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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin brd of selectmen 02/16/05 ( fl... F r. l['}: I I ~J l,.~ Present: Town of Mansfield Board of Selectmen U5 FE.B 24 10: 06 Minutes of February 16,2005 \"( i'._ it~LO Chairman Steven W. MacCaffrie; Clerk Bernard J. Dolanrr~~i~ ~ ~JlM~th1J, 5 Selectman Michael McCue Town Manager John O. D' Agostino Vice Chairman Roger Achille was not in attendance for meeting r- The Board of Selectman meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. . Warrant No. 34 in the amount of$ 3,207,116.60 Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 Passes . Regular Session Meeting Minutes of February 9, 2005 Motion: To approve (McCue - Amoruso) 4-0 Passes ~) Chairman MacCaffrie mentioned for the record that the Board received a copy of a memo regarding the salary for a contracted cleaning woman. The Light Department Director researched the issue and received two lesser quotes. While the woman's salary was reduced to be more in line with other cleaning services, the salary is still generous. Chairman MacCaffrie began by saying that the replica of the Boston Post Cane was provided by North Easton Savings Bank and asked Bank President/CEO Tom Duebler to present the cane to Mr. Silvio Morini. Mr. Duebler noted that it is a privilege to present this replica to the oldest resident of the Town of Mansfield. Mr. Duebler presented cane to Mr. Morini. Chairman MacCaffrie read a proclamation from the Board to Mr. Morini. He also noted that the carte was passed on for many years but went missing in 1952. While Mr. Morini will not be able to keep the cane, it will be prominently displayed on the second floor of Town Hall with Mr. Morini's name on a plaque beneath the cane. Audience and Board gave Mr. Morini a standing ovation. Chairman MacCaffrie presented plaque and Boston Post Cane pin to Mr. Morini and a family member of Mr. Morini pinned the pin on Mr. Morini's collar. Chairman MacCaffrie wished, on r ,,- Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16, 2005 1 behalf of the Board of Selectmen, continued good health. Board members all congratulated Mr. r- Morini. Mr. Morini said that Mansfield has been very good to him. Chairman MacCaffrie thanked Mr. Morini and his family for coming and thanked the bank for their contributions. He also commented that Mr. Morini leaves a legacy and it is nice to see a family as rich in spirit here tonight. He noted that this presentation and recognition is the greatest thing he has done as a Board member and believes that this nicest thing the Board has done in some time. Town Manager told Mr. Morini that he can share the cane with his family and return it at a later date. A younger member of Mr. Morini's family noted that he has seen 5 or 6 Red Sox World Championships in his lifetime. Board recessed at 7:50pm to allow for photos and congratulations. Board reconvened at 8:00pm .r- Gregory Arnold, 11 Deer Path Lane, Candidate for Appointment David Bruno, 61 Campbell Street, Candidate for Appointment . Chairman MacCaffrie asked each candidate to tell the Board a little about themselves and why they applied for the appointment to the Finance Committee. o Mr. Arnold replied that he moved to Mansfield in 1996, has no specific agenda and is interested in serving the Town in this capacity. o Mr. Bruno replied that he grew up in Mansfield and moved back here a few years ago to raise a family with his wife. He wants to be more active in the community and feels he can contribute to the Finance Committee. . Selectman Dolan asked the candidates if they attend Town Meeting? o Mr. Bruno replied that he has not attended any Town Meetings. o Mr. Arnold replied that he generally has attending Town Meetings. . Selectman Dolan noted that he went over both applications and found them both to be very . . ImpressIve. . Selectman McCue commented that the Finance Committee is entering its busiest season and there is a great deal of work to be done. Asked both candidates if they have spoken with any Committee members regarding the time commitment. ( Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16,2005 2 r- o Mr. Arnold said that he has talked to members and is aware of the time commitment for meetings, etc. a Mr. Bruno has also spoken with some members and has a sense of the time commitment. Also noted that he has professional commitments and let his company know of his desire to serve on the Committee. . Selectman McCue asked candidates what they see the role of the Finance Committee to be. a Mr. Bruno sees the Committee as a financial advisor to the Town and has a level of detail where they can do analysis and recommendations. a Mr. Arnold also sees it as an advisory committee and does the leg work for the Board of Selectmen. Being a member takes time and effort and the Committee gets down to the nitty-gritty and has forward-thinking vision. . Selectman Amoruso asked each candidate how they are at saying no and how do they react after saying no. ,-.- o Mr. Arnold replied that he has no problem saying no if it is something he believes in. There will be time where you'll need to say no. a Mr. Bruno replied that sometimes saying no is hard because of the reaction. It is a series of trade-offs and it comes down to the rationale in reaching the decision. He noted that he has done some consulting and has had to tell clients to do things differently. . Selectman Amoruso told both candidates they are both very qualified and hates to lose candidates if they aren't selected for an appointment the first time. . Selectman Amoruso noted it was also a balancing act between the school side and the town side and asked each candidate how they would characterize themselves? a Mr. Arnold commented that he has three kids under the age of 8. He's pro-school but not blinded by it. a Mr. Bruno said it is hard to say that he is pro or anti education. He sees three issues as big issues: I) education - big proponent of education; it was instilled by family; 2) safety - Mansfield has always been a safe community; and 3) affordable housing. . Chairman MacCaffrie commented that all of his questions has been answered and thanked both candidates and noted that they are both articulate. He asked if the candidates wanted to make any final comments. o Mr. Bruno thanked the Board for the opportunity and remarked that if he is given the chance to serve, he will feel confidynt that he can fill the commitment. a Mr. Arnold thanked the Board for the opportunity and noted that if he is not chosen, he'll keep other opportunities in mind. r-- Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16,2005 3 Town Manager said that the person would replace the open position left vacant when Frank DelVecchio did not reapply and it would be a three-year term to expire in 2008. \ 'J Motion: To appoint Greg Arnold for a three-year term on the Finance Committee (Dolan) 3-1 Passes (McCue, MacCaffrie & Dolan supporting Arnold nomination) Motion: To appoint David Bruno for a three-year term on the Finance Committee (Amoruso) 1-3 Fails (Amoruso supporting Bruno nomination) Chairman MacCaffrie informed Greg Arnold that he will be receiving a letter from the Board and will need to be sworn in by the Town Clerk. . Memorandum from Lee Azinheira, DPW Director, to Shaun Burke, Director of Planning & Development, dated February 9th listing the CIP requests for the Wastewater Treatment Plant. . Meeting notice from SRPEDD received February 10th announcing that the full SRPEDD Commission will meet on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 at 7:00pm at SRPEDD's office in Taunton. r- . Letter from Superintendent James Hager of the Southeastern Regional Vocational- Technical School dated February 10th regarding upcoming School Committee meeting schedule regarding the FY06 budget. . Memorandum from Town Manager dated February 10th to newly appointed Board of Assessors member Jerome Spiezio regarding information about upcoming training programs for assessors. State Representatives Betty Poirier and Mike Coppola also forwarded this information to Board. . Memorandum from Town Manager dated February lOth regarding the closing of the 2005 Annual Town Meeting Warrant on March 1,2005. . Memorandum from Lee Azinheira, DPW Director, to Town Manager and Board dated February 11th regarding a change in the job description of an Administrative Secretary. r' . Discussion was held with DPW Water Operations Manager Kurt Gaffney regarding the reason for the change in job description. The job description already exists for a Department of Public Works Administrative Secretary but the job description is for one specific position. The new job description only changes to whom the person answers in order to make it more generic. The duties, responsibilities and job qualifications remain unchanged. Board members raised questions about the cost impact of this change and whom the person would be reporting to. DPW wants to fill the position a few months before the Water Division moves to the new building. Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16, 2005 4 __ Motion: To approve changes in job description for Administrative Secretary within DPW, I omitting the word "general" under title at top as well as under duties and responsibilities in line two, as position previously included in budget by Finance Committee (McCue - Amoruso) 3-1 Passes (MacCaffrie opposed) Selectman Amoruso asked if, for future job descriptions, the words "A minimum of' be added to the phrase "High School graduate". Town Manager noted it was a good suggestion and that should be addressed now. Motion: To add the words "A minimum of' before the words "High School graduate" under Qualifications in future job postings. (Amoruso - Dolan) 4-0 Passes There were no questions and comments. Route 495 Southbound Ramo Uodate: ~ Town Manager reported that last week, he and staff met with VHB regarding the southbound 495 ramp. He has penned a status report for the Board and they should expect to receive it by the end of the week. There is a $116,200 funding gap before they can get to 25% design. The bond authorization cannot be committed the project is ready to be designed. The Bank of America/Campinelli Project has already spent $109,000 on the study which was supposed to cost $55,000 and the Bank of America/Campinelli Project can't be built without the southbound ramp. The Bank refuses to spend more than the $109,000 plus the other money they spent earlier. They feel that MassHighway thinks of them as a funding trough. The 225,000 square feet development can't be occupied due to the lack of the southbound ramp. The section 61 agreement was further amended to add language that will defer the additional $116,200 until Campinelli has an occupant of more than 225,000 square feet. Town Manager went on to say that whoever occupies the 225,000 square feet will have to come up with $116,200. Selectman Dolan asked if MassHighway got the money they need for the study, would they change the scope and asked if MassHighway has given the Town any guarantees? Selectmen Amoruso asked what the $116,200 will get the Town? He commented that this is all confusing. Town Manager replied that it is a state job, not a town project and that nothing was submitted to the Town. Section 61 also requires a feasibility study to study a potential northbound ramp, which would cost $22,000. Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16,2005 5 Selectmen Dolan noted that the Town and the Board has nO intention of supporting a northbound ---. ramp and asked why the money is being spent on the study. He noted that the southbound ramp ? would eliminate a lot of the traffic problems. Selectman McCue questioned why the Town would support any money for a northbound ramp. Town Manager noted that the Town could say no to the project and it would stop. He spoke to federal officials, who noted that if federal funds are used, all options must be looked at. Federal officials wanted to study an alternate northbound access through Mansfield - they are studying all options. He remarked that it has been stated in the past that the northbound slip ramp will not be supported and will not go forward. Town Manager said that the Town will be sending a letter to federal officials requesting two waivers; one for the northbound slip ramp and the other for the median split _ no access median on Route 140. If the Town gets the waiver with the help of Congressman Frank, the Town can look at less money and shore time frame to begin design for the southbound ramp. While the Town will not be able to pick which seven options can be considered, the Town will be involved in the options. Selectman Amoruso noted that only one or two options are even viable. Town Manager said that the Town will focus on those two options and the impact analysis needs to be completed. Two companies were going to pay - Campinelli and Great Waves - but now Great Waves is out and there is a deficiency in the funding. State Representatives Mike Coppola and Betty Poirier will be meeting with MassHighway Commissioner John Cogliano and will provide him with the issues and if this meeting is not successful, the Town will meet with Transportation Secretary Dan Grabauskas. r Chairman MacCaffrie noted that the Governor is in transportation mode and this project is ideal for Mansfield. Town Manager noted that the southbound ramp is ideal for both Mansfield and Norton and added that Norton Town Manager Jim Purcell was involved in the meeting with VHB last week. While the meeting with VHB was taking place, Reps. Coppola and Poirier were holding office hours and it gave the Town and VHB the opportunity to give the legislators a better understanding of the issues. Town Manager asked VHB and MassHighway where the $250,000 figure came from and they did not know. The legislators were asked and they said that they received the figure from MassHighway. Town Manager noted that the Town will work through this. Civil Service Test Information: The Civil Service Exam for entry-level municipal police officers will take place on April 30th at various locations across the Commonwealth. A candidate must have reached their 21 st birthday on or before April 30, 2005 and have not reached their 320d birthday on the date of the test. Information about the exam can be found on the state's web site at: www.mass.l!ov/hrd/cmintro.htm or by contacting Chief Arthur O'Neill at the Mansfield Police Department. -- '. .......~ Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16, 2005 6 Trash Discussion: '. A discussion about trash issues will take place from 7:45pm-9:00pm at the March 16th Board of Selectmen's Meeting. It will be a follow-up to a previous discussion regarding issues affecting trash collection and how the Town should structure the next contract with Waste Management or another vendor. The contract with Waste Management is up in 2006. .('> Selectman McCue: Anounced that he ran into an Easton Selectman and discussed renewing the informal discussions with Norton and Easton. He asked Board to vote to allow him to continue discussions and noted that he would not commit to anything and will report back to the Board. Motion: To allow Selectman McCue to continue informal discussions with selectmen from Norton and Easton (Amoruso - Dolan) 4-0 Passes Would like to look at legislation to allow a larger scope of exemptions for small business owners with respect to setting the tax rate. Suggested that perhaps the Board ask the Board of Assessors, once they are more stable, to look at the laws and see how they could be changed. (' Selectman Amoruso: Is planning to ask MassHighway specific questions about the left-hand turn signals - commented that District 5 Director Bernard McCourt did not answer questions asked by the Town Manager and will ask pointed questions. Read a letter to the editor in The Mansfield News which said that he was a big proponent of a level tax rate. He is not in favor of a level tax rate and believes the letter was a misrepresentation of his record. Chairman MacCaffrie: Asked Town Manager if a Thursday night Executive Session with the Finance Committee and the School Committee be arranged in the next few weeks to discuss budget, finance and contract strategies. Town Manager said he did not know anything about this. Selectman Amoruso said that the Board should get the information in advance. Chairman MacCaffrie added that if the Board does not get the information, the meeting will be cancelled. Town Manager noted that he is unsure if the School Committee will participate and hopes that the Finance Committee would let the Town Manager know what is going on. ({ Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16,2005 7 Chairman MacCaffrie said that contract discussions should be in executive session. Town r Manager said that the Town is part of a regional consortium in the purchase of insurance and that consultants may need to come and speak to everyone regarding insurance trends. He added that if there is going to be a meaningful discussion of what the strategies are, the consultants should be on hand. Selectman Amoruso commented that this is of interest to the public and that the public needs to know what the Town is facing. Town Manager said that a meeting would be scheduled. Asked Town Manager if he received a copy of a letter that was delivered tonight to the Board members _ Town Manager did not receive copy. Chairman MacCaffrie noted that he did not know all of the details and said the letter mayor may not be valid. Town Manager stated that he was not going to spend taxpayer's money to subsidize commuter parking and stated that the letter wasn't even cc 'ed to the Board. Town Manager said that the Town is in a process of negotiation and that this will not be decided tonight and there are issues that need to be discussed. Chairman MacCaffrie stated that he does not want to be blindsided. Selectman Amoruso asked about the closing of the warrant. Town Manager replied that the warrant will be closed on March rt and that the Board will see general blocks of articles at next week's meetings and those articles will be fine-tuned as time goes on. Selectman Dolan added that the meeting was not filmed earlier when Chairman MacCaffrie mentioned the issue of the salary for the contracted cleaning woman at the Light Department and wanted to repeat the information now that the meeting is being taped. The cleaning woman's salary was not in line with other bids and the Director of the Light Department remedied the situation. The issue has all been straightened out. r-- (Amoruso) 4-0 Passes ClJenw.n[l. ([)of?;~ Signature of Clerk Pe6ruary 23. 2005 Date of Approval r- Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 16,2005 8