Chilmark Board of Selectmen Minutes of April 5, 2005
Meeting called to order 7:30 p.m. Public Hearing opened on harbor fee increases. Mr. Doty explained that the mooring permit application fee can be increased from $50-$100 and that the transient dock fee could be increased to $2.50 per foot from $2.25. There being no public comment, Mr. Doty closed the public hearing at 7:33 p.m.
Mr. Fenner moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to make the transient yacht fee $2.50 per foot and to increase the mooring permit application fee to $100. So voted: three Ayes.
Auditors
Jim Powers and Frank Suretti of Powers and Sullivan Co. made a presentation to the board of selectmen on their audit of the fiscal year 2004 books for the town of Chilmark. Mr. Powers explained that the town should be moving towards Afull accrual@ accounting overtime. Mr. Powers explained
that the management letter had one item of information and two efficiency items. Mr. Powers said the town of Chilmark is running a very tight ship.
Mr. Powers said anything over 5% free cash compared to the budget is good. In the town of Chilmark it has been at 10% for a few years. Mr. Frank Yeomans said he felt that footnotes should be added to the audit to more completely explain situations involving specific funds. Mr. Powers said that this could be done, but that nothing more was required by law or by accounting practices. <1 minute power failure>
The board of selectmen discussed the management letter with the auditors, the treasurer, the accountant and the tax collector. The auditors explained that there was a 2010 implementation deadline for GASB 45. Mr. Powers said there is no requirement to fund the post employment benefit costs; however the lack of funding would result in a qualified financial statement.
Frank Yeomans asked about the steamship authority, the Martha=s Vineyard refuse district, and the school district being joint ventures or risk financing for the town. Mr. Powers said that the steamship authority will not be included in your audit because it=s a separate legal entity, as
are the other groups. Mr. Powers said that if you accept the liabilities into your financial statement you also need to accept the assets into your financial statement. He said that this is not done. He said that no other town in the Commonwealth shows their regional school District in their audit.
At 8:27 p.m. Mr. Doty thanked Mr. Powers and his staff for their hard work and their two good reports.
Jeff Parker
Mr. Parker requested permission for having a June 17, 2005 event at his home that required a charter bus to transport people from the ferry to his house, to Menemsha, and then back to the ferry. Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to approve the request. So voted: three Ayes.
Cape Light Compact
Jim Burns presented the Power Supply Program to the selectmen and the public present, as required by state law.
Tea Lane and Meeting House Road
Kent Healy and Keith Emin joined the Board of Selectmen to discuss repairs to the dirt roads. Mr. Riggs Parker announced a possible conflict of interest regarding his stepson John Keene of John Keene Excavation. Mr. Parker left the room.
Mr. Healy reported on his March 17th site inspection. Mr. Healy said we should start with crowning the road with a Huber or large road grader, using the material from the sides of the road mostly and bringing in some new materials. Mr. Doty asked if this would widen the road. Mr. Healy said that it might be messy and look like it for a time, but a crown will narrow the way somewhat not widen it.
Mr. Fenner said that there been a large bill for gravel of the north section recently. Mr. Healy said that section was not crowned with the new material and has potholes again already. Mr. Healy said there=s plenty of good road material there now to pull back into the road.
Mr. Doty said that another proposal would be to bring in more material and have a flatter road. Mr. Healy said that without a crown any repairs to the roads will fail. Mr. Fenner asked if he would recommend rolling the road to compact the materials. Mr. Healy said that rolling was not necessary and that car traffic would compact the materials.
Mr. Fenner asked if we should deal with the driveways before the crowning. Mr. Healy suggested doing the crowning first, saying it would deal with most of the water problems on the road. Mr. Healy said that most driveways have water bars on them, but that some need to have their water bars rebuilt.
Mr. Doty said we have a $10,000 warrant article on the annual town meeting. Mr. Healy said that the Huber would cost approximately $100 per hour and it would take 40 hours or one week to do the job. He said he expected to need 30 yards of additional materials. Mr. Fenner asked Mr. Carroll to bring a budget plan for Kent=s proposal to the next selectmen=s meeting. Mr. Fenner and Mr. Doty thanked Mr. Healy for his plan. It was agreed that the work would be done in May after the annual town meeting.
Mr. Parker returned.
UpIsland School District Financial Task Group
Janet Weidner updated the selectmen and recommended the hiring of the Mark Abrams Group at the cost of $20,000. Janet reported that Jen Rand was working on a contract and agreement with town counsel. Riggs Parker said that the intermunicipal agreement was okay as is. Mr. Parker said that the consultants agreement needed to be completed. Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to sign the intermunicipal agreement and to authorize the signing of the consultant agreement once it was finished. So voted: three Ayes
Janet Weidner said that she would like to stay involved as a group as this project moves forward. The board of selectmen agreed that the committee should continue for the length of the project.
Oysters
Rick Carney appeared before the selectmen to request their support for transporting oysters from Edgartown to Tisbury great pond. He said that the West Tisbury board of selectmen had agreed to this. He reported that dermo resistant brood stock from Edgartown could bring back the oyster fishery in the Tisbury great pond. The state told Mr. Carney that they would consider his request if he received letters of support from the West Tisbury and Chilmark boards of selectmen, and if the oysters from Edgartown received a clean built bill of health from Roxanne Smolev. He said that he had that bill of health from Woods Hole and the selectmen had received a copy of it via e-mail.
Tom Osmers said that he was concerned about boring sponge from the Edgartown waters moving into Tisbury great pond. He said that he and the West Tisbury shell fishermen had agreed to not do transplanting and that the proposal to do so was a surprise to them. He asked the Chilmark board of selectmen to postpone any approval until after the fishermen could get together and discuss this.
Mr. John Larsen said that he would not hurt to talk about this a bit. Mr. Fenner suggested having a joint West Tisbury and Chilmark shell fishermen=s meeting. Mr. Parker said this was the best solution. Stanley Larsen said the Edgartown oysters were good-quality animals. He said that he had this idea two years ago and that it still a good idea. He said that it might be possible to treat the oysters to limit any new infestation of the borer. He said that kayaks being transported between different ponds could be a possible
source of contamination. Mr. Larsen said he supports Rick=s knowledge and expertise.
Selectmen said that they need to hear from the fishermen and to talk about this. Mr. Parker said West Tisbury and Chilmark should get together and come back to the selectmen in three weeks with a recommendation. It was agreed to be discussed at the May 3 meeting.
Treasurer-Disability Insurance
The treasurer reported that she had been to the personnel board. She said she was waiting for a copy of the policy to show to the board. She said the board had not recommended it yet. Three employees expressed interest in a possible program. One said they would be interested in the future, one said they would show it to the financial advisor and one said it was too expensive. Mr. Fenner said the personnel board should finish their review. Mrs. Becker asked what the next step would be. Mr. Fenner said the board of selectmen will consider it if the personnel board recommended it.
Treasurer-Deferred Compensation
Treasurer spoke of the AXA presentation last summer. She said she=d work with Frank Yeomans and Richard Williams on choices for employees. She said they had met with AXA and Great West. She said they had reviewed the ING performance data. Mrs. Becker said the three agreed to recommend the Board of Selectmen keep the ING program and offer one other plan, Great West. Frank Yeomans said that Great West has good selections, better returns and better personal service. Riggs Parker moved and Frank Fenner seconded a motion to add
Great West as an alternative for employees. Mr. Carroll asked if the personnel board had voted to recommend this proposal. Mrs. Becker said no, but that she could go to them. Mr. Parker asked that Mrs. Becker go to the personnel board for their recommendation.
County Veteran=s Agent
Mr. Parker said they would probably have to pay this next year but this year was in question. Mr. Fenner said he wanted a true accounting. Mr. Doty suggested putting this on the agenda for April 19 for discussion with accountant Tom Wilson.
Betsy Shands
Mr. Doty said that Betsy was unable to be present because of the Vineyard Haven annual town meeting tonight. Mr. Doty said she plans to put on a program similar to the Monday Wednesday Friday morning aerobics class. Betsy=s class would be from five to 6:30 p.m. for the next six to eight weeks on Monday evenings, as available. The board of selectmen authorized Mr. Doty to talk with her and to deal with her request.
Squibnocket Parking Lot
Mr. Doty reported that Jay Walsh complained that there is not an article on the annual town meeting warrant to pay for repairs to the parking lot and causeway. The board said they expected to have an article on the special town meeting in the fall. The selectmen said they wanted a commitment from the Squibnocket Farm Association for the amount they were to pay towards the costs of the repair.
Chilmark Elementary School
Mr. Doty said that a West Tisbury selectmen questioned the admission policy for the new preschool. It was discussed to use the standing policy for the elementary school and apply it to the preschool. Mr. Fenner wanted to see what the board had to say. Mr. Parker said we should ask Susan Parker.
Chilmark Community Center Summer Program
Mr. Doty reported that the principal and teachers were surprised that the community center was going to be in the elementary school this summer with their preschool program. Mr. Parker asked the chairman to meet with the principal to explain the use and that the town wants this. The board of selectmen support the continued use of the Chilmark elementary school by the Chilmark community center summer program.
Resignations
Mr. Parker and Mr. Doty encouraged the diversification on town boards and suggested that people should serve on only one committee instead of on several. Mr. Parker said that we should advertise the vacant positions. Mr. Carroll asked if he could advertise vacancies and bring back a recommendation for appointments at the regular time for annual appointment at the May 3rd selectmen=s meeting. The selectmen concurred. Mr. Carroll was asked to research the bylaw for the appointment of Molly Flender=s replacement.
Mr. Carroll requested that Michael Renahan and Joan Jenkinson be reappointed as assistant animal inspectors and the Ozzie Fisher be reappointed as animal inspector. Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to appoint the animal inspectors as requested. So voted: three Ayes.
Mr. Carroll reported that Jules Worthington had expressed an interest in serving as the town of Chilmark representative on the MV TV board of directors. Mr. Fenner moved and Mr. Parker seconded motion to appoint Jules Worthington is their representative on the MV TV board of directors. So voted: three Ayes
Council on Aging-Grants
Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Doty seconded a motion to delegate the signing of all state grants for the Council on Aging to the Executive Secretary. So voted: three Ayes
Creek Lots
Mr. Doty said that a letter should be sent to Todd Goodell stating that as he is no longer a resident of Chilmark he can no longer hold a lease for the Creek lot he has been using. Mr. Parker said that the town should have discussion about the future of these lots with the board of selectmen and the harbor advisory committee to protect commercial fishing.
Mr. Doty said to schedule the bulkhead leases and creek lot leases for the next meeting.
The selectmen reviewed the request of Wayne Iacono to lease the Creek lot to his 15 year old son. The selectmen did not want to lease it to a 15-year-old but wanted to encourage them to fish and find him a place to keep his skiff.
Temporary Positions
Mr. Carroll asked for a committee to help him permanently hire the replacement administrative assistant for the planning board and housing committee, to temporarily rehire the administrative assistants for the zoning board of appeals, and conservation commission. Mr. Parker volunteered to represent the selectmen on this committee.
Probation Report
Mr. Carroll reminded the board of selectmen of his question regarding the probation of an employee and asked that they contact him individually to discuss the outcome.
Clayrights
Mr. Parker said that the town may have acted in error by not sending everyone involved notice of the intended taking. Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to send a letter acknowledging this. So voted: three Ayes. Mr. Fenner said that the taking only confirmed the rights the town already had. Mr. Parker said that his understanding was there was no change in the values of the abutters= land as result of this taking, but that curtesy required a letter of explanation.
Chilmark Community Center-Landscaping Plan
Mr. Doty said the center would like to clear out the vines and plant new shrubs and replace the old split rail fence and plant lilac bushes between the ball field and the library. He reported that the library trustees had rejected the proposal. The selectmen asked Mr. Doty to facilitate a compromise between the library and the community center.
Meeting adjourned at 10:53 p.m.
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