HomeMy WebLinkAboutSelect Board 09/18/2024Select Board Meeting Minutes LXA
September 18, 2024
Present: Ms. Maureen R. Doherty, Chair; Mr. Brendan Roche, Vice -Chair; Mr. Walter Wilk, Clerk; MNipian�Ir.�
Bren and Mr. Michael A. Trowbridge Sr. were present in Meeting Room 3 A/B at Town Hall. )VIY';;fylatb`Vfolett.6D r
Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director were also present. c i CE
1. Call To Order Select Board Meeting -Pledge of Allegiance
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Ms. Doherty, Chair called the meeting to order at 6:03PM. She then reminded everyone that the meeting was
being broadcast live and taped for future broadcast on Mansfield Cable. She then asked everyone present to
stand and recite the pledge of allegiance.
2. Recognition of Robert Barry
Ms. Doherty invited Mr. Robert Barry to come forward. She stated that he has been a member of the
Municipal Building Committee for seventeen years. She invited members of the Board to share any comments.
The members of the Board noted his years of service and thanked him for his contributions to the Town of
Mansfield. Vice Chair, Mr. Roche read a proclamation for Mr. Barry. Mr. Barry was very appreciative and
thanked them for the recognition.
3. Public Comments
Mr. Doug Annino, Chair of the Municipal Building Committee came forward and wanted to recognize Mr.
Barry for his contributions and countless hours he spent on the committee and on the job site. He knows that
his presence made a big difference for the Town.
4. Continued Discussion and Consideration of Whether or Not the Town Should Hire a Consultant to
Conduct an HR Audit to Review and Establish Policies and Procedures to Deal with any Deficiencies that are
Revealed. As per the Charter the consultant will report directly to the Board.
Ms. Doherty opened the agenda item for discussion and began with Mr. Wilk. Mr. Wilk stated there are a
number of policies that have not been updated. He stated that the HR Director did a great job and these
policies should be reviewed by a second party to ensure that everything is up to date and make sure that
nothing is missing. He stated that HR is one of our biggest exposures.
Mr. Roche stated that he is thankful for the information that was provided by Ms. Jocelyn LeMaire
however it still highlights a few concerning things that are missing from our HR Department and radar. He
added that it is always helpful to bring in an outside consultant to ensure that we are not missing
something that we don't know because that is what's most dangerous.
Ms. Bren stated that there are few dates out there. There are dates created, dates revised and some
others have been revised since those dates, She stated that review of policies is good and an evaluation of
self and be sure to button up everything that is not seen or aware of. She also added that if the Board is
going to use a third party the Board needs to make sure there is a budget to do this and know how much
time this is going to take. She said that for the FMLA policy do we follow the State or is it our own policy.
Mr. Trowbridge stated that and labor counsel did review the information and did not see anything glaring.
He stated that there could be a Request for Proposal (RFP) to see how much money this would cost. Ms.
Doherty stated that the Board could set a budget of less than $10,000 and further noted it would be a
Request for Quotes (RFQ) because it is under $50,000. Mr. Wilk asked who would write the RFQand Ms.
Doherty responded that Mr. Mike Ahern does a lot of them and there are templates out there. Mr. Wilk
wanted to be sure the request would have everything and not miss something. Ms. Doherty responded
that she went to the Massachusetts Municipal Associations (MMA) website and the MMA HR is under lock
and key and she could not access it. She stated she did find a couple slides that were there and that legally
Select Board Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2024
required employee policies that include anti -harassment and discrimination and retaliation, FMLA policy,
parental leave, ADA policy, CORI policy, drug free workplace, domestic violence free policy, military leave,
pay equity, pregnant workers fairness act and FLSA. Ms. Doherty stated that it is a good idea and is a place
of risk and is in favor of doing this.
Motion: To put a Request for Quote for an HR Policy review. (Trowbridge/Roche) Passes 5:0
Ms. Nancy Griffin asked to skip an item as one person had not yet arrived for agenda item #5 and the Chair
agreed.
5. Presentation of Checks from BayCoast Bank and reLeaf Alternative to the 250th Celebration Committee
Ms. Nancy Griffin was present and invited BayCoast Bank to comg forward. Mr. John Gonet, Business
Development Officer in the Foxboro branch came forward and stated that that as a community bank they are
involved in giving back to the community they serve. Mr. Gonet then invited Rob Bergdoli Senior VP of
Marketing and Ms. Connie Dagwan, Regional Branch Manager and they presented a check to the 250"
Celebration Committee for $20,000. Ms. Griffin then invited Mr. Conor McLaughlin the owner of Releaf
Alternative to come forward and he presented a check for $17,500 to the 250th Committee. Ms. Griffin then
stated that the Committee is on the way to have real elements to their planned events and wouldn't be
anywhere without these sponsorships.
6. Discussion with the 250th Celebration Committee
Mr. Rob MacDonald, Chair was present and came forward to give an update on the work of the 250th
Celebration Committee. He stated that the Committee wanted to focus on quality verses quantity and have
four big events being planned. The first event is a parade on May 17, 2025 from North Common to South
Common and want to have food trucks set up at South Common at the end of the parade route. The next
event is an event at Mansfield Airport that would be a historical fly in or air show. The third would be August
25th with a day long event at memorial park and have a finale event with fireworks. Lastly, the Committee is
thinking of a Gala event in October of 2025. The Select Board thanked the Committee for the work and had a
few comments. Ms. Nancy Griffin came forward and explained the website has information and sponsorship
opportunities for anyone interested. She also noted that soon people will be able to order merchandise online
that they are selling as part of fundraising efforts. She also shared that the Committee has their big four
events and now they are hoping that community groups will come forward and host events that support the
250th yearlong celebration,
7. Update from Town Boards, Committees and Commissions
Ms. Doherty invited Mr. Annino to come forward. He stated that he is the Chair of the Municipal Building
Committee and noted that he has a great group of members with lots of experience. He explained their charge
and added that the next project they are working on is the COA new facility that will be located at 50 West
Street and have completed 90% of the final design documents and they will start the bid documents once
funding is available so that they can hopefully develop a shovel ready project that will put them in a better
position for grant opportunities. He stated that the Committee is looking forward to a new member being
appointed to replace Mr. Barry. Ms. Doherty stated that she received an inquiry from an architect and hopes
this person will put their application in. Mr. Annino also noted that Mr. Ahern is a great asset to the Town as
the Owners Project Manager.
Ms. Carol Kosel, Chair of the Animal Welfare Committee came forward and stated that she is happy to be here
again to provide an update. She stated that Animal Welfare Committee works with the Animal Control Officer
(ACO)and the Shelter Friends who provide financial for the veterinary care of the animals. She stated that she
has been a volunteer 17 years and this has been a very busy year. She stated that the new ACO started and
things have now transitioned and are going well. She then noted that one of the new changes is that there are
dog volunteers who come on weekday mornings to clean feed and walk the dogs because the ACO was not
Select Board Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2024
always able to get to the shelter before responding to calls in the morning. They have approximately 50-60
volunteers including some high schoolers and recruiting anyone over 16 years of age or older. During the last
year the shelter took in 159 cats of which 83 were strays and 76 surrenders and they adopted out 164 cats and
returned 9 to their owners. She stated that they took in 56 dogs of which 30 were strays and 26 were
surrenders. They successfully adopted out 34 dogs and returned 23 dogs to their owners. Ms. Kosel then
spoke about the financial support from the Mansfield Shelter Friends. The Board offered thanks for the work
they do and were glad to hear that the new ACO has transitioned and are in a good place to work together.
Mr. Michael Healy, Chair of the Conservation Commission came forward and stated that the Conservation
Department has been busy and the change in personnel has helped. The applications are mostly residential
and it requires more support from the department to assist the residents with projects where in the past it
would be a professional coming on behalf of an applicant. He stated that there are more enforcement issues
and people are unaware of the laws that surround conservation. He stated that they have one case going to
the State and taking legal action. He stated they have seven conservation areas and more people using the
trails, and storms have taken lots of trees down and thus causing maintenance issues. He then stated that
storm water activity and climate resiliency planning are becoming a priority as there is more flooding to areas
that previously had not flooded. He also stated that they are seeking a new member to fill a vacancy. The
Commission is charged with doing things that are in the best interest of the Wetlands Protection Act. The
Select Board thanked him for his time and all the information he provided.
Mr. Jeff Ward, Chair of Keep Mansfield Beautiful came forward and provided information on what the
committee does which is to make the community cleaner and greener. He gave all the names of the
Committee members and stated that they do have a vacancy. The three main areas of focus are litter
prevention, waste reduction and beautification. He stated that they are currently involved with the mural
restoration project on Route 106. He stated that their fall cleanu will happen in November. The Board
thanked them for all the hard work and that there is lots of engagement opportunities amongst residents and
businesses.
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Mr. Scott Feely, Vice -Chair of the Finance Committee came forward and stated that the Finance Committee is
looking at the Financial policies, he noted there may be minor changes needed such as adding a review date to
each of them. He stated that looking at the projections state wide and when looking ahead on the Town's
budget over the next five years it is going to be difficult. He stated that the Finance Committee itself is a
strong committee made up of individuals with new families, members with kids in the schools and he is retired
on a fixed income which gives many points of view.
8. Discussion and Consideration to Approve and Sign Short Term Borrowing Notes
Mr. Wilk read the below motion into the record. I, the Clerk of the Select Board of the Town of Mansfield,
Massachusetts (the "Town"), certify that at a meeting of the board held September 18, 2024, of which
meeting all members of the board were duly notified and at which a quorum was present, the following
votes were unanimously passed, all of which appear upon the official record of the board in my custody:
Voted: that we hereby determine, in accordance with G.L. c. 70B, that the amount of the cost of
the Qualters Middle School Boiler Replacement Project authorized by a vote of the Town passed on
November 2, 2023 (Article 5, Motion 4) not being paid by the school facilities grant is at least $1,993,947
and we hereby approve the issuance of bonds in such amount under said G.L. c. 70B.
Further Voted: to approve the sale of $2,272,963 General Obligation Bond Anticipation Notes of
the Town dated September 26, 2024 at an interest rate of 4.00% and payable September 26, 2025 (the
"Notes") to Fidelity Capital Markets at par and accrued interest, if any, plus a premium of $15,228.85.
Further Voted: that in connection with the marketing and sale of the Notes, the preparation and
distribution of a Notice of Sale and Preliminary Official Statement dated September 5, 2024, and a final
Official Statement dated September 12, 2024, each in such form as may be approved by the Town
Treasurer, be and hereby are ratified, confirmed, approved and adopted.
Select Board Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2024
Further Voted: that the Town Treasurer and the Select Board be, and hereby are, authorized to
execute and deliver a significant events disclosure undertaking in compliance with SEC Rule 15c2-12 in
such form as may be approved by bond counsel to the Town, which undertaking shall be incorporated by
reference in the Notes for the benefit of the holders of the Notes from time to time.
Further Voted: that we authorize and direct the Town Treasurer to establish post issuance federal
tax compliance procedures and continuing disclosure procedures in such forms as the Town Treasurer and
bond counsel deem sufficient, or if such procedures are currently in place, to review and update said
procedures, in order to monitor and maintain the tax-exempt status of the Notes and to comply with
relevant securities laws.
Further Voted: that each member of the Select Board, the Town Clerk and the Town Treasurer be
and hereby are, authorized to take any and all such actions, and execute and deliver such certificates,
receipts or other documents as may be determined by them, or any of them, to be necessary or
convenient to carry into effect the provisions of the foregoing votes.
I further certify that the votes were taken at a meeting open to the public; that no vote was taken
by secret ballot; that a notice stating the place (or method of accessing), date, time and agenda for the
meeting (which agenda included the adoption of the above votes) was filed with the Town Clerk and a
copy thereof posted in a manner conspicuously visible to the public at all hours in or on the municipal
building at which the office of the Town Clerk is located or, if applicable, in accordance with an alternative
method of notice prescribed or approved by the Attorney General as set forth in 940 CMR 29.03(2)(b), at
least 48 hours, not including Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, prior to the time of the meeting and
remained so posted at the time of the meeting; that no deliberations or decision in connection with the
sale of the Notes were taken in executive session, all in accordance with G.L. c.30A, §§18-25 as amended;
and, if the meeting was conducted remotely, it was called and held in accordance with the requirements
of Section 20 of Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021, as amended. (Wilk/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0
9. Discussion and Consideration to Approve and Sign the Verizon New England Inc. Cable License
Agreement
Mr. Violette read a summary of the items within the cable license and the below motion was made.
Motion: I hereby move that the Select Board, as cable television license Issuing Authority, vote as follows:
To grant a Cable Television Renewal License with an effective date of September 18, 2024 to Verizon New
England Inc. ("Verizon"). All terms and conditions contained in the Renewal License having been agreed to
by Verizon. Verizon, by and through its authorized representative, will execute the Renewal License
(Agreement) as set out on the Signature Page of the License as signed by the Board consistent herewith.
(Wilk/Trowbridge) Passes 5:0
10. Discussion on Progress Made on Workshop Items
Ms. Bren stated that she created a spreadsheet for data entry to help the Board assess the policies. She
wanted to recommend that members look at this and run a pilot. She asked that if there is anything not clear
to let her know or if there are suggestions she is happy to make changes. Ms. Doherty asked for Ms. Bren to
send it to the group but if anyone has suggestions or feedback to send those to Ms. Champagne.
11. General Budget Discussion — Including Budget Subcommittee Update
The general budget discussion agenda item is a regular Select Board agenda item that will be for the
discussion on any fiscal year budgets and may include discussions of past fiscal years or future fiscal years.
Ms. Doherty invited Mr. Feely to come forward for this item. Ms. Doherty stated there is an agenda posted
online for tomorrow's Tri-Board meeting and she stated that their will be time for individual comments and
then there will be a consideration to vote. Mr. Trowbridge commented that the Select Board's agenda did not
include a vote. Ms. Doherty asked for the agenda to be revised and if Ms. Champagne could also have the
Finance Committee and School Committee also make the change.
Select Board Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2024
Mr. Violette then stated that at the last Budget Subcommittee meeting he presented two projections. He
stated that the first projection is a maintain current services, but also including a new police officer and
firefighter which creates a $4.7 million shortfall. The second projection is a balanced budget that has $4.7
million in reductions. He emphasized that this is preliminary and lots of things will change.
12. Discussion of Goals and Objectives (Scheduled for October 2, 2024)
She stated that the Town Manager is not here so she was going to table this to a future meeting.
13. Consideration to Sign Proclamations for Revised 9/11 Ceremony
Ms. Doherty stated that she had used MEMA in the proclamation but it was supposed to be FEMA.
Motion: To approve and sign the revised proclamation for the 9/11 Ceremony. (Wilk/Bren) Passes 5:0
14. Select Board Member's Comments and Questions
Mr. Wilk asked for the Police Chief to come to the next Select Board meeting to discuss the most recent
incident and the history at the Red Roof Inn the last couple years with safety, drugs, assault, etc. and see if
there is anything that can be done. He thought maybe the franchisee could be brought in to see what they
are doing for safety so these things do not continue to happen.
Mr. Roche stated that next Wednesday at 7PM at Public Safety is the parkway forum. Mr. Roche stated that
someone from Foxboro has reached out to him in regards to the bike path connecting Foxboro to Mansfield
and they want to have a feasibility study done and would the Select Board consider signing a letter of
support. Ms. Doherty asked for a draft of the letter be created and voted at the next meeting.
Ms. Doherty wished Captain Tebeau from the Mansfield Fire Department luck as he will be going to Walpole
as the Deputy Chief and she thanked him for his service. She then wanted to give a shout out to the crossing
guard at Hope Street and East Street who puts of energy into her work and clearly demonstrates that cares
for the children.
Ms. Bren stated that there is a lot of opportunity to come to Town Hail for a Farmers Market Saturday and
she appreciated the summer concerts and movies.
Mr. Trowbridge stated that he had no items.
15. Any items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting
There were no items.
16. Adjourn
Motion: To adjourn the September 18, 2024 Select Board Meeting at 7:54PM. (Trowbridge/Roche)
Passes 5:0
NJ
Signature Date
Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne
Documents used in meeting:
1. Short Term Borrowing Loan Document
2. Verizon Cable License Agreement
3. Draft Goals and Objectives
4. Revised 9/11 Proclamation
Select Board Meeting Minutes
September 18, 2024