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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin brd of selectmen 10/23/02 L, \ I'·, ,!",' ,\ ~: ~) r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 F !r':: O'-'~' " , , I ..' ,'", ,) I ~~j' Q. C? ~'¡J, C· ~Ii- I',' (, h , t ~)~.' ~1 ¡,j Present: Chairman Daniel Donovan; Vice Chairman Michael W. McCue; Clerk Steven W. MacCaffrie; and Selectmen David W. McCarter and Louis P. Amoruso Town Manager John O. D'Agostino The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. · Warrant No. 17 in the amount of $2,820,097.40 Motion: To approve and sign (MacCaffrie-Amoruso) 5-0 with Selectman McCarter abstaining from Municipal Building Committee payroll and Selectman MacCaffrie abstaining from School Dept. Voucher No. 87144 r · Minutes of October 16,2002 Selectmen's Meeting Motion : To approve (Amoruso-McCarter) 5-0 Passes · License Renewals - all have been reviewed and approved by the appropriate department heads Common Victualler Antonia Torsiello dba Antonia's Deli at 575 West Street - M-4 Motorola Building . Motion: To approve and sign (MacCaffrie-McCue) 5-0 Passes D.G.P. & Sons Inc. dba Jimmy's Pub, 141 North Main Street . Motion: To approve and sign (MacCaffrie-McCarter) 5-0 Passes r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 1 r Lodoino House SME Realty Trust dba Ye Old Barn - 16 rooms at 17 Fulton Place · Motion: To approve and sign (MacCaffrie-McCue) 5-0 Passes Peter Fontanini dba Billings Realty Trust, 18 Thomas Street (11 rooms) · Motion: To approve and sign (Amoruso-McCarter) 5-0 Passes Peter Fontanini dba Billings Realty Trust, 20-22 Thomas Street (19 rooms) · Motion: To approve and sign (MacCaffrie-McCue) 5-0 Passes · Proclamation on the retirement of Howard Fiske as a call firefighter after 41 years of service to the Town of Mansfield. The proclamation was read by Clerk MacCaffrie and signed. Motion: To sign (McCue-Amoruso) 5-0 Passes Corres r · Notice was read of a scheduled power outage for October 26, 2002 at 3:30 a.m. · Memorandum from John D. Sullivan, Jr., Town Engineer, and Lou Costa, MIS Director, re position description for GIS Manager · E-mail from resident recommending Special Town Meeting notice be put on the new sign erected by Eagle Scout Andrew Hoy with the message being changed to "tonight" on the day of the meeting. · Letter from Bruce Glazer regarding cable issues and noting he will be in attendance during the Cable Monitoring Committee presentation. · Motion: To sign the ballot for the State Elections to be held November 5th from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Mansfield High School gymnasium and cafeteria. (MacCaffrie-Amoruso) 5-0 Passes r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 2 r An application was received from Shirley MacPhee of 69 Union Street for appointment to the Local Housing Partnership as one of the three citizen-at-Iarge positions. Mrs. MacPhee was present and Town Manager D'Agostino noted he and Shirley have been working on some initiatives regarding affordable housing that will be beneficial to the town. She stated she feels there's a need for affordable housing, noting as our children grow up and get married they can no longer afford to live in Mansfield. She's been to one of their meetings and is anxious to work with the group. Selectman McCue expressed his thanks for her taking the time to work on this. Motion: To appoint Shirley MacPhee to the Mansfield Housing Partnership. (MacCaffrie-Amoruso) 5-0 Passes r William Gerber, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee to Monitor the Cable License, was in attendance to present the committee's report. Also present from the committee were Mike Healey, Stan Ivas, Clerk, and Gary Crowell. Mr. Gerber referred to the quarterly report provided to the Board. He noted they've had 18 licensing issues that have not been addressed. There were 44 issues reported, 29 of them licensing issues. He noted nothing is getting better and they're receiving a similar number of complaints about the same issues repeatedly. Mr. Crowell noted they've become a resource for people to resolve their complaints. Mr. Gerber reported the biggest area of complaint is one over which they have no control-cost. He noted the Selectmen have no control over this either. He suggested one issue the Selectmen may wish to address is that AT&T refers complaints regarding channels being moved or eliminated to the Selectmen, noting AT&T is telling people it's the Selectmen as licensing authority that have made the change. Selectman MacCaffrie asked that people get the name and phone number of anyone giving customers that information. ¡r- Mr. Gerber broke down the percentages of the complaints received: cost - 32'0; billing - 8'0; customer service - 22'0; reception - 20'0; packaging - 14'0; and program content - 4%. He noted their meetings are posted and he invited people to attend their meetings. Mr. Gerber also noted they do not like to televise their meetings because complaints addressed have a name and phone number attached to them and an individual's privacy would be violated. He noted people are hesitant to Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23. 2002 3 ,r- r ,r- have their problems discussed on television. It was suggested they could address complaints without using names publicly. Selectman McCarter read a comment from someone stating he would not live in Mansfield due to the cable service offered by A T&T Broadband. Deceptive sales practices were noted wherein appointments are made under the pretense of a service call, some saying they need to address a serious electrical problem, when the intent is to sell digital cable. They are private contractors working on commission. It is a license violation if they do not have a picture ID and they're also required to provide the amount of the additional charge for the service. They have outstanding billing issues: Reference Log #7 - a woman who was supposed to get one month free cable and a $50 savings bond. Another common complaint is volume fluctuation from channel to channel. The comments provided the Selectmen were representative of those received. It is their belief that people are looking for alternatives to cable, such as DSL or satellite service. Mr. Gerber personally calls those who contact them with a complaint who provide a phone number or address. He noted the degree of frustration experienced by subscribers. They are no longer sending the complaints to Frank Foss, AT&T Manager of Government Service, due to Mr. Foss' lack of action. Selectman Amoruso stated the Selectmen's responsibility as licensing authority is to get a response to these complaints and noted it is part of Mr. Foss' job to address them. He suggested that in cases such as someone being mistreated over the TV guide, the Selectmen be provided with the information and require Mr. Foss to respond. Mr. Gerber noted they would like Mr. Foss to come in and answer these questions and, while he's here, address all the franchise fees listed on the back of the bill. Selectman Amoruso spoke of AT&Ts inability to explain how they calculate some of the franchise fees. Town Manager D'Agostino recommended inviting Frank Foss to a meeting, but providing him with an agenda of topics to be discussed, suggesting that he prepare a response to each topic in advance so it can be addressed. Mr. Gerber noted the fine structure for violations and pointed out they have a bond posted that can be pulled by going to Court. Selectman Amoruso noted we cited them for not meeting the terms of the license agreement in response time to service complaints. He also found out that the State regulatory agencies had given them six months to fix the problems they have, which overruled the terms of the license agreement. Mr. Gerber noted sending a letter to the Selectmen a couple weeks ago with questions he felt should be addressed by Town Counsel. Selectman Amoruso pointed out State and Federal regulations supercede regulations established by local agencies. Mr. Gerber said he would provide another copy of that letter. Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23. 2002 4 r Mr. Ivas spoke of the charge allowed by FCC for a filter that supercedes our contract that states it will be provided without charge. Selectman Amoruso noted the FCC mandates they only pay 5'0 in franchise fees and we are getting more than that. Mr. Gerber urged all those watching to contact their Federal representatives regarding the problems they're having with the cable provider and ask that they introduce and pass legislation that protects the subscribers. (' Mr. Gerber asked for the Board's direction on how to funnel local billing and service issues. It was suggested he provide a summary to the Board and once they have the particulars of a situation, the Selectmen will formulate a letter. In technical situations it was suggested Mr. Gerber draft a letter for the Selectmen's review and editing. The Cable Committee agreed to provide the necessary background information and documentation. Town Manager D'Agostino noted the idea is to get answers from Mr. Foss and not have his response be the he will "look into it." They want to address issues covering the reported issues rather than complaints individually. He will be asked to provide his response in writing in advance of the meeting so the response can be addressed at the meeting. Mr. Gerber stated Mansfield is not eligible to receive local channels by satellite due to Federal laws regarding competition. Providence is available on the local satellite distribution. If you call the satellite company and tell them you cannot get local channels clearly, they will download it for you. As a subscriber Mr. Gerber gave the Selectmen two letters asking for their intervention on his behalf regarding two programs he had pulled by Cable Access, noting his program was within their guidelines, and they will not respond to him. He also stated receiving a letter from the President of Cable Access regarding disposition of equipment they term" junk" and offered to take it and sell it on E-Bay for the benefit of the Animal Shelter. r Town Engineer John Sullivan, David Field and MIS Director Lou Costa reported on the stormwater management plan, noting a 0'0 State loan to meet the requirements. A GIS mapping system was the first step in creating a drainage map and, at the same, we got a lot more. There is a GIS Steering Committee that was formed in January that is comprised of a number of department heads. The program is much more than drainage and sewer systems. They have now digitized the aerial photograph of the town and identified drainage, sewers, hydrants, structures, swimming pools, etc. They've also been working on picking up things that have been Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23. 2002 5 r- missed to add to the system. The Assessors maps are now digitized, so their information can be overlayed on the maps and linked to the aerial plan. It provides about 125 different sections, and 2 have been designated as the pilot area for the purpose of demonstration. The entire town will not be on the computer until spring of next year. They now have an operating GIS program using our own computers and system. The pilot program shown was of the downtown/Town Hall area and does not include the field editing currently being done. Town Manager D'Agostino recommended the Board familiarize themselves with an article he provided in their reading file regarding the use of GIS in other towns. The stand used for the demonstration would be used for the kiosk in the corridor of Town Hall for public access. Mr. Field projected a map tile, noting it can be viewed on a computer browser. Mr. Field demonstrated the various layers developed by the consultant showing parcels, utilities, sidewalks, drain lines, sewer lines, and contoured mapping. It is searchable by address, street, owner, and parcel ID. He demonstrated 12 Park Avenue, the home of the Town Manager, and demonstrated the manipulation of the various layers. In the future we will be able to click on telephone poles and manholes and identify when they were last worked on. r Town Manager D'Agostino noted we're taking our time getting the information out to the public in order to validate it before making it available. It will require that the information be managed properly. There is built-in security and it will be on two different servers. A GIS Manager will be required. Backups are done at the Police Department, as are our other servers, for disaster recovery purposes. Mr. Sullivan spoke about the management of the system. Simple searches and queries will be accessible from home at no cost. There would be a charge for mapping and printing and for full access of technical data. Digital layers may be sold at a set fee and is a matter being discussed by the steering committee. ,~ Town Manager D'Agostino noted having the information accurate and available will reduce the timeframe for information requests. The topography layer will allow us to plan use and re-use of various parcels, such as the Hatheway Patterson site. Mr. Sullivan has already been asked for a drawing of all parcels in the industrial parcel with an indication of which are currently vacant. The drainage project has been a springboard in gathering additional information. A GIS Manager will be needed for the system in order to continue the program in the future and a job description for a GIS Manager was presented for the Selectmen's consideration. New subdivisions being submitted in the future will have to be provided in digital format. A person Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23. 2002 6 r- r' r will be needed to manage the information and maintain the system on an on-going basis. We currently have a grant for a part-time individual. Selectman Amoruso mentioned the disk received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for build-out and asked if this could be incorporated into it. Mr. Field noted Mass. GIS has many planning layers that can be overlayed immediately once it's scaled to fit. Town Manager D'Agostino spoke of the program from Vision Appraisal that was used by the Assessors that can now only be accessed from the Assessors Office. This information is being incorporated into the GIS program and people will be able to access it internally and through a web browser. All the information is being integrated and combined for people to use to a limited degree. Additional information can be obtained at Town Hall. Mr. Sullivan reviewed the position description for GIS Manager, asking for their approval of the description at this point. They hope to get the position funded full time starting in FY '04. Currently there is money in the grant to hire a temporary person from January to June to do the initial implementation. The salary range would be Level G the of Non-Supervisory Union contract and would fall under the MIS Director at $48,000 to $58,000. It would be treated as a priority position to fund in the next budget cycle because of the value of the program and its ability to generate revenue for us. They are currently looking into what other communities are charging for various levels of information. Mr, D'Agostino noted the intrinsic value of planning and identifying parcels for companies that may want to expand or locate in Mansfield. It has become a valuable tool in other communities looking to attract business and industrial growth. Selectman McCue questioned whether the base information would still be usable if we do not have the available resources next year. We currently have about $30,000 from the State Revolving Fund loan that can be used to hire a consultant or hire someone for six months as a GIS Manager with the intent of continuing the position in FY '04. It is Mansfield's system and we would prefer to have a knowledgeable GIS Manager rather than hire a consultant. The position description will be put on a future agenda and the position will be treated through the normal budget process. Members of the Committee to Review Town Meeting Procedures were in attendance to discuss the lottery system to be used at Town Meeting. Present were Town Moderator Robert Saquet, Ralph Penney, and Louis Andrews. Mr. Saquet noted the Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 7 r- podium in use tonight was donated to the Town in the 1800's and spoke of its history. Mr. Saquet asked about the concerns expressed by Selectman MacCaffrie, who was also a member of the Review Committee. Selectman MacCaffrie noted the intent of the Moderator did not appear to be the same as that of the Committee. He noted the Moderator decided to group articles together, but it was the intent of the committee that once budget articles were complete, remaining articles would be chosen by lottery in successive order and would only be lumped together if they were dependent on each other. The Committee objected to the Moderator's grouping of the articles. r Mr. Penney noted they met for two months and came to a consensus and he does not believe what was done reflects the intent of the group. Mr. Saquet spoke on the operation of Town Meeting by lottery, noting the State group notes they should be avoided at all cost. He stated such method creates disaster and prevents things from being handled in a consistent manner. The thought of bundling related articles evolved to allow the thought process to work. Individual articles could be treated as a bundle of one and he suggested it was a compromise to allow our Town Meeting to work without it turning into a chaotic mess. He noted the citizen input we receive at Town Meeting and pointed out Mansfield is noted as one of the best run communities in the State. Selectman McCarter asked for an explanation of what had happened. Mr. Saquet noted meeting prior to Town Meeting and making the determination of articles that could be bundled for efficiency. Mr. Penney and Mr. Andrews disputed the fact, noting this circumvents the intent of the by-law. Town Meeting actually made the procedure more restrictive through an amendment to the by-law, which was passed. Mr. Saquet's position on the issue was the by-law allows him discretion in bundling the articles. Selectman MacCaffrie noted what ended up in the by-law was not exactly what was approved at Town Meeting and several attempts were made at re- writing the by-law to reflect the intent of Town Meeting. The intent was to keep people at Town Meeting instead of having them show up only for their article taken in numerical order and then leaving. An argument was made that bundling the articles defeats the purpose of the by-law. Mr. Saquet suggested people will stay and listen if the meeting moves at a good pace and is clearly presented. He noted a pure lottery system slows it down and makes it difficult to follow. Mr. Saquet pointed out the by-law states the Town Moderator has the authority to determine how the articles will be grouped. r- Selectman McCue asked Selectman MacCaffrie what recourse there is given the way it is worded. Selectman MacCaffrie noted it states that the Town Moderator Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 8 r-, has the discretion and the only recourse is to amend the by-law at the next Town Meeting. Selectman Amoruso noted this is the language that was approved by Town Meeting whether it was the committee's intent or not. Mr. Andrews stated it's unfortunate that the Moderator has chosen to handle it in this way knowing what the intent of the by-law was. The conclusion was the by-law gives the Moderator the responsibility of taking an awkward system and making it work and those who do not like it can change it at a future Town Meeting. r Ralph Penney updated the Board on the Hercules site. They tested for common contaminants, but unfortunately what was dumped at Hercules was uncommon and not in the standard library of contaminants. The only lab that ever tested for it was Hercules own lab. We took the time to develop a test to look for some of the compounds Hercules dumped in the area and we found them. We've decided to re- sample wells in the area as a result and will share the results as soon as they are available. When Easton tested their wells, they tested for priority pollutants and none were found in the samples. There may be a false sense of security as a result with the owners of new private wells. We have information on the effects of these contaminants in the workplace, but not the effects in the environment. The drinking water in the wells may be contaminated because they were not looking for the right things. Hercules designated their toxicologist from North Carolina who helped us greatly. They still manufacture the product, but test the effect in a workplace for eight hours per day and not the effects on a small child using the water on a regular basis. Walter Jenkins, Chairman of the Industrial Development Commission (IDC) was in attendance to update everyone on the plans for their breakfast on October 29th to promote Mansfield as an ideal location to which they have invited business and industrial leaders. He updated the Selectmen and the community on what is happening with the IDC and the fact that there will be a breakfast meeting in this room next Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. as a kick-off to their marketing package to attract industrial growth. Mr. Jenkins referred to the report of Dr. Mullins prepared two years ago. This year an outside consultant worked with them to develop baseline information for the development of a marketing package. Infrastructure and opportunities in Mansfield will be identified in the package. They've met with Electric, Water and Sewer and have come back and identified what we have. The various departments r are well aware of their needs and are being addressed. Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 9 ,r-- Tuesday's meeting will have four or five people speaking about the Town of Mansfield and opportunities available here. Planning Director Shaun Burke will be speaking about the zoning amendment to encourage bio-tech firms to locate here. Two representatives from the Business Park will also be speaking to the group. Department heads will be in attendance and he encouraged Selectmen to participate if their schedules allow. Selectman McCue asked Mr. Jenkins to discuss the article for funds. Mr. Jenkins noted the $6,000 is a request to fund the marketing package and inserts to go along with them. The package is about $4,700 with the remainder for mailers. Over 500 people have been invited to attend on Tuesday morning and they hope to develop a relationship with those in attendance. Advertising opportunities will also be explored as funds allow. His vision is for the IDC to get out into the community and become more visible, becoming an advocate for the needs of those wanting to come to town and those wanting to expand. They want quality businesses brought to town and would like to make the effort to attract those businesses which would be advantageous to the Town. The Greater Boston Board of Realtors is having a seminar that conflicts with our meeting, but as of this afternoon we've had 45 people confirming their attendance. r Selectman McCarter suggested once we attract just one of these companies, others will follow. ~ The Town Manager reported: · The State recently issued new alcohol license renewal forms. This year we're not expected to get the new forms until the first week in November, which gives us a very compressed time to get them back, review and approve by November 20th. We would like to follow with the Board's approval somewhat of a different process for the review. He noted many of the license holders also hold other licenses that have already been reviewed and approved and requested that those reviewed in the last two weeks by the Treasurer and Assessor's Offices be allowed to be used for this review. Thirteen that have been reviewed will have the reviews carried forward, with the Police Department reviewing all 24. Otherwise we may not be able to meet the deadline. Selectman Amoruso asked that two or three in particular receive a complete review. He suggested that one license that previously was a beer and wine license and went to a full alcohol license may not be being executed properly. We could note that the Police Department ascertain if the license is Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 10 r being properly utJ1ized. Selectman McCarter noted his belief there is a procedure to notify licensees if their renewal is in jeopardy. · Spoke to Frank Gay about the Train Station development plan. There were approximately 70 sub-bids filed in the process. According to Mr. Gay, it is the filed sub-bids that are increasing the cost factor and we may be providing numbers on the high side. He communicated to Mr. Gay it is the Town's intention to move forward with the development of the Train Station. He's indicated there appears to be enough Federal funds available to meet the 80% threshold. The State match at 20'0 was based on $1 million. At $1.4 million there's a different match necessary, some of which may be met through in-kind land matches. We are reviewing with VHB the GA TRA request for proposals (rfp) and assumptions to make sure they are valid and look at the budget proposed by VHB to see if there is any room to get the figure down. He's indicated to Mr. Gay the Board would be interested in having him come in once it's determined how the Town will move forward. The bid has the work hour scenario incorporated, but it is not a significant cost factor in the bid. Selectman MacCaffrie suggested they look at their design documents first. r · Next month with the approaching Thanksgiving holiday, the Board does not generally meet the Wednesday night prior to the Thursday holiday and that should be determined as soon as possible. Selectman MacCaffrie suggested it be moved to Tuesday night. · Spoke of a number of important warrant articles that need to be completed at the Special Town Meeting. One of them is $400,000 appropriated for stormwater management, with a 0'0 loan for $170,000 of it. If Town Meeting fails to act on it, that money will not be available and we will have to appropriate it ourselves. He noted Town Meeting is adjourned to October 29th at 7:00 p.m. at the Qualters Middle School. · The CHIP program is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 26th, at 10:00 a.m. The project will allow parents to have their children identified in a way that is safe and definitive in identifying children. It is sponsored by the MOMS Club of Mansfield. · The Halloween Parade is October 27th at 2:00 p.m. In the event of rain it will be held at the Mansfield High School gym. ~ Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 11 r- Selectman MacCaffrie: · Announced that along with the proclamation for Howard Fiske, there will be a retirement party for Howard at Ann's Place. He suggested people contact Bob Bellavance if interested in attending. · Talked to Mark Cook and they're going to start to road edges on Mill Street the end of this week or the beginning of next week. He also spoke to him about the nice job done reseeding the grass at Mill and Essex and he asked him to drop some stone there to prevent people from driving over it. Town Manager D'Agostino noted someone driving over the newly planted grass at the Highway Garage. · Received a number of comments after granting the MMAS Special Permit about the issue of the deed restriction that was put on. He paraphrased Town Counsel Mangiaratti's comments of the prior night, indicating he was adamant and absolutely sure that once the permit expires the deed restriction becomes void, even after it was recorded. ~ · Asked if the citizen complaint with the Assessors has been resolved. It's in the process of being resolved. · Asked when East Mansfield will be getting the big street signs. He noted they're missing a sign for Mill Street down by the East Mansfield Common. We have a given amount of money in the budget for signs and we're trying to replace them on a systematic basis. If one is missing, it's replaced with the big signs, but on a general basis they're being phased in over time. Selectman Amoruso: · Asked about sitting down with the Town Manager to look at salary increases prior to union negotiations. r-' · Agreed to meet on the use of the Hatheway Patterson property and stated we need to do that so they can do their mitigation and planning in an appropriate manner. He suggested the need to get the Planning Director and others involved, stating he needs to be done by spring. Town Manager D'Agostino saId he just met with them today. They've just hired someone else as site manager. Selectman Amoruso noted their Public Relations person said we should do it in September and we need to get it going. Selectman McCue noted it's important to keep up with the requests of EPA, stating it was discussed when Lee Azinheira was Acting Town Manager during Mr. D'Agostino's vacation. He stated Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 12 r they have another year and a half of testing, as far as bedrock, because it appears the contamination is in the bedrock. They will be doing additional testing in the next couple weeks and they would like all the bU/ïdings on the site removed except for the one they're operating from. Recommended we do a couple options and prioritize them. They need to know what the re-use level wlÏl be to determine the level of mitigation and resolution that needs to be done. Selectman Amoruso said we should have moved on it last month and need as many people as possible there to determine the use--abutters, public at large, and staff. Selectman McCarter: · Received a call from a resident asking if there is any fire insurance that would have been available to the Town for the cleanup of the Homestead property. He doesn't remember any, but asked that the Town Manager check on it. · Asked if he's talked to Attorney Mangiaratti regarding the situation with our former trash collector. · Reminded everyone the Special Town Meeting has been continued to Tuesday and noted there are many important articles on the warrant that need to be considered. r Selectman Donovan: · Asked about the signs for the new track, noting a gentleman offered signs if we could tell him what to put on them. Town Manager D'Agostino said he wlÏl check with Superintendent Moretti as to how many are needed and how they should be worded Selectman McCue: · Had a gentleman suggest that when we get the new flagpole it might be nice to save sections of the old flagpole and use them on plaques or in a railing. Edward Tartufo, Brookside Road - jokingly said he appreciated the fact the agenda was not put into a lottery system. He went on to state the purpose for his pilgrimage is to talk about Plymouth Street. Towards the end of his tenure as a r Selectman he initiated applications for state grants to get money. The list was Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 13 ".- developed by Tom Markt and nothing happened with it. He spoke of the land on Plymouth Street, to which we did not have access. He got an agreement for an easement and funds for a box culvert to cross the property. To start there was a 5 acre parcel in the middle of the Town property owned by the Sheffie family and he spoke to the family, had it appraised, agreed on a price, but was short $2,500 to purchase it. Willie Sarro came across an anonymous donor and it was purchased for $18,000. The Town was stingy about helping them at Plymouth Street and when he got off the board in 1983 they formed a committee of their own and enlisted people from different parts of the community to assist them. Lou Amoruso was one of those members. A mission statement was developed that said they would help develop the property into a first-class multiuse recreation facility for people of all ages. They also developed a brochure and raised money to make it work. It was done on the premise that it would be used by many different people of different ages for the benefit of the community. He believes that is what should continue to happen at Plymouth Street and it should not be restricted nor licensed to someone to operate there. He objected to the extension of that agreement, stating it was not intended for the single use of one group and that impression should not be given. He disagreed with giving anyone a license for ten years because it was sold as a multi-use facility and was not intended to be used by anyone specific group. Memorial Park is preserved as open space recreation, and that is what this should be also. He stated the situation needs to be addressed at some point. Town Manager D'Agostino asked if he thinks there is sufficient protection existing to preserve it as open space long term? Mr. Tartufo replied that Plymouth Street should be in the same category as Memorial Park. Selectman Amoruso said we do know there are other access points to that property. Mr. Tartufo stated it is sacred soil to us, as is the Common. Town Manager D'Agostino added that we're supposed to get green space back on the North Common when the train station is developed. Mr. Tartufo noted the remaining land surrounding Plymouth Street was donated to the Natural Resources Trust (NRT) and he believes NRT would be cooperative with the town in developing walking trails out there. Town Manager D'Agostino suggested that would be a good Eagle Scout project over the next couple of years. r- Paul Johnson of 19 Mayflower Drive - said his questions involved two areas: public safety and administrative ~ With respect to the Public Safety issue, he reported that at 5:40 pm and 6:19 p.m. it's like a Who concert at the Train Station when people run to their cars. Twice in the past week he's almost been sideswiped. There are also kids playing whiffle ball in the area. He also stated that if you travel down Route 106 by Video Mania you'll witness people crossing through the parking lot at 30 mph to avoid the traffic--an area where kids are riding their bikes or walking. He encouraged having the police Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 14 ."-- park the car behind Video Mania or in the train station so people don't see the police cruiser I and have the officer stand in the area and hand out tickets. Town Manager D'Agostino said he will speak to Police Department. On the administrative issues, he stated he loves the Mansfield website. He noted, however, that the rates on the PDF file are different than those on the Building Department form. He said he would also like to see the trash collection schedule put on the website to indicate if there's a delayed pickup schedule during a holiday week. r George Dentino of Gladiola Terrace - reported he requested a month ago to be on the agenda with about ten items and was told he needed to run it through the Town Manager's Office. Last week he asked to be on the agenda to discuss warrant articles and got a letter from the Chairman saying it was the Board's policy not to discuss them before Town Meeting. He asked if and when the Board adopted that policy. Chairman Donovan replied that John (Town Manager D'Agostino) has held pre-town meetings and only one or two people showed up. He noted we discuss the here as a Board to determine our support and recommendation to Town Meeting, but the Town Meeting floor is where they should be discussed by individuals. Chairman Donovan said he sent the letter because since he's been on the Board, that has been the Board policy. Mr. Dentino asked what right he had to speak for the Board and make that statement when the Board had never voted on such a policy. A debate between Mr. Dentino and Chairman Donovan ensued as to the rights of the Chairman giving him a policy when the Board has never discussed it. Mr. Dentino noted Chairman Donovan overstepped his bounds. Chairman Donovan noted he'd never checked with the Town Manager. Selectman McCue noted one of the recommendations that came out of the Ad Hoc Committee was that we do a review pre-Town Meeting on the articles to prevent lengthy debates on Town Meeting floor. Chairman Donovan said they did that last year and had only five people. Selectman MacCaffrie said it was suggested it be done as we discuss our decision as to whether to support each article. Selectman McCarter asked that a copy of Mr. Glazer's letter be sent to the Cable Access and Cable Monitoring Committees. Town Manager D'Agostino said they're going to give him additional information and send it out to Mr. Foss of AT&T Broadband. f Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 15 ,.-- r f Motion: To adjourn at 10:58 p.m. (Amoruso-McCarter) 5-0 Passes (41ð~ ~ Date of Approval Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 23, 2002 16