Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 7/31/06
Meeting Opened at: 8:30am
Select Board Members Present: Michael Storch, Chairperson, Jonathan Sylbert, and Wayne Burkhart
Also in attendance for the meeting: Laurily Epstein for the Monterey News
8:30am – 9:16am The board met with the Director of Highways, Maynard Forbes and reviewed the following items:
1. Goose droppings at the beach and the number of recent complaints received by the Select Board and mowing of Ira Transports lot for overflow beach parking
2. Role of the Solid Waste Committee. This committee was more active 15-20 years ago. With M. Forbes as the Transfer Station Manager, the necessity of this committee was discussed. W. Burkhart is going to speak with the other members about the future of this committee.
3. Winter fuel oil and gasoline county bids were discussed. M. Forbes signed up the highway garage with Lipton and advised the board that the library and the town hall will need to decide who they want to use and lock in with. The Select Board voted to use Lipton for their heating oil at the town hall and to lock in at the county bid of $2.53.
4. The electrician is supposed to call M. Forbes today to set up a date to fix the electrical box where the ballpark light is to be installed
5. Catch basin across from C. Mielke’s property and salt infiltration into well was discussed. M. Forbes asked if a water test report was provided. The catch basin there was cleaned out 3 years ago according to M. Forbes, he will go take a look at it to make sure it’s still working properly.
6. The drainage on Sandisfield Rd is being worked on and this week they are going to start earlier (6am) and stop around 2pm due to the very hot afternoon temperatures.
7. The sump pump was installed last week in the elevator to stop water from collecting in there.
8. M. Forbes is waiting to hear back on the Curtis Rd project and the Fairview Rd project should start in mid-August.
9:16am – 9:31am The board met with Conservation Commission member, Chris Blair and reviewed the following items:
1. Project on Mt Hunger Rd and the stop work order that was issued under the Scenic Mountain Act. In the mean time a neighbor also took legal action with regards to the wall. Action has been taken by the owner and builder to remedy the issues brought up by the Conservation Commission.
2. C. Blair also discussed whether the board should consider updating the earth removal bylaw because the number of fill you need permission to remove would pertain to almost all normal house foundations being dug.
9:31am – 9:40am The board met with Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus to review the following items:
1. Complaint about 3 bags of garbage left at the beach. A plate number was written down and she was contacted and given a warning.
2. 2 DMV’s
3. 2 false alarms
4. Accident on Gould Rd
5. Dog bite on Tyringham Rd and another on Hupi Rd – information was forwarded to Nora Hayes, ACO
6. Well being check on Mt Hunger Rd.
7. Bear cub call at Camp Keswick
8. Lock out on Riverwood
9:40am – 9:56am The board met with Parks Commission Chair, Leroy Thorpe to review the following items:
1. Clean up of goose droppings at Lake Garfield and how the Parks Dept is going to handle this. The Parks Commission is meeting on Wednesday night at 6pm to discuss the possibilities. L. Thorpe stated that he doesn’t like to be threatened (closing the beach down, complaining to the board of health) and he finds it frustrating that no one comes to the Parks Commission meetings or members directly. The board is working on this problem and temporarily the lifeguards are supposed to be raking up the goose droppings in the sandy areas.
2. The town bylaws were reviewed and suggestions were made to remedy the dog situation (dogs at the beach and at the park where no dogs are allowed). A note will be made to the town warrant to discuss modifying the bylaws to state that no dogs are allowed at the town beach or town park and a first offense will result in a recommended $50 fine, a second offense will result in a $100 fine and any offenses after that will be a $200 fine.
3. The mowing of Ira Transport’s property was discussed. L. Thorpe stated that last year M. Forbes did it.
9:56am – 10:17am Town resident, Mr. Coburn came in to discuss the goose droppings at the beach. He provided letters to the Select Board, Board of Health and Parks Commission. Mr. Coburn doesn’t feel that it should be the lifeguard’s responsibility to clean the goose droppings up but someone should. Mr. Coburn provided a petition signed by several people which will be given to the Parks Commission. The Select Board advised Mr. Coburn that complaints regarding the town beach and parks need to go through the Parks Commission prior to coming to the Select Board as it’s an elected board and we try to maintain the diverse coalition type of government. D. Amidon came in to suggest that a person be hired to come in 3-4 times a week to clean up the droppings. Mr. Coburn
asked about an ordinance to enforce “no dogs on the town beach or park”.
D. Amidon invited the Select Board for a boat ride around the lake on August 18th, 2006 around 4pm to look over the weed problem.
10:21am – 10:50am The board met with Fire Chief, Ray Tryon and reviewed the following items:
1. The Select Board commented on the nice job done at the Steak Roast this weekend.
2. He mentioned that the town or Lake Garfield Association has no authority to issue rules on the Lake at the Boating Regulations are State rules
3. The dog bite that occurred on Saturday. R. Tryon wanted to know why Dale Duryea couldn’t be hired as the Town’s ACO. The Select Board informed R. Tryon that he has not been hired as the ACO because the Board of Health upon several recommendations decided to use Nora Hayes, it should also be noted that Dale Duryea never applied for the position when the Board of Health was looking to fill it. It was also asked why Dale Duryea is not used by the town as a contractor to remove beaver the board responded that he does not have the proper insurance and since he is not an appointed employee, is not covered under the Town’s
insurance. The Board of Health will be contacted for any further input regarding this matter.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. The auditor’s report was discussed. After reading their recommendations J. Sylbert was happy with their recommendations, M. Storch has questions that the board reviewed together. Additional information from B. Gauthier and P. Mielke is needed. The Select Board unanimously agreed that the draft is agreeable and the auditor’s may go ahead with the final copies.
2. At 11am the public notice was read and the Earth Removal Permit hearing was opened for the property on Mt Hunger Rd. Present were Shannon Boomsma of White Engineering and Stephan D’Alessio, Contractor. No other interested parties or abutters were present. No one voiced any concerns over the project. D. Tryon asked about the Scenic Mountain Act and the removal of the earth and how it impacts that Act. J. Sylbert informed Mr. Tryon that there is a meeting with the Conservation Commission tonight at 6pm that he should attend. J. Sylbert made a motion to approve the application and the board unanimously approved it.
3. J. Sylbert mentioned that Rita (Backhaus) Stevens is resigning after 19years from the Police Department. The Select Board will work on a letter thanking her for her years of dedication.
4. J. Sylbert made a recommendation that an outside consultant/arbitrator be hired to deal with employee issues/problems.
5. The Select Board ok’d the purchase of a new chair for the select board secretary.
6. The board discussed putting the warrants and town meeting minutes on the website. When this was suggested last year by J. Sylbert, B. Swann told J. Sylbert that she did not want anything archived on the website. The select board feels that this is public information and should be posted on the website. A memo will be written to B. Swann requesting electronic files of this year’s town meeting warrant and minutes for the website.
The meeting adjourned at: 12:04pm
Melissa Noe, Town Secretary
Town of Monterey
cc: Website
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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