Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Otis Town Hall
Conference Room
Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 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: Selectboard
Time: Jul 26, 2022 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Attendance: Chair Larry Southard, Gary Thomas, Terry Gould, Brandi Page, Bruce Wall & Kelly Hamden.
Call to Order: 6:31 PM
Approval of Minutes: The minutes from 7/12 were approved as amended.
September Primary: Larry made a motion to approve and sign the election warrant and to approve Lyn’s early voting hours as posted. Motion seconded and passed. Gary made a motion to appoint the election workers as read for the record. Motion seconded and passed unanimously.
Surplus Bids: Brandi informed the Board that we didn’t receive any bids for the cast iron registers. Larry made a motion to dispose for scrap value. Motion seconded and passed unanimously. Brandi then informed the board we received one bid for the surplus fiber from Sertex for $10,000. There was discussion about the estimated value of the fiber. Larry made a motion to reject the bid in the best interest of the Town and re-advertise. There was discussion on setting a minimum. Motion seconded and passed unanimously. The fiber will be re-advertised with a minimum of $30,000.
Harmony Hall: In recent weeks the well pump at Harmony Hall has stopped working. Maintenance wants to know if we want to hire a plumber and get that fixed. Also, during a recent walk through, it was found that the fire escape was not safe and should not be relied upon for an emergency. The welds are rusting and pulling apart. The Board discussed the need to close the second floor and relocate the small archiving area that historic has been using. One option was to move them downstairs. The Board did not want to incur the expense to fix the well pump until a more comprehensive decision is made on the entire building. Therefore with the water off it was decided Historic should move out of the building completely. Larry expressed notifying them right away and having them out within two weeks. Motion was made to close harmony hall and relocate Historic, motion seconded and passed unanimously.
Beavers: The trapper has finished. The Board discussed the dams and the next course of action. Bruce Wall from Conservation provided guidelines from DEP and what his concerns were in removing dams prematurely. He also talked about water leveling gates that can be installed. It was decided to come up with a map that shows the property lines, waterways and beaver dams. This item will be monitored and continued.
Review & Approval of Warrants: Payroll and vendor warrants are on the table for signature.
Not Anticipated: Brandi asked the Board’s availability for interviews. Larry inquired about the four corners on Algerie Road and some safety options. Brandi said this had been explored previously but that the Town didn’t own the corners. It was decided we would investigate ownership and discuss again in the future.
Adjournment: 7:39 PM