Town of Buxton
Minutes for March 5, 2014 Selectmen’s Meeting
Prepared by: Beverly Gammon
Members Present: Clifford L. Emery, Jean C. Harmon, Penny J. Booker, Peter E. W. Burns
Robert C. Libby was absent.
Others Present: David Harmon, Nathan Schools, Jeremy & Nicole Redlon, Conrad Jellison, Michael Grovo
Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda
The meeting was called to order at 7:06 PM.
Chairman Emery led the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Bids Opened for Winter Road Sand
Shaw Brothers Construction
|
Per Cu. Yd. Salt Sand |
Per Cu. Yd. Mid-Winter Screened |
2015 |
$11.23 |
$11.23 |
2016 |
$11.23 |
$11.23 |
2017 |
$11.23 |
$11.23 |
John Pompeo |
|
|
2015 |
$11.49 |
$13.00 |
2016 |
$11.49 |
$13.00 |
2017 |
$12.00 |
$14.00 |
Gorham Sand & Gravel |
|
|
2015 |
$8.49 |
$8.49 |
2016 |
$8.74 |
$8.74 |
2017 |
$8.99 |
$8.99 |
Dearborn Brothers |
|
|
2015 |
$11.10 |
$10.75 |
2016 |
$11.35 |
$11.00 |
2017 |
$11.60 |
$11.25 |
Risbara Brothers Constr. |
|
|
2015 |
$10.19 |
$ 9.50 |
2016 |
$10.39 |
$ 9.75 |
2017 |
$10.59 |
$10.00 |
Chairman Emery said the Board will be dealing with this very soon.
- Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes
Selectmen Meeting Minutes February 26, 2014
Approved 4-0-1
- Discussion held between 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
At 1:00 Greg Heffernan, Transfer Station Manager presented his budget to the Board.
At 2:30 Tom Kennie, Public Works Director presented his budget to the Board.
At 5:30 a resident came in to talk with the Selectmen about an Excise Tax issue.
Two different residents came in to talk with the Board about the Community Cupboard and where it will be going when they leave the plaza at Plummer’s. Selectman Emery said the Board has discussed the possibility of doing something at the old Town garage in the first bay closest to the intersection. The Public Works people are going up there tomorrow to get the place picked up and cleaned up so that freezers could go there if they want to use the space when they have to move. Selectman Emery said the Selectmen will find out what the cost would be to divide that bay from the rest of the building and make it useable.
At 6:00 Chief Grovo met with the Board to discuss some issues.
The Board went into Executive Session at 6:53 PM, per 1 M.R.S.A. §405 (6) (A). The Board came out of Executive Session at 7:03 PM.
The Selectmen talked about the resident who came in last week to discuss an issue involving a private road. Selectmen Emery reported that the Board is moving forward on this in an effort to resolve this issue.
- Email from Letter from John Sylvester, Chairman, Twelve Town Group – Re: Monthly meeting March 10, 2014
- Weekly Legislative Bulletin from Maine Municipal Association
- Review of Projects and Issues
Selectman Harmon has been reviewing budgets and coordinating Department Heads coming in to present their budgets to the Board. The Fire Chief is going to get back to her with a date; she needs to catch up with the Recreation Director; she knows John Myers is still working on his budget; the Police Chief is still working on his and the Selectmen have to finish theirs.
Selectman Harmon reported that she came to the Budget Committee Meeting last night. She mentioned some of the budgets that were presented including Ancient Cemeteries, Code Enforcement, and Saco River Cable, and said she thought it was a pretty good meeting. In addition to working on budget matters, she has been handling day-to-day issues.
Selectman Burns has been in every day. Last Thursday he was in the office then in the evening he attended the SAD 6 Budget Advisory Committee Meeting. Friday he was in the office working on budgets.
Selectman Burns was here yesterday and Chet Ouellette had a carpenter in to take a look upstairs to see what can be done about putting in a walkway, getting some lights up there, and trying to find out if they can install a pull-down ladder from the ceiling so people can get up there safely. They are going to get a quote on that to hopefully fix that situation.
Selectman Burns said that tomorrow night there is another Budget Advisory Meeting with the school and then Saturday another Budget Advisory meeting from 8:30 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon.
Selectman Booker said she has been doing the same things. She attended the Budget Advisory Committee meeting last Thursday night and reported that she has been reviewing budgets, particularly the ones the Board did this afternoon. She has had some discussions with Selectman Harmon on the Town Report and other miscellaneous budget issues. She spoke about receiving correspondence saying that people are putting numbers together for lighting on Bar Mills Bridge.
Selectman Emery said he has been driving back and forth from Massachusetts all week. He came in Monday and got the Warrant article written up for changing the number of Planning Board members from seven (7) to five (5). That has been sent to our attorney to look at.
Selectman Emery reported that he came in today and got here in time to hear most of the presentation for the Transfer Station Budget, and all of the presentation for the Public Works budget.
Selectman Burns commented on an article in the paper today about the Stackpole Creek Bridge and what the Saco City Council is deciding to do. They are going to go to the voters with a bond issue of over $900,000 for a new bridge; to tear down the other one and replace it with a different type of bridge, and there is still talk of trying to get a grant for the restoration of the existing bridge so they are at least moving forward on it.
None
E.O. 131403003 – An order to appoint Brian J. Dyer to the position of Saco River Community TV Alternate Member to be effective until December 31, 2015
Approved 4-0-1
E.O. 131403004 – An order to appoint Dianne M. Senechal to the position of Saco River Community TV Committee Member to be effective until December 31, 2015
Approved 4-0-1
E.O. 131403005 – An order to approve an Application for a Widow of a Veteran Exemption for [Map 1A, Lot 63]
Approved 4-0-1
E.O. 131403006 – An order to approve an Application for a Widow of a Veteran Exemption for [Map 2, Lot 38-4]
Approved 4-0-1
- Executive Orders by Initiative
None
- Accounts Payable and Payroll Warrants
E. O. 131403001 – An order approving expenditures as documented in the Accounts Payable Warrant #79
Approved 4-0-1
E. O. 131403002 – An order approving expenditures as documented in Payroll Warrant #77 & Payroll Warrant #78
Approved 4-0-1
- Next Meeting of the Board
Budget Committee Meeting Tuesday, March 11, 2014, at 6:30 PM
Board of Selectmen Meeting Wednesday, March 12, 2014, at 7:00 PM
There will be a Twelve Town Group Meeting Monday, March 10, 2014 at Waterboro Town Hall at 6:30 PM
The Fire-Rescue Department has openings for Firefighter/Paramedics. The position has been posted on the Buxton Fire Department’s website and on Jobs in Maine. The deadline for applications is March 7, 2014. For more information, contact Nathan Schools, Fire-Rescue Chief.
The Transfer Station has a job opening for a Booth Attendant. More information is available on the Town’s website and on Jobs in Maine. For more information, contact Greg Heffernan, Transfer Station Manager. The deadline for applications is March 28, 2014.
There will be a Blood Drive at Buxton Town Hall Monday, March 17 from 1:00 – 6:00 PM. Please call the American Red Cross @ 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment.
There will be a Community Potluck lunch Friday, April 11, 2014 at 11:30 AM at Buxton Town Hall. All ages are welcome. Please bring something to share. Contact Tashia Pinkham, Recreation Director at 207-929-8381 for more information
Selectman Harmon reminded everyone to turn their clocks ahead and change smoke detector batteries this weekend. Daylight Savings Time is here.
- Public Comments and Questions
Nate Schools, our Fire-Rescue Chief, introduced himself and spoke about the SAFER Grant that we were awarded February 14 through FEMA this past February 14. He explained that this grant will fund four full-time people for the Department including personnel costs for four people which equates to one person around the clock. The personnel cost is $281,000 with benefits that is also funded by the federal government. That cost is about $160,000. This is for a two year term. If we hire a veteran who meets the requirements of the job, the term goes from two years to a three-year term which is certainly beneficial to us.
Chief Schools provided some details about current staffing and said the grant will allow us to hire four employees who will be Firefighter/EMT Advanced Level or the Firefighter/Paramedic Level which gives the Department another person around the clock to staff an ambulance or a fire call, first emergency first. Chief Schools reported that the weekend of Valentine’s Day, the Department went without staffing four ambulance calls in Buxton because the primary truck was out and there was no one to staff the backup truck. He said this will enable us to at least put a licensed provider on that back-up ambulance and if we have a firefighter driver from home we can staff that call instead of extending response time for calling mutual aid in and serve our public better.
Chief Schools explained where full time and part-time staff and the primary ambulance will be stationed and said those changes will cut our response time in half in some areas of town where we have had seventeen minute response times, and he explained the purpose of changes in individual roles and responsibilities and the impact that it will have on services the Department is able to provide.
Chief Schools talked about the positive effect full-time, paid staff will have on our ISO rating and progress made on the rating. He gave a lot of information on changes that have already been made including spending $12,000 in the current budget for water certification. that will also impact the fire rating. Chief Schools said this is a huge benefit for our community.
Selectman Burns added that this is for two years and said that is very specifically spelled out in the application package for the new positions. He said there is no commitment on the town to continue after the two years and that will be made clear during the interviews. However, there is an opportunity to possibly extend the grant or the town may be able to do something personnel wise at the end of that period but nothing is guaranteed.
Chief Schools responded that it is his job to write a grant to extend it, or his job to be able to show the taxpayers what the benefit is and what this does for the community and he said there is absolutely no guarantee that we are going to keep these people and said that the ability to extend a veteran’s position another year is worth around $53,000 per person.
Police Chief Mike Grovo then spoke. He provided statistics on some of the 444 calls the officers handled last week.
There were no other comments or questions.
None
Motion made and seconded to adjourn the Meeting at 7:41 PM
Approved 4-0-1
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