Shutesbury Board of Selectmen February 16, 2010 Meeting Minutes Members present: Chairwoman Elaine Puleo and Al Springer. Also present: Town Administrator Rebecca Torres, Administrative Secretary Leslie Bracebridge and Select Board candidate April Stein. Meeting opened at 8:00 P.M. Appointments Tonight's Green Communities Action Planning with the Planning Board, Energy and Buildings Committees has been postponed to Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 PM, due to today's on-going snowstorm. Selectmen received a draft Green Communities Action Plan Report prepared by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments for the Town of Shutesbury in preparation for the February 22 meeting. Topics 1. Immediate Response Action (IRA) Plan for the Fire Station: * Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Deputy Regional Director Eva Tor reported to Becky that DEP has come up with $90,000 in Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) funds for Shutesbury's soil contamination clean-up. * The focus of the next DEP meeting will be to determine the scope of work after confirmation of the absence or presence of a second full tank.. * Selectmen reviewed an Immediate Response Action (IRA) Plan proposal and corresponding budget (total = $13,605) proposed by Licensed Site Professional (LSP) Jim Okun of O'Reilly Talbot & Okun Associates, Inc. * Becky reported that if the Selectmen approve the proposal tonight, LSP Okun could have people testing by next week: * Test methods were discussed: 1. Further assess water impacts 2. Assess soil gas concentrations 3. Resample drinking water supplies 4. Conduct ground penetrating survey (GPR) A motion was made, seconded and unanimously voted to accept the Immediate Response Action proposal of James Okun, LSP of O'Reilly Talbot & Okun Associates, Inc. in an amount of $13,605. * Becky received an email from Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Ben Fish suggesting Town had overlooked notifying the Conservation Commission of the most recent outbreak. In fact, Becky met with the Conservation Commission and has met with the Secretary/Clerk regarding the on-going soil contamination concerns at the Fire Station. Every weekly Town Administrator's (TA) report has discussed the town's progress. Each week, a copy of the TA report has been placed in the Conservation Commission town hall mailbox. It was understood that since the town was working directly with DEP, also working with the local Conservation Commission is redundant. Becky will speak with the Clerk on Thursday. Ben said the town has been addressing the outbreak as fully as possible. It appears to be just a mis-communication. 2. Magic Salt: Selectmen received a cost analysis of the use of Magic Salt compared to the use of traditional sand and salt on winter roads, as prepared by Becky and Highway Superintendent Tim Hunting. Though the cost of a run of Magic Salt is more than a run with traditional salt and sand, Magic Salt works better at lower temperatures, works faster and stays on the roads longer than traditional salt and sand, resulting in fewer applications, and less runs by the Highway Department on their regular routes, With the use of Magic Salt, less sand is used which not only evens out the cost ratios, but has the added benefits of: less sand to sweep up at the end of the winter, less sand filtering down into Lake Wyola and other waterways, and fewer runs to Sunderland for sand. A final plus for Magic Salt is that it is less corrosive on department equipment and vehicles in general on the roads. 3. M-30 possible Executive Session: Selectmen did not go into executive session this week. Select Board Action Items 1. Selectmen unanimously voted to approve the minutes of Tuesday, February 2, Saturday, February 6, and Monday February 8, 2010 as written. 2. Selectmen unanimously voted to sign a new Form 43 to resubmit to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission on behalf of the Shutesbury Athletic Club. 3. Selectmen signed vendor warrants totaling $113,980.05 4. Selectmen signed payroll warrants totaling $84,688.45. 5. See Select Board vote under Topics #1, above approving an IRA proposal for the soil contamination. New Topics 1. The Conservation Commission recommends a new member to the Conservation Commission who formerly lived in Shutesbury and now lives in Belchertown. Jeff Ragle a student at UMass with experience and education in the field would like to serve on Shutesbury's Conservation Commission. Discussion included the concern of a non-resident voting on matters which may cause an expense to the town or an excessive expense or inconvenience to a resident. Selectmen will invite Jeff to their next meeting. 2. The Conservation Commission would like to hire consultant Terry Plantier Eucker from the Berkshire Planning Commission to assist the Shutesbury Conservation Commission in developing a bundled order of conditions for the Highway Department: Selectmen received a packet of information. 3. Selectmen discussed some discomfort felt with the interactions between Shutesbury's School Committee Chairman Michael DeChiara and Union 28 Superintendent Joan Wickman as reported in 2 newspaper articles; the most recent on Saturday. The articles triggered a telephone call to Becky on the subject from Charlene Galenski. Ms. Galenski and her husband own a home at the lake. They are concerned that Shutesbury would leave Union 28 and of the impact that would have on their taxes. Ms. Galenski is Principal at Erving Elementary School so is familiar with Union 28. Becky reassured Ms. Galenski that even if the School Committee voted to leave the Union, it still is a multi- board decision and it would take much time and public input before anything could change. The weekly Town Administrator reports will tell all that is happening. There are strong opinions on both sides of the topic. The legislation was promoted to resolve an old problem which Shutesbury had encountered in previous years' discussions about leaving Union 28 to regionalize with Amherst the last time. Becky felt that the most important topic of her telephone discussion with Ms. Galenski will be a very clear financial analysis before any long term changes are entertained. 4. The Amherst Select Board has supported an override ballot question increasing Amherst's assessment to the Regional Schools by $754,000. If it passes, it would mean an increase of $34,489, An additional $28,000 is already built into the budget leaving a $6,000 to $7,000 increase for Shutesbury to adjust if the Amherst override passes. * Representative Kulik will be at UMass for a state budget discussion open to town officials at 3:30 PM next Monday afternoon. 5. Selectmen unanimously voted to authorize use of the Select Board room on the lower level of Town Hall for a Saturday March 13 library sponsored Dr. Seuss's birthday party. 6. A member of the 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee has suggested to Becky an idea to paint murals in the bathrooms at town hall. Selectmen may like murals, but wondered why in the bathrooms. 7. Becky will follow-up on a complaint concerning inappropriate use of Lot O-32 by Asplundt employees. 8. Selectmen reviewed a memo from the Recycling Committee and are glad to learn that the Recycling Committee decided to hold off on going up on the price of trash bags. Instead the Committee will be doing an analysis of the reasons that people are purchasing extra bags. 9. Becky received an email from James Hasselbeck of Waterline Inc., which will be installing a solar array behind town hall; Mr. Hassellback needs the Select Board to sign one more form. 9. The Monday, February 22, 5 PM Select Board meeting with the Planning Board, the Energy and Town Buildings Committees meeting to review the draft Green Communities Action Plan was cancelled. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously voted to adjourn at 9:11 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Leslie Bracebridge, Administrative Secretary 100216 Select Board 2