Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 1/29/07
Meeting Opened at: 8:30am
Select Board Members Present: Michael Storch, Chairperson, Wayne Burkhart and Jonathan Sylbert
Also in attendance for the meeting: Maggie Leonard for the Monterey News
The board met with the Director of Highways, Maynard Forbes and reviewed the following items:
1. The inconsistent heat in the town offices was discussed.
2. The Select Board requested a bill for the electrical work done on the ball park light.
3. Machinery/Tools budget increase: M. Forbes explained that this was increased to cover repairs on the current truck if the Select Board decides not to include money for a new truck in the upcoming budget.
4. The Highway Department is requesting an approximate 5% increase on their entire budget. This will be reviewed and solidified over the next month.
5. Transfer Station fees and policies were discussed:
a. M. Forbes recommended a $5 increase on the sticker price bringing it to $40 for 2 stickers. The Town Bylaws state that all households in Monterey must purchase a transfer station sticker. The Select Board discussed this and voted unanimously to keep it at $35 for 2 stickers.
b. Lost/replacement and temporary stickers will be $10/each and will be valid for the current fiscal year
c. Private Haulers will need to provide a list with the 911 addresses of all households they pick up for and those residents will also have to have a current sticker.
d. A certification that the info provided on the application is will be added to the application and must be signed before a sticker will be issued. If the information provided is found to be untrue, the applicant will no longer have use of the Transfer Station.
6. The Osh Kosh truck sander’s computer needs to be reprogrammed.
7. Tamarack Tree Company is almost finished working in town; they have a few more trees to remove.
8. The spotlight on the Town Shed is sometimes blinding to traffic coming down Gould Rd. M. Forbes will look into it and possibly correct the situation by putting a shield over it.
The board met with Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus to review the following items:
1. The alarm company was contacted regarding the loss of heat and the lack of notification to us, there was a data error problem and it has been corrected. While on the phone with them G. Backhaus updated all of the contact information. M. Forbes and G. Backhaus are going to run a test.
2. Disabled MV on Sandisfield Rd
3. Larceny on Williams Lane
4. Lockout on Hupi Rd.
5. LEPC update: Is now called the REPC (Regional Emergency Planning Commission). The Board requested that G. Backhaus contact the Monterey Board of Health regarding their involvement with the influenza/bird flu immunization planning. G. Backhaus has attended several Board of Health meetings to discuss this planning.
The board met with Fire Chief, Raymond Tryon to review the following items:
1. The board asked R. Tryon about the property given to the town by the Tryon’s near the Monterey School and whether it was free and clear or if it had any stipulations. The deed will be reviewed.
2. R. Tryon was up at the Heron Pond property and received a business card from the Beaver Removal Professional there to review the dam and R. Tryon wanted to pass it along to the board. The Board of Health has asked the property owner to come to their February 5th meeting to discuss the situation.
3. The alarm section of the town bylaws was discussed; the board stated that some time ago R. Tryon indicated that all of the alarm section be removed and they wanted to discuss this further. R. Tryon stated that most of the bylaw no longer pertained to current alarm systems, as current alarm systems don’t call the police or fire stations directly; they call the alarm monitoring service that then calls the dispatch. The board is considering keeping only section 6 of Article XIII and then including a false alarm definition in that section. M. Storch mentioned that with regards to false alarms for a fire call should be charged the actual
cost or on a $100, $500, $1000 tier. The board is going to review the options and work on it prior to the town meeting. The board also wants to research using actual multi copy citations.
4. R. Tryon stated that the Fire Company would be raising their budget a bit from last year. The Fire Company is going to be hiring a company to come in regularly to service the trucks from front to back after a complaint was received that they were not maintaining the equipment properly. This will cost the town approximately $5000.00 additional.
5. The Highway Department’s 1993 Mac is due, according to the Town’s Capital Expense spreadsheet for replacement according to R. Tryon. R. Tryon stated that it could cost an additional $15-23000 if the Town were to put it off for another year due to new environmental regulations that are going to be put into place in 2007.
6. The need for a Hearings Officer was discussed.
The board met with Town Accountant, Barbara Gauthier to review the following items:
1. B. Gauthier informed R. Tryon and the board that he needed to spend the dry hydrant money or it would be removed and the account closed. R. Tryon stated that he would not be using it so it will be removed from the budget.
2. B. Gauthier called Andrus Electric and they are working on the bill for us.
3. The warrants were given to the board to be signed.
4. The water bill sent to the tenants of Bally Gally was discussed. After speaking with affordable housing and reviewing the lease the town will pay the water bill.
5. A reimbursement from the State for NIMS training was received and will go back into the training and education fund.
6. B. Gauthier requested the fire inspection money be turned over by the Fire Chief to the Town.
7. FY08 budget items were discussed.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. D. Amidon as a resident on Lake Garfield and T. Lovett and D. Dempsey, representatives of the Monterey Conservation Commission came in to discuss filling Lake Garfield back up earlier. The Conservation Commission recommended waiting another week to allow a good freeze to occur on the weeds. The Conservation Commission their concern concern that there may be residents on the Lake that have dock repair projects they are working on and would need the water level to remain where it is until the normal refill date of mid-February. The Select Board felt that the amount of snow melt or rain wouldn’t adversely affect on-going dock repairs in the next
two weeks. The Select Board unanimously agreed to start the draw down refill early and will send a letter to the Conservation Commission with an official request. The Conservation Commission will then review it and if it’s approved will send an amended Order of Conditions to the Select Board and the Director of Operations.
2. The minutes from 1/22/07 were approved as amended.
3. Past correspondence sent to Town Counsel about updating the town’s employee handbook was discussed and reviewed. A letter will be written to Attorney Scully to ask about the status of the of the current 1993 handbook and what needs to be updated if anything and to set up an appointment to have him bring the new Town Counsel, Jeremiah Pollard in to meet the Board as Jerry Scully is retiring.
4. M. Leonard as a representative of the Planning Board is arranging a meeting on Monday, February 12th at 7pm to discuss the Monterey School and Community Schooling issues.
5. The letter received from the Wilson McLaughlin House was discussed. A letter to Town Counsel was written by the board requesting to proceed with a petition to the Berkshire County Probate Court for an examination and restatement of Edith Wilson’s will.
6. M. Storch announced officially that he would not be running for a second term on the Select Board.
7. The meeting with Crispin Tresp of WiSpring and wifi access in Monterey was discussed; an item has been placed on the agenda to discuss the communications bylaw in the upcoming weeks.
The meeting adjourned at: 12:05pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe
Inter-Departmental Secretary
Town of Monterey
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