MINUTES
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
April 25, 2006
Present at the meeting that was held at the Stow Town Building were Chairman Edward Perry and Selectmen John Clayton, Carole Makary, and Janet Wheeler.
Also present were Town Administrator William Wrigley and Administrative Assistant Susan McLaughlin.
Chairman Perry called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Town Administrator’s Report
Mr. Wrigley updated the Board on several legal issues.
· Cushing: Oral arguments are scheduled for later in the week. The Board has previously agreed to let Town Counsel file an appeal, should the judge not decide on the arguments from the bench that day.
· Egan: The parties could not agree to settle the MCAD case at a mediation session the previous week; next step is an MCAD public hearing or more mediation. On the union side, arbitration might occur in May. The union sets the date for this.
· Cingular Wireless: Filed suit regarding the Planning Board’s Gleasondale Road decision.
· Call firefighter statutory death benefits: The statute is effective July 1. The Town’s options to fund the benefits is being researched.
Letter on School Transportation Funding
The Board reviewed a draft letter to state lawmakers on increasing Ch. 70 funding and agreed the chairman would sign and send.
Update on Master Plan Committee
Ms. Wheeler said the committee wrote a draft of the plan and has divided up work on the topics. She distributed a Table of Contents. They expect to present the plan to the Planning Board for approval in late summer or early fall.
Town Building Landscape Plan Presentation
Stow Garden Club members Rose Colosi, Betty Cormier, and Daisy Dearborn and two landscape designers presented their plan for the beautification of the Town Building. The improvements will focus on the front and side of the building, addressing the water runoff problem, with a design for easy maintenance. Color will be continuous through the seasons, with drought- and salt-tolerant plants. The work will be staged, beginning with the building front. Ms. Cormier is seeing if Minuteman Vocational students of Horticulture can implement the plan. The Garden Club is funding the project; there is no cost to the Town.
School Building Task Force
Ellen Sturgis updated the Board on the newly appointed School Building Task Force. The group is meeting weekly, with three meetings since March. The task force meets regularly on Mondays at 8:00 p.m.
Ms. Sturgis is chair; Gary Bernklow is treasurer. The group has two facilitators: Rob Kaufman and Rick Lent. Ernie Dodd and Jim Sauta are liaisons from the Planning Board and Council on Aging, respectively.
There are three working groups: Needs Assessment, Old Research, and New Research. There is no timeline yet.
The facilitators have established a ground rule that everyone has a chance to express their views.
The frequency of status reports to the Board of Selectmen was agreed to be once a month and/or as needed.
Town Administrator’s Review
Mr. Perry introduced the process of the Town Administrator’s performance review, as described in the Town Bylaws. Each selectmen evaluated Mr. Wrigley on a four-point scale in seven categories, for a total of 35 evaluations. Mr. Wrigley’s overall performance rating was 3.3.
Final Review of Selectmen’s FY06 goals
Working from the FY 2006 goal list, the following points were noted:
· General Bylaw Review: Mr. Clayton said the committee is close to finished and still open to input.
· Assabet River Rail Trail: Mr. Perry said the Town has acquired one easement option and another is possible for the next Board.
· Marlboro Road: Ms. Makary said there are the following open issues: work to be completed at the Gleasondale Road traffic island and review of the traffic island on the Hudson end.
· Tri-Town: Ms. Makary said it is working well.
· Perambulation: Mr. Perry said that all Town bounds had been completed and he will provide a report to file with our abutting towns.
Open Meeting Law and the Use of E-mail
Mr. Perry read a letter to the Board from Assistant District Attorney Heather Hall, the message of which was that the Board of Selectmen should limit its use of e-mail to administrative functions to avoid violation of the Open Meeting Law.
Approval of Minutes: Executive Sessions
December 12, 2005 Executive Session: Mr. Clayton moved, to accept the minutes, as written, and release them to the public record, Ms. Wheeler seconded, and all voted in favor.
November 22, 2005 Executive Session: Ms. Makary moved to accept the minutes, as written; Ms. Wheeler seconded, and all voted in favor. The minutes were not approved for release to the public record at this time.
March 28, 2006: Ms. Makary moved to accept the minutes as written, Ms. Wheeler seconded, and all voted in favor. Mr. Clayton, not having attended, abstained. The minutes were not approved for release to the public record at this time.
April 11, 2006: Mr. Clayton moved to accept the minutes as amended, Ms. Wheeler seconded, and all voted in favor. Ms. Makary, not having attended, abstained. The minutes were not approved for release to the public record at this time.
Executive Session Cancelled
An executive session, scheduled if needed to discuss approval of draft Executive Session minutes, per MGL C.39, s23b, was unnecessary.
Mr. Perry’s Retirement Comments
Chairman Perry made a brief statement on the conclusion of his nine years of the Board of Selectmen. He thanked Mr. Clayton for his guidance, coaching, and leadership; the professional staff members who helped him serve; and the voters who, for three elections, gave him the opportunity to serve the Town. He encouraged more people to become involved with the numerous committees to help shape Stow’s future.
Approval of Minutes: Open Sessions
March 14, 2006: Ms. Wheeler moved to accept the minutes as amended, Ms. Makary seconded, and all voted in favor.
March 28, 2006: Ms. Makary moved to accept the minutes as amended, Ms. Wheeler seconded, and all voted in favor. Ms. Clayton, not having attended, abstained.
April 11, 2006: Mr. Clayton moved to accept the minutes as written, Ms. Wheeler seconded, and all voted in favor. Ms. Makary, not having attended, abstained,
At 8:25 p.m., Ms. Makary moved to adjourn, Ms. Wheeler seconded, and all voted in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan McLaughlin
Administrative Assistant
Board of Selectmen
Approved as amended, May 23, 2006
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