Town of Warwick Selectboard June 24, 2013 Minutes Members present: Dawn Magi, Patricia Lemon, Nick Arguimbau Others present: Town Coordinator David Young, Town Secretary Rosa Fratangelo Calcari, Fire Chief Ron Gates, Firefighter Bill Lyman, Paul Davis (representing Verizon), Board of Health and Moore's Pond Beach Committee member Kathy Connelly, Moore's Pond Beach Committee member Matthew Connelly, Gloria Varno, Barbara Noel, Patricia and Gary Bellemare, Sue and Jim McRae, Fran Prohaska, Alan Morgan, Conservation Commission member Karro Frost (arrived at 6:25 pm), Kirk Valentine, Jon Calcari, Paula Lundgren Robinson (Athol Daily News) I. Call to Order Chair Magi called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm in Town Hall. Public Comment None. Minutes Lemon MOVED to accept the minutes of June 10, 2013 as printed. Magi SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 2-0-1. Lemon and Magi: AYE; Arguimbau Abstained, as he was absent from that meeting. IV. Presentations and Discussions 1. Annual Appointments --The Board members each had a list submitted furnished by Town Coordinator Young for all reappointments to be made tonight. Animal Control Officer Rosa Fratangelo Calcari requested that her appointment be changed from a three-year term to a one year term. Lemon MOVED the appointments listed for FY 14. Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. The FY 14 appointment list appears at the conclusion of these minutes. 2. Geese Control on Moore's Pond --Magi read aloud a letter addressed to the Warwick Board of Selectmen and dated June 21, 2013. The letter read as follows: I would like to bring to your attention a problem that we are having on Moore's Pond, Warwick. There is an overabundance of Canada Geese. We would like the proper town agents to take heed of this, as it is becoming a severe problem in that not only are they a nuisance, but due to the population explosion of these birds we are afraid that they will be causing the neighboring properties, including the Town owned beach, to be unfit for human use. Continuation of artificial feeding of the geese is disrupting their normal migration patterns and are holding the geese in this area longer than what would be normal. It is causing them to concentrate on adjacent properties for food where their presence is not welcome. Having a life expectancy of 20 years, we are going to be experiencing a long-lasting problem if nothing is done to limit the growth of the flock. Now there are 13 geese permanently residing on the lake, an additional 10 visit in the spring and fall. Geese return to their birth area each year, often to the same site. A very short visit from them causes a huge unsanitary mess on property, docks, walkways, and lawns. Your help would be very much appreciated. The problem is growing as the population increases. Three years ago there were 7 geese. Now there are 13. There are now 1 breeding pair, next year there will be 5 breeding pair. The average clutch size is five babies. Most neighboring communities have instituted bylaws to prohibit feeding of geese. They have also come up with plans to decrease geese populations in a humane manner. Any attention to this matter would be appreciated. Thank you (CC: Board of Health, Conservation Commission, Beach Committee) This letter was signed by Patricia Bellemare, Gary Bellemare, Elaine Brown, Charles Brown, Gordon E. Ellis, Gloria Varno, Barbara Noel, Cary Noel, Brenda Hubbard, Robert Hubbard, and one other whose signature was not readily legible. At the time this discussion began, Kathy Connelly was representing the Board of Health and Moore's Pond Beach Committee, and Matthew Connelly represented the Moore's Pond Beach Committee. At this point, no representative from the Conservation Commission was present. K. Connelly said that for the past three years weekly tests have been conducted on the water at Moore's Pond Beach for cleanliness and water safety. She explained that acceptable readings are up to 235mq, and the average reading in the pond was roughly 88 mq. She noted that there have been several readings of 1, 2 3, and 4, and that the highest reading ever was 163, which was right after a hurricane. She also pointed out that now in its fourth year of weekly water quality testing, the town owned beach has never been closed, while Athol, Orange, Erving have all had bodies of water close each year. Matthew Connelly said that there was never more than one dominant breeding pair at the pond in the last five years. He pointed out that none of the geese can fly now because this is their molting season. Magi said that every time she walks by the pond someone complains to her about the geese. Barbara Noel said that the number of geese is now excessive and that we need to be proactive. M. Connelly disputed the letter's claim of the life expectancy of a Canadian goose being 20 years, saying that it is only 7 or 8 years. He said most of the geese will leave in a couple of weeks once their flight feathers have grown in. Gloria Varno said that she had become frustrated with the number of geese, and had checked online for a deterrent. She said that she purchased a flag similar to those used by many golf courses, and that for the first year it worked. However, she said that this year it is having no effect on the geese. Noel noted that she cannot walk around her backyard without stepping in goose feces. Lemon MOVED that a Board member be directed to call Fish and Game to ask for advice and bring a report back to the next meeting. Patricia Bellemare said that she has witnessed people feeding the geese. Young suggested information be disseminated to the public by way of the newsletter and the "L", and that signage be placed at the beach, advising that the geese are not to be fed. Jim McRae concurred with Young's suggestion and cautioned against engaging in any intervention that would require a study. He said that the goose population is on the rise everywhere, and felt that looking into what Fish and game can offer is the best approach. Matthew Connelly guaranteed that he and his wife go to the beach every morning and pick up goose droppings, and would also be willing to go to every property around Moore's Pond to do the same every day. Arguimbau SECONDED Lemon's motion for the purposes of discussion. M. Connelly said that he would like to hear from the Conservation Commission to find out if they have a position on the matter. Young pointed out that the water quality tests have all come back well, and noted that these tests do not differentiate the various sources of fecal bacteria. Noel said that the problem is in her yard. Sue McRae said that she thought there had been signage at the beach last year to not feed the geese. Conservation Commission member Karro Frost arrived. Magi asked her if she was aware of the goose problem at Moore's Pond. Frost replied that no one had complained to her. She went on to say that the primary thing is to not feed the geese. She said that it is illegal to feed wildlife. Her suggestions for deterring the geese included allowing dogs to chase the geese, and using loud noises to scare them off. Magi said that there were geese problems at Lake Ellis in Athol, so they used vegetable oil to coat the goose eggs to prevent hatching, a method apparently approved by the Humane Society. Frost said that she would speak with someone from Mass Fish and Game, gather information and report back to the Board with her findings. Lemon AMENDED her motion so it would be Karro Frost, and not a Board member, who would contact Fish and Game. Arguimbau ACCEPTED the Amendment. Arguimbau asked Matthew Connelly if he would really keep his promise and pick up the goose excrement from everyone's property every day. Connelly said that he would. Arguimbau then asked if anything can be done about feeding the geese, and Frost said that she would check on the laws. K. Connelly reiterated that within a couple of weeks the geese will have their flight feathers and will be able to fly. Magi said that everyone recognized that there is a problem and that more information was needed. Frost said that she would have a report for the Board at their next meeting in two weeks (July 8, 2013). Lemon's amended motion CARRIED 3-0-0. Arguimbau MOVED that the Board make a formal request to all Town residents not to feed the geese and to publicize this as much as possible. Magi SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. Patricia Bellemare asked if any other bodies of water in town have generated complaints about the geese. Frost said that while there are geese on other ponds, such as Hastings Pond and Wheeler Pond, they do not seem to present a problem to anyone. 3. Pole Hearing --The hearing was opened at 6:40 pm to consider four petitions requesting new poles at various locations in Town. Paul Davis was present to represent Verizon, although he works for an engineering company and not the utility company. Arguimbau MOVED to continue all addressing of pole requests until the eleven old poles have been removed, which Verizon has promised to remove but has not yet done. Lemon SECONDED. Young suggested holding the hearing and make decisions on the pole requests. The first petition was for new jointly owned poles across the road from old jointly owned poles on Northfield Road near the intersection of White Road. Young said that Highway Superintendent Tim Kilhart had recommended the removal of old poles prior to the granting of petitions for new poles. He noted that at least half of the backlogged work was completed earlier today, and that now about three double poles still remain. Arguimbau MOVED to approve poles for Northfield Road contingent upon the removal of the remaining double poles. Lemon SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. Arguimbau WITHDREW his first motion. Young said that the second petition was for four poles on Royalston and Chase Hill Roads. He read aloud comments from abutter Emily Jones, who had no objections to the petition and was agreeable to the changes. Lemon MOVED to approve the Royalston and Chase Hill Roads petition contingent upon removal of all remaining poles. Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. The next petition was for a pole on Flower Hill Road. Young said that abutter Joyce Anderson was not in favor of the proposed pole location. He suggested moving the pole across the road, and recommended sending this proposal back to the utility company for redesign. Young then read aloud Ms. Anderson's letter of objection, in which she requested that the pole either be located on the south side of the road, or left where it has stood for many years. Lemon MOVED to deny the petition for a pole on Flower Hill Road pending satisfactory discussions with Joyce Anderson and confirmation of same to the Board. Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. The final petition was for three poles on Winchester Road. Paul Davis explained that these would be stub poles, about 30-35 feet high and not designed to carry actual wires. He said that these stub poles would have a smaller guy wire going to them. Abutter Alan Morgan asked for clarification of the proposed poles. Davis explained that two out of the three were currently guyed to trees, a practice that the utility companies want to discontinue in favor of the use of stub poles. Morgan said that he did not want the poles in his hayfield. Davis said that the poles would be 4-5 feet off the road and the wires would be 12-13 feet from the edge of the road. Young noted that poles cannot be placed on private property. Lemon MOVED to approve the petition for three poles on Winchester Road contingent upon the backlog of work being completed. Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. The hearing was closed and all paperwork was signed. Young will hold on to the paperwork until the backlogged work is completed. 4. Fire Department Report--Chief Ron Gates gave the Board a copy of the Standard Operating Guidelines for the Fire Department. He said that these and the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) will be ongoing from now on, with things added to them as necessary. The Chief said that Engine #5 is out of service and is not worth putting more money into it due to advanced rust. He noted that all other vehicles were inspected by the consultant and given good ratings. Credit was given to Deputy Chief Roland Weld for all his work in keeping the vehicles going. Young confirmed that Engine #5 was donated to the Town by the Town of Erving, and Young said that it had previously been declared surplus property. The Chief mentioned an old generator that is no longer being used. Firefighter Bill Lyman said that the generator is old and runs sporadically. Lemon MOVED to declare the old Fire Department generator surplus property. Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. The Chief addressed the issue of Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). He said that the packs and bottles need to be reconditioned or replaced within four years. He explained that the packs may be reconditioned and recertified, while the bottles must be replaced. He said that the department has 12 packs and 24 bottles, all of which were acquired at the same time and have the same expiration date. Chief Gates said that he will appoint his officers and firefighters in writing before July 1st. Lastly, the Chief said that he wanted it on the record that no one was paid who was not supposed to be paid. Lemon requested periodic updates as to who has attended training, and the type of training completed; Chief Gates agreed. 5. Firemen's Association Update--Chief Gates said that he was still waiting for Brian Gale to get the final plans to the engineer. He said that he tries to speak with Gale weekly to check on his progress. The Chief said that Gale had asked for another week, so he will contact him by the end of next week. He also said that Gale needed the paperwork from whoever is authorized to allow the building to be built on the designated site. Young said that it was voted at an Annual Town Meeting, and the Town Clerk can furnish certified ATM minutes. 6. PVRS District Request--Young said that the PVRS District is requesting authorization to replace venetian blinds at WCS, using the capital expense account to fund the new window treatments. He also said that the Buildings and Energy Committee had just voted unanimously not to recommend approval of the request. Neither Young nor the Buildings and Energy Committee felt that this is a capital expense project. Lemon MOVED to deny the PVRS District request that window treatments at WCS be replaced as a Town-funded capital expense. Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. 7. Selectboard Reports--Lemon noted that she had met with Highway Superintendent Tim Kilhart regarding the Verizon telephone pole issues. 8. Coordinator Report--Young said that he had received a call from MEMA at 2 pm on a Friday regarding a $1,790.00 grant that Warwick would lose if an application was not submitted by 5 pm that same day. Young wrote and submitted the grant request for fire pagers. Magi inquired about the exact location of a proposed solar farm on Wendell Road. Young said that he had been contacted by a developer for landlocked property owned by Steve Clark. Young noted that this property has no Town frontage, and said that he doubted the feasibility of the proposal. Magi asked about consultant Ernest Horn's progress with his evaluation of the Fire Department and about when the Selectboard members would be able to speak with him. Young said that he had spoken with Mr. Horn, who had also spoken with some members of the public, but he still had several fire fighters to speak with as well. He said that he would give Horn's contact information to Ms. Magi. V. Adjournment At 7:45 pm, Lemon MOVED to adjourn the meeting. Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. Minutes taken by Rosa Fratangelo Calcari APPOINTMENTS FOR FY 14 Appointment Date Appointment Expires ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER Rosa Fratangelo Calcari 7/1/13 6/30/14 BROADBAND COMMITTEE Reva Reck 7/1/13 6/30/14 Miryam Williamson 7/1/13 6/30/14 Scott Seago 7/1/13 6/30/14 BUILDING INSPECTORS Phil Delorey, Building Inspector 7/1/13 6/30/14 Bill Johnston, Wiring Inspector 7/1/13 6/30/14 John Dolan, Gas Inspector 7/1/13 6/30/14 Gerald Brousseau, Plumbing Inspector 7/1/13 6/30/14 BUILDINGS AND ENERGY COMMITTEE Vacancy 7/1/13 6/30/16 Dan Dibble 7/1/13 6/30/16 BURIAL AGENT Miguel Torres 7/1/13 6/30/14 CARETAKER OF TOWN CLOCK George Day 7/1/13 6/30/14 CARETAKER OF TOWN FLAGS Barbara Walker 7/1/13 6/30/14 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Karro Frost 7/1/13 6/30/16 COUNCIL ON AGING Helen Whipple 7/1/13 6/30/16 CROCKERY COMMITTEE Maria Whitney 7/1/13 6/30/14 Helen Whipple 7/1/13 6/30/14 Patricia Ernest 7/1/13 6/30/14 Tillie Hager 7/1/13 6/30/14 CULTURAL COUNCIL Dan Dibble 7/1/13 6/30/16 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR James Erviti 7/1/13 6/30/14 ENUMERATOR/911 COORDINATOR A. George Day 7/1/13 6/30/14 FIELD DRIVER Vacancy FIRE CHIEF Ron Gates 7/1/13 6/30/14 FORESTRY COMMITTEE Chris Duerring 7/1/13 6/30/14 Todd Weed 7/1/13 6/30/14 Rod Whipple 7/1/13 6/30/14 Keith Ross 7/1/13 6/30/14 Mary Williamson (alternate) 7/1/13 6/30/14 FCSWD REPRESENTATIVE Julie Hubbard 7/1/13 6/30/14 Claudia Lewis, alternate 7/1/13 6/30/14 FRCOG TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE Patricia Lemon 7/1/13 6/30/14 FRANKLIN REGIONAL PLANING BOARD REPRESENTATIVE Ted Cady - Planning Board 7/1/13 6/30/14 Nicholas Arguimbau - Selectboard 7/1/13 6/30/14 FRANKLIN REGIONAL COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE Dawn Magi 7/1/13 6/30/14 MEMORIAL DAY COMMITTEE Frederick Abbott 7/1/13 6/30/14 Charlie Brown 7/1/13 6/30/14 Robert Day 7/1/13 6/30/14 Arline Lincoln 7/1/13 6/30/14 Barbara Walker 7/1/13 6/30/14 MOORE'S POND BEACH ADVISORY COMMITTEE Matthew Connelly 7/1/13 6/30/16 Mario Tringali 7/1/13 6/30/16 Vacancy 7/1/13 6/30/16 OLD HOME DAYS COMMITTEE Larry Carey 7/1/13 6/30/14 Colleen Paul 7/1/13 6/30/14 Kathy Connelly 7/1/13 6/30/14 PERSONNEL COMMITTEE Martha Morse 7/1/13 6/30/14 A. George Day 7/1/13 6/30/14 Arline Lincoln 7/1/13 6/30/14 RECREATION COMMITTEE Colin Killay 7/1/13 6/30/14 Holly Manson 7/1/13 6/30/14 Vacancy RECYCLING COORDINATOR Julie Hubbard 7/1/13 6/30/14 REGISTRARS OF VOTERS Virginia Fellows (U) 7/1/13 6/30/14 TOWN COUNSEL Ferdinand Dupere 7/1/13 6/30/14 VETERAN'S AGENT James Erviti 7/1/13 6/30/14 VETERAN'S GRAVE AGENT Frederick Abbott 7/1/13 6/30/14 VETERAN'S MONUMENT COMMITTEE Frederick Abbott 7/1/13 6/30/14 Barbara Walker 7/1/13 6/30/14 Charlie Brown 7/1/13 6/30/14 Robert Day 7/1/13 6/30/14