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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOS MINUTES 5-25-1988BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING MAY 25, 1988 PRESENT: Selectmen Levine, Markt, Tartufo; Town Manager Chairman Harrington arrived at 7:44 P.M. 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:35 P.M. and the Flag saluted. * MOTION: To appoint Selectman Markt Acting Chairman until Chairman Harring- ton arrives. Levine /Tartufo VOTED: 2 -0 * MOTION: To appoint Selectman Tartufo Acting Clerk until Chairman Harring- ton arrives. Levine / Markt VOTED: 2 -0 2. Minutes of May 18, 1988 * MOTION: To approve the Mintues of May 18, 1988. Tartufo /Levine VOTED: 3 -0 3. Warrants No. 50 & 50A * MOTION: To approve Warrant No. 50 in the amount of $158,812.17, dated May 24, 1988, broken down as follows: General Fund - $117,965.90 Revenue Sharing - 5,195.02 School Lunch - 3,700.30 Special Revenue - 284.00 Capital Projects - 10,499.80 Sewer Enterprise - 18,196.22 Water Enterprise - 2,979.92 Electric Enterprise - Tartufo /Levine VOTED: 3 -0 Levine abstained on any item for schools or School Committee * MOTION: To approve Warrant No. 50A in the amount of $750,926.13, dated May 24, 1988, for Payroll. Tartufo /Levine VOTED: 3 -0 Levine abstained on any item for schools or School Committee. 4. Licenses & Permits a) Request to pledge Alcoholic Beverage License by Great Woods, Inc., pledge to Eliot Savings Bank in a Mortgage, Security Agreement and Financing Statement dated May 11, 1988. * MOTION: To approve the license pledge. Tartufo / Markt VOTED: 4 -0 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING MAY 25, 1988 PAGE 2 5. Correspondence a) Letter from Richard A. Kraus, Senate Chair, Special Commission on Local Aid, re: Summary and technical reports of the Commission. b) Letter from Mass. Municipal Assoc. re: Commitment on SBAB in FY -89. c) Letter from Mayor, City of Northampton, Mass. re: 1988 Make It Click campaign. d) Memorandum from Chairman, Conservation Commission re: Vacancy on his commission. e) Letter from DEQE re: Contract No. 1, Change Order No. 11 approval. f) Letter from Bruce Montgomery, Great Woods, re: Cancellation of June 16th Rick Springfield concert. g) Letter to the Board from Robert W. Tighe, 56 Spring Street, re: His thoughts on the proposed Override. - The Clerk was asked to read this aloud ( h) Memorandum to various boards and department heads from the Planning Director re: Site Plan Review. i) Letter to the Board from Catherine Hayner, Secretary of American Legion Auxiliary re: Permission to conduct their annual Poppy Drive, May 25- 30, 1988. * MOTION: To approve the Poppy Drive for the dates specified. Levine /Markt VOTED: 4 -0 j) Two Informational Guideline Releases from Division of Local Services re: Overlay Reserve & Additional Compensation for Certified Assessing Officials. k) Letter to the Board from Gale Associates, Inc., Weymouth, re: Assist- ing Town with its pond restoration project in West Mansfield. 1) Copy of DEQE WASTE WATCH, Spring 1988. m) Letter from Executive Office of Communities & Development re: Applica- tion for Rental Rehabilitation Program (RRP) funds. n) Copy of letter to the Town Manager from Town Counsel re: Sale of School property. - The Town Manager explained his reason for requesting this. o) Copy of letter to the Town Manager from Town Counsel re: Deed Restric- tions for Spaulding School. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING MAY 25, 1988 PAGE 3 P) Memorandum to various department heads from the Planning Director re: Site Plan Review. Public Hearing /License Transfer The Clerk read the advertisement for transfer of the Package Store Wine & Malt License under the name of C. Curtis Parker d /b /a DI MONTE'S VARIETY STORE, 70 -72 Pratt Street to Walid Samrout. Following this Mrs. Parker advised the Board that they have not come to an agreement with the buyer, so they request an indefinite postponement. * MOTION: To approve the postponement. Tartufo /Markt VOTED: 4 -0 Open Meeting /Landfill -Trash Chairman Harrington opened the meeting by reviewing his thoughts in suggest- ing this meeting; i.e., cost of trash pick -up which could escalate in the future; the present contract has no escape clause. He also advised that the Solid Waste Alternative Committee had expended many hours studying various possible solutions and Marilyn Ouellette would give a presentation of that committee's recommendations. He then turned the meeting over to the Town Manager to cover the status of the East Street landfill closing and Stearns Avenue dump site closing. Bill Mackey and Mike Costure, representatives for Camp Dresser & McKee, the consulting engineers working on the East Street landfill closing were pre- sent to update the Board and residents on the status of the landfill. Bill Mackey was the spokesperson and had mounted an aerial view of the land- fill area on the wall, to refer to. Bill said they have been working on a closure report for the past eleven months. In April 1987 the Town had signed a Consent Decree with DEQE. There are 21 wells for sampling plus two surface wells; the groundwater is flowing towards Canoe River at the rate of 30 -70 feet per day; they have sampled the Dustin Well and found no contaminants. Capping the landfill prevents rainfall from percolating through the landfill which then runs out, having gone into the groundwater. The question was asked about re- opening the landfill, or using it just for brush, etc. Bill said there is a possibility of retaining a small area for such use. He said there were two or three surprises in preparing the closure report. One was that there are really two landfill sites, about five feet apart, the second holds basically brush, etc. The second is that Shell Oil has a line running between the two landfill areas; this required discussion with Shell Oil for possible relocation of their line, which they are presently reviewing. If that is possible, CDM would then be able to move the content of the smaller landfill over to the larger one which would help in attaining the required slope of the main landfill. When a landfill is covered, decomposition occurs and causes gases. This would require a trench along East Street to prevent gas from working out BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING MAY 25, 1988 PAGE 4 in that area. Presently only one grant fund is available in the State; it will pay 80% of the eligible cost. There are many more towns and cities in need than there are funds, but CDM is applying, if just to get the Town on the list. There is another grant program that has been passed and is in the formula - tive stage; it probably will not be ready until next year. Selectman Tartu - fo asked if the Town were to go ahead and pay for the closure, would it be eligible for reimbursement? Bill said he believes it is retroactive, but suggested putting the question in writing to the State. A rough estimate for the closure is 1 -112 million. Chairman Harrington asked if there was any potential danger /hazard from the gas now; he was told no. Carol Dunn was present and asked what the Town/ CDM is doing presently and was told "about all it can ", but the landfill is being monitored closely and if leachate is found to be leaking out, they will treat it. The odor they get is leachate drying out, which does smell bad. At this point George Mallen of Southeastern Energy Development Corp. (SEEDCO), who had sat through the discussion, passed out information "Economic Bene- fits of a 450 Ton Per Day Waste -to- Energy Project proposal, advising that he will be making a presentation to the Board of Health in two weeks. The Town Manager then introduced Kalkunte Srinivasa of Kalkunte Engineering Corp., for a status report on the Stearns Ave. /Hercules Dump site. Kalkunte reviewed the history of the site from 1941 when it was owned by Hercules Powder Co. Several years back Hercules left Mansfield and deeded the prop- erty over to the Town. Their solid waste created the biggest problem, mak- ing a 16 -18 foot mound over a thirty year period; the mound is primarily clay -like, so seepage into the groundwater is limited. Kalkunte has in- stalled 4 monitoring wells between the site and the Town wells. The site had 13 drums, some open and empty, also a refrigerator, car doors, etc. The site is only about two acres, the slope needs to be stabilized. They expect to install two monitoring wells on-the-side of_the.Cate Springs and Dustin Wells. The State requires capping of a dump site, same as a landfill, when it is abandoned, and advised that Kalkunte Eng. is apply- ing for a grant for the Town also. Chairman Harrington asked if he would recommend the Town pursuing Hercules Powder Co. for help in the capping project. Kalkunte saw no reason not to try. Selectman Tartufo, who formerly was Chairman of the Board of Health for a number of years, relayed his connection with Hercules in past years, saying they were very cooperative. Kalkunte said the State is now waiting for the schedule; after State ap- proval the closing ANNNINOW should take three to four months. From start to finish the cost $650,000. The Town Manager said they hope to con- vince the State to let the present slope stay, because it is well estab- lished. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING MAY 25, 1988 PAGE 5 MOTION: That Thomas E. Dwyer, Town Manager, is hereby authorized to act on behalf of the Town of Mansfield (hereafter referred to as the "Applicant "), as its agent in filing applications for, executing agreements regarding, and performing any and all other actions necessary to secure for the Applicant such grants and grant pay- ments for the demonstration landfill closure projects as may be available to the Applicant, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 723, Section 9H of the Acts of 1983, inclusive, as amended, or other special act of the General Court for the construction of the following facilities: Permanent Closure of East Street Landfill. Levine /Tartufo VOTED: 4 -0 * MOTION: That Thomas E. Dwyer, Town Manager, is hereby authorized to act on behalf of the Town of Mansfield (hereafter referred to as the "Applicant "), as its agent in filing applications for, executing agreements regarding, and performing any and all other actions necessary to secure for the Applicant such grants and grant pay- ments for the demonstration landfill closure projects as may be available to the Applicant, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 723, Section 9H of the Acts of 1983, inclusive, as amended, or other special act of the General Court for the construction of the following facilities: Permanent Closure of Stearns Avenue Dump Site Landfill. Levine /Tartufo VOTED: 4 -0 8. Old Business - Town Mana a) The Town Meeting scheduled for May 31, 1988 in the High School auditor- ium conflicts with an already scheduled High School activity. Having checked with Town Counsel, the opinion is that Town Meeting can be held at the Qualters School on the 31st. b) Tom reported that he had discussed the increased pay (to $5.00) for poll workers with the Town Clerk, and she has no objection. It will take effect in the new fiscal year, for the September election. c) Tom had previously distributed a packet of information to Board members concerning Civil Rights Compliance and, more specifically, an Affirma- tive Action Plan, a Minority /Women Business Enterprise Program, and a Fair Housing Plan. Tom said the Planning Director, Mike LaCasse, has been working with the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination require- ments, forms, etc. as the Town Civil Rights Coordinator. The reporting and review procedures are most burdensome and require significant addi- tional effort on the part of the staff but, if the Town is to receive State and Federal grants, they must be kept up to date. At present the Board must formally adopt a policy statement for each of the three cate- gories, which Tom had prepared. He advised the Board that the Town has no minority representatives, a Fair Housing Committee must be appointed and a Director of that committee. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING MAY 25, 1988 PAGE 6 Chairman Harrington asked if the Board vote could be deferred until tomorrow night, when it will meet as Light Commissioners, as all members have not yet familiarized themselves with all the information. Tom was reluctant, because he would not be at that meeting, but emphasized that the information /votes must be in to the State by May 31st. Old Business - Selec a) Selectman Levine wanted to discuss sale of the Spaulding School since as a new Selectman she had not been aware that the Board was now pushing to sell it. (Selectman Tartufo left the room for this discussion). Selectman Levine asked if it was feasible for parking for merchants and their employees. She said she has negative feelings about getting rid of prime Town property because once it is gone, it's gone. The Town Man- ager reviewed his proposed deed restrictions which the former Board had approved. b) Selectman Levine voiced concern over traffic tie -ups on I -495 and Rt. 140 during Great Woods concert nights, asking who is responsible for traffic direction, the State or the Town. c) Asked about the heating /air- conditoning unit loss up front, the Town Man- ager said he and the Acting DPW Director have discussed the problem with several contractors, all of whom have different suggestions and approaches. He reported that he had asked Camp Dresser & McKee for assistance, they sent an engineer out who supplied clear direction quickly. Tom said he has also asked them to consider the other three units and roof leak prob- lems, and that he has just learned that the Police unit now requires in- stallation of Freon every other day, which is expensive. Questioned about funds for this work, he said there is $20- 25,000 in this year's budget for Town Hall renovations, and the Town Meeting appropriated $80,000 for next year's. d) Selectman Markt reported that his ad -hoc committee concerning the 21 Proposition Override will have its first meeting Saturday, May 28th. e) Chairman Harrington read Town Counsel's answer to his inquiry concern- ing solicitation of gifts by any official authority, which had been raised a few months back by a resident. Town Counsel's opinion was that such solicitation (in return for any permit, etc.) would "not only be contrary to public policy but may amount to a criminal act... ". "The Board of Selectmen may, on behalf of the Town, receive 'bona fide' gifts but not in exchange for municipal benefits ... ". f) Chairman Harrington announced that the DePillo plaque is in place and will be dedicated at 4:00 P.M. on Memorial Day. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING ' MAY 25, 1988 PAGE 7 10. New Business - Town Manager a) The Town Manager had received a request from someone wanting to develop two lots off Wilson Place; he would like to be able to extend Wilson Place, but it would require extension onto the Town easement. After brief discussion in which it was mentioned that others with similar re- quests had been turned down, one reason being because it would impede maintenance. Selectman Markt said he objects, Selectman Levine agreed, saying it is giving a "freebie ". Consensus of the Board was to not al- low construction of a roadway on the right -of -way /easement. 11. Adjournment * MOTION: To adjourn (at 11:35 P.M.). Levine / Markt VOTED: 4 -0 MINUTES APPROVED: Clerk (Pate signed,