Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 8/4/08
Meeting Opened at: 4:00pm
Select Board Members Present: Wayne Burkhart, Chairperson and Scott Jenssen
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting: Michael Storch (Finance Committee and Broadband Committee), Leroy Thorpe (Parks Commission), Pat & Julio Rodriguez (Friends of Lake Garfield) and Terry Webb
The board met with Inter-Departmental Secretary, Melissa Noe to review the following items:
1. M. Noe informed the Board the June Rochedieau stopped by earlier today regarding the article in the Monterey News (which is not written by the Town) stating that a complaint was received about tents erected on her property near the lake and that she was allowing the Keswick camp to use her lake access to launch canoes. Ms. Rochedieau stated that the tents are not located on her property, they are on the Quisenberry’s property and that the Keswick campers are guests of hers and allowed to use her property to launch their canoes. The Board mentioned that Ms. Rochedieau should call the Monterey News to print a correction.
2. Weekly report was reviewed.
The board met with Town Accountant, Barbara Gauthier to review the following items:
1. Town warrants were signed.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. An email from Lois Storch, Library Trustee Chairperson was read which requested that the Board appoint Denise Andrus to fulfill the vacancy created by Carol Edelman resigning. A motion was made and seconded to appoint Denise Andrus through June 30, 2009. A letter will be sent to Denise.
2. Michael Storch informed the Board that he has requested of the Finance Committee chair several times that they begin meeting to start the budget process as soon as possible and to go over the Finance Committee’s responsibilities (as this is Michael’s first year on that committee) with no response.
3. A question was raised as to who the candidates were that were running for the seats on the School Committee as a representative for Monterey, no information on this has been provided to the Board. Terry Webb (the person that was dropping off the paperwork last week for a friend) came in to let the Board know that the paperwork was for Herb Abelow’s of New Marlborough).
4. An email request from resident Charles Ferris to have the Town Zoning Bylaws made available online was read. W. Burkhart stated he will speak to the Town Clerk again about this and will ask her to provide the Inter-Departmental Secretary with an electronic version to be made into a PDF and placed on the town website.
5. The Board read a letter from M. Forbes to the Town of New Marlborough requesting reimbursement for the signs made for the River Rd. closure. The Board stated that a vote was not taken by the Board agreeing to send this letter.
6. The Board also read a letter sent by the Highway Department to Eric Montgomery on Fairview Rd regarding their open driveway permit application from 12/06 and project status request.
7. Leroy Thorpe of the Parks Commission came in to ask the Board to request that the Harbormaster or Melissa Hamm, Environmental Police Officer begin patroling Lake Garfield on a regular basis. An incident occurred at the beach when someone fell off a tube (from the back of a boat) beyond the beach ropes and they had to be rescued by the beach lifeguard. Leroy also stated that all of the moored boats right beyond the beach were causing a problem and questioned whether it was legal to have them that close to the swimming area. S. Jenssen did not think there was supposed to be any boating activities within the small part of the lake. Leroy
provided the Board with a copy of the incident report, which the Board will pass along to the Harbormaster, Gareth Backhaus.
8. S. Jenssen asked Leroy Thorpe about the status of getting an all year, weather proof phone at the beach to replace the costly Verizon pay phone currently located there. Leroy stated that it’s being worked on.
9. The Board completed the employee reviews which will be distributed to be signed and commented on by the employees.
10. Pat and Julio Rodriguez of the Friends of Lake Garfield came in to discuss the email sent to the Board by Pat Edelstein regarding performing a plant study at Lake Garfield as was required in the Notice of Intent for the drawdown:
a. The Board reviewed the FY09 Town Warrant and did not see that $2,500.00 was allocated for this study. The Board agrees that if it was suggested in the NOI that this plant study needed to be done then the Town should pay for it. The Friends of Lake Garfield have the money to pay for it in full and are willing to cover half the expenses but stated that there is an urgency to have it done before the end of summer as the consultants they have spoken with have stated recommended this time of year as best. The Bard could not answer whether there were Town funds available to do this and they will speak with Barbara Gauthier, Town Accountant on
Wednesday.
11. Julio Rodriguez provided the Board with a list of all of the operators that would be giving boat rides on Lake Garfield during Lakefest to be listed as additionally insured on the Town’s insurance policies for the specified amount of time. This information will be given to Pat Mielke to take care of. Julio confirmed that there will not be fireworks at this year’s celebration as the $6,600.00 to cover the cost was not be raised.
12. The email from Smitty Pignatelli’s office that stated that the revised article for the $300,000.00 for a salt shed was on the Governor’s desk waiting approval was discussed.
13. A memo will be sent asking Pat Mielke:
a. If there is an inventory of Edith Wilson’s paintings that were donated to the Town?
b. If the paintings have been appraised?
c. And are the paintings insured in case of a loss as a separate line item on the Town’s policies?
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 5:49pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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