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Selectmen Meeting Minutes - 05/16/16
Town of Mount Desert
Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
Monday, May 16, 2016

A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held this date in the Meeting Room, Town Hall, Northeast Harbor, Maine.

Those present included:  Vice Chairman Dennis Shubert, Selectmen Matt Hart, Martha Dudman, and Brian Reilly. Town Manager Durlin Lunt, Treasurer Kathi Mahar, Public Works Director Tony Smith, Harbor Master John Lemoine, Fire Chief Mike Bender, Recording Secretary Heidi Smallidge, and members of the public.  

  • Call to order at 6:30 p.m.
Vice Chairman Shubert called the meeting to order at 6:29 p.m.

  • Public Hearing(s)
        There were no public hearings.

  • Minutes
  • Approval of Minutes from May 2, 2016:  
Minutes were tabled due to lack of a quorum of voting members.

  • Approval of Minutes from May 3, 2016:  
MOTION:  Selectman Hart moved, with Selectman Dudman seconding, to approve the Minutes as presented.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Appointments/Recognitions/Resignations
  • Annual Employee Appointments
MOTION:  Selectman Reilly moved, with Selectman Dudman seconding, to approve the appointments as presented.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Annual Board and Committee Appointments
It was noted that Mickey Shattow resigned his appointment with the Technology Committee.

MOTION:  Selectman Reilly moved, with Selectman Hart seconding, to approve the appointments presented with the exception of Mickey Shattow.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Confirm Appointments of Summer Dock Hands and Boat Launch Operators as presented
MOTION:  Selectman Hart moved, with Selectman Dudman seconding, to approve the appointments of summer dock hands and boat launch operators as presented.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Consent Agenda
  • Department Reports: Public Works, Wastewater
  • Board of Selectmen Meeting Schedule 2016-2017
  • Holiday Schedule 2016-2017
  • MMA 2015-2016 Property & Casualty Pool Membership Report
  • Department of Marine Resources Approval of Mount Desert‘s Alewife-Blueback Herring Harvesting Plan
  •  Event Committee Minutes of March 3, 2016
  • Sustainability Committee Minutes of April 21, 2016
  • Thank You from Diane Frost
  •  Thank You from Betty Tower
  •  ME DOT “Notice of Layout and Taking” of certain Parcel(s) of Land in Mount Desert Owned by William Nicholas Burnett, et al.
  • Hancock County Commissioner’s Meeting Minutes of April 1, 2016, April 5, 2016, April13, 2016, and April 22, 2016
  • Eastern Area Agency on Aging Change of Executive Director
  • Acadia National Park Transportation Plan Workshop
Vice Chairman Shubert requested to pull Item M for further discussion.  Town Manager Lunt informed the Board that he attended a meeting with a variety of people including congressional delegation members, representatives of other MDI towns, members of the Downeast Transportation, and park officials to discuss developing a comprehensive traffic plan for Acadia National Park with the goal of creating a strategy to make cars less of a presence in Acadia National Park while maintaining accessibility for the public.  Mr. Lunt would keep the Board apprised of the situation.  

MOTION:  Selectman Dudman moved, with Selectman Reilly seconding, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Selectman’s Reports
There were no reports presented.

  • Old Business
  • Discussion of Fire Pond Survey Regarding Trout Habitation (Citizen Dennis Smith Request)
Discussion ensued regarding the request to restock the Otter Creek fire pond with trout.  Town Manager Lunt suggested that a survey of the wild population by the Department of Inland Fisheries (IF&W) might be in order and that it may be possible to get the survey done at no cost to the town.  Fire Chief Bender noted the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) should probably weigh in as well.  Mr. Lunt agreed to contact the IF&W and requested Mr. Bender contact the DEP.


  • Otter Creek Landing and Pier Construction Bid Review and Recommendations
Public Works Director Smith explained the work planned.  It was noted that money for the ramp was budgeted at $45,000.00 and the work was approved at Town Meeting.  

MOTION:  Selectman Dudman moved, with Selectman Hart seconding, to table the item till the next meeting.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Audit Corrective Action Plan Update and Discussion      
Treasurer Mahar noted that in an effort to get the audit to the Board of Selectmen in a timely manner, it was planned to have the audit started in early October, with the Town portion expected to be presented to the Board in December.  

Discussion ensued regarding the Town’s financial software.  Ms. Mahar recommended to the Board that a review of the original goals for the software be made and a committee be created to determine whether the software system has been successful for the Town.  Some of the issues the Town was experiencing with the software were discussed.

MOTION:  Selectman Reilly moved, with Selectman Dudman seconding, to request the Town Manager look into hiring a consultant to review the software and report to the Board regarding what he’s found and his recommendations.  Motion approved 4-0.  

  • New Business
  • Sign Union Congregational Church Easement as Authorized from May 3, 2016 Annual Town Meeting
The Board signed the Easement as authorized at the Town Meeting.

  • Sign Rockefeller Trust Company Amendment to Easement as Authorized from May 3, 2016 Annual Town Meeting
The Board signed the Easement as authorized at the Town Meeting.

  • Approve Liquor License Renewal Application — Elmer Beal Jr. and B. Allison Martin d/b/a Burning Tree Restaurant
MOTION:  Selectman Dudman moved, with Selectman Hart seconding, to approve the liquor license renewal.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Utility Location Permit for Rosecliff LLC
Public Works Director Smith reported on the road opening permit.  

MOTION:  Selectman Reilly moved, with Selectman Dudman seconding, to approve the Utility Location Permit as discussed with the requirement that the owner provides record drawings of the location to the Public Works Director.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Dobbs Productions Inc. Request to Use Public Access Channel 2
MOTION:  Selectman Hart moved, with Selectman Reilly seconding, to approve the use of Public Access Channel 2.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Proposed Personnel Policy change Sections 4.2, 4.2.1, and 4.2.2 Pay
        Periods & Pay Day

  • Proposed Personnel Policy change Section 7.1 Group Medical Insurance
It was agreed to address Items F and G together.  

        MOTION:  Selectman Dudman moved, with Selectman Hart seconding, to approve personnel policy changes as presented in Items F and G.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Authorization to Recruit for New Firefighter Positions
MOTION:  Selectman Hart moved, with Selectman Reilly seconding, to approve the authorization to recruit for the new firefighter positions.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Elected Officials Sub-Group
Town Manager Lunt noted this was an opportunity to discuss the possibility of shared services between municipalities.  One position was open now that Tom Richardson had left the Board.  It was the consensus of the Board to appoint Selectman Reilly to the position.

  • Mount Desert Island Regional School District Trustee, discussion
Mia Thompson was elected trustee.  A second trustee is still needed.  Selectman Reilly suggested Town Manager Lunt ask Barry Stratton to continue in his role as an interim trustee until someone could be found.  Discussion ensued regarding potential trustees.

  • MMA Nominations to Legislative Policy Committee
        There are no volunteers for this position.  

  • Such other business as may be legally conducted
        There was no other business to be conducted.  

  • Treasurer’s Warrants
  • Approve & Sign Treasurer’s Warrant AP1674 in the amount of $512,049.26
  • Approve Signed Treasurer’s Payroll, State Fees, & PR Benefit Warrants AP1672, AP1673, PR1645, and PR1646 in the amount of $2,267.75, $5,918.31, $40,353.32, and $42,075.57, respectively
  • Acknowledge Treasurer‘s School Board AP/Payroll Warrant(s) 12 and 23 in the amounts of $48,514.14 and $57,478.99, respectively
MOTION:  Selectman Hart moved, with Selectman Reilly seconding, to approve the warrants as presented.  Motion approved 4-0.

  • Executive Session
  • Pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. §405(6)(A) review request from employee for leave without pay
MOTION:  Selectman Reilly moved, with Selectman Hart seconding, to enter Executive Session.  Motion approved 4-0.  

The Board of Selectmen entered Executive Session at 7:38.

MOTION:  Selectman Hart moved, with Selectman Dudman seconding, to leave Executive Session.  Motion approved 4-0.

The Board left Executive Session at 7:46.

  • Post Executive Session
  • Employee Leave Without Pay, action if necessary
MOTION:  Selectman Hart moved, with Selectman Dudman seconding, to grant the employee in question unpaid leave time until June 30, 2016.  Motion approved 4-0.

VI.     Adjournment

MOTION:  Selectman Dudman moved, with Selectman Hart seconding, to adjourn the meeting.  Motion approved 4-0.

Meeting adjourned at 7:49.


Respectfully submitted,




Matthew J. Hart, Secretary