By Mary Macedo, Neighb News Correspondent
The Fairhaven Board of Public Works on 11/16 hired a new Heavy Motor Equipment Operator for the Highway Department, discussed winter recycling center hours, new asphalt at Livesey Skate Park, and enacting new fines for water meter tampering.
With the new mask mandate in place all people in attendance to the meeting had to wear a mask. Board members Marcus Ferro and Cameron Durant attended via Zoom.
The board first interviewed Robert Carreiro for HMEO. BPW Superintendent Vinnie Furtado said that there is a vacant spot in the Highway Department and Highway Superintendent John Charbonneau highly recommended Mr. Carreiro for the truck driver position.
Mr. Carreiro told the board that he has many years of experience with all types of equipment and mechanics. He said he has driven trucks for 13 years and that he also has experience in construction, tools and welding.
BPW Vice-Chairperson Robert “Hoppy” Hobson said he loves that Mr. Carreiro is a Fairhaven resident who wants to work in Fairhaven. Mr. Hobson said that Mr. Carreiro has a lot of qualifications and could help out in the garage which is a bonus.
BPW board member Frank Coelho agreed that Mr. Carreiro’s resume is very impressive and that Mr. Carreiro’s mechanic experience will be helpful, and he would be a great addition to the department.
BPW Chairperson Brian Wotton said he agreed and said he always likes to take Mr. Charbonneau’s and Mr. Furtado’s recommendations.
The board voted unanimously to hire Mr. Carreiro.
In another matter the board met with Ann Richard via zoom about the asphalt at Livesey Skate Park. She told the board that in 2014 the town got funds from the Community Preservation Committee for $60,000 to renovate the skate park that was built in the 1990s. That money only covered renovating new structures, and it did not help the asphalt area between structures. Ms. Richard said that nothing has been done to the skate park since 2015, and it is used by kids, teens, and adults a lot.
The asphalt between the structures is cracking and needs to be resurfaced. The group is looking to get another CPC grant to cover the costs, estimated to be around $150,000.
Mr. Wotton suggested looking into other contractors who take asphalt out and re-granulate it to be reused. He said that might lower the cost. Mr. Furtado said he would look into it.
Mr. Hobson said he was on board as long as the grant covered the cost.
Mr. Durant agreed and said maybe the Highway Department could help lend a hand with the project.
Mr. Wotton said he was all for it and wants to see kids get outside and play.
The board voted unanimously to recommend the project for CPC funds.
In another matter, the board discussed an issue from the previous meeting, when the board held an executive session to discuss a resident who had tampered with a water meter. During the meeting there was disagreement on the fine that should be given to someone who tampers with a water meter.
The board decided to discuss it in open session.
Mr. Coelho said that at the last meeting they charged the person a $500 fine for tampering with the water meter because the person tampered with it to check if there was a leak. Mr. Coelho said that he feels like now they have to charge the same for everyone or it is not fair.
Mr. Furtado said he changed the language in the policy to say the fine can be up $1000. He suggested they add a minimum such as the fine will be between $500 and $1000.
Mr. Coelho said he thought the fine should be the same for everyone, not dependent on the person. If someone is having a problem they should call the town to have their meter checked. He said no one should be tampering with their meter.
Mr. Ferro said the board should have the discretion to set the fine within the parameters Mr. Furtado stated.
Mr. Hobson left the last meeting early and was not there for the executive session. He said that the fine is $1000 and the person turned their meter around and got caught and his grass was green all summer.
He said the person should have been charged $1000. He said if it was his friend or family member he would charge them the full amount.
“Why did you guys do that,” Mr. Hobson said. “Was he a friend of someone’s?”
Mr. Wotton told Mr. Hobson they cannot discuss it.
Mr. Hobson said the fine should be $1000 no matter what.
Mr. Durant said that if a person touches the meter, opens it, turns it around or the seal is cut that is tampering.
Mr. Wotton suggested that Mr. Furtado expand on the wording and make it more detailed and define what tampering is. He suggested they table the issue and revisit it when Mr. Furtado has a more detailed version. Mr. Wotton suggested that they mail that version to every resident with their water bill, that way everyone knows what tampering means.
The motion passed with Mr. Hobson against it.
The board also discussed winter hours for the recycling center. Mr. Furtado suggested they go back to their normal winter hours which would be Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon and the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting on January 1st.
Mr. Hobson suggested that the recycling center continue to stay open until 3 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Mr. Furtado said he did not think the recycling center will be used as much in the winter months.
Mr. Wotton agreed and said it would be a waste of the employee’s time.
Mr. Hobson said if the virus is still going on people will come to the recycling center because they will be cleaning.
Mr. Wotton said that the virus is not going anywhere.
Mr. Furtado said they could keep the recycling center open longer on Wednesdays, but if the weather is bad like snow etc. then they will not open.
Mr. Hobson agreed that if there is snow on the ground there is no need to open.
The board voted unanimously to make the winter hours for the recycling center Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon and the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting on January 1st and weather permitting.
Mr. Hobson said that the recycling center is a disaster and they really need a new one soon.
In another matter Mr. Furtado showed the board the signs that the West Island Improvement Association created for the “island speed” signs that they want to add to West Island. The signs had very detailed pictures on them.
Mr. Wotton expressed his concern for the price of the sign given the very detailed photograph on them.
Mr. Furtado said a sign like that would probably cost between $600-$700 and they would not have enough money in their sign account for that.
Mr. Wotton and Mr. Durant suggested using the West Island Improvement Association’s logo on the sign instead of the photograph.
Mr. Furtado said that using the logo would definitely be cheaper probably around $150 instead. Mr. Furtado said he would talk to the WIIA about the signs.
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