Select Board Meeting ~ July 26, 2016

2016-07-26 · Select Board · 7:58 · watch on YouTube →

A short Select Board meeting on July 26, 2016 with three of the five members present: Jeffrey Wakeman in the chair, Mark Blake and Joshua Libby. Wakeman struck most of the agenda at the outset, tabling items 7A, 7B and 7C and all department and committee reports to the next meeting, so the business consisted of an assessor's session, the consent agenda and one set of appointments. In the assessor's session the board granted three tax abatements. It then approved the consent agenda and appointed Chelsea Stewart, Richard Hodges and Mary Fallon to the Historic District Commission, filling vacancies discussed at an earlier meeting. The recording captures several minutes of informal talk before the gavel; the meeting proper ran from about 6:02 to 6:06 p.m.

What was discussed

1. 0:04
   Before the gavel

   The recording begins with informal talk among the members about a skit, a dog barking and which items would be skipped. Two items of substance came up: a reminder to keep pushing on an unresolved generator problem, about which little had been learned, and the comprehensive plan committee meeting set for Monday, August 1 at 6:30, which one member said he would miss because he would be out of state.

2. 0:04
   Call to order and pledge

   Jeffrey Wakeman called the meeting to order, noted a quorum with three of the five selectmen present, and led the pledge of allegiance.

3. 0:04
   Amendments to the agenda

   Wakeman struck items 7A, 7B and 7C and tabled them to the next meeting, and tabled the department and committee reports as well. No objection was raised.

4. 0:04
   Public comment: Rabbit Road

   The only public comment was a question about whether the Rabbit Road work was on schedule. The answer was that the road had been ground and was being prepared for paving, that the grinding had run slightly behind because of weather, and that the contractor appeared to be close to its dates. A member said he would follow up with the road commissioner.

5. 0:04
   Motion into assessor's session

   The board voted to go into assessor's session. The minutes record the session opening at 6:02 p.m. under Title 36 M.R.S.A. section 841.

6. 0:04
   Three abatement requests taken up

   Three requests were before the board, identified as map 9 lot 52, map 4 lot 22 and map 9 lot 47. Before voting, two members made disclosures; one said he is a member of Shiloh Chapel, which was one of the applicants. Neither is recorded as recusing, and no objection was raised.

7. 0:04
   Abatements granted

   The board voted on each abatement separately, taking the largest first. All three passed.

8. 5:32
   Consent agenda

   The chair drew attention to two items in the packet: a memorandum from the Androscoggin County Commissioners about a lawsuit and a response from the attorney for the towns on the same memorandum. Also included was the fire chief's request for the following week off.

9. 5:32
   Historic District Commission appointments

   Item 7D was the only appointment item retained. Three applications were before the board, from Chelsea Stewart, Richard Hodges and Mary Fallon. Asked whether there were vacancies, the answer was that these filled vacancies the board had discussed at a previous meeting.

10. 5:32
    No department or committee reports

    Having been tabled at the start, the department and committee reports were passed over without discussion.

11. 5:32
    Selectmen's comments and meeting schedule

    Regular select board meetings were announced for Tuesday, August 9 and Tuesday, August 23 at 6:30 p.m., with the comprehensive plan meeting on Monday, August 1 at 6:30. A member said he would not be present on August 9.

12. 5:32
    RFP for trash services postponed

    Because a member would be absent on August 9, the board asked whether the trash services RFP could be held to a later meeting. The answer was that there was plenty of time, and it was put off.

13. 5:32
    Adjournment

    The board voted to adjourn. The minutes give the time as 6:06 p.m.

What was decided

• 0:04
  Table agenda items 7A, 7B and 7C, and the department and committee reports, to the next meeting. Done by the chair on the floor rather than by vote, with no objection raised.tabled
• 0:04
  Go into assessor's session. Moved by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Joshua Libby. The transcript records the chair declaring the motion carried.passed
• 0:04
  Grant the abatement of $1,359.24 to account 1803 as presented. Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake; the minutes record it carried 3-0.passed
• 0:04
  Grant the abatement of $33.84 to account 734 as presented, at the request of Donna Hays, CMA. Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake; the minutes record it carried 3-0.passed
• 0:04
  Grant the abatement of $26.82 to account 381, David and Christine Colson, as presented. Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake; the minutes record it carried 3-0. The transcript renders the figure as $26.32.passed
• 5:32
  Approve the consent agenda as presented. Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake; the minutes record it carried 3-0.passed
• 5:32
  Appoint Chelsea Stewart, Richard Hodges and Mary Fallon to the Historic District Commission. Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake; the minutes record it carried 3-0.passed
• 5:32
  Hold the RFP for trash services over to a later meeting because a member would be absent on August 9. Agreed without a vote.tabled
• 5:32
  Adjourn. Moved by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Mark Blake; the minutes record it carried 3-0 at 6:06 p.m.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_7-26-20161.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.

• the Board into Assessor's Session pursuant to Title #36, M.R.S.A., ss. 841 at 6:02 p.m

  Moved by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Joshua Libby; no outcome recorded

• Approve the Abatement in the amount of $33.84 to Account #734 per request of Donna Hays, CMA as presentedcarried 3-0

  Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake

• Approve the Abatement in the amount of $26.82 to Account #381, David and Christine Colson per the request of Donna Hays, CMA as the account should have been transferred to Royal River Conservation Trustcarried 3-0

  Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake

• Approve the Abatement in the amount of $1,359.24 to Account #1803 per the request of Donna Hays, CMA, as the tax bill was sent when account was coded as Exemptcarried 3-0

  Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake

• approve the Consent Agenda as presentedcarried 3-0

  Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake

• Appoint Chelsea Stewart, Richard Hodges and Mary Fallon to the Historic District Commissioncarried 3-0

  Moved by Joshua Libby, seconded by Mark Blake

• Adjourn at 6:06 p.mcarried 3-0

  Moved by Jeffrey Wakeman, seconded by Mark Blake

Worth knowing

• 0:04
  Two members made disclosures before the abatement votes, one of them saying he is a member of Shiloh Chapel, which was one of the three applicants. The transcript records no recusal and no objection; both appear to have voted.
• 0:04
  Most of the published agenda was struck before any business was heard. Items 7A, 7B and 7C and every department and committee report were tabled, leaving abatements, the consent agenda and one appointment. The meeting ran roughly four minutes from the assessor's session to adjournment.
• 5:32
  The consent agenda packet carried a memorandum from the Androscoggin County Commissioners about a lawsuit, together with a reply from the attorney representing the towns. The board approved it without discussing either document on the record.
• 0:04
  Rabbit Road had been ground and was being prepared for paving. The grinding had slipped because of weather, and the members present were working from second-hand accounts rather than a report from the road commissioner, who was absent.

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: 2 passages of motion language, against 9 decisions summarised.

Elsewhere

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