Brooklin
Brooklin begins planning for special town meeting

By DAVID WALSH
The Brooklin Board of Selectmen opened its meeting Tuesday, November 3, with a discussion with resident and parent Mike Sealander about bicycling.

Sealander told the board members that he was in the process of setting up a meeting to explore the possibility of organizing a network of in-town bicycle paths linking various sections of the community together safely. The meeting, with representatives from the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, school board and staff, selectmen, and other interested residents, is tentatively set for sometime between 3 and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, at the town office. There is no agenda and the meeting will be strictly informational. There is a possibility that grant money might be available if the town shows an interest in continuing discussion.

Sealander said school board chairman Mary Cummins supported the idea as a safe way for children to get to school and has agreed to attend a meeting to discuss the proposal, said Sealander.

Selectman Jerry Gray said he was in the process of answering requests to name someone to serve as a contact for the board when dealing with the general assistance program. He said he gave them his cell phone number.

Selectman Richard Freethey reported to the other selectmen that he was still in the process of investigating a matter related to clamming. Last summer a non-resident had requested permission to qualify for a permit to harvest clams in Brooklin. Freethey said he hoped he would be able to wrap up the matter before going into the hospital for knee surgery.

Gray said the Hancock County Planning Commission was requesting support from the selectmen for its program dealing with hazardous household waste. Selectman Lorna Grant said it was not a request for funds, just support for the agency’s work. The state agency requires written copies of support to qualify for grants and funds to work toward the HCPC goals. The selectmen voted 3-0 to support the agency’s request.

Gray reported that bathroom, plumbing and well valves for the town office well have been purchased and installed, correcting some problems. Gray also added that the town’s rescue truck, which ran off a road in June while attending a training session in Sedgwick, is back from New Hampshire, where it was taken for major repairs. It will get more repairs in Island Falls.

Freethey said he had received a request from the Brooklin Keeping Society, an organization that serves as a depository for documents, photographs and other historical memorabilia, to install a memorial plaque recognizing the contribution of the Edmund Williams Fund to the new vault. Williams was a former selectman who bequeathed funds to assist the keeping society in acquiring and preserving historical artifacts. The selectmen supported the request of the BKS, and asked to be able to review the design of the plaque before it is installed.

Grant said she had received the first draft of the town audit and was in the process of reviewing the material.

Gray also reminded his fellow selectmen that they should begin now to plan for a special town meeting, probably early in January. Special town hearings need to be scheduled for revisions to the town’s shellfish ordinance, a recommended fire chief’s salary must be drafted, money needs to be raised to pay for the new Trio Computer Program, new zoning maps need to be approved and the town road equipment reserve account needs to be overhauled.

Freethey reported that he has been meeting with members of the Conservation Committee and with the town’s Veterans Committee and recommendations will be forthcoming, probably at the annual Town Meeting.

During October meetings, the selectmen conducted the following business according to the minutes:

October 6: The staff continued to discuss job descriptions and the Office Procedure Manual, as neither has been completed. It is hoped these manuals will be helpful to any newly elected town officer.

Tim Sawyer brought in a draft for a town sign to be placed next to the road. The board has been discussing posting the hours for the tax collector and other town officers where it would be visible by the public. A sign listing the fire department, the keeping society and the town office will be discussed further.

The first draft of the new Shoreland Zoning Map has been reviewed. Some corrections need to be done and it will continue to be a work in progress until voted on at town meeting.

The Maine Municipal Association has scheduled a “Highway System Simplification Study” and asked for a town official to be a participant in this group. Freethey has agreed to work on this program. One of the items for discussion is the “rumor” that the Department of Transportation may turn back all state aid roads to municipalities and eliminate the funding for local road assistance known as the Urban-Rural Initiative Program.

The assessor was in Brooklin on October 16 to help with filing the Municipal Valuation Return that was due by November 1. The assessor will also update any deed transfers.

Gray reported he will paint the floor of the vault.

Warrant: $7,007.89; receipts: $8,392.18.

October 13: Road Commissioner Neil Allen turned in worksheet and discussed some of the work he has done. He reported he had put in a new culvert on Dodge’s Wharf Road in North Brooklin.

Clam Warden Christopher Pitman discussed the Conservation Committee meeting held October 6 and talked about possible changes to the Shellfish Conservation Ordinance. This will be discussed more at a later date.

Brooklin has been informed that the winter hours for the Blue Hill-Surry Transfer Station starting November 1 will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It will be open New Year’s Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Warrant: $104,663.99; receipts: $28,146.70.

October 20: Voted 3-0 to adopt the changes for new maximum amounts for the GA Appendices (A-C) for October 1, 2009, to October 1, 2010. Document will be filed with the Department of Human Services.

Voted 3-0 to send out a Tree Growth Penalty supplemental tax bill for failure to re-file every 10 years to keep property in Tree Growth.

The Municipal Valuation Return Report for 2009 was approved 3-0, signed and returned to the State.

The Board of Selectmen met with the community team to review the progress to date. Training on Trio Budgetary Program as well as Trio Payroll Program has been accomplished; Grant said a large amount of time is saved using the new program. Once the receipts are entered, and the checks are printed, all entries are done at this point. No more double entry. A huge improvement but everyone is still on a learning curve.

The team was to review the efficiency of the office hours and review if jobs could be consolidated but has not had much time to check this request. They will be checking with other towns to see the hours available to the public to see who does what jobs, what jobs are consolidated, and also to check salaries.

Communication within the office have very much improved. Having bi-monthly staff meetings has helped and each one letting other staff members know what is happening with their own job has certainly helped with understanding and communicating. The Board of Selectmen will continue to improve.

Warrant: $2,563.78; Receipts: $27,062.68.

October 27: The members of the Veterans Memorial Committee updated selectmen on their work to date.

Another non-resident shellfish license complaint was sent to the Department of Marine Resources which in turn notified the board of this problem. The board was instructed to investigate the complaint and to report its findings to the DMR.

Warrant: $241,562.66; receipts: $29,832.32.

Return to the The Weekly Packet home page.

---