Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 8/7/06
Meeting Opened at: 8:33am
Select Board Members Present: Michael Storch, Chairperson, Jonathan Sylbert (arrived at 8:38am), and Wayne Burkhart
Also in attendance for the meeting: Laurily Epstein for the Monterey News
8:33am – 8:43am The board met with Fire Chief, Ray Tryon and reviewed the following items:
1. Putting a lock on the inside of the hall door to the records room at the request of the Town Clerk, Barbara Swann so that she can continue to move the town records into the storage area. M. Forbes will do this today.
2. Lockbox for the outside of the town hall; the town hall will purchase one to be installed.
8:43am – 8:54am The board met with the Director of Highways, Maynard Forbes and reviewed the following items:
1. River Rd construction is moving right along.
2. The beaver problem has not become worse; the only culvert being plugged up daily is on Royal Hemlock. With the new construction up there this road will need to be widened a little bit and gravel put down as it is a town road.
3. The Chapter 90 money request that was signed for Curtis Rd a few weeks back is being put on hold due to the rising costs of blacktop. The highway department is going to need that money to complete Sandisfield Rd. Sometime this winter there should be another $120k coming available.
4. Status of the lock for the ACO fridge: working on it
5. Shelves for Mari’s office and the hallway will most likely be put up in the fall.
6. M. Forbes went by C. Mielke’s property and it did not appear to be plugged up and was running clear.
7. Status of town hall repairs, M. Forbes spoke with D. Torrico and he will be calling M. Amstead.
8:55am – 9:16am The board met with Building Inspector, Donald Torrico and reviewed the following items:
1. Couple on Hupi Rd that D. Torrico brought up 2 weeks ago has come in and is working on a resolution. He believes they are going to file with the ZBA.
2. Past problem on Main Rd and the garage that was built without any permits, the paperwork has just now been handed in and the process to complete this project properly has been started.
3. The Ahye driveway was questioned, as there are concerns with regards to emergency vehicle accessibility. D. Torrico said that roads are not his jurisdiction. The select board will investigate.
4. D. Torrico was asked if there is a time limit on open building permits or unfinished projects. As long as work is going on continuously there is not a time limit. D. Torrico said that a bylaw could be established to set a limit. W. Burkhart stated that people should be just left alone to finish their project within the time frame that best suits them.
5. Several construction noise complaints have come into the town hall recently, is there a noise ordinance or anything governing the times that construction can occur? There is not anything in our bylaws. State statute says that there is a protection on Sundays that you are not allowed to exceed the towns standards for noise with “for hire” work.
6. There is a presentation next Monday for the Building Department Software.
7. The Monterey News incorrectly stated that D. Torrico raised the question of the earth removal violation on Mt Hunger when in fact it was the Select Board that raised the issue.
9:17am – 9:45am The board met with Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus to review the following items:
1. A complaint was received about some girls that had been swimming at the swimming hole on River Rd that were solicited by an older gentleman after 5pm with inappropriate suggestions. This same man has apparently done the same thing at Umpacheenie Falls. The police are monitoring the area.
2. False alarm on Sylvan
3. Assisted a medical call on Main Rd
4. Report of a stolen boat that later was found on their property.
5. Abandoned 911 call received that turned out to be false.
6. Weekly alarm report that states who is entering and leaving the town hall; the fee is $25 a month and the select board would like to move forward with this. G. Backhaus will set this up and will ask about breaking out the main alarm box and the records room alarm box.
7. W. Burkhart needs a key and password to the town hall.
8. The select board informed G. Backhaus that a bolt is going to be installed on the hall records room door because the police and highway department have a key and she will not move her records unless a bolt is installed so that only she and the assistant clerk have access. G. Backhaus suggested re-keying the door but the select board dismissed that because of the cost. Several concerns were brought up with doing this and W. Burkhart will speak with B. Swann about the future of this room. The alarm for this room has not been programmed yet and G. Backhaus will call to have that done. The books that we’ve received permission to
dispose of in the storage area downstairs will be discarded and that will also be usable space. G. Backhaus has requested that the dehumidifier in his storage room downstairs be raised to allow the water to drain out of the building.
The board met with Town Secretary, Melissa Noe to review the following items:
1. Fall Semester classes –the board agreed to pay half of the tuition and books again as they did in the Spring.
The board met with Town Accountant, Barbara Gauthier to review the following items:
1. Kevin Fox from the Audit firm called asking if the select board had approved the draft or not; the select board will write a letter that they are satisfied with the draft copy and it will be faxed as well as mailed.
2. B. Gauthier requested that 2 selectmen come back later today to sign the warrants as they are not complete right now.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. Reviewed and discussed a letter about the annual Lobster Fest later this month at the fish hatchery received from Berkshire Hatchery Foundation Member, C. Mielke.
2. Employee letter was read again and reviewed. The select board agreed to send a memo to Pat Mielke requesting a presentation by the Berkshire County Retirement System for all town employees during an upcoming Monday morning meeting. The review of the letter and amendments to be made will be discussed next week. J. Sylbert feels that if they are going to sign an employee letter it should be written as an employee/employer agreement or memorandum of understanding and should be done together. Several things need to be revised in the Town Bylaws and is not something the Board can do alone. J. Sylbert will not sign it without doing it right
as he stated above. “Agreement” was changed to memo of understanding
3. 10am – 11:15am - Joe Baker of the Wilson House Committee let the Board know that they have settled on a preliminary set of plans at the Community Center site which were shown to the board and that the land trust has given them a $5k matching grant. The process of approval for the addition is now between the WHC and the Select Board. There are some trees that need to be removed and J. Baker would like to know if the highway members would do this or if the town would pay for the removal since the lease agreement states that the town will take care of property maintenance, the board will discuss this and get back to J. Baker. Construction
would not be started until next spring at the earliest. M. Forbes was made aware of the tree removal request and once more information is available he will go inspect what needs to be done. M. Forbes suggested a special article on the warrant for the tree removal and driveway.
4. The minutes from 7/24/06 and 7/31/06 were approved as corrected.
5. Valerie Spriggs’ message left on voicemail for M. Storch regarding the flagpole at the Monterey School. The flagpole in the yard was removed and has been replaced with one on the building.
6. The select board boat ride has been moved to Thursday 8/17/06 at 5:15pm.
7. The letter commending Rita Backhaus Stevens for her 19 years of service was signed and will be mailed today.
8. The Select Board made a motion that was seconded and unanimously voted upon to change the Animal Control Officer position to Animal Control Officer/Dog Officer and to reappoint Nora Hayes as the Animal Control Officer/Dog Officer at the recommendation of Town Counsel.
9. Mail was reviewed
10. T. Lovett has not been responsive with regards to the Bally Gally rental due to personal circumstances. M. Storch also noted that any furniture donated to the WMH tag sale that is not sold should be donated to Bally Gally to furnish it prior to disposing of it.
11. The town email will be checked today to see if the electronic versions of the town warrant and meeting minutes were received, if they haven’t been the select board will be notified and W. Burkhart will personally contact the Town Clerk.
12.
The meeting adjourned at: 12:11pm
Melissa Noe, Town Secretary
Town of Monterey
cc: Website
Select Board Members
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