Select Board Meeting ~ February 23, 2016

2016-02-23 · Select Board · 41:57 · watch on YouTube →

A Select Board meeting held early in the evening so the budget committee could continue its own work afterwards, with four of five selectmen present. Most of it was final shaping of the town meeting warrant and budget: the board extended the Lisbon dispatch contract three more months at $3.00 per capita, declined to fund a document-preservation proposal and declined to replenish the grant match fund this year, and pulled the $25,000 turf article off the warrant. It settled the 2016 Annual Report dedication on former Road Commissioner Charles Larrabee, with in memoriams for three others, and approved revised Runaround Pond and recreation figures that raise nothing from taxation this year. The fire chief laid out what four different dispatch centres would cost and recommended working with Lisbon for the time being. The board also appointed the road commissioner to administer spring road postings, then recessed so it could return after the budget committee to review the warrant a final time.

What was discussed

1. 0:01
   Call to order and pledge

   The chair opened the meeting early in the evening so that the budget committee could continue its work afterwards, noting four of the five selectmen were present and that this was a quorum. The board recited the pledge of allegiance. The recording begins with several minutes of unrelated conversation before the meeting is called to order.

2. 5:34
   Amendments to the agenda

   The chair added five items that had not yet been discussed: the Corey Miller proposal, the grant match fund, the $25,000 for the turf, dedications and in memoriams for the town report, and the Runaround Pond budget. The Runaround Pond item was added because changes had been made that the board wanted to vote on before sending them to the budget committee.

3. 5:34
   Public comment

   The chair called for public comment. None was offered.

4. 5:34
   Consent agenda

   The consent agenda was approved as presented. The chair noted it carried with it a permit for the Eureka Community Center.

5. 5:34
   Lisbon dispatch extension

   The board acted on an extension of the dispatch agreement with the Town of Lisbon, running through the end of March at a rate of $3.00 per capita.

6. 5:34
   Historic District Commission ordinance changes

   A letter from the chair of the Historic District Commission asked the board to place on the town meeting warrant the ordinance changes approved at the February 3rd public hearing. The chair said no separate vote was needed because the changes are already on the sample warrant and can be handled when the warrant itself is taken up.

7. 5:34
   Land use ordinance revisions

   The chair of the planning board likewise asked that the land use ordinance revisions go on the town meeting warrant. There was no discussion and the board moved on.

8. 5:34
   Corey Miller proposal on historic documents

   Corey Miller had come to the board about a month earlier with a proposal to help digitise and stabilise the town's historic documents, at a figure recalled in the meeting as around $11,000. A selectman asked where the town's original charter physically is and was told it is in the vault and accessible to the public.

9. 10:37
   Possible donated conservation of the town charter

   A selectman said he knows someone who does antique document archiving for a major museum, that the person was intrigued by the charter and would ask the museum's conservators about donating their services. He asked for more information and a photograph rather than access to the document itself; he was told Shannon already has photographs on her computer. The condition was described as boxing, typical paper deterioration and ghosting transferred from page to page.

10. 10:37
    Miller proposal left out of this year's budget

    Selectmen (?) said the work has to be done sooner or later but that a lot had already been added to this year's budget, and agreed it should wait.

11. 10:37
    Grant match fund

    The grant match fund stands at roughly $14,000, with an approved draw of $3,000 of which $1,500 comes back. The fund has not been replenished in many years, and the question was whether to put an article up this year. The fire chief said the only pending application needing a match was a 5% match on roughly $150,000, about $7,500, plus a possible SAFER staffing grant, and that winning either would be lucky.

12. 10:37
    How the grant match fund works

    It was explained that the fund lets any department that wins a grant requiring matching money draw on it without having to go back and reappropriate funds. The road commissioner said he would be looking for grants for stream crossing upgrades but did not yet know their terms or match percentages.

13. 15:44
    Grants for document preservation

    A selectman suggested writing to the Historic District Commission to have them talk to Chris Cross, an adviser they have used, about whether town documents could be brought in under the ordinance so as to open up state and federal grants for preservation work.

14. 15:44
    Timing of grant reimbursement

    Asked how long the town waits to be repaid after fronting grant money, the fire chief said most are a fairly quick turnaround, within about two months of submission, but a Homeland Security tower grant ran close to eight or nine months before the federal share came back. He noted the town has no say over grant timing.

15. 15:44
    Grant match article set aside

    The board left the grant match fund at its current level rather than adding an article this year. A selectman asked whether the budget committee should be told which items the board had considered and chosen not to move forward; the chair agreed to mention them that night so that everyone voting has the same information.

16. 15:44
    $25,000 turf article

    The board had initially decided to put $25,000 for the turf on the warrant and it appears in the warrant packet. The chair said the budget committee had made good points about waiting until an attempt is made to change what the money from the school vote may be used for.

17. 15:44
    Town report dedication and in memoriam candidates

    The chair read a list compiled by Shannon of residents who died in 2015 and had served the town: Doris Dupel, deputy tax collector and treasurer under her mother from 1969 to 1988; Janet St. Michel, an election clerk for many years; Joseph St. Michel, selectman, assessor, overseer of the poor and budget committee member, with dates given as 1984 to 1987 and flagged as uncertain; Marvin Woodbury, selectman in 1975; Blaine Footman, twenty years as a deputy sheriff and local constable; Maxine Harling, who did a great deal with the historical society; Irene Delicata, an election clerk; and Charles Larrabee, road commissioner for twenty-plus years.

18. 21:03
    Choosing the dedication and memorials

    The board settled on Charles Larrabee for the dedication and Blaine Footman and Doris Dupel for memorials, then agreed to add Joseph St. Michel and his wife together as a couple after it was pointed out that between them they had put in many years of service.

19. 21:03
    Runaround Pond and recreation budget revisions

    Two changes were made to the parks and recreation figures: $800 was added to the sanitation line over concern there would not be enough for the porta potty, and all of the state park fees were brought in, the town having received that money without a requirement that it all be spent on the park. With those in, the amount to be raised drops to zero and the recreation fund would stand at $11,473. The chair noted it is quite possible the town will have to start raising money for this again within the next couple of years as the incoming money falls.

20. 21:03
    Fire chief's dispatch research

    The fire chief reported on his research into dispatch providers. Brunswick had not come back with final numbers, and the contact at Auburn 911 had gone quiet; he believed she considered it cost prohibitive because taking Durham on would mean adding a seat that has to be staffed 24/7, which would only make sense if two or three towns came on at once.

21. 26:52
    Dispatch options and costs compared

    ASO is interested at $2.50 per capita but comes with a $6,925 setup cost and wants a fibre optic link rather than a radio link, at $180 a month of which they would absorb $30, leaving the town $150 a month. Lisbon holds at $3.00 per capita with no moving or setup costs and told the chief there is no room to change that figure. A selectman observed that any per-capita saving against Lisbon is eaten up by the $150 monthly line.

22. 26:52
    Meeting with Lisbon set for March 14

    The chief has a meeting scheduled at the Durham station for March 14th at 7 p.m., where he will present an adapted version of Lisbon's PowerPoint with added slides on what Durham Fire and Rescue needs to work on at its own communications end. He said both sides have things to address and the meeting would be open to the board, the budget committee and his department officers, as well as the public.

23. 26:52
    Whether PSAP and dispatch should share a provider

    Asked whether there is an advantage to having the town's PSAP and dispatch come out of the same place, the fire chief said in his opinion yes, because every transfer added to the sequence of an emergency call is another opportunity for something to go wrong and takes time. He was uncertain whether the old requirement that a PSAP be where law enforcement is provided still applies, which would determine whether the other centres could serve as both.

24. 32:15
    Recommendation to work with Lisbon for now

    The fire chief said that having voted the three-month extension, the town should sit down with Lisbon and work out how to make the arrangement function. He would pass on anything further from Brunswick.

25. 32:15
    Codes officer on the two ordinances

    The land use ordinance has been combined with the subdivision, back lot and groundwater protection ordinances into a single document because of the overlap between them. The historic district ordinance changes divide the district into contributing and non-contributing properties, letting non-contributing structures take an easier permitting path, and remove the requirement to come before the commission to change a house's paint colour. The Department of Agriculture sent back recommended changes to keep the ordinance in compliance, which the codes officer said he had gone over verbally and expected in writing by Thursday.

26. 32:15
    Runaround Pond privy project funding

    The codes officer explained his request to load money onto the front end of the privy project. He has not been through the process with state funds before and is uncertain what it will cost the town; he expects it to be little, but wanted to avoid having to jump through hoops for more money if his estimate is wrong. Anything unspent goes back into the recreation budget.

27. 32:15
    Gazebo repair

    Someone with an interest in the gazebo work came in that day to ask what the requirements are and said he would look at it within a week or so. Separately a selectman had met the person who runs the building programme at the vocational high school, who was intrigued by the idea partly because he has students from Durham, and the codes officer asked for his contact details so he could follow it up directly.

28. 37:46
    Authority to post roads

    The road commissioner explained the town has no road posting ordinance. The ordinance called weights restrictions is confusingly named and covers only the roads posted year round for weight. For seasonal postings the town follows state statute, cited in the meeting as Title 29, section 2395, which lets a town post roads when they are susceptible to damage and lets the select board appoint a road commissioner, code enforcement officer or law enforcement agent to enforce it. He asked the board to appoint him, and said he had already put the signs out that day for two roads dated for that day.

29. 37:46
    Roadside brush cutting

    The road commissioner said the crew would start cutting brush on Runaround Pond probably the following week, that it is a good time of year for it with no bugs, heat or leaves, and that the town would rent a chipper rather than own one. He would try to find a neighbouring town willing to take the brush at no cost.

30. 37:46
    Upcoming meetings and candidate introductions

    Meetings were announced for Tuesday March 8th and Tuesday March 22nd, both at 6:30 p.m. at the town office. The board agreed to set aside time at the March 22nd meeting for anyone running for office to introduce themselves, choosing that date because it is closer to the vote and would be on television.

31. 37:46
    Recess

    The chair asked to recess rather than adjourn, so the board could come back after the budget committee to review the warrant a final time.

What was decided

• 5:34
  Approve the consent agenda as presented. The town's minutes record the motion by Michael Stewart, seconded by Mark Blake, carried 4-0.passed
• 5:34
  Approve the extension agreement with the Town of Lisbon for dispatch services through March 31st, 2016 at $3.00 per capita. The town's minutes record the motion by Michael Stewart, seconded by Mark Blake, carried 4-0.passed
• 10:37
  The board agreed among themselves not to add the Corey Miller document preservation proposal, roughly $11,000, to this year's budget, saying it should wait a year. No motion was made and no vote was taken.outcome unclear
• 15:44
  The board agreed among themselves to leave the grant match fund where it is rather than put an article on the warrant to replenish it this year. No motion was made and no vote was taken.outcome unclear
• 15:44
  Remove the $25,000 turf item from the town meeting warrant. The chair asked who was in favour of removing it, the selectmen assented, and the chair confirmed it would be reported to the budget committee as removed. This was an informal poll rather than a recorded motion.passed
• 21:03
  Dedicate the 2016 Annual Report to Charles Larrabee, former Road Commissioner, and include in memoriams for Blaine Footman, for Joseph St. Michel and Mrs. Joseph St. Michel together, and for Doris Dupel. The town's minutes record the motion by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Michael Stewart, carried 4-0.passed
• 21:03
  Approve as presented the revised Runaround Pond and parks and recreation figures, adding $800 to the sanitation line and bringing in the state park fees so that nothing is raised this year, and present them to the budget committee that evening. The vote is inaudible on the recording; the town's minutes record the motion by Michael Stewart, seconded by Mark Blake, carried 4-0.passed
• 37:46
  Appoint the Road Commissioner to administer the road postings under state statute. The town's minutes record the motion by Sarah Hall, seconded by Mark Blake, carried 4-0.passed
• 37:46
  Recess rather than adjourn, so the board could reconvene after the budget committee to review the warrant. The town's minutes record the recess as running from 6:40 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., moved by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Michael Stewart, carried 4-0.passed

An outcome reads "unclear" where the recording does not state it plainly. The recogniser drops short words, and "the motion does not carry" is one missing word from its opposite.

Motions the minutes record

The town's own written account of what was decided, taken from select_board_minutes_2-23-20161.txt. It owes nothing to the recording or to a model: the clerk typed it, with the vote. Where the summary above claims a decision this list does not carry, the summary is the part to doubt.

• Approve the Consent Agenda as Presentedcarried 4-0

  Moved by Michael Stewart, seconded by Mark Blake

• Approve the Extension Agreement through March 31st 2016 at $3.00 per capitacarried 4-0

  Moved by Michael Stewart, seconded by Mark Blake

• dedicate the 2016 Annual Report to Charles Larrabee, former Road Commissioner and include the following in the Memorial: former Constable Blaine Footman, former Election Clerk Doris Dupal as well as Joseph and Janet St. …carried 4-0

  Moved by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Michael Stewart

• Approve as presentedcarried 4-0

  Moved by Michael Stewart, seconded by Mark Blake

• appoint the Road Commissioner to administer the road postingscarried 4-0

  Moved by Sarah Hall, seconded by Mark Blake

• Recess from 6:40 p.m. to 7:00 p.mcarried 4-0

  Moved by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Michael Stewart

Worth knowing

• 21:03
  With the state park fees brought in and $800 added for the porta potty, the Runaround Pond and recreation budget raises nothing from taxation this year and the recreation fund would stand at $11,473. The chair warned that the money coming in is falling and the town may have to start raising for it again within the next couple of years.
• 26:52
  On dispatch, Lisbon holds at $3.00 per capita with no setup cost, while ASO would charge $2.50 per capita but with a $6,925 setup cost and a fibre link at $150 a month to the town after ASO's contribution. A selectman noted that the per-capita saving is entirely eaten up by that monthly line.
• 32:15
  If the historic district ordinance changes pass at town meeting, homeowners in the district will no longer have to come before the commission to change the paint colour on their house. The codes officer said the commission would no longer carry what he called the badge of the paint police.
• 37:46
  Anyone running for town office will be given time to introduce themselves at the start of the March 22nd meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the town office, chosen over March 8th because it is closer to the vote and would be televised.

Motion language found in the transcript

Located by pattern matching, with no model involved: "I move that", "I'll second", "all those in favour". This is an independent check on the summary above: 1 passage of motion language, against 9 decisions summarised.

Elsewhere

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