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Home My WebLink AboutSELECTMENminutes02132008-20080306115320 Town of Mansfield Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 13, 2008 Present: Chairman Louis Amoruso, Vice Chairman Sandra Levine, Clerk Ann Baldwin, Selectman David McCarter, Selectman George Dentino, John D'Agostino, Town Manager The Board of Selectmen's meeting was called to order at 7:00pm and convened to executive session. Regular session resumed at 8:15pm followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. ousing co Nick Mirrione and Fred Clark from Mirrione Realty made a short presentation. A lot of people (such as young adults and seniors) cannot afford the median house price in the area. In addition to that fact; many people are single and lor a couple without children and don't want to maintain a large house. Thus cottage housing developments have sprung up. Small one to two bedroom cottage homes are clustered on small parcels of land that are financially obtainable and discourage having children in units. (That would tax the local school system). 44 units with 11 set aside as affordable are being proposed for land on Franklin Street. This project is a 40B proposal. However, the developer is proposing a local initiative program (LIP) or otherwise known as a friendly 40B. Mr. Mirrione has been in business for 35 years with headquarters in Easton. The issue of sanitary sewer was addressed by Mr. Mirrione by bringing sewer down rt. 106 vs. asking the Board of Health for approval on a shared septic system. However this project is proposed in a R1 zone so it doesn't fit with the town's zoning bylaws. Most of the board members felt it is a good concept in general but the location in question is not zoned for cluster use. Questions from residents were taken after the presentation. Peter Heppner of Potash Rd. spoke against this project as it does not fit the zoning bylaws of the area. He lives nearby this property and the reason he bought his house was for the character of the neighbor and it's R1 zoning restrictions. John DiMasse of Lewis Rd. also spoke against this project. Mr. DiMasse is also a member of the Planning Board and his board was not supportive of this project on this parcel of Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 13, 2008 land. Affordable housing of this type is good in certain areas such as near the train station or in R2 zoning. Shaun Cunningham of Potash Rd. He and his neighbors also object to this type of development in a Rl zone. Mr. Mirrione stated that wetlands and flood plains were taken in to consideration by the development plan. However he has not gone before the Conservation Commission or ZBA for approval. Chairman Amoruso stated that while the town does need affordable or attainable housing to help keep our young people able to live in town, this doesn't seem to be the project. The town's housing production plan does require affordable housing but it has been difficult to implement. Comcast Cable discussion Gerry Buckley and Denise Russell, Director of Marketing from Comcast were in attendance. Selectman Levine brought up the issue of public television (PBS) programming not all being available in the base tier of programming. Ms. Russell stated that some stations are only available via digital boxes vs. analog boxes but the channels are all still on the base tier. Ms. Russell passed out channel line up sheets and discussed the channels that are available on each level of service. Any subscriber can go to their local office and switch an analog box for a digital box for no additional charge. The issue of HD programming came up in respect to Mansfield being designated as the (must carry) Providence market. Some network channels from Boston are not received in HD, just the RI ones. Mr. Buckley stated that is being mandated by the Federal government, Comcast has nothing to do with that designation. Mr. Buckley stated they will bring the boards questions and concerns back to Comcast management and wi II get back to them. VFW change of manager hearing Roy Baines is the new VFW manager of record. He is also president of the VFW. Motion: To open hearing. (Levine/McCarter) 5:0 passes Motion: To postpone the hearing to a later time. (Levine/McCarter) 5:0 passes Motion: To open the hearing. (Levine/Baldwin) 5:0 passes Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 13, 2008 2 Mr. Baines is TIPS certified and has been training with the previous manager. Motion: To close hearing. (Levine/McCarter) 5:0 passes Motion: To approve Mr. Baines as the new manager of the VFW. (Levine/Baldwin) 5:0 passes Verizon FIOS discussion Bill August would be hired as special counsel to help craft a letter to Development of Telecommunications and Cable in addition to a contract with Verizon. Motion: To send letter to Ms. Gillett of DTC asking for waiver of associated time tables and fees. (Baldwin/McCarter) 5:0 passes Verizon would be asked to provide equivalent services provided by Comcast. Town Managers Report · Discussion of private parking lots paying a "public safety" fee for police details. This will discussed at length at a coming meeting. A letter to the lot owners re: a public hearing on February 27th will be sent. . Key note speaker at Life/Science symposium will be Bob Caughlin, President of Mass Biotech Counsel. He is also a prominent speaker in the biotech field. . There will be a budget workshop regarding priorities of board for public safety departments restructuring plans. Feb 28th at 7pm. . Warrant No. 33 in the amount of $1,823,365.18 Motion: To approve warrant No. 33 in the amount of $1,823,365.18 (McCarter/Levine) (Mr. McCarter abstaining from check #380259) 4:0:1 passes (Dentino abstains) · Meeting minutes of January 23, 2008 Motion: To approve minutes. (Baldwin/Levine) 5:0 passes . One day license for Rotary Club wine and dine auction on March 14th. Motion: To sign and approve license. (Baldwin/McCarter) 5:0 passes Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 13, 2008 3 · Annual vegetation management plan and operational plan from the highway dept. Motion: To sign and approve licenses. (Baldwin/McCarter) 5:0 passes · Drainlayer license application for JE Case Inc. Motion: To sign and approve license. (Levine/Baldwin) 5:0 passes · Letter from Marie Rose, Director of Project Management for the Executive Office of Transportation. The Town had requested a temporary traffic signal to be installed at the intersection of Chauncy St. and Highland. Ave as part of an underpass rehabilitation project. The request was denied and the town was advised to continue using police details for traffic control. Motion: To send another letter to Ms. Rose (Levine/Baldwin) 4:1 passes · John Sullivan, Town Engineer, has been working with MA Highway reps to get subcontractors out to finish work on rt. 106 canoe river bridge and the Hope St. traffic lights. Some emergency work has been done. However, the rest of the work will not be totally complete until later in the year. Selectmen's Old & New Business . Old business from Chairman Amoruso: None · Old business from Selectman Dentino: Comments on CIP meeting discussion last week. Cabaret show at the High School last weekend was excellent. The Town has some real talent and the performers were all excellent. · Old business for Selectman McCarter: Follow up on tree cutting by Mansfield Crossing. Mr. D'Agostino will send letter. · Old business for Selectman Baldwin: None · Old business for Selectman Levine: Has anyone gone to Giles Place to check out overgrown shrubbery? The Town Manager will look into the progress of this. · Please write letter of commendation to Sara Forbes, Trustee of Spring Brook Cemetery and the Historical Commission in regards to getting on the national registry. Motion: (Levine/Baldwin) 5:0 passes · New business from Selectman Baldwin: None Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 13, 2008 4 · New business from Selectman Dentino: A number of residents have called to report that their mailboxes have been hit or damaged by plows. He believes that a number of these boxes were damaged by plows as opposed to being damaged by heavy snow throw. He suggests that the plow operator does not plow so close to the edge of the road in order to spare mailbox damage. · New business from Selectman Levine: None · New business from Chairman Amoruso: None ~~li~ Motion: To adjourn at l1:lOPM (McCarter) 5-0 Passes ~~~~e;:( $a-Mvm Signature of Clerk ~~~ 5; 2~~~ Date of Approval Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 13, 2008 5