Town of Otisfield
Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes
April 18, 2012
1. CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting was called to order at 7:00PM. Hal Ferguson, Chairman, Rick Micklon & Lenny Adler present.
2. FLAG SALUTE
*Audience and Board members saluted the flag.
3. SECRETARY’S REPORT:
A. Meeting minutes from April 4, 2012. *Motion to accept minutes. LA/RM – Unanimous.
4. SPECIAL EVENTS
A. Betty Williams, Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWD). Crooked River Watershed Report is intended to provide community members with specific strategies for helping to improve this important local resource. Checklist of high priority Otisfield sites was submitted into public record. Mostly gravel roads and culverts. LA noticed they had (Bolsters Mills Road) a State maintained road on the list and Betty said it would be removed. Highest priority sites with the highest impact were looked at and put at the top of the list. A DEP 319 Grant proposal will be submitted in June. It is awarded in August and if received, the project will be started in spring. This survey has been done within the last year. A signed letter from the town will be needed by June, stating the town agrees
to assist with this project.
B. Chris Davis, Healthy Oxford Hills: Helping to educate towns on local public health. Tonight is for health promotion and disease prevention. Furthering and deepening the tobacco policy. Her goal is to create a Tobacco Free Maine, and trying to make a more consistent message across the state. Trying to make a cultural statement. Things take time to change. It’s not to stop smoking entirely, just to have people step away from crowds, because of the 2nd hand smoke effects. Bulk of people are non-smokers. Every town is at different levels of smoke free places, so what we want is to have all (3) areas consistent. LA: The Town has agreed that they would “not” go above State law. It’s been voted on by the BOS. Chris Davis: What’s your
rational with only going with the state standard, which is a minimum standard?. BOS: We have no other areas mentioned other than the beach. We looked at the State Law and we made a conscientious decision to go w/ that and to update the Town Beach. HF: We don’t have law enforcement so it would be a hard policy to enforce. It’s never been an issue and the town is hoping it remains that way. BOS thanked her for her time.
5. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
A. Road Study Review Committee: David Hyer, The inventory of Otisfield town roads has been completed and the program has been updated. The town roads total 47.25 miles. The paved roads total 26.72 miles and the gravel roads total 20.53 miles. Inventory was based on “significant changes in road surface conditions” to define road segments. This usually relates to prior maintenance segments. The committee identified 51 separate segments for paved roads and 40 separate segments for gravel roads. Road segments were measured using GPS to improve accuracy versus a vehicle’s odometer. TT updated the database. BOS thanked him and the committee for their help. RM: What’s next? David: The survey is the next step for the software and most important. The data
collection and the history should be gathered from Richard Bean, Road Commissioner and Frank Blauvelt, EMA Director. Identify the individuals that will be doing the survey and move forward. HF: Road crew member, too? LA will talk to Richard to see if he can work w/ him in the evenings. David is recommending that the survey be done on a wet road surface. TT will work w/ LA, gathering further data.
B. Road Study Review Committee: LA and Richard Bean are working on prices for Town Garage equipment.
C. Finance committee: The 1st meeting of this fiscal year will be held April 24th @ 7:00PM.
6. DEPARTMENT HEADS:
A. Town Sexton -Dan Peaco:
1) Del Maxfield, Maine Survey Consultants wants to know when Town took over ownership of the Saturday Pond Dam? LA: The state awarded dam to Otisfield and there is something in writing, but it was about 20 – 25 years ago. DP: Is there a way to find it? Possibly be found at the registry of deeds? MIM will look in files and report back to Danny.
2) South Otisfield Cemetery will be started after Memorial Day. RM: Spoke with Elton Vasquez, abutter and Elton appreciated the heads up from the Town.
B. Otisfield EMA Director, Frank Blauvelt, submitted a resolution last meeting to be signed for the Oxford County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2012 update. A list of problem roads was submitted into public record. An article was put in the paper that caused some concern on where the numbers came from. Richard Bean, Road Commissioner had talked to Frank, but was under the impression that it was a generalization that it the Town could bring roads up to 100% engineered roads. Frank assured the town that there was no commitment. The figures were on the high side and they need to be readjusted. Richard will talk to Frank to look at the numbers again. RM: Not a big deal, but the BOS would like towns people to know that they should not be afraid of the numbers.
7. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC:
A. Scribner Mills: Rick Jackson: Looking for an easement so committee can work on the dam. Is there any movement on that and what has happened? BOS: It’s on tonight’s Agenda. Richard said he would wait till it gets brought up on item *11;B below.
8. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ITEMS:
A. Town Reports: Just another reminder that the Town Report for 2011 is available at the Town Office.
B. Unlicensed Dog List warrant 2012 (43) dogs of which (19) need to provide rabies certificate. *Motion to sign and give list to Robert Larabbee, Animal Control Officer. HF/LA – Unanimous.
C. Municipal Charitable Program Application: A letter was written regarding the Community Hall and its winter use. A new heating system is needed. M.L. “Jack” Gibson sent Town a letter for his grant. The Town was awarded $10,000.00 for a community based project. BOS feel the Community Hall heating project would benefit all the residents year round, especially if it’s ever needed for a warming shelter during a winter emergency, such as the prior ice storm.
D. Henniger Park: The signs need clarification: MIM clarified with BOS on exact names for signs and will update BOS when signs are complete.
E.CEO reports have been submitted into public record. *HF thinks it should be deferred to the end of this mtg.
F. Tax acquired property: Individual thought he had 90 days to come up w/ the funds due. MIM told him June 21st is the deadline. RM: Town does not want his house and wants to work with him, but he needs to work with the town. HF will talk to him to discuss options about being proactive, before it’s too late.
G. South Otisfield Cemetery clearing: Swampville was cut in late 2005 or early 2006. MIM will find out more detailed information and report back to Danny.
9. ADJUSTMENTS TO AGENDA:
A. None.
10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. None.
11. SELECTMEN’S ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED & VOTED ON:
A.Town Warrant: *Motion to sign Warrant # 19 to pay the town bills. LA/ RM – Unanimous.
B. Scribner Mills Dam: CEO went to the State to research ROW per Richard Jackson’s request at a prior BOS meeting. The state responded with they are not going to help out, which puts it back in the towns court. BOS need to discuss how far they want to go w/ this. Lawyers may be needed? After talking w/ Rick Jackson’s committee attorney, an easement does not require any deed research. His attorney stated the town attorney can just draw up a deed. This committee does not want to incur any cost on the town. He suspects the board will have no problem repaying the town for this cost, but it’s up to the town if they want to grant the easement. LA: This would require a town meeting vote. RM read the MMA response and their perspective is that there may be more work then Richards’s attorney is aware
of. BOS are requesting Rick Jackson’s attorney send something to the Town and they will then pass it on to town attorney. He can then give a ball park of what he thinks it will take. All warrant articles need to be in by 1st week of June.
C. Town Meeting: RM requested “A Citizens Guide to Town Meeting” be ordered to help people feel more comfortable with the format and procedure at our Annual Town Meetings. He requested that (100) be sent to the town so that it can be handed out at Town Meeting, but only about (50) were received. They will be placed at the front door of town meeting so that people can grab one on the way in.
12. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD:
A. RM: Town Office Annex Update (former class room). Currently in the demolition and framing stage. Tables will be needed. Trying to get to the State surplus to come up w/ something.
B. LA: Transfer Station - Security System: At prior meeting the quote submitted did not match up to what was discussed so LA contacted Great Falls Security. A new quote was sent to correct this. (A 2nd camera was missing from previous quote and they discussed selling it at cost) The quote received since, was above $5,000.00 causing this to go out to bid. This company is one the Town currently uses and it would be unwise to have two different alarm companies monitoring town properties. *Motion to negotiate a price less than $5,000.00 and if that fails hold off on one camera, as it may coincide with Town Garage camera project. LA/HF – Unanimous.
C. SAD 17 Budget Meeting: LA: The numbers for Otisfield seemed out of sync compared to all other towns. It’s possible that there is a typo. HF will check with John O’Donnell, O’Donnell Associates, Town Assessor, to discuss why Otisfield is the only town that went up and or the State to find out if it’s a typo.
D. Town Meeting Presentations: Henry Hamilton would like to give a 5 minutes presentation on Hospice at the Town Meeting. Discussion: All agree this is a worthy cause, but afraid that it may open a can of worms and lead to others wanting to take up time, and where do you draw the line? RM: Do we open up for town service announcements from 8 to 9? Some kind of order needs to be decided, otherwise we may have so many people w/ good causes and time limits that we can not start Town Meeting on time. We could post on Website. RM asked audience for their thoughts: Karen Turino: Thinks it’s a bad idea or precedence. Herb Olsen: Other towns do it at the end of the mtg and those that want to stay and listen can stay. Dan Peaco: Agrees that it can be very noisy and take too long which could postpone the meeting.
*Motion that we have no presentations at this time and limit interested parties to the table at the hall. LA/RM – Unanimous. HF will convey that the BOS are not against it, but that a luncheon or BOS mtg would be the best place to inform people interested.
E. Town Meeting: HF will approach the Otisfield Firefighters Association to see if they would provide coffee and small snack at Town meeting.
F. Salvation Army: The canteen truck is currently located on Main Street in Lewiston. Finance Committee has not received anything as of yet, but LA & HF wanted to mention they do provide a great service to the town.
G. Town Insurance Deductible is a thousand dollars. Nothing received as of yet for the theft of Richard Bean’s property, stolen at the town sheds.
13. Upcoming Dates:
A. Board of Selectmen Meeting, May 2, 2012 @ 7:00 PM
14. ADJOURNMENT:
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:47 PM. RM/LA – Unanimous.
Respectfully submitted
Tanya Taft,
Approved by:
Hal Ferguson, Chairman
Rick Micklon
Lenny Adler
Approved on: May 2, 2012
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