MINUTES OF SELECTMEN’S MEETING
MARCH 25, 2008

1.0       Meeting convened at 6:37 PM. Pledge to flag.

Selectmen present: Muriel Bonin, Glen Ridley, Mark Russell

Guests included:

Bob Moore- Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed

Ken Bonin                                Joanne Locke

Mel Newendyke                       Pat Soboleski

Vicki Russell                             Tiffany Caton

Ken M                                     Walter McCarty

Kevin Doyle                             Elaine Carpenter

Jim Murphy                              Steve Ochmanski

Jack Duggins                            Elton Wade

William Quackenbush               Tom Pelletier

Barry Estabrook

2.0       Mark Russell moved/Muriel Bonin seconded (passed 3-0) to accept minutes of March 13, 2008 amended as follows:

(a) 6.1… set June 10, 2008 (Tuesday) for the town to meet for local elections and June14, 2008 (Saturday) to reconvene the Town Meeting.

(b) 6.2 –chair—Secretary Vicki Russell …

4.1       Town Manager

(a) Met this morning with Diane Clay and signed Smithfield Plantations Project Canopy Grant application.

(b)  Worked up cemetery mowing RFP; coordinated with Sexton David Larrabee that bids are due April 16^th with a recommendation for the April 22 board meeting.

(c)  Contacted County sheriff’s office re: availability of inmate/trustees to help clean/paint public works garage towards the end of July 2008.

(d) Phone message left for surveyor Paul Ruopp re: Peace Pipe shores deed review.

(e)  CEO and Manager met recently with Turnpike representatives re: certain Litchfield summer projects.

4.5       Assessing Agent:

            (a)  Jim Murphy reviewed the following abatements/supplementals:

                  NAME                   ABATEMENT   MOVED BY   SECONDED BY   PASSED

                  J. Hyde Sr              $63.71              Mark Russell     Muriel Bonin         3-0

                  J Hyde Sr               $81.47              Mark Russell     Muriel Bonin         3-0

                  R. Smith                 $311.02             Mark Russell     Glen Ridley           3-0

                  R. Huff                   $433.85             Mark Russell     Glen Ridley           3-0

                  NAME                   SUPPLEMENTAL   MOVED BY   SECONDED BY   PASSED

                  R Page                   $72.82                          Mark Russell     Muriel Bonin         3-0

                  D. Beaudoin            $157.30                         Mark Russell     Muriel Bonin         3-0

(b)  Board reviewed Jim Murphy’s “job description” (see attachment #1 for details)

(c)  Board reviewed assessing agent’s recommended Personal Property listing documents (see attachment # 2 for details).  Manager tasked to write Sodalite article as to the availability of these documents in the town office.

5.1              Recreation Committee:

                  Mark Russell moved/Glen Ridley seconded (passed 3-0) to spend up to $2,150 to install quartz light fixtures controlled by motion detectors in the ballfield (see attachment # 3 for Stewart Electrical’s quote)

5.2              Cobbosseeconte Yacht Club Milfoil Prevention Request:

                  Mark Russell moved/Muriel Bonin seconded (passed 3-0) authorizing “non-resident” Bob Moore to review the history of the Courtesy Boat milfoil inspections on Torsey, Annabessacook, Pleasant, Maranacook, Woodbury and Cobbossee.  Litchfield is requested to support the 2008 program with $600. (see attachment # 4 for details)

5.3              Preliminary FY ’09 Transfer Station Budget:

                  Elaine Carpenter reviewed the partial draft budget (see attachment # 5 for available details.)

5.4                           Preliminary FY 2009 Fire Protection Budget:                                                             Rescheduled to 4-8-08

5.5                           Preliminary_ Review “Repeater” Project Estimated Costs:

Rescheduled to 4-8-2008 Board meeting

6.1                           Election Clerks:

Manager reviewed with Board Clerk Doris Parlin’s procedures for soliciting 10-12 election clerks through the Sodalite Newsletter.

6.2                           Elaine Carpenter:

Manager recommended Elaine’s request for 2 additional hours/week (increasing her hours from 18 to 20 hours/week) to accommodate an increase in paperwork-budget preparation, DEP/SPO reports etc. Muriel Bonin moved/Mark Russell seconded (passed 3-0) to approve a 2 hour/week increase subject to manager determining the impact if any on benefits.

8.0                          Appointments/ Resignations:

(a)    Mark Russell moved/Muriel Bonin seconded (passed 3-0) to accept Doris                                                                                           Parlin’s resignation from the Housing Rehab Committee.

(b)    Mark Russell moved/Muriel Bonin seconded (passed 3-0) to reappoint (signed appointment papers) James Murphy as Assessing Agent through March 31, 2009.  Jim Murphy contract extension will be reviewed at a later board meeting.

9.1              Mark Russell moved Glen Ridley seconded (passed 3-0) to approve / sign Town           Voucher # 20 for $22,458.26.

9.2                           Muriel Bonin moved / Mark Russell seconded (passed 3-0) to approve / sign Town

                    Payroll # 20 for $12,260.17 & 20A for $3,393.75.

9.3               No School Voucher available.

9.4              No School Payroll available

10.0             Public Discussion:

                     (a)  Barry Estabrook, who has a town hauler’s license, inquired as to whether he

                          could be considered to service the garage dumpster currently owned/serviced

                          by Augusta- based Riverside.  Mr. Estabrook will meet with Elaine Carpenter

                            to discuss the matter.

                     (b) Walter McCarty, Deputy Road Commissioner, discussed the long outstanding

Safety issues in the Public Works Garage and urged the Board to use the ell

portion of the new addition for storage rather than as a breakroom.  Glen                        Ridley said that a breakroom is considered by the Fire Marshall’s Office as a “change in use,” requiring an engineer’s plan for that agency’s review.  As not an agenda item, the board was not able to vote on this matter, but tasked the manager to use “his best judgment” to address the garage’s safety issues.

(c)  In response to Mark Russell’s question as to the status of the budget the manager will work up timelines / milestones to have the budget and Town Report ready to go to the printers by mid-May.

11.0             Future Agenda Items:

                       (a) WCYI $52 million Tax-Exempt Bond Issue Public Hearing on 4-8-08

                       (b) Turnpike road/bridge projects scheduled for this summer.

                       (c) Town Budget committee contact School Board as to the status of the Regional School Union.

12.0             Meeting Adjourned  at 8:35 pm.

Respectfully submitted

Mike Byron

Secretary