Town of Otis
Select Board Meeting Minutes
May 23, 2018
Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room. It’s being recorded and a quorum is present.
Present: Selectman Bill Hiller, Selectman Don Hawley, Town Administrator Becky Stone, Terry Gould, Michael Ernst, Walter Engels, William O’Brien Jr., Michael O’Brien
Select Board Change Over: Bill was congratulated on his re-election to the Select Board and Don Hawley was nominated and approved as the new Select Board chairman.
Approval of Minutes: The May 8, 2018 Select Board meeting minutes were unanimously approved as written.
Board of Health: There was nothing to report.
East Otis Schoolhouse Safety Inspection Notice: Becky noted that our insurance carrier has submitted four conditions that should be addressed or our insurance on the building will be cancelled. It appears the insurance carrier made the assumption the building was to be occupied, which it is not. Michael suggested we do a cosmetic cleaning of the schoolhouse, take pictures inside and out, and then tear it down. Then we should put up a gazebo on the lot, display pictures of the East Otis Schoolhouse and the torn down Meeting House in a weather-proof display, display the bell from the church, put in some benches and picnic tables and have a nice little park in East Otis. According to the preliminary review of the work needed to refurbish the schoolhouse, it will cost the town over $100,000 to do the work and approximately $3000 to insure the vacant building. Bill suggested we keep liability on the lot and not on the building. Don suggested we go ahead and get estimates to do the insurance remediation and remove and frame out the chimney, plus have Ray look at the roof. We should have all this for the June 12th Select Board meeting so we can make a decision. Tabled for the June 12th meeting.
Reservoir Road Culvert Project: The FEMA money has been granted, the project has gone out to bid and was awarded, but was then put on hold. Apparently, we were waiting for some design changes. We just received notification that if we do not move forward with the project in the next few weeks by July 1st, we will lose the FEMA money. Someone has the project stopped because they are waiting for new culvert guidelines so the engineering report can be revised. This may force us to have to go back out for bid on the project which means we won’t have the project started before the FEMA deadline. DCR still has not come through with the 25% of the project that they should be paying us for this project. Don said MEMA, DOT, and DCR all need to come in and meet with us face to face and get this straightened out. We did not create the problem this project is trying to resolve, the state did. Lorraine Eddy is our MEMA contact person.
Other:
137 North Main Road Sewer charges: Suzanne Regan inquired as to why she is paying a sewer fee on a piece of property that is being used as a storage building. Her father had requested the building be connected to the sewer system in 1998 because he was considering putting in apartments in the building. Because of this request a grinder pump was installed and they are paying one EDU for the building for the sewer. Mr. Regan had then requested a reduction in the fee in 2007 and 2012, but because he had initiated the installation, he was turned down both times. Now his daughter is again asking for a fee reduction and copies of the correspondence and paperwork with her father will be mailed to her. The Select Board determined that since the request was made by the owner, they will have to pay for use of the sewer system whether they choose to use the system or not, so the previous decision still remains in good standing and 137 North Main Road will continue to be charged one EDU for use of the sewer system. Lisa will mail copies of the documents to Ms. Regan.
Lisa announced that the All Boards meeting scheduled for Memorial Day was cancelled and the Memorial Day Parade would be at 1:00 pm on Sunday and would be stepping off from Beech Plain Road.
The Select Board meeting was unanimously adjourned at 7:50 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa D’Orazio
Selectmen’s Secretary
Town of Otis
List of Documents
- A copy of the email from Cabot Risk Strategies and the building condition report form XS Brokers Insurance Agency for the East Otis Schoolhouse will be filed with these meeting minutes.
- A copy of the MIIA Safety Evaluation report for the East Otis Schoolhouse will be filed with these meeting minutes.
- A copy of the email from Lorraine Eddy and MEMA correspondence regarding the Reservoir Road Culvert will be filed with these meeting minutes.
- A copy of the email request from Suzanne Regan and copies of the documentation and correspondence sent to her father regarding 137 North Main Road will be filed with these meeting minutes.