Chilmark Board of Selectmen March 17, 2015 Meeting Minutes
Present: Chairman Bill Rossi, Warren Doty, Jonathan Mayhew, Tim Carroll, Rosalie Hornblower, Clarissa Allen, Elizabeth Oliver, Jim Malkin, Linda Coutinho, Dennis Jason, Melanie Becker, Chief Cioffi, Lynn Christoffers, Alex Elvin, Edie Prescott, Susan Murphy, Frank Yeomans and Diana DeBlase.
At 7:06 PM Chairman Rossi opened public hearing to set the tax classification. Chairman Rossi then postponed till the completion of the ongoing FinCom Selectmen budget hearing,
At 7:40 PM Chairman Rossi re-opened the public hearing for the Chilmark tax classification.
Assistant Assessor Pam Bunker presented data for the hearing about the Assessments and value.
The value of town is now $3,114,795,690.00 Ms. Bunker said that the she and the Accountant Ms. Biskis will be submitting the tax recapitulation packet to the State tomorrow and she believes tax bills will be mailed out by April 1, 2015.
Ms. Bunker said that there are 5 tax classifications;
- Residential
- Open Space
- Commercial
- Industrial
- Personal Property
Ms. Bunker read a recommendation prepared by the Chilmark Assessors recommending a single rate of Residential tax. The reasoning for this recommendation is that 98% of the property is residential. There was comment from a resident about the process to dispute assessment.
Ms. Bunker addressed the comment.
At 7:46 PM Chairman Rossi closed the hearing.
Mr. Doty asked Ms. Bunker to discuss the big fluctuations in the assessments this year.
Ms. Bunker said there were properties previously listed as having 45% water view but now the property has expansive water views. And also properties that were listed with extensive water views previously with our recent inspections have been diminished greatly.
Also another big change is we are unable to back up the value of undevelopable land that is water front or pond front compared to non-water views. Essentially this means that an undevelopable wood lot is equal to an undevelopable water view. Ms. Bunker said another change was the replacement value for structures was quite low so that was corrected this year to bring it up to be in line with today’s replacement costs. Selectmen thanked Ms. Bunker for her report.
Mr. Doty moved to adopt the Board of Assessors recommendation for a single tax rate. Mr. Mayhew seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
Mr. Doty asked when our tax rate will be set. Ms. Bunker said tomorrow they are sending final information to the DOR and hopes that within a week they will set our tax rate.
Tax Classification Continued…
Mr. Doty said the FinCom received information that our tax rate will be 2.63% per %1,000.00 Ms. Bunker agreed this is the number we are working with and will have the DOR confirm.
MV Public Schools:
Mr. Carroll said the Selectmen’s Office received a notice from the Superintendent’s Office of a bond for $3.9 million to build a new Administrative Building at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. Mr. Carroll said that we have a 60 day window in which to address the borrowing and possibly disprove this debt. Discussion ensued.
Mr. Doty moved to put this to the Chilmark voters on our Annual Town Warrant for April 27, 2015. Mr. Mayhew seconded the motion.
SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
Mr. Carroll asked if the Selectmen would put debt exclusion on this article which is what we usually do. Mr. Carroll said it would have to be a question on the ballot. Mr. Doty moved to have a contingency if it is a yes at Town Meeting that it is Article Question for the ballot. Mr. Carroll said the wording would be:
Shall the town of Chilmark be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued by the MVRH Committee in order to pay costs of designing, constructing, originally equipping and furnishing a new administrative building, including the payment of all other costs incidental and related.
Mr. Rossi seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
Public Safety Building Site Committee (PSBSC):
Mr. Carroll said we have a recommendation and update from the PSBSC. Chairman Rossi (a PSBSC member) reported that the committee met several times. PSBSC recommend town center as a location with 9,000 to 10,000 of space needed for the structure. The structure is for Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services; if Police Department were added down the line (not in the plans at this time) more footage would be added to facility.
There is a warrant recommended for the ATM of $40,000.00 for architectural engineering and an Owners Project Manager OPM ($30,000.00 for architectural engineering, $10,000.00 for OPM). The projected estimate cost of building the facility would be 3.1 million dollars to 3.7 million dollars. There was discussion about Tri Town Ambulance (TTA) and how the other towns (West Tisbury & Aquinnah) would be responsible for paying Chilmark rent for the TTA portion.
Possible location for the facility was discussed briefly.
Budget FY16:
Town of Chilmark operations budget for FY16 is $8,925,163.11(includes 16,071.72 of CPA Receipts). There was brief discussion
.
Mr. Doty moved to approve the budget as presented to the FinCom and Selectmen earlier tonight. Mr. Mayhew seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
Draft II Annual Town Meeting (ATM) Warrant:
The Selectmen reviewed all of the proposed warrant articles for Annual Town Meeting.
Draft II ATM Warrant Continued….
The complete list of the draft warrant articles for Selectmen to review and approve is available at the following link:
Review and discussion ensued. 2 items #18 & #22 on the draft II ATM warrant were tabled for further discussion after entire 39 warrant articles were reviewed. Discussion and review of draft warrant ensued.
Mr. Carroll said that article #30 has been changed (during the FY16 3/17/15 Budget meeting earlier tonight) to $100,000.00 to a highway stabilization fund. The article number will follow the other stabilization articles (to group them together). Mr. Carroll said that the article 31 (playground) has been withdrawn by the West Tisbury School Principal.
Mr. Carroll said article 32 is $30,000.00 from the Waterways Improvement Fund for 10 pilings. Mr. Doty said that $30,000.00 would allow for more than 10 pilings and recommended rewording article. Harbormaster Dennis Jason spoke about his concerns of depleting the waterways fund. He had submitted this article at $25,000.00
Mr. Jason said the reason he is here tonight is to report that the town line pilings have broken and would like the Selectmen to advise him on what they would like him to proceed with doing. Mr. Mayhew recommended a short term solution immediately as we are shell fishing at this time. Discussion ensued.
Mr. Carroll asked that the discussion return to the ATM warrant. Mr. Carroll said he would strike the ten from article 32. Mr. Jason will draft an explanation with Mr. Carroll for the explanations handout supplied for town meeting.
Mr. Carroll said he left article 39 as a place holder; he feels that he may have forgotten an article.
Mr. Carroll said Dr. Weiss (School Superintendent) said it is for the amendment to the school regional agreement. Ms. Coutinho spoke about what the representative options would allow. It was decided it would not benefit Chilmark. Selectmen recommended not having this on our warrant.
At this time the Selectmen discussed the tabled articles 18 & 22.
School Resource Officer, Article 18 was further discussed. Mr. Doty recommended leaving it in for the voters to decide Chairman Rossi agreed.
Article 22 new police vehicle was discussed. Chief Cioffi said that the mileage is now over 90 thousand. Chief Cioffi said when the Police Department buys a new vehicle they pass on the vehicle being replaced to the Fire Department.
Article 22 Continued…The plan to replace at a lower mileage was so that the Fire Department would have a more worthy vehicle. Discussion ensued. Mr. Doty recommended leaving it in for the voters to decide Mr. Mayhew and Chairman Rossi agreed.
Mr. Doty moved to approve annual town warrant as amended tonight and to call the annual town meeting for April 27, 2015. Mr. Mayhew seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
MV Shellfish Group:
Mr. Doty said that the MV Shellfish Group (MVSG) has been holding a fundraiser at the Chilmark Community Center (CCC) for the past few years and it has been very successful. Mr. Doty said he supports this event and moves to approve waiving the fee for the MVSG fundraiser at CCC with a cleaning deposit required. Mr. Mayhew seconded the motion.
SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
Beach Plum Inn (BPI):
Mr. Carroll said the BPI has an internal prohibition against, music in July & August. Mr. Carroll said the town has common law noise regulations. Mr. Doty said the BPI owners have discussed and worked with the town about this understanding and said that it should continue.
Town Registrars Quorum:
Mr. Carroll said Town Clerk has notified him that the Registrars will not have a quorum for the signing of the Nomination Papers and requested the Selectmen appoint Tim Carroll (an Assistant Town Clerk) as a Temporary Registrar. Selectmen assigned Mr. Carroll as a Temporary Registrar for the purpose stated.
Basil Welch Collection:
Mr. Doty called attention to the letter that Laurie C. Clements and Linda M. Voluckas (Basil Welch’s daughters) sent to the selectmen about the Basil Welch Collection of Island photographs. This collection is being donated in Basil’s memory by his two daughters to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
At 8:45 PM Mr. Doty asked to move into Executive Session for land acquisition and discuss a case with the Police Chief and not to return to regular session. Mr. Mayhew seconded the motion. Roll Call: Rossi: Aye, Mayhew: Aye, Doty: Aye
Mr. Carroll and Police Chief were also present at Executive Session.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Diana DeBlase. Approved 04/07/15
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