Date of Meeting: Monday, July 13, 2009
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:35 PM
Members Present: Chairman James Stanton; Roger Deal; Ken Sydow
Others Present: Nancy Colbert, Town Administrator; Stephen Madeus, Town Counsel; David McKay, Town Counsel
others as listed on attached Sign-in sheet.
Financial Warrants signed in approval.
Cell Tower Proposal for Fire Station/Town House site:
Recognizing that members of the audience were present to comment on this item, the Board unanimously voted to take up this item out of order. Nancy Colbert Puff noted that she mailed letters out to abutters within approximately 800 feet of the tower location to invite their input at this early stage of the proposal. She met recently with a representative from Verizon wireless on the site, but no specific proposal has been made. The tower would need to reach 10 feet above the tree line for each carrier’s antennae. The design of the tower (lattice, monopole, etc.) has not been determined. She indicated that abutter input could be incorporated into the RFP the Town releases.
Residents from the neighborhood had several questions with regard to the proposal: Where on the site would it be placed? Who owns the antennae in the Church steeple? How would it be built with the ledge on site? Will the tower increase the likelihood of lightening strikes? Is radiation emitted from the tower and does it pose a health safety issues for those nearby? Will its presence reduce property values? How much revenue does the Town expect to realize? Could the tower collapse in strong winds? There is some concern that individual land owners’ voice on the matter will be ignored in favor of the majority. Is it possible to look at the various tower designs in advance?
Chairman Stanton explained that the tower located on the Hillside property collects $25-30,000/year in rent, plus personal property taxes. Sprint is the primary tenant, but other co-locators also use it. Roger noted that the Church is occupied by an AT&T antenna, and that perhaps these residents would be able to have some of their questions/concerns answered by speaking with residents who live near the tower along Cross Street. Ken commented that the residents have made several important points that should be addressed as the Board moves forward on this proposal, but that some questions (e.g. radiation safety) may result in conflicting studies. The Board is interested in pursuing this further, in light of doing what is best for the Town as well as appropriate for the area. Nancy Colbert Puff will
continue to work with Verizon on the possibility, and will assemble more detail as it evolves.
Executive Session:
At 6:55 pm, Roger Deal moved and Ken Sydow seconded a motion to enter into Executive session to discuss matters of pending litigation. All in favor. Regular session resume at 7:40 pm.
Report of Chief of Police Sahagian to the Board of Selectmen (7:40 PM):
· The Chief reviewed the statistics/events for the month.
· The Chief was present for the Memorial Day events and everything went very well. He was on duty for July 4, and there were no incidents. The school Street breaking and entering case was continued to July 17th, and the McGrath case was transferred to Fitchburg court with no date set yet.
· He noted that while speeding citations are down, that it is likely the result of people understanding that the Police continue to patrol and enforce speed limits. They are “getting it.” The Department continues to respond to residents’ reports of speeding in the neighborhoods.
· Police Department salary line did not require, as earlier anticipated, a transfer this year.
· The Department continues to perform liquor license compliance checks – Mt. Pleasant has installed all of its required signage, and patrons appear to be abiding by the rules. Dave Frem of Cyprian Keyes will be submitting a monthly schedule to the Department when they will be serving from the cart.
· He needs to look for a new vehicle, perhaps as early as this fall. (no Community Policing Grant is available). There may be a need for 2 vehicles next year, as maintenance costs increase on the older units. Jim asked if the Department was still in possession of the Cadillac seized as part of a drug arrest. Tony said yes, but in the end, if they are allowed to keep it through the asset forfeiture process, they will realize only ½ of its value. Ken noted that perhaps that could be applied towards the purchase of a new vehicle.
· The Chief distributed a memo outlining possible ways to enhance revenue next year. The first suggestion, to allow non-Boylston residents to be fingerprinted at the station. The Chief offered to implement it immediately, which was unanimously supported by the Board. The second item requires a bylaw change with regard to increasing the fee for repeated false alarms from $__ to $50. He noted that the Town hasn’t changed this fee since 1982, and many towns charge more than we do. He also emphasized that commercial businesses are the most frequent violators. The Board wants additional information as to what others are charging, but agreed to consider this in the future.
Report of the Building Inspector (Mark Bertonassi) to the Board of Selectmen (8:00 PM):
· Mark handed out his monthly reports (May and June) as well as annual statistics.
· Jim noted just 1 single family home permit had been issued.
· Ken commented that stop works orders have declined, and asked if this might be due to increased awareness of the need to obtain a permit, and an increased enforcement presence. Mark thought it was, and that people who used to neglect taking out a permit now come in to get one in advance. Contractors now feel it is easier to get a permit in advance than to receive a stop work order.
· Mark noted that the 3rd letter sent regarding the pool violation (attached to the report) has initiated a response, and that the pool will be demolished shortly.
· Nancy Colbert Puff suggested 2 items from her report be addressed while the Building Inspector was present. The first was for the Town to renew its commitment to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) whereby Boylston would allow its building inspector to provide services to another community in the event of an emergency (similar to shared services of Fire, Police, Light Departments, etc.). The Board voted unanimously to support the Town’s continued commitment.
· Nancy Colbert Puff also indicated that customer service surveys have been mailed to recent permit holder, and an on-line survey has been sent to internal staff and Board members. Roger Deal asked for a copy of the on-line survey which Colbert Puff will provide. Ken Sydow commented that the survey was developed with a positive tone, and should result in some good feedback on the Town’s services. He thought this was an important step in establishing a performance baseline, and that if improvements are warranted, we will be able to use this input to set measureable targets. Roger Deal asked how the results will be used, and Nancy Colbert Puff responded that they will be one component of an overall analysis of the Department that she will present for the Board’s
consideration in August.
Interview with Prospective Volunteer Board Member, Steven Dorval
Jim thanked Steven for coming in to meet with the Board and explained that the Board’s policy with interested volunteers whom they have not yet had the chance of meeting is to invite them in order that the Board can get a better sense of their experience and interests.
Steven introduced himself as a resident of Boylston since 2005, although his wife (Peggy Nugent) is a Boylston native. Their son is now enrolled in the elementary school, and he decided it might be a good time to volunteer his time with the Town and get more involved. He is a Managing Director with New York Life, working in the firm’s Westwood office. He primarily deals with retirement plans, with an expertise in investments and finance. He has been with the firm for 10 years, directly overseeing a department of about 40 people, in a division of over 450 employees.
Jim noted that his interest form indicated he would be willing to serve on the Personnel Board, Capital Improvement Committee, or Finance Committee. Jim asked if he had a preference.
Steven responded that he thought his strengths might make him most able to make a contribution towards the Finance Committee, but he truly was interested in learning more about the opportunities. Jim reminded everyone that Finance Committee members, according to our bylaw, are prohibited from serving on other committees, unless as a representative of the Finance Committee. Roger asked what his attitude was towards encouraging economic development in Boylston. Steven responded that he thought the Town needs to strike a balance between encouraging business (and thereby expanding the tax base) and preserving the residential neighborhoods. He would not want to see Boylston taking over by sprawling development, but also thinks new businesses can be good for the Town if done well.
Ken thanked Steven for coming before the Board, and reiterated the Board’s process for new appointments. He thought Steven might be appropriate for a variety of positions and that the Board needed to discuss the matter further to identify the best fit for his expertise. Roger and Jim thanked Steven, and Jim noted that the Board’s next meeting is scheduled for mid-August and that they would be in touch with him.
Report of the Veterans’ Agent (Vincent Perrone) to the Board of Selectmen (8:30 PM):
Jim welcomed Vin Perrone and Joe Boylan to the meeting and explained that the Board was interested in hearing more about their service to veteran’s in Town over the past year. Roger mentioned that there may have been a misunderstanding about the frequency of reporting the Board expected, and was interested in settling this issue tonight.
Vin presented the annual statistics of people served, and highlighted that they were pleased to have been able to provide computer and job training to one Boylston veteran recently. He asked if the Board sensed that people were falling through the cracks, and emphasized that Joe Boylan is a full-time contact for Boylston veterans, and Vin himself is available to and has received calls in the evening.
Ken replied that he has heard neither complaints nor compliments, which differs from past years when he recalls receiving calls of thanks for outstanding services. Jim noted that this has been his experience as well. Not that the lack of calls indicates anything negative, only that he has a general concern that awareness of Veteran’s services should be maximized around Town. The Board had expected quarterly reporting, and recalls Michael Kane of the Banner offering to write a follow-up story to Vin’s initial appointment about the increased services available through Veteran’s Inc.
Vin reminded the Board that some veteran’s are not comfortable “going public” with the fact that they’ve received services, but agreed that increasing the visibility of services is a good idea. Joe Boylan mentioned that he contributed to the Senior Newsletter last year. Vin and Joe offered to do a group mailing to all Boylston veterans and invite them to a meeting in the fall, perhaps at the Town House. Ken asked if Vin and Veterans Inc. served as agent for other towns. Vin responded “no,” but that they were looking to take advantage of opportunities where they can be of assistance. He said his agency may work with Springfield, and has a presence in Shrewsbury, Brockton, and even Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut.
When asked if they maintain office hours in Town Hall, Joe Boylan replied that he is always available to set up appointments here, but often offers transportation assistance to bring clients to Worcester where they offer on site comprehensive services. Recently they hosted the “Central MA Stand Down,” where 200 veterans were served by multiple state agency providers who were called in for the day.
At Roger Deal’s suggestion, Vin agreed to provide the Board with quarterly reports and make semi-annual, in person briefings before the Board.
FY’10 Committee/Board Appointments:
Motion made, seconded and voted All in Favor to make the following appointments:
· Veteran’s Agent: Vincent Perrone
Congregational Church Request To Waive Signage Permit $50 Fee:
The Board reviewed the Church’s request. Ken Sydow noted that this grant was, in particular, for waiver of a the fee associated with a replacement sign, and that it would not establish a precedent to waive all building permits fees for non-profit entities. He made a motion to approve the request for waiver of the fee for replacement of an existing sign for the Congregational Church. Roger Deal seconded the motion and al voted in favor.
Meeting Minutes:
Ken Sydow motioned to approve draft minutes of June 29, 2009 as amended; motion seconded and voted All in Favor.
Report of the Town Administrator to the Board of Selectmen:
· Treasurer/Collector Search: Dan Haynes and Nancy have interviewed 5 candidates for the position and agreed to focus on two qualified individuals. I am contacting references in advance of recommending the Board interview either or both candidates.
· Cash Reconciliation/Audit: Dan will audit of the treasurer receipts and the collector’s tax lists with Ellen prior to a new collector coming on board. Should that person request an audit of the collector records, Dan will recommend an independent auditor. Ken and Jim both commented that they seek to ensure the Town’s best interests are served by this process and that they want to be certain to avoid any problems with records reconciling into the future (after 6 months). Nancy agreed, and promised to keep rigorous documentation regarding the turnover.
· Business Marketing Committee – The Route 140 Corridor Study Kick Off meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14 at 1 pm in the Selectmen’s room.
· Town Properties for Auction: Ron has confirmed the Town’s ownership of all 9 of the 10 parcels, and I should hear back on the 10th tomorrow. Ken noted that parcel 33-43 may be of strategic value if it could be sold to NE Forestry as part of a land swap for nearby land they own which has frontage. He thought we should remove this piece from those we are considering as part of the auction until we better understand its potential market. A general discussion about auctioning vs. selling property ensued, and Steve Madaus emphasized that the tax title process’ main objective is to get property back on the tax rolls in order that they may begin returning tax dollars to the community again. Ken questioned whether a minimum value
should be set prior to the auction. Ken asked Nancy to report back at the August meeting on the current taxes and interest owed on each parcel.
· Charter Communications: Nancy explained that Charter has requested a response from the Town concerning their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. She informed the Board that the Town could either a) consent to the filing or b) have no response. She intends to reply to Charter with “no response.”
Upon a motion made by Ken Sydow and seconded by Roger Deal, and voted All in Favor, the meeting was adjourned at 9:45 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Nancy Colbert Puff
Town Administrator
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