Regular Meeting (12-07-2015)
Selectmen Present: Suzan Rudnicki, Douglas Small, John Luce, Earlyn Bowers and Joseph Pelletier
Town Manager: Tom Richmond
Recording Secretary: Coreen Sylvester
Guests Present: Wilbur Senter, Fire Chief Ryan Simpson and Fireman Darren Corriveau
7:30 PM: Suzan Rudnicki called the meeting to order.
MINUTES: John Luce made a motion to accept the minutes of November 30, 2015 as amended. Joe Pelletier seconded. Five voted in favor.
NEW BUSINESS:
Library Funds: Wilbur (Bill) Senter gave an update on the library expansion and explained the library had received approximately $500,000.00 between grants and donations. The expansion should end up costing around $350,000.00; they will be required to keep whatever money is left over in an endowment fund, and only use the interest earned from it for operating funds. Bill stated part of the requirements of a $200,000.00 grant they received is to keep fund raising and getting money from other sources. Bill explained the increases in this year's budget request.
Fire Department Wages: There was discussion regarding the hourly rate of pay for fire and rescue personnel. Fire Chief Ryan Simpson stated officers and EMT's will be paid $8.50 per hour, and drivers and firefighters will be paid $7.50 per hour. Ryan stated he will pay only two hours for training sessions, and will work to keep an eye on the hours personnel re getting in order to keep the cost down as much as possible.
Ambulance Receivables: Ryan Simpson recommended putting unpaid ambulance receivables into collections, and said we have over $80,000.00 outstanding. No action taken.
Radio Communications: Suzan Rudnicki asked if the problems with communication have been cleared up. Ryan said they have not, and they are still being directed to switch radio channels on some calls due to the correct channel not working properly.
Unsafe Speed Complaint: Joe Pelletier stated he had received a complaint from another town's driver that one of our fire trucks was driving at an unsafe speed on the way to the recent accident involving a cattle trailer on the interstate. Lt. Darren Corriveau stated he was the one driving our truck to that accident, and he was not going too fast for the road conditions. Ryan Simpson stated both sides of the interstate had been salted by the time they were driving to the accident scene. Joe stated he had advised the complainant to come to a Selectmen's meeting to voice his complaint.
TOWN MANAGER/ROAD COMMISSIONER/TAX COLLECTOR’S REPORT:
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The Town Manager stated a neighbor has expressed interest in purchasing Garrel Bouchey's property at 55 Hampden Road to build a garage on. After discussion, it was decided to hang on to the property for now to think about whether the Town might want to keep it as access to back land in case we need to put in public wells at some point.
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Town Manager Tom Richmond stated we have received one application so far for Julia's position; the application deadline is December 21, 2015.
NEW BUSINESS:
Budget Discussion: Earlyn Bowers made a motion to give R&R Lumber another year's snowplowing contract with the increase he asked for. John Luce seconded, with the provision that we take discontinued roads off the list of roads to be plowed. Four voted in favor. Joe Pelletier abstained.
Earlyn Bowers made a motion to authorize the Town Manager to sign a contract with Sullivan's Waste Disposal & Recycling with the extra $6,000.00 for recycling. No second. Motion died.
John Luce made a motion to accept the library's budget as written. No second. Motion died. Joe Pelletier made a motion to have the library come back with a revised budget. Doug Small seconded. Three voted in favor. Earlyn Bowers and John Luce abstained.
There were no objections to the Administration budget.
Earlyn Bowers made a motion to accept the Protection Accounts budget. No second. Motion died. Tabled to get more information from the Fire Chief as to how he is going to control the hours for work and training.
Selectmen requested the Town Manager have Rec Director Aaron Hawes come to a meeting to give the Board an update on the Rec programs and discuss next year's budget.
John Luce made a motion to approve the Health & Sanitation budget as written. Joe
Pelletier seconded. Five voted in favor. Earlyn Bowers made a motion to authorize the Town Manager to sign a three-month contract for recycling and a one-year contract for trash pickup. Joe Pelletier seconded. Four voted in favor. Doug Small abstained.
Joe Pelletier made a motion to approve the Public Works budget. John Luce seconded. Five voted in favor.
Town Road Specs: Tom Richmond stated he has asked Code Enforcement Officer Kevin Howell to make another change to the ordinance so that road specs for subdivisions are required to have a minimum of two inches of bituminous pavement base and 1½ inches of bituminous surface before being presented to the town for acceptance.
Salt Shed: Tom let the Board know the salt shed needs to be emptied this spring and the floor shimmed and re-paved.
Accidents on Interstate (Policy for Charging): John Luce made a motion to accept the Policy for billing for accidents we respond to on the interstate. No second. Motion died. The matter was tabled to have the Town Manager check with Penobscot County for billing rates.
WARRANT: Earlyn Bowers made a motion to accept the full-time fireman’s payroll warrant of December 7, 2015 in the amount of $828.07. John Luce seconded. Five voted in favor.
WARRANT: Earlyn Bowers made a motion to accept the payroll warrant of December 7, 2015 in the amount of $3,105.23. John Luce seconded. Five voted in favor.
WARRANT: Earlyn Bowers made a motion to accept the accounts payable warrant of December 7, 2015 in the amount of $131,708.64. John Luce seconded. Five voted in favor.
ADJOURNMENT: Sue Rudnicki made a motion to adjourn. Joe Pelletier seconded. Five voted in favor. Meeting adjourned at 9:47 pm.