By Mary Chasse, Neighb New Correspondent
At its meeting on Monday 10/18 the Fairhaven Board of Public Works conducted interviews for a Principal Clerk in the Sewer Department, and met with owners of land on Cherrystone Road about tying into sewer.
BPW Superintendent Vinnie Furtado informed that board that current clerk would be retiring in December, and eight people applied for the position. Two finalists were chosen to be interviewed by the board.
Gabrielle Almeida told the board that she currently works as a clerk in Mattapoisett assisting the Board of Health and Building Departments, but the position is not full time. Ms. Almeida said she is looking for a full time, long-term position.
She said she also has experience with permitting, and writing minutes.
BPW Vice-Chairperson Robert “Hoppy” Hobson said that Ms. Almeida seemed very qualified and noted she is a Fairhaven resident.
Ms. Almeida said she has lived in Fairhaven for four years and grew up in Mattapoisett.
The board then interview Sharon Mills, who said she has lived in Fairhaven her whole life. She said she was looking to better invest her future years.
Board member Marcus Ferro asked if she would want to be in this position long-term.
Ms. Mills said she sees herself working in the position for a long time.
Board member Cameron Durant asked if she had technical skills with Microsoft Office Suite. She responded that she has experience with a lot of different office programs.
Mr. Hobson said Ms. Mills is qualified like the other candidate and it would be a hard decision. He noted that Ms. Mills has been with her current company for a long time.
Both candidates were dismissed from the meeting and at the end of the meeting the board revisited the discussion.
Mr. Hobson said he thought he would choose Ms. Mills even though both are highly qualified. Mr. Hobson said Ms. Mills has a history of staying with her job for many years.
Mr. Durant agreed that both candidates were great, but said that Ms. Almeida was the top choice for the hiring committee.
Mr. Furtado said both candidates would do amazing, but Ms. Almeida has the municipal experience and was the only candidate to pass an Excel Spreadsheet test.
Mr. Hobson made a motion to hire Ms. Mills. The motion was not seconded.
Mr. Durant made a motion to hire Ms. Almeida, and the vote passed 3-1 with Mr. Hobson voting against.
In another matter the board met with John Kalife and his wife Danielle about lots 313 and 315 that they own on Cherrystone Road.
Mr. Kalife said that they are hoping to build a home on those lots and want to connect their property to the sewer.
He told the board that he has documents from the 1990s that show that the previous owner went through all the steps to get a sewer stub to tie into the sewer, but never actually built a house on the property.
Mr. Kalife said in the 1990s the previous owner got a permit to build on the land and went to the Board of Health to get permission to connect to the sewer, which was approved. He said he had all the documentation to prove that a sewer stub was approved.
BPW Chairperson Brian Wotton asked if they know if the sewer stub was ever put there.
Mr. Kalife said they do not know.
Mr. Wotton said that they will do the best they can to help, but they need to find out if there is a sewer stub there, and noted they had a similar issue with another lot on Cherrystone, but that lot did not have a stub.
Mr. Durant said it was different from the other property because that property had nothing. Mr. Durant said if they can find documentation of a betterment fee being paid or find out if there is a stub or pipe there that would help.
Board of Health member Mike Ristuccia was in attendance at the meeting and asked to speak.
He said he was not there representing the BOH, but that he did have knowledge about the property’s history with the BOH.
Mr. Ristuccia said that since the 1990’s the Board of Health has been in charge of approving properties to be tied into the sewer and the BPW is in charge of granting the properties permission to dig into the street,
He said they were not there to ask for permission for a sewer stub, they were there asking for permission to dig in the street because the Board of Health already authorized that property to tie into the sewer.
“You’re here for the Board of Health,” Mr. Hobson said. “You’re speaking for the Board of Health.”
Mr. Ristuccia reiterated that he was not there representing the Board of Health. He said he had knowledge because he is on the BOH and because he used to be on the BPW and he knows the distinctions between the two. He said he was just there to read the facts from the Board of Health documents.
Mr. Hobson said he would like a copy of the rules and laws from the Board of Health
Mr. Ristuccia explained that the Board of Health approved of the sewer tie in to the previous owner back in the 1990s and the owner at the time went through the whole process to get everything approved.
The health agent was Patricia Fowle who retired in 2015. Mr. Ristuccia said Ms. Fowle left very detailed notes for future employees and left a list of addresses that were allowed to tie into the sewer and addresses that were not allowed according to the DEP agreement.
Mr. Hobson asked if since 1998 there has been a sewer stub there that has not been used.
Mr. Ristuccia said that a sewer stub was approved in 1998 so there should be one there. Mr. Ristuccia said either way it is irrelevant because the sewer stub was approved.
Mr. Wotton said he wanted to table this discussion and request that Mr. Kalife and Mr. Ristuccia send the board all the documentation so the board can review it and revisit the matter.
Mr. Hobson also suggested they get an opinion from Town Counsel on the matter.
Former BOH agent Ms. Fowle joined the meeting via zoom and confirmed that she did all that work for the property in the 1990s and Town Council was involved then. Ms. Fowle also said she wrote the letter with the approved addresses for sewer tie in and these lots on Cherrystone were approved.
Ms. Fowle said it was the last property approved under that DEP parcel and whether the stub was actually put in she does not know.
Ms. Fowle offered to attend the next BPW meeting when they revisit the conversation about the property.
A motion was made to table this issue until the board reviews all the documentation and gets advice from Town Counsel. The motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Fowle did not disclose that she is Mr. Kalife’s aunt.
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