Select Board Meeting ~ July 23, 2024

2024-07-23 · Select Board · 2:35:49 · watch on YouTube →

This was a regular select board meeting given over mostly to the board's 2024 goals, the town's fee schedule, and follow-up on the question of town law enforcement. The board agreed on a sequence for the law enforcement question: an information sheet distilled from the sheriff's earlier presentation, a public hearing with the sheriff's office on September 10, and a non-binding straw poll on the November ballot. Members then ranked their remaining goals, putting public safety and storm resiliency, economic development, comprehensive plan and zoning, and policies at the top. The board authorized the town manager to sign the town up for a push notification service at $3,900 a year, set notary fees, and reimbursed a resident $112.98 in excise tax on a trailer registration. A motion on Eureka Community Building rental rates was withdrawn so a fuller fee format could be brought back, and review of the front office fee schedule was deferred because the posted version did not match what the board had voted.

What was discussed

1. 2:30
   Opening and audio problems

   The opening of the meeting was affected by audio trouble; the first portion is largely inaudible on the recording.

2. 8:50
   Agenda amendment

   The board added approval of the June 11, 2024 meeting minutes to the consent agenda, noting edits to those minutes had since been made.

3. 8:50
   Public comment on the RSU 5 appointment

   A resident of Davis Road, Michael (?), objected to the board's July 9 decision filling the RSU 5 vacancy, saying the appointment overrode 179 votes cast for him and appointed someone already part of the system. He cited national and state proficiency and cost-per-pupil comparisons. The board took the comment without responding, per its public comment practice.

4. 8:50
   Select board goals for 2024

   Heather Roy presented a spreadsheet compiled from the flip charts made at the board and committee round table. The list included fee structure, public safety, storm resiliency, resident check-ins, road planning, planning board bandwidth, comprehensive plan and zoning, economic development, board and committee liaisons, policies, fiscal year transition, gravel pits, codification and an agricultural committee.

5. 14:00
   Law enforcement: how to take the question to residents

   The board discussed how to follow up on the sheriff's presentation. Members agreed most residents will not watch a three-hour meeting and that a short information sheet is needed covering why the discussion started, what the sheriff does and does not cover, and what coverage would cost. Josh Klein-Golden argued for a public meeting with the sheriff before any November ballot question.

6. 24:52
   What problem law enforcement would solve

   Members said speed enforcement alone is not a compelling reason, and pointed instead to backup for fire and EMS responders on calls such as domestic incidents and impaired drivers. It was noted that call volume is up about 20%, that only three deputies cover the whole county at a time, and that the state police stopped routine patrols in Durham in 2020.

7. 36:31
   Schedule for the public hearing and straw poll

   The board worked backwards from the November 5 election and the October 5 start of absentee voting. It settled on reviewing the information sheet at the August 27 meeting, and holding the September 10 meeting at 5:30 followed by a public hearing with the sheriff's office at 6:00. Heather Roy was to seek space at the RSU 5 school, with the Eureka Center as a fallback.

8. 47:57
   Cost figures and what a yes vote would mean

   Members debated whether to publish a cost estimate, and agreed a clearly labelled estimate is necessary. Figures cited were roughly $330,000 a year for 12-hour coverage and about $660,000 for 24-hour coverage, each deputy with a vehicle and needing office space. Members noted a yes vote would not necessarily mean funding the service in the April 2025 budget, partly so a startup grant could be explored.

9. 53:30
   Road planning removed from the goals list

   Road planning was struck from the list. The two miles that had been planned for paving were deferred because of the CMP project on that road. Jerry Douglass said the road commissioner keeps a paving list but deliberately does not publish it far ahead; at two miles a year against about 40 miles of road, the rotation is roughly 20 years, which he said is not sustainable.

10. 53:30
    Prioritising the remaining goals

    Members each marked their top three on the whiteboard. The result put public safety and storm resiliency first, then economic development, comprehensive plan and zoning, policies, planning board bandwidth, and board and committee liaisons.

11. 58:51
    Economic development

    The board discussed the town's limited commercial base and whether economic development is possible when the whole town is zoned rural residential. The comprehensive plan already calls for creating an economic development committee. Jerry Douglass was asked to raise it with GPCOG, which has an economic development arm and a regional prosperity plan, and to ask about scope templates, examples from other towns and grants; the comprehensive plan itself comes due for updating in 2026.

12. 1:09:21
    Push notification service

    The board discussed a push notification system as the first step in reaching residents during storms and road closures, noting the all-things-Durham Facebook page has about 3,500 members. The cost is $3,900 a year on a year-to-year contract, with a prorated first year payable from the existing software and hardware line, and the vendor offering the remaining months free. Members suggested promoting sign-ups at the November and April elections and including a QR code with tax bills.

13. 1:20:10
    Checking on vulnerable residents in emergencies

    Rob Tripp described the difference between a shelter and a warming or cooling centre, said the town cannot take on overnight sheltering because of liability, staffing, food, childcare and pet requirements, and reported that both the 12-hour warming centre sessions and the cooling centre drew zero participants. The board discussed a volunteer network or phone tree instead, and agreed to invite Roberta of the Conservation Commission to the October 8 meeting to describe work she had already started.

14. 1:31:15
    Gravel pit fees deferred

    The board again put off gravel pit fees. Members raised whether an annual fee is the right mechanism for an extractive industry, given that pits are not taxed as developed property, there is no tonnage fee, and out-of-town trucks are not captured by excise tax. The annual fee had been raised at a previous meeting; the figures in the transcript are unclear.

15. 1:36:21
    Errors in the published fee schedule

    Heather Roy said the fee schedule now on the website does not match what the board voted, giving as examples 'initial administrative fee for the first permit' where the board had said permit or application, and 'adds square footage to the lot' where it should read structure. She will annotate the document and circulate it to the board, and approval was deferred to a future meeting.

16. 1:42:07
    Gravel pit public hearing fee

    Members clarified that the fee entry for a public hearing on a gravel pit renewal reflects an existing ordinance provision allowing the board to hold a hearing at its discretion. They agreed to add a footnote citing the ordinance rather than change the wording.

17. 1:47:24
    Notary fees

    Jessica (?) said notary service for residents is busy weekly and non-resident requests are close to zero, and that long documents and family signings take significant staff time. The board discussed charging per page as neighbouring towns do, at $2.50 to $5, but settled on charging per document.

18. 1:52:44
    Other front office fees

    The board reviewed copy charges, noting the cent and dollar symbols are used incorrectly on the schedule, and confirmed black and white copy rates are in line with neighbouring towns. Also discussed were a $3 non-certified birth certificate printout, the $30 fee for the clerk performing a marriage, and cemetery lots at $200. Staff were asked to look into how perpetual care charges work elsewhere and to produce the list of town-owned cemeteries.

19. 1:58:08
    Eureka Community Building rental

    Rental is $100 with insurance required, and a volunteer handles access while a paid cleaner services the building. Heather Roy moved to itemise the line as free for non-profits, $100 for residents and $200 for non-residents. Discussion turned to whether non-profits should still cover cleaning and how 'non-resident' would be applied, and the motion was withdrawn so a fuller rate format could be drafted.

20. 2:03:15
    Solid waste committee and committee reporting

    The solid waste committee has cancelled its last two meetings and says it is waiting for direction, while the board believes it has already asked for short-term and long-term savings options. Heather Roy agreed to contact the committee chair. The board then discussed requiring monthly written updates from committees, routed through the town manager into the agenda packet, while being careful not to interfere with the quasi-judicial work of the planning board and appeals board.

21. 2:14:40
    Excise tax reimbursement

    A resident registered a trailer, found their truck could not haul it, returned it to the dealer and never used it. The dealer and the state refunded their fees and the resident asked the town to refund the excise tax.

22. 2:20:04
    Manager report: automated collection and regionalisation

    Jerry Douglass reported that a neighbouring town, Pownal (?), recently started automated solid waste collection and is fielding constant complaints about missed bins, and that Durham should expect similar problems. That town is interested in regionalising with Durham, including the idea of a shared transfer station. He said a comparable town's transfer station costs about $400,000 a year to run against Durham's current $380,000 for collection, and suggested the two solid waste committees meet.

23. 2:25:09
    Trash tags and the DOT intersection presentation

    Jerry Douglass noted that pay-per-bag trash tags will not work under automated collection because no one will be there to remove them, and that the lost revenue needs to be considered in budget season. He also reported that MaineDOT wants to present on converting the Route 136, Quaker Meeting House Road and Rabbit Road intersection from a two-way to an all-way stop, and scheduled them for August 27.

24. 2:25:09
    Board member reports

    Heather Roy raised an uptick in car accidents and continuing resident concerns about driving on town roads, and asked about sharing the town newsletter to community Facebook pages; the town manager cautioned against the town posting official communications to unofficial pages, while noting board members are free to share as individuals.

25. 2:30:50
    Consent agenda and upcoming meetings

    The consent agenda was approved as amended. Upcoming meetings are August 13 at 6:30 including the historic district commission, August 27 starting at 6:00 with the assessor, the law enforcement information sheet and the DOT presentation, and September 10 at 5:30 with the sheriff's public hearing. An executive session for the town manager's review was set for August 13.

What was decided

• 47:57
  Agreed by consensus, with the chair saying no vote was needed, to prepare an information sheet on town law enforcement for review on August 27, hold a public hearing with the sheriff's office on September 10, and put a straw poll question on the November ballotpassed
• 1:09:21
  Authorize the Town Manager to sign the town up for push notifications for the Town of Durham, at $3,900 a year on a year-to-year contract; moved by Heather Roy, seconded by Joe Tommpassed
• 1:47:24
  Notary services for Durham residents: first document no fee, $5 per additional document; moved by Josh Klein-Golden, seconded by Heather Roypassed
• 1:47:24
  Non-resident notary services charged $5 per document; moved by Joe Roy, seconded by Josh Klein-Goldenpassed
• 1:58:08
  Eureka Community Building rental line to read free for non-profits, $100 for residents and $200 for non-residents; moved by Heather Roy, seconded by Deb Oliver, then withdrawn by the mover so a fuller rental fee format could be drafted and brought backtabled
• 2:20:04
  Accept the reimbursement of excise tax to the resident in the amount of $112.98; moved by Deb Oliver, seconded by Heather Roypassed
• 2:30:50
  Approve the consent agenda as amended, with approval of the June 11, 2024 meeting minutes added as Item C; moved by Josh Klein-Golden, seconded by Joe Tommpassed

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 sbminutes_07_23_2024.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.

• authorize the Town Manager to sign up for push notifications for the Town of Durhamcarried 5-0

  Moved by Heather Roy, seconded by Joe Tomm

• Notary Services (Durham Resident) – First Document (No Fee), $5 per each additional documentcarried 5-0

  Moved by Josh Klein-Golden, seconded by Heather Roy

• Non-Resident Notary Services charged $5 per documentcarried 5-0

  Moved by Joe Roy, seconded by Josh Klein-Golden

• the Eureka Community Building Rental line read free for non-profits, $100 for residents and $200 for non-residentswithdrawn

  Moved by Heather Roy, seconded by Deb Oliver

• accept the reimbursement of the excise tax to the resident in the amount of $112.98carried 5-0

  Moved by Deb Oliver, seconded by Heather Roy

• approve the consent agenda as amended with the approval of the June 11, 2024 meeting minutes added - Item Ccarried 5-0

  Moved by Josh Klein-Golden, seconded by Joe Tomm

• adjourncarried 5-0

  Moved by Josh Klein-Golden, seconded by Deb Oliver

Worth knowing

• 47:57
  Town law enforcement was costed at roughly $330,000 a year for 12-hour coverage and about $660,000 for 24-hour coverage. The November ballot question will be non-binding, and members said a yes vote would not necessarily mean funding the service in the April 2025 budget.
• 24:52
  Call volume is up about 20%, only three deputies cover the whole county at any one time, and the state police stopped routine patrols in Durham in 2020.
• 2:25:09
  Pay-per-bag trash tags will stop working once automated collection starts, removing a revenue source the town will have to replace at budget time. A neighbouring town that recently switched is fielding constant complaints about missed bins.
• 2:25:09
  MaineDOT will present to the board on August 27 on converting the Route 136, Quaker Meeting House Road and Rabbit Road intersection to an all-way stop. It was described in the meeting as the third worst intersection in the state.

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: 4 passages of motion language, against 7 decisions summarised.

Elsewhere

← 2024-07-09 Select Board2024-08-13 Select Board →All meetings