Town of Buxton
Minutes for September 22, 2010 Selectmen’s Meeting
Prepared by: Beverly Gammon
Members Present: Jean C. Harmon, Peter E. W. Burns, Clifford L. Emery, and Dianne M. Senechal. Selectman Robert C. Libby was absent.
Others Present: Jack Hanna, Tashia Geaumont, Michael Grovo, Carl Mooers, Karen Beaulieu, Edwin Mooers and Bill Mooers.
Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda
The Meeting was called to order at 7:00p.m.
After the Pledge, Selectman Harmon announced the Board was deviating from their normal agenda for a special presentation. Selectman Harmon called Tashia Geaumont, Recreation Director, to the podium. Tashia was the chair person for Buxton Community Days and the theme this year was “Home Town Hero”. She said people were asked to nominate someone they felt deserved to be Buxton’s “Home Town Hero” and they were asked to include a 500 word essay on who they thought deserved to be it. They had a variety of entries but ultimately decided on Mr. Edwin Mooers who was nominated by Major General Steve Nichols. Tashia asked Mr. Nichols to share with the Board his nomination. He said Mr. Mooers is a World War II Veteran. He
enlisted when he was seventeen, against the wishes of his parents, went through Basic Training and headed to England by way of Scotland. Mr. Mooers ended up in France and was in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded during combat in the European Theater and was evacuated. Major General Nichols said people who are wounded in combat are entitled to a Purple Heart and Mr. Mooers’ discharge papers say “wounded in combat”. Mr. Nichols said in the Army nothing happens unless there is a piece of paper and Ed Mooers never got a piece of paper saying he had a Purple Heart. Mr. Mooers’ wife, Anne very much wanted the thing resolved. They talked with the Congressional delegation from Maine but they just could not resolve it. Major General Nichols said he thought it had gone on long enough. He said he does not have the authority to change Mr. Mooers’ military record or his discharge papers from
St. Louis, but he does have a way of getting
him a Purple Heart and after sixty five years, he was able to present it to Mr. Mooers who was very surprised. Mr. Mooers thanked Major General Nichols and he spoke briefly about the award, his wife, and children.. Each of the Selectmen congratulated Mr. Mooers and thanked him for his service.
The Board then returned to the regular agenda.
- Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes
Selectmen Meeting Minutes September15, 2010.
Approved 4-0-1.
- Discussion held between 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
At 5:00 Anne Robishaw met with the Board to update them on some things that are going on. She asked about reimbursement for mileage which the Board agreed they could do for her in her position as Health Officer. She also discussed moving some files to her home since they are confidential in nature.
At 5:30 the Board met with Debi Rix our Treasurer, and Brenda Brown one of our Deputy Clerks. They talked with the Board about bringing dogs to work policy. Selectman Harmon said the Board met at a workshop several months ago and that was one of the issues they brought up. The Board has not developed a policy yet but Selectman Harmon said they are trying to develop one and as soon as they have that information together they will let the employees know how it stands.
Debi Rix also talked with the Board about the TAN information which is a Tax Anticipation Note. Selectman Harmon said she has an Executive Order in regards to that. She explained that a Tax Anticipation Note is similar to a line of credit and it is in case the Town needs to borrow money to pay our debt while we are waiting for our tax collection to come in. Selectman Harmon said the tax bills did not go out at the end of last week. The Board is in hopes they will go out this week.
Selectman Burns said the Board briefly talked about the Police Contract and discussed the Saco River Cable TV Tolling Agreement. He said the committee is going to request an extension from Time Warner on the Tolling Agreement until November 30th. He said the Board also discussed getting bids from other dealers for fuel for the Town.
- Email from Kate Dufour with Maine Municipal Association—Re: Highway Simplification Study Sounding Board Meeting on October 7, 2010.
- Sharon Leahy-Lind with Maine CDC forwarded a News Release from the Maine Department of Public Safety—Re: National Drug Take Back Saturday, September 25, 2010.
Police Chief Mike Grovo said the Buxton Police Department is participating in the program and will have uniformed police officers at Hannaford Supermarket, and Rite Aid.
- Email from Dan Rose, Attorney at DrummondWoodsum—Re: DWM Lunch October 7, 2010.
- Email from Marian Alexandre with Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission—Re: Signs and Post Bids.
- Review of Projects and Issues
Selectman Burns reported that he met with Chief Mullen last Friday to review the energy audit, go through the Bar Mills Fire Department building, and discuss things that were mentioned in the report. He said some are easily fixable at not too much expense while; others may be long term proposals. After their meeting Selectman Burns met with Chet, our maintenance man. Chet said he would meet with a local electrician to get the cost and payback information and report back to the Board.
Selectman Harmon said Chet did meet with the electrician and went over to go through the fire station. He said there are some cost savings and other things are not as cost saving as the Board would like them to be or as they were made out in the audit. She said Chet will be getting that information together and will report back to the board.
Selectman Burns said this past Sunday he attended the Buxton Center Elementary School dedication and on Monday night he attended the Twelve Town Group Meeting. Other than that he has been in the office handling correspondence.
Selectman Cliff Emery also attended the Twelve Town Group Meeting. He said they had a good meeting. Geoff Herman from Maine Municipal Association was there and they are setting up a Candidates Night to be held in Sanford around October 15th for all the House and Senate seats in York County. They are in the process of inviting all people on the municipal side of government, people from the schools, county officials, and it will be open to the general public. Cliff said it will be taped so they will bring back a disk to put on our local access television. Selectman Emery said they also talked about a program the State has where they want to give some minor collector roads to the Town. They will bring the
roads to a ten year standard. He said they want to give Buxton 14-15 miles of roads and he has questions about how long it will take to build the roads to that standard before they turn them over to the towns. He said he will follow that and look into it some more.
Selectman Senechal reported she attended the Buxton Center Elementary School Dedication Ceremony and was very impressed. She said she had the opportunity to go over to Town Farm Park this weekend and see all the teams that are playing. She said there were about 22 teams and hundreds of people there. Selectman Jean Harmon coaches grades 7-12. Selectman Senechal reported that the Charter Commission has finished their work and turned the Charter in to the Selectmen. They will remain open for 30 days in case anything should open up but they have basically completed their task. She believes the Charter will be on the November ballot and said people will be hearing more about that.
Selectman Harmon also spoke about soccer starting. She said there are “NO PARKING” signs along the road. By the time she left the field people were parked along the road beside the signs and the second parking lot was not full. There was a resident complaint about people parking on the side of the road. Selectman Harmon reminded anyone who may be attending games that there is a huge, second lot on the other side of the field for anyone to utilize and it has very easy access to the field. She said the resident also brought up the issue of handicapped parking and said there were no handicapped parking spaces. Selectman Harmon said that was brought to the Recreation Director’s attention, and there are now several
handicapped spaces marked. She wants to remind people those spaces are reserved for the handicapped who really need to use them.
Selectman Harmon also attended the Buxton Center Elementary School Dedication Ceremony. She said that this is the “way of the future”. Every classroom has a smart board and a bathroom which she said is the way schools will be built in the future.
Selectman Harmon said the Board needs to workshop next week to deal with carry forwards. The Selectmen talked about a tentative date of Tuesday, the 28th at 6:00 p.m. This date/time is tentative until they can check with Selectman Libby to make sure he can attend.
None.
None.
E.O.101109009 – An order to approve 40 Hours Vacation Time for Bruce E. Mullen.
Approved 4-0-1.
E.O.101109010 – An order to vote that the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Buxton hereby authorizes a borrowing in anticipation of tax receipts for the 2010 – 2011 fiscal year in the original principal amount not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000)
from Key Bank National Association on behalf of the Town with interest thereon at 2.16% per annum. Approved 4-0-1.
Cliff Emery commented that even though the Board is doing this, they may never have to use a dime of the money. He said the Town’s only obligation to this is the $8.00-$10.00 cost to Key Bank, and $200 to the attorneys which will probably be covered under the retainer we have with them. The money will just sit there for the Town to use if and when they have to borrow any of it. If they do, they will pay the 2.16% interest on the money used, not on the whole amount. He said this is something that has been done in the past but not for a long while.
E.O.101109011 – An order to vote that under and pursuant to the provisions of Title 30-A, MRS Section 5771, the Chair of the Board of Selectmen and the Treasurer of the Town be and they are hereby authorized to borrow in anticipation of tax receipts from Key Bank National Association in the name of the Town of Buxton, on an as-needed basis, the sum of up to Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) at the interest rate of 2.16%; and that the Chair of the Board of Selectmen and the Treasurer be and they are hereby authorized to issue general obligation securities of the Town of Buxton in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars($500,000) and to execute and deliver a note or notes under the seal of the Town attested by the Town
Clerk, dated on or about October 5, 2010 in such form as the Chair of the Board of Selectmen and Treasurer may approve; and that the appropriate officials of the Town be and hereby are authorized to execute and deliver on behalf of the Town such documents and certificates as may be required in connection with such borrowing; and that no part of the proceeds of said borrowing shall be used, directly or indirectly, to acquire any securities and obligations, the acquisition of which would cause the notes to be “arbitrage bonds” or “private activity bonds” within the meaning of Sections 148 and 141, respectively, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended(the “Code”); and that the notes be designated as qualified tax-exempt obligations within the meaning of Section 265(b)(3) of said Code; and that the Chair of the Board of Selectmen and the Treasurer be and they are hereby authorized to covenant on behalf of the Town to file any information
report and pay any rebate due to the United States in connection with the issuance of the notes, to take all other lawful actions necessary to ensure the interest on the notes will be excluded from gross income of the owners thereof for purposes of federal income taxation and to refrain from taking any action which would cause interest on the notes to become includable in the gross income of the owners thereof.
Approved 4-0-1.
- Executive Orders by Initiative
None.
- Accounts Payable and Payroll Warrants
E.O.101109007—An order approving expenditures as documented in Accounts Payable Warrant #12-11. Approved 4-0-1.
E.O.101109008—An order approving expenditures as documented in Payroll Warrant
#12-11. Approved 4-0-1.
- Next Meeting of the Board
Planning Board Meeting Monday, September 27, 2010 at 7:00 p.m..
The Selectmen will hold a workshop Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. The Date of this workshop is tentative until the Board verifies all Selectmen can attend on that date. The workshop is open to the public.
Selectmen’s Meeting Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.
Appeals Board Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.
Selectman Harmon read the Warrant that the Board has to read in order to put the question to the voters in regards to the Charter revision that has been submitted to the Board by the Charter Commission. This is the Warrant for the November 2, 2010 Special Town Meeting:
Article 1. To elect a moderator to preside at said meeting and to vote by written ballot.
Article 2. Shall the municipality approve the charter revision recommended by the
Charter commission?
Selectman Harmon said the Board of Selectmen will sign this Warrant next week. Selectman Emery questioned the wording “Special Town Meeting”. Selectman Harmon explained this is the wording given to the Board by John Myers, our Town Clerk and it is correct.
Selectman Harmon said the final Charter will be available to the public. The Town Clerk has them and they will be available at the Town Hall. We will make available a Summary of the changes, the marked up copy and the clean copy of what the Charter is. A copy will be available along with the Warrant from the Town Clerk.
- Public Comments and Questions
None.
None.
Motion made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:35 p.m.
Approved 4-0-1.
| 
