BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2003
The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen convened at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at 110 Main Street. In attendance were Richard E. Guertin, James R. Manning and Kathleen C. Norbut. Also present was the Town Administrator and the Media. Town Counsel was not present.
Mr. Guertin noted that due to his late arrival at the meeting of December 1, 2003, Mr. Manning acted as Chair, which allowed Mr. Guertin to make motions. With this noted, Ms. Norbut made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of December 1st and December 9th, 2003, open sessions. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Ms. Norbut said the Board of Selectmen would like to recognize and acknowledge the families of community members that are in active military at this time, as the holiday’s approach, and to extend their appreciation to the people in our community and the surrounding communities. They also ask any family members to please contact Bob Matheson, the Veterans Service Director, at 267-4140, in order to update Monson’s list of community members who are currently serving, so we may stay current. In addition, there is a gold star flag that is available to families with a family member that is serving in combat, which can be displayed in windows of their home. Mr. Guertin thanked all the residents of town who are members of the military and their families.
Ms. Neggers said the liquor license renewal forms for CJ’s Restaurant on Boston Road, in which Mi-Jen Enterprises, Inc hold the license, has not yet been received. An application was received for a new license at that location instead. Ms. Neggers explained under the Massachusetts General Law, you can’t apply for a license where there already is one. A call has been placed to the Attorney who dropped the forms off, but he is currently out of town. Hook, Line and Sinker, Inc., across the street, also have not returned their liquor license renewal forms. The renewal forms were hand delivered to the owner of the establishment. The only other liquor license renewal is one that was filed as a non-renewal originally and they have changed their mind. This is Monson Italian Pizzeria for their beer and wine
license. Town Counsel has asked the Board of Selectmen to request the Police Department to stop in CJ’s Restaurant and Hook, Line and Sinker to remind them that as of mid-night December 31st, they will no longer be allowed to serve alcohol. The same is true if licenses are not picked up in a timely fashion for the other establishments. Ms. Neggers will alert Chief McKenzie. Ms. Norbut made a motion to grant the license for beer and wine (alcoholic beverages), to Monson Italian Pizzeria. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
The next item on the agenda was to sign the Hillside lease for Robbins in the Nest Day Care. Ms. Neggers said this agreement has been reviewed and approved by Town Counsel. The applicant, Robbins in the Nest, Inc., has gone before the Board of Zoning Appeals and was issued a special permit for the use as prescribed by our zoning bylaws. The appeal period has expired and everything is in order. Ms. Norbut made a motion to enter into agreement as set forth between the Monson School System and Robbins in the Nest, Inc., effective January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004 with an option to renew from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED. The Board of Selectmen signed the lease.
Ms. Neggers said an application was received from Frank and John Armata. Armata Brothers Inc. has held the pledge on the liquor license for Hook, Line and Sinker, Inc. and they are seeking a change in the name from the Armata Brothers Inc to Frank and John Armata as individuals. This is part of their restructuring of their organization and is considered a formality. Ms. Norbut made a motion to approve the change of pledge of license for Hook, Line and Sinker, Inc. dba Captain’s Inn, Christopher T. Smith manager, from Armata Brothers Inc. to John and Frank Armata. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED. The Board of Selectmen signed this form.
A Public Hearing convened at 7:15 p.m. to discuss the Community Development Block Grant FY ’04 and proposal. Paul Bracciotti, Craig Jalbert, Carol Woodbury, Judy White, Ellen Leahy Pyle and Hope Bodwell approached the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Bracciotti said if Monson is successful in obtaining this
grant for this fiscal year, the town will have to sit it out for the following two years. Monson can however team up with another town or towns and apply strictly for housing rehabilitation funds. One threshold for an application to be accepted by the state for review is the preparation and approval by the Board of Selectmen of the Community Development strategy. The Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator have copies of this. Another threshold requirement, when submitted, will earn eight bonus points as housing certification. Any town that has more than $600,000.00 in unexpended funds is unable to apply. Mr. Bracciotti said Monson is eligible to apply as Monson uses its funds expeditiously. There are three existing Social Service projects within the Monson program. They are the Youth Enrichment Program, which is a
summer employment program for the low to moderate-income youth. The Teen Advisory Board at the library and the Childcare subsidies. The projects proposed have been discussed with the town departments as well as the Town Administrator and the Board of Selectmen.
The first project is the infrastructure project, and the town has had a series of these. Proposed for next year by Craig Jalbert of the Water/Sewer Commission, John Morrell of the Highway Department and Fire Chief Marshall Harris, is the replacement of a very badly deteriorated water line in Palmer Road (Route 32). This runs about 4,800 feet from Bunyan Road to Ray’s Mobile Home Park, where it will connect with a very sizeable project that the state is carrying out to improve infrastructure serving the Monson Developmental Center. A six-inch line now used, which is subject to frequent failure, will be replaced with a modern twelve-inch pipe. Sixty-one percent of the households are low to moderate income in this area. The estimated cost of this project is $500,000.00. Mr. Jalbert spoke further in favor of this
project stating it is very tough working in this area due to the traffic. Also, as it is a State Highway, the work done must be up to the Mass. Highway specs, which is very costly. This section of waterlines has the most service and water main brakes. This will also allow in the future, to have a cross connection with the Town of Palmer, which will be extremely beneficial, if the Town of Palmer ever wishes to do so as towns are always encouraged to have a back up water supply.
The Early Child Abuse Prevention Planning Project is being proposed as the Monson Family Violence Prevention Planning Project. Ellen Leahy Pyle, who works with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and is the Staff Support for the Child Abuse Prevention Planning Project, handed the Board of Selectmen the current draft of the proposed project. Ms. Pyle also summarized the project by stating the current Child Abuse Prevention Project wants to expand and enhance the scope of what it is doing. They will continue with the action plan that the Child Abuse Project has had and finish that up. Some of this could spill over into the fall of 2004, but is slated to end before this time. They will also reconstitute an advisory group as a Family Violence Prevention Task Force and continue with that planning. They are moving toward
being more associated with the school system and are meeting at the school each month. Ms. Norbut added they might want to link to the Community Relations Committee, the Police with the School Resource Officer and also the resources the Council on Aging have with the Social Services.
The Childcare Subsidies Program in Monson goes back over ten years. This program helps Home Day Care Center providers and Services, with training and licensing. They provide subsidies and place children in day care, which is more flexible. There are generally fourteen to sixteen children receiving subsidies. The proposal is to fund it with $44,000.00 direct project cost and $4,000.00 program delivery, covering support to the agencies, for a total of $48,000.00. The limit for Social Service projects, both direct costs and program delivery is 20% of the total grant. This comes out to be 19.7%.
The Teen Advisory Board is an activity at the library. Ms. Bodwell was here to answer questions or take comments about this program. Mr. Bracciotti said this proposal is to be funded with $20,000.00 direct cost and $2,000.00 program delivery costs. Ms. Bodwell said this program has been going on for a couple of years now. The focus of this program is to attract teens between the ages of 12 to 17 to the library to work with the Teen Coordinator, Library staff and other organizations in town; such as the School, Community Relations Committee and the Arts Council and to develop programs and workshops for their peers and their community. The program provides a foundation for the youth, which will foster a life long learning experience. This program will help the teens gain leadership skills, build self-esteem, team building,
learn to think creatively as well as gain knowledge and gain pride in their community and in the library. There
are fifteen teens on the Teen Advisory Board right now, plus everyone who comes to the events. This has been growing by word of mouth. Ms. Norbut said one goal that needs to be articulated is the reaching of some of the older teens in High School and not just the teens in the Middle School, and to balance the gender and have male and female.
The Youth Enrichment Program provides paid employment, largely in town departments, to 14 to 16 year olds from low to moderate-income families. Approximately 15 to 20 youths are employed though this program. The teens learn how to go though interviews and how to fill out resumes. Ms. Neggers added her endorsement for this program.
A new activity is the Respite Care Program and proposed to be funded with $40,000.00 in direct program costs and $4,000.00 in program delivery. This program services frail elders who have caregivers that could use some rest or who don’t have any caregivers. Ms. White spoke about this program stating they were able to service fifteen seniors this summer for a very short period of time. It ran with an end of the fiscal year grant from July to the end of September. What it uncovered was they found a multitude of seniors who need this service. At that time, there were fifty-one seniors who could have been serviced with the funding. The program they are looking at now would be basically based on the pilot program ran this past summer. They also found that most of the caregivers are also elderly and could use this program
for a little help by giving them a little brake. Ms. White said there is a great need for something like this. They have $40,000.00 direct program cost. With this they will be able to service possibly thirty-five to forty seniors for three or four hours per week. Most of this $40,000.00 will go to direct service for the seniors, as there is not a lot of salary. Ms. Neggers commended Ms. White and her staff for developing this program, for getting it to go with the limited funding they had and for identifying this need in the community. Ms. Neggers added it’s a great program and a great proposal and she hopes they get the funding for it.
Ms. Bodwell spoke about the books for the homebound. Ms. Bodwell said she feels she isn’t reaching all the people they could reach and would like to expand the program. Once a month they have eight women on a homebound delivery and she knows there are a lot more out there that could use this service. Ms. Bodwell would like to get together with Ms. White on expanding this program.
There was no one in the audience to speak in favor of or against this proposal. Ms. Norbut made a motion to close the Public Hearing on the Community Development Block Grant strategies and proposals at 8:10 p.m. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
The date for the Special Town meeting for the Zoning bylaw recodification and Lower Hampden Road easements was set for Tuesday, January 6, 2004. Ms. Neggers said the Planning Board held a series of meetings in December and have all their materials ready to go to a Town Meeting. The Town Moderator is only in town on January 26th. Lower Hampden Road’s necessary easements need to be in place no later than February. Mr. Manning made a motion to hold the Special Town Meeting on January 26, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in Granite Valley Middle School to address non-financial issues. Ms. Norbut seconded and it was so VOTED.
Ms. Neggers said in order for the board of Selectmen to vote to set the warrant for the Special Town Meeting, they can’t wait until their regularly scheduled meeting of January 13th. It was agreed to set a Special Meeting for January 6, 2004 and still hold the regularly scheduled meetings of January 13th and 27th.
Mr. Guertin said the main purpose of the recodification meeting on January 26th is to try to review all of the existing bylaws, look over the track record to see where there has been confusion in the past, where things appear to be vague and try to rewrite these to make them clear and to take anything that might be ambiguous out of it so they would not be subject to various modes of interpretation.
In other business to come before the Board of Selectmen, Ms. Norbut said she received a flyer from the
Police Department. They will be offering a R.A.D. program, which is a self-defense program for women. It is a comprehensive course that begins with awareness prevention, risk reduction and avoidance. It is free and will be held in February for five consecutive evenings at the Monson High School. The contact person for anyone interested is Officer Marciniec at 267-4128.
Mr. Guertin, on behalf of the Board of Selectmen, wished all the citizens of Monson happy, healthy and safe holiday season.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 8:25 p.m. Ms. Norbut made a motion to adjourn from open session to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining not to return to open session. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
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Kathleen C. Norbut, Clerk
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