MINUTES
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Open Session
August 14, 2007
Present at the meeting that was held at the Town Building were Chairman Stephen Dungan and Selectmen Jason Robart, Thomas Ruggiero, and Ellen Sturgis.
Kathleen Farrell was absent.
Also present were Town Administrator William Wrigley and Administrative Assistant Susan McLaughlin.
Chairman Dungan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Public Input
None.
Chairman’s Comments
None.
Appointment of Council on Aging Director
The Board met with Alyson Toole, the Council on Aging’s recommended hire for the Director’s position. Ms. Toole noted the director’s important role in providing education and resources for our elders on topics such as Medicare/Medicaid regulations and prescription drug coverage. She said she was born in Stow, moved to Boston for 20 years, and has now returned and would like to “give back” to the town.
Ms. Sturgis moved to appoint Alyson Toole as the director of the Council on Aging; Mr. Ruggiero seconded, and all voted in favor.
Town Administrator’s Report
Mr. Wrigley reported the following:
· Lower Village water –Meeting this month with Linear Retail on their participation.
· Recreation land – negotiating with federal and state agencies on possible land swap.
· Public emergency notification system – contract executed with SwiftReach with training this month.
Meeting Minutes
July 24, 2007: Mr. Robart moved to approve the July 24 minutes, as amended; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor.
Public Hearing and Decision on Bose Corp. Request for Propane Storage License
At 7:15 p.m., Mr. Dungan opened the Bose public hearing, reading the legal notice and abutters’ list and receiving the certified mail receipts. No abutters were present.
Marc Ganek from Bose Corp and Jennifer Howe from Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates explained the project – the propane will be used to heat a facility for wastewater treatment – and answered questions. Mr. Dungan read the Fire Chief’s 7/13/07 memo recommending that the Selectmen approve the storage license.
There being no more questions from the Board or audience, Mr. Dungan closed the hearing at 7:20 p.m.
Mr. Robart moved to approve the permit request for Bose to install a second 2,000-gallon tank for propane storage; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor. Mr. Dungan signed the license on behalf of the Board.
Standard Operating Procedure for Selectmen’s Correspondence
Mr. Robart reviewed a proposed policy for Selectmen’s Office correspondence that he and Mr. Wrigley wrote. Its purpose is to proactively distribute correspondence related to the agenda. Mr. Wrigley said the policy is a good balance for the process.
Ms. Sturgis moved to approve the SOP dated 8/12/07; Mr. Ruggiero seconded; and all voted in favor.
Appointment of Finance Representative to Master Plan
The Finance Committee reappointed Mr. Kern as Finance’s representative to the Master Plan Committee and requested the Selectmen to make the appointment.
Mr. Robart moved to reappoint Charles Kern to the Master Plan Committee; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor.
Red Acre Road Speed Zones
Mr. Ruggiero explained the request by a Red Acre Road resident to change the speed limit on a section of Red Acre Road and the recommendations by the Superintendent of Streets and Public Safety Officer.
Mr. Ruggiero agreed with Mr. Clayton and Sgt. Lima that changing the limit (which involves traffic studies and other state requirements) would not necessarily solve the problem and that stronger traffic enforcement is a better solution. It was also noted that the problem is not unique to Red Acre Road.
It was agreed that the speed limit would be more strongly enforced and the resident would be notified of the Board’s decision.
Agricultural Commission on Snow Property Use
Dwight Sipler, chair of the Agricultural Commission, visited the Board to present the Commission’s position on the future use of the Snow property. He reviewed the past and present use of the land and noted the state’s expressed interest in purchasing an Agricultural Preservation Restriction on the land.
He referred the Board to Executive Order 193, by former Gov Ed King, which regulates state funding for agricultural land and to the current version of the town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan, where the protection of agricultural lands is the Number 1 objective of nine.
The question was raised as to whether the field could be split in half for use by both agriculture and recreation or affordable housing. Resident Steve Mong, who previously farmed the land, said the back half has better soil and the back two-thirds is contiguous with other active farmland.
The discussion ended with agreement that Executive Order 193 should be researched.
Montachusett Regional Transport Authority Membership
Elizabeth Falk, assistant director of the Montachusett Regional Transportation Authority, visited the Board to present the specifics of MART and potential membership for Stow.
MART serves 20 communities from Boxborough to Sterling and Winchendon. Bolton just joined. The service provides transportation to the disabled, elderly, and economically disadvantaged.
By the provision of new legislation, Stow’s payments to MART would be deducted from our annual MBTA assessment. Stow will pay just over $37,500 for MBTA assessment in FY 2008. MART provides the vehicles, so there are no capital costs to the towns.
The first step in the process to join is that the Board of Selectmen votes to join MART. The Board then notifies MART in writing and assigns a Stow person to work with Ms. Falk. MART then informs the state. Then Stow and MART work out the details of Stow’s needs.
Towns pay only for the services they use. There is no charge to join the RTA. If a town needs to create a new budget account for MART, Town Meeting must approve. How a town cancels its membership was an open question.
Ms. Sturgis moved to join the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority; Mr. Ruggiero seconded; and all voted in favor.
Mr. Wrigley recommended working sessions between MART and the Stow COA. He agreed to be the point person and to send the Board’s decision to join to Ms. Falk.
Joint Appointment to the Elementary School Building Committee – NRSD Stow Reps and Selectmen
NRSD School Committee members Brian Burke, Lynn Colletti, and David Horne joined the Board to select two Stow voters for the Elementary School Building Committee. The group interviewed four of the five applicants for the vacancies:
· Amy Finkel Hastings, 14 Sylvan Drive, architect
· Liam McMahon, 349 Hudson Road, civil engineer
· Kristen Donovan, 3 Blueberry Court, educator
· Stephen Quinn, 67 Whitman Street, general contractor and SBTF member
Following the interviews and discussion, the boards voted the following appointments.
Ms. Sturgis moved to appoint Amy Finkel Hastings to the ESBC; Ms. Colletti seconded; all voted in favor.
Ms. Sturgis moved to appoint Steve Quinn to the ESBC; Mr. Horne seconded; and all voted in favor.
Concerned Citizens on Land Use Policy
Edward Perry and James Ogg of the Concerned Citizens of Stow visited the Board to state the group’s position on municipal land use and acquisition. Mr. Ogg said that 50 percent of the land in Stow is off the tax roles and CCS is concerned that more land purchases will further increase taxes. CCS does not want to stop recreation land but a potential moratorium on purchases would catalyze discussion. CCS looked at six properties as potential recreation fields, including Memorial Field off Bradley Lane, the far northeast corner of the Babricki property, and a small property at the west end of Pompositticut School that could be a “neighborhood” field.
Both Mr. Perry and Mr. Ogg said that CCS supports the formation of a municipal land use policy and a land use strategy committee.
Lessons from the School Building Task Force
Rick Lent, co-facilitator of the SBTF, visited the Board to present his insights from the SBTF, which could be applied to the future Land Use Strategy Committee.
· The two key ingredients to success were: 1) having a clear charter, and 2) including all the stakeholders.
· Groups larger than eight end up in side conversations and fracture.
· Town Forums helped educate voters before Town Meeting.
· Reframe the issues from “winners and losers” to the common good.
Special Town Meeting Date
The Recreation Commission requested that the Special Town Meeting be held the first week of December and assured the Board that due diligence on RFP responses could be done by early December.
Ms. Sturgis moved to schedule a Special Town Meeting on December 3 and a Special Election on December 13; Mr. Dungan seconded; and all voted in favor.
Orders of Taking for Blueberry/Woodland, Cranberry Circle, and Trefry
Orders of Taking for three streets approved at Annual Town Meeting were voted as follows:
Mr. Ruggiero moved to approve the order of taking for Blueberry Court and a portion of Woodland Way; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor
Mr. Ruggiero moved to approve the order of taking for Cranberry Circle; Mr. Dungan seconded; and all voted in favor
Mr. Ruggiero moved to approve the order of taking for Trefry Lane; Mr. Dungan seconded; and all voted in favor
DEP Paper Recycling Campaign
Mr. Robart moved to support the resolution from MassDEP on recycling; Mr. Dungan seconded; and all voted in favor.
MMA Conference Attendance
It was agreed that Board members would coordinate attendance with Ms. McLaughlin.
Support for the Municipal Partnership Act
The Board agreed to send the letter of support written by Ms. Sturgis’. Mr. Dungan will give the recipients’ information to Ms. McLaughlin.
Assabet River Rail Trail Committee
The Board agreed to the formation of a Stow rail trail committee to drive the project to completion for the town. Mr. Dungan wrote a vacancy notice, which will be posted for a three-week period.
Special Municipal Employee Designations
The Board designated members of the two new committees as Special Municipal Employees, as follows.
Mr. Ruggiero moved to name the Elementary School Building Committee as Special Municipal Employees; Mr. Dungan seconded; and all voted in favor.
Ms. Sturgis moved to name the Stow Assabet River Rail trail Committee as Special Municipal Employees; Mr. Ruggiero seconded; and all voted in favor.
Land Use Strategy Follow-up
Mr. Robart said that based on Mr. Lent’s comments on the SBTF, he would review the number of groups to be represented on the Land Use Committee. He will write a charter and proposed composition for review at the August 28 meeting.
Mr. Ruggerio asked that the Board review the feedback received at the Joint Boards meeting and discuss as a board.
Affordable Housing Driver
Mr. Dungan reported that he and Ms. Farrell plan to attend the first meeting of the newly appointed Housing Trust, together with the Housing Partnership members, to discuss organization of both committees.
Executive Session on union contract negotiations, per MGL C.39, s23b.
At 10:00 p.m., Mr. Dungan moved to adjourn to Executive Session and not to return to open session; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor by roll-call vote.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan McLaughlin
Administrative Assistant, Board of Selectmen
Approved as amended, September 11, 2007
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