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Cushing selectmen approve warrants, seek counsel for Appeals Board, assign $485 repair bill to Fire Department and award Food Pantry roof contract
Summary
At their Nov. 9 meeting, the Town of Cushing selectmen approved warrants and minutes, voted to seek legal counsel for an Appeals Board matter involving appellant Sue Fisher, determined a $485 exhaust-system repair will be paid from the Fire Department budget, and awarded a $4,550 contract to replace the Food Pantry roof.
At a Nov. 9, 2015 meeting at the Cushing Community Center, the Town of Cushing selectmen approved two warrants and the Oct. 26 meeting minutes and took a series of actions on legal and maintenance matters.
Selectman Daniel Staples moved and Selectman Laurie Haynes seconded approval of Warrants #44 and #45; the motion carried 5-0-0. The board also approved the Oct. 26 minutes on a 5-0-0 vote after a motion from Selectman Haynes and a second from Selectman Marchut.
The board voted to seek legal representation for the Board of Appeals in the appeal involving appellant Sue Fisher. Staples reported he had contacted Dan Remian regarding scheduling and said timing was controlled by Ray Meservey; he moved that the selectmen consult attorney Patrick Mellor for counsel in the Fisher appeal. The motion carried 5-0-0.
A dispute over an exhaust-system repair invoice drew extended discussion. Chair Alton Grover said Fire Chief Arthur Kiskila had ordered a repair for a system connection that had repeatedly failed without first discussing it with Ambulance Director Helen Darmara; the company that originally installed the system had returned from Massachusetts to repair it. The invoice totaled $485. Selectman Staples said because the chief ordered the work, the cost should be charged to the Fire Department budget; after the department pays it, the chief could consult Darmara and the town’s maintenance lead, Andy Blanchard, to attempt a resolution. The board voted that the bill come out of the Fire Department budget due to lack of prior authorization (motion by Staples, seconded by Haynes; carried 5-0-0).
On vehicle-turnaround and liability concerns at Hathorne Point, Chair Grover said the School Department had added the Olson House as an additional insured and planned to try a bus turn there; museum staff at the Farnsworth continued to raise objections. Selectman Staples said he would contact the Allen Agency (the museum’s insurer) and then meet with the museum to resolve who must provide proof of insurance and whether the garage should be used instead.
Selectman Staples also reported on regional shellfish coordination: an 11-town meeting led to the creation of a larger Tidelands Coalition to address recurring estuary issues; the new coalition planned to meet in Brunswick the following day.
For new business, the board opened three bids to replace the Food Pantry roof: Gary Grant ($4,675 with 25-year architectural shingles), CPH Builders ($3,899 with 30-year shingles; the board found the bid incomplete), and Advanced Roof Systems ($4,550 with 30-year shingles). An Advanced representative said the company could start immediately, would provide a five-year written guarantee, and would charge $3 per board foot to replace damaged boards. The board eliminated CPH’s bid as incomplete (motion by Staples, seconded by Haynes; carried 5-0-0) and accepted the Advanced Roof Systems bid (motion by Haynes, seconded by Marchut; carried 5-0-0). Chair Grover asked the contractor to fax proof of insurance to the town office before beginning work.
The meeting concluded at 6:52 P.M. on a motion by Selectman Staples, seconded by Selectman Haynes (carried 5-0-0). The selectmen said they will follow up on the Hathorne Point insurance questions and the appeals-board counsel request before their next meeting.
