Town of Buxton
Minutes for April 27, 2011 Selectmen’s Meeting
Prepared by: Beverly Gammon
Members Present: Jean C. Harmon, Peter E. W. Burns, Robert C. Libby, Clifford L. Emery, Dianne M. Senechal.
Others Present: Charles McNutt, Jack Hanna
Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda
The Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
- Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes
Selectmen Meeting Minutes April 20, 2011.
Approved 5-0.
- Discussion held between 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
The Board met yesterday with Jordan’s, and Waste Management, and today with Pine Tree Waste and BBI who bid on our Curbside pickup. After talking with them, Selectman Burns is preparing an analysis of the bid proposals and the Board will award that next week.
At 5:30 the Selectmen and our Treasurer met with a resident to discuss a tax issue.
- Email from Myranda McGowan, Southern Maine Planning – Re: Public Works meeting cancelled.
- Email from York County Emergency Management Agency – Re: New EMA Director Announcement.
- Email from Maine Municipal Association – Re: Upcoming Workshop on Fair Labor Standards Act for Public Employers.
- Review of Projects and Issues
Selectman Libby has been reviewing some new personal property accounts that have come back. He was involved in the meetings with the four waste haulers, and he has been busy speaking with people about their real estate and their valuation, and how we get to that number.
Selectman Burns reported that the School Board this past Monday night had a marathon session that started around 7 p.m. and did not end until 11:00 p.m. They finalized the school budget. Buxton’s share will increase $225,132 over last year for a total share of $5,453,270. Selectman Burns thanked the School Board members for their hard work and long hours.
Last Thursday Selectman Burns met with the person from Alpha One and spent about 2 hours going through the Hanson School building. They looked at different entrances and ways they could make it ADA accessible. The Board has not received a proposal back from Alpha One yet so they do not know what the cost of that will be.
Selectman Burns talked about an Email message that went out Friday to some residents concerning the re-purpose of the Hanson School. He said the statement in that message that the demolition is $75,000 of taxpayer money is true but it is the school district’s money and is in the budget that all the towns will pay which means Buxton’s share, 27% of the budget, is $20,250 of Buxton taxpayer dollars. He commented on the statement in the message that says the selectmen and Code Enforcement Officer have come up with a relatively inexpensive option to make the gym and first floor section at Hanson handicap accessible during the lease year if the referendum passes. Selectman Burns said that is totally incorrect. We have not come up with
any cost estimates at all on this, and will need an Engineer to do a complete study along with the alternatives of how we can make it ADA accessible and the costs to go along with the list of problems.
Selectman Burns reinforced that it is going to be very expensive. He outlined some of the problems found during the inspection. There are cracks in the foundation, moisture problems, a fan on in the gym all the time because of the moisture problem which creates mold that is unhealthy, asbestos tile is curling up in different hallways and in the gym, and layers of paint over lead paint that would have to be abated. There are broken windows and a lot of problems with the building that will take a lot of money to fix. The school occupancy cost is $75,000 per year. If the Town takes that, there is a cost that goes with it. Taxpayer money would pay to keep the building going and pay for improvements that will have to be made.
The Board does not know the total of repairs that would have to be done on that building so they cannot blindly say it is a free building because that is not the case. The Town would lease, not own the building, and the School Board voted not to turn over any land with it.
Selectman Emery added that the Selectmen asked if we have to be ADA compliant to open the facility. They were told the answer is yes that it would have to be ADA compliant to get into the building, to the first floor, and the gym at the very least before they can let anyone in. The law states that you have to make your programs available to handicapped individuals. You would have to put plumbing on the first floor and would burn up almost all of the $68,000 making it accessible. He said you would have to cut a hole in the side wall of the cement block gym which is not hard but would be expensive. He said the Town would have $68,000 to work with, and those things have to be done before the facility could be opened to the public.
The Selectmen do not want voters led down the primrose path because there are obstacles and it is not going to be cheap at all. The Selectmen will come up with more facts as they get the information. They do not have money to do engineering studies before the vote. If this passes, they will have $68,000 to do studies to see if it will be feasible or not.
Selectman Emery reported that he was at the meeting with Alpha One, and walked through the building. He talked about one option to get in to the gym but they would still have to get them to the first floor.
Selectman Emery was not able to meet with the Curbside pickup bidders during the day so he started calling some of them to gather information. He said other than that, he has been coming in to the office to take care of mail.
Selectman Senechal also attended the meeting with Alpha One and she concurs with Peter Burns and Cliff Emery. There are a lot of obstacles in that building. Walking through the building with a specialist during the daylight caused her to really take notice of things like the narrow staircases. She said Alpha One has not given the Selectmen any prices and it is obvious to her that the Board will have to hire a structural engineer or an expert of some sort. She said the cost is purely up in the air. First you have to get people into the building, then they have to be able to attend the programs, and the third thing is they have to be able to get into the bathrooms.
Selectman Senechal said she found that the Solid Waste bids each had a different spin on them and the Board really needs a new spreadsheet after talking with them so they can see what is the least expensive way with the best service.
She talked about vacant positions for the School Board, Budget Committee, and Planning Board and she encouraged people to come forward and take out papers to run for them.
Selectman Harmon said it has been very informative to go through the process of meeting with the trash bidders. She said Selectman Burns offered to put together a new spreadsheet so the Board can look at it next week.
She has been finalizing the Warrant, and the Town Report has been sent off to the printer. It should be available in the next couple of weeks. She thanked Krystal Dyer for the time she spent helping us with some computer issues.
Selectman Harmon said yesterday she and Selectman Burns attended a luncheon at Drummond Woodsum where they went over ADA issues and other updates on Immigration and the IRS. They found it very informative. In addition, she has been taking care of day-to-day issues, and making sure things are running smoothly.
None.
None
E.O. 101104028 – An order to approve John Myers’ attendance at a Vital Records Committee Meeting. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101104029 – An order to appoint Fred A. Farnham to the position of Code Enforcement Officer, effective until April 30, 2012. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101104030 – An order to appoint Fred A. Farnham to the position of Building Inspector, effective until April 30, 2012. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101104031 – An order to appoint Fred A. Farnham to the position of Plumbing Inspector, effective until April 30, 2012. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101104032 – An order to appoint Peter Gordon to the position of Deputy Code Enforcement Officer, effective until April 30, 2012. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101104033 – An order to appoint Peter Gordon to the position of Deputy Building Inspector, effective until April 30, 2012. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101104034 – An order to appoint Peter Gordon to the position of Deputy Plumbing Inspector, effective until April 30, 2012. Approved 5-0.
- Executive Orders by Initiative
None
- Accounts Payable and Payroll Warrants
E.O.101104026 – An order approving expenditures as documented in Accounts Payable Warrant #43-11. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101104027 – An order approving expenditures as documented in Payroll Warrant
#43-11. Approved 5-0.
- Next Meeting of the Board
Board of Selectmen Meeting Wednesday, May 4, at 7:00 p.m.
The Selectmen talked about a workshop next week but decided to block off time from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. before their meeting Wednesday, May 4th to discuss the Solid Waste Curbside Pickup bids.
Saturday will be Take Back Drug Day at Rite Aid and Hannaford. This is for anyone who has expired prescription drugs they don’t know what to do with. You can bring them in for the police to pick up.
- Public Comments and Questions
Charles McNutt spoke about attending the School Board Meeting Monday night. He said it was a painful process and he wanted to make some comments. He said the $225,000 that is our local share of the school budget is the minimum. It is subject to change. He said other Towns did pretty well but Buxton had the usual which over the last two years amounts to a 10% increase. He calculated that to be about $42 for a $140,000 valued home.
Mr. McNutt said he was most disappointed that the Budget Committee had recommended cuts and the entire School Board over ruled them and added about $200,000 back into the budget. He said there are no layoffs. A retirement incentive was offered but they are going to re-hire most of the 20-30 positions. They are putting $400,000 in contingency which he thinks is excessive. He is very disappointed that there were no cuts in Administration and feels that they were not very aggressive.
There was some discussion and confusion about the amount budgeted for the demolition of Hanson and the Learning Center in Hollis. Selectman Burns pointed out that it was in the school budget, not in the Town’s.
Mr. McNutt talked about his concerns with the local impact of SAD 6 being significantly over the EPS guidelines, and he is would like to find out how other districts compare. He said these are some of the questions he will ask when the Superintendent comes to talk about the budget.
There were no other comments or questions.
None
Motion made and seconded to adjourn the Meeting at 7:45p.m. Approved 5-0.
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