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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOS MINUTES 1-30-1985BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING JANUARY 30, 1985 PRESENT: Chairman Wills; Selectman Dunn, D'Onofrio, McNair, Town Manager; Selectman Levine arrived at 7:35 P.M. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M. and Board polled to see if it wanted to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining and /or litigation. hflyix�lIIll - Executive Minutes typed separately - 2. The regular meeting was opened at 8:10 P.M. and the Flag saluted. 3. Warrant #32 MOTION: To approve Warrant #32 in the amount of $402,377.75, dated January 30, 1985, broken down as follows: General Fund - $315,054.91 School Expense - 14,540.01 Special Revenue - 2,065.00 Motor Pool - 94.40 Sewer Enterprise - 2,354.07 Water Enterprise - 7,276.72 Electric Enterprise - 60,992.64 D'Onofrio /Dunn VOTED: 4 -0 Levine abstained 4. Industrial Development Financing Authority Francis Baldini, Chairman of the IDFA was present, along with Richard O'Neil and Richard Flynn, Trustees of BE -CO Realty Trust, together %with their attor- ney, Larry Whittenberg, to ask for a vote on the Resolution they presented to ratify and confirm the Board's resolution adopted May 23, 1984, for Boston Envelope Co., Inc. The resolution is: MOTION: That the Board of Selectmen as the governing body (as defined in Chapter 40D of the Massachusetts General Laws) of the Town of Mans- field, Massachusetts hereby ratifies and confirms its resolution adopted May 23, 1984 approving the Project, its ettimated cost and the financing of the Project or such portion thereof as shall not be contributed from other sources through the issuance of indus- trial revenue bonds pursuant to Chapter 40D of the Massachusetts General Laws, and hereby amends said resolution to indicate that the Borrower of the proceeds of such bonds shall be the Owner rather than the Vazza Associates, in the amount of $3.8 million. McNair /Levine VOTED: 5 -0 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING JANUARY 30, 1985 PAGE 2 The gentlemen noted that the original resolution was for $4 million, now re- duced to $3.8 million, and said the renovations are completed and they ex- pect to be moving in about March 10, 1985. They thanked the Board and the Chairman thanked Francis Baldini and his committee for their volunteer work. 5. New Business - Town Manager The Town Manager read a letter to the Board of Selectmen, from himself, in which he advised them of his resignation as Town Manager; the effective date to be determined by mutual agreement between the Board of Selectmen and him- self. It went on to say he had accepted the appointment as Town Manager for the Town of Winchester, which is a career advancement for him. He said he appreciates the experience the Town of Mansfield has provided him over the past 15 years, and he will work closely with the Board and other town offi- cials to ensure the transition is efficiently and effectively carried for- ward. The announcement was followed by congratulations and well wishes from each member of the Board, as well as statements of sorrow in losing him, with his wealth of knowledge concerning so many Town matters. The Chairman said the Town of Winchester is one of :eight in the upper tier of management com- munities in Massachusetts, which is a compliment to Chad Maurer's ability, and he said he feels Chad qualifies for a plaque after all he has done for the Town. * MOTION: To accept the resignation with deepest regret, and vie wish you a great deal of luck and thank you for what you have done for us. Levine /Dunn John Costello, a resident, was present and said he had just moved from the Town of Winchester two years ago, and said Chad's move will be a loss for the town and it is a credit to him that Winchester chose him. The Chairman then said it is a heavy decision for the Board to find a new Town Manager and he hopes to get on it as quickly as possible. Motion VOTED: 5 -0 * MOTION: We start a Town Manager Search Committee and that committee would begin to work with Chad right away to start formulating the plans. Levine /Dunn AMENDMENT: To make it a 2 -seat committee. D'Onofrio /Levine Motion and Amendment VOTED: 5 -0 Selectmen Levine and D'Onofrio volunteered for the Search Committee. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING JANUARY 30, 1985 PAGE 3 The Chairman then said the Board needs to think about an Acting Town Manager and the terms that would be involved. 6. WORKSHOP /1986 Budget a) The Town Manager started with a review of Revenue and Expenditures, ex- plaining that assumptions made were made in December, so subject to change. He said Mansfield will receive a greater increase in State aid than it did last year - $353,000 this year, and that there is no indication that there will be ear - marking for education. He offered decisions that need to be made; i.e., expanding programs, additional personnel or bring budget back so that everything is paid on the tax rate. Water rates will not have to be raised this year. This created some discussion and Selectman D'Onofrio asked for a projection in the water and sewer accounts of the break -even point. b) Barbara Hagg, Town Accountant, was present, along with the DPW Director, Town Treasurer and Town Clerk. Barbara Hagg had sent a Memo to each Selectman on Sewer Rates, which she reviewed here. She suggests changing billing for water /sewer to quarterly. This would shorten the billing cycle and increase cash flow, as well as reduce the blow of large semi- annual bills. She also suggests raising the rates now, and charging in- terest"'.to users who are over 30 days past due. She would also like to have all large water /sewer users billed on a monthly basis. She suggests starting the monthly billing right away and the increased sewer rates at the same time the contract operation starts. Discussion followed in which contracting out meter reading to the Electric Department, sending esti- mated bills and read the meter only quarterly, and the fact, pointed out by the Treasurer, that she would need another clerk if these changes were put into effect. The DPW Director supports the change in billings. MOTION: To go to quarterly and monthly billing. Dunn /Levine VOTED: 5 -0 Selectman D'Onofrio expressed a concern for instituting these changes without allowing the citizens a chance to be informed, and an informal hearing a few weeks from now was suggested, with consensus of the Board to do this. The DPW Director suggested covering the increase in sewer rates at the same time, which was also approved. At this point Selectman Levine left the meeting. c) The Town Manager briefly reviewed his Overview Labor Contract Negotiations The Chairman interrupted the Workshop to ask for a motion covering postpone- ment of the Special Town Meeting of February 4, 1985, said expected motion a result of the Executive Session which preceded tonight's regular meeting. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING JANUARY 30, 1985 PAGE 4 * MOTION: That the Special Town Meeting be postponed until March 4, 1985. Dunn /D'Onofrio The purpose of the postponement is that it will be in the best interest of the town, allowing the employees and the contractor to work out some potential problems, and the Town Moderator is to be notified that this is the Board's wish to continue it until March 4th. VOTED: 4 -0 8. WORKSHOP (cont'd) d) The next section covered was General Government, and the Town Manager went down the listed departments and their expenses, giving explanations where needed and /or asked for. The most discussion centered on needs of the Accountant, such as a storage cabinet for computer discs and a new airconditioner.' The present air conditioner freezes up, so the computer cannot be,left on 24 hours a day, which it should no%v that the Police.De- partment is using it also;.the present air conditioner is a discard from the Electric Department. The Selectmen felt it would be nice to have a demonstration of the computer system and were told it could be arranged. Barbara Hagg advised the Board that she felt an annual audit should be done. Joan Cutillo, Town Treasurer, said the State will require it every two years because of our receipts now. e) The Town Clerk, supported by the Town Manager, restated her need for a full -time clerk. There was discussion regarding two part -time clerks which would save the Town cost for benefits; this is not practical for the Town Clerk's office because of the type of work and knowledge re- quired. f) Returning to the statement by the Town Treasurer that if the amount of billing increased she would need an addtiional clerk, Selectman D'Onofrio pointed out the need for figures to help ascertain whether costs vs. ex- penses would substantiate a change in the present staffing. g) The Town Manager then briefly went over Debt and Interest and Insurance and Benefits. The only one discussed at any length was the unfunded pension liability with the Treasurer participating. The Chairman then closed the session, reminding the Board that there will be another Budget Workshop two weeks from this evening. 9. Adjournment * MOTION: To adjourn, at 10:50 P.M. McNair /Dunn VOTED: 4 -0 MINUTES APPROVED: erk ( Date fib° ORDER OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN TOWN OF MANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS WHEREAS, the acquisition and renovation of industrial develop- ment facilities owned by Richard O'Neil and Richard Flynn, as they are Trustees of BE -CO Realty Trust (the "Owner ") have been undertaken in the Town of Mansfield (the "Town "); and WHEREAS, said industrial development facilities (the "Project ") consist generally of the acquisition of approximately 431,244 square feet of land and the existing approximately 130,000 square foot industrial building located thereon, all located at 31 Middlesex Road in the Town of Mansfield, including the renovation of the existing building to provide a facility to be leased to Boston Envelope Company, Inc. for manufacturing and related office use; and WHEREAS, the Board of Selectmen of the Town (the "Board ") adopted a resolution at a meeting held May 22, 1984 approving the Project, its estimated cost and the financing of the Project through the issuance of industrial revenue bonds of the Town pursuant to Chapter 40D of the Massachusetts General,Laws; and - WHEREAS, such resolution named Vazza Associates as the borrower of the proceeds of such bonds, but contemplated that Vazza Associates would sell the Project to the Owner and that the Owner would be the beneficiary of the proceeds of such bonds; and WHEREAS, such approval was intended to serve as an inducement for the Owner to undertake the Project; and WHEREAS, the Owner has pursuant to such inducement undertaken the Project; BE IT, THEREFORE, RESOLVED: That the Board of Selectmen as the governing body (as defined in Chapter 40D of the Massachusetts General Laws) of the Town of Mans- field, Massachusetts hereby ratifies and confirms its resolution adopted May 22, 1984 approving the Project, its estimated cost and the financing of the Project or such portion thereof as shall not be contributed from other sources through the issuance of industrial revenue bonds pursuant to Chapter 40D of the Massachusetts General Laws, and hereby amends said resolution to indicate that the Borrower of the proceeds of such bonds shall be the Owner rather than the Vazza Associates.