SELECTMEN’S MEETING

November 13, 2019

6:00 pm

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER / PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

2. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR WEEKLY UPDATE.

· Article 43 - Road Committee Chair reminded the Board that the Road Committee Ordinance that was voted on does specify that the Road Committee will review all Article 43 applications. Since the Board was reminded of that protocol, the Town Administrator has had the Treasurer put a stop on the two applications already approved. This means the checks were not cut and upon the Board’s instructions, the Town Administrator plans on sending three applications to the Road Committee for recommendations - 13th Street, which was rejected by the Board but still needs reviewed by the Road Committee; Wilkins Road and The Ridge. These are now considered pending. Approved recipients were notified. Meanwhile two more applications were received which will be presented under new business.

The Town Administrator reiterated that the Board has to get ahead of these applications and make changes to the application form and standards for approval; that being said, the Town Administrator recommends that the Board return the two applications received but not yet seen by the Board until the Board and the Town Administrator can sit down together and revise the application form and process to meet the Auditor and Attorney’s needs. 

· The Town Administrator relayed to the Board that she received an inquiry via the website regarding the Acton Mines or Boston Acton Mines and asked the Selectmen if they knew if these mines were open to the public. Selectman Winchell stated there were mines throughout the Goding Road area low in the ground. Some are posted and some are not but all are on private property. The Town Administrator will reply to inquirer that there nothing on Town property that she is aware of and he will need to check with area property owners.

· The Town Administrator asked the Board of Selectmen if they can meet at 5 pm next Wednesday to accommodate the Thanksgiving Basket assembly with the Daisy Scouts. The Board agreed.

· Following up last week’s request on the town property presented to the Board that C&J Investments owns, which has gone out to bid with no interest, the auditor is wondering what the Town is going to do with it. The Board can either write off the back taxes or put it back out to bid? During those discussions, the Town Administrator was asked for a list of all town owned properties, which she presented tonight for the Board's review.

The Board will inform the Town Administrator next week about their wishes on those properties; however, the Town Administrator requested that she receive the Board decision sooner regarding the one cited by the Auditor because the year's books need to be closed. The Town Administrator reminded the Board that by the time we get to 2020, there shouldn't be anymore 2017 outstanding taxes. This one property puts numbers on the books for three years. The Board’s response was that they will decide by next week.

· The Town Administrator asked the Board if it was still their intention to combine the Fire Chief position with the EMA Director positon? The Fire Chief is interested in the position which pays $100/month stipend. An appointment will be drawn up.

· The Town Administrator notified the Board that the Auditor would attend the December 4th meeting to answer any questions brought before her. Please make sure questions are presented ahead of time; to date none have been received.

· The new Fire Chief was inspected the Town Hall meeting rooms and submitted required occupancy levels. The level for the Code Enforcement’s conference room is no more than 20 people at any given time. The level for the Town Hall room was no more than 80 people. Both the Department head for Code Enforcement and the Planning Board Chair have been notified. A memo will be sent out to others that need to know. This rating is per NPFA and something that cannot be changed; The Administration office we will have to make sure the upstairs function room is used and schedule appropriately.

· Saco River Corridor sent two notices. The first was making the Board aware of the intent to file an application to replace a leach field which is underneath a driveway and since we are abutters we were so informed. The second was basically the same notice but included a site plan. These letter will scanned and sent to the Code Enforcement office.

Joyce Bakshi stepped up to the podium to notify the Board that there was already a copy on file downstairs and that Jen Harris was all over it because it was in the watershed area.

· The Town Administrator presented support thank you letters to the Board from Southern Maine Agency on Aging, Maine Bureau of Veteran Services, The Trafton Center, and Life Flight.

· Upon the resignation of Carl Davis from the Forest Conservation Committee, one person has come forward with an interest in the position. The Town Administrator will prepare an appointment that individual and present under new business.

· The Town Administrator notified the Board that the Town received a $500 rebate from Efficiency Maine for work done on the library lights; it was returned to the Building Maintenance fund.

· The Town Administrator reminded the Board they the Town was presently looking for an Animal Control Officer.

· The Town Administrator told the Board that there was an elderly couple in Town that was in need of some help. In order to help, the Town Administrator was looking for a couple of contractors or people that might be able to assist with a project to insulate (temporarily or otherwise) a trailer. The Neighbors Helping Neighbors fund would pay for the materials. This elderly couple has many struggles including the battling of cancer and foreclosure on top of other things. Volunteers are welcome to ride over and take a look at the trailer which needs skirting or another method to insulate the trailer. With the price of propane, the lack of skirting/insulation, this couple really needs the Town’s our help. They are very sick and the money coming in is going right back out in propane. Any parties or individuals interested please see the Town Administrator; a viewing will be sometime this weekend.

Further, as a means to help this couple, the Town is doing a Neighbors Helping Neighbors round up donation opportunity to help alleviate their 2017 foreclosure tax. It’s a small amount and this program should help pay it off.

3. WARRANTS/BILLS

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn to approve the agenda; seconded by Selectmen David Winchell. No discussion. All in favor.

5. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

A motion was made by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn to approve the minutes of October 30, 2019 and November 7, 2019 as written; seconded by Selectmen David Winchell. No discussion. All in favor.

6. DEPARTMENT HEAD / COMMITTEE CHAIR UPDATES

• Dennis Long updated the Board that the Warrant & Finance Committee will be meeting on Monday at 6pm. All departments have been notified and response has been favorable. W & F’s plan is to have a round table meeting and gather input from all departments on the capital improvements they are looking at for next year.
  
  
• Will Langley, District 1 approached the Board to relate that the grant for West Shore Drive was submitted and a response from the State should be received by mid-January. Secondly, last week all the winter sand was completed; roughly 3,500 yards.
  
  
• Joyce Bakshi, Planning Board Chair indicated to the Board that she was up to give a report next week and asked the Board since they changed the meeting time from 6 pm to 5 pm to accommodate the Daisy Scout Service Project, could she hold off one week in giving her report. The Board responded that would be acceptable.

7. OLD BUSINESS

A. Article 43 Applications
The Board accepted the Town Administrators recommendation as stated in her update to send the three Article 43 applications already in house to the Road Committee for recommendations and the two new applications will be returned until the application form and process is revised and set into place; these applications to be returned are for Langley and Lakeside. Stephen stepped before the Board to discuss.

The Town Administrator reminded all present that during the initial process for approving Article 43 applications, the attorneys sent a response after review of the application forms and process. The response letter was read at a previous Board meeting back in June of 2018 before Town meeting and his recommendations were not adhered to. The Board got by for some time, but then when the Auditor stepped in, the Auditor had the same concerns that were in the original letter from the attorney.

The Board is taking full responsibility of not hand checking each application line. So, if the line which reads,”Is this great pond listed on Maine DEP Lake priority work watershed list?” is marked “Yes”, then somebody needs to check that and that has not been happening. Now, the Selectmen want the process to be, when the form line is marked “yes” applicant will also need to attach a list and highlight the road. The Board is not looking to rewrite the form, just gather as much information as possible. The Board will provide by January 1st the new form. A memo will be written stating that the Board is working due diligently to complete by January.

B. Policies to Sign

• The attorney reviewed the Appointment /Reappointment policy. Their only change was to clean up the removal section to make it more clear. New section states, “Failure to attend three (3) meetings, except for illness, emergency or excused absence by the Chairman, shall be reason for removal from the board or committee.
  
  The Board of Selectmen may remove an appointed official for cause, upon written notice and after hearing.”
  
  
• The Access to Public Meeting policy was not sent over to anyone. It has not been amended since 2011. Its only four lines and the Board is welcome to read it out just to make sure that they don't have any changes.
  
  
• The Freedom of Information policy was not yet sent to the attorneys for review. It was stated by them that they are still reviewing the statutes and are not ready for it yet.

Selectmen David Winchell made a motion to accept the Appointment/Reappointment policy and the Access to Public Meeting policy; seconded by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn. No discussion. All in favor.

C. Deadline Town Report Letters

The Town Administrator handed to the Board a packet of all the Selectmen Board meeting minutes for the fiscal year. She reminded the Board that she needed their report for inclusion in the Town Report and the deadline was Friday. The Town Administrator took it upon herself to highlight some notable items in the minutes to help facilitate the writing of the report. 

The question is always, “how long we will need to wait for all reports to come in?” Next week the Town Administrator will inform the Board who's report is missing and as liaisons have the Board reach out.

8. NEW BUSINESS

A. Policies, 1st Reading

The computer Use Policy and the Daily Deposit policy were given to the Board for review. The Treasurer was also given a copy of the Daily Deposit policy to review.

B. Forest/Conservation Appointment

Selectmen Ed Walsh read out the appointment for Andrew Brazier for the Forest/Conservation Committee member.

Selectmen David Winchell made a motion to appoint Andrew Brazier to the Forest/Conservation Committee; seconded by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn. No Discussion. All in favor.

C. Holding Tank Application

Selectmen David Winchell explained the application submitted to the Board regarding a resident’s replacement of a septic system holding tank on the property. The process is to contract with homeowner so that he can put in a new tank. A subcontractor's pump is then used and if it’s schedule doesn't stay within the required guidelines, that company will call the Board of Selectmen and let them know. This is currently not being done on other property as well. Mr. Winchell believes the Board is receiving this agreement to sign and then it will be filed on record at the registry.

Selectmen David Winchell made a motion to sign the residential contract; seconded by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn. No Discussion. All in favor.

D. Downeast Energy Contract

The Town Administrator reported that every three to four years the Town generally went out to bid for the oil and propane pricing to make sure the Town is getting the best price. Since this was done last year, the Town Administrator reached out to Down East who has received the Town’s bid for the last three years.

Last year we were paying $2.80 a gallon for propane and oil at $1.65 and this year, Downeast is offering the Town a price of $2.54 for propane and $1.49 for oil which is a drop in pricing. The Town Administrator recommends the Town stick with Downeast for another year.

Selectmen David Winchell made a motion to extend the Downeast contract; seconded by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn. No Discussion. All in favor.

E. Pitney Bowes Postage Machine

The Town Administrator notified the Board that Pitney Bowes notified her that the postage machine is not going to be usable much longer; they are not doing updates on it. Currently the Town pays $71.25 per quarter and that is going to be going up to $108.45 per quarter. The Town Administrator talked to the Treasurer and that equates to about a $10 per month increase. However, the Town does get a lower rate from Pitney Bowes than from the Post Office. Also, it has been estimated that with the current machine in use, the Town uses between $500 to $700 in funds that are put in as direct funds; a new machine has the capacity to provide more accurate readings at lower rates and with this savings, it would be pretty close to paying for itself. The agreement presented is for 60 months (same as last agreement and the Town went a lot longer than 60 months).

Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn made a motion to accept the Pitney Bowes agreement; seconded by Selectmen David Winchell. No discussion. All in favor.

F. Freedom of Information Request

The Board acknowledged and signed the Freedom of Information request from Charles Crispy regarding the 40-lot subdivision on Young's Ridge Road as received and presented by the Town Administrator.

G. Abatement & Supplement

As of April 2017 the Town still had on record the property (Account 1217) which was owned by Frank Hurd as one large piece of property. The Town Administrator presented the abatement to zero out the entire piece because it was actually split by April 1. Then to counter balance this abatement, the Town Administrator presented four Supplements. Mr. Hurd owned the property, split it into four pieces and four different owners each got a piece. So, the Town abated the whole piece and supplements the four pieces.

Selectmen David Winchell made a motion to accept the tax abatement for Deborah and Frank Hurd; seconded by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn. No discussion. All in favor.

The Town Administrator next presented to the Board the Certificate of Supplemental Commitment and the Assessor's certificate which are letters with the tax supplementals attached; a spreadsheet on how the tax numbers were derived with the amount for the tax collector to collect.

Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn made a motion to accept the Certificate of Supplemental Commitment; seconded by Selectmen David Winchell. No discussion. All in favor.

Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn made a motion to accept the Assessor's Certificate of Supplemental Commitment; seconded by Selectmen David Winchell. No discussion. All in favor.

H. EMA Appointment

Selectmen David Winchell made a motion to appoint Richard F. Smith as EMA Director; seconded by Selectmen Stacey-Horn. No discussion. All in favor.

I. Budget Service Agreement

Selectmen David Winchell made a motion to accept the Budget Service Agreement on the Code Enforcement’s copier; seconded by Selectmen Stacey-Horn. No discussion. All in favor.

9. PUBLIC COMMENT - None

10. ANNOUNCEMENTS

l Videographers Needed - $50.00 stipend per meeting

l Town Hall Closed Nov 28 & Nov 29 for Thanksgiving

l Tree Lightening Nov 30

11. ATTENDANCE

No recorded.