239 Main Street
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Attendance:
Jamie J. Sloniecki, Clerk
Judith W. Conron
John J. Harrington
Stephen F. Mealy
Call to Order
Meeting was called
to order at 7:10 P.M.
Moment of Silence
for our Troops
Salute the Flag
Approval of Minutes
Selectman Conron made a MOTION and SECONDED by Selectman
Sloniecki to approve the ISWM Review Working Group minutes of August 8, 2006 as
amended. UNANIMOUS VOTE
Dick
Conron spoke on public safety due to last week’s presentation made by Chief
Ford. Took constraints of the Police Department and overlaid it to the School
Department. If the School Department operated the same way as the Police
Department there would be class sizes of 35 or more students.
We need to do something about Public Safety
and asks the Board of Selectmen to do 3 things:
1)
Develop and
institute a type of Public Safety Policy
2)
Ask Town
Administrator to work with his staff and by the end of this year develop and
publish some type of measurement that the average citizen can look at and gauge
the public safety ability of the town.
3)
Task the Town
Administrator to publish a Long Term Public Safety Financial
Plan with specific target dates that include both capital for
facilities and equipment and operating costs and have Long Term Plan be part of
the FY08 budget process. What the cost is and how long will it take to get to
this point.
Administrator Guerino welcomed Mr. Conron’s comments
and take them seriously. Bourne has 34 full-time Police Officers for a
population of 20,000 residents. Our
Fire Department is down by 8-10 Firefighters. We are at 1974 staffing levels
across the town. Will look at the entire staffing needs of the community but
don’t feel this can be done by December. We can ask in FY08 budgets, what is it
that you need and what it will take to come back with a full staffing plan.
Maintenance on facilities and personnel has been deferred over the years. We
need to look at this and understand that it’s going to cost some money. We need
to figure the cost and how it can be accomplished.
Selectmen Sloniecki read the correspondence, which
can be viewed in the Administrator’s Office.
Item G: Buzzards Bay
Village Assoc
Streetlights were part of this project. Some of the mitigation money is
marked for specific items. Administrator Guerino asked Mr. Litman to send the
criteria on how to access the monies
Licenses/Permits:
Jennifer Boyle presented her plan for a
Public Livery License. Chairman Zuern reviewed the routing slip and specified
comments.
Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION and SECONDED by
Selectman Conron to approve the application as submitted. UNANIMOUS VOTE
Review Workers Compensation Proposal
Administrator Guerino welcomed Karen Shanley from Cook & Company
who has been working with the town. We have been spending approximately
$200,000 a year for Workers Compensation. Several years the town was
Self-Insured through Cook & Company. The town hasn’t been thrilled with the
service that the town has been receiving by MEGA or the way they rate some of
our employees on the Workers Compensation rate. As an example, every employee
that works at the landfill is at the same rate of a person who is on the back
of the trash truck, which is one of the highest rated. We’ve tried working with
MEGA in an effort to show MEGA that this is not the case with no satisfaction.
There have been difficulties when there has been a claim put forward and the
town has done what we are supposed to do such as physical therapy and further
medical exams at the towns’ expense.
We may get a call on the day of the trial that we need to settle on a
certain amount. We need to know what’s going on before it gets to this point.
A good Workers’ Compensation should provide classes and seminars on
proper lifting, how to file claims. We have not had good luck with this.
Cook & Company Representative Karen Shanley
handed out and explained a chart that goes back to 7/1/95, which was the first
year the Town of Bourne, went self-insured and continued to be self-insured
until 7/1/02. Self-Insured is you pay as you go and have a cap on alternate
expenses. Prior to 2002, insurance was reasonable priced and deductible was
low.
Ms. Shanley said their proposal would also include
their services to get the town back to the savings, the difference between the
premium and what we are actually paying on a claim.
Ms. Shanley said it’s important that part of a
Self-Insured Program is to educate staff on what is Workman’s Compensation, safety
and getting employees back to work.
It’s also important that even if an employee doesn’t get hurt, it still
should be reported. It will prevent this same incident from happening again.
Ms. Shanley further explained the Worker’s Compensation Plan and what it can
offer the town.
Administrator Guerino said that Cook & Company
was our administrator of our health plan 4 years ago and we had good luck with
them. Wanted the Board to take a look at this for potential savings in the long
run. Would like the Board to seriously look at this.
Selectman Conron said she would like to see a
comparison between the 2 plans. It would be nice to see what the referenced
towns think about the plan.
Appointments:
Chairman Zuern read the letter submitted by E. Harlan King. Jim Mulvey
recommends and supports this appointment.
Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION and SECONDED by
Selectman Mealy to appoint E. Harlan King. UNANIMOUS VOTE
Selectman Sloniecki
made a MOTION and SECONDED by Selectman Harrington to approve the
appointment of E. Harlan King. UNANIMOUS VOTE
Discussion
related to carcass disposal at the landfill
ISWM is proposing to manage stranded marine mammals that cannot be
revived by the National Marine Life Center and the Cape Cod Stranding Network..
Department of Environmental Protection approved the disposal of “animal
carcass” as special waste at the Bourne Landfill as described in the
application submitted subject to the following conditions: Nuisance conditions;
Transport; Disposal; Unacceptable Wastestream; reporting; Reservation of rights
and Board of Health Review.
Operations Manager Dan Barrett said ISWM is approaching this as an emergency response and is not trying to make money. Explained how the PCB levels on the east coast are far less than in other parts of the world. Will be scheduled on the Board of Health agenda to ask the Board of Health to lower the fee to $60 per ton. Mr. Barrett said he is satisfied with the comments and conditions from DEP.
Selectman Conron asked how would we even know if
there are high or low numbers of PCB’s? Mr. Barrett said he is comfortable is
saying that the numbers are low. PCB’s don’t decompose. The feeling at the
landfill is that they want to help but won’t put the town in any harm.
Mr. Barrett said landfill liners are tested
daily. If a leak is detected, there are
steps that have to be taken. If the leak is bad enough, that portion of the
landfill is capped. Leachate is tested for PCB’s and mercury.
Phil Goddard said if
the Selectmen want the testing of PCB’s and mercury it will be done but it’s
more expensive if its needed immediately.
Comments from Jim
Mulvey
Scraggy Neck
Plowing Proposal
Administrator Guerino said the Board approved the
rates and structures for plowing Scraggy Neck as proposed by the Town
Administrator with the understanding that the policy will be reviewed at a
future meeting.
Chairman Zuern said it was her understanding that
this was brought back to the Board to see if the Board wanted to change policy
and not the rates. In packet also included an opinion from Town Counsel.
Town was plowing all private
ways, but a citizen brought to the Selectmen’s attention that the town didn’t
have to plow roads that weren’t open to the public. Reviewed all signs and determined which were open to public and which
were private. Any private way or
Association, any signs, gates that prohibited access would not get their roads
plowed. Certain groups took down signs
but Scraggy Neck left the gate up.
Scraggy Neck hired a private contractor 3 years ago, then contracted
with the town the next year at an agreed upon price per event. The price was to
cover the cost of plowing and expenses.
Selectman Conron read a portion of Town Counsel’s
opinion. She then read a draft policy she wrote hoping the Board would approve.
Selectman Mealy finished reading the rest of Town Counsel’s opinion
Comments from Jim
Mulvey, Don Cunningham
Discussion continued as to what roads are considered
private and what roads are considered public.
Chairman Zuern said most of the roads in
developments are private roads. Policies have to be non-discriminatory.
Selectman Conron said she contacted other towns with
gated communities and asked if they would plow in a situation like this and
they didn’t know the answer to this.
President of the Scraggy Neck Recreation
Association, Chester Goon read from a prepared statement. He commented on the
following issues: Community doesn’t restrict access to roads but limit car
traffic during the summer months of July and August mainly for safety reasons;
roads on Scraggy Neck are narrow; overgrown and curvy; and in fairness, the
community is not gated preventing anybody from accessing to the neck; they are
good neighbors, good citizens and pay their portion of taxes but demand very
little of the towns valuable resources.
Selectman Harrington said he would like to support
Selectman Conron’s proposal and incorporate a financial penalty if times and
hours are violated.
Administrator Guerino said this might need to refer
to Town Counsel for his review. We’ve had 4 opinions from Town Counsel since
1992 regarding this matter. If we take the questions brought up tonight and
receive an opinion, the issue can be brought up at the October 10th
meeting and we can also ask Town Counsel to be present.
v Appointed Brendan Mullaney from Sagamore
Beach as Conservation Agent. Not asking for 15-day waiver. Tentative date of
hire will be October 10th. Contracted on a short-term basis (2 days
per week for 3 weeks) with the County to provide some Conservation expertise to
do site visits and write order on conditions. Thanked Bob Gray and members of
the Conservation Commission.
v
Held 2nd
interviews of the Finance Director. Within next 10 days will have recombination
for Selectmen
v
Finance
Committee will meet tomorrow night
v
Bids for Ernest
Valeri Road were open Friday and taken under advisement
v
Met with
Monument Beach Civic Assoc re: Chester Park seawall. Temporary repairs will
start next week.
Selectmen’s meeting
next week will start at 6:45–7:15 for CanalSide discussion;
7:15–7:30 School
Department; 7:30–9:00 for ISWM – Landfill discussion.
v
Selectman
Sloniecki: Sagamore Rotary will not exist after tomorrow
v
Selectman
Mealy: Received e-mail from resident relative to the condition of the parking
lot off Peaked Cliff
v
Selectman
Conron: Pass
v
Chairman Zuern:
There will be an Open House at Camp Edwards next week and invitation is
extended to members of the Board of Selectmen
Selectman Sloniecki
made a MOTION and SECONDED by Selectman Harrington to adjourn the
meeting at 9:38 P.M.