Board of Selectmen Meeting, September 20, 2004
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TOWN OF MOUNT DESERT, MAINE
Monday, September 20, 2004
A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held this date in the Community Room Somesville Fire Station, Somesville, Maine.
Those present included: Ernest Coombs, Patrick Smallidge, Jeff Smith; Town Manager Michael MacDonald; Public Works Director Tony Smith; Recording Secretary Ellen Kappes and members of the public.
Call to order.
Selectman Smallidge acted as Chairman in the absence of Chairman Savage and called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Minutes
A. Approval of minutes of Regular Meeting of September 9, 2004.
MOTION: Selectman Smith moved to approve the minutes of September 9, 2004 as presented, seconded by Selectman Coombs. The vote was unanimous in favor.
III. Appointments and Communications
A.~~~~~~Confirm appointment of Tammy Gordon as part-time Planning Board Recording Secretary, effective September 27, 2004, at a rate of $14.00 per hour.
Town Manager MacDonald said Ms Gordon has moved back to Maine and works in a law firm in Ellsworth.
MOTION: Selectman Smith moved to approve the above appointment, seconded by Selectman Coombs. The vote was unanimous in favor.
B.~~~~~~Accept with regret, resignation of Director of Finance and Administration Michael Chammings. ~Resignation effective October 4, 2004.
Town Manager MacDonald said Mr. Chammings has accepted a job as Oxford’s Town Manager.
MOTION: Selectman Smith moved to accept with regret the above resignation, seconded by Selectman Coombs. The vote was unanimous in favor.
C.~~~~~~Acknowledge request for comment from Bureau of Submerged Lands on application of Paul L. Miller regarding his docking structure in Northeast Harbor.
Town Manager MacDonald said the Department of Conservation is converting what were formally called constructive easements into leases for piers and pilings in submerged lands. No action was necessary.
D.~~~~~~Acknowledge message of support for seceding from Hancock County
Selectman Smallidge entered into the record part of a supportive message from Brian Pollard regarding secession from Hancock County. Mr. Pollard praised Sharon Gilley for her competent and caring dispatching service during a medical emergency.
E.~~~~~~Acknowledge receipt of comment on Somesville Library pump station replacement.
Town Manager MacDonald said he had been told that day that the problem with odors from the Somesville Library pump station has been taken care of. Also the grass has been reseeded.
Public Works Director Smith said shrubs and bushes would be planted. Jeff Smith said the Library would be working with the Town on landscaping options.
F.~~~~~~Assessing Department monthly report.
Town Manager MacDonald said Assessor Brushwein wants to begin the transition from the TRIO software to Vision.
G.~~~~~~Acknowledge Acadia Disposal District meeting minutes for August 5, 2004.
Public Works Director Smith said the Town Hill site has been taken off the table for now as a transfer station.
H.~~~~~~Seal Harbor WWTP Weekly Construction Summary for week beginning August 30, and September 6, 2004.
Town Manager MacDonald said Ober Associates is right on schedule.
IV. Consent Agenda
None
V. Selectmen Reports
1. Responding to Selectman Smallidge's question about the current status of the Rural Waste Water Support Program, Town Manager MacDonald said a number of citizens have applied to the program but have not completed all the necessary steps, among then inspection phase. The checks will be sent out in mid-October to the 3rd week in October, contingent upon the inspections. He also noted that a few things in the current ordinance need to be clarified. A cut off date is one of them. There will probably be some revisions on the Town Meeting Warrant.
2. Responding to Selectman Smith’s question about a time line on the Pond’s End improvements, Selectman Smallidge said the Town needs to get an estimate on them for the Warrant.
3. Selectman Smallidge requested an investigation into the cost of health care for Town employees in relation to the other communities on the Island and Ellsworth. Last year health care costs were about 8 to 9% of the municipal budget.
4. Reporting on a recent League of Towns meeting, Selectman Smallidge said the people there were municipal officials, not elected representatives of the towns. They will take the idea of succession from Hancock County back to the individual towns. If all the towns are interested, then it would be time to seek legal advice. The first step would be to get a firm figure on the actual value of the services provided by the County as a ratio to what the towns provide it as appropriations. It could be possible that the Town is getting a very good deal, but he doubted it. Then it would be necessary to find a figure that defines the amount of money it would take to replace those services. He thought a Mount Desert county might be the wrong way to go and that a loosely knit group of towns might
be better. He reviewed some of what the Town does and does not get from the County.
VI. Old Business
None
VII. New Business
A.~~~~~~Minor grammar and spelling corrections to Special Amusement Permit Ordinance.
Town Manager MacDonald explained the corrections. The first is on page 1 Part 2.A.2. The word “shall” should be inserted. This change probably would require town meeting approval.
On page 2, section j. should be deleted. In Section k. adding a liquor license could probably be voted on by the Board. In item 3 the word “comply” should be changed to “complies”. On page 5, the word “ordinance” should be added to item 4. B.
B.~~~~~~Approve Special Amusement Permit Ordinance corrections and authorize inclusion in 2005 Town Meeting Warrant.
MOTION: Selectman Smith moved to approve the minor changes in items k and 3 on page 2 and the inclusion of the word “ordinance” on page 5, seconded by Selectman Coombs. The vote was unanimous in favor.
Town Manager MacDonald said the other two corrections will be on the Town Meeting Warrant.
VIII. General Issues
A.~~~~~~Authorize IF & W petition collection at November 2, 2004 polls.
Town Manager MacDonald said Dennis Smith wanted Board support for the petition to the State changing the Long Pond fishery.
MOTION: Selectman Smallidge moved to endorse the petition.
Selectman Coombs and Selectman Smith said the Board had already done it and that the Board did not need to get involved any more as long as Mr. Smith complies with the Town Clerk.
B.~~~~~~Trash and recycling pickup at US Gov. facilities.
Town Manager MacDonald suggested that the Town stop collecting trash and recycling at the Town’s three post offices as of the end of October because they do not pay Town taxes. He requested the Board’s permission to send them a letter to this effect. This would remove some of the waste tonnage that the Town pays for at PERC. Public Works Director Smith agreed with the idea. Selectman Smallidge wondered if the post offices would be amenable to being assessed estimated portions of what would be their property taxes and their percentage of the municipal trash budget. Town Manager MacDonald thought that idea stood little chance of success in view of the length of time it is taking to collect sewer fees from the Park Service. He thought private collectors could do the job for the post
offices.
Selectman Coombs thought the recycling took too much of the maintenance man’s time but if the Town doesn’t do it, the recycling will end. Possibly the postmasters and postmistresses could look into it. He did not think the Town should just write them a letter saying it would not collect any more. Selectman Smallidge thought the letter should say the matter is under consideration. Selectman Smith agreed and added that the letter should say collection, which is a free service, is an expense the Town incurs and ask how they as a government agency could accommodate the Town. Selectman Coombs said the Solid Waste Committee should be consulted. Town Manager MacDonald said the Town could find out how much the trash and recycling collection costs it. Public Works Director Smith said
the collection adds a significant impact to the maintenance man’s work week when he could be useful elsewhere.
Gerard Haradan asked if the post offices should pay for sewer treatment also. Selectman Smallidge advised waiting and seeing what kind of response is received from the letter.
Kathy Branch said the Seal Harbor Post Office pays taxes for its privately owned building.
IX. Other Business
George Peckham asked about plans to replace the Treasurer and about auditing of the Books. Town Manager MacDonald said a cash audit has been scheduled for Oct. 4th. The administration is working on plans for replacement. The 14 day internal posting period started Friday and will end October 1st. At a staff meeting that morning, the work load was distributed among the current staff.
X. Treasurer’s Warrants
Signed as presented.
XI Executive Session
None requested
At 7:15 pm Selectman Smith moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Selectman Coombs. The vote was unanimous in favor
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Smith, Secretary
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