Select Board Meeting Notes 2021/01/05

Click on "Read More" for notes on agenda topics:
Building Maintenance
Public Comment Period
COVID-19 Municipal Protocol, Concerns, Updates
Heath Historical Society request for 5 Ledge Road

​Building Maintenance

• Salt Shed Repair – Brian has a quote for $2978 and contractor is ready to start work. SB voted to accept the quote and beginning the work.
• Demolition of 3 Ledge Road shed – Betsy Kovaks noted that we need to ensure any rodent population does not escape for the building at the time of demolition.
• Community Hall doors  – Brian said he is still waiting for the estimate to come in, but it should be within a day or two.
• Brian noted that the Board needs to make sure that the Building Facilities Committee is aware of any existing or pending contracts and repair work.

Public Comment Period
There was an extended period of a half hour with comments by (1) persons upset by offensive emails sent to the SB from persons not wanting offices to move, (2) persons concerned with COVID safety in Sawyer Hall and others saying that the school building is no safer, and (3) a moving comment in praise of Brian for his years of selfless service to the town as a Select Board member and providing professional service to the town, and in praise of Robyn for the same and for taking on the chair role despite coping with the sudden death of her spouse.
COVID-19 Municipal Protocol, Concerns, Updates
Sawyer Hall Decisions:
After considering options for COVID safety in Sawyer Hall for several weeks and assessing the success or failure of attempts to ensure safety requirements on site for months, the Select Board made a decision to:

• Close the upstairs of Sawyer Hall to town business until after 2 p.m. so that there is no interaction with Post Office customers. 
• Remove all personal notices from notice board in Sawyer Hall to eliminate the need to be in the hallway.
• Allow any employees to work from home if feasible or choose to be allocated space at Jacobs Rd which has ventilation, ample space to facilitate social distancing, and ample bathrooms to increase safety.
• There are some logistical and financial issues that need to be addressed at Jacobs Road prior to that happening. The board will work on this in the coming week.

This is a temporary action that will be reassessed at the end of June.

• The priorities of the Board in taking this action are to:
• Keep employees and town residents safe, and reduce the possibility of the spread of COVID
• Keep the town functioning with the least disruption and expense as possible.
• Protect the continuation of the Post Office branch in Heath.

Heath Historical Society request for 5 Ledge Road – there is a concern that the area is wetlands and therefore not buildable.