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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSelect Board 08/17/2022Select Board Meeting Minutes August 17, 2022 Present: Mr. Michael Trowbridge, Chair; Mr. Frank DelVecchio, Vice -Chair; Mr, Jess Aptowitz and Ms. Diana Bren were present in Meeting Room 3 A/B at Town Hall. Mr. Kevin Dumas, Town Manager and Mr. Barry LaCasse, Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director were also present. Present Virtually: Mr. Neil Rhein, Clerk 1. Call To Order Select Board Meeting - Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Michael Trowbridge, Chair called the meeting to order at 5:30PM. He then asked those present to stand and state the Pledge of Allegiance. He then reminded everyone that the meeting was being broadcast live and taped for future broadcast on Mansfield Cable. CD 2. Town Manager's Report : Mr. Dumas stated there are twenty plus items on his update list but that he would difqssPgy of them tonight. � rn • Mr, Dumas discussed the news briefing regarding the Amazon leaving Man@ad, along LVother locations in Massachusetts, as they decided to pull back and he wanted to esois &sere was something on social media regarding a tax impact which is not accurate. Arr rEbn VnG*Wase:for the Mansfield location and Mr. McDermott our Economic Developmental olrecto4as agreat relationship with Amazon. They are already talking about possible subletting oppfurvMes for the space. • On another positive note, Mr. Dumas stated that they have been working hard on the Fall Festival anc thanked Ms. Griffin and Mr. McDermott for their efforts along with the Town Consultant Cardinal Marketing. He then continued to state that they had secured The Newport Navy Band to be the lead performer for the event. It is something to look forward to and that band is A+. Mr. Dumas added, we will also be lifting off a Town website page with the Fall Festival information soon. The event will be October first, which will be here soon and it's hard to believe that it's less than 60 days away. • Mr. Dumas mentioned Goals and objectives would be reviewed later in the meeting and that the spreadsheets have been updated. Select Board Questions and Comments on Town Manager's Report Mr. Rhein inquired about Fall Festival sponsorship opportunities so Mr. Dumas could mention them while they were live on TV. Mr. Dumas mentioned the different levels and breakdown of the sponsorships ranging from $15,000 to $1,000. Mr. Trowbridge asked in regards to Amazon vehicles, those vehicles were subcontracted out so we are not losing that excise tax and Mr. LaCasse confirmed that was true and that we are not losing any revenue there. Mr. Trowbridge mentioned there was a Boy Scout in the audience that is here to earn his Citizenship merit badge. He then asked him come sit with the Select Board. Avery Gonzalos from Troop 51 introduced himself and said he was here for Citizenship in The Community merit badge and that his Mom was seated in the audience. 3. Resident Questions and Comments Mr. Peter Wiggins,157 Mansfield Avenue of Norton came forward and stated Fall is around the corner and he is looking forward to the Sports season in Norton and Mansfield. He also stated that there would be a meet and greet for the Mansfield Businesses at Flint Farm on September Fourth. Select Board Meeting Minutes August 18, 2022 Mr. Mark Corsillo 1604 West Street, Mansfield, MA, inquired about the Electric rate increase and asked for any detail regarding why it increased. Mr. Aptowitz, the Select Boards Electric Chairman spoke and mentioned he believes information regarding the increase had been sent out to the residents. He also stated that the Electric Light Commissioners had to raise the rates three times in the last few months. He stated, we don't produce electricity, we have to buy it so we are paying more due to higher fuel charges. Regarding the Purchase Power Charge Adjustment (PCA) we get charged the cost and do not know what it is ahead of time, therefore sometimes we overbill and sometimes we underbill. Due to the craziness and increases around the world, we are being charged more money. We raised the rates due to collection and to not get ourselves in debt again. That is the layman's description of it and we have had several meetings in public regarding it. Unfortunately, it's very painful for all of us. if we did not make those adjustments we could really do a job to our balance sheet. He said, they are trying to be cognizant of keeping a healthy Light Department. He also mentioned that people will be seeing this all over the State and that Mansfield is still one of the lowest in the State. Mr. Corsillo then stated that he believed that Mansfield is putting more money into renewable energy which may help deflect some of this. Mr. Aptowitz mentioned there are demands on these electric companies to have more Green Energy in their portfolio, but it doesn't mean that it's cheaper and it does help the environment. Mr. Aptowitz discussed another example of an increase, chip sealing verse paving due to the cost increase of oil and that we are all getting hit due to these inflationary costs, even at the supermarket too. 4. Discussion and Consideration of Changes Made to MGL Chapter 54 Section 72 that Charges the Select Board with Detailing Police and Constables at each Polling Place Mr. Dumas spoke about the new State law which charges the Select Board, rather than the person in charge of the Police force, with detailing a sufficient number of Police officers or constables for each polling location within your municipality. The difference now is that Ms. Staples will now annually petition the Select Board, detailing the needs for the number of elections she will have and that will be the process going forward. Ms. Staples then mentioned that she received the letter in June regarding the new law. She then informed the Board of how she typically needs two officers at the Mansfield High School polling area, one inside and one outside, due to traffic. She added, there may be a third detail needed in the street for bigger elections. She confirmed that the elections that are ahead for the remainder of this year will be the State Primary on September 6thand the State Election on November 8th•She will be looking for two Police Officers for each election. Ms. Staples added, we will also have a detail at our Town Meeting. She then described the daily process of an election day and how the detail works. Mr. Dumas then read the motion. Motion: That the Select Board consult with the Town's election officers and registrars and detail a sufficient number of Police officers or constables for each building that contains the polling place for 1 or more precincts at every election in the Town to preserve order and to protect the election officers and supervisors from any interference with their duties and to aid in enforcing the laws relating to elections. (DelVecchio/none went into discussion) Mr. Aptowitz confirmed that Ms. Staples will be coming to the Select Board with her Police detail needs. He then asked what if there is a ruckus, and you need more officers, people can come back to us and say, "you only needed" two. Mr. Dumas confirmed that in Ms. Staples annual petition to the Select Board, she Select Board Meeting Minutes August 18, 2022 is covered to be able to request additional detail if needed and you are giving her that authority to do so. Ms. Staples added that the officers on duty are able to radio for extra help if needed. Mr. Rhein confirmed that if more officers are needed, Ms. Staples can order them and Mr. Dumas confirmed that too. Ms. Staples added, since 2020 she has ordered a third Police Officer detail outside of Town Hall to assist with the ballet drop box to bring in any last-minute votes. Mr. Trowbridge asks for a Roll Call Vote. Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio — Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren — Yes Passes 5:0 Before Ms. Staples left, she mentioned that Avery (Boy Scout attending the meeting) was the individual responsible for the beautiful bike rack in front of the Town Hall. The Select Board thanked Avery and he said "welcome'. S. Discussion of FY23 Goals and Objectives Before beginning the Goals and Objectives discussion, Mr. Trowbridge noted that Ms. Bren had given him some goal suggestions and he was wondering if they could do a subcommittee to go through the list from her. There may be five -ten things that Mr. Dumas and Mr. LaCasse could possibly do within one-two hours and there are some things that would take longer. Mr. Trowbridge asked for a volunteer to work with Diana on these goals and Mr. DelVecchio agreed to do it. Mr. Trowbridge then mentioned that he will share these goals with Mr. Dumas, Mr. LaCasse and Ms. Varricchione for them to review. Mr. Dumas then moved to review Town's goals which have been updated and the completed items have been moved to the completed tab on the Goals & Objectives spreadsheet. Mr. Dumas then mentioned the list of goals: 1-Covidl9 2-the new DEI Committee 3-the absence of ARPA funding 4-identify and develop a succession plan for key positions in the Town 5-Grant opportunities 6-Contract negotiations 7-Land sale for foreclosed properties 8-Complete the remedy for the N. Main Street Fire Station and the property transfer 9-Quarterly Economic Development updates to the Select Board 10-Activate our Green Community program 11-Successfully implement the relaunch of the Towns website 12-Complete the Towns municipal software program 13-Complete a process to ensure the Towns Master Plan 14- Complete a plan to redesign the Town's property of 50 West Street for a Council on Aging facility. Select Board questions: • Mr. Rhein asked if there was an update the DEI committee as he knows we were looking for members. Mr. Dumas said Ms. Champagne drafted a press release which he will review with her on Monday and will be released next week. She has also reached out to Town representation to start the process. Mr. Dumas asked Ms. Varricchione to request that Ms. Champagne share the press release with Select Board when ready. • Mr. Rhein inquired about goal #5 "Grant Opportunities" and asked if that was really a goal or something that we normally do. Mr. Dumas stated that he's heard over the past year residents and other board Select Board Meeting Minutes August 18, 2022 members inquiring about if we were taking advantage of Grants. Therefore, he would like to formalize this and have it as a goal he could report on it and make it more tangible. Our Town Accountant Mr. Violette is currently reporting on Grants and we can now report back to you and others. Mr. Rhein then asked for a list of Grants that are available so everyone is aware. This way, if they have a project that fits into one of these categories that they could take advantage of applying for it. Especially new ones like the Mattress recycling one he just sent Mr. Dumas. • Mr. Rhein inquired about goal #6, if the Union Negotiation was a goal or business as usual. Mr. Dumas stated that it is a goal that needs to be performed on a timely basis so putting that down will help with that being done in a timely manner. • Mr. Rhein inquired about goal #9, Quarterly Economic Development updates and were they actually a goal and Mr. Dumas agreed that it's more a matter of course and does not need to be a goal. • Mr. Rhein then mentioned the difficult one # 13, is to create a process for ensuring the implantation of the Master plan. This is a big undertaking and a more challenging one. Mr. Dumas agreed and mentioned to keep this on as it's a goal for twice a year. • Mr. Rhein then asked of we needed the tier two goals as they have been there for two years. Mr. Dumas stated that he only had the 14 goals to discuss tonight. Mr. Rhein then thanked Mr. Dumas as it's good to see what we have done over the past few years in the completed goals section. • Mr. DelVecchio agreed about the new DEI Committee and the grant opportunities goals and he appreciated them. He would like to see the Economic Development goal revised to focus on what Economic Development is trying to accomplish or it can be removed if it's really just a reminder to give us updates. Beyond that he would like to see future five-year budget plans added. For example, the Schools will be looking at their facilities needs again. If we share what we are doing to be forward looking that would be good. • Mr. DelVecchio said one of the most important words is "transparency" and he knows that we are making the reporting documents more qualitative and available to the residents which is important. So, if someone new moves to town they have access to the budget and they can see what is going on. • Mr. DelVecchio stated that The Town is working with the top service provider their website and some have mentioned there are cheaper providers but the takeaway is that the Town went through a thoughtful process and selected the one that most of the other Towns use, Towns in which we would like to be like them and could we mention that in the goals. • Mr. Aptowitz asked that we keep the staffs time in mind when it comes to the demands of the goals. The goals have to be really clear with the demands and we need to keep that in mind with what we are asking them to do and to be realistic to make sure they can be accomplished. • Mr. Trowbridge said just to be clear and he's said this numerous times before, sometimes these goals are one -two -three-year goals and sometimes other things take a priority and to make sure everyone has an understanding of that. Mr. Rhein added "worldwide pandemics" for example. • Mr. Aptowitz then inquired about the Munis software and Mr. Dumas said it should be completed in 2024 and that Mr. Violette and Mr. LaCasse and the department that's in charge would be working on the next phase. • Mr. Aptowitz then mentioned ARPA funding and that Bristol County sent over a list to show what other towns have applied for and that there was only a small percentage used so we should keep that in mind and if other towns received money, we should too. We should also see what other towns used the money for to see if we could get that too. • Mr. Delvecchio then stated that the Division of Local Services sent over guidance a couple of weeks ago regarding how to get funding for services. Mr. Dumas mentioned that the State process is much easier than the County process. The harder work comes on things needed for the School and the DPW/Highway department for things like messages boards which can be more difficult. It's a three -factor approval process and we are good to go once we have been approved. Mr. LaCasse added that we originally started out with not so high hopes but once we got through our first project, the County has been Select Board Meeting Minutes August 18, 2022 wonderful and we have gotten everything approved for what we applied. Mr. DelVecchio mentioned that the County hired two professional accounting firms so that could have helped with the process. • Ms. Bren requested that any acronyms be spelled out for those that are new like herself. Then she mentioned that there's a lot of work that goes into these goals and would it behoove us to add the department that's involved so the public understands what collaboration goes into these goals and can see how these goes go into fruition. The Select Board and Mr. Dumas liked that idea. • Mr. Trowbridge would like to see a new description for the Economic Development goal as that is important. He would also like to keep contracts on there as there may not be any next year. Mr. Dumas stated we only have this on this year. Then next year there will be more. Which is good to note because these contracts can take up a full week. • Mr. Trowbridge then noted that he liked Mr. DelVecchio's idea too but rewrote it a little, "Coordinate a five to Ten Year outlook for Town Finances for Facilities and Infrastructure". Mr. DelVecchio agreed with the new title. • Mr. Dumas will make the updates to the goals and Mr. Trowbridge stated you have tentative approval on these goals. • Mr. DelVecchio mentioned he had one more thing, the Department of Revenue has a tool and you can compare yourself with other communities. The Finance Committee might be helpful to help compare Mansfield with other similar towns ... so it's an apples to apples comparison. He also mentioned the Tax Rate and how it needs to be adjusted regarding the inflation that is going on. In addition, we include waste management in our budget which is around $3,000 dollars and other towns do not. There are other debt exclusions too and it would be helpful for the residents to know what they are. Mr. Trowbridge asked Mr. DelVecchio to take a stab to get that goal written. 6. Discussion and to Approve the Revised Banner Hanging Policy, Banner Application and Waiver of Liability Motion: To approve the Revised Banner Hanging Policy, Banner Application and Waiver of Liability Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio — Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren - Yes Passes 5:0 7. Select Board Member Committee and Liaison Updates Mr. Rhein stated there have been no meetings since they last met so, nothing to report. Mr. DelVecchio mentioned the Finance Committee is meeting tomorrow night and the survey results will be shared. Mr. Aptowitz attended the Bristol County Meeting held at the campus in Dighton. The campus had been expanded and it's really beautiful. He said it was successful and that they had rigorous conversations with other Town Board Members. It was good and the budget was passed and they added 100 students this year. Ms. Bren attended the Mansfield cable meeting the previous week and it was enlightening and it was a great group of people. They are also always looking for people to go and they are great to work with. B. Resident Questions and Comments There were no resident questions or comments. Mr. Trowbridge asked Avery (Boyscout) if he had any questions. Avery stated that his Troop does cleanup — and that he doesn't care for the nip bottles and beer cans and could we stop the littering and help make Mansfield cleaner. Mr. Rhein thanked Avery and mentioned it has been a problem for a long time, there is no simple solution. There was a motion to have them removed but the motion was removed. The liquor stores do have bins outside their stores so you can which are being used which helps. They are also making Select Board Meeting Minutes August 18, 2022 donations to the Keep Mansfield Beautiful Committee so they can help with the cleanup. They are also talking about the nip recycle cost to get money back. That bill did not pass but there are various ideas but it would be great if the people would stop littering to begin with. 9. 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 Hall Departments and any conditions have been noted below. A. Vote to Approve Meeting Minutes: • August 3, 2022 B. Vote to Approve Warrants: • Town Vendor Warrant No. 23006T in the amount of $389,597.28 • School Vendor Warrant No. 23006S in the amount of $354,339.55 • Town Vendor Warrant No. 23007T in the amount of $353,961.25 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 23007E in the amount of $2,791,527.55 C. Consideration of Permits and Licenses: • Consideration of Banner Application for Mansfield Youth Football and Cheer • Consideration of Banner Application for Mansfield Youth Basketball Association Motion: To approve the consent agenda. Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren - Yes Passes 5:0 10. Consideration and Approval of Town Payroll Warrants: • Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 23006PT in the amount of $491,799.81 Motion: To approve Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 23006PT in the amount of $491,799.81. Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren —Yes Passes 5:0 • Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 23006TV in the amount of $147,003.43 Motion: To approve Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 23004TV in the amount of $147,003.43. Passes 5:0 Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr, DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren - Yes • Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 23007PT in the amount of $147,593.09 Motion: To approve Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 23005PT in the amount of $491,394.14 Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren —Yes Passes 5:0 • Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 23007TV in the amount of $147,248.76 Motion: To approve Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 23005TV in the amount of $147,248.76 Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr, DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren —Yes Passes 5:0 • School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 23007PS in the amount of $1,493,081.81 Motion: To approve School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 23005PS in the amount of $1,493,081.81 Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren —Yes Passes 4:0:1 Trowbridge Abstained • School Deductions Vendor Payroll 23007SV in the amount of $441,626.90 Motion: To approve School Deductions Vendor Payroll 23005SV in the amount of $441,626.90 Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren - Yes Passes 5:0 Select Board Meeting Minutes August 18, 2022 11. Correspondence Letter from Xfinity Mr. DelVecchio read a summary of the programming changes Effective September 12, 2022, EPIX will no longer be available on channel 881, but can continue to be viewed on channel 322; EPIXHD will no longer be available on channels 885 and 1790, but can continue to be viewed on channels 323 and 1871. • Effective September 30, 2022 Olympic Channel will cease operations. Customers are receiving this information in advance via bill message. 12. Select Board Member's Comments and Questions Mr. Rhein wanted to make everyone aware that there are new cannabis laws from the CCC (Cannabis Control Commission) for Host Communities regarding the war on drugs. We need to be aware of these standards and policies so we don't lose the money they give to us. Mr. LaCasse is aware of the new legislative and once the CCC establishes the guidelines/law he will be coming before the Select Board to adopt them. Mr. DelVecchio stated that the meetings have been running smoothly over the last few months and he appreciates the efforts of his colleagues as they work together. Mr. Aptowitz asked when the next State Delegation meeting was as he would like to have Mr. Dumas ask some questions on his behalf. Mr. Dumas said the next meeting is 8/26. He then said as a reminder to his colleagues that next Monday is the next MMED meeting and it will not be an open session but an executive session. Ms. Bren mentioned there are a few more Wednesdays to enjoy the movies and music that the Park and Recreation Department puts on. Mr. Rhein gave a shout out to all the public safety during the recent stretch at the Xfinity Center with big crowds, different crowds and he saw what they were dealing with and wanted to thank them. There were sometimes chaotic situations and they did a good job. Mr. Trowbridge says there are much less incidents and it seems to be going in a good direction. Mr. Trowbridge also mentioned holding a meeting where all chairs would come to the Select Board meeting to meet with them. He doesn't care what size the committee is, he wants to invite the Chair and Vice Chair to come and talk with them. If we get them a months' notice that would be helpful and we could get more in attendance. 13. Any items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting There were no items. 14. Adjourn Motion: To adjourn the August 3, 2022 Select Board Meeting at 6:5013M. Avery the Boy Scout banged the gavel to adjourn the meeting. Roll Call: Mr. Rhein - Yes, Mr. DelVecchio —Yes, Mr. Trowbridge —Yes, Mr. Aptowitz —Yes, Ms. Bren - Yes Passes 5:0 Signature Minutes prepared by Sharon Varricchione Date Select Board Meeting Minutes August 18, 2022