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Meeting of 2005-06/28
MONSON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2005

The regular meeting of the Monson Board of Selectmen convened at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at 110 Main Street. In attendance were Kathleen C. Norbut, Richard E. Guertin and Edward S. Harrison. Also present were the Town Administrator and the media. Town Counsel was not present at this meeting.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Accept Minutes of June 14, 2005 – Open and Executive Sessions:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of June 14, 2005 – open and executive sessions. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Conservation Commission – Request for Transfer of Town-Owned Land:
Leslie Duthie approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Neggers explained the Conservation Commission and the Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee have reviewed parcels of land that the town has acquired over the years. This is the beginning of a process to hopefully separate land the town may have an interest in preserving, from town owned properties that the town has acquired and should dispense of.  As part of the review of the town owned land, the Conservation Commission and the Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee, are seeking the transfer of nine of these parcels. Of these nine parcels, seven were obtained through the tax taking process and two were obtained through the development of the Conant Brook Dam area and the relocation of various parcels in that area in the 1960’s. One of these parcels abuts East Hill Road and the other parcel abuts Stanton Road. These two parcels are quite literally nestled in with other preserved properties owned by the state and the Army Corp of Engineers. The Board of Selectmen were provided maps which indicated each of these areas, along with a detailed letter of explanation from both the Conservation Commission and the Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee, regarding the environmental value of these nine parcels of property. Ms. Duthie said she also brought a new map, which is an inventory of the open space and recreation land with some of the Chapter 61 Tax Program lands and opens space parcels highlighted. Ms. Duthie explained these are key parcels located in the middle of corridors or areas where a lot of land protection is already going on. Ms. Duthie explained both of the parcels, abutting East Hill Road and Stanton Road, are located in priority habitat, therefore the amount of development there would be limited. Two parcels, the Dorsett Road and Warriner Road, are landlocked. The Monson Developmental Center has proposed part of their land be placed in Article 97. Ms. Duthie explained Article 97 is a method of preserving land that can’t be taken off conservation or out of Article 97 without a vote by the State legislature. This land is the hill located across Upper Palmer Road from the MDC known as Bald Peak Hill. It was explained what determines Article 97 land is how the land is filed when purchased using the Self-Help Grant. Monson has a number of Article 97 properties; one is located on Silver Street, a portion of Cedar Swamp Road and part of Peaked Mountain. It was also explained the property on Stanton Road was initially set up for timber harvest, and Ms. Duthie said it could continue to be harvested at the appropriate time. The funds created from the timber harvested is used for the Open Space preservation, which Ms. Duthie explained allows the Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee an opportunity to protect other key parcels of land. Ms. Neggers explained this purchase does leave a number of other parcels available for disposition into the private sector via some type of sale. The process has been a selective one where there had to be some type of criteria and benefits. Most of these parcels have severe or significant limitations with regard to wetlands. Ms. Duthie added a good quality wetland is a fabulous thing to protect, allowing the preservation of streams and water sources. With the help of the Scouting organizations, the trail work they have done helps to make the open spaces available to all of the people in town.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to approve the Conservation Commission’s proposal, that the town turn over to them a number of parcels as outlined in their March 16th letter to the Select Board, specifically Stanton Road and East Hill Road properties. The Tetrault and Brown parcel, Warriner Road and Dorsett Road parcels; the Pease property on Butler Road; the Futrell and Duval properties on Fern Hill Road; and the Gagliarducci property listed on Reimers Road. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Ms. Norbut thanked Ms. Duthie for all of her hard work. Ms. Duthie said she brought with her a draft copy of the Open Space and Recreation Plan, which the committee is just about finished with. It is full of photographs and quality maps, water resources, and habitat areas. The committee has also listed a number of goals they feel dovetail together very well with what the Master Plan has created. This book also shows the greenway connections, which go through a lot of permanently protected land, such as Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Brimfield State Forest and town land. Ms. Duthie explained the greenways as a connection, where a number of protected landscapes are linked together. They can be recreational, including the endangered species habitat and can also include historical and cultural features. In order to complete the Open Space Plan, the Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee requested the Select Board write them a letter of comment, which would be included with the final draft. The draft will be submitted to the EOEA for acceptance in order to be eligible for grant money to purchase at market value or close to market value, properties here in town, and to protect parcels as in the past. Mr. Harrison commended Ms. Duthie and the Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee for the work they have done. Copies of the report will be placed at the Library, the library in the High School, with copies going to the town boards and committees, and the Council on Aging. One of the Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee’s goals was to have an Implementation Committee, that might actually take the document and follow up with some of the suggestions which were made in the goals and objectives. Ms. Neggers added, too often people reach the conclusion that it is just preserving land, when actually there is a lot more to it in regards to the recreational purposes, the economic benefits, the tourism benefits, as it reaches and touches a lot of entities in town.

Complete Re-appointments:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to reappoint Gretchen Neggers, Police Chief Kozloski, Jonathan Miller, Jeremy Bedson, Fire Chief Harris, Lorri McCool, Jane Jacobs, Robert Bator, Sarah Miller, Fran Bernier, Michelle Loglisci, Jennifer Hoboth, Nicole Soucy, Judy White, Carol Woodbury, Dan Tassinari, James Ryan, Craig Jalbert, John Morrell, Gregory Dill, Stephen Dill, Russell Partlow, Robert Pease, Jeffrey Witek, Barbara Hooton, Len Hooton, Virginia Hill, Lucy Shrenker, Bruce Augusti and Steve Rodowicz to the Local Emergency Planning Committee from the period of July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Guertin made a motion to reappoint Valerie Bogacz Beaudoin and appoint Denise Morgan to the Cultural council effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2008. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Guertin made a motion to reappoint, to the Scholarship Fund Committee, Michael Kane, James Peters, Michael Walker, Sara Malo, Sean Gouvin, Deborah Mahar, Robert Tucker, Rebecca Hull Chrzan and Michael Rouette, effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Guertin made a motion to appoint Joanne Fortier as an Assistant Registrar of Voters effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2008. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Guertin made a motion to appoint Kelli Robbins as the E911 Data Base Liaison effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Guertin made a motion to appoint Officer James Boucher to Sergeant on a permanent basis effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2007. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint the following part-time officers from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006: Raymond Gouin, Frederick Warman, Douglas Beachall, Thadius Carter, James Dagenais, Kenneth Janeczek, Peter Nothe and Ethan Hillman. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint the following full-time dispatchers effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006: Patricia Emerson, William Chaiffre, Jeremy Bedson and Rosalie McIntyre. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint David Squires as part-time dispatcher effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint Jeremy Bedson as an auxiliary police officer effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint Stephen Hutchinson as the Animal Control Officer effective July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.

Other Business to Come Before the Board of Selectmen:
Ms. Norbut spoke of a meeting for the Family Violence Intervention Task Force that took place last Wednesday. Ms. Norbut explained the Family Violence Intervention Task Force that has been developed in Monson has met on a few occasions and basically came together to help write and form the grant application as part of the Community Development Block Grant. Mr. Harrison , Ms. Norbut and approximately a dozen community members met with Senator Brewer, and Assistant District Attorney Maria Rodrigues, who is the Chair of the Hampden County Domestic Violence Task Force. Ms. Norbut added Ms. Rodrigues has a tremendous amount of experience. Ms. Norbut invited Ms. Rodrigues to the Palmer District Court so that some of our regional community members could get together to learn from the interventions, from the model they are currently using in the city and to see what is needed for the more rural communities, specifically Monson. Ms. Norbut added it was really a great opportunity with Early Childhood representatives, Elder Services representatives from Monson’s Council on Aging, the Board of Selectmen, people in Health Care, Social Services, Chief Kozloski, Officer Marciniec (who is the School Resource Officer in Monson) the School Superintendent, and a wide representation of our community who came together and collaborated on issues. Ms. Norbut said this was a really good start. They are now in the process of being able to create a Regional Task Force, which was the vision for this.

Ms. Norbut also said she had the opportunity to attend the five-year marking of the disappearance of Molly Bish in Warren yesterday. Ms. Norbut thanked the Bish’s for their help in our community with the Child ID Program and noted the work the Bish family does is very important.

At 8:00 p.m., Mr. Guertin made a motion to adjourn from open session to go into executive session for the purpose of non-union contractual bargaining, not to return to open session. Mr. Harrison seconded and it was so VOTED.


_______________________
Edward S. Harrison, Clerk