MONTEREY SELECT BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF MARCH 13, 2006
The regular weekly meeting of the Monterey Select Board was opened at 8:30 a.m. with members Michèle Miller (Chair) and Jonathan Sylbert present. Selectman Michael Storch was absent from the meeting.
In attendance for the meeting: Laurily Epstein of the Monterey News; Peter Chait
· The Board met with Director of Operations Maynard Forbes to review Highway Department items, as follows:
o Finance Committee budget requests
o Tree Warden issues: Dismissal of Tamarack by Tree Warden because of dispute over tree removal [see Minutes of March 6, 2006]
o Dam repair: Letter to state outlining incident dates
o Dead tree removal: Letter to R.D. Tryon
o Operations Director salary request
· The Board met with Chief Gareth Backhaus to review Police Department items, as follows:
o Review: Update of Police Department items during Backhaus’ February vacation
o Animal Control Officer: Police Department is handling all animal problems until such time as an officer is appointed
· The Board met briefly with Finance Committee member Debra B. Mielke. The Board will meet again with the Finance Committee on Monday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon to finalize the Fiscal Year 2006-07 budget.
· At 9:30 a.m. the Select Board and the Board of Assessors conducted a classification hearing to obtain public input prior to establishing the percentage of the local tax levy to be borne by each class of property for Fiscal Year 2006. Present for the hearing was Board of Assessors chair Stanley Ross. Ross explained the current classification, which uses a factor of 1 for all five classifications, so that residential, commercial, industrial, open-space and personal-property classes all pay the same rate, based on full evaluation. Ross recommended no change from the current classification and that a Residential Factor of 1 be retained for all five classifications.
It was so moved by Miller, seconded by Sylbert, and unanimously voted.
· Maggie Leonard, chair of the Planning Board, met with the Board to discuss questions regarding the proposed Right to Farm Bylaw. Laurily Epstein, chair of the Agricultural Commission, explained the legal requirements for the public hearing, which has been scheduled for Thursday, March 30, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
· Ann McGinley met with the Board to forestall tree cutting abutting her New Marlboro Road property by Tamarack Tree Company, under the direction of National Grid. The Board advised McGinley that the Tree Warden has been instructed to affix DO NOT CUT tags to the trees in question.
· The Board met with Finance Committee members Dan Moriarty (chair) and Debra B. Mielke to review outstanding budget items.
· The Board met with Building Department Committee members Bill Johnson, Brian Puntin, Ken Bassler and Dan Moriarty, who submitted a preliminary report of their research and deliberations. Bill Johnson outlined the workload crisis that is currently facing building officials in South Berkshire County. The Committee recommends that the Building Department budget be set at 14 hours per week, plus clerical help of two to four hours per week and the purchase of certain computer software. The committee also suggested several long-term solutions, including: 1) teaming with other towns for a combined building department; 2) a contract for added hours for the building
commissioner; and 3) outsourcing of all work. The committee suggested a part-time building commissioner rate of up to $50 per hour, or a percentage of the building permit fees. Johnson discussed the idea of working with other towns. Moriarty reviewed questions relating to the interaction of the building department with other Town committees, such as the Planning Board. The Board congratulated the committee on its outstanding work to date. The committee will be represented at the Annual Town Meeting on May 6 and at the Informational Meeting on April 28, 2006.
· Dawn Valinaggi and Jane Green of the Southern Berkshire Elderly Transportation Corporation (SBETC) were present to present a proposal that the Town of Monterey rejoin the consortium with a reduction of the yearly amount requested to $2375 (from $4749). The reduced amount would be less than the formula grant received from the state, so no money would need to be appropriated or taken from an existing
account. Rider days would be every other Tuesday. The Board responded favorably; it was moved by Miller, seconded by Sylbert, and unanimously voted to accept the proposal, effective immediately.
· Tree Warden Roger Tryon met with the Board regarding tree removal by Tamarack. Tryon submitted National Grid’s list of the trees to be removed, including his own notes on individual trees. Also present was Lew Scheffey. Miller instructed Tryon to tag each and every tree from the list that he does not want cut and post a public hearing notice for these trees. Sylbert stated that all homeowners should be notified. The Tree Warden agreed to conduct a public hearing on tree trimming and/or removal; the hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
· At 11 a.m. the Board conducted a joint pole hearing on the petition of National Grid and Verizon to install one jointly owned pole, to be numbered E8/T8 on Griswold Road, starting at a point approximately 1067 feet southwesterly of the centerline of Art School Road. Present for the hearing were Donald Nutting of National Grid and Tree Warden Roger Tryon. Tryon stated that he would make an onsite inspection of one of the cherry trees. There being no objections, the Board voted unanimously to grant the Petition and signed the Order.
· There was a discussion of the Town’s road salting policy. Sylbert stated that the Board would conduct a public hearing on the use of road salt before the next snow season.
· Janet and Hillel Maximon were present to thank the Board for Highway Department maintenance work on Beartown Mountain Road.
· The Board discussed tree removal again with Operations Director Maynard Forbes and advised him of the public hearing scheduled by the Tree Warden in this regard (see above).
· It was moved by Miller, seconded by Sylbert, and unanimously voted to adopt the principles and policies of the National Incident Management System (NIMS); to formally recognize NIMS as the local standard for incident management; and, as such, to adopt the Incident Command System as the official incident response system of the Town of Monterey.
· It was moved by Miller, seconded by Sylbert, and unanimously voted to appoint Police Chief Gareth Backhaus as Emergency Management Director for a three-year term ending June 30, 2009. Henceforth, Backhaus will handle all issues pertaining to emergency management.
· On the nomination of the Board of Health, it was moved, seconded, and unanimously voted that Steven Enoch and John Makuc be appointed as Assistant Inspectors of Animals for a term ending June 30, 2007.
· Highway and Treasury Warrants were signed.
· The clerk was given instructions regarding correspondence.
· The Minutes of February 27, 2006, were approved as written. The notes on the informal Select Board meeting of March 6, 2006, were reviewed.
· It was unanimously voted that the meeting be adjourned (12:20 p.m.).
Judith Kales, Clerk
Monterey Select Board
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