Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 8/3/09
Meeting Opened at: 4:00pm
Select Board Members Present: Scott Jenssen, Chairperson, Jon Sylbert (arrived at 4:45pm) and Wayne Burkhart
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting: Sue Protheroe for the Monterey News, Eric Montgomery, Paula Hatch, Fred Vorck, Richard Nault, Chris Hassett, David Logan, Dan Moriarity, Frank Ashen and Pete Hagan
The board met with Director of Operations, Maynard Forbes to review the following items:
1. Eric Montgomery was present to discuss the repairs to his driveway and the work to be done on Fairview Rd. M. Forbes stated that cleaning out the pipes is a 6-8 hour project each time it needs to be done and another alternative needs to be looked into such as trap rock which may make this more of a maintenance issue to be cleaned once a year rather than the 3+ more times required as it is now. The Highway Crew will plan on starting in August and will coordinate with Mr. Montgomery for his driveway project.
2. M. Forbes reviewed the bid documents and it was a complete package. The cost was a bit higher than he had anticipated; FEMA is reimbursing around $22/per limb and the bid was for $29/limb. M. Forbes recommended accepting the bid received on the condition that the company’s references check out. A motion was made to accept the bid received on the condition that the company’s references check out; the motion was seconded and passed 2-0.
3. Rt. 23 paving project: Monterey is eligible to receive federal aid, M. Forbes is working with Mass Highway and Nat Karns on the project and application.
4. W. Burkhart asked if the Highway Department would mind if Gould Farm installed a dyke to prevent the salt from further damaging the trees on Gould Farm property; M. Forbes did not have any issues with Gould Farm doing this.
The board met with Inter-Departmental Secretary, Melissa Noe to review the following items:
1. Weekly report was reviewed.
Miscellaneous Select Board Items Reviewed:
1. Warrants for 2 weeks were signed.
2. The minutes from 7/20 & 7/27/09 were approved as written.
3. The Board appointed the following persons for the positions/terms noted:
Fire Department |
1 year |
Raymond |
Tryon, Chief |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Leigh |
Tryon, Deputy Chief |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Maynard |
Forbes, Asst Chief |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Mark |
Makuc, Captain |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Del |
Martin, Captain; EMT |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Shawn |
Tryon, Captain |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Patrick |
Sheridan, Lieutenant |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Warren |
Thomson, Firefighter |
Fire Department |
1 year |
John |
Makuc, Firefighter |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Rick |
Andrus, Firefighter |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Scott |
Amstead, Firefighter |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Robert |
Rodgers, Firefighter |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Carly |
Detterman, EMT |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Chris |
Tryon, Lieutenant |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Dan |
Hamill, Firefighter |
Fire Department |
1 year |
David |
Hamill, Firefighter |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Matt |
McMahon, Firefighter, EMT |
Fire Department |
1 year |
Julio |
Rodriguez |
4. The Board and Maynard reviewed the draft letter from Town Counsel to a complainant regarding some drainage concerns on Main Rd with regards to private property on Steven’s Lake. The Board and Maynard approved the letter to be sent. Town Counsel was contacted.
5. The Board approved switching refuse removal services for the Town Hall. The Board suggested also asking the new company the cost and possibility of picking up the trash in the big bellies at the beach and Greene Park.
6. The Board also reviewed Town Counsel’s response regarding the proposed new basketball court and will discuss this further at a future meeting. Town Counsel has stated that the gift of additional land will need to be accepted by a town meeting vote and if any part of the process involves town decision making it could be subject to the bidding/procurement laws. The Board would like more information on this. The Board suggested that the group looking to build this basketball court get a signed citizen petition stating that they’d like to get this on a special town meeting warrant and pin the additional 15 feet needed. Town Counsel would then need to draw up the paperwork/description for the land to be donated.
7. The Board agreed host their annual 2nd Homeowner’s meeting on August 22nd from 9:30-10:30am providing the firehouse is available. M. Noe will advertise the meeting and submit a use request form to the Fire Department.
8. Residents and boaters from Lake Buel were present to discuss the boat ramp closing.
a. The Board has petitioned the DCR for testing, results and dates with no response received to date.
b. The Board has petitioned Senator Downing and Representative Pignatelli’s offices asking why they’ve never petitioned to protect our lakes and great ponds. The Board was informed that there is legislation being worked on and Jon read sections of it. The legislation was filed on 7/15/09 and will be taken up by the committee at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 6th. It is the exact same legislation that has been approved in Maine and Michigan. Jon suggested that the members present also write letters to the representatives on the committee.
c. Frank Ashen stated that someone has been dragging a boat in or out via the old Blue Heron landing which he feels is trespassing.
d. The Board has also petitioned the Public Access Board to officially close the boat ramp; to date no response has been received.
e. Paula Hatch heard that the chain on the boat ramp has been down in the evenings but she can’t confirm this and admitted that it is hearsay. Paula stated that she is assuming that if boats are removed and the repair shop attests that it hasn’t been in another body of water they will be allowed to put their boat back in. The Board could not confirm this.
f. Paula has spoken with George Shippey of Stockbridge who confirmed that Stockbridge has set up a car wash in a building that formerly operated as a car wash. The Lake Buel Preservation & Restoration Committee has offered to monetarily support the car wash in Stockbridge to allow Lake Buel boaters to use it. Paula stated that George told her that DCR won’t allow Stockbridge or the private owner of the car wash to charge boaters to use the car wash. Stockbridge meets on Tuesday and will let Paula know their decision as soon as possible. DCR has provided 3 monitors for local lakes.
g. Paula stated that she knows the State isn’t going to come out and test Lake Buel so they have arranged to have Bill Enser come out and test the waters.
h. Jon asked how many homeowner’s on the Lake live in New Marlborough and the Lake Buel Prudential Committee members thought it was about half of the total homes. Jon thought it would be advantageous for the Lake Buel Preservation and Restoration Committee to enlist the support of the Town of New Marlborough. Dan Moriarity is going to ask the New Marlborough Conservation Commission to also write a letter in support of the bill.
9. The Board discussed an issue regarding a document that needs to be signed by the Select Board Chair and then attested to by the Town Clerk confirming that he is an authorized signatory for the Town of Monterey. The document was given to the Town Clerk in May but she would not agree to sign it. Monica Webb and Michael Storch both representatives for Monterey on the Southern Berkshire Broadband Committee inquired about the holdup (Monterey is the only town that did not submit the documents which are required for the grant the Berkshire towns are seeking and it’s holding up the process which has an August 14 deadline). The Town Clerk stated that Monterey is not a Charter town and that we have no bylaw to address any one board member making decisions for an entire board and she felt it would
seem contrary to the reason for a majority vote. She stated that she could only attest to the minutes of the Select Board meeting when Scott Jenssen was appointed as the Chair and that it would only be an attestation of the minutes since she was not in attendance to witness the vote. In an effort to not hold up the grant it was decided that all 3 Board members would sign the non-disclosure agreement and submit just this document thus eliminating the need for an attestation of one authorized signatory. The documents will be given to Monica Webb, Michael Storch and Charles Flynn to complete the grant process.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 5:54pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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