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Board of Selectmen Minutes 04/17/2012
Date of Meeting:        Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Location:               Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time:                    7:09 PM – 7:57 PM
Members Present:        Chairman Kenneth Sydow,  Members Roger Deal and James Wood ;  Stephen   Madaus, Town Counsel (arrived at 6:23 PM); Lori Esposito, Interim Town  Administrator; Rose Bardsley, Clerk; Others  as listed on the attached sheet.                                           

Financial Warrants were signed in approval.


7:09 PM  Report of the Chief of Police to the Board of Selectmen
  • The Chief requested permission to go out of town to attend the funeral of Greenland, NH Police Chief killed in the line of duty.
  • He conducted Police Chiefs’ in-service upstairs;  attended Clinton Court ticket hearings
  • Met with Nick at the jail.   He asked if he could assist us with cruiser patrols.
  • Stark homicide continued to May 2
  • Hired Tonelli as a full-time dispatcher.  Has completed the physical and psychological exams.   Has had CPR training and is going to EMT training, as well.   All dispatchers are being trained.
  • Applied for a $15,500 grant on March 16; has a verbal approval and is awaiting hard copy.
  • The Sykes motor vehicle case was postponed to May 8.
  • Two house breaks, one on Main Street and the other on School Street.
  • DARE graduation program will be held at 1:00 on May 21 at the Elementary School; would like to have Selectmen attend if possible.
7:14 PM  Calliope Theatre Crosswalk
  • Jane Fraier appeared before the Board; she stated she is a long-time resident of Boylston and is a practicing attorney in Northborough.    She is in-house counsel for Calliope Theatre and has been on the Board of Directors for seven years.
  • They need to replace the cross walk, which has not been done since the 1980s.   Because of changes in the law, it is no longer a matter of just painting lines.  She has been working with Lori and learned they had to have a plan drawn up to have a wheel chair ramp on both sides of the street where the sidewalk and street meet.   They requested Andrew Liston of Boylston draw up plans and his estimate for the plans is $4,500.   He has offered to reduce that to $4,000.    They obtained a second opinion on the cost of plans from David Ross Associates and he thought Mr. Liston’s price was an underbid.    Once the plans are drawn up, they will ask Ron Aspero to do the work.   He has given a price of $3,500, plus $500 for a permit.
  • Calliope is requesting help from the Town.   Their patrons are mainly the elderly and children.   They hold children’s workshops and the children are crossing the street twice to and from the parking lot.   The parking lot is also used as a turn-around for school buses.
  • Ms. Fraier also mentioned cars speeding around the bend going toward Worcester.
  • Don Parker does not feel the Town should be responsible for spending the money to do the crosswalk said he contacted Mass Highway and has gone back and forth with the Department of Transportation.   They will not pay for anything except the painting.    
  • They have looked into obtaining a grant, but none are available.   Roger asked what the total estimated cost would be; Ms. Fraier said between $8 and $10K.
  • Lori asked if they were going to go forward with engineering plans and Ms. Fraier said they will wait.   When they found out the cost, they realized they could not do it.
7:29 PM Report of the Highway Superintendent to the Board of Selectmen
  • Don Parker said they have started the mowing season, doing the schools and the cemetery.   They continue cutting and chipping along Central Street.   The good folks on Central Street had a “pick-up day” and the Highway Dept. picked up the bags they collected.
  • He received a request from someone about taking from the chip pile; he doesn’t mind if people take them.  He did notice that Bolton was putting their chips out to bid.    Despite the ALB quarantine, the chips can go anywhere.
  • He received a call last week from a lady who said people were walking around on the trails near the ALB work site.   They put up caution tape.   Daveys Tree people are doing everything from 70/140 to Shrewsbury, as well as doing the East Temple Street area.
  • Don brought up his upcoming retirement and the need to replace him.   His last day will be June 1 and he has five weeks of vacation time which he will be taking now.   He will be available, however, for any assistance.   He would like to discuss keeping him as a “consultant” on the Cemetery Commission.   Lori asked if Don is a Commissioner.   He said at one time there were three elected Commissioners and one was to be the Highway Superintendent; however, in 1992 the Selectmen said the Highway Dept. was going to take care of the cemetery.
  • Jim asked Don how many years he has been on the Highway Dept.   Don said since 1985.   In 1968 he was appointed Fire Chief.
7:38 PM Report of the Building Inspector to the Board of Selectmen
  • Tony handed the Board members a list of inspections.   Roger Deal said there are some costly projects on the list.   Tony said people have been coming in inquiring about various things.   He said zoning is an issue, as usual.   Requests for permits continue.  Tony said activity remains relatively steady for the size of the community.
  • Roger asked Tony if he knew how many vacant houses there are in Town; Tony does not think there are very many.   We do not have the problems with vacant properties that other municipalities have experienced.
Selectmen’s Meeting Schedule
  • The Selectmen will meet at 6:00 PM at Tahanto on Monday, May 7, 2012, prior to the 7:00 PM start of the Annual Town Meeting.
  • The meeting scheduled for Monday, May 14 has been changed to Tuesday, May 15.  The remainder of the schedule is unchanged at this time.
Verizon Cell Tower Lease Easement
  • Jim Wood said he did not want to sign the easement approval as he is opposed to the proposed site.  He does not think it appropriate to put the tower behind the monument for the Red Knights.
  • Steve Madaus said this is the site the Town Meeting approved.  The contract was awarded based on that RFP.   Not signing the easement would be inconsistent with the lease provisions.
  • Jim asked if all three Selectmen have to sign.   Steve said no.    Steve said the Town Meeting authorized the Selectmen to sign it.   
  • Ken Sydow executed the document.
Roger Deal made a motion to authorize the Chair to sign on behalf of the Board of Selectmen.  Jim Wood seconded the motion.  Voted two in favor, with Jim Wood stating his opposition.

Knights of Columbus One-day Liquor License Request
  • The K of C has requested a one-day liquor license for a spaghetti dinner to be held at St. Mary of the Hills Church.   They request that the Town waive the $50 fee for the permit.   Lori said that, since the dinner will not be held on Town property, no insurance certificate is required.
  • They do not think a police detail will be needed.
Roger Deal made a motion, seconded by Jim Wood, to approve the request of the Knights of Columbus for a one-day liquor license and to waive the $50 permit fee. Voted all in favor.

Verizon Easement, Cont’d
  • Steve Madaus requested the Board hold the easement agreement until he can confirm that all is as he described it.
Jim Wood made a motion, seconded by Roger Deal, that the easement agreement be held, subject to confirmation of the facts by Stephen Madaus.  Voted all in favor.

Stormwater Agreement
  • Stormwater has already been incorporated into the budget.
Jim Wood made a motion, seconded by Roger Deal, to execute the agreement for Stormwater    Voted all in favor.

At 7:57 PM Roger Deal made a motion to adjourn.   Jim Wood seconded the motion; voted all in favor.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:57 PM.


Respectfully Submitted,

Rose Bardsley, Clerk