Shutesbury Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes August 7, 2007 Members present: Chairman Rebecca Torres, Debra Pichanick and Ralph Armstrong. Also Present: Town Administrator David C. Dann and Leslie Bracebridge, recording. Meeting opened at 7:12 P.M. Appointments Police Chief Thomas Harding: (accompanied by Sgt. Robinson) * Boat is in the fire house and being prepared primarily for more emergency rescue. * Meeting at Lake went well, yet the next day a buoy was out beyond 75 feet. Inconsistency between state laws, town bylaws and Lake Wyola Association (LWA) rules causing some confusion. Select Board will request a copy of LWA rules. On-going, but not a big issue. Regular LWA meeting on Saturday. * Request for a northbound 25 MPH speed limit at the south end of January Hills Road. approved. * Schedule updates. * David Dann: The Mutual Aid Agreement is in the process of being signed in New Salem and then will be sent to Leverett. Electrical Inspector Maurice “Moe” Gregoire discussed electrical inspection fees: * Historically, through 2003, Shutesbury’s electrical inspection rates reflected those of the Franklin County Cooperative Inspection Program (FCCIP). * The FCCIP has made two rate changes, most recently in June of 2006 that have not yet been incorporated into Shutesbury’s schedule. * Of Shutesbury’s basic $30 electrical inspection fee the town gets $8 and Moe gets $22. The $22 must covers about 1.5 hours of his time, wear and tear on his vehicle, making and taking phone calls from throughout the state, (phone bill, answering machine) stationery and stamps and clerical time at town hall processing warrants for the Treasurer. * A $150 permit fee for a new dwelling include between 5 and 7 inspections: temporary service, trench, service, rough, final, and sometimes a later second floor or a later garage or pool. * The FCCIP electrical inspector only gives inspections on one day in a town. Moe is available for Shutesbury’s electrical inspections within 24 hours, often sooner. * Having a fee schedule that is the same as the FCCIP is less confusing for area electricians. * Moe does inspections for the town free of charge because he works for the town. * Moe almost made $3,000 last year on Shutesbury’s inspections. He has been averaging about $2,100/year. * Comparisons were made between the proposed rates and compensations for Moe with those for inspectors of area towns. * Moe would be happy to have Shutesbury’s schedule mirror the FCCIP schedule. Selectmen voted to have Shutesbury’s electrical inspection rates be the same as the electrical inspection rates of the Franklin County Cooperative Inspection Program. Town fee to come from those fees will remain at $8 per permit. A change will be corrected to Shutesbury’s electrical fee schedule to show that Shutesbury’s basic fee for remodels covers as many appliances as need inspection rather than a per appliance as in another town’s fee schedule. Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Walter Tibbetts: * Weekend and night time NIMS ICS classes are now available on nights and weekends as long as at least 20 people attend. * A letter from the new Massachusetts Undersecretary for Homeland Security suggests that upper level (400) training will only be required of the Police Chief and the Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director. Walter has the 300 training. Tom needs 300 and 400. If someone were ready to assume the duties of Deputy in the Fire Department, it would be good, though not required, for that person (and for the Police Sgt.) to get the ICS 300 and 400 training that is aimed at staff that would likely be an incident commander for an operational period greater than 24 hours. By definition an operational period is 8 to possibly 12 hours. Even if Walter and Tom were both absent from the community, a chief within the mutual aid system would be available to assume commander duties. * Two new Shutesbury fire fighter recruits are in the clearance process. One has previous fire fighting training from another state and basic Massachusetts EMT certification and the other recruit has some medical training which has lapsed but which is helpful anyway. Came to drill Thursday night. Following their clearance they will bring the fire fighters numbers up to nine (five being the minimum allowable number. No one feels comfortable with assuming the position of Deputy Fire Chief that Harry Masterton held until his retirement. * The rescue boat is now housed at the fire station in the place of the older pumper truck. The Fire Department doesn’t need the pumper truck as much as it needs a rescue boat and the DCR is eager to take the pumper truck, originally acquired by Shutesbury through a surplus agreement, back. Police Sgt. Robinson and Walter will work on the boat on Thursday to get it in as operable condition as possible. * The new surplus radios are ready for use when needed. Topics 1a. Peter Gees has done a title search of Lot M-30 and it is Peter’s assessment that the town has a greater claim to the land than Tofino Associates, LLC. In a letter to the Selectmen, he has expressed an interest in purchasing Lot M-30 from the town. Selectmen unanimously voted to write a letter to Mr. Gees stating that the town will take his thought under advisement and will not be taking any action at this time. 1b. A Chapter 40B letter will be carried over to the next Select Board meeting. 1c. The NIMS letter to Kulik and Rosenberg will be modified to express support of night time and weekend classes and with reference made to the Select Board’s positive learning experience in “Veronika’s” class. 2. There was no discussion of the All Boards Meeting. 3. Select Board representative s for performance reviews: Debra to participate in Chief Harding’s and Becky to participate in Accountant Weiss’s. Select Board Action Items 1. Minutes of the July 24 Select Board meeting were accepted with the elimination of the committee titles for the guests at the meeting and a sentence added to the last bullet of the church discussion stating that Ralph will call Town Counsel regarding the church ownership issue. 2. Selectmen signed vendor warrants totaling $73,332.11 and payroll warrants totaling$79,328.30. 3. Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint election workers for the 2007-2008 year. 4. Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a Chapter 90 Project Request Form for crack filling on Locks Pond and Wendell Roads for a total amount of $18,000. 5. Selectmen received copies of the Leverett, Cooleyville and Prescott Roads (LCP) reconstruction contract due to be signed and returned by the end of the week. David will fax a copy for Town Counsel to review tomorrow. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously voted to sign a contract agreement between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts acting through its Highway Department and the Town of Shutesbury Massachusetts contingent upon Town Counsel MacNicol’s review and recommendation incorporating any changes as advised by Town Counsel MacNicol. David will get the signed contract to Mass Highway on time. New Topics Selectmen unanimously voted to sign an accountant software license support contract with Softright, LLC from Westford, Massachusetts in the amount of $1,462.00, payment to come out of the accountant expenses line. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously voted to adjourn at 10:10 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Leslie Bracebridge Administrative Secretary ?? ?? ?? ?? 070807 Selectboard 1