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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOS MINUTES 2-17-1999Board of Selectmen Minutes February 17, 1999 Present: Chairman Madan, Clerk McCarter, Selectmen Amoruso( Royle, and Robip NO John D'Agostino, Town Manager 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:30pm followed by the pledge of allegiance. A. Warrant No. 34 - $3,962,651.56 Motion: To approve. (Boyle- Amoruso) 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. B. Minutes • Executive Session Minutes of January 27, 1999 Motion: To approve the contents but not release. ( Royle- Amoruso) All in favor. Passes. C. Licenses and Permits • Request from St. James Masonic Lodge for a building permit fee waiver and a special permit fee waiver for the construction of their new lodge on South Main Street Motion: To waive the Town's portion of any fees related to the construction of the St. James Masonic Lodge. (Boyle- Amoruso) All in favor. (3 -0 -1) Clerk McCarter abstained. Passes. • Request of Tri- County Beagle Club for One -Day Beer and Wine License on February 21, 1999 Motion: To approve. ( Royle- Amoroso) All in favor. Passes. 7:35 PM Selectman Robinson: entered the meeting. • Request of the Tri -Town Chamber of Commerce for a One -Day Wine License on March 30, 1999 Motion: To approve. ( Amoruso- Royle) All in favor. Passes. • Minutes of February 3, 1999 Motion: To approve. (Amoroso- Royle) All in favor. Passes. 21799.MIN Page 1 of 7 /• Kevin Byrne, Tri -Town Chamber of Commerce, thanked Chairman Madan and the ( Selectmen for approving his application for a one -day wine license to allow for wine tasting at the March 30 event. D. Correspondence Action Resident Letter from David Reilly, 14 James Street, requesting to meet with the Selectmen to discuss making James Street one -way because it has been widened and straightened. A copy of this letter has been sent to the Police Department for review and comment. A consensus of the Board was in favor of inviting the James Street residents and Police Chief into next week's Selectmen's meeting to discuss the request. Miscellaneous Letter from the Garden Club of Mansfield requesting permission to use Park Row the morning of May 8 for their plant sale and to put two 8X4 plywood signs publicizing the sale on the North and South Commons from April 24 to May 8 Motion: To approve. (Amoroso- McCarter) All in favor. Passes. Other Resident Letter from the Gallagher Family thanking the Selectmen, Bill Madan, Bert Cook, Conrad Lajoie, and David Conley for the fee waivers associated with modifications made to their bathroom to accommodate the needs of their severely disabled daughter State & Local Government Letter from the Office of the Inspector General stating that John D'Agostino successfully completed the Public Contracting Overview certification seminar in the Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) program. Calendar of legal holidays and holiday hours for 1999 from the ABCC Copies have been given to licensees. 2. Questions and Comments - None 3. 7:40 PM Constable Interview with Applicant Neil McGrath Mr. McGrath introduced himself to the Board and explained why he would like to be appointed as Constable in Mansfield. Board of Selectmen Questions: Selectmen asked Mr. McGrath questions concerning his volume of service in Mansfield, whether or not he feels there is a need for another constable in Town, number of Towns he presently serves, and number of years doing constable work. 21799.MIN Page 2 of 7 J Discussion followed concerning setting a limit on the number of constables in Mansfield and development of a policy for constables. Clerk McCarter compared constable appointments to drainlayers licensees, for which there is no limit. Motion: To appoint Neil McGrath from North Attleboro as a constable for a three - year term. (Boyle- McCarter) All in favor. Passes. 4. Town Manager Evaluation Chairman Madan placed this item on the agenda to finalize the evaluation and have each of the Selectmen sign it. Motion: To sign the Town Manager's performance evaluation for the period covered December 1997 to December 1998. (Boyle- McCarter) All in favor. (4 -0 -1) Selectman Amoroso abstained. Passes. 5. Old Business A. Town Manager • Changes have been made to the Personnel Policy as voted at last week's Selectmen's meeting, clarifying bereavement leave and vacation notification. The policy will be reviewed periodically and revisions will be brought to the Selectmen for review and approval. • A meeting has been tentatively scheduled with two Mansfield Selectmen, two Norton Selectmen, Mansfield and Norton Planning Directors, and Mansfield's and Norton's Town Managers to discuss the Route 495 interchange on March 2, at 7PM, in the Town Hall. The meeting will not be a posted public meeting but is designed to develop a consensus on an interchange design. • A meeting was held this week with NEED concerning the volume of trash they collected during the first six months of the contract. The request for proposals issued by the Town for trash collection services included an estimated yearly volume of 7,500 tons; however, the Town is presently over 8,000 tons. The Town's recycling efforts, presently at 28% of the total waste stream, needs to increase to 40% by the year 2000. • NEED has been invited to attend an upcoming Selectmen's meeting at the end of March to provide detailed information on how to increase recycling and the way tonnage impacts cost factors. Selectman Robinson stated he feels the Town needs to educate the public and suggested the Selectmen host an information recycling presentation. Selectman Robinson also suggested giving students tours of the recycling park so that they may bring what they learn home to their families and so that they may become more involved in the recycling effort. Chairman Madan suggested playing informational recycling videos on cable. Selectwoman Royle suggested the Town Manager talk to Superintendent Moretti about what is being done in the schools to educate students about recycling and stated that she would like informational recycling fliers sent home with all electric bills during a billing cycle and 21799.N" Page 3 of 7 also left at the library. Chairman Madan asked the Selectmen if they would like to discuss recycling once a month. • Town Manager D'Agostino's copy of the Final Environmental Impact Report for Great Waves is on file at the public library for residents to view. The deadline for comments is March 12. It tivas requested that the Selectmen's Secretary place a notice on cable advising the residents that the report is on file at the Library. • A draft agenda has been completed for Tuesday's joint meeting with Foxboro and Norton's Water and Sewer Commissioners. • Tree removal on Oak Street is on going. • Thursday night's public train station meeting went well. Mr. D'Agostino stated he hopes participants' creative variations will be incorporated into the designs. A meeting will be held with individuals involved in the Advisory Committee to get their input on the design alternatives. It is hoped that a consensus is reached on a particular design by the end of the third or fourth public meeting. Any consensus design must address the neighborhood, access to the parking area, congestion on Route 106, reuse of the Hatheway& Patterson site, and rehabilitation of the Chilson Tank building. Once a consensus is reached on a particular design, the Selectmen will have an opportunity to express their support, or lack thereof, for the design. Selectman Amoruso suggested that time should be set aside for questions and anmvers at the next public meeting. • A tour of the Town's Water and Wastewater facilities is scheduled for this weekend. Selectwoman Royle stated that she would not be attending the tour but that she would like to tour the wastewater facility at some point, possibly in the spring, when it gets darker later in the day and the tour can be held at the end of the work day. B. Selectmen • Selectwoman Royle suggested scheduling a joint committee discussion on the Landbank article on an off - meeting night for the Planning Board, soon. IDC should also be invited. • Selectman Amoruso talked to the Municipal Building Committee at a roundtable discussion and found that Time Warner did provide cable access to all schools as required by their Social Contract. Town Manager D'Agostino prepared a letter to Time Warner requesting they install cable access in both the old and new sections of the middle and high schools because the Town funded installation in the Robinson School. • Clerk McCarter asked the Town Manager, with the first round of departmental budget (, meetings completed, how the meetings went. Town Manager D'Agostino responded that he would be meeting with staff to decide on cuts and would bring the budgets 21799.MIN Page 4 of 7 back to the Finance Committee to develop a consensus. Clerk McCarter also inquired _ of the present deficit for the FY2000 budget, $700,000, and at which level capital improvements would be funded, $1million. • Selectwoman Royle suggested revisiting capital improvements requests, rather than the operating budget, at a Fall Special Town Meeting after revenue figures are known. Selectwoman Royle also asked how the capital improvements funding level was arrived at and stated that the Town cannot have a repeat of the past year with the budget process because the townspeople were not happy. • Mr. D'Agostino reported that he his trying to end the present phone contract and that there would be cost savings, but it would take three years to realize the savings. • Special Town Meeting dates have been provided by the Town Clerk. To hold a Special within the Annual, the warrant would have to open on March 3 and close on March 10. Selectman Amoruso asked if a reserve fund article would be included on the warrant as requested by the Finance Committee. • Selectwoman Royle requested the Town Manager ascertain the balance of Stabilization account for the next Selectmen's meeting. 6. New Business A. Town Manager • Mansfield lost power for ten minutes last night during power switching. The supplier cut the electrical supply off completely during the switching operation. Mr. Beliveau, Electric Department Director, will be meeting with the supplier, and Mr. D'Agostino is awaiting a report from him on how to rectify the problem. Selectman Amoruso noted that he lost power at his business on Saturday morning around 9AM. • Mr. D'Agostino met with the Water Resource Division of DEP this date to discuss filing a determination of insignificance for the Witch Pond Well, which would allow the Town to bring the well on -line sooner. However, DEP is requiring a full review of the application, and the Town will be required to follow Interbasin Transfer Act guidelines because the Town treats its water in another town. The full review will increase the review time by at least six months. Town Manager D'Agostino stated that he does not want the Town to be in the position of not having a decision on the Witch Pond Well permit with Great Waves having received approval from DEP to move forward. Mr. D'Agostino suggested to the Water Resource Division that they join the Selectmen petitioning DEP to delay making any decision on Great Waves until a decision is made on Mansfield's application. Mr. D'Agostino continued to state that it is important to note that the Water Resource Division also has the ability to place restrictions on the well, which could make it not useful to the Town. The Water Resource Division has the authority to prohibit the Town from using the well during the summer months because of the potential impact on the resources in the area. Lastly, Mr. D'Agostino informed the Water Resource Division Mansfield would be seeking approval to increase its water withdrawal permit. Selectwoman Royle 21799.MIN Page 5 of 7 suggested Mr. D'Agostino keep Mr. Rezza, present owner of Witch Pond Well land, informed of the status of the Witch Pond Well permitting progress. • Selectwoman Royle asked if Department Heads had been asked to respond to the to the Final Environmental Impact Report for Great Waves. Town Manager D'Agostino responded that he would be meeting with the Planning Director, Conservation Agent, and others to discuss the Report. • Clerk McCarter stated, as far as he can see, Great Waves will be coming to Mansfield; the Building Inspector found that the use would be considered recreational, which is a permitted use in the Zoning By -Law. Approval by the Board of Selectmen is not required. Clerk McCarter stated if any residents would like to start a community organization to try to stop Great Waves that they should call him at home. Selectwoman Royle requested the Selectmen's Secretary place all letters received from residents in opposition to the project in the Selectmen's office. Discussion followed concerning the need to meet the water needs of the residents and at the same time be fair to businesses, that both Great Waves and Great Woods peak draw down times are the same as the Town's peak demand time, appropriateness of meeting with the Conservation Commission to discuss the projects because permits will be sought from the Commission by Great Waves. Town Manger D'Agostino suggested meeting with the Planning Board also. �' • Selectman Robinson updated the Selectmen on a seminar he recently attended in Washington, the APPA Legislative Workshop. A big issue discussed was the Gordon Bill. The NEPPA convention will be in Providence this year from August 15 -18. Selectmen Robinson was also invited to attend an APPA Engineer Operation Workshop from March 1 -4. • Selectwoman Royle asked the Town Manager how he would be letting the public know about his evaluation, to which Mr. D'Agostino responded that he would be releasing both the individual and collective reviews to the media. Selectwoman Royle stated she would like to know when that decision is made to do so. • Selectwoman Royle stated with the Great Woods entertainment license soon coming up for renewal, that she would like to sit on a subcommittee of two selectmen to review the license if one is established. Selectwoman Royle stated she would like input from staff and the community. Clerk McCarter stated that he would like the Town Manager to negotiate the license, as he did last year. Selectman Amoruso stated that he would like the Town Manager involved, but that he feels the elected officials should also be involved. Chairman Madan asked if a public hearing would be held, to which Selectwoman Royle replied a hearing would not held but comments would be accepted in writing. 21799.NffN Page 6 of 7 Motion: That we set up a subcommittee of two Selectmen to review the Great Woods license this year, using the Town Manager as a resource. ( Royle- Robinson) (3 -2) Chairman Madan and Clerk McCarter opposed. Passes. Both Selechvoman Royle and Selectman Robinson volunteered to sit on the subcommittee, and Selectwornan Royle requested a copy of all Departmental comments received to date on the license renewal. 7. 9:40 PM Adjournment Motion: To adjourn. (McCarter - Amoruso) All in favor. Passes. e k's Signa ure 21799.NUN ��Y�l Dat of pproval Page 7 of 7