REPORT OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
To the Citizens of the Town of Hanson:
The Board of Selectmen respectfully submits its report for the 1999 calendar year. In May of 1999 the Board of Selectmen voted to reorganize as follows:
Daniel K. Webster, Chairman
Charles Flynn, Vice-Chairman
Cathy Kuchinski, Clerk
Peter Jones, Member
Judy Murdoch, Member
Annual appointments made by the Board of Selectmen may be found under the Officials Appointed by the Board of Selectmen, elsewhere in this book. Regular meetings of the Board of Selectmen are posted and held at 7:30 p.m. on every other Tuesday of the month. However, quite frequently, the Board schedules meetings on the off Tuesdays in an effort to complete Town Business.
As is usual, the Board began 1999 involved in the budget process. The Board, in conjunction with the Finance Committee, elected and appointment Boards and Department Heads, was able to budget increased services for the community while maintaining financial stability. For the first time the Town’s stabilization fund exceeded one million dollars. We currently enjoy a balance in this account of approximately 1.2 million. The Town’s financial condition remains healthy and the Board looks forward to increased services in the calendar year 2000 without a substantial burden to the tax payers. It is important to note that debt exclusions on annual tax bills will be higher in
fiscal year 2001 which begins July 1, 2000. This will result from the bond issued in connection with the school projects. We anticipate this will be a short term increase as reimbursement from the State is scheduled to begin sometime in Fiscal Year 2001 with the balance to be paid in Fiscal Year 2002.
In early 1999 the Board began negotiating a new contract with the firefighters union. Negotiations have been difficult and major differences remain between the parties. We hope we are able to eliminate these differences and settle the contract without the need for arbitration. The Board successfully completed contract negotiations with the Patrolman’s Union resulting in reasonable salary increases of three (3%) percent during each of the next three (3) fiscal years.
As many are aware, in May of 1999 the Annual Town Meeting directed the Board to offer increased services at the Town Hall by opening to the public on Fridays. The Town Meeting directive stipulated that increased services were to be offered at no additional cost to the tax payers. The Clerical Union was asked to adjust their work schedule in an effort to offer service to the public on Fridays without increasing the number of hours worked each week. However, the Clerical Union failed to comply with Town Meeting directive and refused to work the fifth day. Rather than order the Clerical Union to work Fridays and risk being accessed damages in the event an arbitrator, after hearing, found in favor of the Clerical Union, the Board and the Union agreed to
conduct expedited arbitration. In September of 1999 a hearing was held before a Labor Relations arbitrator seeking a determination whether the Board could order the Clerical Union to work on Fridays. The arbitrator found in favor of the Clerical Union holding that it had been the intent of the parties during previous contract negotiations that the Union would work a four (4) day week. Therefore, the arbitrator found it would be an unfair labor practice for the Board to order the Union to work on Fridays without re-opening contract negotiations.
Despite this unfavorable result, the Board has made efforts to offer the public the best possible service on Fridays. We have directed all of our department heads working within the Town Hall to be available to the public five (5) days a week. The Town Clerk has also opened her office on Fridays. The Board thanks those who have made the extra effort to offer service to the community during the new business hours.
During 1999 the renovations and new addition to the Town Hall were completed. In November an open house was held at which time the new Selectmen’s Meeting Room was dedicated to the Stearns and Lewis Family. Patricia Stearns, Philip Stearns and Daniel Lewis devoted many years of service to our community as members of the Board of Selectmen, as well as numerous other official capacities. The open house was a success and provided the public with its first opportunity to view our improved Town Hall. The Board sincerely thanks Alan Clemons, Carole McCormack, Warren Emerson, and Mary Lou Sutter for all their dedicated work as members of the Building Committee.
In early 1999 the new state-of-the-art Middle School opened and in the Fall the newly renovated Indian Head School was re-opened. For those of us who in the past attended the Indian Head School, it is difficult to believe the enormous improvements to this facility. Many thanks to Elizabeth O’Sullivan and other members of the School Building Committee who for years have worked tirelessly to make the school project a reality.
Despite our many successes, we were not without extremely unfortunate circumstances in 1999. The Board terminated the former Executive Secretary Joseph F. Nugent after his involvement in the infamous December 2, 1996 auction where he purchased a parcel of tax title land. Several months thereafter he convinced the Chairman of the Board, Charles Flynn, to authorize the issuance of a confirmatory deed whereby Nugent acquired several adjacent lots. Flynn’s directive resulted from a dispute between the Town Treasurer, Carole McCormack and Joseph Nugent concerning how much land was actually offered at the December 2, 1996 auction. An investigation revealed that actions surrounding this land deal were taken without the knowledge or consent of the
Board. As a result of the unfortunate incident, Mr. Flynn was recalled from office in October of 1999.
Upon Mr. Flynn’s recall, the voters sent Stephanie McSweeney to the Board of Selectmen. The Board welcomed Mrs. McSweeney at our first meeting in November.
In the Fall of 1999 the Board commissioned the Executive Secretary Search Committee and the Fire Chief Search Committee. The Executive Secretary Search Committee screened twenty-eight (28) applicants and preliminarily interviewed six (6) candidates. In December of 1999 four candidates were recommended to the Board for further consideration. At the end of 1999, the Fire Chief Search Committee began preparing to advertise for a new Fire Chief. It is anticipated that a new Chief will be hired prior to Chief Huska’s retirement in July of 2000.
Finally and most notably, the Board successfully completed negotiations with the Plymouth County Commissioners involving the purchase of the property formerly known as the Plymouth County Hospital consisting of 57 acres of land. The site also included approximately eleven (11) buildings. In October of 1999, Town Meeting authorized the purchase of this land by appropriating $950,000.00. An additional $150,000.00 was appropriated in order to begin a land use study and environmental clean-up. The Town took title to the property in December of 1999 and immediately contracted to have approximately eleven (11) underground storage tanks removed from the site. At the end of 1999, the Board was in the process of preparing Requests for Proposals for
the land use study. Additionally, at the end of 1999, the Board prepared to subdivide a portion of this property which contained five (5) residential homes. The Board’s intent is to eventually seek Town Meeting approval to sell these homes in an order to repay the money borrowed to purchase the site or to provide funding for future site development. The Board looks forward to planning this project with the resident during the year 2000. I personally thank the community and all the Board members for their commitment to this endeavor. The overall enthusiasm has made this important project a reality.
In closing, the Board is pleased with the accomplishments of 1999. We anticipate that our current fiscal stability will allow us to maintain and improve the level of services offered to the community. We will strive to insure the quality of life in the Hanson will continue to improve in the year 2000 .
Respectfully submitted
Daniel K. Webster, Chairman
Board of Selectmen
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