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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOS MINUTES 8-7-1985BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING AUGUST 7, 1985 AUG 2X%" %" ! ' pe PRESENT: Chairman D'Onofrio; Selectmen Dunn, McNair; Acting Town Manager; Selectman Mahana arrived at 7:34 P.M. 1. The meeting was called to order and the Flag saluted, at 7:30 P.M. Immediately thereafter the Chairman asked for a moment of silence for Ron King who had passed away this week. He went on to say Ron had been a Call Firefighter for a number of years, as well as a member of the Recreation Commission and very active in Little League and Midget Football. 2. Minutes of July 24 and 31, 1985 * MOTION: To approve the Minutes of July 24, 1985. McNair /Dunn VOTED: 3 -0 * MOTION: To approve the Minutes of July 31, 1985. McNair /Dunn VOTED: 2 -0 McNair abstained 3. Warrant #7 * MOTION: To approve Warrant #7 in the amount of $557,985.46, dated August 7, 1985, broken down as follows: General Fund - $298,214.49 Revenue Sharing - 12,287.50 School Lunch 714.46 Special Revenue - 28,702.63 High School Reroofing - 176,329.62 Motor Pool - 364.60 Sewer Enterprise - 9,747.59 Water Enterprise - 9,260.42 Electric Enterprise - 22,364.15 Chairman D'Onofrio asked that Voucher Nos. 305 -1 and 322 be held out until further information is obtained. VOTED, with the exception of Voucher Nos. 305 -1 and 322: 3 -0 Selectman Dunn abstained on Voucher No. 309 4. Licenses and Permits a) Renewal Application by Hidden Country, Inc. for Sunday Music &.Dancing. * MOTION: To approve the Hidden Country Renewal Application. McNair / Mahana VOTED: 4 -0 b) Application for Transfer of Hidden Country, Inc. liquor license to A.L.E., Inc. Attorney Joseph R. Santos, of Walpole, was present, repre- senting both petitioners, Gilbert Stuart and Alan L. Ellis. Mr. Stuart BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING AUGUST 7, 1985 PAGE 2 will sell the land, building and corporation to Mr. Ellis who has been with the corporation for two years, and was responsible for expanding the menu. Mr. Stuart will continue to have an interest in the new cor- poration. Mr. Santos said he will be filing the new names of Homestead Restaurant and Sundown Saloon with the Town Clerk if and when the license transfer is approved. * MOTION: To hold a public hearing September 4, 1985 for the applica- tion of liquor license transfer of Hidden Country, Inc. to A.L.E., Inc. Dunn /Mahana VOTED: 4 -0 5. Correspondence a) Memorandum from Local Election Districts Review Commission re: Extension of time to file local redistricting plans. b) Letter from Army Corps of Engineers re: Report of July 23rd inspection of the Wastewater Treatment Plant. c) Letter from DEQE re: Approval of Change Order No. 9 for WWTP. d) Letter from Executive Office of Communities & Development re: Applica- tions for Incentive Aid Program. e) Letter from DEQE re: Compliance with Right -to -know regulations. f) Notice of 2 public hearings by DPU re: New England Telephone Co. and NYNEX Mobile Services Co. g) Mass. Dept. of Revenue Division of Local Services Informational Guide- line Release re: Pension Charges to Federal Grants. h) Memorandum from Town Administrator of Easton re: EOCD's Incentive Aid Program and inter -local cooperation between two or more communities. i) Letter and Commissioner's Report on the Examination of the Bristol County Contributory Retirement System. j) Letter and bill from Right Rev. David Blessinger re: Expenses for Veter- ans Council float in the Tri- centennial parade, along with a Certificate of Appreciation. Q Letter from Rep. William Vernon re: Approval of Act authorizing the Town of Mansfield to establish a Capital Depreciation Fund for the WWTP. 1) Copy of Annual Report of the County Treasurer and County Commissioners. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING ( AUGUST 7, 1985 PAGE 3 m) Copy of petition for registration of land in which petitioner asks to have the line of public ways determined. - This is to be referred to the DPW Director n) Letter from DEQE re: Federal Construction Grants Project Priority List for wastewater treatment facilities. o) Letter from Army Corps of Engineers re: Inspection of WWTP August 20th. p) Copy of letter to Foxboro Board of Selectmen from Director of DEQE re: Two items of their Administrative Order. q) Letter from Bristol County Home Care for Elderly, Inc. re: Celebration of Social Security's 50 years, at Southeastern Mass. University, August 16th. - Passed along to Council on Aging r) Memorandum from Community Antenna Television Commission re: Rate Deregu- lation Hearing. - Board would like to see someone attend; passed on to Mo Prasad s) Letter from Executive Office for Administration & Finance re: Reimburse- ment for Right -to -know expenditures. t) Letter from Michael Tropp, Manager of Sheraton Inn Mansfield re: Pro- posed increase in room occupancy excise tax. - Board will respond u) Memo from Police Chief re: Radar citations and Disturbances Related to Licensed Liquor Establishments. - Chairman D'Onofrio reminded the Board members that Christopher's Restaurant had been advised some months ago that the Board would be monitoring the situation at their restaurant, and it appears that noth- ing has changed. * MOTION: That the Board of Selectmen hold a hearing to determine action against Christopher's Lounge, September 4, 1985. Dunn /McNair VOTED: 4 -0 v) Copy of letter from the Police Chief to William Beatty, Jr. re: His hir- ing procedures, in answer to Mr. Beatty's inquiry. 6. Geraldine Abbott The Board had invited Geraldine Abbott to tonight's meeting so that they could present her with a plaque in recognition of her over ten years of service in Mansfield. The Chairman asked her to come to the front of the BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING AUGUST 7, 1985 PAGE 4 room and then read the plaque indicating nearly fifteen years between the Town Hall Building Committee and the Industrial Development Commission. She accepted it graciously and said Mansfield would always be her town even though she no longer lives in it. 7. Ralph Seifert Ralph Seifert, speaking as a Rotarian and member of the DAC, said as the DAC project concludes, there is something Rotary would like to do. He then reviewed aspects, including grants and their sources, for the downtown pro- ject, and said Everett Associates had published the.Revitalization In Downtown Mansfield report, in which they designated the "Middle Common ". The Rotary Club donated $5,000 for construction of the Middle Common, and the Rotary Club would like to place an appropriate marker to use for desig- nating the same as "Middle Common ", with the Rotary emblem and the date 1985. They would like to erect a granite marker 5'x 3', with two flat polished surfaces; the marker would be placed 1' into the ground, thus making the above - ground 4'x 3'. The Rotary Club will pay for plantings on the common which will be lit up at Christmastime., Ralph said if the Board approves this name and marker, he would like the Selectmen, members of the DAC and the Planning Board to attend a little dedication at the Common at some ap- propriate time. At this point, Chairman D'Onofrio said he wanted to acknowledge publicly the key role Ralph has played in this whole project. * MOTION: To accept the recommendation of a granite marker designating the "Middle Common ", subject to approval by the DPW Director on place- ment. McNair /Mahana VOTED: 4 -0 Ralph Seifert then advised the Board that the DAC had been disbanded be- cause its work has been completed. 8. Old Business - Acting Town Manager a) Joan Cutillo reported that she has written the State asking for last year's amount of room occupancy tax collected. b) The Chief of Police sent a Memo to Joan Cutillo stating that he agrees with the Board of Selectmen's suggestions on the Fulton Street problems; i.e.. - Leave the parking ban on the southerly side of the street as it always has been; - Prohibit parking on the northerly side of the street for a dis- tance of 20 feet westerly from North Main Street; - Make Fulton Street 1 -way westerly, as the bulk of traffic on the street is from motorists avoiding the traffic light at the BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING AUGUST 7, 1985 PAGE 5 South Common; this alone should reduce the transient traffic flow by 40 -50 %. * MOTION: To implement the recommendations as presented in the Chief of Police Memo, dated August 5, 1985. Dunn /McNair VOTED: 4 -0 9. Old Business - Selectmen a) Selectman Dunn brought up the fact that there has been another acci- dent at the West Street /Forbes Blvd. intersection, and he would like this intersection put on the priority list, with something done before there is a really serious accident. He said he has talked with Joe Zeneski, the DPW Director, who estimated $15,000 to install traffic lights. * MOTION: That we ask the DPW Director to give the Board a cost analysis and time frame to get something in place for this intersection. Dunn / Mahana Chairman D'Onofrio feels funnelling traffic along West Street is danger- ous and something should. be done to make the State aware of this prob- lem, i.e. that West Street is being used to avoid the traffic light and West Street was not designed for this kind of traffic. Someone then brought up the cutoff which was originally planned and goes by Michelin, Joan Cutillo was asked to send a letter to the State DPW asking them to re- evaluate their position on this other road. Motion VOTED: 4 -0 b) Selectman Dunn reported that he had read an article in the paper which said Norton has signed an agreement with Flatley Co., for their indus- trial park. Brief discussion covered the agreement for Norton and Mans- field which would include the industrial park; everyone agreed that it would be 100% dollars for the park. c) Selectman McNair reported that he has received calls from several sen- ior citizens along Pratt Street requesting that the poison ivy be sprayed. d) Selectman Mahana asked if members of the Board had had time to review the policy changes which he had distributed two weeks ago. Selectman Dunn said he had not and did not have them with him. Discussion was postponed on them. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING ( AUGUST 7, 1985 PAGE 6 10. New Busine a) Joan Cutillo said the Town has received a check from Foxboro in accord- ance with the Memorandum of Intent (for the WWTP). She asked the Board whether it was to go into the Capital Depreciation Fund or just into the Sewer Fund. She suggested a temporary special escrow account until everything is finalized. There was brief discussion as to what the check represents; Chairman D'Onofrio feeling it is the 10% dollars which the Town may use as it feels appropriate. It was decided to put it in a special escrow account for now. b) Selectman Mahana passed out a revised proposed Policy on Liquor License Applications and Violations. Chairman D'Onofrio then read the policy with changes and additions he thought clarified certain points; the Board was in agreement with them. * MOTION: To accept the policy as amended. McNair /Dunn VOTED: 4 -0 * MOTION: To send a copy of this policy to all licensees as of the date adopted, and to identify whose regulations they are and what they fall under. McNair /Mahana VOTED: 4 -0 c) Selectman McNair asked if any progress has been made on the alarm sys- tem for the WWTP, by CDM. Joan Cutillo said CDM has asked for a new estimate; when that is received they will meet with Norton's Fire Chief and upon his approval the installation will start. d) Selectman Mahana read a Memo he had prepared, to the Planning Board con- cerning designation of Maple Street, from the Easton Town line to Frank- lin Street, a "Scenic Road ". He elaborated some and pointed out that Maple Street is already a "Scenic Road" from Oakland Street to Franklin Street. Selectman Mahana mentioned, in the discussion, that there are two chapters in the Mass. General Laws, which describe protection for shade trees(Chap. 87) and can help protect landscapes, including scenic roads, adjacent to rivers and streams (Chap. 21, Sec. 17B). * MOTION: To endorse and ratify the proposal by Selectman Mahana for Maple Street. McNair /Dunn VOTED: 4 -0 e) Selectman Mahana then passed out a proposed Environmental Impact Assess- ment he had drawn up; he said he and Selectman McNair were not in com- plete agreement on it, and he would like the Board to study it. He had had the suggested Act drawn up by a State Counsel; it would impose an assessment on the sale of real estate in the Town of Mansfield to be paid BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING AUGUST 7, 1985 PAGE 7 for by the purchaser of the property. The purpose is to establish a revolving account of all monies received for the acquisition of land for conservation and water resources. The fund would be administered by the Town Treasurer and all interest accrued from said fund to be credited to the General Fund to defray costs of such administration. There were then three options listed, for choice of assessment per- centage and what properties to apply assessments to (industrial, com- mercial, business, residential and farm). There was considerable discussion on this, with.other choices and thoughts; Chairman D'Onofrio said he likes it because it addresses the fast rate of development, the concept is a good one; he questioned equal division between conservation and water resources.- It was agreed that this subject would require a public hearing and that considerable further discussion and development of the concept would need to be given. f) Selectman Mahana then advised the MMA about sponsoring a State bid similar to that already in effect received an answer. 11. Executive Session Board that though he had written the plan for fire equipment and ambulances, for police vehicles, he has not yet' MOTION: To go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing con- tract negotiations and pending litigation, to come out only to adjourn. McNair / Mahana POLLED: 4 -0 12. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 10:17 P.M. Date signed