Coordinator report

Thursday September 8, 2016

I am requesting the board schedule a public hearing for consideration of
an on-premises wine and malt pouring license application by Jim Kilroy
(General Store / Barn Owl) to be held at 7 pm on September 26.
Selectboard have received his application. I will advertise this hearing
10 days prior and the applicant will contact abutters. Following a
hearing the Selectboard may vote contingent approval of the application
and if you vote in the affirmative we send the application on to MA
ABCC.

At the most recent Accounting update meeting accountant was directed to
keep and update a priority task list and to indicate the date up to
which financials are posted. Often the revenue side is behind the
expense side making comparisons less meaningful. Also the outstanding
(unreimbursed) Chapter 90 reimbursements may reduce our FY16 free cash.
I have asked Larry to contact DOT and see how fast we can turn
reimbursements around. 

I plan to schedule a meeting of the financial team with the auditor to
discuss the management letter recommendations. There were no findings.
Findings are bad. Recommendations are suggestions to make us better and
we should look for ways to implement. Would the Selectboard want to
attend? If so I'll schedule the meeting as a Selectboard meeting. If
not, once staff have met to discuss the draft we can have the accounting
firm it to present to the Selectboard at a regular meeting.

Personnel Policy update continues. Dawn has a first draft and the next
meeting / working session is scheduled for Sept 14 at 2 pm.

A Public Shade / Hazard tree complaint was made in writing at your most
recent meeting and needs disposition. I forwarded the complaint and
discussed the matter with town's legal counsel. An ethics complaint
isn't under our board's prevue. The Public Shade Tree Act is. I have
determined that the tree was at least six inches DBH so it is a tree and
moreover agree it was in the town right of way, and finally town funds
were used for its removal. The tree was a public shade tree. The board
has options: 1. Since removal of a hazard tree under public shade tree
act is subject to the Selectboard's approval, the board could find that
since the Selectboard may order a hazard public shade tree to be cut
down and the Selectboard would have given approval were you asked, there
is no harm since the tree was a danger. You could thank the tree warden
for his initiative keeping the public safe and remind him whenever
possible to mark the tree (blue paint or flag) and seek the
Selectboard's order. 2. Under the law (Ch 87 Public Shade Trees) you
could submit this complaint to the Planning Board or the Police
Department as PB, Selectboard and the Tree Warden all have jurisdiction.
3. Or you may decide to hear the complaint. If that is the case I would
on your behalf schedule a meeting, notify the employee with at least 48
hours warning, and at the meeting the board would need to vote go into
executive session to hear and deliberate unless the public employee
waives the right to executive session. 

With respect to broadband we have replaced five of twenty-six base
radios scheduled to be upgraded and moved about 20 customers to the new
system. We are working on replacing all the wires on the towers as they
are chaffed / degraded by wind, sun, and time. The new wires will be in
flex conduit. I'm working on the MBI grant narrative and timeline and
expect to submit within the week for the $450,000 construction grant.

On Tuesday the elevator maintenance company (Eagle) and the alarm
company (Greenwood) will be on site repairing the sensor in the elevator
hoist way.

In the past month we have had a FedEx tractor trailer; an Orange
Ambulance, a MA State Police cruiser, and a school bus go the wrong way
on Athol Rd in front of the town hall and then make a blind turn onto
Orange Rd. There are now four RED "wrong way" signs installed. This is
an addition of two signs. I have directed highway department to paint a
big white arrow in the pavement. Chief Shoemaker suggests narrowing the
non-entrance end of the road at the corner of Hotel and Athol Rd to make
the road's one way status more clear. George Day recalls a rail fence
that used to help define the road direction.

There was a very nice article in the Recorder published on 9/8 about the
opening of the former store, Jim Kilroy's "Barn Owl" this Saturday at 6
am. I have personally tested Jim's sour-dough bagels, pizza, and
croissants and can recommend.

This was the final Wednesday mid-week "dump" day for the year, the
Wednesday after Labor Day. And the Library reopens for Saturday morning
hours this weekend.