SELECTBOARD
MINUTES
Regular
Meeting
May
9, 2006
Selectboard’s
Office
7:00
p.m.
Present:
Clint
Shaw
, Alf
Berry
,
Nancy
Allen
Others
present:
Joe
Mitko
(ADN),
Dale
Bull
,
Dennis
Duguay
,
Mark
Bonenfant
, AFC members
Ross
France
,
Dave
Davis
,
Bob
Bellefeuille
,
Don
O’Neil
,
Jim
Regan
Chair
Clint
Shaw
called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
1.
MINUTES
Nancy
Allen
moved
to accept for purposes of discussion the minutes of May 2, 2006.
Alf
Berry
seconded the motion and VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
2.
OPENING
FUEL BIDS
Fuel
bids for the following were opened and read:
Propane
--Amerigas
Propane
Current
price $1.1694 plus .35 margin over rack
--E.P.
Wine
Fixed
price at $1.70 per gallon
--Eastern
Propane
Current
price $1.168 plus .25 margin over rack
#2
Heating Oil
--Orange
Oil
Fixed
price at $2.480 per gallon
Current
price $1.9925 plus .35 margin over rack
--Sandri
Fixed
price at $2.586 per gallon
Premium
Diesel
--Orange
Oil
Current
price $2.1305 plus .35 margin over rack plus .21 tax
--Sandri
Fixed
price at $2.778 plus .21 tax
Kerosene
--Orange
Oil
Current
price $2.3514 plus .35 margin over rack
--Sandri
Fixed
price $2.836 per gallon
Gasoline
--Sandri
Fixed
price $2.567 per gallon plus .21 tax
The Board will review the bids at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
3.
MEETING
WITH AFC
The
AFC asked that PCS Supt. Pat Martin meet with it and the Selectboard next week
with up-to-date figures and a budget with a 3% wage increase for
non-contracted employees. The AFC
further requested that the Highway Superintendent and the Police Chief meet
with it next week to discuss budgets and the addition to the Police Station.
AFC Chair Ross France asked that the Police Chief identify what is
legally required for the station and what is being requested.
A
discussion followed regarding the legal requirement to budget in FY07 List and
Measure work to be done by the BOA in FY08, 09, and 10.
Dale
will check with BOA chair
Dana
Kennan
.
It
was noted that a revised PCS budget has not been received.
Clint
Shaw
stated he had requested an up-to-date budget from Supt. Pat Martin several
weeks ago. A memo will be
sent to
Supt.
Martin
to request that an up-to-date budget showing all current numbers with a 3%
wage increase for non-contracted employees, and confirmation that the budget
does or does not include a retiring teacher’s salary.
Nancy
Allen
stated
that the CIPC would like to have its report included in the AFC report.
4.
REGIONALIZATION
Mark
Bonenfant
asked
the Board about a response to his letter dated May 3, regarding questions
about the petition articles put on the June 5, 2006, Annual Town Meeting
warrant.
Clint
Shaw
stated that Town Counsel had been contacted and that a response should be
received at the end of the week. He
stated that
Mr.
Bonenfant
would be contacted.
Nancy
Allen presented a list of questions regarding regionalization and
1) the status of correspondence
sent to Quabbin requesting the Reorganization Needs Conference, 2) written
confirmation from Supt. Marshall of a buy-in cost to Quabbin, 3) town meeting
processes from other Quabbin towns, 4) a query as to the availability of a
final report from the Petersham Regionalization Planning Committee per MGL
71:14A. Clint Shaw stated
there were a number of other questions regarding regionalization that have not
been answered, such as how long can a regionalization question be bounced back
and forth, if all towns eventually vote in the affirmative, what is the next
step after the final meeting, what is the process around the contract, and who
signs the contract.
5.
DAVENPORT
The
Board reviewed the Invitation to Bid for demolition of the residential home
and barn on the
Davenport
property. After discussion it was
agreed to add “and any out buildings” to the demolition.
MRPC will be notified of the change.
Article
46 voted at the June 3, 2002, Annual town Meeting was reviewed with regard to
disposition of the
Davenport
property.
6.
TREE
HEARING
Questions
continue regarding the tree hearing for National Grid.
In a conversation with MassHighway as to cutting of trees on State
property that appear to be in residents’ yards, MassHighway noted that this
cutting is beyond the normal scope of permitted cutting allowed to National
Grid and that National Grid will need to apply for a new permit.
Tree Warden
Mick
Leonard
was notified that before a hearing date is set, the Selectboard will need to
see the new permit issued by MassHighway to National Grid.
7.
MEETING
SCHEDULE
This
matter was tabled until the next regularly scheduled meeting.
8.
CORRESPONDENCE
The
Board reviewed the following:
·
The
Beacon, May 2006
·
Treasurer’s
April
receipts
·
DPH
notification of summit on May 15 at UMass
regarding pandemic flu planning
·
Invitation
from Worcester City Manager to attend a forum June 8 on communities being
prepared for special populations
·
Invitation
to the 22nd annual luncheon of the North Quabbin Community Coalitition
·
National
Grid invitation to attend its annual municipal storm meeting on June 1 at Holy
Cross in
Worcester
·
MMA
Action Alert
·
DHCD
memo re: monitoring of Chapter 40B development
·
Update
on the Rt. 122 Scenic by-way
·
Thank
you letter from Town of
New Salem
for the rescue vehicle donation
·
Letter
from Petersham Youth Baseball/Softball informing the Board that a “military
fly over” will start the Memorial Day Baseball games
·
Confirmation
of Town Counsel that different ways of paying for items can be put on the same
ballot
·
Copy
of an email from
Jeff
Wulfson
at DOE to
Dr.
Reza
Namin
at Mahar stating that if Oakham should reverse its
vote, the DOE Commissioner would not make any changes for FY07.
Jeff
Wulfson
also stated that situations with regard to this regionalization matter are
being handled on a case-by-case basis as it has only happened once before in
his eleven years at DOE.
9.
OTHER
BUSINESS
Nancy
Allen
moved
the Board sign a Chapter 90 project request for work on Rt. 32A to the
intersection of
Conyonker Road
for reclaiming and repaving IN THE AMOUNT OF $95,000.
Alf
Berry
seconded the motion and VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
Clint
Shaw
stated
that the Board had been informed by Town Counsel that a request for an
easement across
Prospect Hill Road
by Harvard School of Forestry to provide electricity to a garage that the
School is building will require a Town meeting vote.
Alf
Berry
moved to open the warrant of the June 5, 2006, Annual Town Meeting until 10:00
a.m. May 13, 2006.
Nancy
Allen
seconded the motion and VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
It was noted that Town Counsel wording for the article has not been
received at this time. Alf Berry
moved to add a new article to the warrant to grant an easement to Harvard
School of Forestry across Prospect Hill Road for the purpose of providing
electricity to a garage the School is building and to accept the two citizen
petition articles for inclusion on the warrant, articles being “To see if
the Town will vote to dismiss the Regional School District Planning Committee
or act in relation thereto” and “To see if the Town will vote to have the
Moderator appoint a new Regional School District Planning Committee whose sole
charge will be to work towards the expansion of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional
School District from grades 7 through 12 to a K through 12 school district or
act in relation thereto”.
Nancy
Allen
seconded the motion and VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
It was noted that the opening and closing of the warrant on April
25 did not allow for the three days’ hanging at the Post Office at stated in
the Town By-laws.
Questions
arose recently regarding the ability to use funds from sale of tax-title
property to create an account to purchase land for municipal use.
DOR answered stating that revenues received
by tax title foreclosure sales must first be used to eliminate any remaining
receivable on the books and the remainder must go into the general fund to be
certified as free cash. At that
time, the free cash can be voted at Town meeting to go into a newly created
stabilization fund to be used for a particular purpose such as a municipal
complex.
Nancy
Allen
moved
to nominate Alf
Berry
to the Montachusett Join Transportation Committee through FY07.
Clint
Shaw
seconded the motion and VOTED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE with Alf
Berry
abstaining.
Nancy
Allen
informed
the Board that she had attended the Mahar Strategic Planning session last week
at Mahar.
10.
ADJOURNMENT
There
being no further business, Alf
Berry
moved to adjourn.
Nancy
Allen
seconded the motion and VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Nancy
S.
Allen