Town of Buxton
Minutes for April 23, 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: Dave Harmon, Dennis Santolucito, Student from USM
Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda
The meeting was called to order at 7:03 PM.
Chairman Emery led the pledge.
- Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes
Selectmen Meeting Minutes April 16, 2014
Approved 4-0-1
- Discussion held between 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
The Board had the Treasurer come in to explain an issue with the Town attorney’s bill.
The Selectmen met with the Town Clerk and talked about the Tax Commitment that is usually in the Annual Town Report. That report is not going to be in the Town Report this year but copies will be available here at the Town Hall.
The Board talked about street lights on the new bridge. Selectman Emery said he spoke with one of the Hollis Selectmen last week who was concerned about having a warrant article to raise money. Selectman Emery told him that the bridge is not going to get done soon enough that the Board will have to deal with that this year.
We are waiting for information to come back from the State and Selectman Emery said as soon as they give us the pricing for standardized lighting the Selectmen can meet to discuss it.
The Police Chief met with the Board. They discussed correspondence the Selectmen received from an individual on Callahan Road regarding police presence in that area. The Chief told the Board that he has increased the presence of police vehicles in that area. Chief Grovo said he personally is going up there once or twice a day. The police are walking through, getting out of their cruisers and walking the area up there. Chief Grovo is going to contact that individual tomorrow. He was hoping to be here tonight to address the issue but he is actually meeting now with one of the people who is working on the burglary that occurred in that area.
- Email from 12 Town Group – Re: Candidate discussion with Elliot Cutler, candidate for Maine Governor, Monday, April 28, 2014 at 6:30 PM at the Waterboro Fire and Rescue building at the intersection of Route 5 & Old Alfred Rd., in Waterboro.
- Email from John Marchewka, President MAI Environmental – Re: Inspecting fire ponds
Review of Projects and Issues
Selectman Burns reported that last Thursday he met at the Groveville Fire Station with a contractor concerning some work we are going to be doing there. Also Thursday night he and Selectman Booker attended the SAD 6 budget meeting. That is the last one they have to go to until the May 3 meeting that they might attend. Last night the Board met with the Buxton Budget Committee and reviewed the warrant articles that will be heard at Town Meeting.
Selectman Burns mentioned talking with a resident earlier today about a cable bill. He said if you look at your cable bill you will see a new category called “PEG Fees” that you have not seen in the past. He explained that the Town gets a 5% franchise fee on the cable bill and that is only for the cable TV part. Time Warner’s cable bill went up recently, therefore, the franchise fee increased slightly. The PEG fee is new on the bill but by federal law the cable companies are allowed to charge that. Originally when Buxton started some 15 years ago with Adelphia, they were allowed to charge a PEG fee by law but chose not to. The PEG money that the Towns collected at the beginning of the contract is to be used to buy equipment, broadcast meetings and
for the broadcast center in Hollis. We now have a new contract with Time Warner and by law they are allowed to prorate the PEG fee as a monthly charge to cable subscribers over the duration of the contract.
Selectman Burns also explained that people who cannot get the PEG channels can go to Time Warner and get a box to receive those channels. The box is free until January 1, 2015. At that time, they will charge 99 cents a month for the box.
Selectman Burns encouraged people who do not like the law to contact their Senators and representatives in Congress. He also mentioned that there is a proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner which a lot of people are against because it will take away competition and create pretty much a monopoly in the State of Maine. He urged people to protest to Senators and Congressmen.
Selectman Booker said she attended the same SAD 6 Budget Committee meeting that was a sub-committee for the school board. She said it is her understanding that the Budget Advisory Committee will not have to have any more meetings of its own but it is a good idea to follow this through and go to the following meetings as the school board now looks at the budget that is being presented to them.
Selectman Booker said otherwise, she has been looking at the Warrant in preparation for the meeting the Board had last night with the Budget Committee. She said they went over all the articles and did not know until the last minute that the meeting was not going to be televised. She said that was not intentional and apologized that it happened. She urged anyone who might have questions to contact the Selectmen or someone on the Budget Committee.
Selectman Harmon reported that she talked initially with the resident that Selectman Burns referred to and she thanked him for answering the resident’s questions about her cable bill.
She finished the Warrant last week so the Board could have it for the meeting with the Budget Committee. After that meeting she completed the Committee and the Board’s recommendations to be included in the Town Report which she has also been reviewing.
Selectman Harmon mentioned that she received a few phone calls yesterday regarding the Transfer Station not being open. She reminded people that whenever there is a holiday on Monday, the Transfer Station is closed the next Tuesday, so those employees can have a three day weekend like the rest of the employees have.
Selectman Emery was in the office a few times last week going over the Town Report and making sure that everything we needed was in there. He and the rest of the Board reviewed most of the report tonight.
Selectman Emery apologized for not having a camera man here last Wednesday or last night. Our camera man was sick and did not have a backup person. He said if the meeting had been televised people would have heard the reminder that the Transfer Station was going to be closed Tuesday. He apologized again for any inconvenience and said it was really not anyone’s fault, it was just something that happened.
Selectman Emery mentioned the Board’s meeting with the Budget Committee last night and thanked all the members of the Committee for putting in a lot of time in meetings, taking time to listen to all the budget presentations, and for doing a great job.
None
Reading the non budgetary items in the Warrant
E.O. 131404026 – An order to approve 18 hours of vacation time for John Myers
- Executive Orders by Initiative
None
- Accounts Payable and Payroll Warrants
E. O. 131404024 – An order approving expenditures as documented in the Accounts Payable Warrant #94.
E. O. 131404025 – An order approving expenditures as documented in Payroll Warrant #93
- Next Meeting of the Board
Public Hearing Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 7:00 PM, for a Liquor License renewal for Skip’s Lounge located at 288 Narragansett Trail in Buxton
Board of Selectmen Meeting Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at 7:10 PM or thereabouts following the Public Hearing.
Planning Board Meeting Monday, April 28, 2014 at 7:00 PM
Nomination papers are available from the Town Clerk’s Office for the following positions:
- Two – Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor for 3 years
- One – Town Clerk for 3 years
- One – Director, Maine School Administrative District No. 6 for 3 years
- Two – Planning Board Members for 3 years
- One – Planning Board Member for 2 years
- Two – Budget Committee Members for 3 years
All candidate nomination papers must be filed in the Town Clerk’s Office by 4:30 PM Monday, April 28, 2014.
There will be a Community Potluck lunch Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at 11:30 AM at Buxton Town Hall. Contact Tashia Pinkham, Recreation Director at 207-929-8381 for more information.
Selectman Emery said he walked in during the last potluck luncheon and met two couples he never met that lived in town for 30-40 years that he had never known. He said it was a lot of fun and this is a community event where people can come in and meet other people.
Selectman Emery read the non-budgetary articles for the Annual Town Meeting in June.
- Public Comments and Questions
Selectman Booker thanked Jean Harmon for the work she did preparing the Warrant for Town Meeting. She spent a lot of time on it and Selectman Booker said she did a great job.
None
Motion made and seconded to adjourn the Meeting at 7:31 PM
Approved 4-0-1
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