Town of Otis
Selectboard/ Board of Health
Meeting Minutes
Town Hall Conference Room
1 North Main Road, Otis, MA 01253
Tuesday, Dec 10, 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: Dec 10, 2024 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87472113864?pwd=cAPtjGwGkd1jp0EYIpMKx8EZXACayp.1
Meeting ID: 874 7211 3864
Passcode: 969596
Attendance: Gary Thomas-Chair, Larry Southard, Terry Gould, Brandi Page, Diane Dyer, Sue Ebitz, Sue Brofman, B.J. O’Brien, Lisa D’Orazio, Peter Cameron, Jim Crandall, Frank Tolopko & Diane Provenz. On Zoom: Steve Barry.
Call to Order: 6:30 PM
Approval of Minutes: The minutes from Nov 26th were approved as written.
Liquor Licenses: Gary read aloud the establishments renewing their Liquor Licenses.
L&M Auto, Retail
Otis Poultry Farm, Retail
Knox Trail Bar & Grill Corp., Inn Holder
Otis Liquor Inc., Retail
Otis Ridge Ski Area LLC., Common Victualler
Gary noted the agenda had mistakenly listed EOS Enterprises Inc. instead of Otis Liquor Inc. The name had been changed in 2024. Larry Southard recused from his own. All the licenses were approved for renewal.
Meeting Schedule for 2025: Brandi presented the draft of the 2025 Select Board meeting schedule. Everything looked appropriate. Gary brought up their next meeting scheduled for Dec 24th. After a quick discussion the Board decided they would not meet that night. If anything urgent came up prior to Jan 14th they could post a meeting in between.
Appointments: Brandi stated there is an opening for Animal Control & Animal Inspector. The Board reviewed the application from Eric Kreis for Safety Coordinator. They unanimously approved the appointment with a term ending 6/30/2026. Next they reviewed applications for Finance Committee. Terry made a motion to appoint Lisa D’Orazio. She felt Lisa had appropriate experience and would be a good fit. Motion seconded and passed unanimously. This is an elected position and Lisa will need to place her name on the ballot in May if she wishes to continue with the position. Brandi had sent the draft charge statement for the Revitalization Committee for review. After some discussion it was decided to strike town center and replace with town center(s). Motion was made to create the Town of Otis Revitalization Committee and post for vacancies. Motion seconded and passed unanimously. Terry would like to see a quarterly report once they get started.
Historic Properties Project: Peter Cameron presented the plan for a voluntary program under the Historic Commission to have small signs located at the road that represent the historic property. People will be able to scan a QR code and learn about the history of that location. Everyone liked the idea and had no concerns about expenditures from the Historic budget for this. The goal is to enrich our knowledge of historic properties in Town while still protecting owner’s privacy.
ARPA Expenditures Update: Brandi updated the Board our ARPA balance. All funds have been designated for Water & Sewer Infrastructure and Public Safety. Expenditures are being tracked. The Board approved two quotes from Jeff for the WWTP.
Recent and Upcoming Events: The Gingerbread House event will be this Sunday on Dec 15th.
Review & Approval of Warrants: Payroll and vendor warrants are on the table for signature.
Not Anticipated by the Board: None.
Adjournment: 7:16 PM