Draft: February 10, 2007
Approved: February 14, 2007
TOWN OF LYME
BOARD of SELECTMEN
Emergency Session Minutes
February 10, 2007
The Board of Selectmen met at 8:00 am at the Town Offices for an emergency session. The session was called on an emergency basis because of the need to address safety and air quality concerns in the police offices and fire station.
Present were Selectmen Judy Brotman, Dick Jones, Charles Ragan, Administrative Assistant Carole Bont, Police Chief Pauline Field and Officer Shawn O’Keefe.
1. The Board discussed and unanimously approved the Town Report dedication – to Amalia Greenwood.
2. The Board briefly discussed the draft Town Warrant. Carole will be finalizing the wording of the draft this weekend. Final copy will be completed after Tuesday’s public hearing and budget committee hearing on the warrant articles.
3. The Board discussed the emergency situation with the Fire Station air quality.
4. Dick Jones moved to authorize the relocation of the Police Department offices to the Wayne Pike building which currently houses the Mascoma Bank and Long River Studios. Charles Ragan seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
a. Charles will contact Wayne Pike and ask him to finalize the specific requirements of the Police Department directly with Pauline.
b. Pauline is authorized to begin moving records and other necessary items into the space as soon as she is authorized by Wayne Pike.
c. Pauline is authorized to contract with a moving company to get the furniture and other police items moved from the fire station to the new office.
5. The Board will negotiate the particulars of the lease on Wednesday at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
a. Dick Jones suggested that a temporary municipal exemption may be needed if the proposed space being leased to the Police Department reduces the number of required residential units at this structure (the Planning Board approved this Planned Unit Development with the condition that there be no fewer than 3 residential units). Dick moved to grant the municipal exemption, but limit it to the term of occupancy of the space by the Lyme Police Department use. Charles Ragan seconded the motion. During discussion it was noted that this may not be necessary, if Wayne is able to convert another vacant space to a residential unit. The
vote carried unanimously.
6. The Board is contemplating this move as a long term office for the Police Department. As such, the Board envisions that the new municipal building will be revised to eliminate the need for a garage, storage areas, and police offices. A revised cost estimate will need to be developed.
7. The Board moved on to the issue of the air quality at the Fire Station. Indications at this time are that this is not a safe space for occupancy. High levels of “CO” have been recorded on a regular basis. An engineer has been hired to do testing of the air in the whole building, and to evaluate and make recommendations based on the results of the testing. It is expected that the testing will be done next week. In the interim period, it has been recommended that we closed the building for occupancy immediately.
a. Dick Jones moved and Charles Ragan seconded the motion to immediate close the Fire Station building for occupancy. The motion passed unanimously.
b. Due to the closing of the building, all scheduled meetings and other activities will need to be relocated..
i. Presently a Fast Squad training seminar is taking place. Judy will notify them that they need to relocated to another room. The Academy Building is available and will be suggested.
ii. The 8th grade is planning to use the building for a bake sale on Sunday morning. Judy will notify the responsible parents that they can use the yard, but cannot go into the building. Charles will make arrangements to have the snowmobile club’s food trailer brought down for their use.
iii. Judy will notify the fire chief of the decision to close the building.
iv. Judy will post notices on the building itself.
8. The Board asked that Charles notify Wally Ragan, the chair of the Safety Committee, of the actions taken this morning to relocated the Police Department, Close the Fire Station and to hire an engineering firm to test, assess and recommend remediation. Any further action on this issue will be taken by the Board. The Safety Committee should make recommendations and suggestions to the Board.
The Board recessed to a site visit at 8:35 am.
The Board visited the proposed new Police Department offices.
The Board recessed the emergency meeting at 9:00amn. The Board will reconvene at 6 pm on Monday at the Town Offices to review the upcoming Warrant Article for public hearing and assess how the actions taken today will affect the proposed bond.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Lee Shelnutt Brotman
PS – In a brief discussion with Wayne Pike yesterday morning – at the new police office - he volunteered that his intention was to remove the section of kitchen counter from this unit that is not needed by the police, and put it into the presently vacant unit (the former Caldwell Law Office space) to create another residential unit – so I believe that the municipal exemption will not be necessary. jlsb
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