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BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2003
Due to the observance of Veterans Day on Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen held their meeting on Monday. Open session convened at 6:00 p.m. Ms. Norbut made a motion to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining. Mr. Manning seconded and it was voted unanimously. In attendance were Richard E. Guertin, James R. Manning and Kathleen C. Norbut. Also present was the Town Administrator. The Board returned to open session at 7:00 p.m. The media was present at this time.
Mr. Guertin noted two changes in the Open session meeting minutes for October 28, 2003. One was on page one at the bottom of the page. It should have stated the floor contractor has taken remedial action that may work. The second change was on the last page where the word signed was misspelled. Ms. Norbut noted she also had a few spelling error changes. Ms. Norbut made a motion to accept the Open session meeting minutes of October 28, 2003 as amended. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
A hearing commenced at 7:05 p.m. for pole petition #7900 – Old Stagecoach Drive – for the installation of one new pole. Ms. Norbut read the petition into the record. There was no public comment or input. The Water/Sewer and Highway Departments expressed no objection to the pole location. Ms. Norbut made a motion to accept pole petition #7900 as presented. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Chief McKenzie, Officer James Boucher and Officer Nicholas Gasperini approached the Board of Selectmen regarding Monson Police Department Lifesaving Awards being issued to Officer Boucher and Officer Gasperini who used the town’s new automatic defibrillator to save the life of a seventy-seven year old resident on October 9th. Chief McKenzie read his letter to the Board of Selectmen into the record. Mr. Guertin presented each Officer with their award. Chief McKenzie thanked dispatcher Jeremy Bedson and the EMT’s for their work on the call as well. Ms. Norbut thanked Phyllis Klick who was in the audience, along with her group who raised the funds to purchase the defibrillators to go into the patrol cruisers. Chief McKenzie also thanked Mr. Piwcio who every 90 days gives the police officers
re-certification at the Fire Station on the defibrillators. Mr. Guertin thanked everyone who had a hand in saving this life, from the people who gave donations to the EMT’s, dispatcher and Police Officers.
Holiday Lighting Committee members Andy Piwcio and Carolyn Bedard approached the Board of Selectmen along with Bob Richardson of the Railroad, for a discussion regarding the holiday lights for the town followed by a discussion of the Santa Train. Raymond Beaudoin, who is the electrician for the Christmas lights, was unable to attend this meeting. Mr. Piwcio said after 24 years, this would be the last year that he, Carolyn Bedard who has been doing this for 20 years and Raymond Beaudoin would be putting the Christmas lights up as they are retiring from doing this. Mr. Beaudion has someone in mind to replace him and emergency dispatcher and firefighter Jeremy Bedson will be taking over with the holiday lights. Mr. Piwcio said he would be around next year if Mr. Bedson needed a hand or had any questions. Mr. Piwcio
said this year; the holiday lights were extended from the top of Academy Hill down to Mustang Sally’s. Mass. Electric has requested after this year, that no more garland be put up across Main Street due to safety reasons. The side decorations, consisting of the lanterns and snowflakes will continue. Mr. Guertin questioned if the garland could be used on the sides of the street instead of across the street. Mr. Piwcio stated no. The garland gets heavy and it is a safety issue for the electrical workers who might have to work on the poles. Mr. Piwcio questioned what to do with the garland as new garland was purchased last year after Christmas at a two for one sale. Mr. Piwcio said one possibility would be the two poles owned by the town in front of the Senior Center and suggested garland could be strung across the street there. Another suggestion would be maybe the Town Hall or Office Building could use some of the garland or some of the merchants in town, rather than
just letting it sit there. Mr. Guertin thanked Mr. Piwcio and Ms. Bedard and the Selectmen said they appreciated the work the group has done. Ms. Bedard said someone would need to take over the task of decorating the gazebo in Dave Grieve Park and with the hot chocolate brigade. The Christmas lights will be turned on at approximately 5:00 P.M. on November 29th with hot chocolate being served, as usual, at the Fire station afterwards. Mr. Piwcio wanted to recognize Randy Ketterman of Ketterman Tree Farms, who for years, donates the trees which sit in the center of the gazebo. Mr. Ketterman also prunes the tree on the common by the library and the tree in front of Memorial Hall each summer. The Board of Selectmen thanked Mr. Piwcio and Ms. Bedard for everything they have done in the 24 years and 20 years they have been doing it. Ms. Norbut added their work has been appreciated and will be missed. Ms. Norbut further added that they have set the example for others to
follow and already have Mr. Bedson who has agreed to take over with the decorating. Ms. Norbut also said there is a fabulous Tourism Committee or maybe a Scouts group that already have an interest in this type of activity that could maybe help carry on as well.
Mr. Piwcio said Mr. Richardson was here to discuss the Santa Train. Mr. Richardson said he would like to tentatively run the Santa Train on December 20th, but it could be December 13th. Last year, it didn’t work out to have the Santa Train, but two years ago the train ran from the Palmer yard office on Depot Street to Washington Street in Monson and back, every half hour. He would like to do this again this year. Mr. Richardson said the only way it could be done was if the Town of Monson put up an insurance policy. Ms. Neggers said the Selectmen’s Office made a call today and this is the same type of insurance that is provided for Massachusetts Electric in order for the town to put up the Christmas lights on the poles. The maximum cost to the town, which would be afforded out of the
budget, would be $250.00 maximum. Mr. Richardson said the plans for the Santa Train would now have to be submitted to the Corporate Office for approval. Ms. Norbut made a motion the Board of Selectmen approve of the Santa Train in Monson at a date to be decided and to provide the insurance necessary. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
Jim Gray, a Representative from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission approached the Board of Selectmen for a discussion regarding the South Main Street School EPA grant and future use. Mr. Gray handed the Selectmen a timetable for the project and stated the estimated cost of the cleanup is $350,000.00. The downside is the cost of the cleanup is greater than the funds available under the EPA grant program to pay for that cleanup. To fund the cost, the town would apply for $200,000.00 under EPA’s FY ’04 Brownfields Cleanup Program. Using funds available under Pioneer Valley Regional Brownsfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund, the shortfall will be covered via a loan to the town of up to $150,000.00 if the cleanup application is funded. Once the property has been cleaned up, PVPC plan to assist the town with the
conversion of the site to affordable housing. Affordable housing in this instance means condominium units. Susan Rutherford approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Rutherford said she had a draft letter for the commitment and handed a copy to the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Rutherford added this site can be cleaned up so there can be multi-family housing there, but there will be activity and use limitations on the property. It will never be appropriate for single-family housing. There are other possible uses of this building, but right now affordable housing is the highest ranking in terms of feasibility. The building will be eligible for registration on the National Register of Historic Places and every effort will be made to preserve the Historic Tax Credits made available through the rehabilitation of the property. In addition to these credits, a fifty cent credit per dollar would be available at the state level and a dollar for dollar credit would be available at the federal level
for every dollar of cost relating to the actual cleanup. Depending on the type of housing developed, an additional investment tax credit could be available. This clean up project would be completed by November 2005 and would then be turned over to a developer. The Selectmen agreed to review the letter and make a motion that could be read into the record on November 25th.
Jim Mazik and Paul Bracciotti approached the Board of Selectmen for a discussion regarding the CDBG strategy. Mr. Bracciotti said the projects to be implemented by Monson that were discussed at the last meeting, came out of discussions he has had here in town. Ms. Neggers added there have been many discussions with Mr. Bracciotti and Department Heads, Committees, etc., and many successful projects have been brought forward in the past because of these discussions. Mr. Mazik suggested setting up a Board or Committee to handle all of this and then bring the information to the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Mazik explained the program being presented to the Board of Selectmen and added the total cost of administering the grant is 16.25%, which is well below the 23%, which is the old limit of five years ago, on the proposal.
This now expands 18 months versus the 14 months it use to be. Ms. Neggers stated the bureaucracy of this particular program, the CDBG, is a phenomenal process, even by government standards. It is detailed, time consuming and changes all the time. Mr. Mazik said December 9th would actually be a better date for him to come back before the Board of Selectmen and to hold the public meeting at this time as well where the public could come in to give their input. Ms. Norbut read into the record the programs giving an explanation and the cost.
The next item on the agenda was to announce the winter parking ban. Ms. Norbut made a motion the Board of Selectmen institute the winter parking ban. There will be no parking on the streets from the hours of 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. starting with the first snowfall or December 1, 2003 through March 31, 2004. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED. (Mr. Manning had left the room momentarily).
Ms. Norbut made a motion the Board of Selectmen establish a special permit for Sunday openings for Main Street Liquors, located at 21 Main Street. DeMaio Discount Package Store, Inc., located at 145 Palmer Road and for Monson Markets, Inc. d/b/a Adams Discount Liquors, located at 115 Main Street, with the required conditions Ms. Norbut read into the record. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED. Mr. Guertin asked if there was anyone in the audience to speak for or against the Sunday openings. There was no one.
Ms. Norbut made a motion to approve and sign the documents for the Town of Monson School Bond dated November 1, 2003. Mr. Manning seconded and it was so VOTED.
In other business to come before the Board of Selectmen, Ms. Norbut said the Monson Memorial Classic Road Race was held yesterday, November 9th. Ms. Norbut said it was a wonderfully administered race and thanked the Officer Fred Warman, Officer Darrel Buley, Auxiliary Officer Jeremy Bedson and Chief McKenzie and everyone who made it happen.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 9:15 p.m., Ms. Norbut made a motion to adjourn the meeting 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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