Date of Meeting: Monday, July 28, 2008
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:22 PM
Members Present: Chairman James Stanton, Roger Deal
Absent: Ken Sydow
Others Present: Sue Olsen (Left at 7:00pm), Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant; Stephen Madaus, Town Counsel; others as noted on attached sheet
Financial warrants signed in approval prior to the meeting.
6:30pm
Report of the Town Administrator to the Board of Selectmen –
- Sue to be at Light Department meeting regarding $15K budget money for street lights.
- Barn at Hillside, for your information, is not in Gough footprint lease.
- Veterans’ Agent – Vin Perrone – call in for next week with the Board of Selectmen
- Memorial Day -- Should we look into mailing a flyer with ATM warrant for next year?
- Audit bid – motion to approve Town Administrator’s recommendation to award bid to Roselli & Clark for Town audit. Motion seconded, voted All in Favor.
Interim Town Administrator – Roger made a motion to appoint Joe Connelly as Interim Town Administrator, effective August 1, 2008. Motion seconded, voted All in Favor.
Sue Olsen spoke with Joe Connelly today; he will call her tomorrow, but cannot come in this week. He will be in next Monday, August 4, 2008. Monday morning will meet with department heads.
Cell Tower Lease -- Two companies are looking for a response for the rate to proceed with the contract (one ground lease, one tower lease). Sue recommends $710/month to keep in line with fees for existing ground lease; $1,970 to keep in line with existing tower lease, but going on a new tower.
Jim asked Don Parker (present) if he knows where the new tower will be. Don’s not sure. Sue will follow up with Don to be sure it’s Town-owned property they are considering.
What are the rates for other towers? Sue is not sure; will send an email out.
MOB Window Replacement -- Obtaining quotes to determine if there is a need to put it out to bid. Work is to be done on the north side of the building.
Natural Gas Rate -- Locking it in for Hillside and the Elementary School this week – very close to existing rate.
Recess at 7:05 PM for barn walk-through with Nel Lazour and members of Hillside Restoration Project. Reconvened at 7:35 PM.
Discussion re: Hillside Barn walk-through Members of the Hillside Restoration Project were present, including Nel Lazour and Bob Haynes.
Roger: If the barn were to be renovated, it would need project and timeline.
Nel: Is aware there are budget constraints with the Town. Appraiser just gave an estimate to keep it from further deterioration.
Roger: People will ask what the objective would be; what is the goal, if not total restoration.
Nel: Could give numbers for various phases of complete restoration.
Roger: It would be a major project; doesn’t see anyone considering it without finding out what the ultimate cost would be.
Bob H: Additional sills and supports would need to be put in first to secure it.
Roger: Understands technical issues need to be resolved, but the overall picture, with phases, needs to be presented if it is to be considered (including timeline, costs, final projection, as well as objective for use when complete).
Nel: “Does it have to go before the Town for permission? Why couldn’t income being generated from Hillside cover some costs for the barn.”
Jim: Hillside income barely covers costs for maintaining buildings and operating expenses. We might see a positive cash flow for the first time this year, depending upon expenses incurred. There is not enough money to cover additional projects.
Roger: Agrees; it still needs purpose and intent.
Nel: The purpose is to preserve the building. The intent is to protect the integrity.
Roger: Is there an intended long-term use for the building. E.g., Sturbridge Village has restored buildings but all have a useful purpose, e.g., restaurant, etc.
Nel: HRP’s intent is not to determine the use of the building, just to protect it. The Town needs to determine use.
Roger: Then the argument might be the cost of restoring versus tearing down and rebuilding for our storage use.
Nel: Under the Preservation Agreement, it can’t be torn down. An option for use could be storage to serve the Town. After the timeline and costs are determined, how would they request money from the Town?
Jim: It would need to be considered with the Town’s other capital expenditures and if there’s any money for it. Currently, we have the DPW barn, the fire barn, trucks, library, etc., to consider. The Town has a cash flow issue – that’s no secret. The next Annual Town Meeting in May is when it could be considered, if at all. We need to have a total cost estimate in order to consider it.
Nel: Do we need to ask for all of the money at the same time?
Roger: Maybe not, but the whole picture would need to be presented.
Building Inspector’s Monthly Report to the Board of Selectmen
- 45 Shrewsbury Street (where CSB trailer was) – building removed; site restored.
- Corner of Routes 70 and 140 – filed extension on permit for six months.
- Stockton Street – Mark questioned the status of what the Board wants to do (tax title property)
Jim: Would like to define the process. Thought we were going to schedule an auction; we need to set a minimum dollar amount. With a tax-title custodian in place, he or she could enter a bid from the Town. We would then keep it and use it as affordable housing. Regardless, it needs to be cleaned up.
Board agreed to get started with the cleanup of the interior.
Interim Town Administrator Transition
Sue Olsen asked when Joe Connelly begins as Interim Town Administrator, will she come back to work?
Jim: Only through August. As of September 1, it will be on a case-by-case basis, as needed. Then the Board of Selectmen will coordinate, based on her availability. Process of looking for a permanent Town Administrator is ongoing.
Roger: By bringing Mr. Connelly in, he’s already familiar with the Town and the Townspeople. He never functioned as a Town Administrator, but he has tremendous management experience and knowledge.
Meeting adjourned at 8:22 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lori Esposito
Administrative Assistant
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