Shutesbury Board of Selectmen
July 8, 2008 Meeting Minutes
Members present:  Chairman Rebecca Torres, Ralph Armstrong and Al Springer.
Also Present: Former Select Board member Debra Pichanick, Town Administrator David C. Dann and Administrative Secretary Leslie Bracebridge, recording.
Meeting opened at 7:10 P.M. 

Appointments  
Guest Debra Pichanick was thanked for her years of service on the Select Board with gifts of pictures of her pets, a Lake Wyola umbrella and T-shirt and vintage postcards.  New Selectman Al Springer was welcomed to the Board. 

Police Chief Harding:
* Brought an amended Shutesbury-Amherst mutual aide agreement for the Select Board to sign. Selectmen unanimously voted to sign the Amherst-Shutesbury mutual aide agreement with technical amendments to the one signed on June 24.
* The other police mutual aide agreement has been signed by New Salem and Leverett and has now been sent for Sunderland to sign.
* Officers Wall and Chandler both passed their physical agility tests for the police academy.  They will go to an orientation tomorrow and the academy starts in West Boylston on August 4.  The invoice will be paid out of the police operating budget for the short term and once all expenses have been paid, the Finance Committee will make a transfer from reserve funds to replace the funds.  New Salem Chief Camden has authorized use of a New Salem cruiser to travel down everyday, but the officers are considering pooling funds and renting a room near the academy to save both travel time and expense.

Selectmen unanimously agreed to approve end of fiscal year 2008 transfers for highway fuel, highway uniform service, recycling coordinator and police wages totaling $2,486.90.

Finance Committee Chairman Eric Stocker and member William “Bill” Wells:
* Requested a date in September to meet with the Energy Committee and the Board of Selectmen to think about alternative energy sources.  September 9 was selected.  
* The Finance Committee will look favorably on initiatives that will use less energy even if it requires initial capital costs.
* Members of the Finance Committee and the Select Board will meet with the Energy Committee this Monday, July 14 to plan for the September 9 meeting.
* The August 19 Finance Committee meeting is cancelled. 
* The Finance Committee wants department budgets to go up no more than 2% in FY 10.    

In the presence of Shutesbury Education Foundation member Maryelise Lamet and Library Trustee Karen Traub Selectmen discussed beginning plans for the 250th celebration of the Incorporation of the Town of  Shutesbury:
* It’s time to start planning a year long celebration of various events by various groups. 
* A potential charge borrowed from the Town of Amherst, celebrating their 250th in 2010 was compared with an older suggested charge developed for Shutesbury.  
* Selectmen worked with the sample steering committee charges, coming up with the following:  The steering committee is charged with preparing and recommending to the Select Board, for their approval, a program of celebrations to commemorate Shutesbury’s 250th anniversary in 2011.  This steering committee will organize and assist the broader community in implementing projects ensuring the widest possible inclusion of ideas.  Selectmen may appoint 7 to 9 people. 
* Selectmen will send this charge out in a variety of ways to town committees, citizens and community cultural entities and invite interest in committee membership, ideas and feedback for suggested projects to be sent to the Board of Selectmen.
* Reports of progress and minutes of the eventual committee will be put on the website.
* Selectmen thanked Maryelise and Karen for their patient assistance.

Charles and Audrey LeHane owners of waterfront property at 20 Lake Drive presented their Notice of Intent to remove one foot of accumulated sediment and road gravel under the high water mark from the town-owned lake bottom abutting their water front property:  
* The accumulation is caused from the flow of storm water draining from the Locks Pond Road area.
* The LeHanes’s report that their property is “the bottom of the line.”  
* The LeHanes summarized their understanding of the storm water flow patterns and efforts taken to address the problem, including a report of remediation recommendations prepared by Scott Campbell.  
* The LeHanes are concerned both for their private property and for the long-term well-being of the entire Lake bottom.  
* Selectmen will meet with the LeHanes and Highway Superintendent Tim Hunting, at Tim’s convenience and perhaps when it is raining to see the conditions first-hand.

Selectmen unanimously voted to sign Notices of Intent and hold harmless Agreements for the LeHanes’ sediment removal project, the Mitchell project at 24 Lake Drive, the Burns project at 58 Lake Drive and the Bechta project at 48 North Laurel Drive, all on town property abutting their private properties.  

Topics
1.  See discussion of the 250th Celebration in 2011 in appointments above.
2.  Feedback is that most established farmers are all set for their farmers markets for this year.  
* It is best to get to the farmers early in the winter when they plan their spring market schedules. 
* There might be 3 interested farmers this summer including local mushroom grower Deacon Bonnar. 
* If the market is also opened up to local gardeners who might have excess produce, and to artists, it is possible that a farmers’ market could “take hold” in Shutesbury this year.  
* An informal “come as you can” starter market will have a “grand opening” on July 19.  It will be free. 
* If it goes well, the town could charge $25/season or $5 for single day for stands next year.
3.  David has sent information out seeking a licensed site professional for soil contamination clean-up at the fire station. He hopes to have a response for a contract for Selectmen to sign at a special July 15 meeting. 
4.  Bids were opened for the dam repairs today:  The $192,875 low bid of Tro-Con Corp. of Woburn, MA was within the projected available funds. An additional $42,500 was bid for a reserve pump, if needed.  
* The results were sent to Engineer Morris Root who is not familiar with Tro-Con Corporation and will check the references.  
* A reserve pump would be used in the case of a severe storm requiring emergency pumping of water.  
* The Selectmen plan to award a contract at their July 22 meeting contingent upon Governor Deval Patrick leaving the House and Senate supported $150,000 in the final state budget.

Select Board Action Items
1.  Selectmen did not review minutes of the June 24 meeting.
2. Selectmen signed FY 08 vendor warrants totaling $83,215, and FY 09 vendor warrants for $82,307.83 and payroll warrants totaling $76,193.50.                 
3. Selectmen hope to award contracts for the DPW projects at their special July 15 meeting. 

Selectmen adjourned at 10:00 PM                                             Respectfully submitted,

Leslie Bracebridge, Administrative Secretary