Hull Board of Selectmen
Minutes
September 13, 2005
The meeting of the Hull Board of Selectmen was called to order at 7:36 pm on Tuesday evening, September 13, 2005 at the Hull Municipal Building, 253 Atlantic Avenue, Hull, Massachusetts.
Present: Christopher Olivieri, Chairman; Joan Meschino, Vice Chairman; Ronald Davy, Clerk; John Reilly and John Silva, Members. Also present were: Christopher McCabe, Town Manager and James Lampke, Town Counsel.
The Chairman opened the meeting and held a moment of silence for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and for the passing of William Lawlor, husband of Barbara Lawlor, Director of the Senior Center.
7:30 pm Public Hearing – Board of Assessors – re: Tax Classification
David Beck, Assistant Assessor, appeared before the Board along with Assessors’ Members to discuss tax classification.
Beck said that for the first time the total value of the Town is a little over two billion.
The classifications and recommendations of the Assessors were: 1) Residential Factor – To not shift tax burden to business – Recommends Factor #1; 2) Open Space discount – Not recommended; 3) Residential exemption – Not recommended; 4) Small Business Exemption – Not recommended. Reasons given for the recommendations were 1) The value mix has remained constant with only 3% commercial and recommends Factor #1 that keeps the original classification; 2) No privately owned public open space; 3) Unfair to shift tax burden of low value properties to higher value properties; 4) Offering a small business exemption offers a too small a benefit as Hull has only 107 commercial class properties.
Moved-Reilly: To adopt Factor #1 for tax classification
Second-Meschino
Vote: Unanimous in favor
Moved-Meschino: To not grant an Open Space discount
Second-Silva
Vote: Unanimous in favor
Moved-Reilly: To not adopt a residential exemption
Second-Silva
Vote: Unanimous in favor
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Selectmen Minutes, 9/13/05
Page 2 of 5
Moved-Reilly: To not adopt a small business exemption
Second-Meschino
Vote: Unanimous in favor
7:45 pm – Anne Herbst – re: Appointment as Conservation Administrator
Christopher McCabe, Town Manager, introduced Anne Herbst to the Board Members as the candidate selected to be the Conservation Administrator, and asked the Board to waive its 15-day right to reject. He said he conducted the interview along with three Conservation Commission Members and that she has a unique set of credentials.
Moved-Reilly: To waive the Board’s 15-day right to reject the appointment
Second-Davy
Vote: Unanimous in favor
TOWN MANAGER
McCabe presented an update of activities: that he has retained Lawry Reid, Philip Greely, James O’Mara and Ed Walsh to open and close the gates at Straits Pond twice a day; and that he had resolved the problem of an overflowing catch basin at or near 33 Manomet Avenue by having it power cleaned that removed a sandbag from the drain.
The Board recessed at 7:55 pm and returned to open session at 8:04 pm.
CORRESPONDENCE
2. Unanimously approved the request of Judeth Van Hamm to form a Sustainable Transportation Committee consisting of seven members for one year and to report back to the Board one-year from date of appointment, on a substitute motion by Reilly. Seconded by Meschino. The vote followed the presentation.
3. Voted Unanimously to adopt a resolution submitted by Dennis Zaia and support by Pamela Wolfe, Rhoda Kanet, and Janet Berault of the No Place for Hate Committee stating it would write to the State Representatives and Senate asking that they vote against any amendment banning same sex marriage on a motion by Meschino, seconded by Davy.
8:10 pm – Joan Humphries – re: Applicant for Commission on Disabilities
Moved- To appoint Joan Humphries to the One-year opening on the Commission on Disabilities
Second-Silva
Vote: Unanimous in favor
Selectmen Minutes, 9/13/05
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8:20 pm Bruce R. Wood – re: Applicant for Commission on Disabilities
Moved-Silva To appoint Bruce Wood to the Three-year opening on the Commission on Disabilities
Second Meschino
Vote: Unanimous in favor
8:30 pm William Dwyer – re: Applicant for School Building Committee
Dwyer cited once owing a construction company in the building trades as his party of his experience.
8:40 pm Joanne Marshall – re: Applicant for School Building Committee
Marshall cited her experience has having past experience working on large construction projects
8:50 pm – Rhoda Kanet – re: Applicant School Building Committee
Kanet is a former member of the School Committee and cited her experience serving on the School Building Committee from its inception.
9:00 pm Jay Meschino re: Applicant School Building Committee (Postponed)
9:10 pm John Meschino – re: Applicant for School Building Committee (Withdrawn)
9:20 pm Alana M Swiec – re: Applicant School Building Committee
Swiec cited her experience with facility management agencies and several other related and unrelated construction areas offering. Members said she had an impressive resume’.
Appointments were held over.
OLD BUSINESS
A memo from the Police Chief, requested by the Board, did not recommend any additional crosswalks but if the Traffic Commissioners believed one is necessary then he recommended placing it opposite the Rockland Trust Co. He also did not recommend any parking changes at Kenberma Playground, and he recommended (although not requested) signage limiting times be placed at Friends Park.
Moved-Silva: To accept the Police Chief’s recommendations for signage and placement of a crosswalk as shown in his memo dated August 11, 2005
Second-Reilly
Vote: Unanimous in favor
Selectmen, 9/13/05
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Moved-Reilly: To approve removal of the tree on the railroad bed as requested recently by William Henderson and to notify abutters
Second-Silva
Vote: Four ayes; one, nay (Meschino)
Meschino stated that the Board needs to be consistent in its railroad bed policy and that Henderson’s encroachment should be handled if the Board is to be consistent in its policy requiring Henderson to apply for a license from the Board. Davy said that it does open other larger issues that need to be addressed; and Olivieri asked Members to read the railroad bed study
Hull Redevelopment Authority
Each Member discussed concerns in regard to the conditions of approval for the HRA proposed development and directed Town Counsel to research the legal authorities in regard to the proposed closing of Hull Shore drive extension and the proposed creation of a trust by the Authority. Members spoke about the responsibilities of the Board of Selectmen to protect the town’s interest in those two issues. The Board will meet with the Hull Redevelopment Authority scheduled at this point on the 26th.
The Board recessed at 9:20 pm and returned to open session at 9:26 pm.
CORRESPONDENCE
3. Unanimously voted to refer to the Affordable Housing Committee a request from Devlin Realty Trust for Affordable Housing to be constructed at 242 Atlantic Avenue consisting of 3 2-bedroom and on 1-bedrom apartments, on a motion by Reilly, seconded by Silva.
1. Taken under advisement a request from Marge Dunn for a parking license fee rebate issued on parking on the HRA land.
TOWN MANAGER
McCabe reported on the dune openings and said that the ends of the streets would not be closed as they are grand-fathered and that if there were openings between streets they must be handicap accessible.
Moved-Reilly
Second-Silva
Vote: Unanimous in favor
McCabe also discusses that Christine Road would be the next road project and that the side doors are to be installed in October.
Selectmen Minutes, 9/13/05
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McCabe said that he had a “better handle” on the Main street project; is planning to do annual road maintenance, has been aggressive in having contracts in place (paving) and will provide the Board with a schedule. Davy asked for a road priority list from the foreman, White, and discussed ‘big ticket’ items such as Samoset, Manomet and Atlantic Avenues to be done under the TIP program.
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An email from Abby Diamond-Kissaday noting a planned Candlelight Vigil to be held at the Old Ship Church in Hingham on September 13, 2205, 6:30 pm and the Board Unanimously voted to be a co-sponsor and to request the use of the pavilion, on a motion by Reilly, seconded by Meschino.
TOWN MANAGER
Moved-Reilly: To authorize McCabe to sign the Spectrasite lease for the property on the landfill access road
Second-Silva
Vote: Unanimous in favor
NEW BUSINESS
At some point in the meeting, Reilly spoke about a newspaper article that accused the Board of covering up on the charges that an individual, serving on a board, had made an anti-semitic remark. Reilly assured everyone that there is no cover up and that the matter is being handled in a legally responsible manner.
Unanimously adopted a Resolution to establish the feasibility of a Community Center and create a committee consisting of seven members to include one member each from Park & Recreation, School Committee, Board of Selectmen, Advisory Board, with Town Counsel, Town Manager, and Community Development Director/Town Planner to serve as staff support; three at-large Members and an alternate, on a motion by Davy, seconded by Reilly.
Moved-Silva: To go into executive session to discuss strategy in litigation and not to reopen.
Second-Meschino
Roll Call Vote: Aye, Meschino; aye, Davy; aye, Reilly; aye, Olivieri, aye, Silva
The Board moved into executive session at 10:55pm and thereafter adjourned.
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