Town of Warwick
Selectboard
September 16, 2013
                                                                 Minutes

Members present: Dawn Magi, Nick Arguimbau, Patricia Lemon
Others present: Town Coordinator David Young, Town Secretary Rosa
Fratangelo Calcari,    Police Chief David Shoemaker, 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 approve the minutes of September 5, 2013 as printed.
Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0. 

IV. Presentations and Discussions
1.   Request Meeting with PVRS Building and Grounds Subcommittee--Young
explained that the PVRSD Building and Grounds Subcommittee sent a letter
to the Selectboard requesting a meeting regarding the March well repair
at WCS. The letter eluded to possible legal action based on their
disagreement over the Board's decision to decline to reimburse the
District for repair to the well pump. Young said that a meeting should
be scheduled. The Board expressed a preference for an evening meeting,
with the first choice for a date being Tuesday, October 1st and a second
choice of Thursday, October 3rd. 
	Young said that the Town Coordinator in Bernardston E-mailed him
about scheduling a meeting between their Selectboard and ours to discuss
the Pioneer District agreement. He recommended that the Board take the
meeting with the District first. He also said that our Buildings and
Energy Committee would be interested in attending a meeting with
Bernardston to discuss these issues.
	Magi inquired if it would be prudent to seek a second legal opinion
on this matter. Young noted that should legal action be taken, Town
Counsel would recuse himself from the matter altogether, as he
represents both the Town and the District. Young recommended holding off
on seeking any legal council until after the meeting with the District.
Arguimbau pointed out that arbitration would be a more cost effective
approach.
	Lemon said that Bernardston was correct in wanting a meeting to
better define terms within the contract with the District. Young again
said that our Buildings and Energy Committee should be included as they
are deeply concerned about the maintenance issues.
	Young said that he will develop thoughts on agenda items for the
meeting with the District's Building and Grounds Subcommittee. Arguimbau
said to break up the list into specific issues to be addressed and the
development of working definitions for going forward. Magi asked Young
to speak with Dale Kowacki about this matter as well. 
2.   Field Driver and Loose Livestock Fee Proposal --Young explained
that the Field Driver position is again vacant. He had asked Rosa
Fratangelo Calcari to compile a list of large livestock owners and to
draft a proposed fee schedule to establish an income stream for the
position. The Field Driver, once historically the most recently married
man has never been a compensated position, is often vacant, and a source
of potential revenue might make it easier to identify interest
candidates. Young suggested that a hearing be held during a Selectboard
meeting to discuss potential fees and to invite the owners of large
livestock to attend. Chief Shoemaker asked why this can't just be folded
into the Animal Control job. Animal Control Officer Fratangelo Calcari
explained that she neither owns nor can afford to purchase a truck and
livestock trailer, nor does she possess equipment suited to the capture
of large livestock such as horses or cows. She explained that while the
occurrence of loose livestock is not all that common, public safety
would best be served by someone who owns large livestock, has experience
handling such animals and owns proper capture and transport equipment
should be charged with their capture. She also noted that if an owner
cannot be readily identified or for some reason it is not possible to
return the loose livestock to the owner's property, someone who owns
such animals already would have a safe place to house such animals,
which cannot be confined to town impound kennels. The ACO also said that
she would willingly accompany the Field Driver on calls and assist as
necessary, but the fees collected would be paid to the Field Driver.
	Magi said that a hearing should be scheduled. The time chosen was
Tuesday, October 15th at 6:30pm.
3.   Selectboard Letter on Internet Bond Bill--Lemon wanted to send a
letter on the Board's behalf in support of the next Broadband Bond Bill.
Young explained that this bond of $40,000,000.00 would be part of the
funding to complete the last mile of fiber-to-the-home internet.
Lemon MOVED to authorize Patricia Lemon to write and send a letter on
behalf of the Selectboard in support of the Broadband Bond Bill.
Arguimbau SECONDED. Motion CARRIED 3-0-0.
4.   Police Department--Chief Shoemaker said that the copy of the
proposed Franklin County Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement would be
discussed at the Franklin County Police Chiefs Association meeting the
following day. Each Board member had previously been provided with a
copy of the agreement for their review. The Chief said that he supported
the agreement, which he described as being the same almost word-for-word
as those currently in place with the towns of Northfield, Winchester and
Richmond. The Chief asked that this be placed on the next meeting's
agenda for a Board vote on whether to approve the agreement. 
5.	Employment Performance Reviews--Magi said that she felt there was
no need to make the performance reviews public unless the employees
wished to do so. Chief Shoemaker noted that he was waiting for his
review from Selectboard member Lemon. She said that she would send it to
him. 
6.	Selectboard Reports--Magi said that she had sent out several
letters on behalf of FRCOG in support of Bill H2374, which would allow
employees to transfer from the county retirement program to the State
retirement program.
	Arguimbau said that he was contacted by Mary Jane Bacon of Senator
Rosenberg's office seeking input from Warwick on the Environmental Bond
Act. He said he got the impression that providing input might increase
the chances of receiving funding down the line. Arguimbau said that he
spoke with Karro Frost (Conservation Commission), Ted Cady (Planning
Board) and Mary Williamson (Open Space Committee) and devised a
prioritized list of three issues. The first was both public and private
program on invasive species, which would include the Town clearing
roadsides, assistance and education to homeowners and coordination with
DCR and abutting towns. Arguimbau said that Frost placed a value of
$30,000.00 on this project, which he felt might be a bit low. The second
item involved the properties belonging to Steve Clark, who owns four
parcels of land in Town and is interested in selling everything to the
Town to protect the land. Arguimbau identified the 10 acre parcel of
land behind the Magi land on Wendell Road as being the top priority with
respect to the four pieces of property owned by Clark. The third item
was the planning and construction of foot trails. Arguimbau noted that
no dollar value was placed on the second and third items of his
prioritized list.  
7.	Town Coordinator Report--Young said that the Planning Board has
asked the Board to look into the condition of the road surface on Gale
Road. He explained that a previous Board had given permission to a
resident to exercise his horses on Gale Road, and suggested that each
Board member go and look at the road surface. Young said that he would
invite the resident to a future meeting.
	Young said that he had received a request from the Warwick Community
School to borrow the copy of the Town Charter for a few weeks while the
students write a charter for the school. There was a consensus of the
Board to allow the school to borrow the framed copy of the charter.
	Young said that he received a letter from the Attorney General's
office approving all four of the by-laws approved by Town Meeting vote
this May. He said there were some notes, which were forwarded to Town
Counsel for review.
	Arguimbau complimented Young for editing templates on capital
planning based on material that Young had found on the state of
Washington website. Arguimbau agreed to be the Board's liaison to the
Fire Department with regards to capital planning.
8.	New and Other Items Not Reasonably Anticipated Prior to Posting
Date--None.
V.  Adjournment
At 6:52 pm, Lemon MOVED to adjourn the meeting. Arguimbau SECONDED.
Motion CARRIED 3-0-0.
Minutes taken by Rosa Fratangelo Calcari