Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 5/11/09
Meeting Opened at: 4:00pm
Select Board Members Present: Scott Jenssen, Chairperson, Jon Sylbert and Wayne Burkhart
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting: Sue Protheroe for the Monterey News, Hillel Maximon, Robert and Muriel Lazzarini, Christopher Blair (Conservation Commission) and Eric Montgomery,
The board met with the Director of Highways, Maynard Forbes, Building Inspector, Donald Torrico, Inter-Departmental Secretary, Melissa Noe and Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus to discuss the proposal from the Lazzarini’s to remodel the basement to allow a private 501c3 to run a food pantry there:
The general consensus among the employees was that they agreed the pantry was a good idea but they were not in favor of losing the little storage space they have available in the basement and weren’t comfortable with the security aspects of it being located here.
The employees asked why Monterey couldn’t support the pantry that’s already established in Gt. Barrington. The consensus among the Board and employees was that the church basement would be the ideal location.
The Board reviewed Town Counsel’s response regarding the issue; he did not advise the town allowing this. The employees also noted that because it’s so damp that may be an issue for proper food storage. Everyone felt that if it succeeds in the church basement that the ideal future, permanent location would be in the Edith Wilson House.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. The minutes from 5.4.09 were approved as written.
2. The Board asked Chief Backhaus if anything was found regarding the change to the ACO protocol; Dispatch stated that the person that asked for the change was not noted in their logs. Chief Backhaus has sent an updated copy of the protocol which states that both the ACO and Police Chief should be contacted for any animal calls.
3. Donald Torrico asked that the building permit section of the zoning bylaws be revisited as there are a lot of mistakes which he put in writing to the Planning Board 2 years ago but never received a response on. Don is going to send the letter to the Planning Board again and carbon copy the Select Board. Don also asked that the sign bylaw be revisited; specifically regarding fees as right not it’s a subjective process on who pays a fee for the permit and who doesn’t. It should be one fee which is the same for everyone.
4. Hillel Maximon, resident on Beartown Mtn Rd (#360) came in to discuss the following with the Board:
a. Continuing problems on Beartown Mtn Rd. He feels there are safety issues as well as aesthetic issues (because of limbs on the side of the road from a December ice storm).
b. Hillel provided the Board with pictures of the road (taken on April 13th) and noted that he took Robert Gauthier, Assessor for a visit up there. J. Sylbert felt that the pictures did not show a safety issue and it was noted that S. Jenssen had made a trip up there recently and didn’t have any issues passing through. The Board noted that there are still a lot of roads that have a lot of clean up work left to do. The Board noted that they were provided with a schedule from M. Forbes on roads that have been cleared and roads that still need to be cleared of the damages from the winter. Beartown is on the schedule to be done along with several other roads. It appears from the list that the crew is moving through town east to west and heavily traveled
roads are done first.
c. Hillel feels that Beartown is not getting the same attention as the other roads in town. He doesn’t understand why debris from a storm in December is still on the roads in May. The Board noted that the first thing the crew does before clean up is grading the roads (which has been done).
d. Hillel stated his taxes went up 12% and he feels he’s getting fewer services. The Board noted that the increase in taxes is based on sales in Monterey from previous years. J. Sylbert will try to make a site visit this week.
e. Hillel stated there are 2 trees on the wires and the highway department hasn’t reported it because they never drive up Beartown. The Board noted that the highway department can’t touch trees on the wires and anyone could and should report those issues to the electric company.
5. Robert and Muriel Lazzarini came in to discuss the following:
a. Friday afternoon from 12-1:30; Senator Kerry’s staff will be at the town hall.
b. Leslie Kirwan, Secretary of Finance is coming to the firehouse on Thursday at 6:30pm.
c. Food Pantry: The Lazzarini’s felt that they could meet some of town counsel’s concerns (insurance & liability issues) if the Board were going to allow it. The Board felt after speaking with the employees and town counsel they’d like to steer the pantry to use the church basement until the need can be determined (at a previous meeting the Lazzarini’s noted that if the need diminished the food pantry would be closed and this didn’t seem fiscally responsible to make the alterations for something that may close). The Board felt that if the need was substantial the town would certainly be willing to help raise the funds and find the appropriate permanent location for it. The Lazzarini’s felt that because the church basement was one of the most
used spaces in town, having the pantry there would diminish the size available now. The Lazzarini’s will speak with Elizabeth Goodman. Everyone on the Board felt it was a great idea but not in the town hall. Bob felt that if the pantry didn’t succeed it wouldn’t be because there wasn’t a need it would be because of the way it was constructed.
6. The Board discussed the recent complaints about an alleged business being run and gravel being removed from the site at the top of West Rd. The person complaining states that S. Tucker’s deed states that no commercial business can be run from the property. Another official in town made it clear that he felt that the town shouldn’t get involved with researching any deeds, that this was a private matter if someone had an issue. S. Tucker has been sent letters from the Conservation Commission stating that their preliminary meetings were not an approval for any gravel removal or 40B process to start. The Select Board sent a letter last week to S. Tucker informing him of the town’s bylaws that if he’s going to be removing more than 500 cubic yards of gravel that a permit
is needed. It was asked if it were appropriate to have town counsel research the deeds on West Rd regarding running a commercial business: the Board felt that it was not under their jurisdiction to initiate this, that it was a private matter. Chris Blair came in to add the following; The Commission has viewed the terrain of the property online and they have no way of telling from those pictures if he’s working near the resource. Since its private property the Commission can’t go on the property since a violation does not appear to be happening. He didn’t feel from the pictures that the gravel was being removed from near the wetlands. Chris did speak with DEP and he was provided with a contact that handles any disturbance of land of over an acre; it has to do with pollution and Chris is not familiar with it; it is not the Commission’s jurisdiction, it’s federal. Chris felt that if material was being hauled it was a
zoning issue and that the Building Inspector would have authority there since it is located in the Ag-Res district and the use is not in line with the town’s bylaws. Chris thought there was a similar situation years ago on the Seven Stones property but he couldn’t recall the outcome.
7. Eric Montgomery, resident on Fairview Rd came in to discuss the following with the Board:
a. They are at the point of submitting a driveway application to put their culverts in at the 2nd driveway. The Board gave the Montgomery’s the alternatives discussed with M. Forbes which included getting a longer culvert. Eric stated he’d like to resurface his driveway at the same time the town will be doing their end. The Board suggested that he submit the applications to M. Forbes and they will speak with him about it next week.
8. Memorial Day parade:
a. PA system: who sets it up and where is it; it’s in the town hall lobby closet and it was set up by W. Burkhart last year but he’d prefer not to do it this year.
b. Cal Ripken League is signed up as is the Fire Department. The RRSYP has been asked to march and there may be a bag piper. The Monterey School has been sent an invitation and the Monterey General Store will be providing the food as usual. S. Jenssen is looking for a color guard to March.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 6:00pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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