SELECTMEN’S MEETING

May 20, 2020

6:00 pm - ZOOM

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER / PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

2. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR WEEKLY UPDATE

• The Assessors are starting to do field work over the next 2 weeks in Acton. Meetings will be conducted outside and they will have a letter for each property owner they visit explaining what is going on.
  
  Selectmen Ed Walsh asked about a revaluation. The Town Administrator explained due to the COV19 situation and the impact to the budget, this process is being held off for another year. The Assessors are in agreement.
  
  
• Goat Hill – Mr. Carl Davis asked permission from the Selectmen to post no ATV’s on Goat Hill. There has been a lot of money which has gone into making this great trail. The Selectmen agreed and approved.
• The Town Administrator reported there was information received regarding the Dam in Sanford and the information has been forwarded to each of the Selectmen’s email boxes. 

3.         WARRANTS/BILLS

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

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

5. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

A motion was made by Selectmen David Winchell to approve the minutes from May 13, 2020; seconded by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn. No discussion. All in favor.

6.        DEPARTMENT HEAD / COMMITTEE CHAIR UPDATES –

Where necessary, the Town Administrator Jennifer Roux will speak on behalf of the Department Head or Committee Chair

- Code Enforcement
Two items were presented:

· Expense Summary Report and Planning Position Utilization
The Code Department has a large Staples order to be placed. Their supplies account line is overdrawn but there are other lines from which they can utilize to pay. The Town Administrator and Treasurer reviewed what was left in Code’s accounts to expend through June 30, 2020 and exhibited it for the Selectmen to see.

Discussion ensued.

The Selectmen agreed to permit the purchase of the supplies from other accounts.

The Selectmen agreed to allow for use of Planner with remaining funds cautioning there is to be no over spending. The Treasurer will keep a close eye on these accounts and the spending.

- Transfer Station

· The Transfer Station Department Head has updated the recycling guide to be handed out when the recycling side of the business is reopened.

· The Department Head has also prepared a notice announcing the opening of recycling on Saturday, May 23^rd to be handed out and published.

· There is a new employee starting on May 23^rd which will assist with this opening.

· It is important that residents follow the guidelines for preparing and cleaning items, wear masks, and follow one in one out policies. The Goody Shack is still closed and will remain until otherwise determined.

· There is a personal situation at the Transfer Station which may require the need for a fill in person to be available. The Department Head asked permission to utilize a member of the Shapleigh Transfer Station if necessary. All paper work will be complete and in order. The Selectmen agreed.

· The Transfer Station Department Head will approach the Board of Selectmen on their next stated meeting to discuss the Transfer Station not be open on Sunday’s due to increase in trash and hopper being full after Saturdays. Selectmen Ed Walsh suggested the consideration of adding a second compactor.

- Goat Hill

· The Selectmen were presented the information pertaining to the last step in seeking grant approval.

A motion was made by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn to sign the Goat Hill grant amendment; seconded by Selectmen David Winchell. No discussion. All in favor.

- Warrant & Finance

· Dennis Long thanked the Treasurer and Town Administrator for meeting with him on Article 32; the wording is nice.

· Dennis Long commented that he appreciated Selectmen David Winchell’s information on rates. Discussion ensued regarding authority to pay the Road Commissioner’s rates and wording changes to protect what is decided for rates as the W&F already voted on this article and it failed. After wording is changed the W&F will meet and revote Thursday evening. The Road Commissioners were accepting of word changes.

· Dennis Long updated the Selectmen that they only had 14 articles left to review.

· The Treasurer clarified for the Board the rates and deduction from them for the Road Commissioner’s if the Road Commissioners are the operators because rates include an employee to operate.

· Discussion ensued. The board decided it was acceptable to place the following statement on the warrant:

In the event that the Road Commissioner is the operator of the equipment, a deduction of $27.01 will be deducted from the equipment rates listed above.

- Correspondence received from Tom Gore

· Mr. Gore was seeking answers from the Board of Selectmen regarding items related to Article 43. The Town Administrator asked the Board if they were interested in pursuing these questions with legal as they have been answered previously when asked of legal. After legal responded in the past, the Board and the Treasurer did what was required. Mr. Gore is not in agreement with past lawyer responses. Discussion ensued. The Board instructed the Town Administrator not to pursue. Dennis Long, W&F Chairman will notify Tom Gore.

- 7^th Street:

· The Town Administrator asked the Board to what extent they want to have time spent on this issue as the road change was adopted into place at Town meeting last year. Discussion ensued. The Board of Selectmen decided that they are confident everything was done correctly and in accordance with the lawyers. The Town Administrator asked if the Board wanted her to request a letter from the lawyers to document their conversations.  The Board agreed.

7. OLD BUSINESS

A. Warrant Recommendations

The Board of Selectmen reviewed the warrant:

o Article 5 through 22 did not need to be done.

o Article 23, 24, 25 and 26:
A motion was made by Selectmen David Winchell to approve Articles 23 through 26 as written; Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

o Article 27, 28, 29 and 30:
A motion was made by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn to approve Articles 27 through 26 as written; Selectmen David Winchell seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

o Article 31, 32, and 33 (categorizing put forward – not numbers):
A motion was made by Selectmen David Winchell to approve Articles 31 through 33 as written; Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

o Article 35, 36, 37 and 38:
A motion was made by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn to approve Articles 35 through 38 as written with the exception of the included line on Article 38; Selectmen David Winchell seconded.

o Discussion ensued regarding cutting edges, bolts and brushes for mechanical sweepers and cutoff wheels for equipment used EXCLUSIVELY for maintaining Town of Acton roads.

Dennis Long spoke up to the Board regarding this discussion, stating a lot has changed on how roads are being done; he suggested the Board leave this article the same until a new Road Commissioner is elected.

The Board discussed.|

An amended motion was made by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn to approve Articles 35 through 38 as written with the exception of the included line on Article 38 and a statement that the Town to furnish cutting edges and bolts for equipment exclusively used for winter maintenance on the Town of Acton Roads; Selectmen David Winchell seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

o Article 39: The Town Administrator summarized this will add $50,000 in paving to each district.

A motion was made by Selectmen David Winchell to approve Article 39 as written; Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

o Article 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45: The Town Administrator commented that the amounts on Article 44 are approved amounts pulled over from last year.

A motion was made by Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn to approve Articles 40 through 45 as written; Selectmen David Winchell seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

o Article 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50:

A motion was made by Selectmen David Winchell to approve Articles 46 through 50 as written; Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

o Article 51:

A motion was made by Selectmen David Winchell to approve Article 51 as written; Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn seconded. No further discussion. All in favor.

This concludes voting on the warrant articles.

B. Article 43

The Town Administrator presented the final draft to the Board of Selectmen to review; it will be sent out to the Road Committee. A workshop with the Board and Road Committee will be set up to go over any questions there might be on final draft. This draft does force attaching verifying paperwork. Discussion ensued. The Board recommended qualifying groups be listed out to work on the roads with the addition of “Others approved by Select Board” in case they are not listed.

The Town Administrator will make these minor changes mark it DRAFT, send out to Board and Road Committee, and schedule a Road Committee opportunity under Department Head Updates.

8. NEW BUSINESS

A. Public Hearing Dates via Zoom and Mailings

· July 8, 2020, 7 pm - Public Hearing

· June 10, 2020, 7 pm - Public Hearing

· June 12, 2020 – Absentee ballots starting

· Mailing to voters prior to meetings to give both dates and why these meetings are being held. The Town Administrator will have a “Dear Voter Letter” drafted for the Board to review next week. The Warrant will be available on demand.

· Selectmen Ed Walsh suggested to give the voters an answer sheet which they can mark up and use during their time to vote. This will allow preparations for voting or to use when going into the ballot booth as the ballots are lengthy to read.

· A paragraph to encourage voters to stay safe and well and use absentee voting.

9. PUBLIC COMMENT: 

            None

10. ANNOUNCEMENT

· Planning Board Zoom meeting, Thursday, 5 pm

· W& F Zoom meeting, Thursday, 6:30 pm

11. MEMBERS PRESENT

Selectmen Ed Walsh; Selectmen Kimberly Stacey-Horn; Selectmen David Winchell; Town Administrator, Jennifer Roux, and Treasurer, Michelle Rumney

12.       ATTENDANCE (screen names as designated on Zoom)

Dan Krampetz, Jim Driscoll, Molly (Dennis Long), Leslie Berlan, Rollins iPad, Deb Anderson, PGP ipad 3 (mini), Robert MacDonald, Judith’s phone, Edwina’s iPhone, Richard, and laptop (Cheryl Drisko).