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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin brd of selectmen 05/25/2005 r t~r:(;;:l'\.11. r~ 1\"_1. '" ~... ,... f' ,,' !'J n ,-- r: I C r' , ,:-,jr r; c. Present: Town of Mansfield Board of Selectmen O~) ,..fUN - 9 Ail 9: 18 Minutes of May 25, 2005 ,.,.,' i l~ ,\;,... I iLlU t.,~ ~. c (' .~ C" UI ~ ~_. T S ' I /"' '-, ,) ~J!4, . f1 ~ _ I _ Chairman Roger Achille, Selectman Bernard Dolan, Selectman OUlS Amoruso, Selectman Michael McCue, and Selectman David McCarter Town Manager John D' Agostino The Board of Selectmen's meeting was called to order by Chairman Achille at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, which was led by Girls State attendee Katie McCarter, daughter of Selectmen David McCarter. Boys State/Girls State Attendees: David Francis, Deanne Jordon, Mark Prew, Brian Kulick, Katie McCarter, David Gibbons, Robert Trilling, Lauren Brown, Karen Quan, Joyce Wang, Andrew Ballantyne, Scott Katz Chairman Achille asked Town Manager John D'Agostino to give a background on town government. ".- The Town Manager began by saying how great it is to see that young men and women are interested in government. He said that we are blessed here in Mansfield to have an executive form of government. We have a Board of Selectmen to provide and set policy and we have a strong Town Manager form of government. He noted that the Board of Selectmen, Housing Authority and School Committee are the only boards that are elected - the others are appointed. He told the students that the Selectmen give him his "marching orders." He explained that Mansfield has an open Town Meeting and that the people who attend Town Meeting ultimately decide how much money will go to the town for various services - they set the appropriations. The Town Manager added that we all work toward a common good. He explained that he is the Chief Executive Officer of the town and runs the day-to-day operations of the community. The Town Manager informed the students that the Board of Selectmen is also the Light Commissioners, Sewer Commissioners, and Road Commissioners. He noted that we all work cohesively to make sure that the town provides the services the people need and use every day. He noted that Mansfield has some of the highest trained personnel in public safety, and that is why Mansfield was recently named a "Heart Safe Community." Mr. Flannery noted that the students will be attending classes and learning about government and civics while they are at Girls State/Boys State. He added that Boys State will be held at Stonehill College from June 11-17 while Girls State will be held at Bay Path College from June 19-24. Selectman McCarter added that every town in the Commonwealth does things r Board of Selectmen Minutes of May 25, 2005 1 r differently - some have Representative Town Meeting, some have Open Town Meeting; some elect all of their board, and some appoint most of their boards, like Mansfield. . The Board thanked the students for coming. In attendance were: Red Button, MEMA Director and Stephen Winterroth, Eagle Scout Candidate Mr. Button began by saying that Stephen is a member of Venture 911 Explorer Post. He went on to say that for Stephen's Eagle Scout project, he painted the interior of the County Street MEMA facility, which had not seen paint in over 15 years. Stephen enlisted the aid of the Explorer group and did an excellent job. Mr. Button added that the marriage between MEMA and the Explorer Post has been great and the scouts have inspired other people to come out and volunteer. Chairman Achille noted that he and Stephen had an opportunity to speak before the meeting and noted the selflessness that was required - over 200 hours was used to complete the project. Stephen added that his parents also helped him out, as well as the Cuneo family. Mr. Button added that Stephen's father was there to help out with a carpentry project as well. Selectman McCarter r asked Stephen if he is an official Eagle Scout yet and Stephen replied that his review is this Friday. Selectman McCarter noted that Stephen was one of a select group of high school students to visit Norway during April school vacation to attend an outdoor survival school. Selectman Dolan commented that becoming an Eagle Scout is the highest honor in scouting and Stephen said that he had the help of many people to get where he is today. The Board thanked Mr. Button and Stephen for attending. . Warrant No. 47 in the amount of $ 2,854,942.62 Motion: To approve (McCue - Amoruso) 5-0 Passes (with Selectman McCarter abstaining from payroll check #221082) . Warrant No. 48 in the amount of $ 2,180,896.86 Motion: To approve (Amoruso - Dolan) 5-0 Passes (with Selectman McCarter abstaining from payroll check #221082) ~ Board of Selectmen Minutes of May 25, 2005 2 r ,.-... ~ . Minutes of Regular Session May 11, 2005 Selectmen's Meeting Motion: To approve (Amoruso -Dolan) 5-0 Passes . Minutes of Regular Session May 16, 2005 Selectmen's Meeting Motion: To approve (Amoruso - Dolan) 5-0 Passes . Minutes of Regular Session May 17, 2005 Selectmen's Meeting Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 5-0 Passes . Application for Hackney Driver License for Jarrod Copeland Motion: To approve (McCue - Amoruso) 5-0 Passes . Change of Manager Liquor License for the Holiday Inn, Mansfield Motion: To approve license, subject to receiving TIPS training certification notification (McCarter - Dolan) 5-0 Passes . Commercial Parking Facility Application for A-C Intermediate Co., A subsidiary of Acme Cleveland Corporation Motion: To approve (McCue -Amoruso) for discussion Selectman McCue said that there was a recommendation by the Police Chief that the applicant provide financial assistance with police details. Selectman McCue noted that one of his concerns was how that was to be split equitably between the private lot owners. The Town Manager said that you could look at the number of spaces and do a percentage - what percentage could be allocated to each lot owner. Selectman McCue said that when the parking rates were raised from $1 to $2, some of that additional revenue was to be used to help for the payment of the detail. The Town Manager said that we did look at what the revenue was and what the expenses were - the additional money went to the detail, maintenance of the lot, etc. Selectman Dolan asked Selectman McCue if he believes that the parking lot owners should help to pay for the detail and Selectman McCue replied that the people parking in those private lots are benefiting from the detail. Chairman Achille noted that the lot owner isn't creating the traffic, the train is. Selectman McCue said that he is looking for equity - he wasn't in favor of raising the rate a year ago and he isn't looking to reserve that now. Selectman McCarter noted that it could be incorporated into the application - it warrants some looking into. Selectman Dolan asked the Town Manager if the Tweeter Center has to pay for their own details as well as the other lots. The Town Manager said that if the Chief asks for a detail for the other lots near the Tweeter Center, the lots would have to provide a detail. Selectman McCue noted that the additional money collected could be used to provide additional parking in the future. The Town Manager said that this could be considered for the future. Selectman Amoruso noted that Board of Selectmen Minutes of May 25, 2005 3 r we could have this discussion at a public meeting regarding limiting the number of private parking spaces. The Town Manager added that if we get to the point where we get a plan to move forward for parking, any improvements would require a light at the Winthrop Street location during peak times. Selectman Amoruso added that this won't happen until after the Route 106 underpass is repaired. Selectman McCue noted that he is looking to cover costs, not raise revenue. The Town Manager said that we can set up a public meeting - he will provide the Board with a cost analysis about this issue as well. Chairman Achille suggested that we could have this meeting in August. Motion: To approve (McCue - Amoruso) 5-0 Passes . Check from Riccio & Riccio, LLC, Attorneys and Counselors at Law in the amount of $8,225.00. Motion: To accept check for deposit into the Local Housing Partnership Fund (McCue - Amoruso) 5-0 Passes . Reserve Fund Transfer in the amount of $95,000 to the winter maintenance budget. Motion: To support transfer (Amoruso - McCue) 5-0 Passes r · Reserve Fund Transfer in the amount of $ 13,604 to the Town Manager Legal account. Motion: To support transfer Town Manager noted that this is to cover unexpected personnel legal costs. (Amoruso -McCue) 5-0 Passes . Letter from Ellen Roy Herzfelder, Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, dated May 10th, announcing the FY06 grant round for the Self-Help, Urban Self-Help and the federal Land and Water Conservation programs, contingent upon the availability of funds. . Letter from National Grid dated May 12th informing the Board that Asplundh Tree Expert Company, of Plymouth, will be performing vegetation treatments on rights-of-way which pass through Mansfield. . Letter dated May 13th from the Mass. State Lottery Commission notifying the Board that Driscoll's Restaurant has applied for a Keno license from the Commission. r . Letter from ESS Group, Inc. dated May 16th regarding the proposed water conservation program at Mansfield Crossing (School Street & Route 140). Board of Selectmen Minutes of May 25, 2005 4 r . Letter from MassHighway dated May 17th regarding the National Bridge Inspection Standards Bridge Inspection Report for High StreetjRumford River. . Memorandum from Police Chief Arthur O'Neill dated May 17th informing the Board that Lester Ehrlich has resigned after 15 years as crossing guard at the Robinson School. Motion: To send a letter of appreciation to Lester Ehrlich , (Dolan - McCue) 5-0 Passes . Letter from the Department of Revenue dated May 18th providing a copy of the FY04 Room Occupancy Revenue Report. . May 2005 City & Town Report from the Department of Revenue. . Email from the Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services dated May 20th regarding the FY06 Senate Ways & Means Local Aid proposal. . Memorandum from Town Engineer John Sullivan dated May 20th regarding a fee waiver request for the sewer I & I rehabilitation project. Motion: To waive the permit fees (Amoruso - McCue) 5-0 Passes r Selectman Amoruso commented that he thought that they weren't going to structure things like this anymore and the Town Manager said that he would have to talk to Town Engineer John Sullivan. Summit on Education Equity and Excellence On Monday, June 6th from 10:30am to 1:00pm at Lombardo's in Randolph's, a summit on Education Equity and Excellence will be sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. This will permit senior-level municipal officials, school officials and policy makers to sit and discuss key issues facing school districts after the Hancock decision. The state will discuss the $200 million school funding initiative. The Town Manager said that he will attend this meeting and has sent this information to Superintendent Moretti to see if he would be interested as well. Selectman McCue said that he will try to attend. Flag Day On Tuesday, June 14th, the Mansfield Lodge of Elks will sponsor Flag Day ceremonies at 7:00pm at the South Common. In the event of rain, the ceremonies will be held in Town Hall in Room 3AB. The Mansfield Emblem Club #531 will serve refreshments. The Town Manager added that Benny Boynton and the Elks do a great job as do the Boy Scouts. ".- Board of Selectmen Minutes of May 25, 2005 5 r State Aid Funding Town Meeting is now completed and the Town Manager has emailed a note to Mansfield's legislative delegation regarding state aid funding for Mansfield. Without additional state aid, property taxes will continue to rise at higher than anticipated levels. The issue that he is concerned about is the fact that the Governor's budget, the House budget, and the Senate's budget are all about the same. He is hoping to get a meeting together about this issue. Selectman McCarter believes that it warrants the delegation coming in to explain why Mansfield doesn't get as much money as other communities and also to explain the formula. The Town Manager noted that we owe it to our residents. Motion: To send a letter inviting the legislative delegation to explain the formula to explain why Mansfield hasn't received more money. (McCarter - McCue) 5-0 Passes Memorial Day The Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for Monday, starting at 10:00am, following the same route as in previous years. New Officials Finance Forum On Friday, June 3rd from 7:30am to 3:30am, the Department of Revenue is holding a new officials finance forum at the Best Western Yankee Drummer Inn in Auburn. The forum will be ".- centered on financial issues, how the tax rates are set, etc. The Town Manager indicated that he and Selectman Dolan will be attending. Selectman McCue . Selectman McCue asked the Town Manager if the young woman died at the TWeeter Center and the Town Manager replied that she had not. Selectman McCue noted that he understands that the town has no liability in the matter but asked if the Board could get more information on this. Selectman Dolan asked if this rock-climbing wall needed to be inspected and Selectman Amoruso added that we should know what steps are going to be taken so this doesn't happen again. . Selectman McCue noted that he has been told that the timing is off at Route 106/Route 40. he noted that the Town Manager put a letter together about this issue and asked if we should ask SRPEDD to go though a do a study of the entire stretch of Route 106. . Selectman Dolan noted that a resident asked about looking into opening up the dead end of West Street. Selectman Dolan noted that the timing does appear to be off but that Traffic Officer Lance Lawson is happy that a left turn signal has been placed on both sides. The Town Manager said that the timing is off and that some tweaking needs to be done. r Board of Selectmen Minutes of May 25, 2005 6 / ,.-... Selectman Amoruso . Commented about the letter from MassHighway regarding the left turn into Mansfield Crossing and the Town Manager said that he sent a copy of that letter to Barney Frank and to the state legislative delegation. He added that he can't believe that the left turn in would create more traffic - he believes that MassHighway is looking at this myopically. He noted that MassHighway should be partners in the solution. Selectman McCue noted that he is perturbed and disturbed at this letter. The Town Manager said that we will still work on it and go above MassHighway. ",-- Selectman McCarter . Congratulated Lenny Flynn on receiving the Distinguished Service Award from SRPEDD. . Wanted to take the opportunity to thank the people for attending Town Meeting both nights. . Asked the Town Manager what the plans are for the money that is coming out of stabilization. The Town Manager is proposing that the town hire 1 police officer, 1 firefighter, 1 COA outreach worker and 1 DPW employee. The Town Manager noted that this is not enough, but it is something. He added that the library's demand for services is increasing. Selectman McCarter asked for a written list of what the money will be used for. He asked if these positions are new and the Town Manager replied that they are newly- filled old positions. . Noted that the town is going to float a bond for the capital projects asked when this will happen. The Town Manager said that we will float a bond once we start buying some of the equipment - probably in FY07. Selectman McCarter asked if the Board could get a list of how much we are spending on each item and what we are spending the money on. . Selectman McCarter commented that a citizen emailed him about stuff being dumped in the compost area that shouldn't be there and Selectman McCarter asked if we could look into this. The Town Manager replied that there is a new policy at the transfer station that all vehicles entering are to be inspected. Motion: To enter into Executive Session at 8:50pm to discuss pending litigation and return to open session for the purpose of adjournment (Amoruso - Dolan) 5-0 Passes by Roll Call Vote: Achille, aye; Dolan, aye; McCarter, aye; Amoruso, aye; and McCue, aye. (Amoruso) 5-0 Passes .' ~ . Signature of Clerk iOneJ: 21J1J5 - Date of Approval ,.-... Board of Selectmen Minutes of May 25, 2005 7