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Town of Mount Desert
Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
(Rescheduled from Monday, December 5, 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 Chair Dennis Shubert, Matt Hart, and Brian Reilly; staff members Town Manager Durlin Lunt, Harbormaster John Lemoine, Public Works Director Tony Smith, Treasurer Kathi Mahar, and Town Clerk Claire Woolfolk; and members of the public. Selectmen Macauley and Dudman, excused.
I. Call to order at 6:00 p.m.
Vice Chairman Shubert called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
II. Minutes
- Approval of minutes from November 21, 2016 meeting.
Minutes were tabled until a quorum of attending selectmen is present.
III. Appointments/Recognitions/Resignations
- Confirm Appointment of Elizabeth R. Yeo as Customer Service Representative Collections at $19.18/hour
MOTION: Selectman Hart moved, seconded by Selectman Reilly, to accept the appointment of Elizabeth R. Yeo as Customer Service Representative Collections at $19.18/hour. The vote was in favor, 3-0.
IV. 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.)
- MMA Workers Compensation Fund Annual Report
- Sustainability Committee Minutes of November 13, 2016
MOTION: Selectman Reilly moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to accept the Consent Agenda as presented.
Discussion
Selectman Shubert pointed out that the sustainability Committee Minutes cast disparaging remarks on EMERA, and that since that meeting, EMERA’s attitude seems to have improved considerably. Thus the ill-thoughts with EMERA have been suspended.
VOTE: The vote was in favor, 3-0.
V. Selectmen’s Reports
None presented
VI. Old Business
None presented
VII. New Business
- Office Closure for Employee Holiday Party
MOTION: Selectman Reilly moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to close the municipal office as described by the Town Manager (11:30am – 1:30pm, Friday, December 16, 2016). The vote was in
favor, 3-0.
- Request approval for Winger’s Welding Inc. to design, engineer, fabricate and install a new hoist for $33,562.90 from the NEH Pier CIP account #4010100-24680
MOTION: Selectman Reilly moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve Winger’s Welding Inc. to design, engineer, fabricate and install a new hoist for $33,562.90. The vote was in favor, 3-0.
- Request approval to negotiate an agreement and hire the James W. Sewall Company as a technical consultant for Broadband Committee for $2,500 from the BOS Contingency account # 1220001-59350 and $2,500 from the Community Development Consultant account #1770100-54540
MOTION: Selectman Reilly moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve the James W. Sewall Company as a technical consultant for Broadband Committee for an amount not to exceed $5,000.00.
Discussion
Jeff Burnham, Broadband Committee Chair, presented to the Board the gold standard in what is currently available for internet service and where it is heading in the future. He then described the existing system the Town has in place and what our options might be. The current cable provider is owned by Charter Cable (who recently purchased Time Warner Cable) and is running on a hybrid system (fiber optics along the road and connect individual properties with cable). This system is capable of offering very high speeds, but it is not operating at this time. Time Warner, and now Charter, is reluctant to upgrade rural areas because they claim it is not cost effective.
The Broadband Committee would like to persuade Charter to build out the Town’s broadband service via cost-share with the Town. Part of this plan includes using a consultant (James W. Sewall Company) to work with Charter to move them into the desired direction.
Sewall’s full proposal is for $22,000.00 and includes negotiating the build-out with Charter, franchise agreement for the Town, ordinance review, and grant writing (Connect Maine). The Broadband Committee is asking for $5,000.00 to focus on the greater Pretty Marsh area in hopes that Sewall would be willing to negotiate with Charter for this first step in the Town build-out.
VOTE: The vote was in favor, 3-0.
- Jerry Miller requesting the darkening of a street light south of the Somesville church
MOTION: Selectman Reilly moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to darken the street light south of the Somesville church. The vote was in favor, 3-0.
- Such other business as may be legally conducted
None presented.
VIII. Treasurer’s Warrants
- Approve & Sign Treasurer’s Warrant AP1732 in the amount of $262,942.79
- Approve Signed Treasurer’s Payroll, State Fees, & PR Benefit Warrants AP1730, AP1731, PR1713, and PR1714 in the amounts of $1,718.00, $1,590.00, $86,860.21, and $13,012.94, respectively
- Acknowledge Treasurer’s School Board AP/Payroll Warrants 10 in the amount of $80,330.29 (FROM 11/21 Meeting) and 11in the amount of $158,357.64
MOTION: Selectman NAME moved, seconded by Selectman NAME, to approve, sign, and acknowledge Treasurer’s Warrants A – C totaling $604,811.87 (including the amount of $80,330.29 from the November 21st meeting). The vote was in favor, 3-0.
IX. Adjournment
MOTION: At 6:51 p.m., Selectman Reilly moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to adjourn the meeting. The vote was in favor, 3-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Matthew J. Hart, Secretary
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