Town of Otis
Select Board Meeting Minutes
June 28, 2016
Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
Present: Roberta Sarnacki, Don Hawley, Bill Hiller, Chris Morris, Terry Gould, Michael Ernst, Kathleen Rider, Richard & Dorothy Theriault, Michele & Ken Pettibone, Nick Hiller, Marion Middleton, Dan Hamill, David Hamill, Linda Rocke, Gary Thomas, Kathy & Dave Conklin, Dave Sarnacki, Tom Soules, Arthur Riordan, Frank Tolopko
Don Hawley requested a moment of silence to honor the passing of Chester Snow
Approval of Minutes: The June 14, 2016 Select Board meeting minutes were approved as written by Roberta and Bill with Don abstaining. The May 23, 2016 All Boards meeting minutes were approved by Bill and Don with Roberta abstaining.
Board of Health: Nothing to report. An abutter to a previous BOH approval at Ridge Ave. has questions, but is not present.
RRG Contract: The individual would be more expensive than the RRG Contract. The Assessors would like to renew the three year contract with RRG, and Chris pointed out the Termination Clause in the contract gave us a lot of leverage if a great opportunity came along in the future. The contract would require monthly payments for services. All three Select Board members voted to approve and sign the RRG Contract.
Southern Berkshire Solid Waste Mgmt. Grant: Jim had previously discussed the mattress disposal grant with the Select Board. At this time, the grant opportunity has now passed, but it would have required residents to bring mattresses to Becket instead of to our Transfer Station. The Select Board agreed we would have better success bringing mattresses to our Site than having them dumped along the side of the road.
Finish Reappointments: The second reappointment list was approved as presented with all vacancies listed remaining vacant. For Constable, Police Chief, and Police Officers, Roberta abstained from the vote with Bill and Don approving. For Bill Hiller nominations for Energy, Municipal Light Plant Manager, and Technology, Bill abstained with Don and Roberta approving. Don Hawley stated that he did not miss the last meeting to avoid the Police Chief matter. Don reviewed the timeline of the occurrences, when things occurred and when the Social Media Policy was drafted, and when the policy was adopted. He made it clear that only three people know what occurred and when it occurred during the police matter. He also stated that the Personnel Policy Manual has guidelines for dealing with disciplinary actions and this is what the Select Board has to abide by. First, second, and further offenses are explicitly stated in the Personnel Policy Manual and Don made it clear that the town’s policy will be considered during the Police Chief reappointment. David Hamill stated that of all the Police Chiefs he has worked for, Roberta by far has done the most for the Town of Otis. Michele Pettibone also stated the benefits Roberta has given to this town. Dave Sarnacki also stated that Roberta has turned a negative perception of the Police Dept. into a positive perception both in town and with surrounding towns. Both commented how her Kops ‘N Kids program has given a high positive profile to the Police Dept. Gary Thomas asked if Chris had a written opinion from Town Counsel about the ruling on Dave Robert’s question at the last meeting. Chris stated the opinion was not currently in writing and Chris would request it when Town Counsel returned from vacation. Don also stated that anonymous comments by residents will no longer be tolerated by the Select Board. If you cannot sign your name to a complaint, the complaint will not be acknowledged. Bill then stated that he has considered everything, has dealt with the issue per the Personnel Policy requirements, and is in support of reappointing Roberta as Police Chief as well.
Other:
65 Mile Marker: Richard Theriault would like to move the marker to a safer location to avoid potential destruction of the rock where it is currently located. It is currently located at its existing historical location and would like to move it on Town property so it will be better protected. It has been damaged in the past and the protective pillars have been damaged as well. The Select Board suggested it may be better to leave it where it is, dig around it to see how large it actually is, and put a fence around it instead of trying to move it.
28 Ridge Avenue: Art Roirdan is an abutter and has questions he wants to ask Jim Wilusz about.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa D’Orazio
Selectmen’s Secretary
Town of Otis
List of Documents
A copy of the final reappointment list will be filed with these meeting minut