Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOS MINUTES 2-15-1989* * * BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING FEBRUARY 15, 1989 PRESENT: Chairman Dunn; Selectmen Harrington, Levine, Markt, Tartufo; Town Manager 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:35 P.M. and the Flag saluted. 2. Minutes of February 6 & February 8, 1989 MOTION: To approve the Minutes of February 6, 1989 Harrington / Markt VOTED: 5 -0 MOTION: To approve the Minutes of February 8, 1989. Markt /Harrington VOTED: 5 -0 3. Warrant #34 MOTION: To approve Warrant #34 in the amount of $1,101,539.11, dated Febru- ary 14, 1989, broken down as follows: General Fund - $ 877,465.50 School Lunch - 5,777.99 Special Revenue - 14,694.93 Capital Projects - 1,165.44 Sewer Enterprise - 7,440.61 Water Enterprise - 20,011.20 Electric Enterprise - 174,983.44 Harrington /Tartufo VOTED: 5 -0 Levine abstained on School items Markt abstained on Police items 4. Licenses & Permi * a) MOTION: To approve and sign the Proclamation for Boston University's 150 years. Harrington /Tartufo VOTED: 5 -0 5. Correspondence a) Copy of letter to Supt. Moran from Governor's Alliance Against Drugs re: $6,509 grant approval for implementation or expansion of alcohol and drug prevention education in the schools. b) Copy of National League of Cities Institute 1989 Training Programs bro- chure. c) Announcement of a SRPEDD presentation of "Conserving the Rural Environ- ment Through Innovative Zoning Techniques ", Wed. Feb. 22nd. d) Letter to the Board from Supt. O'Leary, S.E. Regional School, re: Article for Town Meeting Warrant. e) Letter from MMA re: Local aid. - Selectman Harrington asked if Rep. Vernon and Senator Keating could BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING FEBRUARY 15, 1989 PAGE 2 meet with the Board. The Town Manager will schedule this. f) Memorandum Dept. of Environmental Management, Office of Dam Safety re: New telephone number. g) Program Opportunity Notice from Executive Office of Energy Resources re: Federal Energy Grants for Schools & Hospitals. - Selectman Levine asked if this would apply to the school heating sys- tem; she suggested contacting Supt. Moran. The Town Manager will check with him. h) Copies of letters and Certificate of Appreciation to Recreation Commis- sion and Director of Parks & Recreation from Mansfield Norton - Midget Football. i) Copy of Planning Board Questions for Town Counsel re: Their budget and Planning Director title. - Copy of the questions was sent to Town Counsel (Max Volterra). j) Announcement of a luncheon- meeting February 22nd by Tri -Town Chamber of Commerce. ( k) Newspaper clipping (sent anonymously) re: Fine for drivers not stopping for pedestrians. - The Town Manager said he believes this requires a by -lava; he will check with the Police Chief. 1) Copy of State Ethics Commission Bulletin. m) Letter to All Licensing Commissioners /Selectmen from Mass. Package Stores Association, Inc. re: Safe liquor sales training program Techniques of Alcohol Management. n) Letter from MMA re: FY -89 -90 dues. o) Copy of Division of Local Mandates REPORT. p) Letter from DEQE to Chief Elected Official re: Financial Impact of New Water Supply Programs. q) Letter to the Board from Ed Rosenberg, Secretary of Mansfield Elks, re: Payment for the Frederick Devine memorial plaque. r) Copy of letter to new Town Counsel, Max Volterra, from the Town Manager re: Road acceptance Warrant Article. s) Memornadum to the Board from Conservation Commission re: Change of Selectmen meeting night. t) Copy of Monthly Update of Mass. Housing Partnership. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING FEBRUARY 15, 1989 PAGE 3 u) Notices of two (2) Planning Board hearings March 8th re: - Alterations to be made on Willow Street, a scenic roadway - Application for Special Permit by Mansfield Life Care Associates v) Letter from Conservation Commission re: Their proposed job description for Conservation Agent /Environmental Planner position. 6. Selectman Levine read a Resolution she had prepared for Maria Alessandri on the occasion of her 100th birthday; everyone felt she had done a great job. MOTION: To approve and sign the Resolution. Harrington /Markt VOTED: 5 -0 7. Old Business a) The Town Manager raised the question of an override question for the East Street landfill. He read the language of the question: "Shall the Town of Mansfield be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 221, so called, the amounts required to pay for bonds to be issued in a principal amount not to exceed $1,450,000 in order to finance the closure and capping of the East Street Municipal Landfill, including engineering and other related costs for said closure and capping." The Town Manager said the law does not require insertion of the amount, and if the amount is left out, there is a chance for increased flexi- bility. Selectmen Levine and Harrington both felt the voters should know the amount. MOTION: To insert as worded. Harrington /Markt VOTED: 5 -0 If this question is voted approved, the Town Manager will attempt to secure verification from the State that the Town will still be eligible for grant funding if it becomes available. b) Selectman Levine asked about the North Main /Rt. 106 intersection. She was advised that the Town Engineer is meeting with officials to explore State and Federal funding and the required standards. The design to date does not meetitt "high hazard roadway" grant specifications. He assured the Board there will be further discussions with the Board when further plans are developed. c) Selectman Levine advised that she had received calls from two ladies whose water meter inside and outside showed a great disparity. She said per- haps if this occurs all over town, rates should not be raised until such discrepancies are corrected. Chairman Dunn suggested some kind of rebate for those who are willing to read their meters. Selectman Harrington suggested a press release. The Town Manager will work with the Water De- partment to try to work something out. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING FEBRUARY 15, 1989 PAGE 4 d) Selectman Levine asked about water levels in the Town wells now. The Town Manager will look into it. e) Selectman Harrington inquired about the Call Firefighters negotiations. The Town Manager said he has another meeting scheduled for the 27th, and feels things are progressing. f) Chairman Dunn brought up the Kelly Girl offer of free time for some charitable organization. Both the Citizen Scholarship Fund and the Lbirary /Council on Aging fund - raising group were suggested. * MOTION: To nominate both, subject to any other suggestions. Harrington /Tartufo VOTED: 4 -0 (Levine out of room) g) Chairman Dunn asked if the Board wants to go look at some of the sug- gested filter systems recommended by Anderson - Nichols. Selectman Har- rington suggested going forward and do everything the Board can do. The Town Manager advised he has included two pilot studies in the Cap- ital Improvement budget. He was asked to set up a date for a trip. Selectman Tartufo suggested waiting until after the election so that the new Board members could be included. Selectman Harrington asked ( that Susan Donovan be included also.. h) Chairman Dunn asked Board members to take a look at the new job descrip- tions presented by the Planning Board and Conservation Commission. i) Chairman Dunn then brought up his suggested workshop meeting at least once a month. He pointed out that the Planning Board has zoning issue hearings coming up and suggested letting them have the Board meeting room while the Sleectmen hold a workshop. Selectman Tartufo said he has been frustrated since becoming a Selectman because there has not been enough communication with other boards and committees. 8. New Business a) The Town Manager asked the Board to approve a State Highway Grant: "That the Board of Selectmen, pursuant to Mass. G.L. Chapter 44, Sec- tion 6A and Chapter 44, Section 53A, accept on behalf of the town a State Highway Grant in the amount of $2,986.50 through the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau, for the purchase of traffic signs and related material." * MOTION: So moved. Tartufo /Markt VOTED: 4 -0 (Levine out of room) b) The Town Manager reported that all the asbestos has been removed from the Spaulding School. c) Selectman Levine thanked the Sun Chronicle for its article on the Citi- zens' Scholarship Fund danceathon which, this year, replaced the tele- thon. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING FEBRUARY 15, 1989 PAGE 5 d) Chairman Dunn Addressed moving Town Meeting's date forward saying new revenue figures are not set, STate aid is not established, the Cherry Sheet isn't out; everything is up in the air and State aid is such a sig- nificant number, he felt they should wait. * MOTION: To postpone Town Meeting and establish a date at next week's meeting. Harrington / Tartufo VOTED: 5 -0 9. Town Manager Goals & Objectives The Town Manager reviewed the material he had given the Selectmen earlier in the week. Selectman Harrington said he feels that Tom has put alot of time into putting this together and cautioned everyone measuring him against everything on his list because alot is beyond his control. Tom said he attempted to include what he has heard mentioned by Board members. Selectman Levine felt things should not be listed if it is known there is no money to accomplish them, and she felt she would rather see personal goals than financial ones. She went on to say she would rather see Tom "knit" the town workers together more closely, then there will be more ac- complished from a "cohesive" unit that works towards the betterment of the town; human relations come before anything else. Selectman Markt said he was on the Finance Committee for six years and all their meetings on the budget were open to everybody, but nobody ever came. He also said he has been given the impression that nobody can talk to the Selectmen. Selectman Tartufo said this destroys the "team concept ". Chairman Dunn said he would like the Selectmen to identify what they would like to have the Town Manager do for the town. The discussion so far is more like a performance evaluation; what he is hearing is manage- ment style. He suggested both the Selectmen and the Town Manager ident- ify a number of goals, then work them out. Selectman Harrington felt that Selectman Levine wanted to finish up the Town Manager's evaluation process before the Board goes ahead with new goals and objectives. The Town Manager said he is not trying to win a personality contest, he hopes he is liked and respected. Selectman Har- rington then reviewed the Town Manager's evaluation indicating what he thought covered what the discussion was heading towards tonight, and once again said everyone was given a month or two to comment before he then went over the evaluation with Tom. Selectman Tartufo then said what Tom had included on the last page of his Memorandum (previously distributed) was what he was looking for; i.e. Part B: Personal /Professional Goals and Objectives. He has no problem with the evaluation given him. Selectman Markt said Tom referred to his contract as indicating the Board was to supply goals and objectives for him. BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES OF MEETING ( FEBRUARY 15, 1989 PAGE 6 Chairman Dunn asked Selectman Levine if she is satisfied now that she has "closure:; she said "Yes" The Chairman then suggested that the Board spend what little money is necessary to have a facilitator supply goals and objectives for the town's future. * MOTION: To accept goals and objectives as submitted, as a draft, by the Town Manager. Tartufo / Markt Selectman Tartufo said accepting them doesn't mean the Board agrees. Sel- ectman Harrington said it will be interpreted that the Board endorses them. Selectman Markt said either let's establish goals and objectives or forget it. Selectman Levine said at least they are a starting point. Chairman Dunn said he feels Tom has done an excellent job and his list is a start, a format and can be used in the absence of any other document. The Town Manager said he wanted to know if in accepting his goals and ob- jectives, is he going to be evaluated by them? Selectman Tartufo said goals are something you strive for and evaluation would be how you work towards them, not if they were accomplished. VOTED: 4 -1 Harrington opposed Chairman Dunn asked Board members to review the Town Manager's listed goals and objectives and come back with their list of "essentials" to stay in or be taken out, within the next week or two. He summarized by saying the Minutes reflect the consensus by the Board that this not be held as a concrete document. 10. Adjournment * MOTION: to adjourn (at 10:05 P.M.). Harrington / Markt VOTED: 5 -0 MINUTES APPROVED: