Town of Otis
Selectboard/ Board of Health
Meeting Minutes
Town Hall Conference Room
1 North Main Road, Otis, MA 01253
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 6:30 PM
This meeting will be held in person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend. A remote option is offered via zoom with the link provided below.
Please note that while an option for remote participation is being provided as a courtesy, the meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast, unless otherwise required by law. Anyone with interest in any specific item should plan in person attendance.
Topic: Select Board
Time: May 14, 2024 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88967780262?pwd=MkJhSEd3NnJIYld6dmRmVFFKcWJaQT09
Meeting ID: 889 6778 0262
Passcode: 530817
Attendance: Larry Southard-Chair, Terry Gould, Gary Thomas, Brandi Page, Phil Magovern, Derek Poirier, Rick Phair, B.J. O’Brien, Scott Bergeron, Mark Amado, Becky Cushing Gop, Cameron Pease, Colleen Granahan, Sue Heatwole, Don Heatwole, Patricia Racine, Paula Filas, Frank Tolopko and Sue Brofman. On Zoom: Matthew Porter, Sam Patel, Steve Hutchinson, IPhone and Betsy.
Call to Order: 6:30 PM
Approval of Minutes: The minutes from April 23rd & May 7th were approved as amended.
Public Hearing to Discontinue Maintenance of Miner and Stebbins portion: Derek outlined the two sections of Stebbins that he was recommending the Board discontinue maintenance on. One is a 0.37 mile section north of #802 Stebbins that runs between two state owned parcels. Terry had gone up there and commented that the area is not passable. The other section is not actively used and exists only on paper. This is a 0.23 mile section at the corner of Giles and Stebbins. After brief discussion Larry made a motion to discontinue maintenance on both sections determining them to be abandoned and unused for ordinary travel and that the common convenience and necessity no longer requires said town way to be maintained in a condition reasonably safe and convenient for travel. Terry seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Derek then spoke about Miner Road and the amount of effort the Town puts in each year toward its care. Mass Audubon owns all the parcels abutting Miner Road. Cameron & Colleen, who live at the end of Miner Road as caretakers for Mass Audubon, introduced themselves. They have a young child and live there year round. Becky Cushing-Gop updated the Board on Audubon’s most recent timeline plans for the property. She said they have a 2 year plan to remove all the buildings and put in a parking lot and trail system. It was asked about the access that had been put in off of Cold Spring Rd. That access is for the demo of the buildings and will be returned to a wild state once that is complete. Steve Hutchinson from Mass Audubon thanked the Town for the continued maintenance of Miner Road and said that Audubon is not able to take over winter maintenance. If we were to determine that we were discontinuing maintenance the caretaker and his family would need to move by November. Terry felt it’s probably time for Audubon to shoulder the cost of this road. Larry Southard asked if Audubon would consider sharing the cost over the next two years. Steve was happy to bring that back to Audubon and see if they are agreeable. Discussion of Miner Road continued until the June 11th meeting.
Liquor License Transfer: Matthew Porter was present for his client, Otis Liquors Inc dba Katies’ Country Store. They are experienced in alcohol sales and are responsible. Gary stated the application looks good and he doesn’t have any issues. Larry made a motion to approve the transfer. Gary seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
Appointments: Brandi and Gary had reviewed the applications and held an interview. Gary wanted to clarify and see if the Board agreed that the playground equipment is subject to the same pass requirements as the beach. The Board agreed. Gary made a motion that passes are required to use both the beach and play area. Terry seconded and motion passed unanimously. Based on the interview Gary and Brandi recommended the appointment of Ben Shannon for the beach attendant for the season. Last season went well and Michael did a great job. The Board unanimously appointed Ben. Eric will get him set up for Memorial Day Weekend.
FRRSD: Terry cautioned the RAAC members that a quorum was present and no deliberation could take place. Brandi and Gary were both present at the last School Committee meeting and Terry had jumped on after the Zoning meeting. Brandi is concerned with the seemingly forgone conclusion that Otis has money to spare and can easily shoulder a heavier portion of the School budget. After looking at most of the towns in Berkshire County she found that both Otis and Sandisfield are below the median in regard to the education costs compared against their total operating budget. When looking at the data the median is 48%. One community was as high as 64%. Both Sandisfield and Otis are below 41%. This data doesn’t support Sandisfield’s claim that their assessment is unsustainable and that they need relief. Sue Brofman felt that a consultant really is needed to assist with the updating of the Regional Agreement and especially exploring an update to the assessment method. Phil feels the uncertainty of the districts sustainability is stressful for the teachers. The School Committee is asking Sandisfield to retract their letter and allow the Committee time to work on the amendments.
Recent and Upcoming Events: Town Meeting is next Tuesday at 7:00 PM.
Review & Approval of Warrants: Payroll and vendor warrants are on the table for signature.
Not Anticipated by the Board: Brandi updated the Board that the Assessor search is ongoing but we have had little interest. Rick Phair had questions about a town payment that was mailed late. Gary updated the Board that the clickers would not be available for this town meeting but have been ordered.
Adjournment: 8:04 PM