Information for Meeting of Board of Selectmen
Monday September 25, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

Selectmen’s Meeting								September 25, 2023
Town Hall, 3rd Floor Auditorium, 30 Martin Street

This meeting will be conducted in-person, with the public welcome, but will also be made available to the public via remote participation to the greatest extent possible. Members of the public who wish to listen to and/or view the meeting may do so via two-way Video Call (with the option to show yourself on video or not and with the option to use a phone to call in, for two-way audio-only). Please note that while an option for remote attendance and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hearing will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast or its quality, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person versus virtual attendance accordingly.  

The link to the video conference is:  https://join.freeconferencecall.com/bzubricki, and, if prompted, the on-line meeting ID is bzubricki.  Depending on your device and software installed, you may be able to join directly, by web browser, or, you may have to download the application directly (you will be shown that choice when you go to the above link).  You should be joined in mute mode.  However, if that is not the case, please click on the audio icon to mute your microphone.  You can choose to activate your camera to show yourself, or not.  The camera should be off, by default, when you join.

If you do not have a digital device to join via the link above, you can also dial a telephone number and be directly connected to the meeting, via two-way audio only.  The call-in-only number is: (425) 436-6352 and the access code is 1729820. 

Further, it is likely that this meeting will be broadcast by 1623 Studios over the local cable television network.  Please check your cable listings for details if you are a Comcast cable television subscriber. 

AGENDA – OPEN SESSION
6:00 p.m.	Call to Order.

6:15 p.m.	Interview with Charles Benevento, Applicant for Town Accountant Position 

Brendhan Zubricki:  Presentation of his Town Administrator’s Report for the period September 9, 2023 through September 22 2023, regarding the following:  
•	Economic Development Committee Policy Recommendations
•	Possible Shared Conservation Commission Agent Prospect
•	Additional Retiree Health Insurance Offering, Further Discussion
•	Essex River Dredging Project Update Meeting Summary
•	Downtown Lighting Project Update & Subsurface Work Contract Award
•	Third-Party Assessment of Public Safety Building Repair Needs
•	School Budget Collaboration Group/All-Boards Meeting Summaries
•	Further Review of Fall Town Meeting Warrant
•	Community Compact Cabinet Best Practices Grant

OTHER BUSINESS:
•	Approve the weekly warrant in the amount of $.
•	Vote to exempt from Section 20 of Chapter 268A of the General Laws, the contracts and amounts for the individuals listed below contained within the 09/14/2023 warrant pursuant to subsection (d) of said Section.
NAME	VENDOR	DATE	AMOUNT	DEPT’S BILL
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	08/24/2023	$     230.90	Police
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	08/24/2023	$       53.00	Fire

•	Approve the minutes for the Selectmen’s September 11, 2023, Open Meeting.
•	Consider a request to appoint the following persons to the position of Part-Time Police Officer for a partial 1-year term ending 6/30/24, contingent upon drug and medical testing:
o	Shane Seekamp
o	Tyler Berry
o	Donald Twombly
•	Consider approval to trim or remove five dead trees in the ancient cemetery that are presently jeopardizing Cogswell’s Tomb, the Hearse House, and numerous historic gravestones.
•	Possible further discussion regarding property line assertion made by an abutter to the Essex Senior Center.
•	Update concerning a volunteer-led Town clean-up day (pushed forward to the spring of 2024).
•	Status report concerning deed research on a large, “owner unknown” parcel off of Southern Avenue and consideration of possibly authorizing additional funding.
•	Discussion regarding a lifeguard parking placard for the Conomo Point lifeguard starting summer of 2024.
•	Additional discussion on granting access to Town Counsel for the Conservation Commission to continue to refine the draft Conservation Bylaw that may be considered at the Annual Town Meeting in May of 2024.
•	Review nominations for Employee of the Year and Volunteer of the Year and make selections (by number only – names to be announced and awards to be made during the Fall Town Meeting).
•	Consider a request to add two names to the lease for the property at 29 Middle Road, Map 108, Lot 28.
•	Signature of cover letters offering leases for northern Conomo Point,  Robbins Island, and Beach Circle as follows (Assessors’ map 108 to be reconfigured in accordance with Conomo Point Commissioners’ revised leasehold maps):
o	Category 3:  Accessory Lots without Building, 1-Year, Seasonal Leases:
	179 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 29 B, Lane
	165 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 35, Walker
	159 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 38, Wendell
	162 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 44 B, McKenzie
	170 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 47, Robinson/Woodward
	172 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 48 B, Herrmann
	0 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 74, Sisk
o	Category 4: Accessory Lots with Building(s), 1-Year, Seasonal Leases:
	9 Conomo Ln, Map 108, Lot 26, Lane
	173 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 31, Bryer
	163 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 36, Lane & Cushing
	21 Middle Rd, Map 108, Lot 49 B, Holleran
	109 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 77 B, True
o	Category 7:  Seasonal 1-Year Lease for Property with Dwelling:
	11 Beach C, Map 108, Lot 79, Menges
o	Category 8:  Robbins Island Accessory Lots with Buildings, Seasonal 1-Year Leases:
	43 Robbins Island Rd, Map 108, Lot 15 1, Riggs
	44 Robbins Island Rd, Map 108, Lot 15 2, Winfrey
o	Category 10:  Lots with Building(s) and No Primary Dwelling Lot, 1-Year, Seasonal Lease:
	161 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 37, Conomo Point Association
	157 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 39, Fitzpatrick
	155 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 40, Cottage Park
o	Category 11:  Accessory Lots with Building(s) and Septic System Components, 1-Year, Seasonal Lease:
	168 Conomo Pt Rd, Map 108, Lot 46, Robinson/Woodward
•	Items that could not be reasonably anticipated by the Open Meeting Law posting deadline.

LICENSING:
	Pledge of Annual Restaurant All Alcohol License Ratification:
•	Bia Mor Hospitality LLC, d/b/a The James North Shore, Mary Kiehly, Manager, 55 Main Street.

REMINDERS:
•	The next regular Board of Selectmen’s meeting will take place on Monday, October 2, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the 3rd floor auditorium of the Town Hall, 30 Martin Street.
•	Dedication of the Schoolhouse Archives, 28 Main Street, Friday, October 13, 2023, 4 to 6 p.m.

PUBLIC COMMENT.