Date of Meeting: Monday, January 10, 2011
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Members Present: Chairman James Stanton; Roger Deal; Ken Sydow
Others Present: Nancy Colbert Puff, Town Administrator; Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant
Financial warrants signed in approval.
Report of the Town Administrator to the Board of Selectmen:
- Tri-Town Affordable Housing: The final report for this initiative is published. We made a request for a grant to study the feasibility of sharing a Housing Authority.
- Former Mobil Station, Route 140: The Applicant Advisory Committee met with the owner and discussed tentative plans. If pricing for the water line is acceptable to him, he will be moving forward very soon. (Line would run from DiPilato’s to Mobil.)
- Regional Dispatch Meeting: A meeting will be held this Friday at 3:00 PM with Dave Clemons of Worcester and Tom Kokernak from Sterling with the Board of Selectmen to discuss and present tentative plans. Fire Chief Flanagan and Police Chief Sahagian will also be present.
- Regional Public Health Grant: The State is offering a round of grants to communities interested in exploring the idea of regionalization to see if it would work in this area. The State would like to see support of local Boards of Selectmen and Health. There are no financial obligations and it is just exploratory. The Town Administrator recommends supporting this initiative. Motion was made, seconded and voted all in favor in support of submission of an application.
- Temporary Treasurer/Collector Ethics Commission Opinion: The State Ethics Commission rendered an opinion (attached) regarding Michael Conrad’s disclosure. As the appointing authority, the Board must sign the determination pursuant to M.G.L. c. 268A, §19 ¶(b)(1). The Town Administrator recommended the Board vote to accept the disclosure and, in conjunction with Town Counsel’s opinion, and concurrence of the State Ethics Commission, sign the determination. Michael Conrad’s wife works at Fidelity. He is serving in the Treasurer/Collector position as a special municipal employee. Town Counsel Madaus agreed the disclosure was appropriate and recommended the Board sign the determination; document so signed.
- Hillside Operating History: The Town Administrator provided data showing receipts and expenses. Building maintenance is ongoing, year to year, and improvements have been made.
Personnel Board: Whitney Libbey, who has lived in Boylston for two years, originally coming from Maine, is interested in serving on the Personnel Board. She is currently employed in P.R. at National Grid as a U.S. Performance Manager. Ms. Libbey was previously a generalist in P.R. at Babcock Power. She holds a Business and Communications Degree and also a certificate in Human Resources.
Motion was made, seconded and voted all in favor to appoint Whitney Libbey to the Personnel Board.
Stiles Crossing: Whitney Morrisdale and Lee Ann Marion, both of Ridgefield Circle, appeared before the Board. The Planning Board held a meeting last week and would not approve their request for the Town to accept their subdivision roads, until the Homeowners Association is in place. Ms. Morrisdale maintains that many homeowners were not made aware the association was a requirement. The deeds in the subdivision are not consistent: Fourteen have covenants listed and four do not. Trust: nine do and nine do not.
- Whitney moved in last month; called and spoke with the Town Administrator prior to purchasing the property and asked about a homeowners’ association, covenants and plowing. She also spoke with the Building Inspector and feels she was misled. Her decision to purchase might have been influenced had she been told the correct information.
- Retention basins: No. 4 Ridgefield Circle is listed on the deed as 125 Stiles Road, which is a Town road. Jim Stanton said he believes the frontage is on Ridgefield but the entrance is on Stiles Road.
Whitney said she is concerned with the subpar planning by the developer and wants to be sure roads are plowed and emergency vehicles have access. Jim said the Board of Selectmen typically needs to wait for a Planning Board review and approval before placing a road acceptance article on the warrant.
Whitney asked what is the best approach to get article on Town Meeting Warrant. Jim Stanton said everything should go through the Town Administrator, who can inform the Board of what each department and committee needs.
LeeAnn Marion asked how you force homeowners to join a Howeowners’ Association when it is not listed on their deed. Attorney Madaus said regardless if the deed was recorded incorrectly by the developer, the Association is a condition of the subdivision approval. The subdivision is a private development, approved by the Planning Board with conditions. Basins are State requirements to contain runoff, and these basins need maintenance. It is typical for the Planning Board to establish a Homeowners’ Association/Trust to maintain basins. If the developer failed to add to the deed, they need to go back and correct this.
Mr. Marion asked how do we deal with a developer who doesn’t care to correct it. The Planning Board advised the homeowners, as a group, to retain counsel.
Steve Madaus said the Town’s only leverage for acceptance of the way is to get this work completed. The Planning Board needs to inspect for satisfaction.
Whitney asked who she should contact to get this documentation to the Planning Board. The Town Administrator said she can get them contact information but was told that documents from the engineer are forthcoming.
Sign Request: BBRAVO requested permission to erect signs advertising a fundraiser. Motion was made, seconded and voted all in favor to grant the request.
At 7:20 PM, on a motion made by Selectman Kenneth Sydow and seconded by Roger Deal, the following roll call vote was recorded to go into Executive Session under M.G.L. c. 30A §21 ¶2 to discuss strategy for negotiations with non-union personnel; ¶3, to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining; and ¶6, to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real estate. James Stanton: Yes; Roger Deal: Yes; Kenneth Sydow: Yes. The Board agreed they would reconvene only to adjourn.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant
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