Chilmark Board of Selectmen October 2, 2018 Meeting Minutes
Present: Chairman James Malkin, Warren Doty, Bill Rossi. Also: Tim Carroll, Rob Hannemann, Janet Weidner, Cathy Thompson, Peter Cook, Clark Goff, Joel Sheveck, Police Chief Jonathan Klarèn, news reporters Landry Harlan and Rich Saltzberg. Videographer from MVTV
At 5:00 PM Chairman Malkin called meeting to order in the Selectmen’s meeting room.
Minutes:
Draft minutes for the Selectmen’s September 18, 2018 meeting were reviewed. Corrections were made to draft minutes. Mr. Rossi moved to approve minutes as corrected. SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
State Election - Selectmen signatures:
Chairman Malkin said we have the State Election warrant for November 6, 2018. Chairman Malkin asked if anyone had any comments. Mr. Rossi said he is listed as Secretary of the Chilmark Selectmen it should be Clerk. With no further comments Mr. Doty moved to approve calling the State Election for November 6, 2018. Mr. Rossi seconded the motion.
SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
Green Communities - 5 Criteria:
Mr. Carroll said he created a summary of the criteria:
- Zoning Board of Appeals: As of right siting for new alternative energy generation facilities. Research development or manufacturing
- Expedite permits for those sites
- Baseline 20% reduction of our electricity use
- All departments must purchase fuel efficient vehicles
- Minimize life-cycle costs. Require all new residential construction over 3,000.00 square feet to utilize energy efficiency, water conservation and other renewable or alternative energy technologies.
Mr. Hannemann pointed out that towns start at different levels of reduction and as long as we are showing that an effort is being made not reaching 20% would not keep us out of the Green Community certification.
Chairman Malkin said we have sent this to the Planning Board, we are forming an Energy Committee and Mr. Hannemann (Chairman of the Energy Committee) is working with the Planning Board. Mr. Carroll said not all of the criteria are worked with the Planning Board. Some are policy decisions and one is a bylaw to be approved at Town Meeting.
Mr. Carroll said Mr. Doty had asked that we have this on the agenda tonight to see if we will bring any of it to Special Town Meeting. Discussion ensued. Consensus was there are public forums and education needed. Mr. Rossi said we are supportive of moving to become a Green Community but that we need to have clear understanding of the requirements and how it affects us so an Annual Town Meeting would be appropriate for this.
Mr. Doty suggested in the zoning by rites for renewable energy we are in favor of solar panels but not windfarms.
Mr. Hannemann will continue to work at getting us to become a Greene Community and keep the Selectmen posted on the progress. Selectmen thanked Mr. Hannemann.
Possible creation of a general bylaw or amendments to zoning bylaw - Amplified Music:
Mr. Carroll supplied copies of Nantucket and Harwich noise bylaws. Discussion turned to whether a bylaw was necessary. Police Chief Klarèn said at this time with the minimal number of complaints, a bylaw is not necessary but could be helpful. Chairman Malkin recommended communication to the establishments that we don’t allow amplified music past 10:00 PM in town.
Chief Klarèn said there were 2 wedding noise complaints and 2 or 3 private residence noise (music) complaints. Mr. Doty recommended a letter be created by the Selectmen’s office to hand out to establishments each spring and to have at hand by Police Department for complaints at private residence.
Chilmark Selectmen reached a consensus to write down our policy and have the Chilmark Police Department enforce the Massachusetts General Law of no amplified music after 10:00 PM.
Chairman Malkin said we appreciate the efforts by the Planning Board on this matter so far and at this time they are not required to do anything further on the matter. Chairman Malkin said the Selectmen will have a letter drafted before the start of next season.
MVP - Possible grant regarding sea-level rise in Menemsha:
Mr. Doty spoke to the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant. Mr. Doty said the towns of Chilmark and West Tisbury through Tim Carroll’s hard work held workshops about vulnerable preparedness. The town groups worked out what might be some major vulnerable scenarios for their communities. Mr. Doty said we will receive a final report from the consultants and then the next step would be applying for action grants.
Mr. Doty said if we have a 1 foot or 2 foot sea level raise what planning do we need to do in Menemsha to account for these possibilities. Mr. Doty said 3 to 4 times a month our Commercial Dock is underwater about 1 foot during high tides. Mr. Doty recommended an action grant to cover cost of a consultant to prepare plans for Menemsha. Chairman Malkin supported a consultant report on what similar communities to ours are doing or are planning.
Mr. Doty recommended having Chuck Hodgkinson explore this and come up with some ideas for our grant application. This proposal was supported by the Chilmark Selectmen.
Harbor Advisory Committee- possible report:
Chairman Malkin said the Harbor Advisory met today but there is nothing to report.
Peaked Hill Pasture Committee - Update:
Chairman Malkin said this committee has met 7 times with a number of the public attending.
Chairman Malkin said there have been 15 recommendations of how to utilize this property. The list has been narrowed down to housing and recreational proposals and holding some of the land in abeyance for future needs. The next step is to have an informational meeting for the public. That meeting is posted for Tuesday October 9, 2018 at 7:30 PM. A final report from the Peaked Hill Pasture Committee is expected in early November 2018.
Possible Executive Session - Land Acquisition:
Chairman Malkin said we will post an Executive Session for Friday October 5,2018 at 4:00 PM.
IPWS test- October 3, 2018:
Mr. Carroll said everyone’s cellphones will sound an Integrated Public Alert & Warning System test tomorrow at 2:18 PM. Mr. Carroll said not to worry, as they are labeling the test a Presidential Alert but it is just a test.
STM drafts:
Draft of Special Town Meeting warrant articles: Mr. Carroll said we have the CPC (Community Preservation Committee) articles and some items we have already discussed; bills from a previous fiscal year. Mr. Carroll said there might also be land acquisition. Chairman Malkin said we will also need money to bring in a new Harbormaster. Mr. Carroll said he has the Harbormaster and Fire Chief budget increases (there will be a time that the new positions will be overlapped with outgoing Master and Chief) both on the STM warrant. Mr. Doty asked if we would have a figure for the project that is displayed on the wall (pedestrian walkways in Menemsha; Basin & North Roads).
Mr. Carroll said as for the Bus Turnaround project we are scraping the spoils from the dredging and creating a berm. We will have a warrant on STM warrant to purchase more rosa rugosa and grass and shrubbery.
Chairman Malkin said we are getting a new harbor boat. When do we declare the old one surplus so we can sell it? Mr. Carroll recommended waiting till we have delivery of the replacement boat. Mr. Doty said Selectmen can declare surplus materials as they need to we don’t need to have this decided by the town. There was no further discussion of Special Town Meeting warrant items.
Chairman Malkin said the Selectmen’s office received a letter form a company filming a Volvo commercial. This request came in after agenda deadline for this meeting but will be past the date for the next Selectmen’s meeting.
The request is to take the end of the Menemsha Parking lot and block it from public use so the company can take still shots with the beach behind the vehicle. This request also listed taking 3 hours and requesting a police officer to work as a liaison for them with the public.
Chairman Malkin said he has concerns with this request for the area they are requesting and the fact that the Bass & Bluefish Derby will be going on at that time.
Mr. Rossi said this request is from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and they should not be allowed to keep public away from enjoying the sunset. Mr. Rossi recommended they seek an alternate location. Mr. Doty said they could apply for permission again after the Derby is over.
Selectmen agreed they do not give permission for this request.
Mr. Carroll said Dukes County has a fee schedule that they use when they get these kinds of requests. Selectmen did not support this because if we charge for a request that is granting permission.
With no further items for discussion Mr. Doty moved to adjourn. At that time Chairman Malkin recognized Janet Weidner who had an item to discuss. Ms. Weidner said she wanted to discuss a topic in the correspondence section of the agenda that lists Youth Lot application form. Ms. Weider said the form requests applicants to include their income information. Ms. Weidner said that is not appropriate for a youth lot. That request is for affordable housing lots but not youth lots. Ms. Weidner said she is concerned about this. Mr. Carroll said the application form was reviewed and approved by the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen in 1992. Mr. Carroll said the only thing changed in this is the dates and the part about the finances he added to please provide the financers on a separate sheet because he thought it was
inappropriate to have that on the form. Discussion about removing the financial statements took place. Ms. Weidner said the Planning Board will take an action and come up with something.
At 5:47 PM with no further items for discussion Mr. Rossi seconded the motion to adjourn.
SO VOTED: 3 Ayes
Minutes respectfully submitted by Diana DeBlase Approved 11/06/2018
Document list:
- Draft minutes from Selectmen’s September 18, 2018 meeting
- State Election Warrant
- Green Communities Criteria
- Nantucket’s noise bylaw
- Harwich noise bylaw
- FEMA - Integrated Public Alert & Warning System National Test. Notice of test to be pushed out to cell phones October 3, 2018
- Letter from Anne Cook about town purchasing the Beetlebung Farm
- Cabot Risk Insurance notice of workshop November 1, 2018 Injured-On Duty
- MMA notice of Annual Fall Breakfasts October 12, 19 & 26
- Vineyard Land Surveying abutter notice of ConCom hearing for bus turn around in Menemsha on Basin Road.
- Cape Light Compact Energy Efficiency Report
- ISO Building Code Effectiveness Grade for Chilmark 09/04/2018
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