Shutesbury Board of Selectmen September 30, 2008 Meeting Minutes Members present: Chairman Rebecca Torres and Al Springer. Absent: Ralph Armstrong. Also present: Town Administrator David C. Dann and Administrative Secretary Leslie Bracebridge, recording. Meeting opened at 7:00 P.M. Appointments Police Chief Harding: * People are speeding in both directions on the Leverett, Cooleyville and Prescott Roads (LCP) smooth new pavement. Officers have been directed to heavily patrol and ticket speeders. o Selectmen noted that 40 new safety signs should go up soon. o Lines will soon be painted also. * Residents in the area of the Lakeview Road corner between Locks Pond Road and the state park are concerned about pedestrian safety due to motor vehicle speed. Chief Harding has evaluated a request for temporary speed bumps to address the problem with the Highway Superintendent and the Fire Chief. He anticipates this will be a long-term discussion. Community policing funds could be used to purchase the speed bumps. The funds usually arrive by the middle of November. At 7:33 PM a motion was made and seconded to go into executive session for reason number 3 and to resume open meeting following the executive session : Springer – aye, Torres – aye. At 7:42 PM Selectmen resumed open session. * Becky notified Chief Harding that she had received a complaint of a man and a woman using a metal detector and digging in the lake bottom in the north end of the lake bed. The caller was also concerned that with the drawdown people unassociated with the lake have easier access to the non-street side of the shore front homes. * Coordination of the bicycle parade at Celebrate Shutesbury will be reviewed for next year and may include stopping traffic on Leverett Road while the parade travels up the hill. * Reviewed a weekend rescue at Camp Anderson, and a previous motor vehicle accident on Leverett RD. * Reviewed traffic controls for Bulky Waste Day: Including a combination of cones, signs and an extra officer to work with Officer Gelinas and the possible use of Lot 32 for waiting cars. Topics 1. Review of the Special Town Meeting warrant: * Article 1: Town Counsel has reviewed the Warrant including the Community Preservation Act bylaw. She returned feedback on the membership, the quorum and the Chapter 6 effective date. Selectmen will review the statute wording and get clarification the meaning of Town Counsel’s notes before deciding on final warrant wording. * Articles 2 & 3 regarding soil contamination costs: David will call Freeman Albertson for his recollections of the location of the water line run from the fire station to 50 Leverett Road in 1976. The new water line should be in before winter. Becky worries that something will come up where funds will be needed fast and suggests an article 6 that puts money in the Finance Committee Reserves for the purpose of hazardous waste clean-up. Selectmen want feedback from the Finance Committee. Finance Committee and Selectmen will meet on Monday October 6 at 7 PM. * Article 4: Selectmen need more information from the Board of Assessors, specifically relating to FY 89 and FY 92 abatement accounts. Why are we addressing years so far in the past? * Article 5: Selectmen reviewed an email message from Representative Kulik’s aide Paul Dunphy that expresses uncertainty about the state providing funds to repair the dam. Selectmen concluded that they should request the full $150,000, previously anticipated to come from the state in the warrant, as town meeting can lower the amount or pass over the article if the state comes through with funding; a lower amount in the warrant cannot be raised. In light of the email message, Becky suggests lobbying the Governor directly. David will try to set up a meeting with the Governor. * Selectmen decided that town meeting should be at the Elementary School. * The town has $361,000 in stabilization and $490,000 in free cash (not yet certified.) * The final warrant will be signed at the next Select Board meeting and posted by October 7. 2. Selectmen unanimously voted to proclaim October 24, 2008 United Nations day. 3. The Planning Board will assist the Town Administrator in preparation of a CDBG application. They will begin the process in January 2009. 4. Dam repair update: The email message from Representative Kulik’s aide Paul Dunphy that expresses uncertainty about state funds to repair the dam concludes with, “We want to see this project successfully completed and we will continue to advocate strongly for it.” Select Board Action Items 1. Selectmen unanimously voted to accept the September 2, 9, 11, 16, 23, and 25 including the 9/25 executive session, as written. 2. Selectmen signed vendor warrants totaling $165,055.92 and payroll warrants totaling $89,976.07. 3. Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a Personnel Action Form for Linda Scott Baines as a Library substitute. 4. At the request of Electrical Inspector Maurice Gregoire, Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint Jim Slowinski as the Assistant Electrical Inspector. New Topics 1. As requested by Chief Tibbetts, Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a fire fighting equipment grant application in the total amount of $3,008.97. 2. Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a fire safety grant with no dollar amount for the SAFE grant through which the Amherst Fire Department with Shutesbury Fire Chief Tibbetts annually provide a fire safety education program at the Shutesbury Elementary School. 3. The insurance company has now OK’d release of the underground tank from the fire station soil contamination site. 4. Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint Al Springer and Theodore Cumberledge as Veterans’ Graves Officers to perform duties as outlined in MGL Ch.115:§9. Selectmen will consider creating a separate elected committee, Trustees of Soldiers’ Memorials as defined in MGL Ch 41§105 after getting information out to resident veterans to see identify interest. Walk-In 70 Cooleyville RD property owner Frank Rehorka, and his son Gary Rehorka of 86 Cooleyville RD described their concerns about how installation of curbing for the Leverett, Cooleyville and Prescott Roads (LCP) project has impacted the three driveways that used to exist at 70 Cooleyville Road. Selectmen reviewed the maps and collected the Rehorkas’ contact information. David, Al and Frank will make a site visit to look for solutions and take careful measurements, and then Selectmen can initiate a change in the plan with Mass Highway to correct the problems. Selectmen adjourned at 9:52 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Leslie Bracebridge, Administrative Secretary 080930 Board of Selectmen 1