MONTEREY SELECT BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF JANUARY 30, 2006
The regular weekly meeting of the Monterey Select Board was opened at 8:30 a.m. with members Michèle Miller (Chair), Michael Storch, and Jonathan Sylbert all present.
In attendance for the meeting: Laurily Epstein of the Monterey News
· The Board met with Building Commissioner Don Torrico to review building items.
· The Board met with Director of Operations Maynard Forbes to review Highway Department items, as follows:
o New Marlboro Road: Excess salt
o Fairview Road: Updated proposal
o Brush dumps: Removal
o Town Hall bathroom door: Forbes will install bolt lock
o Bally Gally furnace: Forbes is securing quotes
o False alarm fines: Each false alarm costs the Town $320 on average, but fine is only $100; in the future, the Board will enforce the imposition of fines; Police Chief will maintain a list of all false alarms
o Direct deposit of employee paychecks
· The Board met with Fire Chief Ray Tryon to discuss the National Incident Management System (NIMS) training for Town officials. The Board will notify all elected officials of the training, which has become a requirement for receipt of federal preparedness funds under the Department of Homeland Security.
· The Board met with Chief Gareth Backhaus to review Police Department items.
· The Board met with Town Accountant Barbara Gauthier to discuss several items:
o Proposition 2½: Presentation to be made at Select Board evening meeting of March 20, 2006
o State Aid: Increase of $84,307
o Accounting software: Gauthier asked for the Board’s verbal agreement to contract with Harris Computer (signed agreement due: 2/10/06)
o Town Audit: The contract to conduct the Town Audit was awarded to Melanson Heath & Co. PC of Greenfield, Mass.
· The Board met with Bill Johnson and Ken Basler to discuss the formation of the Monterey Building Department Committee, which will analyze the Town’s needs with regard to the Building Department. The Board approved the committee’s
formation and voted unanimously to appoint the following members: William Johnson, Kenneth Basler, Brian Puntin. The committee will have access to any relevant information needed. The Board will meet again with the committee on Monday morning, March 13.
· At 10:30 a.m. the Board conducted a joint pole hearing on the application of National Grid and Verizon to relocate a damaged pole on New Marlborough Road at a point approximately 824 ft. northerly of the centerline of Gould Road. Present for the hearing were Donald Nutting of National Grid and abutters Dick Tryon and Roger Tryon. There being no objections to the Petition, the Board signed the Order.
· The Board met with Town Counsel Gerry Scully to review current legal items, including the Town’s Sexual Harassment Policy. Scully also explained his letter stating that each member of a Town Board acting in a quasi-judicial role must have equal access to source information, as in interviews with other Town officials.
· Dick Tryon of New Marlboro Road questioned the Board’s position regarding potential landowner liability for damage to Town property by debris or trees on private property through failure to remedy a problem for which written notice has been issued. Specifically, the Board had requested that Tryon remove the debris from the dead pine trees that fell across Rawson Brook, causing it to overflow and wash out the road;; Tryon denied responsibility for the remedy.
· At 11 a.m. the Board conducted a public informational hearing to consider changing the elected position of Tree Warden to an appointed position. Present for the hearing: Tree Warden Roger Tryon, Dick Tryon, Dean Amidon, Chuck Mielke, Debra Mielke, Kenneth Basler, Marty Cherneff, Barbara Swann, Linda Thorpe, Jim and Maxine Goetschius, Bob Rausch. The Board explained its position that the office of Tree Warden should be a paid position and that the Select Board should have more oversight in directing the Tree Warden’s work.
Debra Mielke of the Finance Committee: Objected to the removal of an elective position and giving more power to the Select Board. Objected to the possible hiring of a non-resident.
Bob Rausch: Questioned the parameters of the Tree Warden position. Selectwoman Miller stated that the Board hoped to make the job more pro-active by making it a paid position.
Dick Tryon: The Tree Warden should be given a salary and be accountable. The Board should facilitate a tree plan for the Town by conducting meetings with the Tree Warden and the Operations Director
Dean Amidon: What are the duties of Tree Warden under Massachusetts General Law?
Tree Warden Roger Tryon: Oversee tree plantings and make recommendations for tree removal.
There was discussion of several incidents where the Board and the Tree Warden were at odds.
Ken Basler: The democratic process will suffer if an official is appointed rather than elected.
Town Clerk Barbara Swann: Historically, the position of Tree Warden has been both appointed and elected, but the most choice is afforded by an elective position.
Selectman Sylbert: Critical to the functioning of the office of Tree Warden is an adequate annual budget.
· The Board noted for the record that the following property owners have received Interim Approval from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under the Chapter 91 Waterways Amnesty Authorization to maintain a dock on Lake Garfield or Lake Buel:
Karl Quisenberry
Hupi Woods Association c/o Martin Cherneff
Paul Carnese
Susan Landis
Lance Haver
Julio Rodriguez
· Highway and Treasury Warrants were signed.
· The clerk was given instructions regarding correspondence.
· The Minutes of January 23, 2006, were approved as corrected.
· It was unanimously voted that the meeting be adjourned (12:05 p.m.).
Judith Kales, Clerk
Monterey Select Board
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