Chilmark Board of Selectmen Minutes April 19, 2005
People in attendance: Jonathan Revere, Max Hart, Frank M. Fenner Jr., Warren Doty, J. B. Riggs Parker, Tim Carroll, Leonard Jason Jr, Clarissa Allen, Elizabeth Oliver, Harriette Otteson, Angie Gompert, Jane Slater, Bruce Bartell, Chuck Hodgkinson.
7:34 p.m. meeting called to order
PUBLIC HEARING on the Community Preservation Committee=s Recommendations for Annual Town Meeting, Article 27, was opened br Mr. Doty.
Mr. Hodgkinson read the four part plan to the meeting. 1. Housing Rental Subsidies. 2. Open Space preservation of views and vistas. 3. Historical preservation and repair of stone walls. 4. Open Space eradication of Phragmites from Chilmark Pond.
Mr. Jason suggested the opening up of the vista at Abel=s Hill on the Gadd property. There was much discussion about repairing and not renovating the old stone walls. It was agreed that this work would result in only traditional Chilmark walls or farmers= walls. Mr. Walton displayed
the old and new growth Phragmites to the meeting. Mr. Smith asked to have the four part plan voted as four separate articles at the Annual Town Meeting.
The public hearing was closed at 7:56 PM.
Vineyard Transit Authority
Ms. Gompert presented the para-transit proposal to the Selectmen and distributed a two sided color handout for the town meeting.
Ms. Gompert requested a renewal of the Vineyard Transit Authority=s annual Street License from the Town. Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to grant the VTA a Street License renewal for another year. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Ms. Gompert requested permission from the Selectmen to locate an antenna on the Peaked Hill Tower for the VTA to operate a real-time GPS based radio system for tracking and communicating with their buses. She said it was a public safety issue and told the Selectmen she had already spoken to Chief Rich and Sheriff McCormack. She said she understood she needed to work with the US Coast Guard to make sure there was no interference issues.
Mr. Carroll said she needed to speak with the Barnstable County Sheriff=s Communications Division because the VTA was proposing a similar frequency to that used by C-MED on the tower.
Mr. Fenner said that he wanted to know that this use would not open up the tower to cellular companies. He asked that it be researched with legal counsel.
Preschool
Mr. Carroll reported on his conversation with Betty Frank-Bailey and distributed her email to the Selectmen. She said the Summer Program would like to work with the Friends of the Chilmark Preschool to work out any conflicts.
Mr. Fenner said that the Principal should deal with the new summer program for 3 year olds and the scheduling conflicts. Mr. Doty said that this decision can not be made on how easy it is to clean the building. Mr. Parker said that Diane Gandy should take the lead on this. Mr. Fenner moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to ask Mr. Carroll to contact Diane Gandy and ask her to get together with the two pre-schools and discuss how to use three class rooms. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Assessors
Mr. Fenner moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to approve the contract for Re-evaluation of the real and personal property with J. F. Ryan Associates, Inc. of Newburyport, Massachusetts at $41,000.00. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Mr. Fenner moved and Mr. Parker seconded the model resolution provided to the board by the Assessors to close the ALoopholes@ in the Personal Property tax laws for telecommunications equipment. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Bulkhead Lots
The board reviewed the lease list. It was agreed to re-advertise lots 1A and 7A and to issue the remaining leases.
Creek Lots
The Selectmen took the list of leases under advisement.
Slip List
Mr. Carroll told the Selectmen that some people had not reapplied by the due date of March 15th and asked if they should be removed from the list before he re-publishes it. Mr. Fenner said that the town should not have to hound people to re-apply. Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to advertise a deadline of May 1st for the receipt of renewals and to remove anyone delinquent from the waiting list after that date. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Mr. Parker said that he thought the slip waiting lists should be given to the Harbor Master to manage next year. There was discussion.
Andrew Goldman
Mr. Goldman renewed his request that his position on the waiting list be moved from the floating dock list to the West Dock list. He said that he was not aware that there were multiple waiting lists at the time he applied on November 15, 1993 and that his boat is a Heritage that is too large for a floating slip. Mr. Parker said that the Selectmen would keep this in mind when they approved the 2005 waiting lists.
Slip Assignments
Mr. Fenner said that the Selectmen should discuss moving three boats to different slips to make better use of the harbor. He suggested moving Mike Syslo, Walter Wlodyka and Ed Rothchild. Mr. Carroll asked Mr. Fenner to speak to Mr. Preston regarding the history behind one of the assignments.
Housing Committee
The board discussed and agreed to seek a replacement for Molly Flender and to re-advertise the vacancies.
Special Town Meeting
The board agreed to call a Special Town Meeting for June 13th 2005 for the purposes of acting on a Plan for Middle Line Road, deciding on whether or not to use Community Preservation Act funds for the plan, and to decide if the project should be split half and half into rental and resident home-sites or be entirely rental properties.
Mr. Parker said that using the CPA funds would restrict future uses of the properties by the town and that a discussion of the proportion of CPA funds to other funds should be discussed at least.
Mr. Doty said that the Selectmen should work on structuring a series of warrant articles to achieve these goals and bring back their drafts at the next meeting on May 2nd.
North Road
Mr. Carroll reported that the Superintendent of Streets had laid out 8/10 of a mile along North Road and marked it with white paint West of Tea Lane. Under the Quad-Town Bid for asphalt, he said the town would be getting a twenty foot wide single pull of asphalt in two layers. First a 2" Binder coat of approximately 1,100 tons and then a 1 3" Top coat of approximately 700 tons. The work could start June 14th and would take 4 days. During the day, that section of North Road would be closed.
The Selectmen had questions about crowning or pitching the top coat. Mr. Fenner moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to direct the Superintendent and Town Accountant to move forward with the project to get it paved beginning on June 14th. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Tea Lane Plan
Mr. Carroll reported that he did not have a budget yet. He said that three contractors were not interested in the project as planned by Mr. Healy. Mr. Doty said he would speak to Mr. Healy and report back to the Selectmen.
UpIsland Regional School District
Mr. Doty said that the West Tisbury town meeting had voted a non-binding article to withdraw from the UpIsland School District. He said he didn=t know what this meant to Chilmark, but thought the Selectmen should discuss it.
Mr. Parker said that more votes would be required for West Tisbury to leave the school district and that by that time the Consultant=s report should be available.
Mr. Doty said that it is difficult to partner with some one that doesn=t want to be a partner. Mr. Parker agreed. Mr. Doty said that this places a burden on the school staff with the uncertainty of school closure. Mr. Parker said the Selectmen have been clear on their position that the Chilmark School will not be closed, but that we can=t stop West Tisbury from doing what they are doing.
Mr. Doty proposed withdrawing from the Up Island Regional School District, and to go back to having a Chilmark School District. Mr. Fenner said he was not willing to make any statement without the Consultant=s report.
Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to reconfirm their commitment to keep the Chilmark Elementary School open. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Performance Evaluations
Mr. Doty said that he was working on a summary of the other Selectmen=s comments. Mr. Parker asked to see the summary before it was given to the employees. Mr. Doty will meet with the five employees privately to go over their reviews.
Leonard Jason Jr. said that the Edgartown Selectmen do that at a public meeting. Mr. Fenner said we should not surprise anyone in public and that Mr. Doty should proceed as planned.
Personnel Bylaws
Mr. Parker said that the Selectmen should delegate decisions under the Personnel Bylaw to the Personnel Board. Mr. Carroll said that it was not legal to delegate any powers of the board to the Personnel Board, but that it was possible to ask them to make the recommendation to the Selectmen to be voted.
Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to direct the Personnel Board to make recommendations to the Selectmen on vacation leave extension requests. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Harbor
Mr. Parker reported that he, Max McCreery and Dennis Jason interviewed an applicant for Assistant Wharfinger and would interview an applicant for Assistant Harbor Master soon. He also reported that Don Lynch was driving pilings in the harbor at this time.
Meeting adjourned 9:24 PM
Approved: May 3rd 2005
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