Coordinator Report - December 19, 2013

We received a certified letter dated September 28, 2013 from James C and
Marlene A Goodwin of 808 Orange Rd informing the Town of their intention
to sell forest land that is enrolled in Chapter 61 and notifying the
town of the 120 day waiting period for the town to exercise its right of
purchase. The Planning Board consulted with the Chair of the Open Space
Committee and at the Planning Board's November meeting agreed that the
town should waive its right of purchase.  The Planning Board recommends
notifying the Goodwin's in writing that the town will not exercise its
option to purchase.

This item regarding Gale Rd is at the request of member Arguimbau. I
recommend we schedule an agenda item in late March to make a decision
regarding continued use of a portion of the roadway as a site to
exercise draft horses. By then the proponent will have had ample time to
seek permission from the owners of the nearby abandoned roadway to use
for this purpose as an alternative.

As of this date per the MBI website, 25 of 123 towns getting fiber
middle mile are live. Warwick is not among them. Complete installation
to neither of the high towers has occurred and we are going to have to
pay to complete a circuit at the cell tower ourselves. MBI says this is
because we lack a shelter and need a hardened switch for which the grant
won't pay. WBS has installed a weatherproof box on a pedestal and
conduit has been buried with pulls. We are ready once Axia, the network
operator, has taken control of the local network segment, to proceed. At
last word DCR legal was circulating paperwork to get necessary permits
for the Mt. Grace H tower, a site where work was stopped months ago.

Member Lemon has requested an item to discuss method used to document
firefighter pay.

The USDA (Agriculture) Rural Development public infrastructure grant
submitted has made it through the first set of review and cleared to go
to the next.  If the Department gets release of funds I will work
through the next steps and can expect to get some grant funding toward
our new highway truck. If they don't have funding to give out our
request presumably will sit in the queue.

The board of health has issued an order to a resident to clean up an
illegal dump near the vicinity of Wendell Rd and Wilson Rd.  I intend to
work with the offender to get rid of the tires and scrap metal at no
cost to the Town or the offender. That is going to leave a considerable
quantity of demolition material and household garbage.  This property is
seriously in property tax arrearage and may someday be taken by the
town. The current situation could make such a taking a net financial
loss to the Town.

I fielded a question about student or students enrolled in our
elementary school and who are living at a seasonal campground. On advice
of counsel I have referred the matter to the Superintendent. We had a
case of a child attending whose parents moved out of state and the
school was able to address the matter.  According to the Assessor's
clerk the campground has two houses so this residency is probably a
rental property.

The 2nd Colonial Costume Ball is scheduled for Friday January 31, 2014
at 7 pm featuring the same bands and caller as we had a year ago. This
is a Friday. I have invited the Beach Committee to operate the cash bar.
I request a one day beer and wine license be issued with a contingent
storm date the following Friday if necessary. I plan to invite residents
to bring a favorite desert to share for refreshments. 

Our local council of governments has again secured technical assistance
funding and is seeking projects and indications of interest. We have
been assisted with these funds in disaster planning, open space plan,
and land use zoning. The board should take some time at the meeting to
identify needs and see if there is a fit with this service.  I
distributed the cover letter and document describing possible projects
to Town boards and departments.  

You may recall that a few years ago the Selectboard voted to authorize
use of FEMA storm reimbursement funding to purchase a new truck mounted
sweeper. We are now in receipt of reimbursement for a blizzard storm in
the amount of $18,753.  I am proposing that the board vote to authorize
$7,250 of these funds to purchase a new radio and plow frame for the new
truck we have on order.  Provided the board takes this action, all that
remains for Town Meeting will be to appropriate for a new snow plow. We
can use the old plow on the new truck as long as the truck has a plow
frame. We need these funds to add a plow frame to the truck or all it
will be is a sander / dump truck until well after Annual Town Meeting. 
We are trying to avoid making any major repairs on the truck that is
going to be retired. The new truck cab and chassis is built and it is in
a shop having the sander / dump body and hydraulics built. This action
will make it a plow truck too. No word on when it will be ready.