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Home My WebLink AboutBOS MINUTES 2-10-1999Board of Selectmen Minutes February 10, 1999 Present: Chairman Madan, Clerk McCarter, Selectmen Amoitisdand Royl'e John D'Agostino, Town Manager i i l i 1. 7:00 PM Executive Session to Discuss Pending Litigation Chairman Madan polled the Selectmen to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation: Selectwoman Royle, Aye, Selectman Amoroso, Aye, and Chairman Madan, Aye. 2. 8:00 PM Open Meeting Called to Order followed by Pledge of Alleigance 3. Warrant No. 33 - $1,422,518.53 Motion: To approve. (AmOrusO- Royle) Chairman Madan abstained on all Building Department items; Clerk McCarter abstained on the Municipal Building Committee payroll; and Selectwoman Royle abstained on all Board of Health items. Passes. 4. Personnel Policy Gerry Scherma, Assistant Director of Personnel Services, reviewed the proposed updated Personnel Policy dated January 25, 1999, last updated in 1983. Clerk McCarter inquired what, if any, significant changes had been made, and Chairman Madan asked if all new hires could be required to take a pre - employment drug test. Selectman Amoroso suggested amending Section 4. 10, Paragraph C to read "notification period shall be, at a minimum, equal to the length of the requested vacation." and suggested clarifying the third paragraph of Section 4.11 Beareavement Leave. Motion: To approve as amended by Selectman Amoruso. (McCarter - Amoruso) (3 -0 -1) Selectwoman Royle abstained. Passes. 5. Discussion wth Mike Healey and Jay Goldman of Impending Time Warner Cable License Transfer In light of the upcoming license transfer from Time Warner Cable to MediaOne, the Selectmen invited the Cable Advisory Committee into this evening's Selectmen's meeting to discuss any outstanding issues and suggestions relative to the present license. Both Cable Advisory members Mike Healey and Jay Goldman were in attendance. Mr. Healey stated that he is not aware of a social contract for Media One and that he would like the 1993 cable contract upheld. Mr. Goldman suggested the Selectmen should inquire of MediaOne which contract they would be complying with. Mr. Healey noted that Time Warner still "owes" the Town one channel, to which Mr. D'Agostino responded that the channel would be provided once the Town is ready for it. Mr. Healey questioned the position of the channel and whether or not it is in a higher tier. When asked by Chairman Madan for a recommendation on shortening the contract by a year because of the two transfers, Mr. Healey stated Cable Access would not be in favor 21099.MIN Page 1 of 4 of doing so because they are planning on using fees received from Time Warner through the end of the contract for construction of the new cable studio. Selectman Amoroso commented if the Selectmen had not signed off on an agreement realigning the channels, ( they would have had the ability to fine Time Warner one hundred dollars a day. Chairman Madan requested a written report from the Advisory Board. Selectman Amoruso stated prior to the transfer he would like a verbal agreement from Time Warner to wire the high school and middle school put into writing, Cable Advisory Member Jay Goldman suggested the Selectmen seek additional community representatives to serve on the Advisory Commission. An ad seeking volunteers will be placed on cable. 6. Weekly Business A. Licenses and Permits • Application of the Town Engineer for a $25,000 Reserve Fund Transfer No. 8 for culvert replacements at School, West, and Willow Streets Clerk McCarter suggested that this request for additional funds for the project should be brought to Town Meeting because it is above the amount originally appropriated at Town Meeting for the project. Motion: To recommend the transfer of $25,000 from the Reserve Fund for the culverts at School, West, and Willow Streets. (Royle- Amoruso) (3 -1) Clerk Mccarter opposed. Passes. Selectwoman Royle, requested intension of a notation of the Reserve Fund Account ( balance on future Transfer applications and requsted a balance sheet of the account. • Application of DPW for a $19,000 Reserve Fund Transfer for the Memorial Park Tennis Courts Motion: To recommend approval to the Finance Committee on the transfer of $19,000 to the Memorial Park capital account to finish the tennis courts at Memorial Park. ( Royle- McCarter) All in favor. Passes. • Beer and Wine License Certificate reflecting the Change in Corporation Name from DLC Acquisition Corp. to DLC Corp. for Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts Motion: So moved to sign. (Boyle- McCarter) All in favor. Passes. B. Minutes Minutes of January 27, 1999 Motion: To aprpove. ( Royle- Amoruso) All in favor. Passes. C. Correspondence ( Letter from Theresa Sullivan, 175 Dean Street, suggesting a change in procedure for payment of commuter parking fees by adopting a an envelope system similar to the one in place at Attleboro's train station. In Attleboro, a payment envelope is placed on the 21099.MIN Page 2 of 4 windshield of any vehicle parked in an unpaid space. The envelope notes the vehicle registration and collects a $.50 surcharge in addition to the standard fee. Memorandum from John D'Agostino, Town Manager, concerning a commuter rail parking sticker policy Letter from Town Counsel with proposed wording for a Town Meeting article to petition State Legislators to enact Land Bank Legislation for Mansfield Memorandum from William Madan, Chairman, Board of Selectmen, stating that a joint meeting has been scheduled with the Towns of Norton and Foxboro for Tuesday, February 23, at 7:00 PM in the Foxboro Public Library Letter from Nick Leuci, Vice President, Government and Community Relations, Time Warner Cable, stating Time Warner Entertainment, L.P. and MediaOne entered into a definitive agreement to trade several cable systems. Mr. Leuci also states in his letter that Time Warner will be contacting the Selectmen over the next week to schedule a meeting to discuss the required transfer process and to introduce a senior MediaOne representative Letter from Bartlett F. Leber, Vice President, Corporate Counsel, Northeast Region, MediaOne, introducing MediaOne and stating that a formal application would be filed within the next few weeks for assignment of the existing cable license in Mansfield 7. Old Business A. Town Manager • The second public train station meeting will be Thursday evening, with a 6:30PM registration and 7:00 PM start time. The format will be the same as the first meeting. Discussion among the Selectmen and Town Manager followed concerning the following: in what ways the town will benefit from the project, number of spaces for residents, consideration of a proposed MBTA assessment, many falsehoods contained in a flier distributed to residents, traffic design, possibility of the MBTA and GATRA moving forward with the project without the Selectmen, and denial of a $1.5Million grant for the project. Two additional meetings will be scheduled and will culminate the final design of the project • A Police Department voucher on last week's warrant containing a $22 charge for a cellulose sponge was for a case of twenty -four latex sided sponges used to maintain and clean the police station. • The first Capital Improvements Meeting will be February 18 at 6PM and will be an organizational meeting. • Monthly Department Head meetings will be scheduled monthly rather than bimonthly • Mr. D'Agostino received notification from the Office of the Inspector General that he successfully completed the procurement program he attended last week, and will be ( requiring Department Heads who purchase goods or services for the Town to complete this course and two others as well. 21099.hIIN Page 3 of 4 j Mr. D'Agostino is scheduled to meet with motor pool personnel and will provide the Selectmen with a recommendation on how to proceed with the motor pools organization, duties, etc. B. Selectmen • Clerk McCarter inquired of the next Route 495/140 interchange meeting date. Clerk McCarter stated that while he supports the proposed Town Meeting land bank article, he questions the Town's ability to amend the article to exempt commercial and industrial land. Selectman Amoroso suggested the Selectmen host a public meeting before Town Meeting regarding the article, to which Selectwoman Royle added she would like to invite the Conservation Commission and Planning Board. Clerk McCarter continued inquiring whether or not the Land Bank Committee would have the ability to purchase prime industrial land and would, in effect, be in competition with the Industrial Development Commission. 8. New business A. Town Manager • As a result of a discussion with Selectman candidate, Brad Wills, concerning his wanting to learn more about Town Departments, Mr. D'Agostino will be scheduling tours of the various Town facilities on Saturday mornings. Any interested Board members are invited to attend. B. Selectmen • Selectwoman Royle requested DPW remove dead trees on the ground on Hope Street in the area of the proposed parking lot. Selectwoman Royle also inquired when an appointment would be made to the Board of Assessors and when the deadline is for applications. Chairman Madan requested that all current Board and Committee vacancies be advised in the newspaper. 9. Adjournment 10:05 PM Motion: To adjourn. (Amoroso- Royle) All in favor. Passes. ? d� Ci afure Date GfApp oval 21099.MIN Page 4 of 4