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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin brd of selectmen 03/20/02 r Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 r r- C ,,- I'} E I'" tÜ_A:il, _J I (,' ,'~ IlFF ICE 02 MAR 28 M1 8: 35 ~"~ :~ ' I' 1.:-! 0 ¡ j ,..;, l.,. '- M" cc;~, ¡~HI!c.:ETTS lîl-\.)... ¡, '-',. '. J Present: Chairman Louis P. Amoruso; Vice Chairman Bradford E. Wills; Clerk Michael W. McCue; Selectmen David W. McCarter. 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. · Minutes of March 13, 2002 Selectman Wills said he thought he made the motion at last week's meeting to go into Executive Session and that Selectman McCue seconded it. He also requested the motion reflect the fact he made it because Town Counsel said it was legal to hold the discussion in Executive Session and the Police Chief requested it. Motion: To approve the minutes as amended (McCue-McCarter) 4-0 Passes r · Executive Session Minutes of March 13, 2002 Motion: To approve and release (McCue-Wills) To approve: 3-0-1 with Selectman McCarter abstaining from approval of the minutes because he was not present for the Executive Session; 4-0 in favor of releasing the minutes Passes · Warrant No. 39 in the amount of $1,294,549.10 Motion : To approve (WioIls-McCarter) 4-0 with Selectman McCarter abstaining from Municipal Building Committee payroll · Hackney Driver License - John W. Kanovos (CORI -OK; driving history attached) Motion : To approve (McCarter-McCue) 4-0 Passes ,.,-. . Hackney Carriage Licenses (4) for Foxfield Taxi Corp (Inspected and Approved by Police Department) Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 1 r Motion: To approve hackney carriage licenses for vehicles #99, #100, #101, and #102 (McCue-Wills) 4-0 Passes Town Manaaer and Staff . Copy of memo from Lorilee Fish, Park & Recreation Director, to Ken Butler, General Manager of Mansfield Music and Arts Society, re: request to provide for extra needs for their Outdoor Arts Festival on the South Common We can assist with the electrical drops, but would have to hire a licensed electrician, the cost of which would have to be borne by MMA5. The Town Manager will talk to Mr. Butler and coordinate it. Boards and Committees r . Letter of resignation from Jayme A. Glick of Animal Welfare Committee Motion: To accept the resignation with regret and send letter of appreciation (McCue-McCarter) 4-0 Passes Residents . Copy of letter from Ed Tartufo re: donation made to West Side Benevolent Society - Christmas is for Kids fund in honor of the" John D'Agostino Shovel" Others r . Letter from Norton Water/Sewer Commission re: sewer needs request from a Norton business Town Manager D'Agostino noted there are two issues with the Town of Norton. One of these is the manner in which we have been receiving these requests. The information lacking is we do not have an accurate flow count from Norton as it relates to critical needs. We need to hold Norton to the same standard as we hold Foxboro. Based on the lack of information received from Norton, it would be our inclination to deny the request at this time. They have been asked to provide the information and have not done so. They have also gone to the developer and asked them to contact Mansfield directly, and that is not how we operate. We have an agreement with Norton, but not with independent parties. A meeting is being set up with Norton to attempt to iron out these issues. Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 2 r Chairman Amoruso suggested a joint meeting be set up with Norton Water and Sewer Commissioners following the meeting with Norton officials. · Note of thanks from the Spiezio family on the death of Carol Spiezio Steve MacCaffrie, 236 Mill Street - · asked if we ever found out who owns the Route 106 underpass. There is no agreement on that issue. Congressman Frank has been advised that it is not in the best interests of the public to leave an underpass in that condition under the control of an entity that has no ability to maintain it. r · Asked if the IDC follows up on reports of industry looking for a place to locate. They are trying to commit $5,000 in funds they have to a marketing plan. Right now 5 percent of the industrial park is available, which is not much space. The Town Manager said he has asked them to develop an ambassador-type program in situations such as these in marketing properties to interested parties. Brochures are also available. Selectman McCue noted his commitment to get more involved with the IDC in such instances. Selectman McCarter noted meetings held with the Planning Board and IDC to make the area more attractive to industry and changes made to the Zoning By-law to make it easier for industry to locate there. Chairman Amoruso stated the smallest parcel marketed is 15,000 square feet, while many of the smaller businesses need less than that. Were "land poorH when it comes to industrial space. · Spoke of the heated discussion two weeks ago regarding the water issue and apologized for the part he played in the meeting getting out of order. He suggested Selectmen not ask questions of John during the meeting when they can be asked any time during the week. Selectman McCarter noted sometimes it's done as a way to keep the public informed on the status of projects. The Town Manger noted it is the Board's prerogative to ask him any question they want to in public and they deserve an answer when asked. David Cass of 17 School Street was present to discuss his application to serve on the Animal Welfare Committee. He jokingly assured everyone that he has no ties r to Cleveland or the State of Ohio, noting there has been an unfortunate vacancy created by two prior chairmen moving back to Ohio. He was on the Committee Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 3 r previously and has kept in touch with the activities of the committee. It appears at this time there is a need for more involvement on his part and he was approached by the former chairman, Richard Myers. Selectman McCue noted David Cass is his next door neighbor and they served together previously on the Committee. He recommended him highly for appointment to the Animal Welfare Committee. Mr. Cass assisted the committee in establishing the non-profit branch of the shelter as a means of raising money through donations to assist with their work and is interested in working further in the efforts to build a new animal shelter in the next five years. Selectman McCarter asked him what they have to do to get him to go to Town Meetings. Mr. Cass noted it's been a matter of time, but noted he has been to some in the past. Motion: To appoint David Cass (Wills-McCue) 4-0 Passes t' George Lombardi was present to discuss his application for appointment as a constable. He stated he lives at 83 Oak Street in Foxboro and is interested in learning more about Court process in law enforcement. He works in Mansfield in the Industrial Park. He has resources available to assist him in carrying out the responsibilities of a constable. Motion: To appoint George Lombardi as a constable for a term ending January 1, 2005. (McCarter-McCue) 4-0 Passes r The Town Manager: . Reported revenue is a moving target as we don't know what we'll be getting from the State. We believe we're looking at a $3.8 million deficit. It appears that the Governor's budget will be less politically explosive as a result of her decision not to run for election. We're anticipating a 5'0 reduction of her recommended budget. Revenue projections could be as dire as a $5.1 million deficit. We don't believe the legislature will advocate for a 10'0 reduction of the revenue stream. We have reduced our operating budget to $220,780 below the 2002 budget, which represents a 7.8'0 to 8.3'0 reduction. Some assumptions have been made in revenue receipts, and he detailed the changes in projected revenue. He noted the "big hit" would be in Chapter 70 funds. The difficulty is that we're looking at a "moving target" as far as revenue is concerned, yet have to have a balanced budget to go to Town Meeting. Town Manager D'Agostino then detailed the cuts being made. There will be a decrease of one staff person in DPW and the difference will be absorbed by the Water Department. Trash pickups for condominiums has been cut, DPW electricity has been reduced which may Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 4 r decrease street lighting, $5,700 is being proposed to be cut from the Airport Commission. Additional cuts of $800,000 come from CIP. We don't believe this proposal jeopardizes the number of positions in the town; however, we have a remaining shortfall of $2.1 million. We've cut to date approximately $1.5 million from the operating budget of the Town-side of the budget. There is $2.9 million in the Stabilization Account. Additional cuts on the Town-side will result in employees being laid off and a reduction of services. He noted that two people will have to be laid off for each person cut to pay for the costs associated with unemployment insurance, as the Town is self-insured. His objective is to not lay-off employees and said he would rather reduce hours as an alternative. The first initiative is to get to an '02 budget in '03, and then establish a 10'0 reduction beyond that. He's recommended a 10'0 decrease in the Town Manager's salary line-item and is not recommending a decrease for the secretaries. He noted he cannot ask others to do something unless he's willing to do the same. If the state cuts back on reimbursement for Charter Schools, we're looking at close to $1 million this year as an expenditure. Factoring out all issues relating to schools we're looking at a budget of $17,762,535.24 - which translates to a budget of $220,780 below '02 in '03. Selectmen McCarter called upon the School Department to hold the status quo in the number of teachers for the next couple of years. He said he would be willing to go to Stabilization to maintain existing personnel, but not to increase the number of personnel. Town Manager D'Agostino noted an immediate spending freeze has been mandated for anything not absolutely necessary to meet State and Federal objectives. If Stabilization funds are used, he recommended the fund be replaced the following year before anything else is budgeted. He suggested Free Cash in the fall be designated on a priority basis to replenish Stabilization, with the balance being designated as revenue to reduce the expected deficit. Selectman McCue noted '04 may be worse than '03 and expressed concern about spending that cannot be sustained in following years. It was generally agreed that Stabilization should not be used to support additional personnel. Motion: In the event we have to use Stabilization to get us through the '03 budget, any Free Cash be used to replenish Stabilization in the fall. It was noted this would be a policy statement and such an action would depend on Town Meeting vote. (McCarter-Wills) r ,-. Selectman McCarter noted that although many people have not been directly affected by the recession, the decrease in revenue as the result of reductions in the State budget will affect the town. Chairman Amoruso expressed concern that voting positively on the motion will encourage the use of funds in the Stabilization Account, noting it may convey the wrong message. He stated, and Selectman McCarter agreed, that the use of Stabilization should only be a measure of last Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 5 r resort. Further cuts would be the only way to prevent the use of Stabilization. The gap cannot be closed in any other way. Vote on motion: 4-0 Passes r Motion: Should we use any Stabilization funds, it not be for an increase in personnel (Wills-McCarter) Chairman Amoruso noted if there are any new hires on the School-side of the budget, it would be difficult to prove that none of the funds used to pay them came from Stabilization. There are nine new positions recommended, but that does not mean they will all be filled. Finance Committee Chairman Andres Gazzolo noted the school budget process started with the hiring of seven new people, and they are now down to three. Everyone's moving in the right direction, but we're not there yet. He stated he would like to hold a meeting with the Finance Committee, Town Manager, Selectmen and School Committee next week. He pointed out this is a year we have to be conservative. The Town Manger noted we've reached the point where it's time sub-committees of the Boards meet to establish the amount of the deficit and develop strategies for closing it. He spoke of his vision of the economic recovery being "U-shaped" as opposed to "V-shaped", with a more gradual recovery period. Chairman Amoruso noted he has not seen any commitment on the State- level to assist cities and towns in this situation. Concern was expressed that using money from Stabilization to add positions increases the base in future years and the budget line item grows exponentially each year. ~ Chairman Amoruso noted we do not have all the facts presented yet and he does not want to put himself in a position of voting on such a motion until we have all the facts. We understand the philosophy, but need to know what the needs are. Selectman Wills noted it's going to be tough deciding to lay-off people. He noted people must be ready to retire and those should be replaced, but those are not additional personnel. The Town Manager noted that as leaders he and the Board must make recommendations to Town Meeting that are reasonable and will reach the established goal. He suggested discussing the intentions of the Board with the Finance Committee and School Committee prior to taking a vote on this. Finance Committee Chairman Gazzolo noted they would not support the use of Stabilization at this point. He suggested both the Town and Schools need to cut more. Chairman Amoruso pointed out we might not have sufficient Free Cash at the end of the year to reimburse completely any funds taken from Stabilization. It was suggested that this is premature at this point. Selectman McCue noted he is not ready to make this decision yet. Selectman Wills asked what would be different in a week. It was noted the intent is clear, but there is more work to do and a meeting of all involved is critical. Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 6 r Vote on Motion: 2-2 McCarter-Wills; Amoruso-McCue fails FinCom Chairman Gazzolo asked for a meeting Monday, April 1st, to discuss further cuts. Continuing his report, the Town Manager noted: . On June 30. 1997 we had $1.2 in Stabilizaiton. Today we have $3 million, even after building fields and doing things the town needed. r . Asked the Board to focus on setting a date for the postponed Annual Town Meeting. The date already set by Charter is April 9th, but based on the difficult aspects of this budget it's in the best interest of the community to delay it as long as possible. It must be concluded by the beginning of June. Monday, May 6th, or Tuesday, May 1\ was suggested. Chairman Amoruso noted if we start the meeting on May 6th, it should be with the understanding that it would continue on May ¡tho Elections are the following Tuesday, so it would not be possible to hold Town Meeting that day. Motion: To hold Town Meeting on May 6th and 7th and the Special Town Meeting on May 6th, within the Annual (McCarter-McCue) 4-0 Passes Motion: To open the warrant for Special Town Meeting and close it on April 10th for the May 6th meeting. (McCarter-Wills) 4-0 Passes ~ . Had a follow-up meeting with some members of the Airport Commission regarding the Request For Proposals (RFP) process. It is the intention of the Airport Commission to have the RFP out on the street by May 15th. The Board would best be served if there's a follow-up meeting with the Airport Commission regarding the role of the commission and staff. We want to have the most competitive proposal possible, generating the most response, and will keep it as clearly defined as possible. It's also necessary to establish performance standards and measures by which they'll be reached, looking for a contract with a 5-year option at the discretion of the Commission and a ten-year term with a ten year option for renewal. Chairman Amoruso noted at the Airport Commission meeting it was not clear what had been agreed on as to process. There is a difference of opinion as to how the RFP is formulated and developed that needs to be addressed. The Town Manager stated the RFP should be put together by staff. The committee should work with the Commission to develop the RFP and would make recommendations on those received, with the Airport Commission making the final decision and the Town Manager signing the contract. The Airport Commission is grappling with their perception that Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 7 r authority is being taken away from them. It is rather a system of checks and balances. The Commission presented today what they believe are the salient points of the RFP. It was our intent to have an inclusive process. Mike Ahern has presented a memo to the Airport Commission outlining questions that need to be addressed in developing the RfP. Article 2 - Town Budget: a figure will be available for next week's meeting. Article 25 - Sidewalk easement: Hold Article 26 - Free Cash: Hold Article 27 - Feasibility study for cable and phone service - need to amend language to note proceeds for the study will come from the Light Department. Motion: To support subject to the article being amended to reflect funding of an amount not to exceed $50,000. to come from the Electric Light Department, (McCarter-Wills) 2-2 (McCue-Wills opposed) r Motion: Not to support article (McCue-Wills) 2-2 (McCarter-Amoruso opposed) Articles 28 and 29 - Community Preservation Act - doesn't have a percentage specified at this point - not to exceed 3'0 - can be amended downward. The Town Manager talked with Lenny Flynn and he'd like to see an amendment that addresses other issues. Hold Article 31 - By-law changes for Mansfield Music and Arts Society - Haven't heard back from Attorney Mangiaratti - Hold Selectmen Wills state he has reviewed the articles acted upon in his absence and would like to make all the 4-0 votes 5-0, adding his support. Articles 32 - 44 Amendments to the General By-Laws regarding the conduct of Town Meeting - Hold; invite the committee in to go over them again. Article 45 - Kingman Pond Dam - Move up with CIP articles ,-. Article 46 - Essex Street land acquisition - Move up with financial articles prior to stabilization article of Finance Committee. Motion: Not to support Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 8 .. r (McCarter-Wills) 4-0 Passes Selectman McCarter: · Asked if we're being held to the 10-days regarding the liquor license violations. The Chief has agreed to wait untl1 Selectman Donovan returns. He noted it was not his intent to cast dispersion on the rest of the Board by his decision to not go into Executive Session, but his decision was based on Atty. Mangiaratti's opinion, which he disagreed with. Selectmen McCue: · Expressed his thanks and respect for our Fire Department personnel in their handling of a recent family emergency. It was noted their exemplary service is par for the course, but is much appreciated. r Motion: To adjourn at 10:30 p.m. (Wills-McCue) 4-0 Passes ~d <./ Signature of Clerk 81 ~I! ða Date of Approval r- Board of Selectmen Minutes of March 20, 2002 9