MINUTES
SELECTMEN’S MEETING
GRIFFIN ROOM, TOWN HALL
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
7:00 P.M.
SELECTMEN PRESENT: Ballantine, Cole, LaMantia, McManus, Wilkins
OTHERS PRESENT: Town Administrator James Merriam, David Ryan, Barbara Anne Foley, Tom Leach, Eric Beebe, Lee Culver, Frank Crowley, Vahan Khachadoorian, John Mahan, Ray Gottwald, Barbara Bliss, Francois Marin, John Sennott, Valerie Foster, and others.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER at 7:00 p.m. by Chairman McManus.
CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approve minutes – August 24, 2009 Regular Meeting
B. Approve request for assistance from the Caleb Chase Fund
Mr. Cole moved to approve the items in the Consent Agenda and take the appropriate actions thereto. Mr. Ballantine seconded the motion and the motion carried by a unanimous vote.
PUBLIC HEARINGS/PRESENTATIONS (7:15 P.M.)
A. Annual Reports to the Board:
1. Recreation & Youth Commission
Mr. Mahan, Chair, delivered the annual report of the Recreation & Youth Commission. Mr. Mahan and Mr. Beebe took questions and comments from the Board.
2. Council on Aging
Mr. Gottwald, Chair, delivered the annual report of the Council on Aging. Mr. Gottwald and Ms. Foley took questions and comments from the Board.
3. Community Center Facilities Committee
Mr. Culver, Chair, delivered the annual report of the Community Center Facilities Committee.
B. Presentation by Jeff LaFleur of the Cape Cod Cranberry Assn. on cranberry operations at Hinckley’s Pond
Jeff LaFleur, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Association, discussed fertilizers used in the operation of bogs on Hinckley Pond in relation to high levels of phosphorous and the recent algae bloom that closed the pond this summer. (See attached.)
OLD BUSINESS
A. Amendment to the Harbor Management Plan regarding Refund Policy – vote to approve
Mr. Leach reported that the Waterways Committee has not met to discuss this item yet. The Board agreed to hold this item until next week.
B. Expenditure of $5,000 from Affordable Housing Fund for survey work on Depot Road parcels J1, 2, 3, 4 & 6
Chairman McManus read correspondence from the Housing Authority which stated that they had unanimously voted not to recommend the expenditure of the funds for this request as it not specifically for housing. Mr. Loftus reported that Paul Ruchinskas had notified him that a TAP grant program is coming out this month and that this survey work would be eligible for the grant. Mr. Loftus noted that this request for $5,000 was considered by the Community Preservation Committee in August and did not pass and was not reconsidered at their September meeting.
Mr. LaMantia moved to authorize the expenditure of $5,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund for the purposes of doing survey work on the Depot Road property subject to receipt of a matching TAP grant. Mr. Wilkins seconded the motion and the motion carried by a unanimous vote.
NEW BUSINESS
A. Request by Housing Authority for $14,491.91 from the Affordable Housing Fund for supplementary engineering and survey services for American Dream I
Mr. Wilkins moved to approve the request by the Housing Authority for $14,491.91 from the Affordable Housing Fund for supplementary engineering and survey services for American Dream I. Mr. Ballantine seconded the motion and the motion carried by a unanimous vote.
B. Available liquor licenses – discussion
Chairman McManus questioned whether it would be appropriate to submit an article to Town Meeting to allow us to submit legislation for an additional liquor license considering that we now have a dining facility on Sisson Road and no liquor license available as well as the fact that Harwich Port is becoming a dining destination. He noted that it is not an easy procedure but a number of towns have gotten it passed. Mr. Wilkins moved that an article be prepared for either the November or May Town Meeting having to do with expanding the number of pouring licenses specifically. Mr. Ballantine stated that he would prefer to have it on the earlier Town Meeting warrant and Mr. Wilkins agreed to amend his motion as such. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.
C. Presentation of Five Year Plan by Town Administrator
Mr. Merriam and Mr. Ryan presented the Five Year Plan to the Board. (See attached.)
TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Mr. Merriam delivered the following report to the Board:
5 Year Plan
Staff and I devoted many hours this past summer providing you with this timely document.
New Liquor license
I met with Sandy Davidson to inquire whether the local Chamber would have any objections to the Town filing an article and legislation seeking an additional license for the Circadia property. Sandy indicated that the Chamber members she spoke with saw no objections.
MMA Energy and Environmental Policy Committee
I attended the monthly meeting in Boston in which we discussed water permitting policy as the environmental groups want to measure stream flow as a next step to impose further restrictions upon water departments. We also discussed expansion of the bottle bill.
CVEC
Barry Worth and I met with Mark Zielinski and Maggie Downey to discuss CREBS financing and potentially slower benefits with wind turbines. I forwarded to Stephen Wiehe for further review.
Cape Managers
We met on Nantucket on Thursday and participated in Libby’s weekly TV show.
Capital Outlay Committee
COC met with Dave Ryan and voted an initial list of recommended projects, prior to determining any funding sources. Once Free Cash is certified, we’ll be able to better identify funding amounts.
SELECTMEN’S REPORT
A. Selectmen’s goals and priorities
Mr. Wilkins requested that the Chairman write a letter on behalf of the Board to Harwich Middle School student Madison LeBlanc who arranged the recent 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Middle School.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Wilkins moved to adjourn at 10:14 p.m. Mr. Ballantine seconded the motion and the motion carried by a unanimous vote.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Steidel
Recording Secretary
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