HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-09-20 Board of Selectmen Executive Minutes BOARD OF SELECTMEN EXECUTIVE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 20, 2004
EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Executive Session convened at 7 :00 p.m.
ATTENDANCE: The following were present: Rosemary Connelly Smedile, Chairman;Wendy Wakeman; James
Xenakis; Donald Stewart; Mark J.T. Caggiano; Mark Rees,Town Manager; Ray Santilli, Assistant Town Manager and
Town Counsel Thomas Urbelis.
The Board of Selectmen was individually polled and each voted unanimously to move into Executive Session. Vote
approved 5-0.
Real Estate Matter
The Town engaged the services of Peterson/Lachance Realty Advisors to develop an estimate value of the land on
Sharpners Pond Road as recommended by the Inspector General's office. The Town Manager asked John Peterson,
author of the report, to discuss his work and answer any questions for the Board.
Appraiser John Peterson gave a residual analysis value of$25.000 for the 5.94 acres of vacant land for the proposed ice
rink. The land does not have access to water or sewer and not an industrial site. If this were an industrial site and a
295,000 square foot building was on it, the estimated price is be about$10 per building square foot and could sell for
about$295,000. But subtracting the cost of bringing water and sewerage to the site and the cost of mitigating wetlands,
plus the cost of permitting, you are probably down to about$100,000 to$150,000.
Peterson said that the majority of people are under the impression that there is real value in ice skating rinks. He believes
that is not true. Skating Rinks are really not profitable unless there is an immediate demand of generators in place that
will maximize the use of ice time. The best demand-generators are youth hockey leagues and programs, high school
kckey programs, men's and women's hockey league and figure skating clubs. If the owner of the subject rink is able to
ure such agreements, it should be able to attract its fair share of prime time and non-prime-time ice revenue. In the
.„rrounding area many new ice rinks have gone bankrupt in a few years because of the lack of demand generators.
Town Counsel Thomas Urbelis advised the Board not to put a minimum bid of$25,000 for land in the RFP. Urbelis said
with the Board's permission, he would like to send this RFP to a bankruptcy attorney to give us his opinion and advise the
Town on how to protect the Town and report back to the Board. Urbelis suggested holding back on any decisions on
setting a price on the RFP at this time.
Wendy Wakeman made a MOTION, seconded by Mark Caggiano, to authorize Town Counsel Thomas Urbelis to send
RFP to a bankruptcy attorney and to report back to the Board. Vote approved 5-0.
Release of Executive Session Minutes
Town Counsel advised the Town Boards to review their executive session minutes for the purpose of releasing those
minutes where the matter being discussed has been resolved and the need for keeping the minutes confidential are no
longer there.
Town Counsel suggested that executive session minutes should not be released regarding personnel currently employed
with the Town or an ongoing litigation. He suggested making a listing of all minutes by date, extracting any issues not to
be released, stating what that issue is when the motion is made at the boards' next meeting.
ADJOURNMENT:
Wendy Wakeman made a MOTION, seconded by Mark Caggiano, to move out of Executive Session. Vote approved 5-0.
,Owvpectfully submitted,
ile J. Johnson, Administrative Secretary