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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOS MINUTES 11-16-1977BOARD OF SELECTMEN /LIGHT COMMISSIONERS A G E N D A November 16, 1977 7:30 p.m. Call To Order Weekly Warrant Minutes of the Previous Meeting Clerk's Folder - (Nothing) Correspondence 7:45 p.m. Mr. Philip Sarkin- Kennel License 8:00 P.M. Hearing - Opening of Old Colony Right -of -Way Apppointment t6 the Planning Board Town Manager's Report Board Reports 1 Leon Grant - Class 2 Auto License Pending!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cabot Pond - Mr. Provost Honor Roll Town Insurance Fuel Tank Estimates' Traffic Lights - Chapter 356 Notefi�4, Light Commissioners meeting Monday 11/21/77 BOARD OF SELECTMEN /LIGHT COMMISSIONERS Minutes of the Meeting November 16, 1977 Present: Selectmen Robert DeLong, Frank Colella, Douglas Titus, and Antonino Caponigro. Town Manager, William Metropulos and Recording Secretary Mary Truczinskas. (Selectman Clemmey arrived late.) The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. Selectman Delong moved that Selectman Colella be Acting Clerk. Seconded by Selectman Caponigro. Voted 3-0. Warrant: Selectman Caponigro moved that the weekly warrant of $115,510.40 be approved. Seconded by Selectman DeLong. Voted 4 -0. Revenue Sharing Warrant: Selectman Colella moved that the warrant jn the amount ' of $1,201.07. Seconded by Selectman Caponigro. Voted 4 -0. Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting of November 9, 1977 were read. Motion to accept the minutes as read was made by Selectman Colella. Seconded by ;! Selectman Caponigro. Voted 4 -0. Selectman Clemmey arrived at the meeting at 7:40 p.m. Correspondence- Letter from Representative Leon Lombardi with an attached list of Acts and Re- solves passed and signed into law by:. the Governor. Selectman Clemmey said that he would like to get a copy of Chapter 347 - An Act further regulating collective bargaining impasses involving firefighters and police officers. A letter for that request will be sent to Representative Lombardi. Letter from the Comm. of Mass. Department of Public Health regarding the 1977 Am- bulance Distribution Program. Letter from the National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials with at- tached bill for annual dues of $25.00. No action taken as to the payment of the dues discussed. Notice from Municipal Forum with attached form for subscription payment in the amount of $8.00. Selectman Caponigro moved that we subscribe to this quarterly information exchange, seconded by Selectman Belong. Voted 5-0. Request for Kennel License by Mr. Philip Sorkin of 675 Main Street, Sharon, Mass. Mr. Sorkin is purchasing property located at 590 Elm Street to be used as a commercial kennel for boarding cats and dogs plus grooming and training services. Mr. Sorkin- said that the only problem he can foresee would be a noise prpblem, but will be insulating the building for sound proofing. Selectman Delong asked Mr. 1 Sorkin how many dogs he would be housing and he answered about 35 dogs. Selectman DeLong asked Mr. Sorkin if he has spoken to any of the neighbors and he answered no. It was suggested that the license be taken under advisement until the next Select- men's meeting and Selectman Delong suggested that Mr. Sorkin have some sort of plans with him when he comes in again. (* MOTIONS PASSED) -1- BOARD OF SELECTMEN /LIGHT COMMISSIONERS ( Minutes of the Meeting November 16, 1977 Page 2 Correspondence continued - Letter from Curran Associates, Inc. Engineers and Planners asking to be considered as consultants for the Step 2 phase of the waste water treatment plant. Report from the Department of the Army on the Northeastern United States Water Supply Study. Sewer connection - Selectman Delong moved that a sewer connection permit for the Fresh Catch, 216 Rumford Ave. be approved. Seconded by Selectman Caponigro. Voted 5 -0. Leon Grant met with the Selectmen to request permission to extend sewerage down. Creeden Street to 44 Wood Avenue where he is moving his existing businesseC . Mr. Grant said that he spoke with Ronnie Dubuc about it already , however, Select- man Delong suggested that it be taken under advisement until Monday nite and have Ron Dubuc come in to the Selectmen's meeting for his input into this. Application for a transfer of a Class 11 license from 69 Creeden Street to 44 Wood avenue was discussed. Selectman Colella moved that the transfer be granted, seconded by Selectman Clemmey. Voted 5 -0. Selectman DeLong asked Mr. Grant if he has done anything with the permit for the 30,000 gallon underground storage for fuel. Mr. Grant answered that he has not done anything as yet and said he has site plans for construction which will show everything and that it will be all fenced in. Mr. Grant rSa'idr that he will be submitting a whole site plan to the Board. Hearing for the Proposed Opening of Old Colony Way through to North Main Street. Selectman Clemmey opened the hearing by referring to a memorandum from the Down- town Advisory Committee with a diagram of the area attached. Town Manager Bill Metropulos then referred to an excerpt from the 1968 Town Meet- ing in which an article was submitted to see if the Town would vote to authorize the Selectmen to take by eminent domain, purchase or gift, the land of the Old Colony Railroad Company. It was voted at that time to raise and appropriate the sum of $20,800.00 to be expended by the Selectmen for acquision of said land to be utilized for a utility right of way. Selectman Titusaasked,Ronnie Reed, member of the Downtown Advisory Committee, to give his recommendations. Mr. Reed said that the committee is recommending the opening of the Old Colony Way to eleviate downtown traffic and produce additional off - street parking. Mr. Reed said that the following areas were considered and steps have been taken for:-the_,faalowing: Signing - Seven (7) signs would be posted directing people to where the Municipal Parking is, posting of the right or left turns and the hours of parking. -2- BOARD OF SELECThIEN(LIGHT COMMISSIONERS Minutes of the Meeting Page 3 November 16, 1977 Security: The installation of three (3) security lights along the right -of -way. Speed bumps to be installed at appropriate locations at the entrances to and from the right -of -way as well as other locations. Curfew: It is recommended that a time limit be instituted for the parking lot to prevent unnecessary gathering and loitering. The paving for the area is estimated to cost about $1100. The estimated cost for the whole project is in the area of $2000, at this time. Additional cost will be required when the main sewer interceptor is installed. George Young, 170 So, Main Street - Mr. Young said that he was opposed to the opening other than to off - street parking. The reason being that a traffic hazard has already been created by Catalano's from opening Shawmut Avenue direct to North Main Street through the "so called parking lot." There have been numerous accidents in that area, said Mr. Young. Mr. Young referred to an Article in the 1968 Town Meeting, in which it was voted to acquire said land to be utilized as a utility right -of -way. Mr. Young is stongly opposed to two =way traffic and feels it should be restricted to minimum use. Ronnie Reed - Downtown Advisory Committee - Mr. Reed answered Mr. Young's opposition by saying that there would be steps taken to avoid problems with the two-way traf- fic by errecting signs in the area, some would indicate that there is municiple parking available, one of the signs which would interest Mr. Young, would be the fact that when you are exiting onto No. Main Street from the northern end of.that lot you would not be able to make a left turn and come back down southward because that is the area where there is not enough room to make a proper turn. Mr. Young again answered that if it were just going to be used to eleviate the parking problems on No. Main Street and not provide access to the back streets, that's one thing, but "I just came here tonight to recommend to you, the Board, to restrict your usage to that narrow area and not to widen it. ". Shierino Amici, 115 No. Main Street - Mr. Amici's concern was whether there would be drains installed, because when it rains he has a problem with water backing up to his back door. Mr. Metropulos reports that there are plans of putting in 60 ft. of 12" pipe. Mr. Amici said, other than that he has no objections to the opening. Claude Picciandra /Claude's Barber Shop -109 No. Main Street - Mr. Picciandra spoke in favor of the opening for parking and for the future of the town. Edmond DeLage, 15 Court Street - Mr. Delage voiced strong opposition to this proposal of Opening Old Colony Way. Mr. DeLage said that he will be most affected by this because traffic will be going right by his den and living room where he has lived in peace and tranquility for some time. Mr. DeLage notes that traffic is heavy enough in that area now with Court Street feeding Brock, Hodges, Willis, Columbus and in some cases Glen, Shawmut and Samoset Streets. The question of enforcing the time limit, the loitering and the speeding problem was of much concern to Mr. DeLage and he referred to the parking lot between N.E. Security and the Mansfield Cooperative Bank and the problems that have been going on there. Further discussion involved what Mr. DeLage thought should be done and felt that the area up by Catalano's should be opened up, but Selectmen Caponigro said that a few years ago there was an articl to open it up but the cost was too much. -3- BOARD OF SELECTMEN /LIGHT COMMISSIONERS MEETING Page 4 November 16, 1977 Minutes of the Meeting Selectman Caponigro said that he feels this is a question that will continue to come up in the following years (the opening of the right -of -way) and feels that it should be put on a trail basis for about 6 months, to see how it works. Mr. Reed said that he would like to see it on a trial basis for 9 months, because we are now getting into the bad weather and we won't have the benefit of seeing how it works when there is good weather. Bernie O'Malley, 46 Park Street, Mr. O'Malley asked "what prompted the study to begin with? I don't see where the Town warrants all the extra parking area." Ralph Seifert Old Maple Steet - Mr. Seifert in answer to Mr. O'Malley's question said the idea is to attract some investors into the area to possibly tear down some of the buildings, rebuilding or to renovate the old ones. Within the next 2 to 4 weeks CC &F is going to make some disclosures in their park and no one can compete with a shopping center. There will be a large number of jobs available in that park and our downtown traffic flow will not be able to handle it. We are planning now for the future growth and revitalization of this town, reports Mr. Seifert. Selectman Colella voices his opposition and said that he would not want traffic flowing by his houszand feels that this will be just another headache. "Can't l get anyone now to clean up in that area ", he states. I would like to table it for now. Selectman Caponigro made a motion to close the hearing and take it under advise- ment , seconded by Selectman Clemmey. Voted 4 -0. Selectman Colella made a motion to table it. This received no second. A vacancy has been created on the Planning Board caused by the resignation of Ronnie Plourde. The applicants to the Board were read; Leo Costanza, Patricia Manget, Calleen Gross, John Gross, Jr.; Fred E. Mueller and Leon C. Grant. Selectman Colella moved that this appointment be tabled for another week. Seconded %< by Selectman Caponigro. Voted 5 -0. Town Manager's Report Mr. Metropulos reports that the Fairfield Optical building will not be covered after the first of December unless we do something about the sprinkler system. Selectman Delong asked that the Town Manager get a cost figure on what a sprinkler system would cost and have it by next Monday for the meeting. Mr. Metropulos reports that the 20 MPH signs have been ordered for Mill and also the signs for the Hartwell School. Mr. Metropulos reported on the Seminar that he, Diane Hunt and Jim Hall attended in Cambridge, stating he found it very informative. -1t- BOARD OF SELECTMEN(LIGHT COMMISSIONERS Minutes of the Meeting November 16, 1977 Page 5 Mr. Metropulos reports that the contract from Whitman & Howard on the testing of wells appears to be quite expensive and he is going to try to renegotiate the contract. BOARD REPORTS - Selectman Colella said that he would like something done with the property in back of Mr. Larry Jackson's where there seems to be a "di'tch::problem." Mr. Jackson said that he has asked Selectman Colella several times to send some- one down to clean it up. Selectman Colella asked the Town Manager to look into it this week. Selectman Colella made a motion to postpone the Selectman's meeting of NOVEMBER 23, 1977 because it is the day before Thanksgiving. Seconded by Selectman Caponigro. Voted 5 -0. Selectman DeLong wanted to issue a public apology to Thom Leonard regarding my views that were publishdd in the paper. "I want to congratulate him for passing the exam, and should the Town Manger appoint him, 1 will support him." Selectman DeLong dicussed the Unemployment Compensation as to whether the Town should go the contributory or the reimbursement course. Mr. Metropulos distributed copies of the new unemployment conpensation law with questions and answers for all the Board members to look at. A decision has to be reached by December 1. Mr. Metropulos states that he has an appointment with the school dept heads to get information from them. :.iA decision`wil.l have to be made by the Board on Monday night November 21, 1977 as to what method they are going to take. Selectman Caponigro reported on the draft 208 from SRPEDD, and said that he will be getting in touch with Chad Maurer, the Town Pl.anner for his help, and advice. Selectman Colella asked when the new Fire Chief was going to be appointed, and was reminded by Selectman Clemmey that we have not heard from Civil Service yet as to the results of the tests. Chairman Titus wants the traffic signals on Rt. 106 and Forbes, and Franklin Street and Rt. 106 on a top priority list before the bad weather. There being no further business, Selectman DeLong moved that the meetinc be adjourned at 9:20 p.m.. Seconded by Selectman Caponigro. Voted 5 -0. -5-