Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSelect Board 03/06/2024YI �tA Select Board Meeting Minutes March 6, 2024 Present: Ms. Diana L. Bren, Chair; Mr. Neil Rhein, Vice -Chair; Mr. Brendan Roche, Clerk; Mr. Michael A. Trowbridge Sr. and Ms. Maureen R. Doherty were present in Meeting Room 3 A/B at Town Hall. Mr. Kevin Dumas, Town Manager and Mr. Matt Violette, Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director were also present. 1. Call To Order Select Board Meeting -Pledge of Allegiance Ms. Bren, Chair called the meeting to order at 5:33PM, She then asked those present to stand and state the pledge of allegiance. She then reminded everyone that the meeting was being broadcast live and taped for future broadcast on Mansfield Cable. 2. Presentation of Donation from the Mansfield Elks to Our Daily Bread Food Pantry Members of the Mansfield Elks were present and Mr. Shaun Debold came forward and stated that the Elks have had the long-standing tradition of supporting the community and were donating two thousand dollars to the Food Pantry. Mr. Dick Kelsay came forward as a representative from Our Daily Bread Food Pantry and stated that they really appreciate this donation. He noted that they are helping about 150- 160 families each week and encouraged the public to attend their stuff a truck event from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday at Shaw's. Ms. Bren thanked the Elk's for supporting the community. 3. Town Manager's Report ➢ Xfinity Center ➢ FY2025 Budget Update ➢ Miscellaneous Select Board Questions and Comments on Town Managers Report Mr. Dumas stated that the Xfinity Center will be meeting with public safety to discuss expectations for the upcoming concert season and noted that the license agreement is being moved to a Select Board meeting in April. He then went on to say that there was a tri-broad meeting on February 281h and all of the budget information is on the Town Website. Mr. Dumas then directed the Board to look at the table in front of him to see a printed version of the new street signs for the Cabot Park. He then commented that Representative Jay Barrows is not seeking re-election and he will be missed and noted that he has been a strong advocate to Mansfield. Lastly, Mr. Dumas stated that the Town and School Needs Assessment Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday, April 1, at 6pm in meeting room 2 A/B. Mr. Roche had no questions but commented that he appreciates Representative Barrows. Ms. Doherty stated that she is going to miss Representative Barrows. She also stated that she would like to lead by example and suggested reducing the, professional development budget for the Select Board and lead by example from the top down. Mr. Dumas stated that round two of reductions will be focused on categories and do everything across the Board, however there are some annual memberships that are required and they are within the professional development line item. Mr. Trowbridge stated that Representative Barrows has done a lot in town and one of the greatest accomplishments was regional sewer and it took a long time but serves all three communities of Mansfield, Foxboro and Norton. Mr. Rhein had no questions. Ms. Bren shared the same sentiments about Representative Barrows and stated that he is a big part of the community. Skipped to agenda #7 4. Public Comments Select Board Meeting Minutes March 6, 2024 Mr. Peter Wiggins of 157 Mansfield Ave came forward and stated that he walked by the new grocery that will be opening at Mansfield Crossing and he then stated that Representative Barrows is a great person and he will be missed by all three Towns. 5. Consideration to Appoint Nicholas Monticello as the Town Accountant Mr. Matt Violette introduced Mr. Nicholas Monticello as the candidate for the Town Accountant. He stated that the interview committee unanimously agreed to recommend Mr. Monticello and he thinks he will be a great fit to the team. He noted that he is the Town Accountant in the Town of Acushnet and also serves as the IT Coordinator and he knows the accounting system Munis. Ms. Bren stated that they were happy with his experience and it will be a seamless transition. Ms. Doherty stated that he gave a great interview and is happy to have him come onboard. Mr. Rhein had no questions. Mr. Trowbridge stated that he is comfortable appointing Mr. Monticello knowing that Mr. Violette is happy to have him join the team. He then asked how many applied and Ms. Bren said she thinks there were eight and of those two were interviewed. Mr. Roche thanked him for joining the team. Motion: To appoint Nicholas Monticello as the Town Accountant. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 Mr. Monticello thanked the Board for the opportunity and stated that he has been watching the Finance Committee and Select Board meetings. Skipped to agenda number 8 6. Discussion and Consideration to Revise the Ambulance Rates Chief Desrosiers was present and Mr. Violette began the discussion stating that the ambulance rates were F last adjusted in 2018 and it is one of the most expensive services that is provided to the public. The fee that is collected does not cover the cost. He stated that ambulances themselves used to be $300,000 and now are $500,000 or more and it has been six years since the rates were adjusted and are proposing an increase. Ms. Bren summarized the information further that is being proposed. Ms. Doherty asked for the Chief to explain the acronyms BLS, ALS1 and ALS2 and he responded that it refers to the level of treatment needed. ALS means that a paramedic was needed because there is more treatment and BLS is like your basic services like bandaging, no medication no IV's. ALS2 is a very high level of several treatments needed. Ms. Doherty stated that she was in favor of increasing the rates. She also stated that ambulances cost $500,000 with the shell and some equipment can be transferred, however the Town is only putting aside $100,000 in each year and every three years an ambulance is replaced. She stated that the amount put aside going forward should be increased to $185,000 so there is not a $200,000 gap and the funds do not have to be borrowed. Mr. Dumas stated that free cash is used and funds are not borrowed to pay for ambulances. Mr. Dumas further explained why he did not increase the amount and noted that the Chief had previously asked. Mr. Trowbridge stated that these rates should be looked at every year to ensure that money is not left on the table. Mr. Rhein asked some billing questions and stated that in general he does not like to raise the rates because it is a vicious cycle and the insurance companies just keep raising their rates. Motion: To approve the revised ambulance rates effective March 7, 2024. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 7. Discussion and Consideration Opting Out of Vote -By -Mail for the May local Election Ms. Marianne Staples, Town Clerk was present along with two members of the Board of Registrar of Voters that she introduced, Ms. Lisa Dye and Mr. Mark Corsillo. She stated that they were here seeking the Boards support to opt out of the vote -by -mail option for the May local election. She stated that vote -by -mail is required for State elections but optional for local elections. The main reason for this request is that there is no contested ballot for the local election and many people do not return the ballots so it is a waste of postage and expense of getting the ballots prepared to mail. She stated that absentee ballots will still be available upon request and the Board of Registrar of Voters is in support of opting out for the local election. Select Board Meeting Minutes March 6, 2024 Mr. Corsillo came forward and stated that by not having the vote by mail option through the post cards it would reduce the confusion because the State only sends them out every four years. Motion: To opt out of the vote -by -mail for the May local election. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 8. Consideration to Approve and Sign the 2024 Town Election Warrant Motion: To approve and sign the 2024 Town Election Warrant. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 9. Vote to Direct Planning Board to Conduct Public Hearings for Zoning Articles of the Annual Town Meeting Warrant Ms. Doherty asked what the articles were about and Mr. Dumas summarized the zoning articles. Motion: To approve the referral of zoning articles numbers 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Town Meeting Warrant to the Planning Board with a copy of this vote to be transmitted to the Town Clerk. (Roche/Doherty) i Motion Amended: To approve the referral of zoning articles numbers 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Town Meeting Warrant to the Planning Board with a copy of this vote to be transmitted to the Town Clerk. (Roche/Bren) Passes 5:0 10. Consideration to Call for Town Meeting on May 22, 2024 per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 39 Section 9 Motion: To call for the Town Meeting on May 22, 2024 per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 39 Section 9. E (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 11. Discussion and Consideration to Place the Vendor Warrant on the Towns Website Motion: To place the warrant on the Town's website. (Roche/Doherty) Mr. Trowbridge asked how this came about and he had questions. Ms. Doherty responded that she would explain however Mr. Dumas asked if Mr. Violette could speak as it started prior to Ms. Doherty asking. Mr. Violette stated that Ms. Doherty brought it to his attention that the vendor warrant used to be on the Town's website and it was unclear how or why that stopped. He stated that this is fairly simple to put it up on the Town's website but there is some private information that would need to be redacted. He noted that the School and Electric Department also have vendor warrants that should be placed on the website as well. Mr. Trowbridge asked how often they would need to be posted and how long it is estimated that it would take. Mr. Violette responded that it would be weekly and approximately fifteen minutes. Ms. Bren asked if there was going to be a sign off to make sure that the redaction was done. She added that it is important to be transparent, however she was concerned with the risk of doing this. Mr. Violette responded that there is risk because the work is being done by people and there is a chance for a mistake to happen. There was no more discussion and a vote was taken. Passes 5:0 12. Discussion and Consideration of Flag Policy Ms. Bren stated that this was the recommendation from Town Council. Mr. Dumas stated that he would like to table the discussion until Town Counsel can be present. He stated that this draft follows the outline of the City of Boston. This is the Towns property and not the voice of the public or individuals. Mr. Trowbridge stated that he did not want to put this item off any longer. Mr. Dumas then read the draft policy. Mr. Rhein stated that this seems fine and originally it said the Town Manager could approve, but it should be the Select Board that approves it and limits the Town to four flags unless there is some special reason to do something else. Mr. Dumas stated that in item "e" and "f" that other flags may be flown if the Select Board approves it. It is not like the banner applications that the Board currently approves. Mr. Roche stated that he was comfortable with this proposal and supportive of it. Ms. Doherty said that she was not opposed to this but has a question about letter "e" in the policy. She wanted to know the Board's plan for how this is going to Select Board Meeting Minutes March 6, 2024 work. She asked if someone talks to a member of the Board about a flag they want put up then the Board member asks for it to be an agenda item. Mr. Dumas responded yes. Ms. Doherty stated that she wants to be inclusive of everyone and does not see a clear path forward. Mr. Trowbridge understands that it could be a resident coming to ask a single Select Board member for a request and then reach out to the Chair to talk about an agenda item for the Select Board meeting. Mr. Dumas responded that it is not an application. Ms. Doherty believed every request would need to go on the agenda for discussion not that a Board member could pick and choose which items to bring forward. Mr. Trowbridge suggested adding the words "if approval sought by Select Board member and" to the first sentence of item "e" and no one opposed that edit. Motion: To approve the flag policy as amended. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 13. Select Board Member Committee and Liaison Updates f Mr. Trowbridge stated that the full Board was at the Tri-Board Budget Subcommittee meeting. Mr. Rhein had no update. Mr. Roche stated that he attended the Planning Board workshop after the Tri-Board meeting. He stated that there is a video link to the presentation and there are two surveys available for residents to i complete. Ms. Doherty stated that she went to the library and attended a one-man band that was very engaging. She then stated that there is a Tri-Ad meeting at the COA and residents need to register to attend. She then stated that she did a presentation for MMA with the Town of Foxborough on purchasing. Ms. Bren thanked everyone who helped with elections and that Park and Rec signups and summer camp applications f are now available. 14. Public Comments There were no public comments. 15. 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: • February 7, 2024 B. Vote to Approve Warrants: • Town Vendor Warrant No. 24035T in the amount of $440,313.03 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 24035E in the amount of $39,895.26 • Town Vendor Warrant No. 24036T in the amount of $1,448,512.06 • Electric Vendor Warrant No. 24036E in the amount of $1,797,761.80 • School Vendor Warrant No. 240365 in the amount of $720,639.97 C. Consideration of Permits and Licenses: • Consideration of Event Application for Wedding Ceremony at Fulton Pond • Consideration of Banner Application for Al Noor Academy • Consideration of Banner Application for Mansfield Youth Football and Cheer • Consideration of Banner Application for Keep Mansfield Beautiful • Consideration of Banner Request for the Friends of the Mansfield Council on Aging • Consideration of Drainlayer's License for Jones Contracting, Inc. • Consideration of Drainlayer's License for Alltech Building System, Inc. D. Consideration of Certificates and Proclamations: Motion: To approve the consent agenda. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 16. Consideration and Approval of Town Payroll Warrants: • Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 24035T in the amount of $888,666.33 Motion: To approve Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 24035T in the amount of $888,666.33. Select Board Meeting Minutes March 6, 2024 (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 • Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 24035TV in the amount of $294,653.51 Motion: To approve Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 24035TV in the amount of $294,653.51. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 • School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 24035PS in the amount of $1,848,058.26 Motion: To approve School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 24035PS in the amount of $1,848,058.26. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 3:0:2 (Trowbridge and Doherty Abstained) • School Deductions Vendor Payroll 24035SV in the amount of $588,551.82 Motion: To approve School Deductions Vendor Payroll 24035SV in the amount of $588,551,82. (Roche/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0 17. Correspondence • Letters from Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission • Letter from Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District • Letter from the Department of Conservation and Recreation • Notifications from Verizon • Letter from Xfinity Mr. Roche read the list of correspondence items. 18. Select Board Member's Comments and Questions Mr. Rhein had no questions or comments. Mr. Roche stated that February 29th was rare disease day and March is Amyloidosis Awareness month. Ms. Doherty thanked everyone for elections yesterday. She stated that she arrived at 8:03AM at Town Hall and the line was out to the sidewalk for Park and Rec registrations. Ms. Doherty then noted that DPW is working very hard and there seems to be a lot of water main breaks. Ms. Doherty also noted that it is Social Services week and then asked if there was a social worker in Town Hall and Mr. Dumas stated that there is not and that they are all located at the COA. Mr. Trowbridge stated that the Town Clerk makes a tweak every year to elections to make it better. He then stated that he attended the Community Serving ribbon cutting ceremony and stated that there are volunteer opportunities and it is a beautiful setup. Mr. Trowbridge then asked about the email the Mass Development for Boston Med Flight 19. Any items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting There were no items. 20. Adjourn Motion: To adjourn the March 6, 2024 Select Board meeting at 7:25PM. (Roche/Doherty) Passes 5:0 �13) `� Signature Date Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne Documents used in meeting: 1. Resume of Nicholas Monticello —Town Accountant Appointment 2. Ambulance Rate Data 3. Email from Town Clerk seeking the Select Board to vote to opt out of the vote -by -mail for the May local election. 4. 2024 Town Election Warrant 5. Draft Flag Policy Select Board Meeting Minutes March 6, 2024 6. Event Application for Wedding Ceremony at Fulton Pond 7. Banner Applications from Al Noor Academy, Mansfield Youth Football and Cheer, Keep Mansfield Beautiful, Friends of the Mansfield Council on Aging 8. Drainlayer's License Application for Jones Contracting, Inc., Alltech Building System, Inc. 9. Letters from Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission 10. Letter from Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District 11. Letter from the Department of Conservation and Recreation 12. Notifications from Verizon 13. Letter from Xfinity Select Board Meeting Minutes March 6, 2024