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Rutland Development and Industrial Commission
Meeting Minutes –4/6/2017 (amended)
Community Hall Annex
Meeting opened at 6:32AM. Attending: Mike Sullivan, Doug Briggs, Michele Van Reet
Guest: Dick Williams, Mike DiBara, Ken Dubovick, Chris Senecal
- Review and approve past minutes.
- Minutes for 1/5/2017, 3/7/2017, and 3/20/2017 meetings not reviewed due to lack of quorum.
- 1/12/2017 minutes were reviewed. A motion was made (Briggs) and seconded (Van Reet) to accept the minutes. Unanimously approved.
- 3/28/2017 minutes were reviewed. A motion was made (Sullivan) and seconded (Briggs) to accept the minutes. Unanimously approved.
- Selectman roundtable discussion
- Mr. Senecal, Mr. DiBara, and Mr. Dubovick want to support RDIC at town meeting to get the funding that is needed to help with the park development. They believe that the park will offer the town a social benefit and will draw businesses to the property.
Sullivan noted that his take-away from the meeting was that the Select Board members were concerned that the park was taking “prime” property, although there is no quantifiable proof of the actual value of the land.
Briggs noted that there are 3 articles on the warrant:
- Legal fees from Cranston
- A budget article for the RDIC to cover costs
- Petition from the Friends of Rutland Fields, looking for $50,000 to be placed in the RDIC account. Briggs met with the Friends of Rutland Fields group and explained that the RDIC needs the money, not the park because the article about the park is too specific. The RDIC needs the money to do its part to help the Friends group get the park built, regardless from where on the property it will be placed. They are selling a plan for a park, but we need money to support that plan.
- Briggs was contacted by Ralph Takala, who owns property on Kenwood Road, asking about plans for the Rutland Heights property. He is concerned about what will be developed at the Heights and how his property may fit into plans for a park.
- Briggs also believes that the Town of Rutland needs a town-wide master plan to get grant funding, which will cost about $100,000. He is concerned that the Friends group will not be able to get grant funds due to the town’s master plan not being up to date. Briggs spoke to a member of the planning board and updating the master plan is not on their agenda at this point.
- Sullivan is concerned that the Select Board is stepping way over their responsibility bounds as to what we do with Rutland Heights. He believes it’s our responsibility to do it, not theirs. It’s not their responsibility to determine where on the property the park should be placed. Van Reet disagreed with this idea, stating that it does matter where we put the park and which parcels are developable. Sullivan agrees that it matters; but it’s the RDIC’s responsibility, not the Select Board’s responsibility.
- Town meeting article(s) discussion
- The articles will be included on the warrant
- There was a snafu with the original posting. It was reposted an bids will be opened on April 20, 2017 @ 2PM at the DPW offices.
- Van Reet asked Sullivan about the decision to not reschedule the walk-through with the DCR representative that was cancelled due to the snow due to the. Briggs noted that the walk-through meeting was not cancelled; but no one showed up. Van Reet argued that the meeting was irrelevant without the DCR representative in attendance. Van Reet questioned why, at the next meeting that Van Reet did not attend, the RDIC decided to go through with the tree cutting as planned anyway. This violated the spirit of what we discussed at the prior meeting. Sullivan thought we voted that we weren’t going to have another walk-through, Briggs confirmed that they did. Van Reet noted that in one meeting we voted we were going to have the walk-through and then in the next meeting they voted to
go ahead with the tree cutting. Sullivan said that we scheduled the meeting (at the time of the walk through), no one showed up at it, and the committee voted to not reschedule. Van Reet asked who was at this meeting because she hasn’t seen minutes from that meeting. Sullivan asked which meeting – Van Reet said the meeting on the snow day that the DCR representative could not attend. Sullivan recalled that he, Kurt Leslie, and Tom Ruchala attended the meeting; which did not have a quorum. Confirming that there was no quorum and no meeting at that scheduled time; Van Reet asked who decided, and when, not to reschedule the walk through. Sullivan stated that he could not recreate it. Briggs said it happened at the next meeting when they talked about the fact that no one showed up, so they questioned whether they would reschedule it, and decided not to reschedule it for one person. Van Reet noted that she did not recall that decision
being made at that meeting. Briggs stated that it happened at the meeting that Van Reet missed, when O’Clair took the notes. Van Reet noted that the meeting that O’Clair took notes was after the meeting that it was agreed that we would hold the walk through. If there was no quorum at the walk through, then when was the decision made? Sullivan does not know. Briggs stated that he didn’t think it was contingent on the walk through. Sullivan agreed that we didn’t agree to make it contingent on the walk through. Van Reet noted that she felt that the extent of the cutting was too much and wanted to limit the cutting in the back corner where the bike trails are located. Sullivan was upset that the bike trails are still a concern because they were told from the outset that we would be cutting trees and the trails may get disturbed.
- 61A - Redfield
- Addison Redfield is taking land out of 61A. A motion was made (Sullivan) and seconded (Van Reet) to decline the right of first refusal on behalf of RDIC. Unanimously approved.
- Sullivan noted that we have signed plans for the roadway and he will have Attorney Cranston file them at the registry. Van Reet asked if we needed to have Attorney Cranston do it for us or if we could do it ourselves. Briggs noted that anyone can file them, but Sullivan and Briggs stated that they didn’t have time to do it. Van Reet offered to file them. Sullivan noted that we want 6 copies of the stamped plans, preferably 1 copy from the registry and others at Staples or another place.
- Mr. Williams noted that holes in the perimeter fence at Rutland Heights and it would be nice if they were fixed.
- Next meeting: TBD
- Van Reet motioned to adjourn. Briggs seconded. Unanimously adjourned at 7:40AM.
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