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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin brd of selectmen 07052006 I' RECE\YEO '":.1 :':! CL F.PIlS OFF ICE r Present: Town of Mansfield Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5, 2006 t1At~SFIELD . Ch' D'd C I k . MASSACHUSETTS VIce aIrman aVI Mc arter, C er George Dentmo, Selectman Louis Amoruso and Selectman Michael McCue John O. D' Agostino, Town Manager 06 JUL 20 PH 2: .. I The Board of Selectmen's meeting was called to order at 7:30pm, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. McCarter congratulated David Young on his fourteen years of service to the Municipal Building Committee and presented Mr. Young with a plaque for his years of service. Mr. Young's wife and daughter were present for the recognition. Mr. McCarter noted that Mr. Young was involved with the Plymouth Street Fire Station, Police Station, all of the schools, Fisher-Richardson House and he was the liaison on the School Feasibility Study Committee. Members of the MBC were also present to support Mr. Young. Mr. Young thanked the Board for the opportunity to serve and thanked everyone for their support and friendship. Mr. McCue noted that Mr. Young will be a tough act to follow on the MBC and r' he wishes him well and hopes that he will see him in another capacity. Mr. Amoruso noted that Mr. Young's professional life overlaps his service on the MBC and thanks him and his family for their contributions. Mr. Dentino noted that Mr. Young was professional and knowledgeable and thanked him for his service. Mr. D'Agostino added that he and his staff have worked and interacted with the MBC over the years and he is thankful to have Mr. Young as a person you can count on for his expertise and knowledge and wishes the best in the future. There were no questions and comments. Mr. McCarter asked Bruce Fallows, 15 Avon Street, to introduce himself. He works for one of the local banks and has free time on his hands and is looking to get involved. Mr. McCarter talked about the cable license process and Mr. Fallows pointed out that it is a trying and complex matter. Mr. McCue said that he knows Mr. Fallows and is happy to have him applying for the vacancy. Mr. Amoruso pointed out that the Selectmen's appointment fight to ensure that the facilities and the connections are there and they are not. He is hoping that the Board of Directors and the Board of Selectmen can share ideas. Mr. Dentino said that he is pleased to have Mr. Fallows r applying and he will do a great job. Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5, 2006 1 r Motion: To appoint Bruce Fallows to the Cable Access Corp. Board of Directors for a term ending April, 2009 (McCue - Amoruso) 4-0 Passes Mr. McCarter noted that we are fortunate to have two applicants and one opening on the Conservation Commission. Mr. McCarter asked Mr. Monachino to tell the Board a little about himself and why he wants to be on the Conservation Commission. Mr. Monachino moved to Mansfield over 10 years ago and spent a lot of time working and is looking to do something for the community. He spends a lot of time outdoors and watches his children appreciate the outdoors. Mr. Mulkern has lived in Mansfield for 7 years and is involved in youth sports. He does a lot of site work and knows some of the rules and regulations for wetlands. He is looking to get involved in the community. His hours are flexible and he can walk wetlands and do site walks. Mr. McCue asked each applicant if they can compromise with respect to proper development and protecting the environment. Mr. Monachino said that you need to find the middle ground and find reasonable development and preserve what you can. It is a tough balancing act and you have to in on a case-by-case basis. Mr. Mulken noted that it will be more difficult as the years go by as the lots are gone. Mr. McCue noted that Mr. Mulken has his background in r development and asked if he has any experience is wetland replication and he replied that he has just completed one. Mr. McCue asked each of them if they regularly attend Town Meeting and both indicated that they do not regularly attend Town Meeting. Mr. McCue noted that the Selectmen like to see board and committee members at Town Meeting. Mr. Amoruso thanked both applicants for applying. He noted that they are both qualified candidates. Mr. Amoruso asked each of them are "tree-huggers" and if so, why. Mr. Mulkern replied that he does not but values the environment. Mr. Monachino replied that he is appreciative of the environment. Mr. Dentino asked how involved Mr. Mulkern is in developing land. Mr. Mulkern replied that he helped develop 7 lots. Mr. Dentino asked about their availability. Mr. Mulkern and Mr. Monachino both replied that they are available nights and weekends. Motion: To appoint Joseph Mulkern to the Conservation Commission to a term ending January 1,2010 (McCue) 1-3 Fails Motion: To appoint Ben Monachino to the Conservation Commission to a term ending January 1,2010 (Amoruso) 3-1 Passes r-- Mr. McCarter pointed out to Mr. Mulkern that there are two openings on the Planning Board as an Alternate. The Board members thanked both for coming in and applying. Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5, 2006 2 r Lt. Neal Boldrighini of the Mansfield Fire Department and Xia Jin, GIS Manager, were present for the demonstration. Fire Chief Robert Bellavance and MEMA Director/Dispatcher Red Button were also present. Lt. Boldrighini showed a picture of dispatch at headquarters and pointed out that there is a tremendous amount of information that dispatch needs to reference. The goal was to centrally locate all of the information in one area, on GIS. He showed the Board pictures of map books, which were drawings of streets. Dispatch has a lot of phone numbers on their desks. GIS is now set up at dispatch and one screen. All of the information in the map book is now on the computer. The Fire Department has plotted where important features are on every building, including radio boxes, electrical panels, gas meters, etc and where the features are. He used Town Hall as an example, and the GIS systems shows where the hydrants are, how large the water mains are, where the elevator is, etc. The system also allows for an aerial photo as well. Lt. Boldrighini provided examples of unique situations of where the system is very important, such as unique entrances into properties. Haz-Mat information is also listed on this system. We have also simplified the highway response. We go to the highway frequently, often once a day. We need a quick response from dispatch and what apparatus needs to go there. The system also provides information for med flight information and train information. We have a computer on Engine 3 r-- and both Rescues. Lt. Boldrighini noted that we are now working on pinpointing Alzheimer's patients and those who are participating in a specific program. The system can measure distance, which is helpful for tracking Alzheimer's patients and for Haz-Mat, in the event that an area needs to be evacuated. Lt. Boldrighini noted that the implementation of this system has been a collaborative effort. Mr. McCarter asked about training. Lt. Boldrighini replied that all dispatchers and firefighters have been trained on the GIS system. He asked about other uses for GIS and Lt. Boldrighini replied that the uses are infinite. Mr. McCarter added that we are fortunate to have this GIS system and it worth its cost. Mr. D'Agostino said that one of the visions for GIS is to have the information in the field. He hopes to have the Police Department embrace it like the Fire Department has. We are constantly working on improving the system. Mr. McCarter asked why the Police Department hasn't embraced GIS and Mr. D'Agostino replied that they are focusing on their radio system and they have sensitive information that they are concerned about it being accessible. Mr. Amoruso pointed out that the Fire Department needs to have updated information and asked about how the information is updated. Xia replied that the computer must be logged into the server. Mr. Amoruso asked if businesses have been encouraged to provide information to the ___ Fire Department. Lt. Boldrighini replied that we do visit businesses and encourage them to provide public safety officials with information that could be important to them. He added that Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5,2006 3 r with respect to personal oxygen supplies, HIPPA slows things down a bit. Mr. McCarter asked if this information is secure and the Lt. replied that there are security measures in place. The Board thanked Lt. Boldrighini for the presentation. Mr. McCue asked the Town Manager about using homeland security grant money for this system. The Town Manager replied a lot of our grant money for emergency preparedness has been in the communications system. Mr. McCue noted that it seems like we are at an advantage/disadvantage. The Town Manager said that we, as a community, made a commitment. Mr. David Simas, Bristol County Registrar of Deeds for Northern Bristol County, was present. He explained that his office has created the largest GIS parcel in New England, an integrated 87,000 parcel map. The Bristol County Registry of Deeds provided money to Mansfield to bring the GIS system up to a certain level and added that Mansfield is so advanced with its GIS system. He explained that deeds will be linked to GIS, so if you were to look up 6 Park Row, and if it were a residence, you would be able to see the deed for that parcel. He went on to say that his office is intending to provide yearly grants so communities can add layers to the GIS system for future years. One of the things that we have discussed is building plans and linking them to the GIS system. He is here to announce that we have had a successful first phase and is r looking forward to continuing the project in future years. Mr. McCue noted that there has been a degradation of services for county government but that the Bristol County Registry of Deeds and the Sheriff s Office in particular have been very innovative in providing regional approaches. He added that there is no reason why we cannot work together. Mr. Simas noted that technology is where we can fill a gap. He wants his office to be considered a branch of town office. Mr. Amoruso asked ifhe heard correctly that there will be a history of the parcel/title. Mr. Simas replied that he will have part-time staff for FY07 that will do a deed search and go back to see who originally owned the property. His office also provides historical analysis and is working on a project researching historical localities and who has owned them. Mr. Amoruso said that Mr. Simas epitomizes what a public employee should be like and he is enthusiastic and thanks him. The Board thanked Mr. Simas for his attendance and update. r' Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5, 2006 4 r' Mr. Amoruso noted that changes were made to clarify when the compensation should be given. Mr. D'Agostino said that he called the communities in the chart to get the information and noted that the salaries are for FY07, not FY06 as stated in the memo. Mr. McCarter noted that the Town Manager shall get a raise subject to a satisfactory evaluation from a majority of the Board. Mr. Amoruso believes that everything that the Board has questions on at the previous meeting has been addressed. Mr. McCarter noted that a change was made so that the salary review should take place on or around April 1 st. Mr. McCarter asked ifthe Town Manager has any questions/comments about the contract. Mr. Dentino asked when the Board members received the contract and it was noted that the contract was forgotten to be included in the folders, but the office noted that it was placed in the Board's mailboxes on Wednesday late morning. He went on to say that there was a repetitive sentence that was following the percentage increase. The Town Manager noted that the repetitive sentence was deleted and replaced with a clearer sentence. Mr. McCarter said that he believes there are some safeguards in place. Mr. Amoruso said that the percentage increases are already in the contract. Town Manager added that the contract provides some semblance of budget planning. Mr. Dentino doesn't like wiggle room because he doesn't feel that there will be any wiggle room down. Mr. Dentino questioned the use of the automobile as noted in section 9. He noted that the Town Manager lives a half-mile from Town Hall. He asked if it is fair for the taxpayers to pay for a vehicle that is used for 25,000 miles. Mr. Amoruso pointed out that the r-- Town Manager represents the Town in other communities and to Boston. He said that it is entirely possible for him to do work in the area and put on that kind of mileage. There are a lot of responsibilities that he must go to. Mr. McCarter said that it is a fringe benefit that has been afforded to this Town Manager as well as to previous Town Managers. Mr. Dentino asked about professional dues and asked the Town Manager what associations he belongs to. The Town Manager replied that he belongs to the Rotary Club International, ICMMA. Mr. Dentino asked about Elks and the Town Manager replied that he pays for that himself. Mr. Amoruso asked Mr. Dentino if we should be removing professional dues from the contract. Mr. Dentino replied that he believes that we should watch and not let the professional development go over the line item amount. Mr. Dentino said that with respect to indemnification, he believes you cannot indemnify against civil rights violations. Mr. Dentino said that with respect to insurance premiums, we pay for 80% of group life and 100% term insurance for the Town Manager. Mr. McCarter said that this town employee stands on a different footing from other town employees. The Town Manager said that 80-90% of town employees have group life insurance. Mr. Dentino doesn't believe that the contract can go to 10%. Mr. Amoruso said that the intent is to cover up to the cap. Mr. Dentino said that he did his own salary comparison through population. He said that the average is $102,000 for a community the size of Mansfield. The Town Manager noted that it is important to look at the town's budgets. Mr. McCue asked if the survey looked into how long the town manager has been in their job. Mr. McCarter said that for what this town gets, it is fair r-- compensation and the Town Manager does not have an assistant. Not everyone is going to agree on everything. Mr. McCarter said that he is not interested in comparing this town manager to Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5, 2006 5 r other town managers, administrators, executive secretarys, etc. He is interested in looking at his record of service. Mr. McCarter added that there are more employees who make more money than the Town Manager. Mr. Amoruso said that when he goes to regional meetings, other communities want Mr. D'Agostino. We have a commodity that has done a lot for the Town. Mr. McCarter said that he has not always voted in favor of certain raises, but he believes that the contract is fair to the Town Manager and to the Town. Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 3-1 Passes (Mr. Dentino opposed) Mr. McCarter asked the Town Manager if we could defer the raise discussion for a future meeting. . Warrant No. 53 in the amount of $1,770,794.1 1 Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 (Mr. McCarter abstaining from check # 354863) Passes r . Warrant No. 54 in the amount of $527,064.75 Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 (Mr. McCarter abstaining from check # 355222) Passes . Warrant No. 1 intheamountof$2,532,193.33 Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 Passes . Regular Session Minutes of June 21, 2006 Selectmen's Meeting Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 Passes . Hackney Carriage Licenses for Vehicle # 125 from Foxfield Taxi Corporation, Foxboro Motion: To approve (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 Passes . Interdepartmental transfers totaling $21,950.00 Mr. D'Agostino explained that these transfers are allowed under a new state statute. Mr. McCarter pointed out that two approvals are needed, one from the Selectmen and the other from the Finance Committee. Mr. D'Agostino noted that most of the increases are due to rising fuel and/or electric costs. Motion: To approve interdepartmental transfers (McCue-Amoruso) 4-0 Passes r-- Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5,2006 6 (' . Memo from the Town Manager regarding the municipal review decision of the Planning Board. Mr. McCarter asked if the Planning Board has voted on the use on temporary lights and Mr. D'Agostino replied that the minutes attached to the memo go back to 1998. . Memo from the Town Clerk regarding the new Boston Post Cane recipient. Motion: To contact Mrs. Lillian Marshall to see if she will accept the award (McCue - Amoruso) 4-0 Passes . Copy ofletter from the Selectmen's Office to My Brother's Keeper, stating that Town Hall employees donated $450.00 in memory of Bernie Dolan to donate to My Brother's Keeper. . Letter from the Planning Board to MassHighway District 5 regarding the Route 106 reconstruction project. Mr. Dentino read the letter from Planning Board Chairman Thomas French to Bernard McCourt, District 5 Director. r . Memo from Beverly Estes-Smargiassi of the Mansfield Community Development Office requesting the Board to further encumber the property in HRP AC Case #25E. Motion: To approve the request to further encumber the property in HRPAC Case #25E in the amount of $40,000 (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 Passes . Bristol County Advisory Board Meeting notice for Thursday, July 20th at 6:00pm at the Taunton Superior Courthouse. Typically, the Chairman is the mem~er of the Bristol County Advisory Board. \ Motion: To send Acting Chairman David McCarter to the Bristol County Advisory Board Meeting (Amoruso - Dentino) 4-0 Passes . Memo informing the Board that Gerald LaPierre, who was recently appointed Constable, has declined the appointment. Mr. D'Agostino said that he will look into limiting the number of constables. . Memo from Nancy Hinote, Asst. Assessor and Richard Boucher, Treasurer/Collector, regarding the quarterly tax bills. Mr. Dentino read the memo reminding the residents that tax bills are now sent out quarterly and the first quarter payment is due by Tuesday, August 1, 2006. r-- Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5,2006 7 r-- The Town Manager reported the following: . Before he leaves on vacation, he will have the draft Deutsche Bank fund allocation criteria ready for the Board to look at. He is scheduled to be gone on vacation the last week in July and the first week in August and Lee Azinheira will be the Acting Town Manager. . He will be responding to the Board on their goals/objectives for the next meeting. . There was some discussion relative to the HOME Consortium and whether the Board could automatically renew. He advised the Board that they can take the vote to renew in the HOME Consortium every three years but they will not be required to sign paperwork. Motion: To sign the HOME Consortium agreement for the first three-year period (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 Passes r-- Mr. Dentino - Old Business: . At the last meeting, the Board took a vote on the grant assurances from the Airport Commission. He had originally voted against but, after reading the document, would like to change his vote Motion: To reconsider (Amoruso - McCue) 4-0 Passes Motion: To approve and sign grant assurances (McCue - Amoruso) 4-0 Passes Mr. McCue: . Asked the Town Manager if we can we get smaller trash barrels for the elderly instead of the 64-gallon. Mr. Amoruso replied that they can offer some on a case-by-case basis and that would be an option. Mr. McCue asked Mr. D'Agostino to look into providing them two 32- gallon barrels for the elderly. Mr. D'Agostino said that he will have DPW Director Lee Azinheira speak to the issue when he is Acting Town Manager for the August 2nd meeting. . We have had some more rain and some flooding on School Street at Hodges Brook. He asked the Town Manager if the developers of the proposed mall were approached to help the issue financially. Mr. D'Agostino replied that the developers are doing a lot of work on the sewer line and added that we are looking for money for the sewer study. . When the mall was granted permission to go forward, there was an agreement on the curb cut on Route 140. We had also discussed the exit from the mall onto Route 140. He asked if we can remind MassHighway about that issue. Motion: To send letter to MassHighway about the exit onto Route 140 (McCue - Amoruso) 4-0 Passes r-- Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5, 2006 8 r · On Wednesday, July 12th at 4:30pm, there will be a dedication of one ofthe Little League fields on Otis Street to Frank Royle. Mr. D'Agostino has agreed that in an effort to raise money for the Animal Shelter, he will be a dunk tank at the Family Fun Night. He is asking the Board members to join him in the tank. Mr. McCarter: · Reminded residents that July Ith is the Family Fun Night in the downtown. Mr. Amoruso noted that he will attend the field dedication. Motion: To adjourn at 10:37pm (Amoruso) 4-0 Passes r-- Date of Approval r Board of Selectmen Minutes of July 5, 2006 9