MINUTES
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
December 15, 2009
Present at the meeting that was held at the Town Building were Selectmen Stephen Dungan, Kathleen Farrell, Thomas Ruggiero, Laura Spear, and Ellen Sturgis.
Also present were Town Administrator William Wrigley and Administrative Assistant Susan McLaughlin.
Chairman Dungan called the meeting to order at approximately 7:00 p.m.
Public Input
None.
Chairman’s Comments
Mr. Dungan noted this was the last meeting of the year and thanked the Board members for their dedicated service throughout 2009.
Town Administrator’s Report
Mr. Wrigley reported the following:
- Town Farm Fund: At a special town meeting in 1916, the Town voted to sell the Town’s Poor Farm to provide money, in the form of interest on the principal, for the town’s indigent. This fund was originally called the Poor Farm Fund. It is still on the books but had not been used since the 1960’s. The original principal was $8,751, which has now grown to roughly $36,000 in expendable interest.
- Mr. Wrigley proposed that the selectmen establish a five-member Board of Overseers to develop criteria and a process by which to once again use the interest to assist the Town’s needy residents.
- It was agreed to put this topic on the January 5 agenda.
- H1N1 flu clinics: There is now an adequate supply of the H1N1 vaccine, so the Board of Health will resume holding flu clinics for residents. Health agent Jack Wallace will be setting up clinics staffed by the town’s Medical Reserve Corps volunteers.
- Preliminary FY 2011 budgeting: Departments are preparing their FY 2011 operating budgets for submission to Mr. Wrigley by December 23. He has directed them to plan for level services with a 2-percent cap and 2-percent COLA. He continues to adjust FY 2010 budgets for any changes in New Growth, Local Receipts, and State Aid.
Meeting Minutes
November 17, 2009: Ms. Farrell moved to accept the Nov 17 minutes, as amended; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor.
December 1, 2009: Ms. Farrell moved to accept the Dec 1 minutes, as amended; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor.
Call Firefighter/EMT Appointment
On the recommendation of the Fire Chief and Town Administrator, Ms. Sturgis moved that the Board re-appoint paramedic Kevin LaBarge as a call firefighter/EMT for the Stow Fire-Rescue Department, for a term ending June 30, 2010; Ms. Farrell seconded; and all voted in favor.
Reschedule January 19 meeting
Due to the Special State Election on January 19 and the holiday for Dr. King’s birthday on January 18, the next Selectmen’s meeting was moved to Wednesday, January 20.
Cultural Council Appointment
Phyllis Fitzsimmons-Luce visited the Board to request appointment to the Stow Cultural Council.
Following a brief discussion, Ms. Sturgis moved that the Board appoint Phyllis Fitzsimmons-Luce to a three-year term on the Stow Cultural Council, ending on December 15, 2012; Ms. Farrell seconded; and all voted in favor.
Girl Scout Gold Award Recognition
Ms. Farrell moved that the Board of Selectmen provide a Letter of Recognition to Alexandra Spear of Girl Scout Troop 725111 of the Eastern Massachusetts Council for her Girl Scout Gold Award ceremony on January 9, 2010; Ms. Sturgis seconded; and all voted in favor, with Ms. Spear recusing herself.
Annual Liquor License Renewals
Mr. Ruggiero moved to approve the 2010 liquor licenses for the following businesses:
- Stow Food Services, Inc.; 58 Randall Road
- Stowaway Golf Course; 121 White Pond Road
- Nickrosz Spirits, Inc., dba Colonial Spirits of Stow; 117 Great Road
- Ken’s Liquor Shoppe, Inc.; 8 Hudson Road
- Page Family Limited Partnership, dba Butternut Farm Golf Club; 115 Wheeler Road
- Wedgewood Country Club of Stow, Inc., dba Wedgewood Pines Country Club; 215 Harvard Road
- Russell’s Convenience Store of Stow; 390 Great Road
- The Air Field Café, Inc., dba Nancy’s Air Field Café; 302 Boxboro Road
Ms. Farrell seconded; and all voted in favor.
Ms. Spear said that the Planning Board asked to review renewals in the future.
Annual Class II/Used Vehicle Sales Renewals
Mr. Ruggiero moved to approve the 2010 Class II/used vehicle sales licenses for the following businesses:
- Joseph R. Inferrera, Jr., d/b/a Stow Classics; 64 Crescent Street
- Patterson Auto Body, Inc.; 18 Great Road
- Import Export of Boston; 8 Whitman Street
- Auto Support Engineering, Inc.; 370 Hudson Road
- Hudson Road Auto, Inc.; 383 Hudson Road
- Concord Fuels of Stow, Inc.; 368 Great Road
- SalesApproach, Inc.; 636 Great Road
- Richard Presti, Chapel Partners, Inc.; 102 Great Road
Ms. Farrell seconded; and all voted in favor.
Annual Common Victualer Renewals
Mr. Ruggiero moved to approve 2010 common victualer licenses for the following businesses:
- Costa Donuts Two, Inc., dba Dunkin’ Donuts; 17 Great Road
- Stow Café; 118 Great Road
- Papa Gino’s; 117 Great Road
- Delta Epsilon, Inc., dba Stow House of Pizza; 156 Great Road
- Stow LLC, dba Dunkin’ Donuts, 117 Great Road
Ms. Farrell seconded; and all voted in favor.
One of the selectmen asked to receive a letter in future years from the Board of Health, indicating that the food service establishments had passed the necessary inspections.
Reply to DEP on Draft of ACOE Assabet River Water Study
The Board followed up on the Town’s decision to send a response to the DEP on the Army Corps of Engineers Assabet River water study, as one letter, jointly composed by members from Conservation, Planning, and Selectmen. The Board agreed to send the letter, written by Ingeborg Hegemann Clark.
Robert Collings of Barton Road shared research he had done of how dam removal would affect the community. The impact would include a drop in the water table up to Lake Boon and the exposure of acres of toxic sediment. He distributed a handout on flaws in the ACOE study.
Town Counsel Jon Witten was scheduled to file an appeal with Mass DEP the following day, to meet the upcoming deadline. The deadline for the federal appeal is in January.
Ms. Spear will finish the letter to Stow’s state and federal officials asking for their support of the appeals and Mr. Dungan will sign it. The Board agreed no vote was necessary.
Task Force for Pompo Use
Ms. Sturgis presented a committee description and charge to form a new group to evaluate future uses of the Pompositticut school building and land. She used the Selectmen’s newly adopted committee management policy to do so. Mr. Wrigley said there are, at present, sufficient funds in the selectmen’s engineering and consulting account for needed services to assist the committee.
Ms. Spear moved to adopt the Pompo School Study Committee description and post for vacancies; Mr. Ruggiero seconded; and all voted in favor.
Stone Building Issue
Stow Historical Commission (SHC) members Wayne Fletcher, Ralph Fuller, and Susan McLaughlin visited the Board to discuss the future options for the Larsen apple barn (stone building) in relation to the Center School building project. (Mr. Ruggiero recorded the minutes so that Ms. McLaughlin could participate in the discussion.)
Mr. Dungan opened the discussion with an overview of the issue: the current school building plan calls for the apple barn to be demolished; SMMA, the school building architect, submitted a Project Notification Form (PNF) to the Mass Historical Commission (MHC), stating this. On December 11, MHC replied with a request for additional information on the apple barn and the Center School building.
SHC members began by refuting claims that the commissioners are “dead enders,” trying to stop the school project. The Commission is exploring options to preserve the stone building separate from the school and it is the Commission’s responsibility to preserve historic buildings. It was also pointed out that the state had written its response to SMMA before receiving written input from the Stow Commission, not in response to it.
It was generally agreed that the SHC and ESBC are two Town boards with different charges and that, ultimately, MHC will make the call.
Further discussion from SHC included the following points:
- Building could be used for storage, e.g., lawn equipment and snow blowers. Could be a museum.
- We should take our time and do it right. Keep historic monuments on the site.
- Blacksmith Shop should be discussed, too. Some time ago, the Town departments and school district were polled and none had a use. CPA funds were used to secure it at one time. Should the Town take ownership?
- The blacksmith shop is a moveable building. The stone building would be extremely expensive to move.
Ms. Sturgis said she was surprised the SHC was invited to the meeting. She had a letter prepared by the ESBC to send to MHC and wanted the selectmen to sign it as well. Ms. Sturgis and SHC members shared their different perspectives on the issue of the apple barn.
Resident Tory Fletcher spoke from the audience to say that the Master Plan survey overwhelmingly supported maintaining Stow’s local character. MHC does not like buildings coming down for parking lots.
Discussion moved to whether MSBA funding was threatened by keeping the apple barn. This was unknown.
It was agreed that MHC now has control and the Town needs to respond to MHC as soon as possible. The Board took no action on the ESBC letter to MHC.
Ms. Sturgis left the meeting at this time.
Fundraising Policy
At a previous meeting, the Board had postponed creating a policy on Town fundraising, after Ms. Sturgis said she needed more information. It was agreed that Ms. Sturgis would contact the MSBA and/or Town Counsel for an answer to her question; then return to the Board.
Banner Policy
Mr. Dungan will draft a policy for a vote on January 5.
Unfunded State Mandates
Mr. Dungan will draft a letter for a vote on January 5.
Selectmen’s Master Planning
Mr. Dungan said the goal is to have the plan completed by mid-January, when the Ciccolo consultant’s contract expires.
Liaison Reports:
Public Walkways Subcommittee: Mr. Ruggiero said that Hank Tarbi, chair of the previous sidewalk committee, and Bruce Fletcher are advising the new committee. There is $230.0k in the sidewalk fund. This committee wants to pick a major place that everyone can agree on, e.g., pieces of Great Road or to the Community Park. A brochure is being developed. Highway Superintendent Clayton wants to sub-out the sidewalk work and Worcester Polytechnic Institute could provide internship help.
Public Safety: Mr. Ruggiero explained a grant the Fire Chief was considering. It was generally agreed that some staffing requirements did not serve the Town’s needs at this time.
MAGIC: Ms. Spear reported that the most recent legislative breakfast covered transportation, regional services, and aspects on zoning changes in the new LUPA and CPA-2 legislation.
Community Preservation Committee: Ms. Spear said that a new Community Preservation Act bill would guarantee a 75-percent match.
Municipal Affordable Housing Trust: Ms. Spear said the committee has agreed to concentrate on three tasks: document the RFP process; submit the Housing Production Plan to DHCD; and create a process for requests for affordable housing.
At 9:07 p.m., Ms. Farrell moved to adjourn; Ms. Ruggiero seconded; and all voted in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan McLaughlin
Administrative Assistant
Approved as amended, January 5, 2010
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