Coordinator Report October 15, 2009 Senator John Kerry will have staff holding office hours at Warwick Town Hall on Tuesday 10/20 from 1:30 - 2:30 pm in the 2nd floor board's room. Highway Dept Superintendent has requested surplus declaration of two old pressure washers. One may be a steam cleaner. A new unit has replaced these old ones which need repair. The Chestnut Hill Rd Bridge lumber order is dragging on. Vendor has been able to cut only one of six required 26 foot long white oak timbers to date and is trying to procure from other mills even as far south as NC. Tim feels that red oak is not a substitute. If the wood can't be delivered soon the bridge may be closed all winter. This could result in call-outs on weekends to sand the hill. If we can't get the lumber this $10,000 rebuild could become a $25,000 steel bridge. This alternate could be funded by Chapter 90. The Town has about $87,000 in unallocated Chapter 90 funding available for projects. This alternative is not currently on the project list. We'll have to wait and see what happens on the lumber procurement. Speed limit setting is moving forward. Mass Highways was in town last week for what we hope was a final site visit. They suggested 35 mph through the village center. Tim fought that off explaining that the area is thickly settled and that we seek white regulatory signs at 30 mph to aid in enforcement. A Richmond Rd resident has requested that the town remove a portion of a very large downed white pine from the town right of way because it is unsightly. Tim has declined having other more important work. See the project lists on-line. Today they are working on widening West Rum Brook Rd. Parties agree that the tree has been on the ground for two years. The power company declined to remove the tree before it fell. Highway dept. has chipped the limbs and brush. Town Hall The town hall video projection system purchased with community police grant funds got used twice this month. Several locally produced videos were shown during the Columbus Day art show. And the system was used for a presentation by the Open Space Committee. Next town hall work day is scheduled for Saturday Oct 24 from 9 am to 3 pm. This is always fun and of great benefit to the town so please join in. Warwick Community School We had a company in to make changes in the phone system configuration. They added mailboxes and reconfigured the voicemail system. An engineer did a site visit and inspected the failed sprinkler system. I expect a report next week. I am considering USDA loans and grants. We will first have to do solicit proposals for a solution and do so absent funding which makes things less real. I have printed out the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block grant competitive application which could fund replacement of the boiler and air handler at the school. I can't for the life of me see how to meet the job creation requirement so I am not terribly hopeful that this will work for us. Deadline is Dec. 7 Community Development Strategy I am working through existing data and beginning to interview town departments. Capital planning is being folded into this project. This must be done and voted by Dec 1. FY 11 budget process Next year's budget process will kick off in the next month. Last winter's ice emergency financial assistance helped cover the snow and ice deficit and we budgeted snow and ice removal at historic average this year so we are to the better on these counts. It still promises to be a tight budget year. Cost of living hasn't gone up appreciatively. State aid will be a weak revenue source and we need to keep our eyes on the current fiscal year budget cuts than may obtain at the state level. Broadband system Warwick broadband has 55 connections. The first NH connection has been established. There were four new installations so far this month. The financing wait-list for broadband stands at three requests made to date. Un-permitted dwelling units A comprehensive inspection of a cluster of un-permitted temporary dwelling units in the vicinity of Sheomet Pond was conducted for compliance with zoning, health / sanitary code, building code, wetlands / rivers act, and property assessment. There are four properties, three owners, four town departments, and two state agencies involved. The assessors have established about $65,000 in valuation on the tree house and house that were built without permits. The state health inspector awaits decisions regarding any potential removal of any structures ordered by Conservation or Zoning before making any orders or conditions on the health side. I spoke with legal counsel for two of the parties where there are camper-trailers located and suggested he review zoning and urge his clients to propose compliance. Our zoning says that camper parks are prohibited as are accumulations of three or more temporary living facilities. ZBA Hearings Zoning Board of Appeals has three matters before it. I submitted a copy of the Greater Franklin County Economic Development Plan as evidence to be considered in the restaurant and temporary living facility hearings. I submitted a copy of the 7/2009 Warwick Community Development Strategy Project List which has as priority 11 of 40 promoting businesses that encourage social interaction (teashop, restaurant...) as evidence.