Board of Selectmen Meeting, Nov. 15, 2004
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TOWN OF MOUNT DESERT, MAINE
Monday, November 15, 2004
A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held this date in the Meeting Room at the Town Office, Northeast Harbor, Maine.
Those present included: Chairman Rick Savage, Ernest Coombs, Patrick Smallidge, Jeff Smith; Town Manager Michael MacDonald; Recording Secretary Ellen Kappes and members of the public.
Call to order.
Chairman Savage called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Minutes
A. Approval of minutes of Regular Meeting of November 1, 2004.
MOTION: Selectman Smallidge moved to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 1, 2004 as presented, seconded by Selectman Smith. The vote was unanimous in favor.
III. Appointments and Communications
A.~~~~~~Approve appointment of Brent Hamor as Tax Collector.
Town Manager MacDonald said these items would complete Mr. Hamor’s appointment as Finance Director.
B.~~~~~~Approve appointment of Brent Hamor as Treasurer.
MOTION: Selectman Smith moved to take Items A and B together and to approve the above appointments, seconded by Selectman Smallidge. The vote was unanimous in favor.
C.~~~~~~Approve appointment of Stephen Zirnkilton as Alternate Planning Board Member.
Town Manager MacDonald said Mr. Zirnkilton was having trouble making the meetings and that he and Ms. Renault wanted to exchange positions.
D.~~~~~~Approve appointment of Lisa Renault as Planning Board Member
MOTION: Selectman Coombs moved to take Items C & D together and to approve the above appointments seconded by Selectman Smith. The vote was unanimous in favor.
E.~~~~~~Acknowledge receipt of Submerged Lands Application from Seal Harbor Properties, LLC.
Town Manager MacDonald said the letter from the Department of Conservation asked for comments on the above application. The application will be approved if they do not hear anything within 30 days. No action was required. Selectmen acknowledged receipt of the notice and had no comments.
F.~~~~~~Possible Building and Plumbing Ordinance Town Meeting Warrant Articles authorizing fee increases.
Town Manager MacDonald said the above were suggestions for amending the two ordinances either by plugging in a hard number or by adding a phrase giving the Board the authority to set the fees. The proposed fee increases in the packet would make the code department 100% self funding. Selectmen Smallidge and Coombs preferred plugging in a hard number so the Town would know exactly what it would get. Town Manager MacDonald will change the warrant articles to reflect that opinion.
G.~~~~~~Acknowledge receipt of letter from American Legion Post 103, returning $400.00 from 2004 budget appropriation.
Town Manager MacDonald said a letter from the above Post explains that it did not need the $800 appropriation given to it last year and was returning $400.
H.~~~~~~Letter to Atwater Kent Foundation, acknowledging their $500.00 contribution.
Chairman Savage thanked Town Manager MacDonald for writing the letter.
I.~~~~~~Acknowledge receipt of communication from MMA Risk Management Services Stewardship Report detailing value of services provided. Acknowledged.
J.~~~~~~Acknowledge receipt of MM E Health Trust notice of 2.21% premium increase.
Town Manager MacDonald said this was good news because he was budgeting for a 10% increase. This decreases his budget request by $32,000.
K.~~~~~~Acknowledge receipt of Marine Management Committee meeting minutes of October 12, 2004, recommending harbor fee increases. Acknowledged.
L.~~~~~~Acknowledge and approve draft of letter of support for Long Pond I F & W public hearings.
Selectmen approved the letter. Dennis Smith said he got 528 signatures on his petitions. Chairman Savage asked him to make copies of the signatures and include them with the letter to show the support.
N.~~~~~~Acknowledge reimbursement of legal cost of $5,482.87 to Robert P. Ho for combined legal defense of Planning Board decision.
Town Manager MacDonald said the Town had received a suit from an abutter to Mr. Ho’s subdivision challenging the Planning Board’s decision. The Town’s attorney indicated he had a potential conflict of interest. Mr. Ho’s attorney took over the primary defense of the Planning Board decision. The above amount represents 50% of the legal cost of defense. The Town would have had to pay twice as much if it had had to hire its own lawyer. The Board had no comment.
O.~~~~~~Acknowledge receipt of Weekly Construction Summary dated October 25, 2004 and November 5, 2004 for Seal Harbor WWTP upgrade
IV. Consent Agenda
None
V. Selectmen Reports
None
VI. Old Business
A.~~~~~~Update on skating rink proposal
Mia Brown asked for approval of the plan. She said the Chamber of Commerce would like to help. The School Board has not yet voted but the grass irrigation system on the field and insurance questions have been looked into and are ok. That board will meet next on Thursday. If the school can’t be used, they would like to put the rink on the green in the marina area. If Selectmen could give her the green light, she wanted to go forward and raise money to buy lumber and materials. The Fire Department and the Water District will open up a fire hydrant to help fill the rink and the Fire Department will skim it once a week. She has been advised to have lights at night. She would ask the Town to provide benches and trash cans. Selectman Coombs was all for the idea. The
rest of the Selectmen thought it was a great idea. Chairman Savage told her she would be in charge. Town Manager MacDonald told her to speak to Public Works Director Smith about benches and cans.
VII. New Business
A.~~~~~~Cast one vote ballot for Municipal Review Committee Board of Director election.
MOTION: Selectman Smallidge moved to cast one vote ballot for Leon Yeaton from Addison, the individual recommended by Public Works Director Smith for the above Board, seconded by Selectman Smith. The vote was unanimous in favor.
B.~~~~~~Recommitment of Taxes to Brent Hamor, Treasurer.
MOTION: Selectman Smith moved to approve the above recommitment, seconded by Selectman Coombs. The vote was unanimous in favor.
C.~~~~~~Approve Northeast Harbor Marina 2005 Summer Rate Schedule.
Town Manager MacDonald said the higher rates could bring in another estimated $35,000 in fees
MOTION: Selectman Smallidge moved to approve the above fee schedule, seconded by Selectman Smith. The vote was unanimous in favor.
VIII. General Issues
None
IX. Other Business
A.~~~~~~Budget deliberations, Other Services Requests.
Chairman Savage asked the representatives from other services to keep their presentations to less than 5 minutes.
Mount Desert Nursery School: Eden Abbott said the requested $1,050 would be used to buy a used tent and a replacement fence to separate their land and Jack Frost’s boat business.
Mt. Desert Chamber of Commerce: Robert De Revere explained what the Chamber does and noted that the $5,450 requested was the same as it was in 2003 and less than in 2004.
Mt. Desert Nursing Association: David Reiber said the staff needed to be increased to provide for more patients and more visits this past year. The request for $20,646 was for 60% reimbursement to the Association for unpaid visits.
American Red Cross: Chris Reed said the requested $2,901 was based on the population of the Town.
Downeast AIDS Network: Michael Barrow spoke about this service.
Downeast Health Services W I C Program: Trudy Lunt requested $210 for the 7 clients served from this community and verified that it is a federal program
Eastern Agency on Aging: Chris Breedlove requested $500 ($100 more than last year) and explained the services.
Hospice of Hancock County: Cathy Planchart requested $500 ($350 more than approved last year). Hospice also provided bereavement counseling in the schools this past year.
Mt. Desert Island Historical Society: Charlotte Singleton said the $500 requested ($500 less than last year) enables them to go into schools with trunk exhibits and provide programs at the 1894 schoolhouse.
Northeast Harbor Library: Robert Pyle requested the same figure that was approved for the last two years. Mr. Pyle and the Board discussed that day’s letter from him to the Town Manager about consolidating the appropriations for all the Town libraries making them one Aid to Libraries line item. Responding to Selectman Smallidge, he said that in the new building he plans to function in a far more efficient building with existing staffing levels. Selectman Smith liked the idea of the breakdown into different libraries. Town Manager MacDonald said the subject could be discussed further at a later meeting.
Somesville Library: Carole O’Donnell noted she was requesting the same amount that was appropriated for the last four years.
Seal Harbor Village Improvement Society: Edie Crowley said an additional $4,000 was being requested because this past year the VIS had major increases in expenses. Volunteers do what the Town would otherwise have to do. Selectman Smith commented that it would be a nightmare for the Town to take over that operation.
Somesville Village Improvement Society: Selectman Smith said the amount was the same as last year’s appropriation.
Neighborhood House: Anne-Marie Hart was present at a previous meeting.
Downeast Transportation & Island Explorer: Paul Murphy noted the amounts requested had not changed from the last several years for both agencies. The funds for Downeast Transportation were matched with federal funds.
Island Connections: Andrew Dewey asked for the same $2,000 that was requested last year. The Town approved $1,000. He explained the services.
Combat; Community Health and Counseling Services; Wash. Hancock Community; Yesterday’s Children, Inc; UPC of Maine; Seal Harbor Library;: no representatives.
Town Manager MacDonald anticipated an increase in Maine State Retirement but wanted to get the figure before plugging in the amount.
X. Treasurer’s Warrants
Signed as presented.
XI Executive Session
None requested
At 7:32 pm Selectman Smith moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Selectman Coombs. The vote was unanimous in favor
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Smith
Secretary
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Monday, December 6, 2004 at 6:30 P.M. in the Meeting Room, Town Office, Northeast Harbor.
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