Town of Otisfield
Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes
April 1, 2015
1. CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting was called to order at 7:01 PM. Rick Micklon & Lenny Adler present. (Absent – Chairman; Hal Ferguson)
2. FLAG SALUTE: Audience and Board members saluted the flag.
3. ACTION ON MINUTES:
A. Meeting minutes from March 18, 2015. *Motion to accept minutes. RM/LA – Unanimous.
4. SPECIAL EVENTS:
A. None.
5. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
A. None.
6. DEPARTMENT HEADS:
A. None.
7. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC:
A. Seth Field and Robert Ellis – Baseball Discussion: Seth Field: Calls were made to past coaches. Everyone was excited to help. But after being part of this, I am seeing that more support and organization is needed from the Town. He would like to know if the Town would consider expanding the field out back. Asked if Seeds of Peace could be used for practices. Would like to have a storage shed at the Town Office location so that there’s no sharing with the school or missing equipment. They have a coaches meeting next week and all feel that more organization is needed. Volunteers are needed for Snack manager and a volunteer secretary is needed. RM: It’s a volunteer system. Recreation directors have failed because they get so much grief from parents that it’s not worth the stipend received. RM/LA agree the
field out back, is available. If Sexton needs to cut grass, he will. Seth: Would like a beginning of the year or end of the year meeting scheduled to help eliminate a lot of confusion. Softball team gets new uniforms every couple years, baseball team has same ones for at least 7 or 8 years. RM: For background, the softball team has raised the funds on their own and the Town would support you if that’s what you wanted to do. When MIM comes back she will be better involved and be in touch with you to help things go more smoothly. The snack shack and storage shed at the school belong to the Town. They are for town baseball/softball/soccer and items are locked up. LA suggests talking to Fire Chief about a retired van that can be used as a storage place for equipment and it will be locked up on Town property location. Anne Pastore will look into Seeds of Peace location for practices to be held there. If money is left over in the recreation budget, we can discuss how it can be spent to
help baseball improve their circumstances. RM thanked Seth and Robert for bringing this to their attention.
8. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ITEMS:
A. Superintendent Colpitts requested to be on April 15th BOS agenda. This is to discuss the school budget. HF had suggested at a previous meeting to invite school board members.
B. Historical Society has a new website. Otisfield.org
C. Heniger Park – New lease assignment. Lot 3, Richard Bolduc, would like to reassign it to his niece and her husband. *Motion to reassign the lease. RM/LA – Unanimous.
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 # 18 to pay the town bills. RM/LA - Unanimous.
12. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD
A. Fairpoint Progress: RM: For background, we applied for a grant last year and we were awarded the grant through ConnectME. The ConnectME broadband deployment project was a total of $387,000 and the Town received $186,000 from the ConnectME Grant. Fairpoint paid the remainder. The trucks have been in Town on 121 in full force and they have stated that 90% of the people will have high speed internet when this is done and 70% will have an improved connection. The project is on track and should be completed in June.
B. Ross Cudlitz, PE: Cobb Hill Update: RM: Ross has explained that the harsh winter has made it impossible to get on the ground survey data in order to design the large culvert outfall at the base of the hill. Recommendations for prioritizing the work on Cobb Hill Road are as follows 1) the dangerous steep washout at the large culvert at the base of the hill needs to be fixed. 2) Add 2-3 more culverts at strategic locations. 3) Regrade the road and shoulder at his discretion. 4) Take on ditch reconstruction and stabilization with proper materials and 5) paving the road in sections over several years. Discussion: A sizeable chunk of money may need to be discussed at Town Meeting. Ross may possibly have a design in May if he can get out there in mid April. (Email submitted into public record).
C. Resident’s Land Use/Tax Status: RM submitted his opinion as one Selectman into public record regarding tax abatement requests and applications to the BOS due to a recent tax abatement request and application to the BOS. He highly recommends to any and all tax payers/land owners in Otisfield to seek the help of a third party assessor prior to agreeing to any change in the property ownership, land use and/or town tax status or possible tax implications. LA would like to go on record as agreeing with what RM has written and suggest this be brought to the next meeting when HF is in attendance and adopting this as a Town Policy. Both agree.
D. Buildings and Grounds: RM: Expense report received from January from Sandy. BOS are looking for Jan. Feb and March. The Community Hall septic system has backed up and needs to be fixed. We have a leach field that is probably fine, but we could have a tank that has never been pumped because it had little to no use in prior years. The ramp may need to be disassembled and pulled away. The Town will fix the problem, but they would like to make sure they have money in the buildings and grounds to do so. If that fund has been depleted, it still needs to be done and can be pulled from another account if necessary.
E. MIM’s return: Both agree a doctor’s clearance is needed and she can come back for as much as she can handle. MIM is currently requesting to come back part time, 2 – 4 hours a day. RM and LA don’t want her to overdo it and risk her future health. RM discussed the cleaning of the vault with her and keeping that annual cleaning process up to speed. The temperature needs to warm up before doing so.
13. EXECUTIVE SESSION:
A. Motion to enter into executive session pursuant to MSRS. Motion to close executive session by___ 2nd___, All Y-N. Discussion: *There was no executive session held at this mtg.
14. ADJOURNMENT. *Motion to adjourn at 8:30 PM. LA/RM-Unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Tanya Taft, Secretary
Approved by:
Hal Ferguson, Chairman __________________________________________
Rick Micklon __________________________________________
Lenny Adler __________________________________________
Approved on April 15, 2015
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