Sherwood Forest Road Maintenance District Prudential Committee Meeting

Approved Minutes

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Committee Members Present: Robert Ronzio, Chairman; Jerry Summit, Vice Chairman; David Bonney; Gilles Beaudoin

Committee Members Absent: Michael McEnerney

Public Present: William Brownhill, Joyce Brownhill, Robert Guevin, Eva Bonney, Ron Boucher, Celia Boucher, Linda Shaw, Paulette Feit, Howard Lerner, Caroline Summit, John McGeer, Gail McGeer, and Chuck Andrews, Road Superintendent

Meeting called to order: 10:30 a.m.

Reading of Minutes from February 3, 2007 Meeting

Mr. Bonney refers to Page 6, noting the vote that took place. He requests that each time he votes to have his reason for the way he voted included in the minutes. Mr. Feit asks Mr. Bonney to clearly state his reason after each vote and it will be included in future minutes.

There is brief discussion on the minutes. Mr. Bonney requests that he receive a copy of the meeting agenda prior to the meeting. For future meetings, Mr. Ronzio notes that he will try to get an agenda to Mr. Bonney on the Friday before a meeting; however, additional items may need to be added prior to the meeting. A motion is made to accept the February 3, 2007 minutes as presented; seconded; no discussion; passes unanimously.

Public Participation

Linda Shaw discusses the plowing of Castle Lane during the February 14, 2007 snowstorm. She notes that the road was plowed between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. and that the plow did not come back through until around 7 – 7:30 p.m. She notes that if an emergency vehicle (fire/ambulance) had to have gotten down the road, she is not sure that it would have been passable. Mr. Ronzio notes that he did receive Ms. Shaw’s e-mail; however, it was after the fact. He also notes that he did inform Mr. Andrews, Road Superintendent, of her concern. Mr. Andrews notes that the snow removal crews were out all day and evening plowing and that a truck did get stuck on Carriage Road so there were some delays. Mr. Ronzio discusses severe winter warning reports which are available on-line and he reads from a current one that he obtained on-line. He also comments that he appreciates Ms. Shaw’s concern and notes that he concurs. The roads do need to be cleared so that emergency vehicles can get through if need be.

Paulette Feit inquires if there is a policy regarding when the roads get plowed.

Mr. Andrews notes that when there is three inches of snow plowing begins. He notes that there is 23 miles of road to be plowed and he tries to start in a different location each time plowing needs to be done so that the same road is not always plowed out first. He goes on to say that the snow removal crews begin plowing on upper Wells Road and then branch out from there; however, he does try to keep the trucks in the same vicinity of each other so that if one runs into trouble, another is close by to help out. Mr. Bonney inquires how many trucks Mr. Andrews utilizes. Mr. Andrews replies three to four.

Ron Boucher inquires when the roads are going to be done. Mr. Ronzio notes that this topic is going to be discussed under Old Business, when Work Order will be discussed. He further notes that Mr. Bonney has brought this matter to the Board’s attention on several different occasions. There is discussion among board members on the previous state that the Board was in and how the current Board is doing considering the many loose ends they had to tie up. Mr. Boucher notes that it has been three years and he inquires why the Board cannot finish up with this topic and get the job done. Mr. Ronzio notes that some work has been done and the current board is working on those issues as well as dealing with current ones. There is discussion on sanding and the plow trucks getting stuck. A heated discussion takes place between Mr. Boucher and Mr. Andrews. Mr. Ronzio calls for order. He informs Mr. Andrews that if he cannot remain quiet, he will have to ask him to leave the meeting. He also notes that he does not want to have to do this because the Board would like to hear from him during the Road Superintendent’s Report.

John McGeer requests to see all of the minutes and correspondence that the Board has had with the attorney. He notes that it is public record and the Board has to provide the requested information within 10 days. He gives the Board a copy of the Open Meeting law. Mr. Ronzio notes that there is no record of any oral conversations with the attorney; however, he will provide Mr. McGill with all written correspondence that he has received from the attorney.

Gail McGeer requests a copy of the minutes from the previous Board meeting. It is noted that the approved minutes are available on the District’s website. The Board also notes that if requested the unapproved minutes will be e-mailed to the requestor, as a secure document so that changes cannot be made.

There is discussion on how the meeting minutes read and it is noted that the minutes do not have to be verbatim, only a summary of what was discussed at the meeting.

Mr. McGeer voices his concern over the money that is being spent on attorneys and that money should be spent on fixing the roads. There is discussion on who decided to change the By-Laws and the order of events that have since followed.

Bill Brownhill raises the point that it has been noted that items discussed have been the attorney’s opinion and he feels that for the money being spent, it should be the law, not an opinion. Mr. Ronzio notes that it is an attorney’s job to interpret the law to the best of his ability and if there is a conflict, it will be the court that interprets and defines the law.

Road Superintendent’s Report

Mr. Andrews reviews the Valentine’s Day storm. He notes that Osterman Propane has gotten stuck several times in the Forest. There is discussion on trees that come down on the power lines. Mr. Andrews notes that the electric company is contacted when this happens and that the District does not touch these trees. There is discussion on the topic of an overpayment to Andrews Excavating from six months ago, which was brought up by Mr. Bonney at a previous Board meeting. Mr. Feit notes that he and Mr. Bonney discussed this and after further review found that everything was correct and that Mr. Bonney was in error.

Communications

Mr. Ronzio reviews the list of correspondence that has come in. There is discussion on the following:

E-mail and Letter from Mr. David Herbert Tri-State Drillers regarding Well Located in Right-of-Way in front of 330 Prince John Drive – Mr. Ronzio notes that a letter was sent to Mr. Herbert and the Board of Health and that Mr. Herbert responded; however, the Board of Health did not. There is discussion on sending a letter to the DEP with a copy going to the Town of Becket. Mr. Bonney notes that he would like to see the District work with the Town and not against it. A motion is made to send a letter to the Town of Becket; seconded; motion passes.

E-mail from Katherine Smith regarding a Request for Budget Information – Mr. Feit notes that he gave Ms. Smith his business card with his e-mail address and he has not heard from her. If he does hear from her, he will send her the information that she would like.

Old Business

Accounting Firm, Brazee & Huban regarding Accounting Close-out of 2005/2006 Treasurer’s Books and Establishment of an Automated Bookkeeping System Using QuickBooks – Mr. Feit notes that 2005 and 2006 are complete. He also notes that he needs to speak with the accounting firm regarding sending the information to the State.

Building Committee Report/Office Storage – Mr. Ronzio notes that this is ongoing and that this item will now be tied in with the Equipment Feasibility Study that Mr. Bonney and Mr. McEnerney are looking into.

Equipment Purchase Feasibility Study (Bonney and McEnerney) – Mr. Bonney notes that this is ongoing. He also notes that it is difficult to separate out the labor involved because the bills do not list the labor separately. Mr. Summit notes that in his opinion as a civil engineer and a major engineering contractor, it is not worthwhile to own your own equipment, unless it is used more than 75 percent of the time, which the District would not be doing. He goes on to say that you have to factor in all of the maintenance required to keep the equipment.

Culvert Survey – Mr. Ronzio notes that this has been deferred until spring.

Road Sign Replacement/Ordering Street Sign – Mr. Ronzio notes that this is ongoing. Mr. Andrews notes that the signs have not been ordered yet. It is noted that the sign at the intersection of Will Scarlet and Sherwood Drive is missing. Mr. Andrews notes that he has a list of needed signs, but has not placed the order yet. There is discussion on obtaining STOP signs at a few of the busy intersections, Whistling Arrow and Alan-a-Dale. Mr. Ronzio notes that they should speak with Bill Elovirta regarding any regulations for street signs on dirt roads.

Abandoned/Unregistered Vehicles on Public/Private Roadways – Mr. Ronzio asks

Mr. Andrews if he had any problems during plowing. Mr. Andrews notes that there have been no problems.

Winter Road Preparation: Sand/Salt of Materials – It is noted that there is still plenty of material for any future bad weather.

Roads Resurfacing Projects Mystic Isle Way, Sir Walter Court, and Remainder of Jester’s Lane – Mr. Ronzio notes that this has been delayed until a future date. There is discussion on which roads are a priority. A motion is made to complete the road resurfacing projects on Mystic Isle Way, Sir Walter Court, and Jester’s Lane; seconded; discussion – Mr. Andrews confirms that he will treat Mystic Isle Way in the same fashion as Greenwood Court. Mr. Andrews notes that Mystic Isle Way has always been a low priority road in terms of maintenance and that is why it needs more attention now. The Chair calls for a vote: 3 Yea, 1 Nay (Mr. Bonney). Mr. Bonney votes Nay because he feels that it is going against the District’s By-Laws. He feels it is illegal what the Board is doing by not going to the voters first to approve the funds to do the projects. Motion passes.

Road Maintenance Priorities – Mr. Ronzio notes that Mr. McEnerney is not present to comment; therefore, it will be discussed at a future meeting.

Memorandum of Understanding: Sherwood Forest Neighbor’s Association regarding Right-of-Ways, Ownership, and Responsibilities – Mr. Ronzio notes that this is ongoing.

Deteriorating Condition of the Spillway and the Right-of-Way which Traverses the Earthen Berm (dam) at the Southern End of Little Robin Lake – Mr. Ronzio notes that this issue was discussed with the attorney and that there is an extensive procedure to go through to abandon a road. He also notes that SFRMD and SFNA will have to come together to decide what to do. For now, it is the Road District’s responsibility to maintain it.

Budget Preparation for FY 2008 – Mr. Feit reviews the preliminary budget that he and Mr. Ronzio put together. He notes that the Board has not yet approved this. The total proposed budget for fiscal year 2008 is $235,800.00. The fiscal year 2007 budget was $229,730.00. Mr. Summit notes that insurance will be going up; therefore, the insurance budget will need to be discussed and adjusted. Mr. Feit notes that a stabilization fund has been added with a total of $50,000.00. He notes that the money market account has almost $62,000.00 in it and it is not being used. By taking $50,000.00 from the account and putting it into a stabilization fund it could then be used to improve the roads. By adding the stabilization fund, the total proposed budget is $283,800.00. There is further discussion on how the stabilization fund will work.

Mr. Bonney notes that he would like an additional line item added to the budget titled Road Resurfacing. Mr. Ronzio asks Board members to review the proposed budget for further discussion at the next meeting.

Work Orders – Mr. Feit notes that he has not received the work order form from

Mr. McEnerney. This item will continue as ongoing and be discussed further at the next meeting.

Contractors – Board members review the winter contract and note that a spring contract needs to be developed. There is discussion on writing a proposal and then having the attorney review it before putting it out to bid. A proposal must be written before a contract can be written. There is discussion on multiple contractors and problems that the Board has had in past years. It is decided that Board members will bring different proposals to the next meeting to look over and decide how they want theirs to read. There is discussion on hiring a civil engineer to come into the Forest and evaluate the roads. Board members feel that a professional may be able to guide the District in the right direction and setup a plan to repair the roads over a five to ten year period. It is noted that currently there is not a line item in the budget for this; therefore, at the next meeting when discussing the fiscal year 2008 budget the Board should consider adding Engineering as a new line item.

DOR regarding End of Year Closeouts 2005, 2006 – Mr. Ronzio notes that this was discussed earlier in the meeting.

Road Abandonment, Attorney’s Reply – Mr. Ronzio notes that this was discussed earlier in the meeting.

Any Other Old Business – None.

New Business

Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, IRS Form W-9 –

Mr. Ronzio passes out copies of the form and explains that all employees of the Road District must complete this form to work for the District.

Employment Eligibility Verification, DHS Form I-9 – Mr. Ronzio passes out copies of the paperwork from the Department of Homeland Security and explains that all employees of the Road District must complete this form to work for the District.

Any Other New Business:

Sidewalks, Curb Cuts, Accessibility – Mr. Ronzio passes out a letter that the Town received regarding sidewalks, curb cuts, and accessibility. He notes that curb cuts are the Districts responsibility, as a By-Law was passed regarding this subject. Mr. Ronzio notes that the State is going to start looking into this and that fines can be imposed if the District does not comply. Mr. Ronzio notes that he will give a copy of this letter to

Mr. Andrews.

There is a brief discussion on collecting delinquent taxes. Mr. Ronzio passes out an article that appeared in the February 15, 2007 issue of “Country Town Journal” that addresses delinquent taxes and how the Town of Huntington is addressing this issue.

There is discussion of the recovery of money that is due to the District from Mr. Sykes. Mr. Ronzio notes that this would include attorney fees, which is probably about $2,000 in addition to the invoice from Mr. Andrews that was for $800. A motion is made to get the invoices from the attorney and the invoice from Mr. Andrews and send them along with a letter to Mr. Sykes for him to reimburse the District; seconded; no discussion; passes unanimously.

There is discussion on a warrant to setup a stabilization fund. Mr. Ronzio notes that he is waiting for the completion of the DOR closeouts of 2005 and 2006 before this is done. Mr. Bonney inquires if the warrant will go out to the voters. Mr. Ronzio notes that the warrant will go out to the voters after the Board determines if they have money available, which will be determined upon the completion of the DOR close-outs.

There is discussion on the opinion that was mailed out to all property owners regarding who should have the right to vote. Mr. Feit notes that there were 178 yes, in favor of everyone having a vote, and 18 no, not in favor of everyone having a vote. Mr. Feit notes that the opinion was mailed to 1,122 people. He also notes that there were eight opinions that were not signed; therefore, they were not counted.

There is discussion on who received the opinion and Mr. Ronzio explains that a complete list of stakeholders' names, mailing addresses, lot numbers, etc. came from Susan Donnelly in the Town of Becket’s Assessors Office.

There is a brief discussion on surveys and the roads.

Mr. Bonney discusses an overpayment issue that he brought up last meeting, which when investigated was found not to be an error. He claims he has found another discrepancy. Mr. Feit will meet with Mr. Bonney to go over his findings.

Treasurer’s Report/Reading of Warrant

Mr. Feit notes that there is currently $109,833.00 in the account at Legacy Bank and that the municipal money market account has $61,835.50. The total in the treasury is $171,668.50. The Warrant to be approved at this meeting is for $19,850.63. After this month’s warrant is paid, the balance in the treasury will be $151,817.87. Mr. Feit reviews the Warrant. A motion is made to accept and approve the current Warrant for $19,850.63; seconded; 3 Yea, 1 Abstain – Mr. Bonney chooses not to sign the warrant because he has not checked the math on the warrant; motion passes.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 7, 2007.

A motion is made to adjourn; seconded; unanimous consent.

Meeting adjourned: 1:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Martin Feit

Clerk/Treasurer

cew

Signed____________________________________ Date_________________

Robert Ronzio, Chairman

Signed____________________________________ Date_________________

David Bonney

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Gilles Beaudoin

Signed____________________________________ Date_________________

Jerry Summit