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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin brd of selectmen 10/12/2005 r Town of Mansfield Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 Eel: \/L " "', ,- ,. I ,-',- ";jn r' L,t OCT 27 1\,1"1 10: 3!3 Present: I lie, i\ .) ,_ L U Chairman Roger Achille, Clerk David McCarter, Selectmatrl~<m.l~, C I JUS E T T S Amoruso and Selectman Michael McCue Town Manager John D' Agostino The Board of Selectmen's meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Superintendent Hager said that Mansfield's representative to Southeastern, Bill Flannery, was unable to be here tonight but he sends his regards. Southeastern had a huge rise in assessments because of the reduction in regional school transportation funding from the state and they were successful in persuading the state to help out Southeastern with transportation costs. As promised, Southeastern is refunding money and he is presenting a check in the amount of $8,369.00. Chairman Achille thanked the Superintendent for attending and presenting the check. r Chairman Achille welcomed Eagle Scout Candidate Alex Proal. He is with Troop 17 and has been part of that troop for 4 years and takes part in several school activities as well. He is also the stage manager of the Uncommon Theater. Alex said that the eagle project is the final step in becoming an Eagle Scout and the project must benefit a religious institution, school or community other than the Boy Scouts of America. He researched a number of options for a project, talked to troop committee members and met with town officials. His proposed project is the renovation of the Happy Hollow Cemetery and the East Street Cemetery. His project will consist of 4 supervised workshops on how to restore the gravestones and will be led by Billie & Jeff Siena. The project will photographically document the gravestones for historical purpose and it will catalog and photograph each gravestone. Another aspect of the project will be recruiting and managing the volunteers. The volunteers will provide labor; they will remove project debris and will clean up areas as necessary. The project will be completed by spring 2006. He provided (-. photos of the gravestones that will be restored. Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 1 , T ~ I Chairman Achille thanked Alex for coming to the Board tonight. Alex said that this proposal needs to be approved by the Council as well. Chairman Achille noted that this project shows the best of human character and noted that the community is proud of Eagle Scouts like Alex. Selectman McCarter said that this is desperately needed and he will be working with town officials and volunteers who have experience and can help out a lot. He noted that Eagle Scouts have a lot of creativity and is looking forward to seeing the catalogue and hopes that Alex will come back and share this information with the Board. Selectman McCue said that he is grateful that Alex is undertaking this project and thanked him for Motion: To approve Alex Proul's Eagle Scout project (Amoruso - McCue) All in favor PASSES Chairman Achille asked Ms. Ostrowski to tell the Board a little about herself. She is a mother of two and has lived in Mansfield for 8 years. She graduated from UMass- r Amherst and eventually entered the marketing field, but is now a stay-at-home mother. She has an interest in open space and wetlands issues. She has wanted to serve on the Conservation Commission but it never seemed like the right time and now that time has come and she is looking to serve. Selectman McCarter noted that he has known Ms. Ostrowski for several years and knows that she will bring enthusiasm and passion to the Commission. Selectman Amoruso asked if she considers herself to be a "tree-hugger." She said that there is a political interpretation of that - she is a proponent of open space, but believes in taking a balanced approach. Selectman McCue said that a balanced approach is important and asked if she would have an open mind with respect to development and she agreed that she would. Motion: To appoint Cindy Ostrowski to the Conservation Commission (McCarter - Amoruso) All in favor PASSES . Warrant No. 15 in the amount of $2,852,921.82 Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCarter) All in favor PASSES (Selectman McCarter abstained from check #' s 168351 & 226080 and Selectman McCue abstained from check #168352) r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 2 r · Warrant No. 16 in the amount of $ 2,751,680.85 Motion: To approve (McCue - Amoruso) All in favor PASSES (Selectman McCarter abstained from check # 226424) . Regular Session Minutes of September 28, 2005 Selectmen's Meeting Motion: To approve (McCue - Amoruso) All in favor PASSES . Drainlayers License for Cape Building Systems, Inc. Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) All in favor PASSES . Drainlayers License for MRJ Enterprises Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) All in favor PASSES . Check from Bay Brook Village in the amount of $8,225.00 Motion: To accept check for deposit into the Local Housing Partnership Fund (McCue - Amoruso) All in favor PASSES r · Application for Parade Permit for the Annual Halloween Parade, which will take place on Sunday, October 30th at 2:00pm and will begin and end at the South Common Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) All in favor PASSES · Memorandum from School Superintendent John Moretti and the School Committee received September 27th relative to a deficit in their FY06 operational budget. Selectman McCarter summarized the memo for the Board. The Town Manager said that the potential exists for the deficit. Selectman McCue asked if there are any remedies for this long-term and the Town Manager said that he and the Superintendent will be meeting on this issue. Selectman McCue asked about reimbursement funding for snow/ice removal from the state and the Town Manager said that he believes the money "melted away." Selectman McCarter thanked the Superintendent and the School Committee for informing us at this time. The Town Manager said that he believes that the town will experience similar issues, particularly with respect to fuel costs. r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 3 ~ . (- · Invitation from Caritas Norwood Hospital received September 27th inviting the Board to an informal meeting on Wednesday, October 26th, from 5:30-7:30pm. Motion: To send a letter thanking Caritas Norwood for the invitation and informing them that no one will be able to attend (McCarter - McCue) All in favor PASSES · Invitation from Bristol County Agricultural High School inviting the Board to the fall show preview on October 20th at 7:00pm. . Email from a resident regarding commuter parking at the train station. · Letter from Comcast received September 29th regarding FCC-required forms and the rate adjustment process. ' · Letter from Congressman Barney Frank received September 29th regarding resources for local disaster preparedness and response plans. · Resignation letter from Mike Sams, formerly of the Finance Committee, received September 29th. Motion: To accept and send letter of appreciation (McCue - McCarter) All in favor PASSES r . Letter from the Town Manager received September 30th regarding the Mansfield Municipal Light Plant Audit. The Town Manager has already engaged them and he believes they have done an excellent job. . Letter from a resident received October 3rd thanking the Board for looking out for residents with respect to their cable bills. · Invitation from the MMA to the statewide economic forum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on October 18th from 9:00am to noon. · Letter from the Department of Conservation and Recreation received October 4th regarding the National Flood Insurance Program Community Assistance Visit on September 27th. · Letter from BSA Troop 17 Christmas Tree Chairman Michael Souza, received October 4th, requesting permission to use the land next to the Police Station and in front of the cemetery for their annual Christmas Tree sale, which will begin on November 26th. Motion: To approve subject to any stipulations by Police or Fire (Amoruso - McCue) All in favor PASSES r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 4 r . Letter from Superintendent Jim Hager of the Southeastern Regional V ocational- Technical School, received October 7th, announcing that there will be a Chapter 70 reform hearing at Southeastern on Thursday, October 20th at 4:30pm. Selectman McCarter indicated that he will try to attend. · Message from a resident received October 7th upset about the rental deposit policy set by the Light Commissioners. The Town Manager said that we have an email from the Town Clerk, Helen Christian. We will be setting the tax rate earlier but we will not be able to spend any money. We are proposing a December 6th STM. He went over the schedule, with the warrant closing on November 9th, the Board signing the warrant on November 16th and it be posted by November 22nd. The meeting will take place at Qualters Middle School. Selectman McCue asked if this date was our only option. The Town Manager said that if we did it in November, we would have to elect a moderator. Selectman McCarter asked what the Town Manager's recommendation is and he replied that his recommendation would be December 6th. Selectman Amoruso asked what would happen if we cannot obtain a quorum. The Town Manager said that we would have to continue it until we can obtain a quorum. r Selectman McCue asked what we have for the STM. The Town Manager said that we have a couple of TIFs, some cleanup items from the Annual Town Meeting that need to be addressed, transfer of money, etc. Selectman McCue's preference would be November, but if logistics are as such with the Thanksgiving holiday, he would go along with the recommendation by the Town Manager. Motion: To set the date for the Special Town Meeting on December 6, 2005 (McCue - Amoruso) All in favor PASSES Motion: To open the Special Town Meeting Warrant (McCue - Amoruso) All in favor PASSES Selectman Amoruso suggested sending a letter to all boards/committees informing them of the date. r'" Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 5 r . The Town Hall employees held a luncheon fundraiser on October 5th to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims; and they raised $750.00 for Habitat for Humanity. The event was coordinated by Lou Costa and Karen Doucette. Selectman McCue said that he and Town Counsel happened to be in the building and attended - it was very well-attended. Selectman McCarter noted that it wasn't the first time and won't be the last time that Town Hall employees have stepped up to the plate. . On Saturday, the town dedicated the new water treatment plant. It treats 3 million gallons of water per day. He thanked the Board and staff for attending. It is a state- of-the-art facility. He noted that Kurt Gaffney, Lee Azinheira and the MBC Committee worked tirelessly - the building will come in under budget. This project will be serving the townspeople for years to come. The residents will begin to realize the good-quality drinking water comes at a cost. The plant integrates SCADA technology and GIS. Selectman McCarter said that he forgot to thank the townspeople for paying for the building when he spoke at the ceremony on the weekend. The Town Manager said that the town has plans for that area in the future (new Fire Department building, new DPW building, etc.). . Route 106 project is moving along well and noted that they are ahead of schedule. They put up the stone wall by St. Mary's Cemetery. Northern Construction is doing r a great job. Selectman McCarter noted the craftsmanship of the stone wall and said that it adds to the area. Selectman McCue suggested sending a letter of recommendation once the project is completed that the company can use. Selectman Amoruso commended the residents for their patience - but the residents have noted that it is moving along quickly and they are looking forward to seeing the final project. Selectman McCue asked what the scheduled completion date of the project is and the Town Manager said that it is still December 2006, but things are moving along quickly. . The Senior Safety Luncheon is scheduled for Friday, October 21st at the COA and is sponsored by the Light Department. Any Selectmen that is interested in attending should let us know. . The park benches for the Train Station were installed today. These benches are rubber coated and Mansfield is spelled out on the back and are located under the overhang. They were purchased by GATRA for under $5,000. There are 4 or 5 of them. r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 6 r r (' . On October 26th, the Selectmen will meet with Ken Buckland and will present an overview of the status of the TOD project and where we stand and what direction the plan will take in the future. We received a petition from residents who utilize the train station and they are advocating for additional parking for Mansfield residents. We need to come up with some funding to help procure parking. He is researching the issue of a parking authority and will have information for the Board recently. Selectman McCue noted that two chunks of land are privately-owned and wants the residents to know that we are not letting the land sit fallow. He added that we aren't in a reasonable position to increase Mansfield-resident parking but we are looking for options. The Town Manager said that the infrastructure needs to be able to accommodate the extra cars. Selectman McCarter said that the rising fuel costs have fueled the demand for parking spaces, as more people are taking the train as opposed to driving in. Selectman McCarter believes that we need to have parking spaces for late commuters and people who just want to go into the city. Selectman McCue said that we could look at options for the Winthrop Street lot. Selectman Amoruso suggested having a discussion after hearing from Ken and before January on parking options. We need to start talking about that publicly. The Town Manager said that we can ask Ken to help with us with that public meeting. Selectman McCue noted that the human cry is building. Selectman McCue: . There was an article in Sunday's newspaper about tax incentives for seniors and he believes that we opt to grant our seniors the maximum allowed by law. The townspeople should be commended for allowing seniors to get a property tax exemption. . Discussed the issue of providing aid to towns in New Hampshire - a few lives were lost and several hundred homes were lost. If there is anything that we can do, we should offer our help. The Town Manager said that we only get involved if we are invited. He said that he will ask Lee to call his counterparts in New Hampshire and decide what we can do. Motion: To contact NH to offer services, depending on what we can afford (money and manpower) (McCue - Amoruso) for discussion Selectman McCarter leaves it to the discretion of the Town Manager and doesn t have a problem with helping if asked. He doesn't want the town to be jeopardized in any way. Chairman Achille appreciates the motion and admits that he isn't up on the magnitude of the issue. He noted that once the offer is made, he thinks that people would not say no. The Town Manager said that we would have to evaluate our needs internally before we would be able to offer that assistance. Vote: All in favor PASSES Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 7 r Selectman Amoruso: · He has gotten involved with an initiative with Mansfield Youth Soccer about restoring the backfields at Plymouth Street. He is looking to get the Board's approval to proceed with meeting with people about this issue. · He wants to involve the Police Chief about collecting funds for a speed-trap trailer. Selectman McCarter: · He received a request from a resident on Justin Drive who asked for a "Slow- Children" sign to be installed. The Town Manager said that he will ask Lance look into it. · We have a tax classification hearing coming up soon and asked where we could get information on area communities. The Town Manager said that the Assessors Office can provide us with that information. · What is the status of the letter to the legislators about assisting communities with rising fuel costs. The Town Manager said that the letters are in the process of being finalized. ,'-- · What is the status of the recycling committee. The Town Manager said that we will put it on cable. Chairman Achille: . Reminded residents that the Board has scheduled office hours at 7:00pm on October 26th. Motion: To adjourn at 9:55pm (Amoruso) All in favor PASSES tPdOk 2~ 2tJtJ5 Signature of Clerk Date of Approval r Board of Selectmen Minutes of October 12, 2005 8 . ,