Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 12/4/06
Meeting Opened at: 8:30am
Select Board Members Present: Michael Storch, Chairperson and Jonathan Sylbert
Also in attendance for the meeting: Laurily Epstein for the Monterey News
The board met with the Director of Highways, Maynard Forbes and reviewed the following items:
1. Reviewed projects completed this past week.
The board met with Building Inspector, Donald Torrico and reviewed the following items:
1. New building permits are still being submitted.
2. Plumbing Inspector Alternate: Glenn Wilcox out of Lee is licensed and certified and agreed to be an alternate. Letter needs to be sent appointing him with pay rate; D. Torrico will get this to M. Noe to mail.
3. Inspection needs to be done at the Art School Inn on Art School Rd. The Board of Health also has issues and will coordinate a visit. There was also a bump out created without any permits that needs to be handled.
4. A new utility shed was constructed about 20-30ft from the edge of Lake Buel that did not apply for a permit.
5. Home Depot was also found to be performing work without any permits.
6. More rejection letters still need to be sent out.
The board met with Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus to review the following items:
1. M. Storch reviewed the letter written to the Community Policing Grant Committee regarding our recent application and commended G. Backhaus on it.
2. The heir to the property on Cronk Rd came in to let the Police know that he did not want people hunting on his property and that there were hunters not respecting his wishes. The Chief left a note on the person’s dashboard explaining the situation and asking the hunter to not return.
3. Six shots were reported behind the Highway Garage, nothing was found that night but the next morning several deer carcasses were found.
4. Abandoned 911 call from a house on Cronk Rd.
5. False alarm set off by the cleaning crew.
6. Noise complaint on Tyringham Rd at 3:15am.
7. Call on Mt Hunger Rd; officer on duty was unable to locate the callers, another officer was called to the scene to handle the complaint where they were referred to the courts.
8. M. Storch questioned some account numbers on the alarm entry report and asked that the Chief follow up on it.
The board met with Inter-Departmental Secretary, Melissa Noe to review the following items:
1. Computer in office and in meeting room not working/can’t access server, called Practical Solutions and they gave me some things to try, if it doesn’t work will contact them again.
2. Phone in office not working/G. Backhaus fixed.
3. Office suddenly has a cat urine smell which was not present on Thursday.
4. D. Soucy, Transfer Station Attendant came in on Wednesday and said he was all done collecting the garbage from the Town Hall. At the instruction of the Board, C&C Rubbish Disposal was hired to start immediately. A 90 gallon bin was dropped off on Friday. Also at the instruction of the Board, the Town Accountant was notified that his compensation from the bulky waste is to be reduced from 15% to 10%.
The board met with Town Accountant, Barbara Gauthier to review the following items:
1. The board asked about the fund to evaluate the town owned parcels; B. Gauthier stated that the funds had been placed into free cash in June of 2005.
2. B. Gauthier stated that there is $13k in a conservation trust fund that could be used to purchase land but a ruling from Town Counsel would be needed to use the funds.
3. The warrants were signed.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. Berkshire Mediation Services: M. Noe was asked to contact them and let them know that we want to hire them and that the board is working on a list of people/committees/boards to be interviewed.
2. The board reviewed open items on the agenda.
3. The board called the Town Treasurer to confirm a meeting on 12/18 at 11am with our MIIA representative. M. Storch also inquired about the Sexual Harassment Policy confirmation letters in everyone’s personnel folders and was told that she was looking into it.
4. The board reviewed the renewal application for the Monterey General Store’s liquor license and voted to approve it. The application was signed and will be sent to ABCC.
5. Maggie Leonard stopped in to speak with the board about the rejection letters and the bylaw that the Building Inspector refers to; M. Leonard will speak with D. Torrico to discuss the situation.
6. The minutes from 11.27.06 were approved as corrected.
7. The new phone system and phone lines were discussed. The board decided to keep 4 lines, one main # (528-1443) and 3 rolling lines (The Assessors, Building Department and Tax Collector will all be moved to the main line and will have messages on the old phone numbers that will be cancelled stating what the new number is 528-1443) The board also agreed to go with the state COMMA plan through Verizon for all local and long distance calls.
8. The FY07 tax rate of 5.40 was received from the Assessors. The new rate represents an eleven cent increase.
10am – 11:30am: Ken Wagner of ENSR (regarding the NOI for lake drawdown)
Also present: Janet Cathcart, Christopher Blair and Pat Edelstein
Mr. Wagner recapped what it is he will/can do for the town with regards to the drawdown at Lake Garfield. Mr. Wagner also discussed the differences/advantages/disadvantages of drawdown vs. dredging. A motion was made and approved to accept a contract from Mr. Wagner of ENSR to write the NOI for the town. J. Sylbert stated that any monies necessary for future years need to be broken down in one year increments as the town can only request money one year at a time, not for multiple years. Mr. Wagner was asked to provide the Select Board with information regarding additional work that may be needed by February for submission to the Finance Committee for the 2007 budget preparation.
The meeting adjourned at: 12:00pm
Melissa Noe
Inter-Departmental Secretary
Town of Monterey
cc: Website
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
| 
