Finance Committee Minutes
Town of Bellingham – Municipal Center
Monday, September 14, 2009
1. FinCom Present: Raymond Szczepan, Henri Masson, Joseph Collamati, Gary Maynard, Toni Picariello
2. FinCom Absent: Roland Lavallee, Carol Dill
3. Meeting called to order: 7:15 p.m.
Marilyn Mathieu and Denis Fraine appeared.
4. Article 6 - Zoning Amendment (Petition, Massreit, LLC) (To be withdrawn)
(Planning Board: passing over)
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to pass over. VOTE: 5/0.
5. Article 7 - Economic Opportunity Area (Petition, Hilliard Precision Products, LLC)
Robert Couture, Owner of Hilliard and Bobby Matthew of Newland and Mark Group.
Article 8 - Tax Increment Financing Agreement and Tax Increment Financing Plan (Petition, Hilliard Precision Products, LLC)
Currently they are leasing 50,000 square feet in Franklin, have 35 employees and are looking to expand. They want to buy a property. Article 7 and 8 are companion Articles. Hilliard Precision Products ("Hilliard") is requesting that the Board of Selectmen submit an application to the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council ("EACC") on their behalf for the purchase of property at 125 Depot Street (the former Fiber-Taxis). If the EACC application is approved, Hilliard would enter into a Tax Increment Financing Agreement, and having a Tax Increment Financing Plan, they would be eligible for a reduction in real estate taxes (only on an addition and/or renovations on the building). This could benefit the Town of Bellingham by moving the company from Franklin to Bellingham,
bringing added jobs to Town, occupying and renovating a vacant building and increasing the property value. A 25% Tax reduction is on property/ building improvements only, which they are planning on constructing a $400,000 addition.
Joseph Collamati/Henri Masson motion to recommend Article 7. VOTE: 5/0.
Joseph Collamati/Henri Masson motion to recommend Article 8 and the requested 25% tax reduction for 5 years. VOTE: 5/0
6. Article 14 - Exterior Vending Machines (Board of Selectmen)
This Article is to put controls on outside Redemption Centers (for bottles and cans). Currently they are permitted to be open 24 hours per day. This Bylaw would put limits on hours and would control noise, odor, trash, traffic, lighting, safety, etc.
Joseph Collamati/Henri Masson motion to recommend this Article with the stipulation that the Bylaw delete "Exterior Vending Machines" and replace it with "Outside Redemption Centers". VOTE: 5/0
Article 1 - Amend Article 1 (Board of Selectmen)
A. Moderator, Stipend $300.00. The stipend was not appropriated in the budget at the Annual Town Meeting. Funding would be from Taxation.
B. CFO, Salaries $5,000.00. One person is out, this is for training and overtime. Funding would be from taxation.
C. Police, Salaries (to ratify the 1st year of a 2 year contract) $45,000.00. This is to cover the new contract (2010 & 2011), 3% wage increase per year and the Town must pick up the payment of the Quinn Bill that the State is not reimbursing, but the co-pay increase on health insurance was accepted by the Union. There is no detail rate increase. With regard to the Quinn Bill, new hires will only receive what the state offers, the Town always pays 50% because we adopted the General Law. Funding would be from the Police Encumbrance.
Joseph Collamati/Henri Masson motion to recommend the items above:
Moderation, Stipend, $300.00, funding taxation;
CFO, Salaries, $5,000.00, funding taxation; and
Police, Salaries, $45,000.00, funding from Police Encumbrance
For a total of $50,3000.00. VOTE: 5/0.
Article 5 - Capital Outlay (under $50,000)(Board of Selectmen)
North Community Building Repairs
Amount requested is $30,000. The Roof needs to be repaired, which includes shingles, Facia Board, Gutters & Siding repair. There would be a warranty on material and this is the contractor's quote. The fire truck that is stored in the building was used approximately 10 times a year (manned during bad weather and when events make the transit time from the main fire station excessive), the Town does not rent out the building any longer.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend the roof repairs not-to-exceed $30,000. Funding from Free Cash. VOTE: 5/0.
Blackstone Street Field - Well Improvement
Bill Roberts, Parks Commission and Andrew Smith of Commonwealth Irrigation appeared. Amount requested $15,000. This is for the irrigation water well at the new fields at the high school. The pump has failed. They will need to replace the 10 HP pump and the connecting well pipe. The pipe is 2" galvanized steel. The tank is in good shape. The amount will cover the pump, pipe and electric wiring.
Joseph Collamati/Henri Masson motion to recommend the well improvement not-to-exceed $15,000. Funding from Free Cash. VOTE: 5/0.
Article 17 - Tax Stabilization Fund (Board of Selectmen)
There is no money to fund this Article.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend passing over this Article. VOTE: 5/0.
Article 18 - Unpaid Bills (Board of Selectmen)
There are no additional unpaid bills. This Article was heard on August 31, 2009.
Article 2 - Amend Article 3 (Water Enterprise) (Board of Selectmen)
There is no need to transfer any funds if there was sufficient revenue in the prior year to meet present year's budget.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to pass over this Article. VOTE: 5/0
Article 3 - Amend Article 4 (Sewer Enterprise)(Board of Selectmen)
There is no need to transfer any funds if there was sufficient revenue in the prior year to meet present year's budget.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to pass over this Article. VOTE: 5/0
7. Article 16 - Stabilization Fund (Finance Committee)
There is no money to fund this Article.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend passing over this Article. VOTE: 5/0.
8. Article 13 - Pulaski Boulevard Project Easements (Department of Public Works)
The property owners have either gifted or received a check for the assessed value of their property, so this Article is no longer needed. The funds were voted for at a prior Town Meeting.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to pass over this Article. VOTE: 4/1 (Toni Picariello).
Article 12 - Pulaski Boulevard - Traffic Signal Maintenance Easement (Department of Public Works)
(8/24/2009 - Roland Lavallee/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend this Article. VOTE: 6/1 (Toni Picariello wants to verify that the property owner agrees with this taking))
This is all set. Property owner conditionally agrees to the easement, since the Town is holding a bond on his property.
Article 9 - Revision to Town Zoning Bylaw Section 4900 Water Resource Districts (Snow Stockpiling)(Department of Public Works)
(Planning Board 9/10 OK, ConCom 8/24 OK; FinCom recommends 8/24)
ZBA never responded to FinCom's request for comments or recommendations.
Article 10 - Revision to Town Zoning Bylaw Section 4900 Water Resource Districts; Impervious Surface (Department of Public Works)
(Planning Board 9/10 OK, ZBA 9/3??, ConCom 8/24 OK; FinCom recommends 8/24)
ZBA never responded to FinCom's request for comments or recommendations.
The Planning board is recommending the revised Article below (see paragraph 2)
ARTICLE 10. REVISION TO TOWN ZONING BYLAW SECTION 4900 WATER
RESOURCE DISTRICTS – IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
I move that the Town vote to amend Section 4900 Water Resource Districts of the Zoning Bylaws by:
Adding the following to the end of section 4970. Prohibited Uses
xvii. The rendering impervious of greater than fifteen percent (15%) or two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet of any lot or parcel, whichever is greater, unless a system of storm water management and artificial recharge of precipitation is developed which is designed to prevent untreated discharges to wetland and surface water; preserve hydrologic conditions that closely resemble pre-development conditions; reduce or prevent flooding by managing peak discharges and volumes of runoff; minimize erosion and sedimentation; not result in significant degradation of groundwater; reduce suspended solids and other pollutants to improve water quality and provide increased protection of sensitive natural resources.
These standards may be met using the following or similar best management practices:
1. For lots or parcels occupied, or proposed to be occupied, by single or two family residences recharge shall be attained through site design that incorporates natural drainage patterns and vegetation in order to reasonably maintain pre-construction stormwater patterns and water quality to the extent practicable. Stormwater runoff from rooftops, driveways and other impervious surfaces shall be routed over lawn areas via sheet flow for no less than eight feet before discharging to a wetland, surface water, or impervious surface that lead to a street drain system. Dry Well leaching pits can be used in lieu of eight feet of lawn for rooftop runoff. The site design must direct only the added impervious surface run off. No site design is needed, if
the street drain system has water quality and recharge installed at the outfall.
2. For lots or parcels occupied, or proposed to be occupied by other uses, a Special Permit Application under Section 4990 with inclusion of a Stormwater Management Permit Application shall must be filed per Planning Board Rules and Regulations to insure that a system of storm water management and artificial recharge of precipitation is developed.
Deleting subparagraph in Section 4980 - Uses and Activities Requiring a Special Permit, which now reads:
iii. any use that will render impervious any lot or parcel more than 30%. A system for groundwater recharge must be provided which does not degrade groundwater quality. For non residential uses, recharge shall be by storm water infiltration basins, or similar system covered with natural vegetation, and dry wells shall be used only where other methods are infeasible. For all non-residential uses, all such basins and oil, grease, and sediment traps to facilitate removal of contamination shall precede wells. The owner shall permanently maintain any and all recharge areas in full working order.
or act or do anything in relation thereto.
( BY: DPW)
Joseph Collamati/Henri Masson motion to reconsider this Article. VOTE 5/0.
Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to recommend the Article as revised by the Planning Board. VOTE: 3/2 (Joseph Collamati, Toni Picariello)
Donald DiMartino explained that the Planning Board changes do not affect the one or two family residential, which he believed was the FinCom's major concern. Above is the latest revision again. He has not received comments yet from Town Counsel. DEP has indicated that it meets the regulatory requirements.
At their hearing, the Planning Board expressed a concern about the loss of Special Permit controls for commercial developments. The text of the proposed Article therefore has been amended
After discussion, Toni Picariello/Raymond Szczepan motion to again reconsider the last vote of the FinCom. VOTE: 5/0.
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to recommend the original Article as voted by the FinCom on August 24, 2009. VOTE: 5/0.
To reiterate: This Article was first presented at the May 27, 2009 Town Meeting, but was defeated by Town Meeting vote. This article would limit a property owner from putting whatever he/she wants on her property (driveway, swimming pool, shed, etc.) if there is not 15% or 2,500 square feet, whichever is greater, unless there is a storm water management or artificial recharge of precipitation. The Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Protection Agency are pushing this regulation and has fined one Town for not complying. Donald DiMartino worked with Roland Lavallee to come up with a compromised Article for this Town Meeting. There was discussion about property owners needing "site designs". It was requested that the word
"additional" be delete, under No. 1, last sentence. This Bylaw would cover new construction and new additions. Donald DiMartino will propose the motion as printed below without the word "additional".
Article 11 - Revision to Town Zoning Bylaw Section 4900 Water Resource District - Revised Map (Department of Public Works)
(Planning Board 9/10 OK, ZBA 9/3??, ConCom 8/24 OK; FinCom recommends 8/24)
ZBA never responded to FinCom's request for comments or recommendations.
9. GENERAL DISCUSSION
A. Reminded members of the September 21st Meeting and Board of Selectmen's All Boards Meeting
B. Out-of Town members of Boards (i.e.: ConCom & Town Common Committee)
Toni Picariello brought this up and indicated that she will try to draft an Article for the Annual Town Meeting.
C. Accept the Following Minutes:
May 27, 2009 (Joseph Collamati)
Raymond Szczepan/Henri Masson motion to accept the May 27, 2009 Minutes. VOTE: 4/0/1 (Joseph Collamati abstained since he was not at the meeting.
June 8, 2009
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to accept the June 8, 2009 Minutes. VOTE: 5/0.
June 22, 2009 (Roland Lavallee, Carol Dill)
Joseph Collamati/Raymond Szczepan motion to accept the June 22, 2009 Minutes. VOTE: 5/0.
August 24, 2009
Joseph Collamati/Henri Masson motion to accept the August 24, 2009 minutes. VOTE: 5/0.
D. FinCom Expense Voucher: ATFC Annual Meeting.
Joseph Collamati, Roland Lavallee, and Toni Picariello will attend the Annual Meeting.
Henri Masson/Joseph Collamati motion to vote to pay ATFC $120.00 for 3 members to attend. VOTE: 5/0.
Adjourned: Henri Masson/Raymond Szczepan motion to adjourn. VOTE: 5/0. 8:50 p.m.
(Accepted January 25, 2010)
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