Town of Otisfield
Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes
July 19, 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 June 21, 2017. *Motion to accept minutes. RM/HF – Unanimous.
B. Meeting Minutes from June 28, 2017. *Motion to accept minutes. HF/RM – Unanimous.
4. SPECIAL EVENTS:
A. Bill Newcomb, Town Forester: RM: Bill is our Town Forester. He developed and oversees our Forest Management Plan. We asked him in tonight to discuss and develop a plan for moving forward and to see where we stand with our forests regarding standing timber and their values should we decide to cut at this time. Bill: Markets aren’t good right now. In 2006 a cut was done on the Swampville lot and Saturday Pond lot. Markets were better. Heniger Park was last cut in 2008. The area we call the recreation field is coming back with good regeneration, but far from ready to cut. Hidden Lake Road would be a good place to start this winter. BOS all agree they want to make sure that if the time is right to cut, they’ll cut, but if holding off proves to be more profitable in the long run, then they will hold off.
Bill will check back with BOS in October to let them know how markets are moving.
5. BOARD & COMMITTEE REPORTS:
A. Planning Board: Karen Turino: We had a busy meeting last night. We had our election of officers. We voted to accept a Residence Based Business Application on Ahonen Rd, for a Home Bakery of organic, gluten-free based products for wholesale distribution. We voted on a completed Shoreland Zoning application on Camp Nona Rd. We have a completed Site Plan Review application in front of us for Uel Gardner DBA Weaponcraft LLC, proposing an educational training site for firearm safety & proficiency and we scheduled a Public Hearing for this applicant on August 1st @ 7:00 PM.
B. Finance Committee: Quen Henderson: Committee will reconvene in September.
C. Conservation Committee: Maureen Howard, Chair:
1) Member Kristen Roy’s term expired 06/30/2017. *HF has sent an email to check to see if she would like to remain on the committee and renew her term. Maureen will also check to see.
2) Meeting cancelation: Requesting TT cancels the July 25th meeting. TT will update website.
3) Two Ponds Trails: A bridge is needed. RM may have a flat sided log that can be used for that bridge. He will get in contact with Maureen.
4) Maine Conservation Commission: HF: Maureen has been signed up to be a member of this organization for $100.00 a year. She will report back after a year to see if it is worth being a member.
5) Application received from Gordon Chamberlain: Gordon in attendance tonight. HF: Would like to know what changed from when application was submitted in March? Gordon: I didn’t show up in April because I was confused. I never changed my mind; I didn’t have a clear understanding of what was going on. HF: It is our procedure to ask volunteers to come in and meet with us. HF: We have some history; some good, some bad and my dilemma is I do not know which Gordon will show up. My perception is that when you get angry, you get angry rapidly and use profanity. Based on that, I do not feel you are a good fit at this time. GC: I don’t have that anger any more. I’ve had a rebirth. RM: I don’t know when this rebirth occurred Gordon but you left me a message about a month ago, laced with profanity. You still
have anger and it’s how you handle the anger that concerns me. I appreciate what you have done and I appreciate what you can do, but I do not feel you are a good fit at this time. LA: We also have history. We had a few go arounds and I know you can be feisty. But in my opinion we both served together on the Ordinance Policy Review Committee and there were no problems. There were discussions but no arguments. I’d be willing to give you a chance. You are intelligent and you do your homework. Gordon: I had a lot going on and reasons to be upset at the time. I have changed and that was the past. *Motion that we appoint Gordon on the Conservation Committee. LA/ -- (no 2nd) Motion defeated. Discussion: BOS recommend he still goes to the meetings, offers advice and input as he always has, if after a year the Chair comes to BOS and says, “he’s been a great asset, a willing participant, showed up, helped out, etc. I see no issues with him being a member”, BOS
would take that into consideration. Gordon thanked the BOS for their time.
6. DEPARTMENT HEADS:
A. Fire Chief: Kyle Jordan: Fire Dept is busy. There have been 87 calls to date for 2017. When the tornado went through town, there were (6) calls in a 30 minute period and it wasn’t chaos, it was crews being established and checking on things. Rayville & Tamworth Roads had extensive work to be down with several trees being down, and Richard Bean Sr. and Richard Bean Jr. helped tremendously.
7. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC:
A. None.
8. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ITEMS:
A. Foreclosure – Blueberry Lane. Sharon Matthews gave Suzanne M. Burns and Heirs of Richard R. Burns the amount owed to buy property back. The amount owed was $5,585.86.
A cashiers check in this amount needs to be received from Suzanne by August 1, 2017and she is working with Sharon to get this resolved.
B. RFP’S Update: (Request for Proposals) Otisfield is looking for qualified vendors to furnish the Town of Otisfield with municipal solid waste transportation and /or disposal services for a three year period from 10/01/2017 through 09/30/2020. Proposals are due August 17, 2017 @ 7:00 PM at the Otisfield Town office. This has been posted on the website and local papers. Becky Seacrest our AVCOG representative and BOS will review any received proposals together.
C. Heniger Park Lease Reassignment-Lot 9B. *Motion that we approve the Heniger Park lease reassignment for Cheryl A. White and Kimberly M. Duhaime on Lot 9B. LA/HF – Unanimous.
D. CMP; Pole permit:
1) *Motion to approve the CMP pole permit Job # 10300372271 on Andrews Hill Road. LA/RM – Unanimous.
2) *Motion to approve the CMP pole permit Job # 10300360904 on Mayberry Hill Road / Powhattan Road. LA/RM – Unanimous.
9. ADJUSTMENTS TO AGENDA
A. None.
10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Saturday Pond Dam easement.
11. SELECTMEN’S ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED & VOTED ON
A. Town Warrant: *Motion to sign Warrant # 27, to pay the town bills. RM/HF - Unanimous.
B. Town Warrant: *Motion to sign Warrant # 60, to pay the town bills. RM/HF - Unanimous.
C. Town Warrant: *Motion to sign Warrant # 1, to pay the town bills. RM/HF - Unanimous
12. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD
A. Silvaqua Easement: HF: Met with Town Attorney, Phil Saucier, and came up with fairly common asement. That Easement was sent to Silvaqua Association in February and the Town just got back a markup of what the Silvaqua Association would like to see as far as an easement. Dan Porter, Silvaqua Association Board member is representing the Association tonight. HF: Both MMA and the Town Attorney, Phil Saucier say we must have a deeded easement to work on private property. I see no way, the public funds can be spent on that dry hydrant without a bonified easement. If it freezes up this winter, it’s going to cost Silvaqua not the Town. Dan: We want to have an easement with the Town but have had issues with other easement holders, if it weren’t for that, it wouldn’t be an issue. Fire Chief: We all started together
in good faith. I’ve read both easements, I understood what the town sent you. I could not follow the one sent back because it was so different. Dan: If we don’t have an easement and the dry hydrant is no longer functional the town will not pay for the repair? If we sign your easement, the town will repair it? HF: Basically. We put an article on the warrant. The use of town funds on a private easement may/may not be done if we have the easement. Town Report with article approved in 2016 wording was given to Dan to bring back to the Silvaqua board members. HF: let’s figure out how to move forward. Dan: Silvaqua has done a fair amount to help out the situation with the dry hydrant. We pay Garry Dyer
to keep it plowed in the winter when we don’t need to, so it is usable for the FD. We also have maintained the road to higher standards. All agree they’ve always worked well together. Silvaqua has a meeting on July 29th. HF plans to attend. *Tabled until an upcoming meeting.
B. Transfer Station (new signs): Erik is requesting entrance, exit, no bulky waste and under surveillance signs to be ordered and put up. AP will order them. BOS all agree they would like to start locking the gates so trash is not dropped off when the transfer station is closed.
C. Fairpoint Communication: RM: Upgrades to Broadband service to more than 65 locations in Otisfield has taken place. TT Posted on website.
D. Fish Street Design outlined a scope of work and the fee structure for the new clerk’s office space. *Motion that we sign Fish Street Design proposal for next stage of renovation. RM/LA – Unanimous. Discussion: The work will go out to bid when we get to that stage.
E. Electronic Sign: RM: Terry Sweat will provide an estimate to AP on everything but the Electronic Sign. It will go out to bid, but we will have a starting point. Once that part is done, the BOS will need to make a decision on what color lights (white, yellow or red) we are putting on the sign. RM: I didn’t know until the Town Meeting that red lights are nearly impossible to see by those who are color blind.
F. Ordinances: The BOS need to sign (3) of the updated ordinances from Town Meeting. The Definitions Ordinance, the Board of Appeals Ordinance and the Marijuana Ordinance. Once signed they will send it to TT to post on website.
G. Town Beach; Porta-potty: HF: Requesting AP look into getting a handicap accessible “porta-potty” for this location. All agree to look into the cost for next season.
H. Heniger Park Insurance policy: HF; The insurance policies expire in August. The Town is liable if anything should happen down there on the docks and we need to make sure that all policies are up to date. AP will contact lease holders and request they send new policies to have on file.
I. Tree Lights: Brendon Bedell is going to remove. AP will contact him.
J. Website: HF: Requesting TT remove old information from the website. TT will update.
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 9:15 PM. HF/LA -Unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Tanya Taft, Secretary
Approved by:
Hal Ferguson, Chairman
Rick Micklon
Lenny Adler
Approved on August 2, 2017
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