Date of Meeting: Monday, June 17, 2013
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:25 PM
Members Present: Chairman James Wood, Matthew Mecum; Michael May; Martin McNamara, Town Administrator; Brian Falk, Town Counsel; Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant (Others as listed on attached sheet.)
The meeting commenced at 6:30 PM.
There were no financial warrants to be signed.
Highway Dept. Superintendent Steve Mero: Monthly report to the Board
- Employee Chris Hotaling (hired in December 2012) gave his 2-week notice last week. His last day will be June 29th.
Street sweeping has been completed.
Central Street tree cutting (near Reservoir Street) will be scheduled due to poor sight lines. An outside company will be hired for the larger trees.
Roadside mowing has begun.
Steve and his department replaced the rotting fascia boards on the front of the Municipal Office Building.
DEP yard waste application for the leaf dump is in process; he hopes to have it in place for this Fall. The proposed area is the upper parking lot across from the police station, which should discourage illegal dumping. Odor may be a concern. Mike May said if grass clippings are accepted it will definitely have a foul odor which cannot be avoided. Mr. May also asked how they will deal with the trash that needs to be screened from the drop off waste. Steve said he would have a company come in every couple of years and grind what is left over.
Bid documents started for the paving of 599 Main Street (goal is for work to be done end of September/early October).
A part-time summer help job was posted at the Town Hall, the Highway Dept and Tahanto (the school also made an announcement about the available position). Three applications were received; two were last year’s PT helpers, and one did not qualify because he was too young. Steve will hire the two qualified applicants.
Line painting will be done at Central/Cross Streets to assist in avoiding accidents at the intersection. “Stop Ahead” will be painted on the road, and “tear drops” will be added on both streets.
Steve and the highway department workers will be attending Worcester County Highway training in July.
Foreman position posted internally; four internal candidates have applied. Interviews with Marty McNamara will be this Wednesday. He will then present a recommendation to the Board.
Steve mentioned that the driveway for 221 Main Street needs to be repaired to correct a drainage problem. Along the left side coming up the hill (along the soccer field), it washes out after rain and causes a large rut. They have repeatedly tried repairing it by digging it out and adding new material, but it has not worked. Steve asked the Board’s permission for his department takes a couple of days to dig out about 3-4 feet along the road and fill it with stone to fix the problem; the board was in agreement to go ahead.
Part of this year’s Chapter 90 funds have been released, about $150K received to date. Adding to what remained in that budget, there is about$280K currently available for road repaving/repairs. Steve presented a list of roads to the Board that he felt are in need of repaving, including estimated paving costs for each. He recommends doing one of the larger roads along with 1-2 smaller roads. The Board agreed to defer the decision to Steve, since he knows the roads best and what should take priority. Steve will start with Ethan Allen, Stockton and Glazier, and leave Bay Path until next year.
Police Chief Sahagian: Monthly report to the Board; crime stats presented.
- 4/17: new contract signed
- 4/20: Clinton Court ticket hearings
- 5/6: Officer Rajotte returned to work; had incident after 3 hours on the job.
- 5/7: Police in-service training
- 5/16: Tahanto mock crash
- 5/24: Clinton Court ticket hearings
- 5/27: Attended Memorial Day festivities; received many positive comments about the bicycle patrols that day.
- 6/2: Tahanto graduation; no incidents
The Chief noted that he is working with the Highway Dept. to increase signage and adding a stop sign warning at Cross/Central streets. Mike May noted that the Mount Pleasant traffic is heavier as expected, so the Chief may want to pay special attention to the area. There may be a safety issue with the speed of the traffic.
Fire Chief Flanagan: Chief Flanagan was present to review the Emergency Preparedness in place at the request of the Board.
The Chief presented a document outlining the plan and procedures in detail. There are generators in place at the schools, and the designated school emergency shelter can handle about 30 people. With past incidents, there have not been more than 5 people, and no one stayed overnight.
Mike May asked about the water plan for any situation. Chief Flanagan stated the pumping stations have backup generators, and gravity also feeds the systems. Mr. May asked how a plan is approached, what resources are anticipated. Chief Flanagan said he gears up staff based on potential of forecast storm, and resources are shared in the region. Most communities, including Boylston, are prepared for the first 72 hours without depending on regional resources or manpower. We have agreements with local construction companies to provide heavy equipment as needed. MEMA also has deployment plans for fire and emergency responders.
Mr. May would like to follow up with the Chief one on one for some additional information and then report back to the board so we don’t take the time tonight for an in-depth discussion. He wants to be sure to ask certain questions, since we are a small community and he is interested in the planning in place.
Building Inspector Tony Zahariadis: Monthly report to the Board.
Permits down overall by about 20% for the fiscal year compared to last year.
FY2014 Appointments: New volunteers for the Cultural Council and ADA Committee were present for appointment, as per the Selectmen’s Appointment Policy dated 11/16/09. It was noted that the Mass. Cultural Council requires local councils to fulfill staggered 3-year terms, with not more than 50% of the membership ending in any year. Additionally, members can serve only 2 consecutive 3-year terms and must take at least a year off before becoming appointed again. This had not been done in the past, and the Board will begin its effort to fulfill the 3-year term requirements beginning this year. The following were motioned for appointment, seconded and voted all in favor:
Cultural Council:
Lorraine Sullivan – 1 year
Ed McDonald – 3 years
Sue Vogt – 2 years
Tricia May – 1 year
Mingi Bodine – 1 year
ADA Committee:
Ed McDonald – 1 year
The following re-appointments of volunteers (not present) were motioned, seconded and voted all in favor:
Zoning Board of Appeals:
Robert Cotter – 5 years
Cable Advisory Committee:
Matt Willson – 1 year
Cultural Council:
Eileen DeCastro – 1 year
Report of the Town Administrator to the Board of Selectmen:
E-Permitting Contractor: The contractor for the 9-community E-Permitting system has been chosen unanimously by all 9 communities. The company selected is GeoTMS from Franklin MA. Once the contract is signed, they will begin collecting data from each community and then design a program based on the needs of each community. The system is expected to be up and running mid to late October.
215 Main Street Air Quality Testing: The Board has been given the results of the air quality testing in the Police/School Administration building. ServPro has cleaned and deodorized the ducts on both floors and most of the other recommendations have been completed. The stair treads are being removed from both stairways and all carpets will be cleaned in the next few weeks. One recommendation is to improve the attic ventilation and install foam insulation in the attic. We are contacting contractors for quotes. Jim Wood asked if the natural gas company will do it for free, as they do for residential customers, and the TA said they will not do it for business customers.
Board of Assessors: The meeting, scheduled for June 24, to discuss the open seat on the Board of Assessors has been postponed. Margo Richardson will provide some dates the Assessors are available in July for a meeting.
Highway Dept. Equipment Operator: Chris Hotaling, one of the newly hired equipment operators, has resigned and accepted a similar position with the Paxton Highway Dept. We will advertise for a replacement next week.
Hot Air Balloon Request: Lauren Haage of Damn Yankee Balloons has requested permission to launch hot air balloons from the lower soccer field at Hillside. They would launch one balloon on Saturdays and/or Sundays during summer months. The launch would take place around 5:00 or 6:00 AM and would take approximately 15 minutes. There would be no mess created. Ms. Haage has assured the TA that they have all necessary licenses and insurance. If the Board were to approve this request, we would need proof of licenses and insurance.
Matt Mecum said he is concerned about liability and the high tension lines; Mike May agrees. Mike said possibly an alternative location could be the football field parking area. The soccer fields here at Hillside are new and he would be concerned about the condition of the field after balloon launches.
Attorney Brian Falk suggested getting a license agreement with the balloon company if the Board gives permission.
Mike May suggested we ask them to come in so that the Board can ask questions and advise them that our concerns are liability and costs.
Frank Zoll of Zoll Brothers Private Cellars LLC: Mr. Zoll is requesting a Farmers’ Market wine license for Saturdays, August 3 through October 5, 2013 during the hours of 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Mr. Zoll plans to have no more than two sampling wines each week.
Matt Mecum made a motion to approve Mr. Zoll’s request. Mike May seconded the motion; voted all in favor.
Town Administrator’s Report, Cont’d:
599 Main Street Septic System Bid: Four bids were received, ranging in price from $75,690 to $119,750. The low bidder was Aldore Tetreault & Sons, Inc. of Mendon at $75,690. The TA requests the Board award the bid to Tetreault pending review of the documents and verification of references.
Matt Mecum made a motion to award the bid to Aldore Tetreault & Sons, Inc. pending document verification and reference checks and to have the Chair sign the contract. Mike May seconded the motion; voted all in favor.
Local Infrastructure Development Program: At the last Selectmen’s meeting, Mike May requested Town Counsel provide him with a copy of M.G.L. c.23L “Local Infrastructure Development Program.” Town Counsel has made that available to the Board.
PILOT Policy: A bill has been filed in the House by Representative Stephen Kulik and in the Senate by Senator William Brownsberger regarding PILOT programs, which would mandate most non-profits to pay 25% of the assessed taxes. Marty McNamara provided copies of the bill to the Board. The Board asked the TA to contact Harold Naughton and Harriette Chandler to support this on behalf of the Town.
The Board asked Marty McNamara to draft a PILOT policy for review at the July 15th meeting. Matt Mecum wants to policy to clarify exclusion of religious institutions.
Treasurer’s Expense Account: The Town Treasurer’s Expense Account is overspent and we need a transfer to get through the remainder of FY 13 due to some recent unanticipated expenses. The account is $1,800 over now and we have had tax demands sent out which will add to the expenses. There is a transfer request for the sum of $3,000 from the Town Administrator’s salary line. This will leave about $6,000 in the T/A salary account.
Mike May made a motion to approve the transfer request as presented. Matt Mecum seconded the motion; voted all in favor.
The Board signed in approval; the Finance Committee needs to meet and approve by June 30.
Mike May said several organizations in town are receiving tax refund checks. He would like clarification on a refund issued to the AMA Center of about $5,500 and would like to understand the reasoning for the refund.
Town Accountant Appointment: A number of issues have arisen since the Board approved the appointment of Charlotte Gallant as Town Accountant. Ms. Gallant will serve as Town Accountant from July 1 to September 30. During this time we will renew our search for a Town Accountant.
As she is retiring at the end of September, the Worcester Regional Retirement System explained to her that her earnings would be too high and would negatively affect her pension. One option would be to pay her through her company but we cannot do that without bidding per Ch. 30B procurement law.
A brief discussion was held regarding advertising for an employee versus putting out a bid for a firm.
Mike May asked if it makes sense to have Charlotte do training for a new person who might not have municipal experience. Matt said he leans toward outsourcing for a company with full staff and municipal knowledge. Also, there would be no benefits or long-term commitments. Mike and Jim agree.
Design and Construction Contracting Seminar: The TA will be attending this Seminar at the Inspector General’s office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 25, 26 and 27.
Parks & Recreation Requests:
A letter was received from Parks & Rec with multiple concerns:
1) They request permission to place a sign at the end of Orient Street indicating there is a park. They are also requesting that “No Parking” signs be placed along the lower soccer field. There are already signs by the upper field, along by the snack shack.
The Board agreed on sign placement; Parks & Rec must purchase signs and necessary poles; the Highway Dept. will install them.
2) Parks & Rec Bylaws were created by the Parks & Rec Board. They are inquiring whether these bylaws need to be reviewed by the Board of Selectmen and what, if anything, they must do to implement their bylaws.
Attorney Brian Falk is to verify the rules and regulations of facilities versus the Town Bylaws. The Board agrees they need to see the by laws and discuss them.
3) Parks & Rec received a vending machine from the old Tahanto School. It will hold 38 different items. This unit is approximately one and one-half times larger than one of the two machines currently located in the hallway outside the gym. Currently, the two machines are maintained by an outside vending company and the Town received no kick-back from sales. Parks & Rec would like to replace those two machines with this one larger unit. Parks & Rec would maintain the unit, stocking, etc., and in exchange would like to keep the revenue from sales. Ken Goodwin confirmed there is a contract with the current vending company prohibiting any other vendors from occupying the same space and that there is a three-month notice of termination required.
The Board will discuss this when Parks & Rec comes in to a meeting.
Future Agenda Items:
Mike May has requested that, following the Town Administrator’s report, a sewerage update be added as an item to the Agenda every two weeks.
Also, would like to set process/policy about businesses wanting to come into Town.
Business Marketing Committee Sewerage Update:
Peter Bovenzi (landowner) attended the most recent Business Marketing Committee meeting. He and Mike May had breakfast to discuss. Mr. Bovenzi has engaged an engineer, at his cost, to design a sewerage plan for the Town. He is also having a 3-D model built to present an overlay of what might happen. They discussed the concept of a Memorandum of Understanding (‘MOU’) with property owners to agree to sell to a single buyer at a reduced price. He would like to get major property owners together to discuss possibilities. Mr. Bovenzi is meeting with the DiPilatos on Tuesday regarding a mutual access road to properties.
Mike May met with Rand Whitney’s CEO to discuss their past experience in Boylston so we can learn from that. They agreed to put money up to market the entire property and are anxious to participate in the process MOU.
Letter, dated April 18, 2013, from Town Administrator to the Board of Selectmen:
The Town Administrator presented the Board with a letter which listed his accomplishments of the past year and requested the Board consider an additional salary increase or a merit bonus for him.
A brief discussion was held regarding the various items listed in the letter. Mike May agrees that Marty did a great job but has questions.
- A two percent increase is automatic per the contract terms? Yes.
- Is Personnel an additional scope of his job description? No.
- Did his contract spell out/measure performance for a salary/bonus increase? Marty McNamara said nothing specific has been spelled out.
Matt Mecum feels the Board failed by not setting specific goals. They have discussed the bonus issue in contracts in the past year and agreed specific goals are the key to evaluating achievements and bonuses. They should set up a system for formal evaluations.
Marty said past bonus processes have not been successful. When he started, he agreed to a lesser salary due to the wording of a potential bonus/additional salary increase allowed in the contract. The previous TA was paid in the mid-$90Ks, plus $4200/year mileage.
Mike May asked if the Board feels the wording allows for a bonus due to performance? Matt Mecum said yes, but he feels we need to establish specific goals for precedent going forward. Jim said it is hard to gauge performance and quantify results since the TA does so many different things. Mike said he thinks some things need to be corrected; we need to do a better job going into next year. We shouldn’t be this vague with the senior executive in the Town. Goals and bonuses should be able to be quantified and calculated mathematically. Matt agrees with Mike. Goals need to be set immediately for next year.
Mike May proposes one week’s compensation as a bonus as he has nothing else to gauge it on. He is not sure what anyone’s expectation is. Jim said he has worked with Marty for over one year and he has done a great job. He has saved the Town a lot of money, is always here and going to a lot of meetings. Matt noted since this topic was not on the agenda they can’t vote. However it needs to be settled before the end of the fiscal year to use this year’s funds. Since the next scheduled meeting is July 15, a meeting date was set for Friday, June 28 at 8:00 AM.
Memoriam for Jay Corcoran: Jim Wood has been approached regarding naming some jogging trails in the woods at Tahanto after Jay Corcoran, a Boylston resident who was killed on 9/11. Mike Kane of The Banner noted that is DCR-owned property. The TA will call the DCR to inquire.
Council on Aging Matt Mecum requested the Council on Aging be invited to come in on July 15 5to discuss various items that he was recently approach about. If they cannot attend, it is okay.
At 9:25 PM Matt Mecum made a motion to adjourn. Mike May seconded the motion; voted all in favor.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant
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