BOARD OF SELECTMEN’S MEETING TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2014
In attendance: Kathleen M. Conlon, Denis F. Keohane, J. Thomas Hurley, Annemarie Fagan, Town Administrator and Paula Rizzi, Executive Secretary
1. Chairman Conlon convened the meeting at 6:30 p.m., in the Cronin Conference Room of the Town Hall.
2. Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously to approve the July 21, 2014 meeting minutes as written.
2. The Board confirmed August 19, 2014 as a future meeting date.
4. J. Thomas Hurley moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded, and the Board voted unanimously to approve the current payroll/vendor warrants.
5. Vivien Fleitman, Sheryl Fleitman and Beth Fleitman, 75 Crown Street, Aaron and Dee Hatcher, 102 Brook Road, addressed the Board regarding the persistent motorcycle noise in their neighborhoods.
Stephen Morash, 47 Standish Road, addressed the Board regarding the need for town employees to have identification when requesting entry to residents’ homes.
6. In conformity with the requirements of Section 22 of Chapter 166 of the M.G.L., the Board convened a public hearing upon request from NSTAR Electric to install conduit in Eliot Street and Brush Hill Road.
Because there was no representation from NSTAR present, approval of these requests was deferred to August 19, 2014 when the public hearing will be continued. No member of the public appeared at the hearing.
7. Building Commissioner Joseph Prondak met with the Board and reported that there was an increase in revenue (permit fees) of $100,000 in 2014 in Inspectional Services. The Board discussed the new Curry College dormitory project and how Inspectional Services deals with the problem of unregistered vehicles.
8. Library Trustee Kristine Hodlin and Library Director Will Adamczyk met with the Board regarding the Library Trustees’ decision to remove two trees from the Library grounds that are in failing condition. The trees in question are a copper beech that sits front and center of the parking lot and a sugar maple this is in the front yard to the right of the front door. The Trustees will remediate the loss by planting three new trees on Library grounds using input from the community for determining the type of trees and their placement.
9. The Board met with members of the Fire Space Needs Committee ( Fire Chief Jack Grant, Chair Stephen Morash, Thomas Kelly, Thomas Hess and Brian Tuohy) to discuss its planning progress for the renovation of fire buildings in our community. Discussion included the future role of the Fire Department and whether it would remain traditional or expand to become a fire based EMS which would expand its staffing to include EMT’s and paramedics. Mr. Morash informed the Board that the Committee has sent out a Request for Information (RFI) to eight companies who have expertise in building fire facilities and expects responses by August 15, 2014. A ball park figure of $50,000 to $75,000 was mentioned to do a feasibility study, the next step
in the process. Mr. Hess agreed with Ms. Conlon that input from residents is critical and should be built into the next step of the process. The Board discussed the process to acquire funding for the feasibility study and how to solicit input from residents for the benefit of the Committee. There are some emergency repairs to all three stations that need to be done right away.
10. The Board met with Richard Neely, the Chairman of the Town Government Study Committee. Mr. Neely updated the Board on a series of screening activities established by the Committee in an effort to increase revenue and productivity.
Mr. Neely reviewed the Committee’s deliberations on the following areas of town government:
- The composition of the Board of Selectmen and the pros and cons of increasing the number of members to five.
- Reinforcing Centralized Management/Increasing the authority/duties of the Town Administrator (would require legislation)
- Consolidation of DPW, Parks and Cemetery
- Investment Management
- Regionalization
- Warrant Committee size and responsibilities
- Strengthening the Audit Committee
- Reconstituting the IT Committee
- Reviewing the General Bylaws/appointing committee
- Creating a long range (3-5 years) financial plan
- Enterprise Funds
- Formalizing the Pilot Committee
- Building reserves
- Post-Employment benefits trust – OPEB
- Revising/condensing the annual town meeting warrant
Ms. Conlon asked Mr. Neely to look at the composition and the size of the Capital Improvement Planning Committee.
J. Thomas Hurley moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded and the Board voted unanimously to appoint Philip Mathews, 154 Reedsdale Road, to the Town Government Study Committee to serve through November 2014.
11. The Board met with Council on Aging Director Mary Ann Sullivan to discuss the 2015 Senior Tax Work Off Program. The program for 2015 will begin in January and all participants must complete their hours by November 1.
Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously to approve the Senior Tax Work Off Program for calendar year 2015.
12. The Board met with Public Works Director Joseph Lynch and the Town’s consultant Toby Fedder from Woodard and Curran to discuss the 2015 Water and Sewer Rate Analysis and Recommendation Report. After establishing that the Town intends to keep the four tier system, trying to match revenue to expenses and evaluating multi-dwelling use where water and sewer are metered through a single meter, the report presented three potential scenarios for the Board to consider.
After discussion, J. Thomas Hurley moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded and the Board voted unanimously to adopt a half adjustment method of calculating water rates for large multi-family buildings (more than five units).
After further discussion, J. Thomas Hurley moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded and the Board voted unanimously to implement an adjustment to the current water and sewer rates for 2015 that would result in a 0.3% increase across all water rate tiers and a 4.3% increase across all sewer rate tiers and would provide relief for multi dwelling units where water and sewer usage is metered through a single meter.
TIER |
RATE |
% INCREASE |
RATE |
% INCREASE |
Tier 1 |
5.20 |
0.3% |
6.11 |
4.3% |
Tier 2 |
6.29 |
0.3% |
11.53 |
4.3% |
Tier 3 |
6.93 |
0.3% |
12.70 |
4.3% |
Tier 4 |
7.36 |
0.3% |
13.55 |
4.3% |
13. Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously to approve the recommendation of the Public Works Director to appoint Aldo Binda, 15 Cypress Road, as a W3 Laborer in the Department of Public Works contingent upon approval by the Personnel Board.
J. Thomas Hurley moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded and the Board voted unanimously to approve the recommendation of the Public Works Director to appoint Carlos Villarreal, 17 Railroad Avenue, Norwood to the positon of W6 within the Department of Public Works and that said appointment become effective immediately contingent upon approval by the Personnel board, a favorable pre-employment physical exam and a successful background check.
14. The Board agreed to solicit input from the Warrant Committee and the School Committee before further discussing a time frame for the Firefighter medical expense override ballot question. The Board will revisit this item at its August 19, 2014 meeting.
15. Ms. Conlon reported that the special legislation that was filed by the Governor for the acquisition of the property adjacent to 0 Central Avenue (1,220 square feet of property adjoining 0 Central Avenue) and the sale of that property plus 0 Central Avenue to Carrick Realty Trust for a mixed-use development had been enacted and the Board had received one bid for the demolition of its property at 0 Central Avenue. Mr. Prondak reported that the Conservation Commission had met this evening to discuss the Town’s and Carrick’s requests for demolition permits and continued its discussion to its September 9 meeting so that more specifics on taking down the building could be provided. The Board will continue its discussion on this item at the
August 19, 2014 meeting.
16. Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously to accept a check in the amount of $56,573 from Curry College, which represents Curry’s voluntary PILOT payment for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2014.
Mr. Keohane will provide an update on the progress of the PILOT Committee at the Board’s September 2, 2014 meeting.
17. Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted (2-0-1) with Denis F. Keohane voting yes, J. Thomas Hurley voting yes and Kathleen M. Conlon abstaining, to accept a check in the amount of $1,000 from BID-Milton Hospital, to be used specifically for the Police DARE Summer Program.
18. Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously to approve the appointments of the following residents to the Commission on Disability to serve through July 2015: Ryan O’Connell, Leslie Collins, Daniel Sacco, Joseph Tierney, Diane DiTullio Agostino and Building Commissioner Joseph Prondak.
19. Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously to open the October 27, 2014 Special Town Meeting Warrant to add an additional article sponsored by the Board that would authorize the Board to acquire by eminent domain the 1,220 square foot parcel located at Central Avenue and Eliot Street and close the warrant.
20. The Board discussed its articles being submitted to the October Special Town Meeting:
- A capital items appropriation for a project that relates to the shut off from the Town of Canton water system (co-sponsored with the Capital Improvement Planning Committee), (Ms. Conlon recused herself from discussion on this article).
Denis F. Keohane moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously to approve the recommendation of the Capital Improvement Planning Committee.
- To accept the provisions of Chapter 44, Section 53F1/2 of the MGL to establish a separate account classified as a Sewer Enterprise Fund.
- To accept the provisions of Chapter 44, Section 53F1/2 of the MGL to establish a separate account classified as a Water Enterprise Fund.
- An appropriation for the purchase and planting of trees.
- To change the purpose of the landfill access road from municipal dump purposes to general municipal purposes.
- To amend the zoning bylaws regarding illumination of business district signage (co-sponsored with the Planning Board)
- To amend the zoning bylaws regarding signs in residence districts (co-sponsored with the Planning Board)
- To establish a master plan implementation committee (co-sponsored with the Planning Board)
- To establish a general purpose fund
j.) To authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire, abandon or relocate
easements on behalf of the Town.
k.) To authorize the Board to acquire property located adjacent to 0 Central Avenue and Eliot Street by gift or eminent domain.
J. Thomas Hurley moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded and the Board voted unanimously to co-sponsor with the Planning Board the following articles:
- To amend the zoning bylaws regarding illumination of business district signage
- To amend the zoning bylaws regarding signs in residence districts
- To establish a master plan implementation committee
21. The Town Administrator reported on an August 6 meeting with representatives from Historic New England, the new owners of the Eustis Estate and an August 7 meeting with consultants from Howard Stein Hudson on the development of the East Milton deck.
22. Ms. Conlon reported that the August 13 town landing site walk has been postponed due to inclement weather. The new date is August 26.
23. Mr. Hurley reported on a meeting with Representative Timilty and DCR Commissioner Murray regarding the Ulin Rink.
24. The Board addressed the Citizens Speak issue regarding motorcycle noise, agreeing to request help from the Police Department. The Board recognized the contributions Sheryl Fleitman has made on the issue of airplane noise in our community and addressed the reason that Ms. Fleitman was not appointed to the Airplane Noise Advisory Committee (i.e., she is party to a lawsuit against the FAA).
25. The Board agreed to place a five year financial plan discussion on a future agenda.
Kathleen M. Conlon moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded and the Board voted unanimously at 9:56 p.m. to recess and to convene a meeting of the trustees of the Governor Stoughton Fund
Ms. Conlon reconvened the Board of Selectmen’s meeting at 10:00 p.m.
Kathleen M. Conlon moved, J. Thomas Hurley seconded and the Board voted unanimously with Kathleen M. Conlon voting yes, Denis F. Keohane voting yes and J. Thomas Hurley voting yes at 10:01 p.m. to enter executive session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining strategy (Firefighters Union), to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property (0 Central Avenue) and to review executive session meeting minutes for release to the public, believing that having these conversations in open session would have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the body and to return to open session to adjourn.
26. J. Thomas Hurley moved, Denis F. Keohane seconded and the Board voted unanimously at 11:30 p.m. to adjourn.
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