BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2006
Open session convened at 6:00 p.m. in the conference room at 110 Main Street. In attendance were Richard E. Guertin and Edward S. Harrison. Kathleen C. Norbut was not present. Also in attendance was the Town Administrator. Mr. Harrison made a motion to go to executive session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining (AFSCME). Mr. Guertin seconded and it was voted unanimously. The Board returned to open session at 7:00 p.m. The media was present at this time.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:
Mr. Harrison made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of June 27, 2006 – open session. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.
Change of Manager – Polish American Citizens Club:
Stanley Klisiewicz approached the Board of Selectmen regarding a change in the manager’s position at the Polish American Citizens Club from Gahart Huff to himself. Mr. Klisiewicz has held the position of manager previously with the most recently being from 1999 to 2002. Mr. Klisiewicz stated nothing has changed since that time.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to approve the change of manager at the Polish American Citizens Club at 7 Bliss Street to Stanley Klisiewicz. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.
Discussion – Lower Hampden Road Construction Projects:
John Morrell approached the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Neggers said last Wednesday a copy of the revised Transportation Improvement Program Plan was received in the mail to open the 30-day public review period, from the Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Both, Mr. Morrell and Ms. Neggers, placed telephone calls to the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission speaking with the transportation staff of the MPO upon reviewing the revised plan. Mr. Morrell gave a summary of the impact of the changes stating the MPO want to bump the Lower Hampden Road project off at least another year and limit the amount of funds available for the project down to $7 million. In the letter there is an estimated cost of $9.3 million. Mr. Morrell said the MPO Committee members are unfamiliar with what they are voting on as none of
the members have attended any of the monthly Joint Transportation Committee meetings where discussions take place regarding all of the projects on the list.
Another consultant was hired to work with Mass. Highway on the Lower Hampden Road project to help reduce the cost in order to move forward, as the costs were escalating. The consultant has the cost down to $8.6 million. Mr. Morrell said this figure can be significantly lowered if the town can get a waiver on the bike path accessibilities allowing the paved shoulders to be narrowed up a little bit so a 30 foot wide roadway wouldn’t be required, etc., without jeopardizing safety and regular commuting traffic.
Mr. Morrell said Monson had the word from Mass. Highway and everyone else involved, they would fund this project if it were designed. At each stage of the project, Monson was told to spend the money needed to move onto the next stage, as they continued to assure the town they were going to fund the Lower Hampden Road project. The town spent $735,000.00 out of its Chapter 90 money to get the project prepared. Mr. Morrell explained Lower Hampden Road is a major rural connector connecting two towns, and this allows the Lower Hampden Road project to qualify for these funds. Mr. Morrell explained the original application was started on December 15, 1994 when Monson applied to Mass. Highway to consider this as a project. On August 22, 1996 Monson justified the project and everyone was content with the justification. Mr. Morrell
said the letter just received states the Lower Hampden Road project isn’t justified enough stating there isn’t enough traffic and the whole region won’t benefit. Mr. Morrell explained further to say the reduction in traffic is due to the extremely poor road conditions and that no one wants to travel over the road, so they are going way out of their way to avoid Lower Hampden Road thus allowing for the reduction in traffic. In September of 1996, Mass. Highway and the review committee approved the project and said to move forward with the 25% design plan, so this was done. Mr. Morrell said the 25% design plan took most of the money. After that, a public hearing was held as required. Back in 1995 the Lower Hampden Road project was estimated at $3,260,000.00. In July of 1998, Mass. Highway held a public hearing at the Monson Jr./Sr. High School regarding this project as a Roadway and Safety Improvement Project. On March 19, 2003, a letter of 100% submission was
submitted from the town to Mass. Highway and the town received the final right of way certification. All the easements and everything else required were completed on the four miles of roadway on June 2, 2004 making the project ready to go. Now the MPO want to place the Lower Hampden Road project, a safety issue, on hold longer to allow for PVTA bus replacement and to extend Look Park. Mr. Morrell also said a $6 million project on Front Street in Chicopee is planned that no one knows what it is about which had been scheduled for 2009.
Mr. Morrell explained some of the improvements the town would like to make regarding the Lower Hampden Road project beginning with the substandard lane widths, the town wants to extend the sidewalks another 1,200 feet to an existing sidewalk making it a total of 1,800 feet in a residential area. The town is also planning to allow a tunnel under the roadway for a cattle crossing at the Murphy Farm so traffic won’t have to stop anymore for cattle crossing the road. The intersection at Ely Road and Lower Hampden Road will be turned into a “T” making it safer instead of the current “Y”. The hairpin corner by May Hill Road will be repaired. The intersection at Butler Road will also be improved to a “T”. Mr. Morrell said Lower Hampden Road is a main artery with posted speeds of 15 to 25
mph on several portions due to dangerous sections. Mr. Morrell also explained the project includes significant guardrail improvements where the road has 50, 80 and 100 foot drop offs in certain places.
Mr. Morrell said if Monson goes after getting this decision overturned, the town would stand a 50/50 chance by providing the MPO with information they didn’t have and by presenting hard strong facts.
Ms. Neggers said currently the MPO is proposing changes in structure and make-up in how the members are elected. Normally there is the Secretary of Executive Office of Transportation sitting on the MPO Committee, the Commissioner from Mass. Highway Department, the Chairman from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, the Chairman of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, and the Mayor of Holyoke, Chicopee or Springfield, sitting on this committee. All the members are appointed. Ms. Neggers said public comments have to be submitted in writing to the MPO c/o Pioneer Valley Planning Commission at 26 Central Street, West Springfield 01089. This can be letters of support from concerned department heads or letters of concern from residents. The more letters submitted the better the chance of getting this ruling overturned.
Letters could also be sent to the Selectmen’s Office for the office to forward. Ms. Neggers said the town has until July 30th to submit written comments, and then on August 1st at 10:00 a.m. in West Springfield, the MPO will hold a public meeting. Ms. Neggers encourages everyone to submit written comments and to attend the meeting as Lower Hampden Road is a very unsafe and dangerous road.
Mr. Morrell said Monson did everything that was asked. He met with every resident on the road walking the roadway with them in front of their houses, did 113 easements, land taking, drainage easements, rights of entry, etc. Mr. Morrell added he is going to attend a Joint Transportation meeting tomorrow with the Joint Transportation representative from the towns of Palmer and Brimfield who are upset too as they have projects getting bumped as well.
Ms. Neggers and Mr. Morrell are coordinating the effort to get the Lower Hampden Road project back on track, trying to get the word out and to be as vocalized as possible. Mr. Morrell said one big thing about the ISTEA that the Federal engineers in Boston wanted to see was public safety.
Ms. Neggers said both, Senator Brewer and Representative Mary Rogeness, have been contacted and are aware of the situation. Mr. Morrell said the Lower Hampden Road project will take at least two full construction seasons to complete.
Mr. Guertin added it is hard to believe there is a road on the MPO list that is worse then Lower Hampden Road.
Mr. Morrell said he would keep the Selectmen up-dated.
Appoint Part-time Police Officer:
Chief Kozloski and Christopher Pandolfi approached the Board of Selectmen. Chief Kozloski explained Mr. Pandolfi is currently an auxiliary officer who has recently completed the training process and is now being recommended as a Special part-time Police Officer. Chief Kozloski also recommended the reappointment of Ethan Hillman as a Special part-time Police Officer.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to appoint Christopher Pandolfi and reappoint Ethan Hillman as Special part-time Police Officers effective immediately through June 30, 2007. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.
Denise Morgan – Town-Wide Tag Sale Request:
Denise Morgan approached the Board of Selectmen regarding the 7th Annual Town Wide Tag Sale to be held on Saturday September 2nd (Labor Day weekend). Ms. Morgan explained the Town Wide Tag Sale as being one day when the town’s residents can get together and have a huge tag sale. Maps are printed with stars showing the locations of tag sales. Maps are sold at the gazebo in Dave Grieve Park for a $2.00 donation on the day of the tag sale. The tag sales are held rain or shine. Last year approximately 500 maps were sold. The money brought in through the sale of the maps, and the sale of the stars placed on the maps, go to the Monson Tourism Association to help beautify Monson. This will be the same routine as in previous years with reserving the gazebo for the day, having no parking for the entire
day on Main Street in front of the gazebo as a safety issue, inviting Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other non-profit organizations to hold bake sales and can & bottle drives at the gazebo and car washes in the parking lot by the Police Department (these requests must be submitted to the town separately by the organizations). Ms. Morgan would like to hang up signs two to three weeks ahead of time at all the entrances and exits into and out of town and hang a banner over Main Street from August 11th to September 2nd. Ms. Morgan said her telephone number will be listed on all the posters and in the newspaper advertising the event, for more information. The hours are 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Mr. Harrison made a motion to approve the Town-Wide Tag Sale for the Monson Tourism Association Committee and the use of the gazebo at Dave Grieve Park from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 2nd and to make arrangements with the Police Department for no parking on Main Street during that time so people may purchase maps and so on; and to allow the banner to be displayed from August 11th to September 2nd over Main Street. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.
Ms. Morgan said she will provide a safety sheet listing all the registered tag sales to the Fire and Police Departments so they will know just where there might be heavier then normal traffic and cars parked on the roadways.
New Business to Come Before the Board of Selectmen:
Mr. Guertin said he received an e-mail today from a citizen in Monson asking about the school bus radios, which were voted on by the Monson School Committee. Mr. Guertin explained all he knew about this is what he has read in the newspapers and his understanding is this is a service the School Committee approved whereby radios will be playing within the school buses. He is being told they will be playing select music and possibly advertising. This citizen was concerned by this and wondered if the Selectmen were aware of it and wondered also how she could move forward on this. Mr. Guertin said he suggested she perhaps attend a School Committee meeting and ask questions about this and possibly even ask to meet with the Superintendent of the Schools. Mr. Guertin said he sent a copy of his e-mail to the other two Selectpeople
and Ms. Norbut responded she was aware of it and was going to speak with the Superintendent of the Schools herself.
Mr. Guertin explained the members of the School Committee are elected by the citizens of Monson and therefore the Board of Selectmen have no real tangible authority relative to the School Committee. The Board of Selectmen try to work in conjunction with the School Committee, but this is not an issue that was presented to the Board of Selectmen prior to the School Committee voting on the approval.
Mr. Harrison said he also doesn’t know anything about this, but added it has certainly raised a lot of questions, one of which is subjecting students to advertising on the school bus.
Ms. Neggers said more information can be found regarding bus radios on the internet at www.busradio.org and also at www.busradio.com where samples can be played.
Mr. Guertin wondered if the motivation was to help keep the students calm or if it was to try to generate revenue to help pay for the transportation. Ms. Neggers said her understanding is they were given no revenue estimate. Mr. Harrison added that raises a red flag in his mind because if there is revenue coming in because they are installing radios, what is their take on it? Ms. Neggers said part of the debate is whether or not the busses currently have commercial radios broadcasting in them or not. If they do, then the students are already being subjected to commercials.
Mr. Guertin said the citizen he spoke with was concerned also about any possible liability associated with this.
Correspondence was read and completed.
At 8:00 p.m., Mr. Harrison made a motion to adjourn from open session to return to executive session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining (IBPO) not to return to open session. Mr. Guertin seconded and it was so VOTED.
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Kathleen C. Norbut, Clerk
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