Town of Mount Desert
Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
December 21, 2015
A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held this date in the Meeting Room, Town Hall, Northeast Harbor, Maine.
Those present included: Chairman John Macauley; Selectmen Martha Dudman, Matt Hart, and Tom Richardson; staff members Town Manager Durlin Lunt, Harbormaster John Lemoine, Fire Chief Mike Bender, Police Chief Jim Willis; Public Works Director Tony Smith, Treasurer Kathi Mahar, Assessor Kyle Avila, Code Enforcement Officer Kim Keene, and Town Clerk/Recording Secretary Claire Woolfolk; and members of the public. Selectman Shubert, excused.
I. Call to order at 6:30 p.m.
Chairman Macauley called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
II. Public Hearing(s)
None Scheduled
III. Minutes
A. Approval of minutes from December 7, 2015 meeting.
MOTION: Selectman Hart moved, seconded by Selectman Richardson, to approve the minutes from the December 7, 2015. The vote was in favor, 3-0-1, with Selectman Dudman abstaining due to her absence from the meeting.
IV. Appointments/Recognitions/Resignations
A. Confirm appointment of Lisa Young as Finance Clerk at $18.00/hr effective December 28, 2015
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to confirm the appointment of Lisa Young as Finance Clerk at $18.00/hr effective December 28, 2015. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
B. Confirm Appointment of Chad Erwin as Motor Equipment Operator I at $17.10/hr. effective on or before December 31, 2015
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to confirm the appointment of Chad Erwin as Motor Equipment Operator I at $17.10/hr. effective on or before December 31, 2015. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
Town Manager Lunt added the confirmation of Heidi Smallidge as Recording Secretary to the Board of Selectman to the Agenda.
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to confirm Heidi Smallidge as Recording Secretary to the Board of Selectman at a the same rate she is paid as Planning Board Recording Secretary. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
V. Consent Agenda (These items are considered routine, and therefore, may be passed by the Selectmen in one blanket motion. Board members may remove any item for discussion by requesting such action prior to consideration of that portion of the agenda.)
A. Department Reports: Fire Department, Public Works, and Wastewater,
B. Planning Board Minutes of September 9, 2015 and September 23, 2015
C. Garden Club’s Marina Landscape Project
D. Hancock County Commissioners Meeting Minutes September 1, 2015 and December 1, 2015
E. Solid Waste Agreement from PERC
Items C and E were pulled out for discussion and updates.
Selectman Dudman proposed the Marina fund $20,000 towards the marina landscaping project. Landscaping was eliminated from the Northeast Harbor Marina Project in 2012 in order to complete the project within budget.
Public Works Director Smith explained that the proposed PERC pricing plans offered are not feasible due to increased costs PERC will incur when the agreement ends in 2018.
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to accept the Consent Agenda as presented. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
VI. Selectmen’s Reports
None presented.
VII. Old Business
A. Police Chief Sharing Agreement with Bar Harbor
Police Chief Willis reported on the accomplishments from the past year and that the majority of the goals for 2015 were met (see attachment).
MOTION: Selectman Dudman moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve the Police Sharing Agreement with Bar Harbor as presented. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
VIII. New Business
A. Award Bid for New Police Vehicle
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to accept Darling’s Bangor Ford bid for a 2016 Ford SUV Interceptor Patrol Vehicle at a net price of $12,252.00 to be funded through the Police Equipment-Vehicle line, 14400110-57200. The vote was unanimous in favor, 4-0.
B. Town Report Cover and Dedication
Town Manager Lunt asked the board members to think about suggestions for the Annual Town Report and have them by the next BOS meeting on January 4, 2016.
C. 2016-2017 FY Budget Review: General Government, Health and Welfare, Rural Wastewater Support, Community Development, Debt Service, Operating Transfers (CIP)
The Board and Warrant Committee members, Lichtenstein and Beck, reviewed the submitted budgets and questioned various increases and line items:
- Liability insurance is a guestimate because the latest bill has not been received
- Attorney fees for the Planning Board are up due to the quarrying opposition
- Planning Board consultant fee increased based on past experience
- Community Development increase is based on not receiving an SRA contribution
- The $10,000 contingency and its use – the contingency is used for emergencies and community development; some years it has not been used
- Town Manger expense is for items such as travel and recruitment (costs associated with the hiring of personnel); there are retirements in 2016-2017 that will require recruiting
- Costs associated with outsourcing of payroll (currently using a consultant to process); the newly hired Finance Clerk will take over this function
- Software fees are for an IT consultant who provides services outside the expertise of onsite employees
- HRA expense is to bridge the gap for the employee health insurance plan as it transitions from a low deductible to a high deductible plan
D. 2016-2017 FY Budget Review: Marina Proprietary Fund
Harbormaster Lemoine explained that the 3.2% increase in his budget was largely due to increases in FICA and Medicare. The other portion of the increase is for a 20’ X 20’seasonal float, or an extension of a section of the current docking. There is the possibility of a warrant article to spend money on the construction of a new seasonal float.
Harbormaster Lemoine also reported on the progress of the dock construction for the Sunbeam; it should be completed before the season begins in spring of 2016.
E. Such other business as may be legally conducted
Town Manager Lunt suggested the Town Office close at noon on Christmas Eve Day, December 24, 2015.
MOTION: Selectman Dudman moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve the closing of the Town Offices at noon on Christmas Eve Day, December 24, 2015. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
IX. Treasurer’s Warrants
A. Approve & Sign Treasurer’s Warrant AP1640 in the amount of $275,823.27
B. Approve Signed Treasurer’s Payroll, State Fees, & PR Benefit Warrants AP1637 AP1638, PR1624, and PR1625 in the amount(s) of $3,734.75, $20,340.23, $45,084.61, and $41,165.65 respectively
C. Acknowledge Treasurer’s School Board AP/Payroll Warrant(s) 7 and 13 in the amount(s) of $41,550.26 and $153,837.70
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve and sign Treasurer’s Warrants A and B totaling $386,148.51. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to acknowledge Treasurer’s Warrants C totaling $195,387.96. The vote was in favor, 3-0-1, Macauley recused.
X. Executive Session
Pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. §405(6) (A) review request from Fire Chief for proposed change in all non-full firefighters from volunteer to paid on-call
MOTION: At 7:17 p.m., Selectman Dudman moved, seconded by Selectman Richardson, to enter into Executive Session pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. §405(6) (A review request from Fire Chief for proposed change in all non-full firefighters from volunteer to paid on-call. The vote was unanimous in favor, 4-0.
MOTION: At 7:35 p.m. Selectman Dudman moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to close the Executive Session. The vote was unanimous in favor, 4-0.
XI. Post Executive Session
A. Request from Fire Chief for proposed change in all non-full firefighters from volunteer to paid on-call, action if necessary
No action taken.
XII. Adjournment
The next regularly scheduled meeting is at 6:30 p.m., Monday, January 4, 2016 in the Meeting Room, Town Hall, Northeast Harbor
MOTION: At 7:36 p.m., Selectman Dudman moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to adjourn the meeting. The vote was in favor, 4-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Matthew J. Hart, Secretary
Attachment
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