Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 8/6/07
Meeting Opened at: 8:30am
Select Board Members Present: Jonathan Sylbert, Chairperson and Wayne Burkhart (arrived at 9am)
Also in attendance: Deborah Mielke of the Monterey News
The board met with the Director of Highways, Maynard Forbes and reviewed the following items:
1. Furnace at the Town Hall is being replaced today.
2. Sandisfield Rd. paving dates have changed slightly.
3. Planks on New Marlboro Bridge will need to be replaced over the next year; they’ve been repaired several times and continue to pop up.
4. Problem at the Transfer Station with attendant and an intern from CET over the weekend. M. Forbes and J. Sylbert both spoke with the attendant about the issue.
5. Water at Greene Park will be done next year.
The board met with Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus to review the following items:
1. False alarms on Beartown Mtn Rd and at the Town Hall.
2. Assisted Berkshire County Sheriff with an eviction on Fox Hill Rd.
3. Noise complaints on Sandisfield Rd and Pixley Rd.
4. MVAs on Main Rd and Pixley Rd
5. 4 wheeler complaints on Bidwell Rd and Main Rd.
6. Barking dog complaint over the weekend – ACO couldn’t be reached on any of her numbers. ACO will be asked to come in to discuss her availability.
7. Abandoned 911 call on Beartown Mtn Rd.
The board met with Town Accountant, Barbara Gauthier to review the following items:
1. Reserve fund transfers were signed.
10:12am: The Chair took Roll call. Select Board members Jonathan Sylbert and Wayne Burkhart were present. A motion was made by W. Burkhart to go into executive session, seconded by J. Sylbert, and approved unanimously. The Board returned to an open meeting at 10:27am.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. Dean Amidon, Deputy Harbormaster and Chief Backhaus, Harbormaster came in at the Select Board’s request to discuss the recent complaints about boater’s using the ramp at the Town Beach while there are people swimming. Mark Makuc was also present. D. Amidon has been telling boaters that they can put their boats in or take them out using the boat ramp at the beach when there aren’t any swimmers in the lake; very early in the morning or late in the evening. A notice will go in the Monterey News that boats need to be out by October 15th. A sign will be made to hang at the beach stating, “No Launching Boats
When Swimmers are Present”. M. Forbes will be asked to make or order the sign.
2. Minutes from 7.30.07 were approved as written.
3. Dan Moriarity and MaryEllen Brown of the Finance Committee came in to meet with the Board about the School Budget. J. Sylbert is going to formally ask the DOE this week to disapprove the agreement to renegotiate the agreement and use the statutory method. The Board, Finance Committee and Accountant agreed to make a ¼ payment ($202213.25) based on the figure approved at Town Meeting based on the alternative assessment. The Select Board agreed to have a Special Town Meeting on Friday, September 7 (motion made by W. Burkhart and seconded by J. Sylbert), it will include the modified numbers for the school budget for FY08 based on the
statutory method. The Finance Committee and Select Board do not recommend approving this. The Board does not believe they have the authority to put certified amounts on the warrant that do not follow the agreement. Town Counsel and the DOE will be contacted.
4. Valerie Zantay of the Parks Commission came into state that there are currently signs at the beach that state there is no launching during the swimming season. Suggestions were made to have set hours that boats can launch with supervision present. The board is going to reevaluate the conversation and solution they had earlier this morning with the Harbormasters. (Item #1 under misc.)
5. Parking issues at the church; a bush is obscuring the “No parking from corner to here” sign on Tyringham Rd, and the handicapped spot next to the church (the pastor questioned who designated it and whether it could be designated handicap/clergy), the Board stated that this does not fall under the town’s jurisdiction.
6. Meeting notice posted that didn’t follow the 48-hour posting notice in accordance with the Open Meeting Law – will be discussed further at next week’s meeting.
The meeting adjourned at: 12:03pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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