Town of Buxton
Minutes for June 22, 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: Dennis Sweatt, Henry Huntley, Chief Mike Grovo, Stacey Breault, Susan Orfant Gillette.
Public Hearing – 7:00 p.m.
Liquor License renewal for Stacey Breault, doing business as Chefa’s Inc., a catering business located on Portland Road.
Chairman Harmon opened the Public Hearing at 7:01 p.m. She read the Notice of Public Hearing and asked for questions from the audience. There were none. Stacey Breault the business owner spoke briefly about the business and the licensing process she goes through when she has a catering event.
There were no other comments or questions from the public or the Board. The Hearing was closed at 7:03 p.m.
Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda
The meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m.
The first order of business was to elect a Chair and Vice Chair of the Board for the next year.
Peter E. W. Burns was nominated for Chairman of the Board.
Approved 4-1-0.
Clifford L. Emery was nominated for Vice Chairman of the Board.
Approved 4-1-0.
- Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes
Selectmen Meeting Minutes June 15, 2011.
Approved 5-0.
- Discussion held between 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Our Treasurer, Debi Rix, talked with the Board about activities going on over the past couple of days with TRIO and some changes with the way the payroll warrant articles have been presented.
There were also a couple of residents who came in to discuss some of the issues that came up at Town Meeting.
Chief Grovo discussed a Grant he received for an impaired driver enforcement program. The Grant was almost $5,000 and has to be used between July 1st and September 1st.
- Email from Myranda McGowan, So. Maine Regional Planning – Re: Meeting Tuesday, June 23, 8 a.m., Eliot Town Hall.
- Email from Marian Alexandre, So Maine Regional Planning – Re: 2011-2012 Gas & Diesel Bid Results.
- Email from Chris Lockwood, Maine Municipal Association – Re: Ethel Kelley Memorial Award.
- Emails from Tony Vigue, Saco River Cable Committee – Re: FCC Issues, and the Tom Foley Memorial Garden at Saco River Community TV.
- Review of Projects and Issues
Selectman Libby spoke about Town Meeting Saturday. He said it was nice to see quite a few new faces there. He thought it was good for the Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee that they had gone through the numbers and that the people agreed with them.
Selectman Emery said a lot of time was put into the budget process this year and he thanked the Department Heads for the time they put into the process.
Selectman Senechal said she has been going through the articles that passed. She has passed on information to get the new floor done in the large meeting room at Station 1 in Groveville, and she is figuring out when we are going to put in the new carpet here at the Town Office. She also mentioned the new Accounts Payable Clerk, Marilyn Holland, who started this week.
Selectman Harmon said last week was spent getting ready for Town Meeting and making sure all the numbers were correct. Last week was the first time in a few years the Board has had to increase the Property Tax Levy Limit and she thanked the voters for doing that. She said the Department Heads worked very hard on their budgets this year and the Budget Committee did a great job. She said we will be on line with our new TRIO software on July 1, and asked people to be patient while our employees learn the new software.
Selectman Burns thought people seemed to stay longer at the Town Meeting than they have in the past. He also thought it was encouraging to see new and younger people in the audience. He said the municipal budget is up about $275,000 over last year, the school went up about $225,000 and the county went up almost $5,000, so the Board authorized about $500,000 more than the year before.
None
Effective July 1st we will have a new trash carrier. BBI will start picking up trash Tuesday, July 5th. Normally if you have Monday pick up it would have been Monday but because of the July 4th holiday they will start the next day.
Selectman Harmon asked people to be patient during this process. She thanked Pine Tree for the great job they have done for the past few years. The Board hopes to have just as smooth a process with BBI. If people have questions, they should not hesitate to call the Transfer Station.
E.O.101106023 An order to approve 32 hours vacation time to be in the form of pay for Susan Myers. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101106024 – An order to deny a Poverty Abatement Application for Case Number PA 11-006. Approved 5-0.
- Executive Orders by Initiative
E.O.101106025 – An order to approve the Liquor License Renewal for Stacey Breault, doing business as Chefa’s. Approved 5-0.
- Accounts Payable and Payroll Warrants
E.O.101106021 – An order approving expenditures as documented in Accounts Payable Warrant #51-11. Approved 5-0.
E.O.101106022 – An order approving expenditures as documented in Payroll Warrant
#51-11. Approved 5-0.
- Next Meeting of the Board
Planning Board Meeting Monday, June 27, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Recount Hearing Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 9:00 a.m., at the Buxton Town Hall. This is on Article 5 that was the Hanson School that was turned down by 10 votes. Anyone can come to the meeting.
Selectmen’s Meeting Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.
Selectman Burns attended the Twelve Town Group Meeting Monday night. He said they spent a lot of time talking about a $1 million dollar D.O.T. study for a turnpike spur in Sanford and which path it would take.
Selectman Harmon said the Board received a letter from the State Department of Transportation in regards to the results of the census that now puts certain roads as urban growth areas. Pete Coughlin has set up a meeting with the Selectmen on July 6th to go over what that impact of that is.
- Public Comments and Questions
Susan Orfant Gillette said on the recount, people felt that because the vote was so close before the building is torn down it would make sense just to double check just in case. She spoke about some signs that were put up before the election that confused some people but she read the question on the ballot and felt it was very clear. She also commented on the Town’s web site and asked who to call if someone has a problem.
Dennis Sweatt said the Town of Hollis did away with their Town Meeting and put everything on a secret ballot. He asked the Selectmen if they can get information from them on how that went. He would like to know if that is something that Buxton could do. He said we could get more people to vote if we did that because more vote on Secret Ballot than come out to vote at Town Meeting.
Selectman Emery said he does not know what Hollis does but he explained how the Town of Ogunquit handles their annual voting.
Dennis Sweatt talked about a question a resident asked at Town Meeting regarding Article 6 to raise the property tax levy limit.
Selectmen Harmon explained that the Town is given a Growth Limitation Factor each year by the State. The Town is allowed by law to increase that amount from the prior year which it has done in the past.
None
Motion made and seconded to adjourn the Meeting at 7:34 p.m.
Approved 5-0.
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