Monday, August 15, 2011

BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2011
Page 1 of 4

Attendance: First Selectwoman Derrylyn Gorski, Selectman Donald Shea, Selectman Steven Thornquist

Visitors: Attorney Kevin McSherry, Ben Rosenbloom, Erwin Steward, Kathleen Schurman

First Selectwoman Derrylyn Gorski called the meeting of the Board of Selectmen to order at 7:32 p.m. The meeting was held in the Conference Room of the Bethany Town Hall. The first order of business was signing of the accounts payable checks. First Selectwoman Gorski asked all to rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

ADDITION TO AGENDA
Selectman Shea moved to add Woods Road to the agenda of this meeting. Selectman Thornquist seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.

WOODS ROAD
Erwin Steward and Ben Rosenbloom were present to discuss with the Selectmen the condition of Woods Road. Woods is a private road off of route 69. According to maps on file, this sub-division was created in 1936. There are eighteen homes on Woods Road. The road is presently in a state of disrepair. Mr. Steward and Mr. Rosenbloom were making inquiries whether the Town could do the repair and then place an assessment on each homeowner to recoup the money. The Rosenbloom’s, who have lived on Woods Road for ten years, indicated they had gotten an estimate a few years ago to do repair work. At that time the cost would have been about $3,000 to $5,000 from each resident to repair and repave the road. Erwin Steward indicated that he feels that the road is a safety hazard. Attorney McSherry will determine what is legally feasible and will email Mr. Rosenbloom the proper wording for a Bethany Woods cost and maintenance equal share agreement on which he could obtain signatures.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Selectman Thornquist moved to accept the minutes of the meeting of July 19, 2011 with the following revisions.

First Selectwoman Gorski asked Public Works Director Al Green for his recommendation. Mr. Green recommended the John Deere based on operator evaluations and safety features, citing driver egress from both sides of the John Deere and the Caterpillar vs. only left side egress from the Case as one example. First Selectwoman Gorski asked the Selectmen for their comments regarding the awarding of the backhoe bid. Selectman Shea felt that for the use this backhoe would be getting there was no need to spend the extra money to purchase the John Deere with all the bells and whistles. Selectman Thornquist had spoken to another town about their equipment, that town has 20 employees who evaluated the same three machines using each machine for one week. They all preferred the John Deere; however, the Deere could not be delivered in time and so they purchased the Caterpillar. (No marked opinion on any machines was given). First Selectwoman Gorski indicated that “the way we use a machine and drive it to each job, some of which can be 10 miles from the town garage, rather than to trailer it, make her feel that ride control is an important feature for us, both the Caterpillar and the John Deere have ride control, the Case does no. She felt that it was important to consider the employee evaluations which had rated the John Deere the highest. Of a possible 192 points, the average for the John Deere was 172, the Caterpillar was 162 and the Case was 148. On a scale of 1-6 with 1 and 2 being poor design, only the Case received that rating, and it was rated either a 1 or a 2 by all 5 operators for the same feature-“easy operation of the boom lock”. That is the same technology as the 17 year-old Case we have now and sometimes, the boom goes into the lock position causing material in the bucket to be deposited into the operator compartment and onto the operator. The John Deere also has 3 modes of operation, so that the operator can slow down the machine when working with a man guiding a 4,000 lb. sump into place. Both the Caterpillar and the John Deere have a banana boom allowing the operator to work more precisely in tight spaces, the Case has a straight boom. She also favored the John Deere, because employee safety around the John Deere with features the other machines did not have would be better, especially the fact that the controls are in the armrest, allowing the operator to always be facing the work, a feature unique to the John Deere . Selectman Thornquist then moved a motion to purchase the John Deere backhoe. Selectman Shea seconded the motion. Further discussion followed. The motion was called. First Selectwoman Gorski and Selectman Thornquist voted to accept the bid of John Deere for $138,550 including auger based on the recommendation of DPW Director Green; the operator evaluations and precision and safety features. Selectman Shea voted no as he felt that paying $22,750 more for a machine that would do basically the same work was a lot of dollars to spend extra in this economy.

Selectman Shea seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous to accept as amended.

Selectman Shea moved to accept the minutes of the meeting of July 25, 2011. The motion was seconded by Selectman Thornquist. The vote taken was unanimous to accept without change.

WAIVE RENTAL FEE FOR VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK PAVILION
Christ Episcopal Church has requested waiving of the fee to use the Pavilion at Veterans Memorial Park on September 11, 2011 for a service. Following a brief discussion Selectman Shea moved a motion to waive the fee for use of the Pavilion by Christ Episcopal Church. Selectman Thornquist seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.

CHARGE AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE LONG TERM FINANCIAL COMMITTEE
Selectman Thornquist moved the following charge for the Long Term Financial Committee:

The Long Term Financial Planning Committee (the “LTFPC or the “Committee”) of the Town of Bethany shall be charged with the responsibility of developing a 5 year financial plan for the Town. The LTFPC will address the strategic investments that may be necessary for the Town of Bethany. The development of the Long term Financial Plan will also incorporate the impact of demographic changes,
Economic trends, state funding projections, financing requirements, revenue trends, town educational and recreational needs as well as any other pertinent factors deemed significant.

The LTPFC is a five-member committee appointed for a one-year term (renewable) appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The LTFPC is comprised on two members of the Finance Committee and three members at-large. The First Selectman or designee serves as an ex-officio member.

The LTPFC’s charge of duties is as follows: The LTFPC shall define and study factors impacting future revenue, expenditure and capital needs. The LTFPC shall consider the relative needs, impact, timing, cost and funding impacts and use them to develop a proposed 5 year plan (or plans if multiple scenarios are deemed necessary) in the form of a projection for each of the next 5 years for general fund revenue, expenditures, debt and fund balance and capital projects/spending. The LTFPC shall include in their report their assumptions and data sources as well as any recommendations and action items for the next five fiscal years, and present the report to the Selectmen and Finance Committee for their consideration and at a Town Meeting for its approval.

Selectman Thornquist seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.

APPOINTMENT TO LONG TERM FINANCIAL COMMITTEE
Selectman Thornquist moved to appoint Stephen Squinto to a term on the Long Term Financial Committee. Selectman Shea seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT
The Eagle Scout Project as listed on the agenda was tabled because the his presentation was incomplete.

APPOINTMENTS TO INLAND WETLANDS COMMISSION
Selectman Shea moved to appoint Lisa Gaw as a full member of the Inland Wetlands Commission. Selectman Thornquist seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.

Selectman Thornquist moved to appoint Roger Hathaway as a full member of the Inland Wetlands Commission. Selectman Shea seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.

Selectman Thornquist moved to remove John Kane as a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission as he has been unable to attend a meeting for the last year. Selectman Shea seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.

The motion was made by Selectman Thornquist and seconded by Selectman Shea to move Brian Smith from an alternate to a full member of the Inland Wetlands Commission.

BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS
A motion was moved by Selectman Shea and seconded by Selectman Thornquist to appoint John Ford IV as a member of the Board of Assessment Appeals. Selectman Thornquist seconded the motion. The vote taken was unanimous.













CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence was received from the Regional Water Authority indicating that the past two years have been the wettest on record.

ADJOURNMENT
Adjournment was called at 8:25 p.m. after a motion was moved by Selectman Thornquist and seconded by Selectman Shea.

Respectfully submitted,

Minutes transcribed by June G. Riley
Secretary, Board of Selectman

Minutes taken by Attorney Kevin McSherry
Town Counsel