Harwich Town Hall
732 Main St., Harwich Center, MA 02645
ph: (508) 430-7514
fx: (508) 432-5039
Minutes - June 1, 2004
MINUTES
SELECTMEN’S MEETING
GRIFFIN ROOM, TOWN HALL
TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2004
7:00 P.M.


SELECTMEN PRESENT:  Gibson, Howell, McManus, Peterson, Widegren.

SELECTMEN ABSENT:  None

SELECTMEN LATE:  None

OTHERS PRESENT: Town Administrator Wayne Melville, Assistant Town Administrator René Read, Betty Schneiderhan and others.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER at 7:15 P.M. by Chairman Howell.

Chairman Howell stated that the Board had just come out of Executive Session where they discussed ongoing litigation and land acquisition matters before the Board.  He explained that the Board is sending a representative tomorrow to the Van Gelder MCAD case for the purpose of discussing a negotiated settlement.  He added that they discussed a land acquisition matter which will be subject for a future Executive Session in the next few weeks.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

OPEN FORUM FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC

SCHEDULED AGENDA ITEMS

A.      Application by the Belmont Beach Club d/b/a The Beach for a change of manager from Richard Silvan to Myles Ostroff to be named on its liquor license.

Mr. Gibson motioned to approve the application.  Mr. Widegren seconded the motion.  Chairman Howell noted that the Police Department has found no reason to disqualify the application.  The motion carried unanimously.

B.      Request by the Harwich Center Initiative Committee and the Harwich Historical Society to hold the first Annual Harwich Center Day on Saturday, June 12, 2004.

Mrs. Schneiderhan distributed an outline of the events scheduled for that day.  Mr. Peterson motioned that the request be granted to hold the first annual Harwich Center Day on June 12, 2004 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Mr. Widegren seconded the motion and so voted.  
        
REPORT OF THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR

1.      APPOINTMENTS

Division of Highway and Maintenance - Seasonal Laborer
        Patrick W. Mason        $12.00/hour     effective June 1, 2004
        Peter J. Eldredge       $11.50/hour     effective June 1, 2004

Highway and Maintenance - Sticker Sellers
        Jean A. Bates   $9.00/hour      effective June 1, 2004
        Nioma H. Karras $9.00/hour      effective June 1, 2004
        Marguerite G. Ferreira  $9.00/hour      effective June 1, 2004
        Christine S. Wood       $9.00/hour      effective June 1, 2004

Recreation and Youth -  Summer Program Staff
Beach Supervisor -  Francis Veale        $13.00/hour    effective June 7, 2004
Lifeguards -  all effective June 21, 2004
        Taylor Baker    $11.00/hour
        Morgan Baker    $10.50/hour
        Julia Biciunas  $10.00/hour
        Alyssa Bramer   $10.50/hour
        Kerrie Brophy   $11.00/hour
        Sarah Carter    $11.00/hour
        Micaela Carucci $10.00/hour
        Katie Crapulli  $10.50/hour
        Brian Cronin    $10.00/hour
        James Daley     $11.00/hour
        William Daley   $10.50/hour
        Elizabeth Distasio      $11.00/hour
        Kathryn Dolaher $10.50/hour
        Michelle Eston  $11.00/hour
        William Fennell $10.50/hour
        James Golisano  $10.00/hour
        Whitney Hossfield       $11.00/hour
        Rich Irvine     $10.00/hour
        Tallulah Knopp  $10.00/hour
        Emily Lyons     $10.50/hour
        Jessica Novak   $11.00/hour
        Catherine O’Leary       $10.00/hour
        Heather Pratt   $11.00/hour
        Robert Reedy    $10.50/hour
        Michele Swanson $10.50/hour
        Helen Sullivan  $10.00/hour
        John Tucker     $10.50/hour
     Christopher Veale        $10.50/hour
     Kaitlyn Wilson           $10.00/hour

          Tennis Instructors
Craig Drushella         $10.50/hour
Christine Peterson              $10.50/hour
Nathan Weinreich                $9.50/hour
Chris Widegren          $9.50/hour

          Gate Attendants
Daniel Bumham           $9.00/hour
Lindsey Irvine          $8.00/hour
Nathaniel Keenan                $8.00/hour
Courtney Lawless                $9.00/hour
Ashley Taylor           $9.00/hour
John Wittenstein                $9.00/hour
Tom Wood                $8.00/hour

          Waterfront Director
     Zoe Jenkins               $13.00/hour

          Water Safety Instructor
      Jacqueline DeCharles             $11.00/hour
     Merisa Loria              $11.00/hour
     Matthew Slivka            $11.00/hour
     Emily Sumner              $10.50/hour
     Meghan Swanson            $11.00/hour

     Playground Director
     Lori Johnson              $11.00/hour

     Playground Instructor
     Michael Caplice           $9.00/hour
     Samir Elkamouny           $9.00/hour
     Nichole Gomes             $8.00/hour
     Aaron Jamous              $9.00/hour
     Ken Johnson               $8.00/hour
     Kyle Kliment              $8.50/hour
     David Komack              $8.50/hour
     Alexis Mugford            $9.00/hour
     Carolyn Murphy            $8.50/hour
     Lauren Weirick            $9.00/hour
     Alana Wilson              $9.00/hour
     Danielle Zoino            $9.00/hour

The Brooks Library Trustees announce the appointment of Donna Burgess as Senior
Library Technician at 30 hours per week to replace the position formerly held by Andrea
Kuehn.

II.     I have applied for an automatic external defibrillator on behalf of the Harwich Police Department offered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety. A copy of the application is attached to my report.

III.    The restroom at Red River Beach cannot be constructed in time to open the summer season. The projected delivery and construction schedule takes us well into the month of August. As a consequence, the floor of the existing bathroom trailer has been shored up by the Division of Highway and Maintenance and we will be forced to use that structure for one more summer season.

IV.     At a meeting held on Wednesday, May 26, 2004, the Waterways Commission voted to place 17 people back on waiting lists who had been removed from those waiting lists for non payment of the annual fee. While this is a large number, the process by which people would seek an appeal of their removal, is working and this matter was determined by the Waterways Commission and not by the Harbormaster. A list of those people is attached to my report.

V.      I have attached an exchange of emails between the Harbormaster and William Cavanaugh at the Army Corp of Engineers concerning the shoaling of the Saquatucket entrance channel. You will note that the area is in need of dredging, but the Army Corp of Engineers will not be able to dredge this channel this year. Funds that formally would have been used for this purpose have been diverted to other agencies because of the war in Iraq.

I have enclosed a calculation of tax rates and median tax bills for Towns on the Cape compiled by our Assessor’s Office. Tax rates alone are not enough to compare the tax levels in various communities as the actual tax bill is based on tax rate times value. The tax rate is $6.60, and the median tax bill in the Town of Harwich is $2,042.44. This places Harwich 11th out of 15 towns in terms of expense of living here. Only the towns of Eastham, Wellfleet, Chatham and Dennis have lower median tax bills. A copy of this chart is enclosed with my report.

With regard to Item IV, the Board agreed to request that the Waterways Commission come in when there is a full Board to discuss this issue.  Chairman Howell agreed to place this on the agenda.

OLD/UNFINISHED BUSINESS 

NEW BUSINESS

A.      Reorganization of the Board

Mr. Gibson motioned to reorganize the Board with Mr. Widegren as Vice-Chair, and Mr. McManus and Mr. Peterson as the Interview Committee.  Mr. Peterson seconded the motion and so voted.
B.      Discuss summer meeting schedule

Mr. Peterson motioned to hold Board meetings on July 12 and 26, 2004, and August 2, 16 and 30, 2004 one of which would be the Non-Resident Taxpayers Meeting and then resume weekly meetings thereafter commencing on September 7, 2004.  Mr. Widegren seconded the motion and so voted.

C.      Review Rules of Procedure

Chairman Howell noted that Mr. Gibson and Mr. McManus both had some comments on this.  He said he would like to meet with Mr. McManus during the week to incorporate these comments into the Rules of Procedure and come up with a finished product for consideration next week.

CONTRACTS       

A.      Legal Advertising for FY 05 through FY 07

Mr. Peterson motioned to award the contract to the Cape Cod Chronicle as per Mr. Read’s recommendation.  Mr. Widegren seconded the motion.  Mr. Widegren stated that there are some committees that have requested to have public hearings advertised 2 consecutive times and this hasn’t happened at times.  He recommended that a paragraph be added that if the Chronicle fails to advertise two consecutive times as instructed, then they must advertise at their own expense the following two weeks.  Mr. Gibson suggested that there be a form that the boards could turn into the legal advertising unit which would indicate how many times an ad should be placed so we have a paper trail.  Mr. Galvin of the Chronicle noted that e-mail is the best way to place an order for an ad.  The motion carried unanimously.

B.      Mobile Food Concession Services

Mr. Widegren motioned to award the contract to Hyannis Ice Cream Corp. for the following beaches.  Mr. McManus seconded the motion and so voted.

Red River Beach                         $1,000
Bank Street Beach                               $3,250
Sand Pond Beach                         $   100
Earle Road and Pleasant Road Beaches    $6,500
Fisherman’s Landing and Cahoon’s Beach  $   250

TOTAL         $11,100 for all beaches.

LICENSES        
        
        Renewal of a Lodging House License for Laurieann & Michael Galer d/b/a Barnaby Inn,     36 Route 28, West Harwich.

Mr. Gibson motioned to approve the license.  Mr. Widegren seconded the motion and so voted.

CORRESPONDENCE REQUIRING ACTION

A.      Resignations of Philip Eagan and A. David Palmer from the Harwich Historical Commission.

Mr. Widegren motioned to accept Mr. Eagan’s and Mr. Palmer’s resignation with great regret and send a letter of thanks.  Mr. McManus seconded the motion and so voted.

B.      Letter from Representative Gomes encouraging support for education advances.

Mr. Widegren motioned to send a thank you letter to Rep. Gomes and tell her that the Board completely supports her efforts in these matters and encourage her to continue on.  Mr. Peterson seconded this motion.  Chairman Howell recommended that the letter be sent to Senator O’Leary as well.  Mr. Widegren agreed to amend his motion to include Chairman Howell’s recommendation.  The motion carried unanimously.

C.      Request by Massachusetts Municipal Association for support of the Brewer Amendment relative to the Lottery diversion.

Mr. Gibson motioned that Chairman Howell write a letter for the Chair to sign and send to our State senator to support the Brewer amendment to phase out the lottery diversion.  Mr. Peterson seconded the motion and so voted.

APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
        
        March 8th and March 15th, 2004

Mr. Gibson stated that he would like to check the tapes on a couple of items and the Board agreed to bring the minutes back the following week.

APPOINTMENTS    

A.      Architectural Advisory Committee

The Board took no action on this item.

B.      Amend appointment of John McGillen to the Historic District Commission
        
The Board took no action on this item.

OTHER

Mr. McManus requested that documents for Executive Session in the Board’s packets be designated as such to assure that they remain confidential.  Chairman Howell stated that he will see that this happens.
        
ANNOUNCEMENTS

        Senator O’Leary will hold district office hours at the Community Center, Room 3 on      Wednesday, June 2nd from noon to 1:30 P.M.

ADJOURNMENT   

Chairman Howell adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.


Respectfully submitted,

Ann Steidel
Recording Secretary