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Board of Selectmen, April 25, 2016

Meeting date: 
Monday, April 25, 2016

HOLDEN BOARD OF SELECTMEN

MEETING MINUTES

APRIL 25, 2016

 

6:30PM                                                                                               Memorial Hall

 

Present: Chairman Jeremy Kurtz, Anthony Renzoni, Kenneth O’Brien (6:37PM), Robert Lavigne, Tim Ethier

 

Others Present:                        Jacquelyn Kelly, Town Manager

                                                Stephen Madaus, Town Counsel

                                                Liz Fotos, Town Recorder

 

Chairman Kurtz called the meeting to order at 6:30PM.  The Board stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

  1. Appointments, Licenses, Permits

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE KELLY WILLIAMSON ON BEHALF OF DAWSON SCHOOL PTA FOR A PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT LICENSE ON FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 6:00PM TO 8:00PM.

 

Ms. Kelly told the Board that there was another permit to be approved.  She stated that the DPW Open house was being held on Saturday, April 30th in conjunction with the Little League Season opening parade.  The Cub Scouts of St. Mary’s were going to be on site with their snack shack.  She stated that they had applied for a one day common victualler license from 9am to 2pm at the DPW Facility. 

 

Motion by Sel. Lavigne, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE CUB SCOUT TROOP 46, ST. MARY’S CHURCH FOR A COMMON VICTUALLER LICENSE ON APRIL 30, 2016 FROM 9AM TO 2:00PM PENDING ALL APPROPRIATE REVIEWS.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that the DPW Committee wanted to do this event to show the public the Adams Road facility and the grounds in addition to all the equipment.  He stated it will give everyone the opportunity to see the trucks and facilities and it should be a great day. 

 

Sel. O’Brien entered the meeting at 6:37PM.

 

Sel. Ethier stated that he hoped in preparation for Town Meeting that people come to the event and see the state of the DPW facilities and enjoy the Little League opening day too.  He thanked Sel. Renzoni for his efforts.   

 

 

  1. Kids in the Kommunity

 

Chairman Kurtz stated that student and teacher representatives from the Kids in the Kommunity were present at the meeting; he invited them up to the podium.  Chairman Kurtz stated that they do a lot of great things for the community and that ‘Pay It Forward’ day was coming up.

 

Brendan, a member of the Kids in the Kommunity stated that the group was hosting Pay it Forward Day on May 7, 2016 and that it is an event that they hold yearly with the purpose of doing acts of kindness without asking for anything in return.  He stated they hope that there is a ripple effect of acts of kindness for everyone.  He stated that they are hopeful that it will make people’s lives better.

 

Chairman Kurtz asked what kind of activities the group does for the day.

 

Brendan replied that they host a car wash and give goody bags to people driving by in Town.  He stated that they hope that people recognize the acts and ‘pay them forward’.

 

The kids introduced themselves to the Board. 

 

Lori McLean and Elisabeth Hughes, Kids in the Kommunity Advisors were present at the meeting.  Lori McLean stated that this has become a town-wide event and that they encourage all businesses to pay it forward as well.  She stated that they want the acts to unify and cause a ripple effect of kindness.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that the kids were being very modest. He stated that they do a ton at the Winter Carnival and the event would be a failure without their help.  He stated they also do the shovel brigade that helps people shovel in the snow storms.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that they also do a lot to support the Memorial Day Parade and they couldn’t get by without them.

 

Chairman Kurtz stated that they do a lot of things in town and outside of town too.  He stated they recently held a dance for Autism Awareness that served as a fundraiser. He stated that they do a lot of fantastic work and they are the future leaders of the community. He stated a lot of people want to know how to get involved or make donations.

 

L. Hughes stated that they were not looking for a lot of monetary donations; they were just looking for support.  She stated that chaperones were always welcome for Pay It Forward Day because the kids were at many different locations. 

 

Sel. Lavigne thanked the advisors; he stated it was a lot of work but was a great lesson for the kids.

 

Chairman Kurtz presented the Kid in the Kommunity with a Certificate of Recognition.  The kids paused for a photograph with the Board.

 

  1. Recognition of HMLD Service Foreman Brian Hickey Recipient of the Thomas S. Green Public Service Award

 

Chairman Kurtz asked Sel. O’Brien to present Brain Hickey with the Certificate of Recognition.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that there was a ceremony last week at Assumption College and that many of the lineman and employees of HMLD were present to recognize Brian Hickey.  He stated that Ms. Kelly was there to make the presentation as well.  Sel. O’Brien stated that when he nominated Mr. Hickey for the award he asked for letters of support and he was impressed with the amount of people that used the words “friend and mentor” in their letters.

 

Sel. O’Brien read the Certificate of Recognition into the record and presented it to Brian Hickey.  The Board stood to shake hands and congratulate him on the award and take a photo.

 

Brian Hickey stated that he couldn’t have done this without his family and co workers and that he was so honored to receive the award.  He stated that the Holden Light Department was a great employer and that he just tries to be a good employee.  He stated he is very appreciative of the award and recognition.

 

  1. Town Manager Update

 

  1. Holden Farmers’ Market: Opening Day for the Holden Farmers’ Market will be Tuesday, May 3, 2016.  The time is 3-6PM and the location is the Damon House Parking Lot.
  2. Holden Garden Club Plant Sale: For your information, the Holden Garden Club will be using the Damon House lawn, near the parking lot, for their annual plant sale on Friday, Mary 20th and Saturday May 21st.  The money raised by the sale are used by the Garden Club for he gardens and planting at Town Hall, the Senior Center, the Gale Fee Library, and the Hendricks House as well as other community programming.  We thank the Garden Club for their contributions to keep our Town and especially town buildings, decorated with plants and flowers throughout the seasons
  3. Recycling Grant: Educational Outreach: Please see the enclosed memorandum from Pam Harding, Director of Planning and Development regarding a program, supported by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Casella, Inc., to increase the efficiency of recycling in Holden.  Recycling costs increase for a variety of reasons, including the clogging of recycling machines.  When non-recyclable materials such as plastic grocery bags, textiles, electric cords, etc. get mixed in with recycling waste, processing machinery and equipment get clogged and break down.  It costs extra time and labor to repeatedly attend to the machinery.  Also, the mixing in of non-recyclable items such as Styrofoam and other items degrades the quality of the product. 

 

DEP has hired Recycling Partnerships, a national company promoting recycling, to conduct a pilot program in Holden and two other communities in Massachusetts, to determine how to increase the quality and efficiency of recycling.  Holden was selected because of the high quality of our recycling operation.  Our contractor Casella will deploy separate trucks to sample both trash and recyclable material being disposed of along one trash route in Holden consisting of approximately 1,00 homes.  A data baseline will be established. Then, education materials about common recycling mistakes will be distributed to these homes

 

After the educational material are distributed and other sampling will be taken to compare it to the baseline to determine if there is a change/ increase in the quality of recycling material being disposed of.  Should the results of this outreach be effective, i.e. increase the quality of the recycling materials, we will receive additional educational materials for town-wide distribution.  The baseline study is scheduled to begin at the end of May and the entire study will take approximately six weeks.  There is no cost to the Town for participating in this program and we will approve all materials prior to distribution.

 

Chairman Kurtz paused the Town Manager’s Update to open Citizen’s Address

 

  1. Citizen’s Address

 

Peter Singly, 18 Preservation Lane was present at the meeting.  He stated that he had received notice that Wagner Meadows was being discussed for street acceptance and he wanted to address a few things with the Board prior to that happening.  He stated his main concern was that there was a wetland that was recreated and it was a disaster; it is retaining water and he does not believe it is supposed to be. 

 

Mr. Madaus stated that there was a hearing on the agenda for that matter at 7:20PM; he recommended that Mr. Singly address the Board at that point

 

Mr. Singly stepped down.

 

Dave White, 84 Wachusett Street was present at the meeting.  He stated that Mountview School had just opened and that the citizens adjusted fantastically.  He stated that the actual construction costs for Mountview came in about $7 Million under budget.  He stated this is a credit to the team, the committee, the Town Manager, the architect, and the contractors.  He stated that the Town has a beautiful building that will serve the kids well for a long time.  Mr. White stated that last week the contractors began to abate the hazmat in the old building to get it ready for demolition.   Mr. White stated that they are hopeful that over the summer the heavy work will happen so that it is occurring with no kids, traffic, or issues and then the project will be complete.  He stated that he tips his hat to the whole project team.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that one of the reasons the project is successful was because of the Building Committee of which Mr. White was a member of.  He stated they develop and implement the plan and that the Board is grateful for his efforts on the project.  Mr. White  thanked the Board for their kind words and stated that he would pass them along to the Committee.

 

Mr. White stated that the other reason he was before the Board was as a representative from Fin Com.  He stated that he wanted to report to the citizen’s about this year’s budget process. 

 

Mr. White stated that the process begins in late summer/ early fall when the Board of Selectmen sets goals for the Town Manager; some budgetary, some not.  Then management works with their professional staff to develop and publish the budget and capital plan.  Then it goes before Fin Com where they pour through it with the Departments and the Town Manager. 

 

Mr. White complimented the Town Manager and her staff on their presentations; he stated they were done professionally and comprehensively.  He stated that Sel. Renzoni was at every meeting in its entirety and that he participated in the conversations as well. Mr. White stated that he thought it was a good process this year. 

 

Mr. White stated that some highlights were adding two police officers in order to boost the Towns’ police force.  He stated that the work load is greater than the force can or should handle and that Chief Armstrong did a great presentation.

 

Mr. White stated there were also a number of capital items that they addressed and many of them were supported.  He stated that the one that was not supported was a purchase of a fire truck and that was because Fin Com felt it was prudent to do repairs and look to purchase a new truck down the road instead. 

 

Mr. White stated that he wanted to come to the Selectmen meeting to compliment the Town Manager and the Department heads and that although the hearings can get contentious at times it is for the right reasons. 

 

Sel. Renzoni asked if Mr. White could stick around for the rest of the meeting as the Board would be discussing the Warrant Articles and he could add value to the conversation.

 

Chairman Kurtz closed Citizen’s Address.  

 

  1. Chief Dave Armstrong

 

Police Chief Dave Armstrong introduced Carolyn Praeger from the Holden Woman’s Club.  She stated that the Woman’s Club is celebrating its anniversary and they specialize in community service.  She stated that as part of their celebration they want to thank the Holden Police and presented and check to Chief Armstrong in order to purchase emergency ‘Go Bag’s’

 

Chief Armstrong stated that the ‘Go Bags’ were one of the projects that they had wanted to do for a long time.  He stated that as the world was changing it was important to have the equipment to support the officers for things like active shooters and other situations.

 

Chief Armstrong stated that the backpack would contain medical tourniquets, quick clots, MRE’s, water bladders, and more.  He stated this would allow the officers to be in the field for a longer period of time with the resources provided in these bags.

 

Chief Armstrong stated that the Woman’s Club had come forward and asked what they could do for the officers.  He stated that the support from the Woman’s club meant a great deal to the Police force.

 

The Board paused for a photo with Chief Armstrong and the Woman’s Club. 

 

  1. Public Hearing –Street Acceptance Stoney Brook: Joel Scott Drive

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. O’Brien, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR STREET ACCEPTANCE FOR STONY BROOK SUBDIVISION, Joel Scott Drive.

 

Sel. Renzoni read the Notice of Layout of Streets for Joel Scott Drive into record.

 

Chairman Kurtz opened the floor to the public and asked if any members of the public wished to speak; no members of the public stepped forward.

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR STREET ACCEPTANCE FOR STONY BROOK: JOEL SCOTT DRIVE.

 

Sel. Ethier asked about the process behind laying out the streets.

 

Mr. Madaus stated that this is the second step towards street acceptance.  He stated this would not mean the street is accepted, after the meeting tonight, it would go through DPW and the Planning Board who reviews subdivision street work and approves it or doesn’t.

 

Sel. Lavigne asked if DPW and Planning Board have to sign off on the street acceptance.

 

Mr. Madaus confirmed they did.  Sel. O’Brien confirmed that the Planning Board or DPW could still pull the streets from being accepted at Town Meeting.

 

Mr. Madaus confirmed they could and stated that it had been done before.

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED THAT THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN OF THE TOWN OF HOLDEN LAY OUT THE FOLLOWING: JOEL SCOTT DRIVE FROM STATION 8+01.24 TO STATION 42+53.12 FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 3,451.88 FEET ALONG THE CETERLINE; AS SHOWN ON A PLAN OF LAND ENTITLED, “STREET ACCEPTANCE PLAN LOCATED ON STONEY BROOK ESTATES”, PREPARED FOR STONEY BROOK ESTAT, LLC; PREPARED BY NEW ENGLAND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, LLC., DATED MARCH 23, 2016, SHEETS 1 THROUGH 3 OF 5 TO BE FILED TOGETHER WITH A COPY OF THIS VOTE IN THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK. 

 

  1. Public Hearing- Street Acceptance/ WAGNER MEADOWS SUBDIVISION: Preservation Lane, Hayfield Lane, Wagner Lane

 

Motion by Sel. Lavigne, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR STREET ACCEPTANCE FOR WAGNER MEADOWS: PRESERVATION LANE, HAYFIELD LANE, WAGNER LANE.

 

Sel. Lavigne read the Notice into record. 

 

Chairman Kurtz opened the hearing for public comment.

 

Peter Singly, 18 Preservation Lane stepped forward.  He stated that his concern was with the builder.  He stated that they had lived there for two years and many things were not fixed.  He stated that a detention basin in back of his house was holding water when it shouldn’t be.  Mr. Singly passed out photo’s for the Board to look at.  He stated that the builder was outside the easement with the work and there were issues with the access to the detention basin as well.  He stated that he had asked the builder to come back to the site repeatedly and he did not respond. 

 

Mr. Singly stated that there is a 25 FT drop to the detention basin as well and he has major safety concerns.   He stated that additionally there are 15-20 dead trees and it is a horrible back yard.  He stated that he is concerned with the promises that were made to him by the builder.  He stated that he had spoken with the Planning Board in order to try to contact the builders.  He stated that he sent certified letters and the builders would have someone else sign for them or wait for the last day to sign for them.  He stated they had made empty promises and that he thinks that if things are not done right the Town is going to be stuck fixing them.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that one up side of the Town accepting the street is that the Town takes it over.  He stated that the order of conditions should be satisfied by the builder prior to street acceptance.  He stated that this matter is coming to the Selectmen late in the game but that they would do their due diligence on this matter.

 

Sel. Ethier clarified the process.  He stated that street acceptance was the towns last bit of leverage with the builder to make sure that construction issues were complete.  He stated that once the street is accepted the Town owns it and this is the Town’s last chance to do what it needs to do. Sel. Ethier asked what happened if the Town did not accept it. 

 

Mr. Madaus replied it would be another year and the developer would be responsible for snow plowing. 

 

Sel. Ethier stated that as a town; a bond is held that the town could access.

 

Mr. Madaus stated that was true but the bond gets released by the Planning Board as the work progresses.  He stated since they were at this point for street acceptance, most of the work is completed so the bond amount was reduced significantly.

 

Chairman Kurtz asked if there were any additional public comments.

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR STREET ACEPTANCE FOR WAGNER MEADOWS: PRESERVATION LANE, HAYFIELD LANE, WAGNER LANE.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that there is a lay out in front of the Board with multiple complaints and the Planning Board had yet to deliberate on it.  He stated he is unsure as to why this matter was before the Board at this point. He stated he is unsure how the Board can lay something out and push the ball down the hill when everyone on the Board had serious questions on the quality and completion of the project. 

 

Sel. O’Brien asked if the Board had time to put this matter on hold until the Planning Board was able to hear it.

 

Mr. Madaus stated that the vote and the layout needed to be on record at least seven days prior to Town Meeting. 

 

Ms. Kelly stated that as part of the street acceptance process and before Town Meeting, the Town Engineer visits the site and comes up with a punch list of items that need to be completed prior to the Town accepting the street. Ms Kelly stated that there are stops along the way.  At Town Meeting a report and recommendation is made by the Planning Board and Engineer as to whether the street is ready for acceptance.  If the report is negative, the street would not be accepted by Town Meeting.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that there were different streets for Wagner Meadows; he stated they can make different motions.  Sel. O’Brien asked Ms. Kelly what her opinion was.

 

Ms. Kelly replied that she thought that the streets should be laid out and referred to the Planning Board for public hearing.   

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that the Board goes through a process and they value input from residents.  He stated that he thinks that they can lay out the streets but that the Board needs to acknowledge that this is a step forward in the process. 

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that it was disturbing that the developer would wait for the last day for the certified mail when the residents were just trying to get resolution.  He stated that type of behavior was concerning.  Sel. O’Brien stated that he thinks they would want to err on the side of the resident in this case.  He stated that he was not opposed to approving the lay out but wants to make sure the resident is satisfied with it.

 

Sel. Ethier stated that he is opposed to laying out the street.  He stated that the Board should stick up for the resident.  He stated that the Town should ensure the developer does what they are supposed to do and that the work is done the right way.  He stated that there is another Selectmen’s meeting and the Board could vote at that time.  He stated that the Board could see if the developer was able to come to the next meeting to clear up any questions. 

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that the developer also had made an investment in the community.  Sel. Renzoni suggested tabling the conversation briefly so that the Board could discuss the positions on Town Meeting Warrant Articles.  He stated that Mr. White had stayed for that purpose.

 

Sel. Lavigne disagreed with doing that.  He stated that the resident also was present at the meeting.

 

Chairman Kurtz agreed and stated that he felt the conversation should take place as well.

 

Ms. Kelly told the Board that the votes should be done separately. 

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN OF THE TOWN OF HOLDEN LAY OUT THE FOLLOWING: WAGNER LANE FROM STATION 0+00 TO STATION 5+43 FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 543 FEET ALONG THE CENTERLINE; AS SHOWN ON A PLAN OF LAND ENTITLED “WAGNER MEADOWS ROAD ACCEPTANCE PLAN IN HOLDEN, MASS.”, PREPARED FOR CASA BUILDERS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP. PREPARED BY DAVID E. ROSS ASSOCIATES, INC., DATED APRIL 2016 TO BE FILED TOGETHER WITH A COPY OF THIS VOTE IN THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLER BY A VOTE OF 3-2.  (Renzoni: yes; Ethier: yes; Kurtz: yes; O’Brien: no; Lavigne: no).

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN OF THE TOWN OF HOLDEN LAY OUT THE FOLLOWING: HAYFIELD LANE FROM STATION 0+00 TO STATION 7+66 FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATLEY 766 FEET ALONG THE CENTERLINE; AS SHOWN ON A PLAN OF LAND ENTITLED, “WAGNER MEADOWSN ROAD ACCEPTANCE PLAN IN HOLDEN, MASS.”, PREPARED FOR CASSA BUILDERS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP. PREPARED BY DAVID E. ROSS ASSOCIATES, INC., DATED 2016 TO BE FILED TOGTHER WITH A COPY OF THIS VOTE IN THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK BY A VOTE OF 3-2.  (Renzoni: yes; Ethier: yes; Kurtz: yes; O’Brien: no; Lavigne: no).

 

Sel. Renzoni asked Mr. Madaus if the Board had time to deal with Preservation Lane at a later time.  He asked if they needed to have another public hearing. 

 

Mr. Madaus stated they could continue the public hearing.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated they could continue the public hearing to the next meeting in May and obtain more information.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that a lot of this is detention pond and wetland issues.  He stated that if it is not resolved it will take a lot of effort by the Town to get the developer to do what they are supposed to do and the Town will not have a lot of leverage to make them do it.  He stated that he does not think that the Board needs to bend over backwards to accommodate the builder.  He stated that he trusts the Town Manager when she says that the DPW can put up red flags but if there are residents at Town Meeting that want the street accepted and the issues don’t adversely effect them, street acceptance can be pushed through.  Sel. O’Brien stated that if the resident is saying the developer is blowing him off multiple times they are not acting in good faith and the fix is probably expensive.  He stated that he thinks the Board should go to bat for the resident, not the developer. 

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that his concern is not how much money the developer has made but he does not agree with the strategy of inflicting as much pain on the developer by not approving his other streets.  He stated that was why he moved the first two streets.  He stated no residents from the other two streets were at the meeting.  He stated Preservation Lane was different and that is why he wanted to continue it for more information.  Sel. Renzoni stated that he trusted Mr. Singly but he had not heard from the developer.  He stated they were going to assume the worst like what they did with Papa Gino’s and they should not do that, they should give the developer the chance to satisfy the questions asked

 

Mr. Madaus stated they could reopen the public hearing on Preservation Lane and continue the matter to a specific date and time.  He stated that if the street was going to be laid out it needed to be on file seven days prior to Town Meeting.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that if there was a vote now he would be voting against it.  He said that he felt that Sel. Renzoni was correct and it would be prudent to have more time and gather more information.  He stated it doesn’t hurt to wait in this case.

 

Sel. O’Brien asked if Sel. Renzoni felt as though the Board did something improper about Papa Gino’s. 

 

Sel. Renzoni replied that he felt that they had made assumptions about why the manager did not come to the hearing.  He stated that they did not know why Casa Builders was not present or why they didn’t sign for the certified letter.  He stated that he thinks the Board should reopen the public hearing and use the procedures in place to hear the information.  He stated if he was not satisfied with it he would vote to not lay out Preservation Lane. 

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that what Sel. Renzoni wanted to do was to give the developer a second chance.  He stated that they knew that the street was being laid out and they chose not to be there.  He said that it was not a bad thing as they do business in town but the Board was giving them a second opportunity. 

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that was an assumption; he wanted to allow everyone the opportunity to speak. 

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was VOTED TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR STREET ACCEPTANCE FOR PRESERVATION LANE BY A VOTE OF 4-1.  (Lavigne: yes; Renzoni: yes; Kurtz: yes; O’Brien: yes; Ethier: no).

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was VOTED TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR STREET ACCEPTANCE FOR PRESERVATION LANE TO MAY 2, 2016 AT 7:15PM BY A VOTE OF 4-1.  (Lavigne: yes; Renzoni: yes; Kurtz: yes; O’Brien: yes; Ethier: no).

 

Chief David Armstrong Cont.

 

Chief Armstrong spoke about the grant of approximately $1.0 Million that the Town had received from State 911 for the regional dispatch center.  He stated that he wanted to recognize Tom Kennedy, Project Manager and Lori Rose, Town Accountant. 

 

Sel. O’Brien congratulated Chief Armstrong and the others on a great job obtaining the grant money.

 

Ms. Kelly stated it was mostly through Chief Armstrong’s hard work

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that to receive that magnitude was going to make the whole project and was a great thing.

 

  1. Positions on Town Meeting Warrant Articles

 

Mr. White, Fin Com joined the Board for discussion.

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUPPORT ARTICLES 1-5 OF THE 2016 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE PLACEHOLDERS.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that he asked Mr. White to stay because there was intense scrutiny of the budget this year and a lot of back and forth.  He stated that he felt as though Mr. White could go over any information the Board may need in order to move forward with the warrant articles.

 

The Board asked if there were final numbers for all the warrant articles.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that there are not final numbers for everything as Fin Com was not through making their final recommendations and report.

 

Mr. White stated that he believed that the Selectmen set the warrant articles and at a future date the actual motions are written.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that the Board would be taking positions on the articles he stated he was opposed to taking positions without the numbers. 

 

Chairman Kurtz recommended holding off on Articles 6.1-6.9.

 

Sel. Renzoni asked where they stood with Article 7.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that Fin Com voted to support it.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated he was at the Fin com meeting and they had discussed having the mandatory payment paid through tax levy funding and using free cash because there was some recognition that the assessment was not a real number.  He stated that he thought that Fin Com’s position was that they wanted to fund through levy.  He asked if he was correct.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that was discussed but they had not come to a final decision on that.

 

Mr. White stated that he thought Sel. O’Brien had left that meeting a little early.  He stated that what they decided was to support the school budget at this time and fund it through the levy because before Town Meeting they (other towns) have already voted on the budget and the Prop. 2.5 override.  He stated if the override doesn’t pass then the Town will know we are not assessing the full amount and then it may be funded out of free cash. 

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that it seemed as though Ms Kelly was resistant to what Mr. White was discussing. 

 

She stated there was a lot of discussion about it and that she does not believe there was a decision made by the FinCom yet.  She stated that the other towns will have their override votes by the time Holden has its Town Meeting. So we will know whether the District’s assessment is approved, or will have to be reduced by the School Committee.

 

Sel. O’Brien asked if the Board should wait for the Town Manager to come back with more information.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that she is not sure on the timing.  For this evening, she said that what needed to be answered is does the Board support the Article and the amount being requested by the District;  she said the question as to how it was funded was a separate issue.

 

Sel. O’Brien replied that if free cash is used then taxes would not go up but if it is levied they would go up.

 

Chairman Kurtz stated that there were some Warrant Articles that were completed and some that sill needed some polishing.  He suggested that the Board move forward with the Warrant Articles that they had the information on and use the two additional Board of Selectmen meetings prior to Town Meeting to vote on the remaining items.

 

Motion by Sel. Lavigne, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO TABLE 2016 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE 6.1-6.9 UNTIL THE MAY BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING. 

 

A motion was made by Sel. O’Brien to support Article 7 and Article 8; it was seconded by Sel. Ethier.  The Board opened the matter up for discussion.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that it was hard to move through the process without the language in front of them.  He stated that he will support the motion however he will only support the Article on Town Meeting floor through “raise and appropriate”  He stated that he disagrees using funds from Free Cash for it.  He stated if there is not a base the Town will be putting itself in a terrible position.

 

Chairman Kurtz asked Ms. Kelly or Mr. White if there was an agreement as to how they will fund the request.  He stated that he understood where Sel. Renzoni was coming from with regards to the financial details.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that she believes the recommendation will be that most of the assessment will come from the tax levy and a portion will come from Free Cash.  However, they really will not know until after May 9 because of the changing situation with the other school district member towns.

 

Sel. O’Brien reminded everyone that most of free cash is because of the assessment in past years from the School District.  He stated that he has been looking at the school budget growth versus the municipal budget.  He stated that the school budget is about 4% growth.  

 

Chairman Kurtz moved the motion on the floor.

 

Motion by Sel. O’Brien, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE ARTICLE 7 AND ARTICLE 8 OF THE 2016 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE PLACEHOLDER. 

 

 Sel. Lavigne asked about Article 15; he asked if the Town had received any more information on this project.

 

Ms. Kelly replied that the amount was $160,000 for wifi at the Holden elementary schools.

 

Mr. Madaus stated that it was an unusual Article.  He stated that he had conferred with the Moderator and the new draft motion lets the Board authorize expenditure of the funds to ensure that the funds are used for the stated purposes.  He stated this will be so the Board does not lose control of those funds. 

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that was one of the concerns but the other was regarding the District and if the Town would be on the hook for 54% of the other towns IT improvements if the project got passed.  He stated that he loved where the Board was at with the project but he was not going to pay 100% of the Town’s costs and then 54% of the other schools costs as well.  Sel. Lavigne stated that he is comfortable with Dr. McCall’s word but what happens if a new superintendent comes in.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that the Superintendent did offer the other towns the same opportunity to allocate funds into their schools although she didn’t believe the other towns were moving forward with it.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that Dr. McCall said that eventually he is going to have to put IT into his capital budget and that the Town pays their share.  He said that he does not see the budget getting any easier, just harder and therefore it is becoming harder for him to support without any written agreement in place.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated he does not believe that they will get something in writing from the District and that was not a deal breaker for him.  He said that it was $160,000 in capital improvements to the elementary schools.  He said that they would be lucky to see wifi at the High School. 

 

A motion was made by Sel. Renzoni to support Article 15; it was seconded by Sel. Ethier.  The Board opened it up for further discussion.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that to make this small investment now you will be investing in the kids and they will benefit from it right away.  He stated he feels as though this is a great benefit to the kids in Town.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that he agreed with what was being said and that he supports the concept and that motion he just disagrees with the fact that the Town can be left holding the bag for the other towns. 

Chairman Kurtz stated that technology changes so quickly that in five years there will be additional opportunity for upgrades. He stated that infrastructure updates will be needed as well.  He said that he is not opposed to the $160,000 because in the future more upgrades will be needed.

 

Sel. Ethier stated that he has confidence in the School Committee and they will make the final call.  He stated that there are ten Holden representatives on the School Committee and they will not allow Holden to be taken advantage of.  He stated that it is important that the kids there now get the advantage of technology and he thinks it will be a number of years before the District is going to be able to do that improvement.  Sel. Ethier stated that it is something Holden wanted to do for their own kids; it was not putting our kids higher than anyone else’s; it was just giving them the opportunity.  He stated that the other towns were able to do the same thing but it would be theirs to approve it. 

 

Mr. White told the Board that Fin Com supports it.

 

Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUPPORT ARTICLE 15: CAPITAL PROJECT: WRSD, WIFI/TECHNOLOGY AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OF THE 2016 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE

 

Mr. White stated that the Board may not have the numbers in front of them because they don’t have the exact motions but the public safety numbers exist and were voted on.  He stated they will present a 6.15% increase for Public Safety.

 

Chairman Kurtz stated that everyone is concerned about the tax rate.  He stated that the Board would probably not get through everything at this meeting but he invited Mr. White back for the next meeting to finish the discussion.

 

Motion by Sel. O’Brien, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUPPORT 2016 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE NUMBERS 16-19

 

Motion by Sel. O’Brien, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUPPORT 2016 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE NUMBERS 20-23. 

 

A motion was made by Sel. O’Brien to support Articles 24 through 29.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated he had one question with regards to the Creation of Open Space Acquisition/Preservation Fund (Article 26).  He asked if it was being funded at $50,000.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that they would be creating the fund and that the original suggestion was for funding was in the amount of $100,000.  Ms. Kelly stated that through the budget process and cuts, the appropriations went from $100,000 to $50,000.  She stated that she reduced the appropriations for other funds as well in order to reach the goals. 

 

Sel. Ethier stated he would like feedback from Ag Com before voting. 

 

Sel. O’Brien offered to amend his motion to Article Numbers: 24, 25, 27, and 28. 

 

Chairman Kurtz stated that if they put money into this fund, if a property came up for sale they could call a Special Town Meeting for the remaining funds. 

 

Sel. Renzoni moved the motion of supporting Articles 24-29.

 

Motion by Sel. O’Brien, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUPPORT 2016 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE NUMBERS 24 THROUGH 29.

 

A motion was made by Sel. Renzoni to take no action on 2016 Warrant Article 30: Amendments to Town By-Law Regarding Overnight Parking of School Buses in Residential Areas, it was seconded by Sel. O’Brien. 

 

Sel. Ethier stated that he did not disagree but he did have a question.  He stated that they were advised by P. Harding that because there is a Grandfathered provision, even if it was voted to change the by-law, it would not affect those persons already parking buses overnight.  Sel. Ethier asked where that came from and if it was set in stone.

 

Mr. Madaus stated that it is a preexisting zoning bylaw so that residents were protected by the Grandfathered Clause.  He stated if it was a general bylaw it would not be Grandfathered. 

 

Chairman Kurtz stated that the Board would take up Article Numbers 6.1-6.9 and Articles 9-14.  He thanked Mr. White for his input.

 

Town Manager Misc Cont.

 

  1. Year-to-Date- Revenue and Expenditure Report: The Year-to-date Revenue and Expenditure reports for March 2016 are enclosed, prepared by Lori Rose, Town Accountant
  2. Light Department LED Pilot Program: According to Jim Robinson, General Manager of the Light Department , over the next few months, the HMLD will start to convert its lights at One Holden Street to LED energy efficient fixtures.  The outside fixtures will be replaced first, followed by interior office and garage lighting.  The plan is to make One Holden Street a laboratory for LED lights and to save electricity at the same time
  3. Composting and Brush Chipping: Saturday, April 30, Saturday, May 7, and Saturday, May 14 are the upcoming dates for Spring Composting and Brush Chipping.  Composting takes place at the former landfill site on River Street; the brush chipping is done at the Adams Road DPW Facility, due to the Longhorn Beetle Quarantine area.  The Hours are from 8AM to 2:30PM, weather permitting
  4. Town Meeting Warrant:  The Annual Town Meeting is fast approaching.  We will be posting the Town Meeting Warrant on Friday, April 29, 2016.  A draft of the Warrant is included in your packet.  As we do every year we are asking you to sign the last page as required, in advance of the posting.

 

Ms. Kelly stated there according to an article in the newspaper about the City of Worcester’s Stage 1 drought precautions, water supply reservoirs are now at or over the 85% level.  So the Stage 1 drought restrictions have been lifted.

 

  1. Follow-Up on Citizen’s Address

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that he wanted to echo what an amazing job was doing with the Mountview Building.  He congratulated Mr. White and his team and thanked them for their time.

 

  1. Selectmen Subcommittees

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that Municipal Light and Power Advisory Committee had not met.

 

Sel. Ethier stated he had no updates.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated he had no updates.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that DPW Building Committee postponed their meeting for next week.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that the Memorial Day Parade Committee met on Monday at the Recreation Building.  He stated the parade will be starting from the old Police Building Building on Main Street.  He stated that additional units would possibly be joining them and additionally Holden Fire Department was going to participate as well. Sel. Renzoni stated that they were very excited and they were working on a Key Note Speaker and that the Spirit of America Band would be playing a concert as soon as the parade ended. 

Chairman Kurtz stated that the 275th continued to meet and the Father’s Day Fire Muster on Main Street would be a good time. He stated that the 275th had partnered with Holden the Friends of the Council on Aging as they were celebrating their 35th year and would be doing a celebration on May 15, 2016. 

 

  1. Selectmen Minutes

 

Motion by Sel. O’Brien, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMSOULY VOTED TO APPROVE THE MARCH 7, 2016 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED.

 

Motion by Sel. O’Brien, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE MARCH 21, 2016 5:33PM BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS CORRECTED.

 

Motion by Sel. O’Brien, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE MARCH 21, 2016 6:36PM BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED.

 

  1. Selectmen Miscellaneous

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that he had attended an Eagle Scout Ceremony for Matthew Wait for a project he did at the Corner Shop.

 

Sel. O’Brien asked if someone could check on Quinapoxet Street at the railroad crossings as he had heard of complaints there.

 

Sel. O’Brien stated that he had attended the Award Ceremony for Brian Hickey and that it was a great event.  He stated that almost the whole Light Department was present and Ms. Kelly did a presentation.  He stated that the Town should try to nominate someone yearly.

 

Sel. Ethier stated he had no miscellaneous items.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that the past weekend was the soft opening for Holden Baseball and the fields look amazing; he stated CRA looks great.

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that Pay It Forward day was May 7, 2016 and that it was their third year doing it.  He stated it was a great opportunity and the Kids in the Kommunity had started something good in Town.

 

Sel. Renzoni stated that April 30, 2016 was the DPW Open House in addition to the Baseball Parade. 

 

Sel. Lavigne stated that there was a debate on May 3, 2016 for the Selectmen seats.

 

Ms. Kelly stated that Town Elections would be held on May 9, 2016 and that absentee ballots were available.

 

Chairman Kurtz stated the next meeting was May 2, 2016.

 

Motion by Sel. Lavigne, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN THE APRIL 25, 2016 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING AT 9:26PM.

 

 

 

APPROVED: ____June 6, 2016_______________