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Town of Hudson - Board of Selectmen
Minutes –January 9, 2017
78 Main Street 2nd Floor 7:00 PM
Present were Mr. Parent, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Lucy, Mr. Durant, Mr. Moses. Also present were Attorney Cipriano and Ms. Santos. Mr. Duplisea joined the meeting during the DPW Capital Plan discussion.
Public Session: December 19, 2016
On a motion by Mr. Lucy, seconded by Mr. Quinn, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the December 19, 2016 public session minutes.
Executive Session: December 13, 2016
On a motion by Mr. Lucy, seconded by Mr. Parent, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the December 13, 2016 Executive Session Minutes.
Executive Session: December 19, 2016
On a motion by Mr. Lucy, seconded by Mr. Quinn, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the Executive session Minutes of December 19, 2016.
- Citizens’ Issues:
- Meetings and Public Hearings - 7:00 PM:
- Licenses:
Selectmen to consider issuance of a One–Day Wine & Malt Pouring License to Ray Murphy for an opening celebration to be held on January 24, 2017 between the hours of 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM at Avidia Bank located at 17 Pope Street.
On a motion by Mr. Lucy, seconded by Mr. Quinn, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the One–Day Wine & Malt Pouring License to Ray Murphy for an opening celebration to be held on January 24, 2017 between the hours of 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM at Avidia Bank located at 17 Pope Street.
Selectmen to consider approval of reappointment of Joan Wordell as Town Clerk for a term expiring on February 2, 2020.
On a motion by Mr. Durant, seconded by Mr. Parent, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the reappointment of Joan Wordell as Town Clerk to a term to expire on February 2, 2020.
Selectmen to note the resignation of Joseph J. Marinelli from the Municipal Light Board effective December 31, 2016.
On a motion by Mr. Durant, seconded by Mr. Lucy, the Board voted 4-0 to note the resignation of Joseph J. Marinelli from the Municipal Light Board effective December 31, 2016.
Selectmen to consider approval and signing of a Utility Easement with Verizon to bring utility services to the new DPW/Police Station at 1 Municipal Drive.
Mr. Moses stated that Town Counsel has determined that any easement must be voted on at Town Meeting. However, this would delay the construction of the new building by a few months. Therefore Verizon redrafted the easement as a license which Town Counsel reviewed and modified. Verizon’s approval of the changes is pending therefore Mr. Moses suggest approving the license contingent on their consent of the changes. This license will only exist until it is voted on at Town Meeting.
On a motion by Mr. Durant, seconded by Mr. Lucy, the Board voted 4-0 to approve and sign a license with Verizon for a Utility Easement to bring utility services to the new DPW/Police Station at 1 Municipal Drive until an easement is approved at the May 2017 Town Meeting subject Verizon’s approval of Town Counsels changes.
Selectmen to consider approving the recommendation of the Internal Traffic Committee to restripe the crosswalk on Main Street at the intersection of Church Street.
There was a brief discussion and it decided that the Selectmen would pass over this item pending further measurements and options.
Selectmen to meet with Jen Ferrari, Hudson Cultural Council to discuss term limits.
Jennifer Ferrari, 2 Martin Circle, Doris Monteiro, 60 Florence Street and Elaine Recklet, 4F Rotherham Way all members of the Cultural Council were present for the discussion. Ms. Ferrari and the other members are requesting that the terms of Cultural Council members expire three years from the date of appointment. Mr. Parent stated that by doing so the Town would be in violation of MGL Chapter 10 §58 as well as the Towns by-laws under section 3.B. Mr. Moses explained that all Boards in Hudson are appointed for two three year terms. However if a member enters in the middle of a term it is still considered one of the two consecutive terms.
Ms. Ferrari’s concern is that their terms are not staggered which may be an issue in the future in regards to quorum.
On a motion by Mr. Lucy, seconded by Mr. Quinn, the Board voted 2-2 to not press the Town’s December 31st end date for any Hudson Cultural Council term and the Board will continue its practice of the previous 25 years. Mr. Durant and Mr. Parent opposed the motion failed.
- Correspondence to be Noted by Clerk:
On a motion by Mr. Quinn, seconded by Mr. Lucy, the Board voted 4-0 to note the correspondence for January 9, 2017.
Selectmen to conduct FY 2018 Budget & Capital Plan Hearings:
Department |
Dept. # |
Tab # |
Amount Requested |
Motion |
Seconded |
Vote |
Community Development Dept. |
1232 |
12 |
$267,614 |
Lucy |
Quinn |
4-0 |
CDD Capital Plan |
|
4 |
$100,000 |
Lucy |
Quinn |
4-0 |
Department of Public Works: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administration |
4210 |
20 |
$809,906 |
|
|
|
Parks/Cemetery |
4212 |
20 |
$587,828 |
|
|
|
Street |
4215 |
20 |
$855,377 |
|
|
|
Vehicle |
4219 |
20 |
$348,397 |
|
|
|
Highway Snow & Ice |
4230 |
20 |
$331,616 |
|
|
|
Sewer |
4400 |
20 |
$1,966,911 |
|
|
|
Water |
4500 |
20 |
$1,503,634 |
|
|
|
DPW Total: |
|
|
$6,403,669 |
Lucy |
Quinn |
4-0 |
DPW Capital Plan (Mr. Duplisea Arrived) |
|
4 |
$773,550 |
Parent |
Lucy |
4-0-1 Duplisea Abstained |
Moderator |
1960 |
9 |
$110 |
Lucy |
Quinn |
5-0 |
Finance Committee |
1961 |
10 |
$861 |
Lucy |
Parent |
5-0 |
Board of Assessors |
1962 |
11 |
$127,433 |
Lucy |
Duplisea |
5-0 |
Municipal Light Board |
1967 |
13 |
$3,900 |
Lucy |
Quinn |
5-0 |
Ft. Meadow Commission |
1971 |
14 |
$6,000 |
Lucy |
Duplisea |
5-0 |
Lake Boone Commission |
1974 |
15 |
$2,463 |
Parent |
Duplisea |
5-0 |
Historic District Commission |
1977 |
16 |
$800 |
Lucy |
Duplisea |
4-0-1 Quinn Abstained |
Fire Department
- Chief Blood read a statement (see below)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quinn Abstained |
Police Department |
2100 |
17 |
$3,475,993 |
Parent |
Duplisea |
5-0 |
Police Capital Plan |
|
4 |
$101,084 |
Durant |
Parent |
5-0 |
Recreation & Park Commission |
6300 |
25 |
$364,207 |
Durant |
Parent |
5-0 |
Park/Rec Capital Plan |
|
4 |
$25,000 |
Duplisea |
Lucy |
5-0 |
Chief Blood’s Statement:
“I would like to thank the Executive Assistant and the Town Accountant for their assistance in helping in preparing my FY18 budget. Our salary portion of the budget request reflects an increase of approximately 2.19%. This increase is due to cost of living increases, contractual obligations and step increases. Our expense portion of our budget request has decreased by an approximate 3.56%. This decrease is due to a projected decrease in the overall utility costs. With both salary and expense budget requests combined we are asking for an overall increase of 1.65%. Our FY18 budget has been submitted with only the required increases, however it is my responsibility to explain the following in regards to current staffing. The
Fire Department continues to respond to an increasing number of emergency incidences each year. As the community continues to grow the additional simultaneous calls are continuing to strain staffing resources. With minimum manning staffing levels being set for 6 personnel, which has been in place since 1974. In 1974 the Fire Department responded to 1,148 incidences, in 2016 the Fire Department responded to 3,608 incidences. This is totals a 200% increase in incidence responses. Today we are limited to the number of incidences we can safely respond to. With a safe minimum standard of three personnel on an engine we may be forced to put our ladder out of service with our present minimum staffing levels in order to maintain the ability to have two engines to cover our growing community. This becomes a very serious situation by delaying the response of our ladder. As you are aware Hudson continues to grow as a community with more and more
people coming to live, work, shop and dine. For a quick example The Matrix apartment complex now opened up on Cabot Road is expected to increase our responses to approximately 85 incidences per year. A recently proposed assisted living facility at the Brigham’s property our request to respond to incidences will be dramatically increased. I ask that the Board and the Executive Assistant seriously consider addressing our staffing levels in the future.”
Selectmen to meet in Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to potential challenge to the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (MAEFSB) decision on the Eversource Petition, and or seek advice of counsel, where an open meeting may have detrimental effect on the legal position of the public body and the chair so declares.
The Board voted 5-0, by roll call, to enter into executive session, not to return to public session, to discuss strategy with respect to potential challenge to the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (MAEFSB) decision on the Eversource Petition, and or seek advice of counsel, where an open meeting may have detrimental effect on the legal position of the public body and the chair so declares.
Document List – January 9, 2017
Document |
Location |
Public Session Minutes – 12/19/16 |
BOS Office |
Executive Session Minutes – 12/13/16 |
BOS Office |
Executive Session Minutes – 12/19/16 |
BOS Office |
One Day Beer & Wine Application – Raymond Murphy |
BOS Office |
Reappointment Memo – Joan Wordell |
BOS Office |
Resignation Letter – Joseph J. Marinelli |
BOS Office |
Verizon Utility Easement |
BOS Office |
Memo regarding restriping crosswalk |
BOS Office |
Letter from Town of Stow regarding Eversource Transmission Line Project |
BOS Office |
MassDOT Bridge Report |
BOS Office |
Letter regarding request for proposals for lease space |
BOS Office |
Letter from Tallage regarding MMA Annual Meeting |
BOS Office |
Legal opinion from Town Counsel |
BOS Office |
MMA’s information for the Annual Meeting & Trade Show to be held on January 20, & 21, 2017 |
BOS Office |
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