MONTEREY SELECT BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF JANUARY 31, 2005
The regular weekly meeting of the Monterey Select Board was opened at 8:30 a.m. with members Jonathan Sylbert (Chair), Michèle Miller, and Michael Storch all present.
In attendance for the meeting: Laurily Epstein of the Monterey News
· The Board met briefly with Chief Gareth Backhaus to review Police Department items.
· The Board met briefly with Building Commissioner Don Torrico to review building items.
At 8:40 a.m., because of a heating emergency at Town Hall, the Select Board meeting was moved to the Monterey General Store.
· The Board met with Director of Operations Maynard Forbes to review Highway Department items, as follows:
o Truck accident on Mount Hunger Road: Forbes will consult with Town Counsel regarding the refusal of the truck’s insurance company to pay for the accident; the Board noted that the vehicle in question was overweight
o Highway Department truck accident: Forbes reported on a small accident involving the new plow truck; the sander is being repaired, and the Town’s insurer has been informed
o Unpermitted driveway construction: Forbes reported that the Eugene Bonous driveway, located at 31 Main Road, has been changed without a driveway permit
o Town Hall storage shelf: The Board asked Forbes to install a storage shelf in the Town Hall bathroom
o Town Hall paintings: The Board will schedule a get-together to hang paintings at Town Hall
o Fairview Road: Forbes reported that the engineering firm of Guertin Elkerton of Staughton, Mass., is in the process of correcting mistakes in the engineering plans for Fairview Road
At 9:15 a.m. the Select Board meeting was moved to the basement of the Congregational Church, where the Board met with members of the Monterey Coffee Club.
Present for the meeting: Dean Amidon, Leroy Thorpe, Dick Tryon, Martin Cherneff, Roger Tryon, Muriel Lazzarini, Bob Lazzarini, Larry Klein, Stanley Ross
· Fire Department budget item: The Board was questioned about Article 4 of the Special Town Meeting of December 16, 2004, that voted additional funds in the amount of $8000 for the Fire Department budget. It was the Board’s understanding that this money had been requested in anticipation of the receipt of grant money for the purchase of a fire truck. Martin Cherneff asked whether the
Town’s vote can be rescinded, since both the Town and the Board were misinformed in this regard. The Board will investigate the details of the truck’s funding, its purchase, the legal ownership of the vehicle, and the terms of the grant.
· Special Town Meetings: The Board heard complaints that the Special Town Meeting Warrant contained too many articles and that no large amounts of money should be raised at a Special Town Meeting. Sylbert responded that he would accept an “emergency only” policy on the scheduling of Special Town Meetings. Dean Amidon stated that it was important to include second-homeowners in the
process by allowing them to express their opinions on issues at the Annual Town Meeting.
· Role of the Finance Committee: The Board was questioned about the involvement of the Finance Committee, or lack thereof, in drawing up the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting of December 16, 2004. Bob Lazzarini stated that all money articles on the Warrant should have first been addressed by the Finance Committee. Sylbert stated that the Finance Committee has taken responsibility for its
failure in this regard; further, the Finance Committee should run the informational meeting prior to the Special Town Meeting. Martin Cherneff asked for a clarification as to whether budget items are approved by the Finance Committee and/or the Select Board. A request has been made to the Finance Committee that in the future, it should be completely responsible for the preparation of the budget and must state its approval or disapproval on all budget items. Additionally, the Board has scheduled an All-Boards Quarterly Meeting for February 14, 2005, at 7 p.m. at which time the Finance Committee will make a presentation.
· Tornado Fund: Roger Tryon raised the issue of what has happened to funds in the amount of $4500 left from a tornado grant given to the Town for tree replacement. The Board will check on this item.
· Fairview Road: A request was made by Roger Tryon to see the engineering reports on proposed drainage for both a gravel surface and a blacktop surface, indicating that he favors preserving dirt and gravel road surfaces whenever possible. Sylbert agreed, advising that he has requested complete engineering reports on both solutions. Miller stated that a compromise solution is to oil and
stone some parts of the road and leave other sections as gravel. Larry Klein, a resident of Fairview Road, stated that the gravel solution will not work; he is concerned about safety issues and the presence of many trucks bearing heavy loads. Miller responded that the Highway Department is considering posting weight-limit signs on Fairview Road but pointed out that the Town’s own trucks are overweight for the road, even when empty. Roger Tryon stated that the road could not sustain heavy-truck usage, and there was discussion of whether to ban truck traffic completely on the road, which has been serving as an alternative to Beartown Mountain Road, where the bridge has a 10-ton weight limit. The Board will ask the state to justify the weight limit on the Beartown bridge and explore the possibility of improvements to the bridge because of the various safety issues involved; Miller will call the Massachusetts Highway Department in this
regard.
· Town Report: A request was made by Dick Tryon that there be a breakdown of Town expenditures offered in the Town Report, such as how much salt is purchased by the Highway Department for use on Town roads and how much salt is used for each snow event. Miller, chair of the Town Report Committee, asked Tryon to submit a list of the items for which he would like a detailed breakdown.
· The meeting with the Monterey Coffee Club ended at 11:05 a.m.
Judith Kales, Clerk
Monterey Select Board
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