Town of Mashpee
Blue Ribbon Comprehensive Committee
Minutes of Meeting
December 22, 2005
The Town of Mashpee Blue Ribbon Committee was called to order in Conference Room #1, Mashpee Town Hall, 16 Great Neck Road North, Mashpee, Massachusetts at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, 2005. The Chairman, Don Myers, presided.
Blue Ribbon Committee Members present: Chuckie Green, Vice Chair; Lee Gurney; Beverly Kane; John Miller; Don Myers, Chairman; Douglas Storrs, Clerk; Ted Theis.
Also present: F. Thomas Fudala, Town Planner.
A quorum being present, the Chairman called the meeting to order.
Approval of Minutes
November 10, 2005
December 8, 2005
Motion: The Chairman asked if there were any additions or deletions to the meetings held on November 10, 2005 and December 8th, 2005. John Miller made a motion to approve the minutes for November 10, 2005. He also made a motion to approve the minutes for the December 8th, 2005 Blue Ribbon Committee meeting, which were both voted unanimously.
General Point of Discussion
Public Input
The Chairman asked the Committee if there was any way to improve input from the public, regarding the committee meetings. He asked the members of the committee if they wanted people to attend and participate in discussions regarding the meeting.
Chuckie Green, the Vice Chairman, suggested that the meetings of the committee should begin at five minutes before meeting for public comment.
Lee Gurney said that the meeting minutes could be listed up on a Web page, and that the public could send members’ comments. She also stated that it would be preferable for the public to speak at the end of meetings.
The Vice Chairman disagreed with Ms. Gurney’s comment. He said that the committee needed to set perimeters to the meeting. He said that public comments at the end of the meeting limited people watching the committee for their input. He added that people were drawing up comments from going along listening to the meeting. He said that five minutes earlier before the meeting was held was enough time if there were public comments.
John Miller said that the committee had not really encouraged public comment, saying that it was essential and that the committee should encourage it proactively. He added that the group did not have a critical mass of substance for the public to react to. He said that since the press coverage of the committees’ meetings was sporadic, except during the Selectman’s Meeting, so that their members would encourage and ask for public feedback for the Blue Ribbon Committee.
The Chairman said that the members of the Committee sounded flexible and asked if all of the suggestions be tried. He added that the committee would set up time at the beginning of the meeting for public comments. As the committee discussed topics, the members would ask for any feedback. He said that the committee could extend the meeting beyond the time limits, as well. The Chairman asked for any comments from Douglas Storrs, the Clerk.
The Clerk said that the more public comments, the better. He added that any vehicle the committee could have a public comment would be wonderful and whether the public would want to e-mail comments. He said that he was afraid only four people were watching the committee on television and hoped 400 people were watching them. Anything the committee could do to increase exposure and get feedback from the public would be beneficial, he added. We shouldn’t be doing this in a vacuum, he said.
The Vice Chairman said that he thought the audience was a lot larger than four people. He added that the only reason he suggested five minutes prior to the meeting was that sometimes, public comment could turn into an hour, easily.
The Clerk said that people were watching from the comfort of their own home.
The Vice Chairman said that having five minutes before the meeting was at the discretion of the Chairman.
Beverly Kane spoke and said that the committee should encourage participation in any way, shape or form. She added that she was very disappointed that the committee was not getting any press coverage. She said that the committee should be open to written comments, criticisms, available through an e-mail address.
The Chairman said he would see about getting the meeting set up on the Town of Mashpee Web site, with an e-mail address. He said that the committee should set up a public forum in the very beginning.
Economic Development
The Chairman turned the meeting over to John Miller, to continue the previous meeting’s discussion of economic development.
Mr. Miller thought he would just give a brief overview of his take on where the Town was or wasn’t in respect to economic initiatives.
His understanding was that the town had a somewhat formalized economic program for initiatives dating back as far as 1992. At that point, there was an economic development for the Town; a part-time executive director or administrator and for the relatively short period of time, four to five years that it existed, he said, there were tangible benefits derived from that investment, ranging from planning, to zoning issues to public relations, publicity and awareness.
He said these were proactive things to make Mashpee as attractive as it could be to appropriate business or industry. There were some real success stories, he added. A lot of that initiative led over a period of time toward persuading the state legislature to enact legislation that would enable the creation of an economic development of an industrial corporation otherwise known as EDIC in the Town of Mashpee. That was shepherded by Matt Patrick and Rob O’Leary, both of who told Mr. Miller that they had their hands full, with all sorts of issues, relative to being freshman in the legislature at the time. Nonetheless, they were diligent in response to then what wishes of the Town of Mashpee were, to pass that act. Which is still on the books, he added, and will always be there unless it is
revoked by the legislature, which is not likely to happen.
More or less concurrent with passage of that legislation in 2002, the economic development office for the Town was eliminated and there were other priorities, Mr. Miller said. There has not been any structured approach to deal with the economic issues, on the Town’s part. The Chamber of Commerce, of which Mr. Miller is on the board of, has always had a good relationship with the Town Administrator and that still exists, he said. He didn’t mean to suggest that through him that the Chamber is lobbying to move ahead with this.
He handed out written documents, which explained what the Chapter 376 of the Acts of 2002 was, and another which explained an EDIC, or Economic Development Industrial Corporation.
By way of preface, he thought there was a tremendous opportunity for the Town, at little cost of money or human resources to the Town, to press forward in establishing an EDIC, which was long overdue, and had been enabled since 2002, Mr. Miller said.
Mr. Miller explained that basically, it results with the creation of an independent, not-for-profit organization that has, much as the town does, the power to raise funds through bonds, to accept funds on appropriate projects that are approved by the State. There was an affordable housing component to the EDIC and its’ funds could be used for any number of Town projects that might otherwise go unfounded. These projects could theoretically be funneled through an EDIC. An EDIC could also raise money through private means, through developers, through investors and oftentimes that happens cooperatively with some town funds, said Mr. Miller.
Mr. Miller said that the biggest challenge would be to get the initial seed money necessary. The composition of the Board of Directors would be defined by the legislature in terms of what kinds of constituents they need to represent, plus there would be two at-large members. The Town has had direct input from neighboring Falmouth in recent months, regarding the success of what the Falmouth EDIC has had, so much so that they’re apparently willing to enlist Mashpee and further their opportunities thereby creating one for us, he said.
More recently, there’s an effort underway to create an Upper Cape Regional Technology Development, Mr. Miller said.
They had a preliminary organization that was in the formative stages. This regional entity could collaborate with other EDIC’s if it so chooses, provided the town that it collaborates with has an EDIC, said Mr. Miller.
When this regional organization gets under way, said Mr. Miller, the Committee would be entitled to have a voting interest on that, provided we have an EDIC represented. The Committee could also have ad hoc representation at those discussions, but could only have a voting role in it.
What Mr. Miller was hoping, what the committee would agree to be doing, after looking over the document, in the same sort context of other disciplines they have taken a look at, and then perhaps in some subsequent meeting in January or February, as we have done with some others, arrange for two or three people to come in and give a presentation to us. Perhaps the director of the Falmouth EDIC who is already known to us. Perhaps Senator O’Leary or Matt Patrick. Mr. Miller said he could tell the committee that the Town is predisposed to moving ahead with this anyway.
The Chairman asked Mr. Miller what he envisioned his program regarding the EDIC of ultimately doing.
Mr. Miller replied that if the leadership of the EDIC, once it is created is carefully chosen, specifically with board directors and executive director that may or not be a paid position. It would be their job to verify short term/long term opportunities or ideas that are implementable.
Ultimately, Mr. Miller said, the bottom line would be creating jobs for the residents of Mashpee. Depending on the zoning by-laws in the towns, it had become fashionable to create commercial space in one portion in a lower portion of a building, and then residential space above, he said. There would be budding opportunities to facilitate that kind of thing. Depending on the relative affluence of the EDIC that would provide seed money for individuals to come forward with a business plan. To create jobs or opportunities.
Mr. Miller stated where Mashpee has not a lot of components that some other towns have to hang an economic hat on, it doesn’t have a substantial tourism economic base, other than a handful of second homeowners, it does have land suitable for that, it certainly has people that are looking for economic opportunities. We’re better off with this kind of thing, than we are without it, especially when the Town doesn’t have, can’t afford, or justify an in-house economic development office, per se, he added.
The Chairman questioned what power the tax payers would have over the Board of Legislature.
Anything that the EDIC would have to conform to what the by-laws are, the town’s preference is, or as any citizen, or entity would be to do is influence that would make those sorts of decisions, said Mr. Miller
The State legislature established an act to start a Mashpee EDIC in 2002, Mr. Miller said.
Lee Gurney asked why there was no reason the EDIC did not go to the obvious next step?
Mr. Miller replied his understanding was that nobody picked up the ball. The Town no longer had the economic development person at the time. By the time this passed, it was six months later. Immediately prior to this there was an article in the town meeting warrant or at least presented to the selectmen seeking $30,000 funding for the Town’s Economic Development office. He thought this step was the end-of-the-line for what the Town could do on its’ own.
Meanwhile, he said, when the process started to get this legislation passed, the prognosis for the Town for economic development seemed to be at a high pitch, and a couple of years later, that wasn’t the case.
Ms. Gurney said she was looking for what would be the most logical step regarding the economic development office and the Town.
One of the steps in the process is creating a board, said Mr. Miller, which are seven members appointed by the municipality. One with expertise in industrial development; one in financial matters; one in real estate; one in low income; one in municipal government, and two at large members.
The Vice Chairman said that the answer to his question might be that the Board of Selectman more than likely would be appointing the members, initially.
Ms. Gurney asked Mr. Miller: “So they appoint this board, do they also have to go to Town Meeting to get start-up money?”
Mr. Miller replied the prerequisite for the legislature to adopt an economic development or industrial corporation, enabling legislation for the Town was commissioned by an economic plan, which it does have. It may be out-of-date, he added, but it meets those criteria, he said. There’s no condition on money, I’m sure if we get some expertise from EDIC and they will be able to tell you with authority that it was not dependent upon the Town anteing up $50,000 dollars to prime the pump before things started running on their own. I’m not saying that might not have to happen, either, Mr. Miller said.
One of the beauties of a public project or corporation like that is you can fund outside the normal tax contribution, said Ted Theis.
The Chairman said that basically those who utilize those funds would pay the fees back.
Mr. Theis said that another thing a circumstance can do, once it’s up and running, is take a good bit of weight off a number of Town departments by answering initial questions of businesses coming to town, much like the Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Miller passed out two documents to members of the committee, one explaining an EDIC and the other one stipulating and explaining Chapter 376 of the Acts of 2002.
The Chairman said that every one should take a look at the two documents and put the item on the agenda for January.
F. Thomas Fudala, the Town Planner said that he had a couple of things to say about the Upper Cape RTDC. I don’t believe that the Town needs to have an EDIC to participate. They had their first meeting earlier in the month; they established an advisory committee that is in effect representatives from the four Upper Cape towns. The Town (of Mashpee) did not have a representative at the meeting and he expressed a need for one.
The Town Planner said that one of the Town’s issues were economic development. The types of businesses Mashpee had were landscaping businesses, a self-storage warehouse, and retail development and were not the type of spin-offs that would generate a lot of income, he said.
Lee Gurney emphasized the need for quick action concerning joining the Upper Cape RTDC sooner, rather than later and bringing the matter up to the Board of Selectman’s Meeting some night.
The Town Planner said he had a list of people on the advisory committee and that the Falmouth EDIC was carrying the ball. He said that the Upper Cape RTCD was fairly open to representatives.
The Chairman asked if there was any public input and what were the wishes of the Committee.
The Vice Chairman said that the Committee should act very rapidly to draft if they were to pass on the suggestion that the board would seek members to start this committee.
Motion: The Chairman made a motion to appoint a representative to Upper Cape Technology Cooperation. All voted unanimously.
Motion: Mr. Miller made a motion to propose the EDIC for the Town of Mashpee to the Board of Selectman. All voted unanimously.
Motion: Mr. Miller mad a motion regarding a certification process. He said that it would take a little time to get the ball rolling, but that it was not premature to make that recognition. All voted unanimously.
The Chairman looked at the calendar for 2006 and saw that there were two meetings in January; he asked if the committee had any preference as far as a day for following up on the economic development and the response was January 26, 2006.
1st Report to Board of Selectmen
The Chairman presented a draft of the report to the Board of Selectmen. He said that he would add to the draft two recommendations already approved that night. He stated that the draft contained major components of the comprehensive plan, renewed the past process for a developmental comprehensive plan, with a legal dictate, which fell under the auspices of the Planning Board. The Chairman discussed the draft he created adding that he would request support from the Board of Selectman.
Ms. Gurney suggested that the motions should be in bold face and to pull out recommendations. We’re making these motions all along, she said. Also that she didn’t want to wait for the report to get to the Board of Selectmen, she said she wanted them to go right after the meeting.
The Chairman said he would formalize the process and distribute the draft to the preceding meeting.
Ms. Gurney talked about the education business, said that the report was made up over a month ago, and the committee should already have an answer to it. The Board has taken it up, beside “aye” or “nay.” Something started, or otherwise we are going to be in the 22nd century before we get any of this done.
Mr. Theis had a question about the educational system being involved in the process. He said that a big portion of the Town’s budget was education, if the Town was going to set an example for the rest of the community, then school education programs should be part of the committee’s interests.
The members of the Committee looked over the draft and gave suggestions regarding how it should be worded and worked on. The Vice Chairman said that he thought the document was well prepared and that it would be a good idea to pass it along to the Board of Selectmen for their possible comments. The Chairman read aloud his Board draft to the members of the committee, who added their own comments and made suggestions.
Ms. Gurney suggested that funding for education materials should be set out wisely.
The Town Planner said that Cape Keepers would be developing materials and would name a consultant.
Beverly Kane spoke about Mashpee River dredging and to take the spoils to the lagoons in the Town Landfill.
Motion: The Chairman called for a motion regarding information that committee members had suggested in the 1st draft to the Board of Selectmen. All voted unanimously.
The Chairman said he would go over the changes and suggestions that the board members had given to him regarding the draft and apply them to the document. He added that he and committee members would send e-mail questions to the Board of Selectmen to get their perspective on matters discussed in the draft.
Mr. Storrs looked through the draft and picked out instances where “a public wastewater facility” was mentioned twice. He said he was raising the point that when the committee specifies these events, they can only occur if they are connected. He said that the Town did not have a public wastewater treatment facility. As the Committee looked at those, they should say public or private wastewater facilities, he added. He said that limiting to public (wastewater treatment plant) limits the benefits that these DCPC items were called for.
Mr. Storrs said that he had no interest for the committee to be tied to an onsite septic system or wastewater treatment plant. He talked about establishing an agency to show wastewater officials Cape Wide. He stressed that anything the committee could do to learn about it, to endorse the effort and be cognizant of what is out there, would be proactive.
The Town Planner added that the committee should definitely send a representative to the Wastewater Maintenance Commission, which represents Barnstable and Falmouth sewer departments.
The Chairman made a comment that in future agendas, there would be reports from the committee DCPC.
The Chairman asked if the committee would move forward. Mr. Storrs would lead the discussion on the Ring River Road Proposal.
Transportation Issues
Ring Road Proposal
Mr. Storrs said that in 1988 there was a Rotary Bypass Committee, of which he was a part of, as well as other committee members. It was a way of bypassing the rotary.
What came out of that committee was a number of very strong and still very valid recommendations. Two of those recommendations had been put into place to this point. One of them was the location of Job’s Fishing Road, extending to Route 151 to Route 28.
He said that north of Donna’s Lane-a private road- was recreated as a public road as the landowners each gave ½ of their land to the Town to create the Lane, making sure it was tied to Route 28, across from Job’s Fishing Road.
He added that from 1992-1993 the intersection from Donna’s Lane and Route 28 and Job’s Fishing Road were worthy of having signal lights. The committee’s goal was not realized until 2004.
At that time, he said, the recommendation was to continue finding legs surrounding the rotary. He compared this as similar to heart bypass surgery, which is if you pump all the blood from one vessel out of your heart, sooner or later your heart is going to have problems, and if you have a series of artery veins that go through your heart and around your heart, the heart doesn’t work as hard, it isn’t as much of a problem.
He pointed out the Rotary, Mashpee Commons, the Mashpee Town Library, church, fire and police and new senior center as well as high school on a map. So the two legs of the rotary bypass that were put into place was Job’s Fishing Road and then Donna’s Lane to Great Neck Road South, said Mr. Storrs.
At that time there was recognition by Mr. Storrs’ committee to continue Frank E. Hicks Drive, which was always kind of a quirk, he said. When the senior citizen center was going to be built, there was going to be added a lot of new traffic to that intersection.
Working with the community, there was a proposal to continue Frank E. Hicks Drive to continue to Old Barnstable Road, which would create another connection. That had controversy from some of the residences in the area. From the traffic standpoint that it made a lot of sense. The Ring Road Committee about six or eight months ago, Mashpee Commons decided a lot of the energy fell off, in and around the rotary.
So we went to the Town and said let’s reinvigorate the issue and look at it with fresh eyes. They called the new committee the Ring Road Committee. He said that the various departments and committees of the Town of Mashpee came to the Ring Road meetings.
What the committee wanted to do was to create a Ring Road system around the rotary that wasn’t dependent upon Frank E. Hicks Drive extending north, said Mr. Storrs. At Job’s Fishing Road, they put in a standard roundabout. They connected Old Barnstable Road to Great Neck Road back to the Old Barnstable Road so that it was a roundabout. People didn’t have to go through the rotary, he said, they had created a bypass surgery to it.
Mr. Storrs said that there was a possibility of creating an outer ring road. He pointed out the road crossing Quashnet Road. A potential road could connect to Great Neck Road. That would be an outer ring road, an override that would save 34 seconds in travel time. Some of the benefits, he added, would be that the Town, and Mashpee Commons, Planning Board and Windchime would be involved.
Roundabouts are designed to provide for free flow-in the inner ring, a very large vehicle like a truck could ride over the inner ring, Mr. Storrs said.
Mr. Storrs described a throat going into the rotary, that low-level speed would be positive. At this point in time, on Great Neck Road South, people can go into the rotary at 40 mph. He added that Route 151 and Route 28 legs are too close together.
He asked rhetorically if these roundabouts gave problems, the roundabout was slightly larger than Route 149. There was more traffic in Mashpee. Route 28 would need to be scaleable, he said.
Roundabouts are very unusual, said Mr. Storrs. Massachusetts endorses them, he said and that they allowed for a lot of movement and a better way of determining traffic.
The Chairman asked if all the connector roads were two-way roads.
The Vice Chairman added to the discussion by talking about the bike paths along Mashpee roads. He said that on certain days, emergency vehicles use the bike path. Life safety was very critical, he said.
Mr. Storrs said that signage would be needed so that people knew of an alternative to the rotary and that the road was capable of being used.
Mr. Storrs said there was some very simplistic ways to improve the rotary, if there is increased approach to the rotary to two lanes. He added that if it makes sense and it was the least expensive way of improving traffic, but there was no magic bullet improving the rotary. He listed roundabouts and alternate roads as factors that would contribute to improve the rotary.
Mr. Storrs said that the committee had to recognize that the Cape was a tourist-based economy and in the summer the population triples in size.
The Chairman asked if the Ring Road Committee had any idea of the amount of traffic going through the rotary.
Mr. Storrs replied that there was license plate service that could tell on the plates where people were coming from. According to Mr. Storrs, the speed limit on Route 151 was 50 mph. He said that it would decrease a mile an hour. He said it didn’t make sense to have the speed go that quickly in the center of the community and to drop it to 30 mph or less would be better. He explained that on Great Neck Road, cars went 45 mph toward the rotary.
The Vice Chairman brought up the issue of Mashpee wildlife. He asked if the outer ring roads would achieve a more difficult result. He wanted to make sure that it would be without impact to the environment.
The Chairman asked where the Ring Road Committee was in the process.
Mr. Storrs replied that the committee was trying to formalize the Ring Road Committee and would bring it to attention to the Board of Selectmen on January 9th, 2005.
The Chairman said that, in wrapping up, the Ring Road Committee would continue on January 9th with a presentation to the Planning Board and that there would be a public hearing and opportunity to get input from Selectmen and the Citizen Planning Board.
The Chairman asked if individuals could contact Mr. Storrs directly.
Mr. Storrs said he would print out the map to 81/2 x 11.
The Chairman asked if Mr. Storrs would be able to leave in town hall photographs of the maps.
Mr. Storrs replied that the map was still a rough draft.
Ms. Kane said that there needed to be citizen input—some people may have another idea.
Discussion of Action Items For Next Meeting
*1st draft going to Board of Selectmen
*Economic Development
*Mashpee River Dredging
Old Business
*Reports for committee members of the DCPC (objectives).
*Land Use and Growth Management
*Continuance of River Road proposal from Mr. Storrs
Motion: The Vice Chairman moved to adjourn the meeting and all voted unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Kimberly Hurd
Board Secretary
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