Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSelect Board 02/04/2026Select Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026 Present: Mr. Walter Wilk, Chair; Mr. Michael Feck, Vice -Chair; Mr. Kostas Loukas, Clerk; jvlr.,Broh'da;h Roche and Ms. Maureen R. Doherty were present in Meeting Room 3 A/B at Town Hall. 1. Call To Order Select Board Meeting - Pledge of Allegiance i i Mr. Wilk called the meeting to order at 6:3213M. He then read the broadcast message and asked those present to stand for the pledge of allegiance. 2. 2025 Community Service Awards Presentation Ms. Doherty as Chair of the Community Service Awards introduced the members of the Community Service Awards Committee. Committee members Ms. Rose Kimmel, Ms. Kara Griffin, Dr. Michelle McKeon and Lieutenant Thomas Connor were all in attendance. Ms. Doherty then asked former Representative Jay Barrows to come forward. She spoke about him and his contributions to the Town of Mansfield. She read a proclamation and it was announced that the Lifetime Achievement award would be named after him and be known as the F. Jay Barrows Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Barrows thanked the Board for this recognition. Members of the State Delegation were also present to recognize former Representative Barrows. Representative Chaisson began by offering a citation and thanked him for being a role model and someone to look up to. Representative Phillips commented on how kind and always willing to take time for staff and noted that he was happy to be here to celebrate him. Senator Feeney came forward and stated that he was happy to be here to celebrate his decades of service. He then provided him with a citation and then Representative Chaisson read the citation from the House of Representatives. Mr. Wilk then invited Mr. Ken Buja and Mr. Joel Brandwine to come forward. Mr. Wilk read the nomination that was written by Mr. Buja who is this year's winner of the Adult Community Service Award. The nomination highlighted all of the volunteer work he has contributed to the Mansfield Airport as the Chair of the Airport Commission. Mr. Brandwine was then presented with the framed award. Mr. Brandwine thanked his wife and family who allow him to spend as much time as he does at the Airport. He also thanked his fellow Commission members who also help accomplish the work. Representative Phillips and Senator Feeney also provided citations to Mr. Brandwine and thanked him for his contributions to the community. Mr. Wilk then invited Ms. Lynn Cavicchi to come forward and Ms. Cavicchi read her nomination of April Haddigan a Mansfield High School senior who is the recipient of the Youth Community Service Award. The nomination noted all of the volunteer work she does in the community and how she is a role model to her peers. Mr. Wilk then read the nomination written by Patricia Parrillo about April. Representative Chaisson then read a citation being awarded to her. Senator Feeney stated how amazing she was and also thanked those that nominated her. He stated that we need more April's in the world who are humble, kind and compassionate. Senator Feeney then presented her with a citation. Mr. Wilk then invited Mr. Charles McPherson to read the nomination he wrote for Mr. Michael Healey as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. His nomination included his volunteer work through the Board of Health, Keep Mansfield Beautiful Committee and his work for the Food Pantry and St. Mary's Church. His volunteer work expands across helping youth all the way up to senior citizens in the community and he is a dedicated member of the Mansfield community. Mr. Neal Boldrighini then came forward and read his nomination for Mr. Healey. His nomination included his work on the Board of Health during the COVID Pandernic and his time spent at the food pantry and Council on Aging. Mr. Boldrighini noted how many people were in the room who do all kinds of amazing work in the community. Ms. Pat Colbert also nominated Mr. Healey but was not present so Mr. Wilk read the nomination written by her. In her nomination she noted the time he has served on each of the different organizations and Town Boards/Committees and how Mr. Select Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026 Healey continues to make a positive impact on the community. Mr. Healey spoke a few words thanking his family and he thanked Ms. Nancy Wall. He recognized Ms. Wall a woman who showed him how to volunteer and be a participant in the community. He stated that he is not able to thank her personally because she is no longer with us. Representative Phillips came forward and presented him with a citation and stated that it was a privilege to give him the first F. Jay Barrows Lifetime Achievement Award. He encouraged him to keep doing what he is doing. Senator Feeney stated he could not think of a more deserving person of this award. He noted that even though Mr. Healey was receiving an award he was recognizing other people in the room. Mr. Wilk then recognized each of the members from the 250'h Celebration Committee and each one came forward to receive a certificate. Mr. Wilk then noted that the Board would taking a five-minute break at 7:40PM. 3. Presentation with HILB Group on Health Insurance Analysis Mr. Reinke provided background on why the HILB Group was hired. He then introduced Ms. Marianna Gil from the HILB Group who was present virtually to go through the presentation. She stated that she has worked for the City of Boston as the Director of Benefits as well as the private sector. She provided some information on what has happened at the local level and in the country. There have been large companies that have merged which creates less competition. She then stated that there is an aging population and all the new technology comes with a higher price tag. She further noted that inflation and higher wages are needed to retain clinical staff and overall, there is a shortage of staff. The increase in pharmacy drug spending is on the rise and she mentioned the GLP-1 medications that were introduced about 18 months ago and their usage has skyrocketed. She then went through plan administration models and their differences. The three models are self -insured, fully insured and joint purchasing group. Ms. Gil stated that the Town is part of a joint purchasing group model through MIAA currently. She stated that they completed a RFP Evaluation and bids were sent to several companies. Havard Pilgrim and Mass General Brigham Health Plan provided bids. Blue Cross of Massachusetts, Aetna, Cigna and SMHG all declined to bid. Moving to Harvard Pilgrim would be a 19.4%. When consideration a self -insured plan they looked at a twelve-month period was 92.8%. There are also high - cost claimant experience. In the most recent twelve months, eighteen claimants had claims exceeding $100,000 totaling $3.6M and this high -cost exposure is persistent and ongoing and therefore they would not recommend going to self -insured. Ms. Gill also offered some ideas of changes that could be made to save funds. The first was to end the insurance mitigation program as it is uncommon and done on a temporary basis to help employees adjust to changes however it is something that has to be negotiated with each union. She then explained that changing the contribution by employees for the PPO plan the Town must consider that some employees are on the plan because their dependents live out of state and not be equitable. The final option of considering a tier of employee plus one and it would redistribute premium contributions and it would result in less total dollars collected. Mr. Wilk asked if all the changes have to be negotiated and Ms. Gil responded yes, any changes to plan design or contributions must be negotiated. 4. Continued Budget Discussion with Fire Chief Justin Desrosiers Fire Chief Justin Desrosiers was present and provided some additional information to the Board that may not have been answered at the last meeting. He stated that the cost of items outside of CIP are expensive. He shared examples of items that were purchased in 2019 and what they are today. He stated that cardiac monitors were $32,000 and today they are $65,000 and these are the biggest budget drivers outside of salary. He stated that many people ask why the call volume has been going up even though the population is not going up and he stated that people are using emergency services differently than they did and healthcare has changed dramatically. Chief Desrosiers asked if anyone had any questions. Mr. Roche thanked the Chief and noted that Deputy Chief Terry did a great job presenting the information. Ms. Doherty asked if there are people using the fire department for a "minute clinic" or misusing the system. Chief Desrosiers responded Select Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026 that gvery community has frequent flyers and these individuals may have chronic conditions, substance abuse issues or mental health issues that may be outside their control. There may be people misusing emergency response but it is not the main driver of the increase in calls. Chief Desrosiers also noted that today people are keeping family members at home instead of placing them in nursing homes which results in more calls for service. Mr. Loukos stated that police and fire are critical services and the number of simultaneous calls show that people would die if there was only one ambulance operating. Mr. Wilk asked about privatizing ambulance like Easton. He responded that in Mansfield there would not be any savings. He stated that approximately $2M would be lost in revenue. S. Discussion of Jordan/Jackson Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Roof Project Superintendent Dr. McKeon and Mr. Matt Violette were present for this agenda item. Mr. Violette began by stating that this project was accepted to the MSBA accelerated program. He stated that this project is for the entire roof. He stated that the next step is going to CIP for funding of the schematic design. He stated that the project, would kick off on July 11' and the money would have to be secured by September 29". Mr. Wilk asked about what the cost was. Mr. Violette stated they are not sure at this time but it could be about $6M. Mr. Wilk asked what is the reimbursement from MSBA and Mr. Violette said they would not know the percentage but previous projects have been about 52%. They are seeking $200,000 for the schematic design. Mr. Wilk asked if anything was needed from the Board. Mr. Violette just wanted to update the Board prior to going to CIP. Dr. McKeon stated that she wanted to come tonight to advocate for this project for the schools. Ms. Doherty noted that when the school was built the metal roof was expected to last 75 years. Ms. Doherty stated that at CIP it can be stated that this was reviewed by the Select Board. 6. Town Manager's Report Y Fraud Alert —Stammers Sending Emails with Town Logos Asking for Payment Y Miscellaneous Items Select Board Members Questions and Comments Mr. Reinke began his report by stating that he wanted to make residents aware about fraudulent emails where the requestor is using the Town logo and asking that they pay a bill and wire money. He recommends that if anyone is unsure about an email they can call the department that the bill came from to confirm if it is real or fake. He then stated that there is the Downtown Fagade program for downtown business who are looking to make external improvements to their business through the Industrial Development Commission. Mr. Reinke then announced that MassDot will begin work on phase 1 of the Route 106 project. Mr. Reinke then stated that construction will start on March 4" at the intersection of Route 106 and Route 140 and continue down Route 106 to the Honey Dew Donuts intersection. Mr. Reinke then provided an update on the snow and ice budget and stated that it has exceeded its budget by approximately $75,600. Lastly, Mr. Reinke encouraged residents to take the Finance Committee survey which is at the top of the Towns website at www.mansfieldma.com. Ms. Doherty asked about the Fraud Alert notice because there is going to be a Fraud Awareness for the seniors at the COA and asked for Mr. Reinke to get in touch with Ms. Josephine Madrazo. Ms. Doherty asked how many people have responded to the survey and Ms. Champagne responded that it was around 400 at the last Finance Committee meeting. Ms. Doherty then asked if the 2501h Celebration Committee could come back in to a Select Board meeting to discuss the funds. She noted that Town Counsel was going to provide an opinion but members of the Non -Profit Gift Fund Committee are wondering what is happening. 7. Public Comment (Per the Select Board Operating Procedures: The Chair may give visitors who are not iisted on the agenda an opportunity to speak to the Board during the Public Comments session; however, the Chair may limit their speaking time at the discretion of the Chair.) There were no public comments. 8. Discussion and Consideration to Appoint Vijay Popat to the Board of Assessors Select Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026 Mr. Wilk invited Mr. Vijay Popat to come forward and tell the Board about himself. He stated that he has lived in Mansfield for twenty-five years and grew up in Norton. He stated that he has a finance background and is a CPA for the State and would like to do something productive. Ms. Doherty asked him the ethics question and he is familiar with ethics and he remains independent with his decision making. Motion: To appoint Vijay Popat to the Board of Assessors to a term that expires December 31, 2027. (Loukos/Doherty) Passes 5:0 9. Discussion of Correspondence Mr. Wilk stated that he wanted to move the discussion to the next meeting. 10. Vote to Direct Planning Board to Conduct Public Hearings for Proposed Zoning Bylaw Articles Mr. Feck gave a brief overview of the proposed article of where data centers would be allowed in Town by a Special Permit. This agenda item is procedural to direct the Planning Board to proceed with having a public hearing. Mr. Loukos stated that he is in support of restricting data centers that have the potential to cause the low Mansfield Electric rates to increase and they require lots of energy to operate. Ms. Doherty commented that this will be discussed at the Electric Department meeting because it has the potential to drain the capacity. Motion: To refer the proposed zoning bylaw amendments, as presented, back to the Planning Board for public hearing in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 5. (Loukos/Doherty) Passes 5:0 11. Vote to approve the issuance of $5,995,999 Interim Loan Note to the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust and to execute any agreements and closing documents related thereto Mr. Reinke stated that this pertains to the Dustin Prescott Well project that was approved at Town Meeting and this is an interim loan note. Motion: To approve the issuance of $5,995,999 Interim Loan Note to the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust and to execute any agreements and closing documents related thereto. (Loukos/Doherty) Passes 5:0 12. 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. Mr. Reinke stated that the Town is now budgeting a nine percent increase for Health insurance instead of eighteen percent so this generated $900,000 in savings. He also noted there is about an extra $100,000 in State Aid that was in the first Governor's budget, so the new shortfall is $4.1M. 13. Select Board Member Committee and Liaison Updates There were none. 14. Public Comments (Per the Select Board Operating Procedures: The Chair may give visitors who are not listed on the agenda an opportunity to speak to the Board during the Public Comments session; however, the Chair may limit their speaking time at the discretion of the Chair.) There were none. 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 and events have been routed through Town Hall Departments and any conditions have been noted below. A. Vote to Approve Meeting Minutes: Y January 7, 2026 Select Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026 Y January 27, 2026 B. Vote to Approve Warrants: Y Town Vendor Warrant No. 2631T in the amount of $1,164,125.5S Electric Vendor Warrant No. 2631E in the amount of $125,287.54 Y School Vendor Warrant No. 2631S in the amount of $868,861.47 Town Vendor Warrant No. 2632T in the amount of $66,832.71 C. Consideration of Permits and Licenses: Y Consideration of Banner Request for CSF of Mansfield — Dollars for Scholars Y Consideration of Events Application for Keep Mansfield Beautiful Y Consideration of Events Application for Run Home Racing D. Proclamations: ➢ None Motion: To approve the consent agenda. (Loukos/Doherty) Passes 5:0 16. Consideration and Approval of Town Payroll Warrants: • Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 2629PT and 2629MT in the amount of $972,223.44 Motion: To approve Town Payroll/Town Medicaid Payroll 2629PT and 2629MT in the amount of $972,223.44. (Loukos/Doherty) Passes 5:0 • Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 2629TV in the amount of $308,383.88 Motion: To approve Town Deductions Vendor Payroll 2629TV in the amount of $308,383.88. (Loukos/Doherty) Passes 5:0 • School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 2629PS in the amount of $1,960,996.51 Motion: To approve School Payroll/School Medicaid Payroll 2629PS in the amount of $1,960,996.51. (Loukos/Roche) Passes 4:0:1 (Doherty Abstained) • School Deductions Vendor Payroll 2629SV in the amount of $567,325.85 Motion: To approve School Deductions Vendor Payroll 2629SV in the amount of $567,325.85. (Loukos/Doherty) Passes 5:0 17. Correspondence ® Notice from Verizon Mr. Loukos stated that the Board received a notice from Verizon 18. Select Board Member's Comments and Questions Ms. Doherty stated that she would not be at the next meeting. 19. Any items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting There were no items. 20. Enter into Executive Session and not return to open session pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the chair so declares Motion: To Enter into Executive Session and not return to open session pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21 (a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the chair so declares at 8:58PM. (Loukos/Doherty) Roll Call Vote: Roche —Yes Doherty — Yes Loukos — Yes Feck — Yes Select Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026 Wilk — Yes Passes 5:0 Signature Minutes prepared by Carrie Champagne ymz Date Documents used in meeting: 1. Community Services Nomination Forms 2. Jordan Jackson MSBA Project Documents 3. Committee Application form from Vijay Popat 4. Correspondence Response from Town Counsel (Attorney Client Privilege Documents) 5. Proposed 2026 Annual Town Meeting Zoning Bylaw Amendments Memo from Planning 6. Summary of Short -Term Borrowing 7. Meeting Minutes from January 7, 2026 and January 27, 2026 8. Banner Application CSF of Mansfield Dollars for Scholars 9. Special Events Application from Run Home Racing 10. Special Events Application from Keep Mansfield Beautiful 11. Notification from Verizon Select Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2026