Date of Meeting: Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:30 PM – 7:20 PM
Members Present: Chairman Kenneth Sydow, James Wood, Matthew Mecum
Others Present: Stephen Madaus, Town Counsel; Martin McNamara, Town Administrator; Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant; (Others as listed on attached sheet.)
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM.
Temporary Sign Requests:
The Boylston Garden Club requests permission to use signs to advertise their wreath sale on December 1, 2012.
Motion was made by Jim Wood, seconded by Matt Mecum and voted all in favor to approve the request of the Boylston Garden Club.
Boylston Lions Club requests permission to use signs to advertise their Christmas tree sale.
Motion was made by Jim Wood, seconded by Matt Mecum and voted all in favor to approve the request of the Boylston Lions Club.
Report of the Town Administrator to the Board of Selectmen:
Y.O.U. Inc. Renovations: On November 14 Marty McNamara met with the Y.O.U., Inc. staff and toured their facility. They want to expand the building and make changes to their program, going from 9 students to 12 and from a boys-only facility to co-ed. The TA spoke with the Police Chief about the premises and he said calls are up just a bit, but they don’t go there often. The usual call is for a student leaving the grounds; requesting our assistance with locating the student. The Chief’s only concern is that it is a co-ed facility; however, Y.O.U., Inc. feels it would ‘soften’ the existing students.
Matt Mecum asked if they had spoken with the Building Inspector. Marty said they had not but, if approved by the Board, they will contact him, as well as the Fire Chief.
Motion was made by Jim Wood and seconded by Matt Mecum to approve the proposed renovations subject to approval by the Building Inspector and the Police and Fire Chiefs.
Matt asked if the lease indicates the property must remain in its original condition. Marty said changes are okay as long as they are approved in advance by the Board of Selectmen. Also, no structural changes are to be made. The cost will be covered entirely by Y.O.U., Inc. Their lease will be up in December 2013.
Motion voted all in favor.
Paving: Green/School Streets was completed last Friday. Steve Mero is in the process of contacting a company to paint lines; hopefully this will be done by the end of next week.
FY14 Budget: Last Thursday the TA met with Superintendent Ekstrom, Finance Director Lamica and our Finance Committee Chair, Eric Brose. Because of moving the 6th Grade to Tahanto in July, they project a net decrease in the Elementary School budget of approximately $276K and a net decrease in the Berlin Elementary School budget of $139K with a budget increase at Tahanto of $1,116,000. A very preliminary proposal is a $700K overall budget increase with Boylston’s share being $420K.
The TA will ask Town departments for level-funded budgets. Ken said that, in the past, we have done budgets of minus two percent, level funded and plus two percent. We should follow what was done in the past to prepare for a potential reduction in state aid.
Draft copies of the budget and Town Meeting calendar for FY14 were presented to the Board for its review and feedback.
Marketing Committee Survey Results: (Presented by Herb Cronin.)
- 26.8% of poll voters (661) participated in the survey
- Question 1: 93.9% favored business development
- Question 2: Pharmacy, professional office, food store were the most popular choices for businesses.
- Question 3: 12.4% want no Hillside development and 83.6% favor developing Hillside.
- Question 4: 13.3% residential; 25.9% commercial; 65% industrial; 45.7% mixed; 21.5% no preference.
Many interesting and unusual ideas were given on the survey. Also, several people would like to be heard in person with their ideas. Matt asked if the Marketing Committee would be holding a public forum to present information – an open discussion forum. Herb agreed it would be a logical next step in getting facts out to the residents.
Ken said the Committee did a great job with the survey and the results should be made public. He also agreed that forums are a great idea.
Cultural Council: Patricia Morena (present) has volunteered to serve on the Cultural Council. She has lived in Boylston for 21 years and her children have been in Boylston Elementary and Tahanto schools. Susan Boucher, Cultural Council Chairman, has recommended her appointment.
Jim Wood made a motion to appoint Ms. Morena to the Cultural Council. Matt Mecum seconded the motion; voted all in favor.
Report of the Town Administrator, Cont’d:
Library Temporary Closure: On Thursday, November 15, 2012 the TA met with Jen Carrico, Library Director, regarding plans for staffing during the construction period. The Library will be closed from mid-March until July 2013 and will be operated from Town Hall during that time. The Director does not think she will need the entire staff during that time period. Plans for staffing during and after construction were discussed. Also discussed was the possibility of the Library staff utilizing the Food Pantry area instead of the conference area due to concerns that the conference room is not large enough.
Equipment Operator/Laborer: Interviews for the position have been completed and Steve Mero and Marty McNamara recommend Barry White of 79 Mile Hill Road in Boylston be hired to fill the position, pending salary discussions, physical exam/drug testing and CORI check. Mr. White has a CDL permit and has committed to getting the license within a 30-day period. He is experienced in operating backhoes, chippers, mowers, etc. and has had some years of supervisory experience.
Jim Wood asked if Mr. White will be able to get his CDL license within 30 days and Marty said he would be able to as he has been practicing. Matt asked if Mr. White would obtain the license at his own expense and Marty said we might sponsor him by allowing him to use our town vehicle. Mr. White will pay the license fee.
Ken advised Marty to take the usual pre-employment precautions before hiring Mr. White; otherwise, he supports the decision.
Hillside Power Lines: National Grid has notified us that they intend to apply herbicides along the power line rights-of-way that pass through Boylston. This is part of their five-year Vegetation Management Plan and their Yearly Operational Plan. The Board of Health and the Conservation Commission have been notified.
Future Agenda Items:
- Matt suggested the Board think about and discuss forming and appointing a Hillside Development Committee.
- Regarding E-permitting: Marty McNamara reported that applications for the community grant have been sent in and we are waiting to hear if we are approved for funds. Matt Mecum said that, if $15K/year is needed to maintain it, it defeats the purpose.
People have inquired about the number of acres of land going to non-profit organizations. They would like an updated list of tax-exempt properties/and/or PILOTs being paid. The TA said the Assessors’ Office is working on a list now and he expects it to be completed momentarily.
At 7:20 PM Jim Wood made a motion to adjourn. Matt Mecum seconded; voted all in favor.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:20PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Lori Esposito
Administrative Assistant
| 
