Police Chief Harding: * Grinding of pavement began today on the section of Leverett Road from Pratt Corner Road to the Leverett line. It is expected the grinding will be completed tomorrow and paving a base coat will be done on Friday. * Last Friday police were involved in a missing (Amherst) person search near the town line. The search included a low-flying helicopter before it was called off on Friday evening. The person returned to Amherst before time for the search to resume on Saturday morning. * Justin Wall’s first status report from the Police Academy is in and it is very good. * The new cruiser is in use. The extra stock back seat (replaced in the new cruiser with a molded plastic seat) will be bartered with Ford Motor Company for floor mats, which were not included in the $30,000 sale price. * Shutesbury pays lower rates than the state for details so there is a need for more people to do the town details for the lower section of Leverett Road. Selectmen unanimously voted their appreciation of the officers willing to work the details on the town side of the LCP project. * A lot of students were returning through Shutesbury on yesterday. In the presence of the Library Trustees listed in the vote below, Chairman Cliff Read reported: * Member David Cormier has officially resigned from the Board of Library Trustees due to the extensive time that he must spend outside of the area. * Pratt Corner Road resident Laura Reichsman is interested in serving on the Board. * Laura introduced herself as the Director of Families and Outreach in Amherst. She expressed interest in serving on the Board as she has lived in Amherst since she was 10 years old. She wants to be engaged in the community in which she lives. She has one grown son, lots of time and energy. She is very “fired up” about more space for the library. She has experience with fund raising. In 6th grade she volunteered in her library, she reads to elders in the nursing home and thinks Director Mary Anne Antonellis is a lovely person. * The trustees feel that she will be a welcome addition. A motion was made and seconded to nominate Laura Reichsman to fill the position vacated by David Cormier as a Library Trustee through June 30, 2011: Amy Beth - aye, Cliff Read – aye, Jane Urban, - aye, Karen Traub - aye, Ralph Armstrong - aye, Becky Torres - aye and Al Springer - aye. Unanimous. Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Walter Tibbetts: 1. Soil contamination at the Fire Station: * Shutesbury has received the “OK” to transport the current pile of contaminated soil to the Ondrick decontamination facility in Chicopee. A call to the facility is all that is needed before trucking begins. Walter will talk to Highway Superintendent Tim Hunting in the morning. * Shutesbury’s Licensed Site Professional Alan Weiss wants to remove the current soil before evaluating the site for the next part of the project. Once the pile is removed, Mr. Weiss will map out where to start drilling monitoring wells. * Town Administrator David Dann explained that Mr. Weiss will start as far away as possible and work his way closer. * Because it is historical damage (rather than a recent release) and because the current timeline has been met, Shutesbury is not in danger of any fines at this time. * Additional water samples at 50 Leverett Road still show trace elements that may be related to the contamination, so an additional test will be done of the fire station well to make sure the problem is not in the well. * Mr. Weis still feels that infiltration is somewhere in the water pipe and the solution may be to run a line around the contaminated area. * The environmental consultant hired by MIIA (the Insurance program covering Shutesbury) noticed that the venting of oil tanks at the Fire Station needs to be separated to avoid a potential future spill. While the current arrangement is up to code, similar arrangements at other sites have failed during overfills. Shutesbury will also provide line protection where it connects to the tank, on the consultant’s recommendation. * Nothing was said about insurance coverage of the spill. We can only wait for a report. * When the tank was closed many years ago, environmental laws weren’t as stringent as they are now. The tank was closed according to all statues at the time. We did not realize the further contamination. Had there not been asphalt on top, the contamination may have evaporated away in the intervening years. * Because there is no foundation across part of the front of the station, there is a question of contamination underneath the building. * Selectmen put off consideration of where the fire trucks would be housed if the building were to be removed, until more is known. 2. In order to streamline the hiring process, there is a need for standardization of pre-employment physicals for Fire Fighters: * MIIA has some paper work on the subject that is a little out-dated. * The goal is to do the tests that are needed to cover the town without spending funds unnecessarily on the physicals. * A representative from the hospital recommends a basic physical, respiration and pulmonary exams, a possible EKG, blood tests for the heart, and sight and hearing tests. * MIIA leaves it up to the town. * Screening for pre-existing heart and back conditions is important. * Town Administrator David Dann suggests using the same screening tests used by the police. * The Fire Department does not have to test for drugs as Chief Tibbetts feels that the nature of his screening questions usually weed out potential problems. * In 2006 the tests cost $425 just for the basics. * Due to HEPA (privacy rights) the reports from the hospital only say a person is “fit with no encumbrances.” The applicant gets back a lot more information. 3. New Recruits: * Two new recruits: Dale Houle and Sean Sawicki have started with their first responder training in Sunderland. * Once the results of their physicals are back, they can do “hands-on” work. 4. Other Training: * This past Saturday the department did some rescue training at Lake Wyola. * The whole department will do the first responder training in Sunderland. 5. Grants: Discussion from Franklin County Fire Chiefs: * There may soon be $3,900 available for a fire safety grant. * Student Awareness Fire Education (SAFE) Grant: Is to be funded at the same level as last year; it promotes student awareness of fire safety. 6. We’re heading back into brush fire conditions. * They start up very quickly. There was one today at the south end of the Lake. * The heavy summer rains caused more brush to grow which could increase the brush fire hazard once it dries out. * Brush fires also burn down. There was a brush fire 15 years ago that was only 10 feet by 20 feet but it burned 3 feet deep. 7. The department has had 32 calls in the last 64 days; that’s as busy as Chief Tibbetts has ever seen it. 6. Money Saving: * Chief Tibbetts rebuilt a starter for Engine #1; the part cost of $73, plus Chief Tibbetts’ time, was much less than the cost of sending the engine out for repairs. * Is reviewing other grant opportunities for fire departments. Topics 1. The Library is planning a Saturday family movie night and a Wednesday night lecture series. David will speak with Library Director Mary Anne Antonellis and the school to further understand options that will not take space away from town committees. 2. Jeff Lacy has volunteered to help David prepare the Commonwealth Capital Application. He does not feel that he can take this and the CDBG grant on this year. Communities applying for STRAP grants have to have an up-to-date Commonwealth Capital Application in place. David indicates there is a lengthy narrative and lots of public hearings that have to take place for the CDBG. Grant. David will ask members of the Planning Board if there is someone who will help him with the CDBG Grant application. Select Board Action Items 1. Selectmen unanimously approved the August 19, 2009 meeting minutes as written. Selectmen unanimously voted to accept the August 5 meeting minutes with an enhancement to the wording of item number 6 on page 3, fifth sentence to say: “Selectmen discussed how the horse arena can co-exist with the ball fields and the scheduling of such activities.” Selectmen added to the August 14 early morning meeting minutes that Selectmen told the people present that Highway Superintendent Tim Hunting will look into what the town can do now. 2. Selectmen signed vendor warrants totaling $71,666.87 and payroll warrants totaling $82,546.21. 3. Selectmen unanimously voted to sign Notices of Intent and Hold Harmless Agreements for the following list of proposed projects to be done on town-owned property under the high-water mark, during the Lake Wyola drawdown: Alcaide – 96 Lake Dr., Tomasetti – 84 Lake Dr., Bunton – 57 Lake Dr., Roy – 81 Shore Dr., Thompson – 104 Lake Dr., Beaudoin – 61 Shore Dr., Pickering – 82 Lake Dr., McBride – 11 Pine Dr., and Grybko – 35 South Laurel Dr., 4. Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint Elizabeth Lacy to the Open Space Committee. 5. Selectmen enhanced the wording to the response letter to Linda Hanscom. Becky will email the wording to David who will have Superintendent Hunting review the wording before sending the letter off. New Topics 1. Conservation Commission member Penny Jaques is interested in joining the Recreation Committee after the drawdown is completed. 2. David will talk to Carlos from C & A who has agreed to bring the missing slab rock back and deliver it to the Conservation land on Merrill Drive. David will talk with Conservation Commission member Penny Jaques about the placement of the slab rock. 3. On behalf of the Lake Wyola Association, Charlotte Rahaim is organizing a Sunday September 21 reception at the Shutesbury Athletic Club from 12 to 2 PM to thank Representative Kulik and Senator Rosenberg for their assistance with arranging for the dam repairs. 4. Moderator Kevin Hayes signed a letter of resignation today as he has moved out of town. 5. David is trying to find a time for a special fall town meeting suitable for the Treasurer and Accountant, with a potential article for the Community Preservation Act bylaw and soil contamination funding; probably on October 28. 6. In the bid specs there is a request for an “umbrella liability” amount that had not been submitted in the bid documents. Town Counsel Donna MacNicol sent an email cautioning the Selectmen that the insurance needs to be included. Tro-Con will request the full amount of $1 million as was included in the bid specs. Contingent upon receiving the umbrella liability insurance Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a contract with Tro-Con Corporation. 9. Shutesbury Market was less well-attended last Saturday probably due to the weather. Could a tag sale be added to the event? Two reasons why not: 1. Management planning for spaces and tables and we’re running out of space now. There’s going to be more clean-up. There isn’t a reason to use town resources for tag sales. 2. The purpose of the Market is to allow people to get their food in town and for artisans to have a sales place. Tag sales are more random. The school could have a sports equipment exchange and households could have tag sales on their own. They can have a tag sale at Celebrate Shutesbury. Tag sale people could also go to “Craig’s List.” The Library bake sale will be another dynamic of the Market. 10. David will arrange for a meeting with a Mass Highway representative for an update on the Leverett, Cooleyville and Prescott Road expenses and if there are cost overruns. 11. Chip Tech does not deal with any site with a need less than 1.5 million BTUs for bio-mass heating systems. 1.5 million BTUs would be overkill for the elementary school, unless there is a second floor someday, but a second floor would require an elevator. 12. Is there a rain date for Celebrate Shutesbury? No. Meeting adjourned at 9:27 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Leslie Bracebridge Administrative Secretary 080902 Selectboard 1