MONTEREY SELECT BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF JUNE 19, 2006
The regular weekly meeting of the Monterey Select Board was opened at 8:30 a.m. with members Michael Storch (Chair), Jonathan Sylbert, and Wayne Burkhart all present.
In attendance for the meeting: Town Secretary Melissa Noe; Laurily Epstein of the Monterey News
· The Board met with Building Commissioner Don Torrico to review building items, as follows:
o Gilmore fine
o Derelict building: House at 39 Sylvan Road, abandoned for three years, poses a fire hazard; Board of Health will take action
· The Board met with Director of Operations Maynard Forbes to review Highway Department items, as follows:
o Beartown Mountain Road: National Grid pole installation
o Fairview Road: Board will respond to letter of complaint
o Town Clerk office shelving
o Town Hall elevator: Elevator company will make repairs on June 23; additionally, alarm company will be present and make any needed repairs
o Storage of Town records:
§ Disposition of records stored at Town Garage
§ Security of Town Hall storage records (installation of deadbolts, keypad lock)
§ It was moved by Sylbert and unanimously voted to appoint Michael Storch as Records Liaison Officer for Select Board documents
§ Deputy Town Clerk Linda Thorpe stated that the only access to Town Clerk records is by application to the Town Clerk and that the Town Secretary should not have a key to that storage area; Town Secretary Melissa Noe returned her key to the storage room. Burkhart suggested that an additional storage area be made available for records that are not of the highest security level. Sylbert recommended that all requests for public records be made directly to the Town Clerk.
§ Select Board will draw up a schedule for examination of all records by Town boards
o Town Hall mowing: Board will consult further with the Parks Commission, which has refused responsibility for mowing at Town Hall
o Employee Agreement: A proposed agreement was submitted for the Board’s consideration signed by all full-time employees of the Town (Highway Department employees, Police Chief, Town Secretary), requesting that the Board agree to the following:
SELECT BOARD MINUTES - 2 - JUNE 19, 2006
§ Discuss all matters relating to employment (sick time, vacation time, clothing allowances, stand-by time, dental insurance, health insurance, bonding, etc.) prior to a vote by the Board
§ Full-time employee representation on all committees relating to any and all employee benefits and policies
§ Negotiate all benefits and wages with the full-time employees or their representatives before inclusion in the budget
· Deputy Town Clerk Linda Thorpe advised the Board of the state law preventing the Town Clerk from releasing a list of parent names and addresses for use by the Education Committee; the Town Clerk will consult with Town Counsel, who had previously advised the Board to the contrary. The Town Clerk, however, is able to mail out letters (written by the Select Board) to said parents. Thorpe also advised that the School Committee has access to these names and addresses.
· The Board met with Chief Gareth Backhaus to review Police Department items.
· Maggie Leonard, chair of the Planning Board, met with the Board to discuss a vacancy on the Planning Board created by the resignation of Wayne Burkhart. Leonard invited the Board to attend a meeting of the Planning Board on Thursday, June 22, at 7 p.m., when prospective candidates will be interviewed. Sylbert asked that the candidates also be interviewed at a Select Board meeting before the appointment is made. In another matter, the Board requested that the Planning Board sift through its old records and turn over to the Town Clerk all records that must be preserved for storage in the locked document storage room.
· At 10 a.m. the Board conducted a public hearing on the petition of National Grid and Verizon New England Inc. to install one (1) JO pole on River Road, starting at a point approximately 170 degrees northeast of the centerline of Gould Road. Present for the pole hearing: Donald Nutting of National Grid. Nutting explained that the pole is needed to allow clearance for equipment required in the construction of the new River Road bridge. There being no objections, the Board approved the petition and signed the order.
· The Board met with Town Secretary Melissa Noe to review Town Office items, as follows:
o Tag Sale Permits: Storch instructed Noe to include an addendum to the permit specifying the removal of signage after the sale
o Digital recorder: Noe requested purchase of equipment to record the proceedings of meetings; Board recommended further investigation of the technology available
SELECT BOARD MINUTES - 3 - JUNE 19, 2006
o Air conditioning: Cost of installing AC in the Town Hall Meeting Room; discussion of AC alternatives, including ceiling fans
o Town Secretary salary: “Double dipping” payments are legal if the Town Secretary’s title is given as Town Secretary/Board of Health Secretary/ZBA Secretary/Building Department Secretary
o Transfer Station permits: Discussion of the hiring of a part-time employee to issue permits and conduct Town Office hours on Saturday mornings
· Town Accountant Barbara Gauthier met with the Board to review several items, including payment of the second half of the furnace installation bill for Bally Gally.
· Raymond Hotte of Raytel Communications met with the Board to present information on improving the Town Hall phone system. Storch outlined the shortcomings of the current system and stated the Town’s needs in this regard, including communication with the Monterey Firehouse and the Town Garage. The Board instructed Hotte to confer further with the Town Secretary, the Police Chief, and various other Town Officers regarding their specific technical needs. Town Secretary Melissa Noe joined the discussion and outlined several requirements for the Town Offices. Sylbert requested the preparation of a site map showing existing lines.
· The Board discussed attendance at the Second Homeowners meeting on Saturday, June 24, at 10 a.m. at the Monterey Firehouse.
· The clerk was given instructions regarding correspondence.
· The Minutes of June 12, 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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