Town of Otisfield
Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes
March 1, 2017
1. CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM. Chairman; Hal Ferguson, Lenny Adler & Rick Micklon present.
2. FLAG SALUTE: Audience and Board members saluted the flag.
3. ACTION ON MINUTES:
A. Meeting Minutes from February 1, 2017. *Motion to accept minutes. LA/RM – Unanimous.
4. SPECIAL EVENTS:
A. None.
5. BOARD & COMMITTEE REPORTS:
A. Finance Committee: Quen Henderson, Chair: Meeting tomorrow night at 7:00 PM, we have a busy agenda, and we will be having another meeting on March 16th if the members agree.
B. Board of Appeals: HF: Phil Saucier reviewed our Board of Appeals Ordinance. It needs to be tightened up. BOA members will workshop this with BOS Tuesday, March 14th at 6:00 PM.
6. DEPARTMENT HEADS:
A. First Responder: Beth Damon:
1) Wanted to inform the BOS that Otisfield has inadequate addressing in emergency situations. Otisfield does not have an Address Ordinance, so we have no house number size requirement, but we need to inform the public that it’s important. Former Paris Fire Chief Brad Frost is writing grants and running a committee to help spread the word and purchase address markers. We currently have some 3” numbers, but other town Ordinances state 4” dimensions. HF: Since we don’t have an ordinance, I suggest 3” would work. The challenge is going to try and get them to the people that need them. The markers are approx $12/each. Brad is going to get a flyer that we can put at the town office to spread the word. BD wants to talk to the Social Outreach Committee to see if they will hand them out at lunches and also have
them available at Town Meeting. RM: I think it’s so important that if grant money is an issue, I see no reason why we don’t use town funds. HF: let’s test the waters first to see if the people are acceptable to this. Guidance will be given on where they should be posted and how. *Tabled until an upcoming meeting.
2) CPR posters and AED instructions have been given to AP to post at the Town Office and Community Hall. Discussion: AED may be needed at Gore Station and Town Garage. All agreed. *Motion that we purchase 2 more AED’s for the other side of town to be taken from Heniger Park Money. HF/LA – Unanimous. AP will take care of this.
B. Computer Updates: David Hyer: Working with AP for next year’s budget and new lap top for TT. Would like to know if Town is agreeable to purchasing a monthly subscription for an editable PDF software that can be used for the town website forms. The cost is approx$18/$19/month. RM: Currently we are looking into an upgraded website for the town in this fiscal cycle. Let’s see what the new deluxe standard includes and ask if they can upgrade our forms/services. DH will look at other towns and see if they have editable forms on line. RM, I think it’s a great idea, but it’s a matter of if we need to pay for it or get it for free. LA: It’s less than $250/year, we could try it for a year and not continue to use it if it’s not being used a whole lot. All agree.
7. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC:
A. Herb Olson: Would like to know where we are with Single Source Recycling: LA: After July 1st, Oxford County is not going to do a pick up. The Town is investigating other options. AVCOG designed our transfer station and they are the experts. First step will be to contact AVCOG and have a representative come out and talk to us about our options. The next meeting is in March.
8. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ITEMS:
A. Time Warner Cable Northeast LLC Franchise Agreement submitted into public record. Dean Raymond got the ball rolling with BOS approval over a year ago. HF: Requesting AP to check with Naples and ask their thoughts on this. Also requesting she invite Dean Raymond and the representative for Time Warner to an upcoming BOS meeting to update the BOS and public on this. *Tabled until an upcoming meeting.
B. DOT Tarring project agreement. *Motion that we sign the agreement with DOT. LA/HF – Unanimous.
C. Community Concepts letter asking for funding from USDA. This is an annual letter that the town receives. *Motion that HF sign the agreement. LA/RM - Unanimous.
9. ADJUSTMENTS TO AGENDA
A. None.
10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Pleasant Lake Dam.
B. Dry Hydrant Easements
11. SELECTMEN’S ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED & VOTED ON
A. Town Warrant: *Motion to sign Warrant # 15 & #16 to pay the town bills. LA/RM - Unanimous.
B. Heniger Park, Lease reassignment lot #8 being reassigned from Dennis and Ann Harward to Jason B. Anker and Amy Panza. Discussion: This was done at the February 1st meeting, but their Attorney wanted some additional verbiage releasing the prior owners from any liability. RM: We may want to add some additional standard verbiage on all future re-assignments, stating this is not a release from tax responsibility that is currently owed. All agreed. *Motion to sign the lease re-assignment for Lot #8 with additional paragraph requested from attorney releasing prior owners from liability of lease agreement. HF/RM – Unanimous.
C. Business Showcase: AP: Sharon has been doing this at the Community Hall for about 5 years, every August. Businesses in the surrounding towns are welcome and it’s open to the public. This year she’s going to make it a summer fair. She would like to have it extend outside so it gets more publicity and she’s hoping to move it to July for more foot traffic. BOS think this is a good idea and support her efforts. All the money goes to a fund for the Community Hall.
D. Community Hall/Electricity Usage: HF: We have been receiving approximately $400/month bills for the Community Hall. There are 4 electric heaters and people crank them up. Suggesting additional ducts be built to lower the heating cost and circulate the heat and if successful removing the electric heaters. LA: Suggests putting a box over thermostats to stop people from tampering with the dial. RM will address the issue with a heating contractor and report back with an update.*Tabled until an upcoming meeting.
12. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD
A. Williams Way Easement / Dry Hydrant Easement: HF: The dry hydrants/two easements were discussed with Town Attorney Phil Saucier in his office in Portland, and he said he could draw up the documents. They have since been provided and distributed. Waiting for feedback from the Silvaqua Association & Jared Damon. JD: Everything looks good and is agreeable with him, but he would like to add some dimensional reference in the verbiage. He will have the surveyor put that in and send it to the BOS for approval. David Hyer: Has not heard anything recently from Silvaqua Association. They were conveying everything through email and soliciting input from their Board of Directors. It will take a little bit of time because they are from different states. At first look, some people were not excited with it. He was under
the impression that there were going to be 2 different documents. HF: If it were to be cost sharing that would be in the same document. The areas that the hydrant would service would not be specified since it could be utilized for any situation within or outside of Silvaqua. RM: He too feels they should both be in the same document to make sure that it gets registered at the same time, same place. An exhibit A could be added, rather than have it in 2 separate documents. All agree.
B. Pleasant Lake Dam: HF: We have had numerous problems. Two of the camps that are on the water have high water near/under them due to this work and the rising temperatures. Warm days, caused more water down there. We put something on the website posting that there could be dangerous conditions on the water and also at the town beach and transfer station. T-Buck put things on hold waiting for better weather and opening the dam to lower the water level. Ross Cudlitz says the water still needs to go down 12”. The project is going over budget but everything is almost completed and running nicely now. DEP Permiting caused the delay at the beginning which resulted in additional cost caused by “winter conditions“. We just paid a bill with last warrant. One more bill & one more change order
coming. In attendance; Peter Barber, PLPP President who had donated $20,000, ($10,000 to each town) from the association. RM & HF: That’s a huge contribution and very much appreciated. Peter played a major role in this entire project, from the beginning of the initial meetings to the financial support of the association. Peter stated he is going to see if any other funds are available to contribute and let the BOS know at another time. Once Again, thanked by the BOS.
C. Repairs needed: HF:
1) Handicap Railing at the Community Hall has been broken off and needs to be repaired. RM will take care of this.
2) Generator: HF: When I came in to open the Annex for Winter Carnival the generator was buried as a result of snow from the roof after it was shoveled out. Need to build a rugged fence so that it will catch the snow. Funding for this can be taken out of buildings and grounds. RM will discuss with Glenn Snow.
D. CN Brown: HF: Spurr’s Corner FS ran out of oil. AP: The account has been reviewed and it was suggested to move up fill times so it doesn’t happen again. They will top it off every week.
E. Scribner Mills Bridge : The State is not inspecting this anymore. It is deemed unsafe. Temporary fixes have been done over time, but the issue is fast approaching regarding what to do long-term. There is no desire by Otisfield or Harrison to assist in funding the level of improvements necessary to meeting the long-term structural needs. All agree they will wait to see what Harrison decides to do. *Tabled until an upcoming meeting.
F. Town Report: HF submitted his recommendation of selectmen words for the Town Report. *RM & LA will review.
G. Town Warrant: HF: Submitted two proposed Articles for Town Warrant into public record:
1) Electronic sign for out front of Town Office and 2) Renovations for upstairs Town office. *Tabled until an upcoming meeting.
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 8:05 PM. HF/LA -Unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Tanya Taft, Secretary
Approved by:
Hal Ferguson, Chairman
Rick Micklon
Lenny Adler
Approved on March 15, 2017
| 
