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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSelect Board 06/15/2022Select Board Meeting Minutes June 15, 2022 Present: Mr. Frank DelVecchio, Vice -Chair; Mr. Neil Rhein, Clerk; Mr. Jess Aptowitz and Ms. Diana Bren. Mr. Kevin Dumas, Town Manager and Mr. Barry LaCasse, Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director were also present in Meeting Room 3 A/B at Town Hall. Not Present: Mr. Michael Trowbridge, Chair 1. Call To Order Select Board Meeting - Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Frank DelVecchio, Vice -Chairman called the meeting to order at 5:32PM. He then asked those present to state the Pledge of Allegiance. He reminded everyone that the meeting was being broadcast live and taped for future broadcast on Mansfield Cable. 2. Recognition of Donna Whitehead Mr. DelVecchio asked Mr. Rhein to read the Proclamation for Ms. Donna Whitehead who was the reporter for Mansfield News. Ms. Whitehead then came forward and said a few words. She noted how hard it has been to leave Mansfield because she has met so many great people over the years and it is never boring in Mansfield. She stated that she is now at the Cape Cod Times which will help transition her moving to the Cape once she retires. The Select Board members shared sentiments of appreciation. Mr. Aptowitz stated that she was fair and kind even during times of controversy. He said that Ms. Whitehead always reported the facts, was professional and he thanked her and wished her the best of luck on her next journey. Ms. Bren thanked her for all her hard work and wished her luck in her next endeavor. Mr. Rhein noted that she did a good job stating the facts and always stayed objective like a good reporter should and wished her good luck on Cape Cod. Mr. DelVecchio stated that if Mr. Trowbridge were here he would be sharing the same positive sentiments. Mi�DelVecchio stated that Ms. Whitehead was honest and knowledgeable and used that to inform the ;"feaders and wished her the best of luck in her new endeavor. 3. Town Manager's Report ➢ COVID Update r'' _0 nM ➢ At -Home Rapid Antigen Tests ➢ SEMRECC Update cn ➢ Health Department Administrative Assistant o rn ➢ Massachusetts Attorney General Opioid Settlement ➢ Airport Grant Select Board Questions and Comments on Town Manager's Report Mr. Dumas began his report stating that the first annual Juneteenth event will be celebrated tomorrow June 16th, at 6PM at Harry B. Chace, Jr. Place. He then stated that the COVID numbers low at 39 cases, but reminded everyone that it does not reflect at home tests. He then stated that Niche has ranked Mansfield as one the best suburbs to buy a house in Massachusetts. He then noted that the Mansfield Airport received a grant in the amount of $328,500 to update the airports master plan. He then announced that there was a new hire in the Health Department, Ms. Lisa Faria. He then thanked Ms. Champagne for helping in that department and with that transition. Mr. Dumas then stated that the Towns of Mansfield, Norton, Easton met at SEMRECC on June 9th and all voted to approve a new governance agreement. The Commonwealth will be sending cities and towns free at home rapid tests and when they are received there will be an announcement to get those to residents. He then noted that for 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee all the groups have been notified that they have a seat on the committee and they need to submit the person that will represent their group. Mr. Dumas then provided some information that came from the Environmental Protection Agency on PFAS. The Federal allowable PFAS limit was 70 parts per trillion, but has been reduced to 10 parts per trillion. He further noted that the State limit is 20 parts and the updated systems in Mansfield will have no PFAS. Mr. Dumas then updated that Select Board Meeting Minutes June 15, 2022 the Library received a grant and they have digitized High School yearbooks and Street Address books. Mr. LaCasse then provided an update to the opioid settlement agreement that came out of the Attorney General's Office which will gives Mansfield 1.4 million that will be spread over 17 years and are working with Public Safety to decide how to best utilize these funds. Mr. DelVecchio asked Ms. Champagne if people have applied for the 250th Committee and she responded that there have been, but there are still more volunteers needed. Mr. Rhein asked if the Airport is required to do a Master Plan and Mr. Dumas responded that they are required. Mr. Rhein then asked what the rationale was in spreading the opioid settlement over 17 years. Mr. LaCasse was unsure and Mr. Aptowitz commented that it may because the pharmaceutical companies could be paying out over the course of those years. 4. Resident Questions and Comments Mr. Peter Wiggins, 157 came forward and stated that Donna Whitehead does good things and Mansfield is not going to be the same without her reporting. He added that local news is dying, but people like him are pros. S. Discussion and Consideration to Appoint Adrian LeCesne, Mark Corsillo or Daniela McCooey to the Planning Board Voting Member/Alternate Member Seat Mr. DelVecchio shared his story about how he did not get appointed the first time he applied to be on a committee, so he hopes that whoever does not get appointed tonight will consider other boards or committees that have vacancies. Mr. DelVecchio then asked Mr. Adrian LeCesne to came forward. He introduced himself and explained that he has been an alternate member of Planning Board since 2019 and is an attorney. He explained that he moved to Mansfield for the good schools for his children and he applied for the Planning Board because it has been a personal interest he has in urban planning. Mr. Mark Corsillo was then invited to come forward and he provided a brief summary of his experience. He stated that he has a general interest in Town government and civic engagement and has worked elections with the Town Clerk's office and is a member of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Committee. Mr. DelVecchio asked if he would continue to serve on the Waste Reduction if he became a member of the Planning Board and Mr. Corsillo responded that he would. Dr. Daniela McCooey then came forward as the final applicant and she stated that she got involved with the Planning Board after receiving a letter in the mail. She stated that she has continued watching the meetings from home on Mansfield Cable. She stated that she has lived in many places and Mansfield is very unique in the fact that businesses and residential development both succeed. Mr. DelVecchio asked her how her experience may help her serve on this board and also asked if she considers herself fair and impartial. Dr. McCooey responded that she does consider herself impartial and does not see any potential conflicts. Mr. Aptowitz commented that it is difficult when there are more people than positions. Motion: To appoint Adrien LeCesne as a voting member of the Planning Board to an unexpired term to expire on December 31, 2022. (Rhein/Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 Motion: To appoint Mark Corsillo as an associate member of the Planning Board to an unexpired term to expire on December 31, 2024. (Rhein/Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 6. Discussion of Commonwealth's Notification of Changes to Weights and Measures Mr. Dumas stated that the Town received a letter of non -renewal of the State contract for weights and measures. The Town is now responsibility to find its own person to do weights and measures, which so far has been a challenging task. There are not many people in the area providing this service and the State charged the Town $5,000 annually to do the service and the first bid received was for $20,000 which is over budget. Mr. Select Board Meeting Minutes June 15, 2022 Dumas stated that many communities are in the same situation and he will be reaching out to the State to ask for a contract extension. 7. Consideration to Reappoint Mr. Jess Aptowitz to MFN Regional Wastewater District Mr. Aptowitz asked if the terms were rotating and Ms. Champagne confirmed that they were and that they each expire on June 301h of each year. Motion: To reappoint Mr. Jess Aptowitz to the MFN Regional Wastewater District for a three-year term to expire on June 30, 2025. (Rhein/Bren) Passes 4:0 8. Consideration of One Day Beer and Wine License for The Mansfield Elks and Fee Waiver Request Mr. DelVecchio stated at the last meeting the applicant wanted to add an additional fundraising event so the Chair had asked that this be sent in as a separate request, but they would not need to attend in person. Motion: To approve a One Day Beer and Wine License for The Mansfield Elks and waive the fee. (Rhein/Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 9. Discussion and Consideration of Diversity and Inclusion Committee Mr. DelVecchio stated that this was announced at the Pride event and the title of the committee should be "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee." Mr. DelVecchio stated that this is an ad hoc advisory committee that would be put in place for a year and could be continued. He then read the charge of the committee and the suggested committee membership. Mr. Rhein commented that he believes there should be at least two students from Mansfield High and not just one because its important to get young people's perspective on the subject and it would be less intimidating. Ms. Bren also agreed that it should be two or three students. She also believed there should be at least five residents at large to provide a diverse representation of the community. Mr. Aptowitz stated that sometimes when a committee is too large it can be hard to get stuff done. Mr. Dumas noted that he is recommending Mr. Earle Hilton as a consultant to help with this committee and suggested adding that to the first item in the charge of the committee. Mr. Aptowitz further noted that this was first mentioned two years ago and was glad that this4 is moving forward. Mr. DelVecchio welcomed those present or attending virtual to speak. Mr. Ronald Greene of 179 Winter Street came forward and stated that he has had a lot of involvement with diversity, equity and inclusion committees when he worked at Mass General Hospital. He stated that he does not think the Committee can be too big and there should be three or more students between the 911 and 12th grades. He stated that he has two grandsons that just graduated and he believes there is not enough that is being brought to the surface and a diverse group of individuals is needed for this committee. Mr. Adriene LeCesne came forward and stated that he supports adding more students even if as a group the students got one vote. He also supported what Ms. Bren said about more residents especially if it is a non- voting committee. Mr. Mark Corsillo asked if students could be on the committee if they are not eighteen years of age because he said that on the Board and Committees application it states that the Town Clerk maintains a list of interested registered voters. Mr. DelVecchio believed there could be flexibility if it is not a committee defined in the charter. Mr. Dumas confirmed that as an ad hoc committee the person would not need to be a registered voter. Ms. Annette Shaw stated that the purpose of the committee is to examine the diversity within the Town and the Select Board should find a way to make sure there is diversity amongst the members that they appoint to the committee. She stated that they should find a way to make sure there is a certain number of men and women as well as a mix of racially diverse people. Mr. DelVecchio responded that the Board would be broadly advertising and without restriction and draw in as many people so there is a diverse group to pick from so they are able to appoint both diverse and qualified members. Ms. Shaw thanked them for creating this committee and thought it Select Board Meeting Minutes June 15, 2022 would be beneficial to the community. Mr. DelVecchio confirmed that the goal of the committee is diversity and the makeup of the committee should also be diverse like the population of the community. Motion: To approve the establishment of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee as presented with the following edits: 1. Add the word "Equity" to the name of committee. 2. Add the language "the committee will work closely with the Town Consultant' to first item of charge. 3. Remove the second half of the last and make that its own bullet "The Committee may be renewed by a vote of the Select Board." 4. The Committee will consist of the Superintendent or designee, School Committee member, Town Manager or designee, Select Board member, Representative from the Mansfield Police Department, three high school students and five members of the general public for a total of thirteen members. (Rhein/Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 10. Warn to Adopt Revised Alcohol Licensing Policy Mr. Dumas stated that this was the first revised policy from the large book of Select Board policies. He stated that many policies are outdated and sometimes several amendments were made but never incorporated into one version. Mr. Dumas explained that each policy is being reviewed and this alcohol policy was three separate policies that have now been merged into one document. He stated that is warn to adopt and at the next meeting it would be for the Board to consider approving. 11. Discussion FY2023 Goals and Objectives Mr. DelVecchio suggested a meeting on an off night to be able to broadly discuss goals. He stated that there were many completed over the last year and the Board should consider refining the ones that are still remaining and begin to add new goals for FY2023. 12. Select Board Member Committee and Liaison Updates Mr. Rhein stated that the Downtown Committee met and the main topic discussed was the Fall Festival event that is planned for October 15t. He added that the infrastructure goals that the Downtown Committee had have now been accomplished. The focus of the committee will now be events and brining people to the Downtown. Mr. DelVecchio stated that the Budget Subcommittee is meeting on June 221d and the Finance Committee is meeting tomorrow. Mr. Aptowitz commented on the SEMRECC meeting that was held. He stated that the facility is unbelievable and kudos to Rob and his team for the work they do. He added that the Town should be proud to be part of SEMRECC and there are now other towns interested in joining. Ms. Bren agreed with what Mr. Aptowitz said about SEMRECC. She stated that she has reached out to the committees that she is a liaison to and she looks forward to attending their meetings in July and August. 13. Resident Questions and Comments There were no resident questions and comments. 14. Review and Approve Consent Agenda All items on the Consent Agenda may be adopted with a single motion. Any member of the Select Board may request that an item be withdrawn from the Consent Agenda for separate consideration in which case that item will be voted on separately from the remainder of the Consent Agenda. All licenses have been routed through Town Hail Departments and any conditions have been noted below. A. Vote to Approve Meeting Minutes: none B. Vote to Approve Warrants: Town Vendor Warrant No. 22049T in the amount of $140,307.42 Select Board Meeting Minutes June 15, 2022 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 22049E in the amount of $2,486,619.19 • School Vendor Warrant No. 22049S in the amount of $522,809.63 • Town Vendor Warrant No. 22050T in the amount of $1,973,504.22 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 22050E in the amount of $267,383.26 C. Consideration of Permits and Licenses: Consideration of 2022 Water Installers License for DeSilva Excavation LLC Consideration of Lease Agreement Renewal for Hands -On Montessori School Inc. D. Consideration of Proclamations: • School Retiree Certificates Motion: To approve the consent agenda. (Rhein/Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 15. Consideration and Approval of Town Payroll Warrants: • Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 22049PT in the amount of $482,778.73 Motion: To approve Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 22049PT in the amount of $482,778.73. (Rhein/Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 22049TV in the amount of $150,820.79 Motion: To approve Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 22049TV in the amount of $150,820.79. (Rhein/ Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 • School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 22049PS in the amount of $2,727,545.07 Motion: To approve School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 22049PS in the amount of $2,727,545.07. (Rhein/ Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 • School Deductions Vendor Payroll 22049SV in the amount of $856,876.13 Motion: To approve School Deductions Vendor Payroll 22049SV in the amount of $856,876.13. (Rhein/Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 • Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 2205OPT in the amount of $524,807.81 Motion: To approve Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 2205OPT in the amount of $524,807.81. (Rhein/ Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 • Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 22050TV in the amount of $155,275.78 Motion: To approve Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 22050TV in the amount of $155,275.78. (Rhein/ Aptowitz) Passes 4:0 16. Correspondence • Letter from Xfinity — Changes to TV service Mr. Rhein read a summary of the above correspondence item. 17. Select Board Member's Comments and Questions Ms. Bren stated that she wanted to thank Mr. Karl Clemmey for the signs along Route 140 that say "Mansfield a great place to live and work" and the other that says "Go Hornets". Mr. Aptowitz wanted to recognize the passing of Marydee Flynn a longtime resident and give sympathy to her children. Mr. Aptowitz then stated that he attended the ceremony at the Fire Department to honor former Fire Fighter Michael McLaughlin. He stated that they placed a stone with his picture etched and he thanked those that helped put the event together. Mr. Aptowitz then thanked Mr. LaCasse for his help with the outstanding detail list. Mr. Rhein thanked Mrs. Griffin who made a change to the Town's website to make it easier to locate the Board and Committee application form. Mr. Rhein stated that he was cleaning up email and read the email with the changes to Mansfield Cable Access. Mr. LaCasse responded that the email had come from a previous Select Board member who was the liaison to that Committee and he sent the email after the vote had taken place that amended their bylaws to remove the Select Board as the appointing authority for two of their members. He Select Board Meeting Minutes June 15, 2022 further noted that no one from the Committee reached out to Select Board to talk about the reasoning for that decision. Mr. Rhein suggested that they could be invited to a future Select Board meeting. Mr. DeiVecchio thanked everyone who was here for the meeting and stated that he looks forward to the rest of the year and he feels more energized coming to the meetings and feels a new spirit amongst the Board. 18. Any items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting Mr. Dumas stated the Town is very involved with SRPEDD and as a part of that he participates in the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Joint Transportation Planning Group (JTPG). MPO is looking for Select Board members from each of the communities to participate and do not have enough members at this time. Mr. Dumas asked if there was one member that would volunteer for this and could make himself the designee that would go to the meetings on a Select Board members behalf. Motion: To appoint Diana Bren as the Select Board representative to the Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (SMMPO) and to document that Diana's appointee will be Mr. Kevin Dumas that will go on her behalf as the designee. (Aptowitz/Rhein) Passes 4:0 19. Adjourn Motion: �Toadjourn the June 15, 2022 Select Board Meeting at 7: SPM. (Aptowitz/Bren) Passes 4:0 'mil( 7 �i (ice Signatufe n ra Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne Select Board Meeting Minutes June 15, 2022