Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 3/15/10
Meeting Opened at: 4:00pm
Select Board Members Present: Scott Jenssen, Chairperson and Wayne Burkhart
Also in attendance for parts of the meeting: Sue Protheroe for the Monterey News, Dennis Downing, Jeffrey Mason of A-1 Security, Larry Klein and Maynard Forbes (Dir. of Operations)
The board met with Police Chief, Gareth Backhaus to review the following items:
1. Tree on wires; turned out to be phone wire, Verizon was called.
2. Tree down on the guardrails on Tyringham Rd.
3. MVA’s on Pixley Rd, Sandisfield Rd and on Mt Hunger Rd. All weather related.
4. Loose dog on Sandisfield Rd; dog couldn’t be found.
5. Abandoned 911 call on Mt Hunger Rd; child playing with the phone.
6. Lockout in front of the Post Office.
7. Complaint of gunshots on Beartown Mtn Rd; person was located and asked to stop since it was after dark.
8. Summons served.
9. Huge number of trees and wires down over the weekend; Tyringham Rd, Main Rd, Sandisfield Rd, Cronk Rd., Bidwell Rd, Harmon Rd, Mt Hunger Rd and Brook Lane. The tree on Sandisfield Rd took 2 poles down which needed a tree crew (National Grid subcontractor) to be called in.
Jeffrey Mason of A-1 Security came in to dispute the 1st false alarm at 656 Main Rd. He doesn’t feel that it should be counted in the false alarms tally since it was due to an alarm malfunction. Chief Backhaus noted that since the disputed alarm there has been a 2nd false alarm which Mr. Mason stated was caused by a mouse. Chief Backhaus stated that the purpose of the first one being free is so that homeowner’s and their alarm companies can detect any problems or bugs with the alarm system. Chief Backhaus confirmed that the tally of false alarms starts when the alarm system is installed and does not go back to zero unless the owner of the home changes. Mr. Mason accused the town of using the fines as revenue source. Chief Backhaus stated that this has nothing to
do with a revenue source; it came about because there were a lot of homes with alarm problems. When the town started enforcing the fines the number of false alarms decreased dramatically. Chief Backhaus stated that he’d rather see the money charged for fines for false alarms go to the alarm companies yearly to ensure that the systems are working properly so that false alarms aren’t an issue. Alarms should be serviced/adjusted/tuned-up at least 1-2 times a year. Mr. Mason’s request was denied.
The board met with Town Accountant, Barbara Gauthier to review the following items:
1. Warrants were signed.
2. B. Gauthier informed the Board that a snow and ice emergency needs to be declared to allow the Town to continue to pay for winter items. A motion was made to declare a snow and ice emergency which was seconded and therefore approved unanimously.
3. December Trial Balance Reports were distributed as were the 2010 Revenue Report and Expense Reports.
4. S. Pullen started training today on the accounting software.
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. The minutes from 3.8.10 were approved as written.
2. Dennis Downing came in to discuss the following with the Board:
a. Status of putting the $10,500 requested on as a special article for a dog park on the WMH property. The Board agreed that this monetary request should be separate from the funds needed for a driveway/parking area and community garden fencing. The Board made a motion to put this article on the town meeting warrant which was seconded and therefore unanimously approved. Several discussions ensued about the logistics of the dog park, who would run it, collect donations, clean up the animal waste, empty the receptacles, mow, plow, etc. M. Forbes had the following concerns which Dennis said he would get the answers to:
i. Who will be responsible (Is there a program or department that will be in charge)?
ii. Who is responsible for maintenance of the park, the fencing, the mowing, shoveling the path? Who will dispose of the refuse?
iii. Who would be responsible in the Town for administering the money appropriated from the Town, who would do the procurement, advertising for bids, etc.
3. The Board agreed to put a warrant article item for $25,000 for the driveway and parking area at the WMH.
4. Larry Klein of Fairview Rd came in to discuss a situation over the weekend caused by the heavy, slushy rain. He wanted to know why some roads in town were plowed but not all of them. M. Forbes noted that the people on Fairview Rd have had the option to pave this road and turned it down and need to realize the downsides of living on a dirt road. L. Klein suggested that sub-contractors should be hired to plow and sand the dirt roads (when the base isn’t frozen) so that wouldn’t cause the damage that the heavy trucks can. M. Forbes and S. Jenssen both explained why this is not an option and that even smaller trucks will still cause damage. S. Jenssen explained that no matter the size of the truck once the plow blade is put down it wants to continue into the earth when it’s not frozen. L. Klein suggested that maybe sand should have been put down but M. Forbes and S. Jenssen both explained that when it’s raining, snowing and sleeting like it was, when sand is put down it just
washes away and defeats the purpose. M. Forbes also stated that a winter storm warning was issued and people should travel with caution and be sure that their cars have the proper tires on them for the weather conditions in the Berkshires.
5. The Select Board meeting for 3/22/10 has been cancelled as 2 members will not be available.
A motion was made and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at: 5:22pm
Submitted by:
Melissa Noe, Inter-Departmental Secretary
Approved by:
Monterey Select Board
Select Board Members
Minutes Book
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