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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSelect Board 12/20/2023Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 Present: Ms. Diana L. Bren, Chair; Mr. Neil Rhein, Vice -Chair; Yr, L-rr i�iL}Q0B, Clerk; Mr. Michael A. Trowbridge Sr. and Ms. Maureen R. Doherty were present in Meat{hiFIi8- ,W /gBjatJpwn Hall, Mr. Kevin Dumas, Town Manager, Mr. Barry LaCasse, Assistant Town Ma a f, Jnance Director and Matt Violette, Town Accountant were also present. 44 S I 1. Call To Order Select Board Meeting -Pledge of Allegiance , ;`j1`,tJ c Ms. Bren, Chair called the meeting to order at 5:30PM. He asked those present �d stand for the pledge of allegiance. He then reminded everyone that the meeting was being broadcast live and taped for future broadcast on Mansfield Cable. Mr. Trowbridge then asked those present for a moment of silence for Mr. David Clemmey who was a lifelong resident, business owner and Select Board member. 2. Recognition of Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director Barry LaCasse Ms. Bren read a short statement to recognize the retirement of Mr. Barry LaCasse. Mr. Dumas also shared some words about Mr. LaCasse and noted that they have worked together for so many years. The Board members also shared words thanking him and wished him the best. Mr. LaCasse thanked everyone and said he was proud to have worked in Mansfield. 3. Town Manager's Report ➢ Goals ➢ Trash and Recycling Holiday Delays ➢ Cannabis Control Commission — CommCan, Inc ➢ Next Year- FY2025 Budget Update Select Board Questions and Comments on Town Manager's Report Mr. Dumas began his Town Manager report stating that goals and objectives have been updated and will hopefully be approved later in the meeting along with an update to the Master Plan presentation by Planning Director Sarah Raposa. He then stated that there is going to be trash and recycling delays due to the two upcoming holidays. He stated that CommCan was approved for their preliminary license at 611 West Street for retail and medical marijuana sales. Mr. LaCasse then provided a Fiscal Year 2025 budget update. He stated that there is a preliminary $3.7 million shortfall, however at this point in the budget season this is typical. He stated that some of the cost drivers were an 8% increase in health care, 7% increase in pension and the SEMRECC assessment fee has gone up $150,000. He stated that the Town has an overall 3.88% increase and the School has a 7.07% increase. He stated that there are Budget Subcommittee meetings scheduled for February and together with the departments they will be working to get to a balanced budget. Mr. Roche asked if the budget has a conservative number for state aid and Mr. LaCasse responded that he has used 2% over last year's amount. Ms. Doherty thanked everyone who worked during the storm and cleanup afterwards. Ms. Doherty asked if Mansfield Green was going to have additional hours for brush clean up and then asked about SEMRECC and having them at a future meeting to discuss the assessment so she can understand it. Mr. Dumas stated he would work with the Chair to schedule that but noted the increase in the assessment is because they are coming off a grant. Mr. Rhein had no questions. Mr. Trowbridge thanked Mr. LaCasse for his work and the unique set of skills. Ms. Bren had no questions and apologized for missing the last meeting. Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 4. Resident Questions and Comments Mr. Robert Martin of 18 Barbara Road came forward and stated that he was a retired Sargent from the Mansfield Police Department. He proceeded to read a document which he then asked for it to be part of the record of the meeting. Mr, Martin had concerns about the lack of due process for the Police Chief and alleged tampering of the sergeant's exam. Ms. Mary Ellen DeFrias of 10 Oak Street in Taunton came forward and stated she was the Administrator at GATRA. She stated that she wanted to come forward to speak because she heard that the Town Managers contract was up for renewal. She stated that she has worked with Mr. Dumas over the past twelve years and stated that he has a high level of dedication to Mansfield and has a high level of professionalism. She stated that he is consistently working for the betterment of this community and it is apparent at all the meetings he attends. He was at the cusp of understanding and embracing how important transit -oriented development is. He has done a great service for the Town by being a great advocate at both the State and Federal levels. She felt it was important to hear from someone outside of the Town. Mr. George Pantos who owns a restaurant located at 141 North Main Street came forward and stated that Mr. Dumas is the best Town Manager that the Town has had. He stated all you have to do is drive around and look around. The Downtown, the Commons, Fulton Pond project, and bike path. He stated that Mr. Dumas is 100% for the Town of Mansfield and there is no one better. He said that no one is perfect and that you should talk about it and not put it on social media. In 50 years, the Town has not been better and he felt strongly enough to come here tonight to speak. Ms. Marcia Szymanski of 29 Pleasant Street came forward and stated that she is very concerned about the budget shortfall and how much the whole issue with Chief Sellon has cost the Town. She stated that in her circle there is a lot of concern about the lack of transparency and not talking about correspondence. She stated that we all pay taxes and there is a lot of issues. Ms. Nicole Burch of 57 Fairfield Park came forward and stated that she had three concerns, one of them was the DEI Committee. She said it feels like an empty promise. It was only voted to be for one year and then it took six months to appoint members and five months for them to have a meeting. She stated that her second concern was about Chief situation and no transparency and procedures were not followed for those involved. She also stated that the pop program fell apart and people were harmed in the two years when it was not upheld. Lastly, she stated that people have requested meetings with Mr. Dumas and they have not happened. Mr. William Keegan of 791 Pine Street in Seekonk, MA came forward and stated that he was the former Town Manager in Foxboro and is now retired. He stated that he has worked closely with Mr. Dumas and have accomplished a lot together on regional items. He stated that some of the concerns people have noted tonight are things that can not be discussed publicly and in the day to day there are so many competing issues and it is not that one thing is less than important than another it is the volume of items. As a consultant he knows that many communities have the same struggle with what to deal with first. He stated that it is difficult to find employees who are competent and professional in local government and Mr. Dumas has all of those qualities and he wanted to be here tonight to put all of this on record, Mr. Olivier Kozlowski of 22 Tracy Circle came forward and stated that the Board of Health decided to add a ban on cigar bars in Town and does not believe a Board should be able to ban a type of business. He stated that the Select Board previously told him to come to the Board with complaints on Boards or Committees instead of the citizen petition he was trying to pass for a recall of appointed Board and Committee members and he was here tonight to urge the Board to do something before they take a vote. His second item was public correspondence at meetings and is unsure what has changed and hopes there is a good reason for it. He then stated that he questioned the testimony of the GATRA woman because Mr. Dumas was instrumental in removing her predecessor. He then commented that he and many others sent letters urging the Board to Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 proceed with caution in reappointing Mr. Dumas mainly because of how the Police Chief situation was handled. Mr. Rhein thanked everyone for their engagement tonight and noted that it would be nice to have this attendance on a regular basis. He stated that there has been a lot about transparency on social media. He stated that he has been here the same amount of time as Mr. Dumas and he wanted to focus on some of the positives. The Town has a good financial standing, negotiated COVID, became a green community, built the Plymouth Street playground, and miles ahead of other communities on PFAS remediation. He stated that there are many ways the Town communicates including a newsletter and website and ways for everyone to engage in government. He continued on with noting the complicated sale of the fire station, a tax title auction to raise funds, implementation of a new software system and tonight we will get an update of the Master Plan. He stated that these are huge accomplishments and should be recognized. Mr. Rhein stated that in one of the correspondence letters received by the Board it was stated that there is a hostile work environment at Town Hall so he called the Human Resources department and they do not have any complaints. There has not been a lot of turnover and two of the people that directly work for him have been here over six years. He stated these are reasons why he will be supporting his tenor here. As for the Police Chief situation there were complaints of a hostile work environment that were not documented and not addressed. When complaints were brought to Mr. Dumas he did his job and investigated them. He stated that these are not discussed in public and were long and drawn out and it was a terrible situation for all involved and now that is over he wants to move forward. Mr. Rhein then read the statement that was issued by the Police Chief and finds it ironic that some people are concerned about a hostile work environment at Town Hall, but were not concerned about a hostile work environment at the police department. S. Master Plan Status Update with Sarah Raposa, Director of Planning and Zoning and Joseph Cerretani, Chair of Planning Board Ms. Bren invited Ms. Sarah Raposa, Director of Planning and Zoning and Mr. Joseph Cerretani, Chair of Planning Board to come forward. Ms. Raposa began by stating that she saw many comments by Select Board members in the Master Plan. They then provided some history on the plan and spoke about six vision plans and provided the highlights or strategies for each of those vision plans. In conclusion it was noted that of the eighty-seven strategies, there are eight completed, fifty-seven in process and twenty-two not started. The Select Board members had a few comments and thanked Ms. Raposa for her work. 6. Discussion of Zoning Board of Appeals Member Terms as Stated in the Charter and the Town By-laws Mr. Dumas began by stating that a problem was discovered and brought to the Town Managers office. The issue was researched and confirmed that the Town Charter conflicts with the Town By-laws for the terms for the Zoning Board of Appeals members. The terms are supposed to end in April and not in December. The second issue is that the Associate members are supposed to be appointed for two years in length and not three years. The proposed remedy is to have the two members whose terms were to expire on December 31, 2023 extended to April 30, 2027 and then proceed to adjust these over the next few years as the terms expire. He then stated there would be a warrant article at Town Meeting to strike the words "two-year terms" from the Zoning By-laws so that all the terms will be three years as written in the Town Charter. 7. Discussion and Consideration to Reappoint Darlene Pruitt to the Zoning Board of Appeals to a term to expire on April 30, 2027 Motion: To reappoint Darlene Pruitt to the Zoning Board of Appeals to a term to expire on April 30, 2027. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 8. Discussion and Consideration to Appoint Katherine Pope to the Board of Library Trustees Mr. Roche stated that they met last Wednesday and the Library Director and Chair of the Board of Library Trustees joined the interviews. He stated that Ms, Pope had a lot of passion about reading and libraries. He Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 commented that she would be a great appointment to the Library Board of Trustees. Ms. Doherty agreed that she had a lot of energy and was interesting. Motion: To appoint Katherine Pope to the Board of Library Trustees to a term to begin on January 1, 2024 and expire on December 31, 2026. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 9. Consideration to Reappoint Sally Fehavari to serve on the Open Space and Recreation Committee Motion: To reappoint Sally Fehavari to serve on the Open Space and Recreation Committee to expire on December 31, 2024. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 10. Discussion and Consideration to Appoint Maureen Doherty to the Mansfield Foxboro Norton Wastewater District Commission Motion: To appoint Maureen Doherty to serve on the Mansfield Foxboro Norton Wastewater District Commission to expire on June 30, 2025. (Roche/Bren) Passes 5:0 11. Discussion and Consideration of Fiscal Year 2024 Goals and Objectives Motion: To approve the 2024 Goals and Objectives. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 12. Select Board Member Committee and Liaison Updates Mr. Trowbridge stated MFN in good shape budget wise and will have final numbers shortly Mr. Roche had no update. Ms. Doherty stated she attended the Board of Library Trustees meeting and she stated that she has not been to the library in a long time however there is a lot of adult programming and they are a big part of the community. She then stated that she went to the Light Department breakfast, but many were gone to continue cleaning up from the storm. She thanked Mansfield Deli and Maguires and she said that she looks forward to serving on the MFN Wastewater Commission. Mr. Rhein stated that Community Service Awards met and awards will be presented at the January 171h meeting. Ms. Bren thanked everyone who helped and those who helped with notifications. 13. Resident Questions and Comments Mr. Robert Martin of 18 Barbara Road came forward and stated that he hoped he had not offended anyone and stated that he expected an answer on his two questions, especially the sergeant's exam and that he can not see the transparency here. Mr. Marc Corsillo of 1604 West Street came forward and stated that he wanted to share some comments about what he had heard earlier in the meeting and what was on Facebook. He stated that he has been to more Select Board meetings compared to those here in the room and even some members of the Board. He stated that people cannot complain about transparency because all meetings are open to the public but people do not come to the meetings to ask questions. It is not a lack of transparency and it is clear that it is just in regards to the now resolved Police Chief situation. He stated that the Town Managers office has always been available to answer any questions to the extent that they can even before he decided to run for Select Board. Mr. Corsillo then stated that the contract renewal comments on Facebook refer to changing the bylaw for the Town Manager and that was because the Board could not find a qualified candidate who lived in Town. He stated that Foxborough is still trying to find a Town Manager and it is not the time for Mansfield to look for an accomplished and experienced Town Manager with an unknown entity. He stated that he hopes the Board votes to renew his contract. Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 Mr. Scott Weiner of 22 Fieldstone Drive and came forward and thanked everyone for being responsive to his letters. He stated that his concerns were about the rising hate crime. He stated that he has kids in college and it is scary. He stated that he wanted the Board to talk about this issue prior to their being a tragedy in the community. He stated that he appreciates some of the guidance provided but wanted to see the leadership here from the Board. He also stated he has questions about the correspondence issue and hopes there will be some more answers later tonight on that item. He stated that when people are using the word transparency it means that something is wrong and there needs to be conservations. He stated that a newsletter is not transparency and there is a disconnect between transparency and what is being provided. 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 Hall Departments and any conditions have been noted below. A. Vote to Approve Meeting Minutes: • December 6, 2023 B. Vote to Approve Warrants: • Town Vendor Warrant No. 24023T in the amount of $2,926,678.56 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 24023E in the amount of $1,592,937.21 • Town Vendor Warrant No. 24024T in the amount of $496,989.41 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 24024E in the amount of $329,808.91 • School Vendor Warrant No. 24024S in the amount of $1,256,250.56 • Town Vendor Warrant No. 24024T in the amount of $173,299.47 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 24024E in the amount of $57,665.85 • School Vendor Warrant No. 24024S in the amount of $114,788.00 C. Consideration of Permits and Licenses: • Discussion and Consideration of Water Installer License for Guild Construction Co. • Consideration to sign the ABCC Liquor License Renewal Form D. Consideration of Certificates and Proclamations: • Certificate for Retirees • Certificates for Community Service Award Recipients Motion: To approve the consent agenda. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 15. Consideration of 2024 License Renewals All licenses have been or will be routed through Town Hall Departments and any conditions will be satisfied prior to the business receiving their licenses. • 2024 Common Victualler, All -Alcohol On -premise and Entertainment License for Bar Pizza located at 280 School Street • 2024 Common Victualler, All -Alcohol On -premise and Entertainment License for Tang Sz Corp dba Cheng Du Restaurant located at 249 North Main Street • 2024 Lodging House License for Jack Foster located at 121-123 North Main Street • 2024 Lodging House License for Park Pond Homes, LLC located at 15-17 Fulton Place • 2024 Common Victualler License for D'Angelo's located at 260 Chauncy Street • 2024 Common Victualler License for Great Woods Pizza located at 428 Elm Street Motion: To approve the 2024 license renewals as listed in the agenda. (Roche/Rhein) Passes 5:0 16. Consideration and Approval of Town Payroll Warrants: • Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 24023PT in the amount of $888,708.17 Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 Motion: To approve Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 24023PT in the amount of $888,708.17. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 • Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 24023TV in the amount of $284,081.91 Motion: To approve Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 24023TV in the amount of $284,081.91. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 • School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 24023PS in the amount of $2,273,406.97 Motion: To approve School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 24023PS in the amount of $2,273,406.97. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 3:0:2 (Trowbridge and Doherty abstained) • School Deductions Vendor Payroll 24023SV in the amount of $732,137.75 Motion: To approve School Deductions Vendor Payroll 24023SV in the amount of $732,137.75. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 17. Select Board Member's Comments and Questions Mr. Roche thanked everyone who worked the storm from public safety, Mansfield Electric and DPW. He then wished everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. Ms, Doherty stated that in regards to Mr. Corsillo there are a lot of people who watch meetings on cable. She stated that as a liaison to the COA they are the largest voters block. Ms. Doherty stated that she watches a lot of meetings and reads minutes from meetings. She then stated that she would get contact information to Mr. Weiner of her former colleagues from the Town of Sharon because they have a nice community group that could offer some guidance. She then wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Mr. Rhein thanked Mr. Weiner for his comments on transparency and that he made some good points. Mr. Rhein then stated that maybe we need to dive deeper into the difference between transparency and communication. He stated for certain items there are limits to transparency especially when they are a Human Resources and personnel issue. He stated that as a Board we look back and see how we can improve. He stated that a few years ago the Board looked at the structure of the meeting agenda and moved the Town Manager's report to the first item so that people do not have to sit through the entire meeting. He then said that there are two opportunities for residents to ask questions at the beginning and then towards the end. He wished everyone a Happy Holiday and Happy New Year. Mr. Trowbridge stated that Happy Holidays and wished everyone well. He then noted that he thinks it is a perceived transparency issue and everything cannot be said publicly because it puts the Town at risk and could be sued. He then commented that no matter what Town you are in, it is the same comments everywhere. Ms. Bren then wished everyone Happy Holidays however you celebrate and said to enjoy your time and have Happy New Year. 18. Any items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting There were no items. 19. Discussion and Consideration of Select Board Correspondence & proposed amendments to Select Board Operating Procedures & Select Board Policy Agenda Template dated January 6, 2021 Ms. Bren then invited Mr. Paul DeRensis, Town Counsel to come forward. He stated that in August of 2023 he was asked to look at the Board of Selectmen Operating Procedures to see if they needed to be updated. They are from 1999 and are almost 25 years old and in reading the document it conflicts with state laws and causes a liability for the Town and therefore he asked for these items to be suspended. He stated that it does not have anything to do with reappointments or politics it has to do with liability of the Town and keeping the Town out of trouble. He stated that he has a set of proposed revisions and that everyone will see how the correspondence fits in to the whole picture. Mr. DeRensis continued stating examples of what needed revising in the document including, start and end times of meetings, hybrid meetings and the votes taken by Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 remote meeting. He stated there are gender issues, noting that the procedures states that the Chair is supposed to be a he. It states that every document is available for public inspection and that is not consistent with public records or attorney client privilege. The document is also not consistent with public records law or the open meeting law. Mr. DeRensis then discussed public correspondence which is received by the Board and is a public record and under the public records law and then there all kinds of exemptions within the law. The Board has been reading correspondence and it is not consistent with state law and that is why he asked for these items to be suspended. Mr. Trowbridge stated that the purpose of correspondence is to get a message to the Board. He stated that he checked with several surrounding communities and they do not put correspondence in the packet. He stated that it could be a problem if someone writes a letter and puts someone else's name on it because it is not verified. He also said you cannot pick and choose which one you choose to read and which ones you do not read and said the Board either reads them all or reads none. He stated that there are a lot of revisions that need to be done and recommend having a meeting just on these policies. Mr. DeRensis stated that the Board cannot discriminate between different viewpoints. Mr. Rhein thanked Mr. DeRensis for helping explain this issue. He stated that he did a little research and the Town of Reading has a well written policy on communication and correspondence. He stated that it is good to look at this and come up with something that protects the Town from law suits. He stated that he is glad that this is being done for valid reasons and not just a plot or ploy to reduce transparency. Ms. Doherty said the timing was suspect and took her by surprise and was less than 48 hours in advance and there was no opportunity for discussion. She stated that in her onboarding when she received the procedures dated 1999 she was shocked that they were not updated. She stated that despite the document being outdated the Board is following the current laws, Ms. Doherty thanked Mr. DeRensis for not asking for a vote on this tonight because that is the Board decision not Town Counsels. She then stated that Ms. Bren told the Board to ask Town Counsel about correspondence if they had additional questions and she said she got a bizarre response. She then read the email she received from Mr. DeRensis which stated that public reading aloud of correspondence is historically done when a member has difficulty reading and today there are many other alternatives and at this time there is not a disclosed accommodation needed by any of the current Board member, She stated that this made her feel targeted and found it to be offensive. She said she was disappointed that Mr. DeRensis had not mentioned that he was revising the procedures document and that this caused a lot of unnecessary chaos in the community. She stated that when an email is sent to selectboard@mansfieldma.com it goes to the Chair and Vice -Chair and not to the entire Board. Ms. Bren clarified that the emails go to Ms. Champagne and are forwarded then to the Chair. She stated the public now thinks it is a plot for those that can't attend a meeting to have their letters read. She stated that her honesty and integrity has been questioned and challenged and she believed he needed to apologize for a lack of response. Mr. DeRensis apologized for upsetting her and he stated that he was trying to find out if this was the reason correspondence was being read out loud. Ms. Doherty stated that now if someone wanted to commend someone the information couldn't be heard at meetings. Mr. DeRensis stated that anyone can come to the podium at a meeting and read or state whatever they want, he also stated that a Board member could ask for it to be an agenda item at a meeting. Ms. Bren apologized and she did not have ill intent and could have asked more questions but she was trying to rectify the situation. Mr. Roche said he agreed it should be a separate workshop for this item and he is looking forward to reviewing what the Town of Reading has for a policy. He then stated that he also followed up with Mr. DeRensis and he got the same response as Ms. Doherty and said it would have been enough to hear that you were reviewing the operating procedures and that is what could have been shared with the community. He stated that this was a policy of the Select Board but this was a change of policy not made by the Select Board and that is what he had an issue with. Mr. Roche stated that In talking about correspondence he reads just a summary of who wrote it and what the topic is. Mr. Roche had one final question do you believe removing Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 correspondence will not change based on the judicial ruling by the supreme court on public comment. Mr. DeRensis responded that it is not related because anyone can show up and they can read their letter. This Board should not be publishing opinions that are coming from outside the Town government. Motion: To suspend the Select Board operating procedures until further notice. (Trowbridge/Roche) Motion Amended To suspend the Select Board operating procedures until further notice and the Select Board will continue to follow State law. (Trowbridge/Roche) Passes 5:0 The Board took a recess at 8:19PM and returned at 8:30PM. 20. Discussion and Consideration to Reappoint Kevin Dumas, Town Manager to a three-year term as Town Manager Ms. Diana Bren stated that Town Counsel is present to represent the Board. Mr. Dumas was required to submit a letter requesting that he would like to stay and negotiate another contract. Mr, Dumas submitted his intent to do this on December 15th. She stated this is a requirement of his current contract. Motion: To reappoint Kevin Dumas to a three-year term as the Town Manager subject to the negotiation of a successor agreement. (Roche/Trowbridge) Mr. Trowbridge commented that he has tried to make decisions in the best interest of the Town. He stated that there are 24,000 residents and the Board only received a small handful of letters from residents that said they did not want Mr. Dumas reappointed. He added that no matter what is decided this small group of people do not like the decision. He stated he has worked with the last six to seven Town Managers and Mr. Dumas is not perfect, but he works hard and he does not think we can do better. Mr. Rhein stated that he made his position clear earlier and that his job isn't a popularity contest and in a senior position there are always going to be people who do not like him. He stated that in the big picture the Town is first class. Ms. Doherty stated that she would like to thank all the people who made comments through social media, emails, phone calls and in person. She stated that the comments were thoughtful and informative. She stated that when he was first hired he brought a level of vibrance and energy. She stated the Town was at a high point and had just finished public safety complex and the permitting guide which she had worked with him on because she was on the Industrial Development Commission. She stated that at that time he was a forward thinker, engaged in the community and had high expectations for those that worked for him. She stated that this all changed with the Provincetown incident. She stated that communications are hidden behind the attorney client privilege and led to secrecy. She stated he is an asset manager, and Mansfield has great curb appeal. She stated that she thinks it has been challenging for him to go from a Mayor to a Town Manager. She stated that Mansfield does not embrace diversity like the Town of Sharon where she previously worked. She stated that Mansfield operates under the shadow and secrets, the website is hard to navigate, 5:30PM meetings are hard for many people and majority of the Town union contracts are not settled. She stated that she has a financial responsibility to the Town as a Select Board member and the financial impact of the Chief situation. The Towns reputation has been tarnished and it is not personal but it is in the best interest of the Town not to renew his contract. Mr. Roche read a letter and started by thanking members of the community for their feedback. He stated that Mr. Dumas was hired for tremendous years of government experience. He stated that the Town managers municipal experience helped the Town get grants and helps continue to move the Town forward. He stated that there have also been things that have come up over his tenure that he cannot overlook. He stated that he prevented the Select Board from doing their duty. He stated that a sudden change to the correspondence policy without input from the Select Board and the Board was not provided information of the migrant Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023 families in Mansfield or summaries from the Task Force meetings. He said the delay in the work of the DEI Committee and a delay in the discussion of Select Board policies. He stated we heard this earlier tonight but the Board was not updated on the progress being done or follow up. He stated that he felt these showed a pattern but he would be voting no on renewing the Town Managers contract. Ms. Bren commented that each of the Board members have their own views and ideas or ways to think about things. Ms. Bren stated that everyone can improve and she has seen a lot of good in the last six years. She stated there are so many grants being received and the Town has strong financial stability. She stated that the PFAS work that has been done are far ahead of other communities. The work in Economic Development have been great and the transparency of the budget have improved. Mr. Dumas has a consistent review rating and there are areas for improvement, I do not believe it is enough to not work together as a team to move Mansfield forward. Ms. Bren then asked for a vote. Passes 3-2 21. Enter into Executive Session and Not Return to Open Session under Exemption No. 2, M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 21: • To discuss strategy sessions in preparation for contract negotiations with the Town Manager • Approve Executive Session Meeting Minutes of November 15, 2023 Motion: To enter Executive Session and Not Return to Open Session under Exemption No. 2, M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 21 to discuss strategy sessions in preparation for contract negotiations with the Town Manager and to approve Executive Session Meeting Minutes of November 15, 2023. (Roche/Doherty) Roll Call Vote: Doherty — Yes Rhien—Yes Roche —Yes ��(� Bren —Yes Signature Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne Documents used in meeting: 1. Master Plan Update Presentation Trowbridge — Yes 113 Date 2. Memo from Carrie Champagne about Zoning Board of Appeals Member Terms 3. Board/Committee Application for Katherine Pope and Sally Fehervari 4. December 6, 2023 Meeting Minutes 5. Water Installer Application for Guild Construction Co. 6. ABCC Liquor License Renewal Form 7. 2024 Common Victualler, All -Alcohol On -premise and Entertainment License for Bar Pizza located at 280 School Street 8. 2024 Common Victualler, All -Alcohol On -premise and Entertainment Applications for Tang Sz Corp dba Cheng Du Restaurant located at 249 North Main Street 9. 2024 Lodging House Application for Jack Foster located at 121-123 North Main Street 10. 2024 Lodging House Application for Park Pond Homes, LLC located at 15-17 Fulton Place 11. 2024 Common Victualler Application for D'Angelo's located at 260 Chauncy Street 12. 2024 Common Victualler Application for Great Woods Pizza located at 428 Elm Street 13. Select Board Policy Agenda 14. Email from Town Manager Kevin Dumas to seek Reappointment Select Board Meeting Minutes December 20, 2023