Minutes of Meeting – February 4, 2015; meeting called to order at 7:00pm. Present: Dave Roche; Channing Gibson; Warren Archey; Ed Lane; Ken Fowler.
MOTION by DR, seconded by WA to accept the Minutes of January 21 as presented. 4/0 vote with EL abstaining.
Citizen’s Open Forum: None.
Consent Agenda: CG went through each item on the Consent Agenda, asking if any item needed a Hold placed on it. MOTION by DR, seconded by KF to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: estimate the seasonal population of Lenox at 10,000 for purposes of seasonal liquor licenses; appoint Rose Fitzgerald-Casey to the Community Center Board, replacing Tom McCormack until 2016. 5/0 vote.
Town Manager Report: The TM asked that Lucy Kennedy be appointed as a full member of the Historic District Commission. MOTION by KF, seconded by DR to appoint Lucy Kennedy as a full member of the HDC. 5/0 vote. He also mentioned a letter received from a resident of New Lenox Road regarding drainage issues. He then mentioned that the Town currently has $1.4M in our OPEB trust account, and that he is considering moving these funds into the state trust account in order to receive a higher interest rate. When he has additional information, he will bring it before the Board for action. He then briefly updated the Board on possible upcoming changes to be made to the proposed FY16 budget, specifically with regard to health insurance costs. He explained that the costs came in higher than anticipated so
adjustments will need to be made to the budget.
Community Center Director Kim Graham and Senior Services Coordinator Sue Holmes appeared before the Board to give an update on activities at the Center for both the young and older residents of Lenox. Kim mentioned that there have been two recent new hires: a youth services director and a counselor. She also mentioned how popular the ice skating has been, and that she is looking forward to work beginning in the spring on the basketball court. Sue mentioned the various programs available at the center, and suggested that anyone interested should contact her at her office.
Sharon Hawkes appeared to update the Board on activities at the Library.
Carl Pratt appeared before the Board to update them on the status of the Berkshire Cycling event to be held end of May, early June. He explained that he sees this event as extending the brand of Lenox; health and wellness. KF stated that he has heard some resistance to the bike race, and asked that Mr. Pratt contact the Lenox Merchant’s Group. Mr. Pratt stated that there is some talk about changing the route to begin on Main Street rather than Church Street. He also stated that they will be seeking $5000 from the Town to be used for electronic marketing.
Tennessee Pipeline: CG stated that the Town has hired legal counsel to represent our interests regarding the pipeline. Lenox remains an alternative route, and we need to protect our watershed.
Rest of River: No update.
Solar: The TM stated that he attended a meeting in Lee regarding the solar projects involving WMECO and the interconnection costs being too high. The proposed sites are uneconomical; however, the landfill site continues to be viable. He will be talking with Beth Greenblatt to explore a possible power purchasing agreement.
BOS Reports: WA attended the MMA conference that the TM spoke at, and stated what a great job he did. He felt that attending was very worthwhile, and encouraged other members to attend in the future. He attended a Community Preservation workshop and learned that funding can be used to establish and maintain trails. This may be useful in Kennedy Park and at Woods Pond once the PCBs are removed and trails are established. EL stated that the DPW has been very busy with storms, both during the spring, summer and now winter. He stated that the contractor did excellent work on the Yokun Avenue culvert, and the project should be completed in the spring. He also mentioned that there appear to be water leaks around town, and asked anyone noticing water to contact the DPW office. KF stated that the
Planning Board will be holding their second meeting regarding the Elm Court project on 2/10. Meeting adjourned at 8:20pm.
Minutes Taken By: ______________________ Minutes Accepted By: ______________________
Mary Ellen Deming Clerk
Administrative Services Director Board of Selectmen
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