Town of Warwick Selectboard July 14, 2008 Minutes Members present: Patricia Lemon, Rick Abbott, Nick Arguimbau Others present: David Young, Rosa Calcari, Miryam Williamson, Jon Calcari, Chris Ryan, Paula Lundgren (Athol Daily News) I. Call to Order Chairman Lemon called the Meeting to order at 6:01pm at the Town Hall. II. Minutes Lemon MOVED to accept the minutes of the June 30 meeting as printed in the agenda. Abbott SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. III. Presentations/Discussions 1. Highway Hourly Employee Performance Evaluations - Highway Superintendent Tim Kilhart's evaluations of Equipment Operator Vincent Perkins and Truck Drivers/Laborers William Arsenault and James Boothroyd were reviewed by the Board. Lemon wanted it on the record - that although Kilhart is their supervisor, the Board members had read and accepted Kilhart's evaluations and recommendations for continued employment of all Highway crew members Lemon MOVED the Board accept Tim Kilhart's evaluations of the three employees. Abbott SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. Lemon said she has been researching the Massachusetts General Laws and town by-laws for definitions of job responsibilities for appointed positions and committee charges she can include in appointment letters. She wanted to know whether other Board members and Town Coordinator saw any value in this effort. Young thanked her for her work and recommended she continue. Lemon also noted that she has been consulting with Town Clerk Jeannette Fellows and various committee members, including Mary Williamson of the Open Space Committee, in an attempt to compile an accurate list of appointed officials for FY '09. Lemon MOVED that the following roster of Open Space Committee members and term endings be confirmed: Jack Cadwell '09; Keith Ross '09; Mary Williamson '09; Arland George Day, Jr. '10; Scott Maslansky '10; Maria Whitney '10; Christine Duerring '11; Clare Green '11; Mark Maynard'11. Abbott SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. Bussolari Report on WCS Sprinkler System - Lemon noted that she had spoken with Dayle Doiron and was told that the sprinkler system was added because of a change in the building code. Neither Northfield nor Leyden elementary schools have sprinkler systems and neither has a problem obtaining insurance coverage. Young said that Dobbert had someone at the school several times last week to identify leaks and replace fittings. However, after each repair, sufficient pressure could not be maintained in the system. Bussolari recommends we ask for a waiver, and Young agrees. Doiron says the local Fire Chief gives such waivers. Arguimbau asked Young to seek a waiver and report back by the next Board meeting as to its availability. He also wanted Young to obtain a definitive statement from the insurance company as to whether the policy covers property damage in the event of no waiver and/or no sprinkler system, as well as the extent of fire coverage without a sprinkler system. Young pointed out that the school district obtains and pays for policy, and suggested that Arguimbau speak to Doiron directly Arguimbau MOVED to authorize David Young to pursue the availability of a waiver and obtain, preferably in writing, insurance coverage for fire protection with an inoperable sprinkler system with or without a waiver, and a definitive answer as to whether the Town would be held harmless by the School District if there is a problem with the insurance. Lemon SECONDED. Young reiterated that he did not feel that he should be the intermediary. He said that while he would pursue the waiver, the other matters would be an impossible task given the time constraints and other pressing matters coming up, including preparations for the Special Town Meeting. Arguimbau WITHDREW his Motion, based upon a consensus that Young would pursue the waiver issue and Arguimbau would pursue the insurance and hold -harmless issues. 3. Surplus State Vehicle Auction - Lemon included this item as informational, since all Massachusetts municipalities received notification of two public auctions of operable and inoperable surplus State vehicles and equipment. 4. Emergency Operations Center Grant Program - This item was also included as purely informational. Lemon said she had forwarded the announcement of this grant opportunity to all Public Safety departments. 5. Board of Selectmen Reports - Abbott said that there are still a few bugs to be worked out with the new payroll service, but Warwick personnel are being paid. 6. Arguimbau reported that during the recent perambulation, it was discovered that three markers are missing. The law says that these markers need to be replaced. The adjacent towns involved would make a joint request with Warwick for the State to do the necessary surveys. Young confirmed that the six adjacent towns received the perambulation reports via registered mail. Williamson and Young said that the perambulation performed in 1988, while they served on the Selectboard, did not turn up any missing boundary stones. They acknowledged that while their perambulation satisfied the spirit of the law, it was not as comprehensive as the one conducted this year. Young stated that he had already drafted the letters asking adjacent towns to join in a request for surveys, and that the letters would be sent out. Lemon said that she would like all FY 08 annual reports to be completed by the various departments, boards, and committees by the end of this month. A list of the elected officials was reviewed and discussed to collect accurate information. Lemon noted that Highway Department annual report had already been submitted by Tim Kilhart, to which Arguimbau offered public kudos that he wanted to have reflected in these minutes. Lemon is also in the process of updating the Legal Base Study to include quoted citations - not just their locations. 7. Broadband Update - Young reported on the Warwick broadband system being proposed by the Broadband Committee. The town will be asked to seed the project with a one-time appropriation of $40,000 to establish the basic infrastructure on Mt Grace and in town buildings. This phase will provide service to the Highway Dept and Police / Fire Stations and to the Police cruiser. And it will allow actual testing of where the signal will reach instead of paying thousands of dollars to have the coverage computer modeled by consultants. Local resident's who can see the tower will get the signal and the system will penetrate vegetation but in those cases only a real try with the equipment will prove it. Residents could buy their own equipment and contribute monthly to cover costs. Young said that at a later time when an economy of scale and history of performance is reached the enterprise could provide the equipment and recover the cost of subscriber radios with monthly charges. Arguimbau said that he had a long list of questions for the Broadband Committee that he deemed necessary to be answered prior to next month's Special Town Meeting. Young said that Arguimbau had first brought the questions to him and he had sent it out to the committee. He also explained that an enterprise fund, once established for the Broadband Committee, would last three years and allow the Town to borrow for betterments. Lemon asked if the committee had considered an informational meeting prior to the STM. 8. Town Coordinator Report - Young said that the Firemen's Association wants to pull a building permit to build a pole shed behind the Highway Garage for the two fire trucks that are currently parked outside the Fire Station. Lemon MOVED to authorize the Firemen's Association to apply for a building permit for the shed. Abbott SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. Kilhart says he has been informed that the current speed limit signs are the result of data collected in past surveys, and new surveys would be required to change them, so he has not yet taken any of them down. Kilhart has scheduled a meeting with a Mass. Highway Department representative and Police Chief Peters and for Wednesday, July 23, at 10:30 a.m. in the Board Room in Town Hall. Lemon plans to observe, and Calcari will take minutes. Young wanted the Board to consider putting money aside for the snow and ice budget. There is about $10,000.00 left in the Reserve Fund from FY '08, and a transfer of those funds to the snow and ice budget would minimize the impact on the tax rate. He said that the Finance Committee is due to meet Tuesday, July 15, the last day to deal with prior year matters. He noted that if the Finance Committee does not have a quorum at their meeting, the Board vote would be nullified. Lemon MOVED to transfer the unexpended balance, up to $10,000.00, from the Reserve Fund to the Snow and Ice deficit. Arguimbau SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. Young said that there is another, better proposal for the WCS telephone system. Lemon MOVED to authorize David Young to evaluate proposals for the WCS telephone system and make a decision consistent with past board decisions on the matter. Abbott SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. IV. Public Comment None. V. Adjournment Lemon MOVED at 7:22 pm. to adjourn the meeting. Abbott SECONDED. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. Minutes taken by Rosa Fratangelo Calcari Patricia Lemon, Frederick H. Abbott III, Nicholas Clapp Arguimbau, Selectboard Chair Selectboard Member Selectboard Member Rosa Fratangelo Calcari James David Young Selectboard Secretary Town Coordinator