Chilmark Board of Selectmen Minutes May 3, 2005
People in attendance: Jonathan Revere, Max Hart, Frank M. Fenner Jr., Warren Doty, J. B. Riggs Parker, Tim Carroll, Jane Slater, Chuck Hodgkinson, Sylvia Yeomans, Debi Cini, Ron Rappaport, Everett Poole, William Randol, Tip Kenyon, Thaw Malin, Zee Gamson, Nelson Seigelman, Alex Preston, Sarah Andresen, Josh Scott, Steve Schwab, Max McCreery, Richard Williams and Sheila Muldaur.
7:31 p.m. meeting called to order by Chairman Warren Doty.
Mr. Doty announced that it was time for reorganizing the board and that by tradition the Selectman in the last year of his term becomes Chairman. Mr. Parker moved and Mr. Doty seconded a motion to appoint Mr. Frank Fenner Chairman. SO VOTED: Three Ayes. Mr. Doty moved and Mr. Fenner seconded a motion to appoint Mr. J.B. Riggs Parker Vice-Chairman. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Minutes
The minutes of March 19th 2005 were approved with corrections.
Vineyard Transit Authority
Mr. Fenner asked Town Counsel if it would open the Peaked Hill tower to cellular companies if the Selectmen gave permission to the Vineyard Transit Authority to locate their new radio antenna on the Peaked Hill tower. Mr. Rappaport said that the special legislation said “non-commercial public safety” use only. He said that the Selectmen would have to make the determination whether the Vineyard Transit Authority request was public safety. It is non-commercial. He went on to say that traditionally public safety is construed as Police, Fire and the Coast Guard. Mr. Fenner said he was concerned about setting a precedent. Mr. Rappaport said it would not create a precedent that would allow cellular carriers onto the tower, but it
would set a precedent on what is public safety.
Special Town Meeting June 13th 2005
Everett Poole said he liked the separation of the articles but questioned the need for all ten in Mr. Parker’s proposal. Mr. Doty said that was one proposal, and he handed out a five article proposal that would 1.) Propose the use of Community Preservation Funds, 2.) Use 50% CPA funds, 3.) Limit units to only rentals, 4.) Make the units 50/50 rentals and ownership, & 5.) Appropriate $162,000 of CPA funds for Architectural & Engineering, legal work, and the balance of the feasability study.
Mr. Parker said he disagreed. He said that these are other important issues. He said the town needs to discuss and decide these issues that go to the heart of the project. He said there is no substitute for full debate. There was discussion. Mr. Poole said that these are issues that people may bring up anyway even if they are not in the warrant articles and we may be further ahead in the long-run to discuss them at the Special Town Meeting. He said that the Housing Committee may want to be happy with the outcome of these votes and want to revisit their proposal after the special town meeting.
After considerable discussion and far ranging debate amongst the people present the Selectmen agreed to the following list of articles:
To see if the Town will vote to use Community Preservation Act funds to finance some portion of the Plan for Middle Line Road.
To see if the Town will vote to have up to 50% of the units in the Plan for Middle Line Road financed by CPA funds.
To see if the Town will vote to approve having ownership of any ownership units in the Plan for Middle Line Road transferable to heirs of the original owner without such heirs qualifying under affordable housing guidelines in force at such time.
To see if the Town will vote to approve having any ownership units in the Plan for Middle Line Road leased by the owner for up to six weeks each year at market rates.
To see if the town will vote to permit those selected to receive any ownership units in Plan for Middle Line Road the right to participate in the design of those units before construction, with all changes being subject to approval by the Housing Committee and Board of Selectmen.
To see if the town will vote to limit the units in the Plan for Middle Line Road to rental units.
If the Plan for Middle Line Road is not limited to rental units, to see if the Town will vote to make 50% of the units in the plan ownership units and 50% rental units.
If both rental units and ownership units are approved, to see it the Town will vote to approve the intermingling of ownership and rental units in the Plan for Middle Line Road.
To see if the Town will vote to approve the design Plan for Middle Line Road as attached to the Housing Committee handout distributed at the Annual Town Meeting April 25th 2005.
Funding article to be drafted by Bond Counsel. The Selectmen agreed to a draft amount of $177,000 covering 10% cost of Architectural & Engineering services, $50,000 for half the legal work, and $10,000 to complete the Feasability Study work. The town has already voted $54,000 of CPA funds to this project.
Mr. Doty proposed an article 11 for $10,000 to fund further improvements to Tea Lane and Meeting House Road.
The board agreed that this was not the final warrant. Mr. Doty asked if this was what would be voted, less minor changes, on June 13th at the Special Town Meeting. Mr. Parker and Mr. Fenner agreed.
Personnel Board
Personnel Board members Richard Williams and Max McCreery came before the board with Sylvia Yeomans to present their sub-committee’s report on benefit tracking. They proposed the use of the payroll service ADP and recommended changing the weekly payroll to only twice a month or every two weeks to save money. Mr. Parker said that the Personnel Board had approved the recommendations and that they were here to seek preliminary approval from the Selectmen to allow them to move forward on the details. Mr. Williams said that Sylvia Yeomans was the architect of this report. He said that the Personnel Board has discussed the report and formulated preliminary views. He said that to put the benefit tracking on the ADP service created a lot of issues
to be resolved, such as exempt or not, paid lunch break, salary or not. He said that changing the frequency of the paychecks from 52 times to 24 or 26 would be a cost savings and efficiency issue. He reported that some committees had concerns about the change and its effect on staff. He said it would ultimately have to come back to the Selectmen. He said that they were working well with the Executive Secretary to achieve the base data.
Mr. Fenner questioned the “employee cost” in the report. Mrs. Yeomans explained how she calculated the values. Mr. Carroll asked how the savings in employee time was being proposed. Mrs. Yeomans said that less pay periods would mean less hours of employee work doing those payrolls.
Mr. Doty said he agreed to the ADP tracking of benefits but that he was unsure about the weekly paycheck change. Mr. Williams asked if they should continue to pursue the question or stop. Mr. Doty said to pursue the recommendation and see how many employees would be concerned. Mr. Parker said that it was a split in how other towns do their payroll with almost half doing weekly, almost half doing bi-weekly and only West Tisbury doing twice a month. Mr. Fenner said 26 pay periods would be consistent where 24 periods would mean different days of the week for each pay period. Mr. Doty told the subcommittee to keep going and that they were doing a good job. Mr. Parker agreed with him.
Mr. Williams said that they would have the data with-in two weeks. Mr. McCreery said it was unlikely to be ready for July 1st. Mr. Williams said that ADP could do “dry-runs” for the town until the town was satisfied everything was working. Mr. Parker said that it is too early to put a date on this project but that he wanted to keep the pressure on. Mr. Fenner suggested handling the seasonal employees differently. Mr. Doty moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to accept the interim report and direct the committee to continue with the project. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Tea Lane & Meeting House Road
Mr. Carroll reported on his meeting with Mr. Healy and how he was proceeding to seek three quotes for doing 40 hours of grading and 10 hours of hand labor digging drains. Mr. Carroll asked for a Selectman to work with him to hire the contractor with the best price between now and the next Selectmen’s meeting. Mr. Doty volunteered to assist the Executive Secretary with the scope of work and comparing quotes.
The Selectmen agreed on the concept of a $10,000 article on the June 13th special town meeting warrant. Mr. Fenner said they would discuss the status at their May 17th meeting.
Community Center
The board reviewed the quotes submitted by the Custodian for repairs to the Community Center. The board authorized the Executive Secretary to pursue doing these repairs. Mr. Fenner asked that fiberglass doors be looked at to replace the old wooden doors in the future.
Town Hall Building Committee
An invoice dated November 2004 from Cassidy Controls was discussed. It was referred to Mr. Doty and Mr. Carroll for approval to pay.
Annual Town Meeting Review
The time being late, this was postponed until May 17th. Tip Kenyon told the board that the defeat of article 27C regarding the eradication of Phragmites was unfortunate. He said that within one year it will cause the upper Chilmark Pond to open to the ocean, causing the loss of ½ of Lucy Vincent Beach and that the town will have to face up to this. He said he was disappointed the article failed and said that he should have participated in a defense of the article. It was agreed that an amendment from the floor to remove the herbicide portion of the plan would have been a good idea. Mr. Kenyon asked the Selectmen to put a plan to control Phragmites on the fall special town meeting warrant.
Police Station Move
The board reviewed bills from SplitRock for the final painting and an alarm from E.S.S. Mr. Parker suggested paying both bills from the Selectmen’s Maintenance account. Mr. Doty said that the building still needed outside lights and exterior wires removed. Mr. Parker said that the town should do something with the Weights & Measures equipment stored in the shed. Mr. Fenner asked what the schedule was for the handicapped ramp. Mr. Carroll said that with no funds remaining in the fiscal year, he was hoping to have it scheduled for this summer. He reminded the board that there was a handicapped ramp located 10 feet beyond the front door that gave full access to the building.
Chilmark School Repairs
Mr. Carroll reported on his conversations with Doug Steffanov and he summarized the emails the Selectmen had received on the project.
Engley House
Mr. Carroll presented a bill for the septic system inspection and explained that the lawyers had closed out the escrow account. He said there would be a few more bills coming in and asked permission to pay them from the existing warrant article. The board authorized the use of the warrant article to pay bills at the Engley House.
Oysters
Mr. Doty reported that West Tisbury decided to not do the transplanting of Edgartown oysters into the Tisbury Great Pond. They are trying a “remote set” that would prevent the spread of the “sponge borers” to the Tisbury Great Pond.
Town Positions
Mr. Carroll requested that the Selectmen temporarily appoint Mrs. Lisa Nichols to the Janitor position at step 3 10 hours a week. Mr. Doty moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to so appoint Lisa Nichols as a temporary employee. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Mr. Doty moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to appoint the list submitted by the beach depart of summer staff. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
The board agreed to postpone the interviews for the Administrative Assistant to the Planning Board and Housing Committee until after the Special Town Meeting June 13th at the request of the Housing Committee.
Mr. Doty moved and Mr. Parker seconded a motion to write the County Commission recommending they appoint Zelda Gamson to replace Molly Flender as the Chilmark representative on the Dukes County Housing Authority. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
Harbor
Mr. Parker reported that the pilings had all been driven in Menemsha, that the harbor moorings had been hauled and rebuilt. He said that the electrical work was stalled while the code was looked at. He said that the system will suffice for this year.
Chilmark Town Affairs Council
The Selectmen agreed to schedule their summer meeting with the CTAC on August 2nd 2005 at 7:30 PM.
Middle Line Road & Special Town Meeting Public Hearing
The board agreed to schedule a joint meeting on May 24th 2005 at 7:30 PM with the Housing Committee and the Community Preservation Committee to review the special town meeting warrant and the Plan for Middle Line Road. The Selectmen will finalize the special town meeting warrant at the end of that meeting so it can be sent to the newspaper before 12 noon the next day for publication.
Capital Planning
Mr. Fenner asked to instruct Mr. Carroll to meet with the department heads to develop a current list of projects valued at more than $5,000 by June 30th for the town’s short and long term needs. He said this was the start of a capital plan. Mr. Parker seconded this motion. SO VOTED: Three Ayes.
MV Times Freedom of Information Request
Nelson Siegelman asked what the status of his FOIR was. He said that the town had not responded to him within the ten day limit. The Selectmen said that it had been referred to legal counsel and directed the Executive Secretary to get him a response this week.\
Meeting adjourned 10:34 PM
Approved: May 17th 2005
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