DRAFT
Finance Committee Minutes
Town of Bellingham – High School
Thursday, October 16, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
1. FinCom Present: Raymond Szczepan, Roland Lavallee, Toni Picariello, Joseph Collamati, Gary Maynard, Henri Masson, Carol Dill
2. FinCom Absent: N/A
3. Meeting called to order: 7:00 pm
Appearing: Jason Taliman (Town Counsel), Gerry Mayhew, Richard Martinelli, Lloyd Goodnow, Mr. and Ms. Porter (Stonehedge), Mary Chaves, Michael Romanow, Esq. (Stonehedge), Dawn Davies
4. ARTICLE 6 – LAND ACCEPTANCE (Attorney Richard Cornetta)
Denis Fraine informed the FinCom that the Conservation Commission can accept the land with the approval of the Board of Selectmen. To reiterate see below:
From September 8th minutes: Richard Cornetta, Esq. and Leo Dalpe appeared.
Raymond Szczepan recused himself because of a conflict with this Article.
The parcels are land locked and were promised to the town as open space when the Pine Acres Sub-Division was approved. Attorney Cornetta showed the FinCom a plan indicating the 2 lots.
The DPW recommended this article. See footnote below.
The ConCom does not recommend this Article at this time. See footnote below.
The FinCom will reschedule this hearing to the night of Town Meeting. Toni Picariello will send a reminder letter to Attorney Cornetta.
Roland Lavallee/Henri Masson motion to Pass Over this article. VOTE: 6/0/1 (Raymond Szczepan recused himself.)
5. ARTICLE 9 – PULASKI BOULEVARD PROJECT TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENTS. (DPW)
Requested funds: $1,000, funded from unknown.
Denis Fraine explained that the DPW will be passing over this article because a complete list all property owners are not available.
To reiterate from Minuets on September 15th Minutes.
Amount requested $1,000.
The temporary easements are like renting the property from the owner in order to do required work. The Town will ask for Certificate of Donations from 112 property owners are involved in this temporary taking and they have only received approximately 20 as of this meeting. These easements would be needed for property along Pulaski Boulevard from the Franklin Town line to Orchard Street. $1,000 will be needed for recording the takings at the Registry of Deeds. The DPW is requesting $50,000 to have incase a property owner requests an appraisal and payment for the easements. These easements would expire in 5 year from date of taking.
Per DPW: “The project will require that work be performed just off the Town right of way along the edge of the road. Temporary Construction Easements (TCE) are the areas at the edge of the right of way where the contractor will be required to match the grade with the improvements being done on the Town roads and sidewalks. The work within a TCE typically involves reconstruction of a portion of [a property owners] driveway, regrading and loaming and seeding lawns, and/or removal and replacement of fences or walls. …These TCE’s will automatically expire at the end of five years…”
Roland Lavallee/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend this Article. VOTE: 5/1 (Toni Picariello voted not to recommend because she feels it is wrong for the Town to take any one’s land without their consent)
Raymond Szczepan/Carol Dill motion to pass over this article. VOTE: 7/0.
6. ARTICLE 1 – AMEND ARTICLE 1 (CFO)
Marilyn Mathieu explained that the funding for Article 1 has changes because the Professional and Police Unions have settled, each for 3% salary increase per year for three years. The Professional Union agreed to an increase in their Health insurance co-pay, the police union agreed to no changes in the health insurance. The police union contract ends June 30, 2009.
See Attached for a copy of the updated Article 1, Amend Article 1.
Raymond Szczepan/Roland Lavallee motion to recommend the transfers to and from accounts as listed on the last page of these minutes. VOTE: 7/0.
7. ARTICLE 5 – STREET ACCEPTANCE – STONEHEDGE ROAD (Douglas & Doreen Porter)
The Planning Board had not responded to the FinCom inquires as to this Article. Town Counsel wanted to discuss the Planning Board’s concerns.
1. The ability for plows and trucks to go into Franklin;
2. The unfinished infrastructure; and
3. The precedent for accepting roads prematurely.
To reiterate from September 8, 2008 minutes.
The FinCom heard this Article in April 2008 when it was on the May Town Meeting Warrant. They passed over the Article at that time because of many questions.
To reiterate: The residents are requesting that the Town accept the road, so they can receive services, such as repairs to the road, etc. Toni Picariello had emailed the letter from the DPW outlining the DPW concerns. The petitioner has not spoken to the DPW since last fall. The DPW did not have a cost for all the repairs.
Toni Picariello has a list of concerns she had while doing her research. Her concerns and answers are as follows:
- The residents mentioned that they own to the middle of the road. Town Counsel confirmed this in his email. In order for the Town to accept the road, will the Town need an easement or “taking” of the property owner’s portion of the road? How much would this cost?
Attorney Romanow said the property owners will deed their ownership of the road to the Town. He gave the FinCom a draft of the Quitclaim Deed.
- The road work was never completed and most of the bond that the Town was holding was released to the developer. Why was this done – it happened back in the late 1980’s and no one that I have asked seems to know the answer. In the present time, before the Planning Board recommends releasing bonds, do they, as a Board, check out the site to make sure the work is complete?
Attorney Romanow could not answer the question, but mention that they were working with Mr. Mayewski’s son in order for the road bond to be released to the Town.
- Does the Town of Bellingham plow the road in Franklin? Some residents said they do. Does Bellingham get reimbursed?
This is a question for the DPW.
- Is the road in Franklin a road that the residents of Bellingham and the School buses can travel? Residents mentioned that the developer of the road in Franklin want it to be a “private” road.
No answer could be given.
- What is the “real” cost to complete this road?
DPW would have to answer this, but the drainage problem has been fixed.
- Why didn’t the Town go after the Estate of Mr. Mayewski to get the money to complete the Road?
No one knows the answer – this was done back in the 1980’s.
The DPW and ConCom recommend this Article.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend this Article. VOTE: 6/0
No action was taken because the FinCom had already recommended this article at its September 8th meeting.
8. GENERAL DISCUSSION
A. Accept Minutes for August 11th (Carol Dill), August 25, 2008 (Carol Dill) and September 8, 2008 (Henri Masson), September 15, 2008 (Joseph Collamati).
This will be done at the next scheduled meeting.
Adjourned: Raymond Szczepan/Carol Dill made a motion to adjourn. VOTE: 7/0. 7:10 pm
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