Town of Lyme
Board of Selectmen
Minutes for March 13, 2008
1. The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen convened at 8:00 AM in the Fire Station training room. The following attended the entire meeting: Dick Jones, Simon Carr, Charles Ragan, Police Chief Pauline Field, Bookkeeper/Secretary Dina Cutting and Administrative Assistant Carole Bont. The following attended part of the meeting: Town Clerk Patty Jenks, and Peter Mulvihill.
2. The following administrative matters were discussed and actions taken:
a. The minutes for March 6 were approved with minor corrections.
b. The Non-public session minutes for March 6 were approved.
c. The manifest was reviewed and signed.
3. Initial Issues arising from town Meeting:
a. Highway Funds: As there was no floor amendment to increase winter highway Materials, the Board agreed that the necessary funds for winter materials and the anticipated heavy mud season would have to be taken from the Highway Block Grant. Any surplus would be carried over for major projects next year.
b. Articles 17, 18 and 19;
i. Dick confirmed that the Conservation Commission was unlikely to implement any change in the water release policy until the second study, being undertaken by Watershed to Wildlife had been received. This is not expected till the fall. There was a discussion on how the dams and ‘castor masters’ should be treated during the spring and summer. It was unclear on whether we could manipulate the ‘castor masters’ until the full dredge and fill applications had been approved by DES. If it was possible to do so, then it would be desirable to move the pipes before the beavers and loons return. Matt Stevens should be contacted to agree this and Francesca
should be asked to approach DES informally.
ii. The Board voted to transfer $2000 from the selectmen’s miscellaneous budget to the Conservation Commission to cover the third ‘castor master’ and the dredge and fill permits.
c. Town Offices Building Committee: with the passing of the bond vote the current charge for the committee had expired. It is expected that a smaller committee will be formed to oversee the actual construction period. Patty asked that the Board acknowledge and thank the members for undertaking their work which, in recent months, had been under increasingly difficult and hostile conditions. The Board recognized the committee’s great efforts in working on this project under difficult conditions.
d. Library scapewells and wall repair: the money to pay for scapewells passed. The Board expected that the Library Trustees would undertake the work once the ground could be opened up.
e. County Jail and ‘Pledge’ motions: Letters to our state representatives, state senator and county commissioner were signed.
f. Simon will arrange delivery of the Boston Post Cane plaque to Don Carmichael.
g. Patty reported the possibility of a recount for the selectman’s position. There was a discussion on the procedure for this and the timescale. The deadline for requesting a recount is “not later than the Friday following the election”. Patty will confirm if a request is made.
h. General Town Meeting issues will be discussed in a future meeting with Patty and Bill Waste.
4. Peter came in to discuss Articles 17, 18 and 19. He was aware that there might be the necessity for manipulating the beaver dams and that there was no funding in the articles for this. He offered to find volunteers to undertake this work, under the supervision of the Conservation Commission. He also offered to lead a fund-raising effort to underwrite the cost of employing private contractors for this year, if no volunteers were available.
5. Pauline came in and updated the Board on her current projects.
6. The meeting adjourned at 9:35 AM.
Simon Carr
Recorder
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