Board of Selectmen, February 22, 2016
HOLDEN BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING MINUTES
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
6:30PM Memorial Hall
Present: Chairman Jeremy Kurtz, Anthony Renzoni, Kenneth O’Brien, Tim Ethier
Not Present: Robert Lavigne
Others Present: Jacquelyn Kelly, Town Manager
Peter Lukes, Assistant Town
Liz Fotos, Town Recorder
Chairman Kurtz called the meeting to order at 6:30PM. The Board stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Appointments, Licenses, Permits
Motion Sel. Renzoni, seconded Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOSLY VOTED TO APPROVE CYNTHIA SENES ON BEHALF OF DAWSON ELEMENTARY PTA FOR A PARADE PERMIT- 5K ROAD RACE ON SATURDAY APRIL 2, 2016 FROM 8:00AM TO 2:00PM.
- Mountview School Building Committee Update
Paul Challenger, Dave White, Margaret Watson, and Chris Lucchesi were present at the meeting.
P. Challenger thanked the Board for having them; he stated it was an exciting time and that the school was several weeks away from using the classrooms. He stated it was moving along beautifully and the contractors and architects have done a great job keeping everything on track and the committee appreciated their work.
P. Challenger stated that there had been some concern about the floors and while they were a little behind it was not going to impact the schedule. He stated the gym floor is done and looks great, the case work and cabinetry is in, the science labs and tables are being completed and the kitchen equipment is in the building. He stated the heating, venting and electronic and lights and security are all in and being tested.
P. Challenger stated that solar panels are on the roof and are being tested and are actually running. He stated that furniture and fixtures started to arrive today (February 22, 2016) so that was a good sign as to how close the completion the project was.
P. Challenger stated that the next step would be to turn the school over to the school district. He stated that they were working with the teachers to get their supplies from the old school to the new one. He stated that there was not a lot of supplies going; just teachers personal items. He stated if they have materials they are not going to use they are able to pack that up. P. Challenger also stated there was a series of training sessions with technical people and teachers to get them trained on sound system, intercoms, etc.
P. Challenger stated on April 7, 2016, which is a professional development day, materials and equipment move over and by the end of that weekend everything will be out of the old building. He stated that some stuff will be going to the new building, some to other district buildings, some sold, and some trashed; but the building will be empty.
P. Challenger stated that April 11, 2016 School starts again teaching in the new classes. He stated that weekend; teachers will be able to get into building. April 18, 2016 is school vacation week. He stated everyone will be in for a week and then have a vacation week. P. Challenger stated that originally the committee was going to turn the school over during vacation week but they didn’t want the teachers to have to be there on their vacation time.
P. Challenger stated that as of April 11, 2016, the new building will be used for classes. He stated that there will still be things to do, such as repair to any damage that happened, testing equipment and things like that. He stated that hopefully the list will be short. He stated the school will be safe and useable despite this list.
P. Challenger stated that the big challenge will be the parking and the traffic. He stated that most of the parking will be where the old building is now. He stated that there is a fence around the old building and the fence will stay; the construction will turn into the educational building and the old school will turn into the construction site.
P. Challenger stated that there will be one small parking lot in the back and there is not enough parking for a major event. He stated the traffic flows were going to be tight because it is not completely built yet. He stated the district and the contractors have a plan in place so it will work but it is not ideal.
P. Challenger stated that with regards to the old building; it will be turned over to the contractor on April 11, 2016. Hazmat will come first and dispose of it and then the parking lots, fields, and grounds will happen. He stated the goal is to have it done by the fall.
Sel. Renzoni asked about the budget. He stated it looked to be $4 Million under previously and he wanted to know how that was looking.
P. Challenger replied that at Town Meeting, the Town appropriated more money then the Committee needed. He stated those funds were safe. He stated the budget was set and they were doing well against that as well. He stated there shouldn’t be a problem; that they had spent some money for improvements but they are still very close to the budget.
Sel. Renzoni asked when they anticipated the fields to go in.
P. Challenger replied calendar year 17. He stated that the fields was one of the improvements that was made; he sated they will be rolling out sod instead of using grass which would take a few years to use.
Sel. Ethier thanked the Committee for their efforts and the amount of time they have spent on the project. He asked if the old building was a complete demolition.
P. Challenger confirmed it was.
Sel. Ethier asked if there was any chance of saving any of it; he mentioned the brick wall in front.
P. Challenger replied there was not.
Sel. Ethier asked about the wood floor in the gym.
P. Challenger replied that it was maple.
Sel. Ethier asked about interior equipment; he stated one thing the teachers mentioned was Chrome Books.
P. Challenger stated that wireless internet was in the school and the district has been working to buy the equipment but they were not involved in what brand was being purchased.
D. White stated everything will be brand new so it will be a turn key operation.
Sel. Ethier asked if everything was state of the art.
P. Challenger stated that some of the equipment from the old Mountview may be used for other schools in the district.
Sel. Ethier asked if the surplus will be rolled back into the Town budget as free cash.
P. Challenger replied it would not be surplus; it would just be money that would not be spent.
Ms. Kelly replied it may need to go to Town Meeting at some point to be officially reduced.
P. Challenger stated that the project was done at a good time; he stated the contractors bid aggressively.
Sel. O’Brien thanked the Committee for their time and effort. He stated it was a tremendous amount of time and work and that it is an amazing building that everyone has a lot to be proud of. Sel. O’Brien asked what the Building Committees opinion on holding the next Town Meeting at the new Mountview location was. He stated it is a huge investment for the Town and thinks it would be great to have a Town Meeting there to highlight it for the people.
P. Challenger replied that they had spoken about it at the Committee level and it was not up to them to make the decision as they will have turned the building over to the district. He stated he believes it would be a decision for the district or the moderator to make. He stated if the committee was being asked their opinion though; they would say that there is not enough parking and issues with traffic. He stated that it sounded as though there may be a fall Town Meeting and it may be more appropriate at that time to have it at the new Mountview. P. Challenger stated that there will still be a punch list of items that will need to be completed; things such as the audio visual equipment made need to be tested and additional items may need to be addressed. He stated if it was up to the Committee; they would recommend holding off.
Chairman Kurtz stated that 6-8 weeks to do hazmat puts demo at the end of May/ beginning of June. He asked if they expected any impact with school operations with noises or other things.
P. Challenger replied that this was the flip side of building and demoing on the same property; its not an ideal educational environment however it is a separate building and in his opinion he felt it was less obtrusive then the building process. He stated he thinks they just bring the crane it and bring the building down. He stated the new building is better sound proofed as well so that will help. P. Challenger stated once the building was down, they will lower the site and work on the roads. He stated that they are hopeful that this will be done after school is over. That the traffic patterns are going to be the toughest part; doable but not ideal.
Chairman Kurtz thanked the Committee for coming out to the meeting. He stated everyone was very proud and that it is a showcase building. He stated the Board was throwing out the idea of hosting the Town Meeting there and they will need to have further discussion on the matter.
P. Challenger thanked the Board for having them.
- Planning and Development Department Reorganization
P. Harding, Director of Planning and Development, and David Lindberg, Building Inspector, were both present at the meeting.
Ms. Kelly stated that she wanted to bring both P. Harding and D. Lindberg to the meeting in order to formally introduce them to the Board. She stated that both P. Harding and D. Lindberg have had a lot of contact with residents, businesses, the community, and the Town.
Ms. Kelly stated that P. Harding had been the Town Planner for 15 years and is a person that she (Ms. Kelly) has a great deal of admiration for professionally. She stated that P. Harding has a great understanding of the Town and Ms. Kelly had the opportunity to promote her into the position about three months ago and that she (P. Harding) had met all the expectations and was doing a great job. Ms. Kelly stated that the Planning and Development Department includes building inspections, planning, conservation, zoning, department of health, solids waste, animal inspector and weights and measures. Ms. Kelly stated that it is a department that is diverse and she felt as though P. Harding would do an exemplary job in juggling the roles and functions. Ms. Kelly stated that P. Harding would still be the Town Planner and also still work with the Conservation Commission and on occasion work with the ZBA and Health Department. Ms. Kelly stated that with this coming budget, she requested some help with the Conservation Commission. Ms. Kelly asked the Board to welcome P. Harding to the new role in the Town.
Ms. Kelly told the Board that she also wanted to introduce Dave Lindberg. She stated that D. Lindberg was a former local inspector for 10 years, a Holden resident, and had been a Building Commissioner for Sturbridge and Boxborough before coming back to Town. Ms. Kelly stated that that he is very professional, knows the Town and residents and has adjusted very well to the new position. She stated that D. Lindberg is in charge of the office which has two staff members there and he is continuing to implement online permitting as well.
Chairman Kurtz congratulated and welcomed P. Harding and D. Lindberg.
Sel. Renzoni welcomed P. Harding and D. Lindberg. He stated it was great when they are able to put residents in these positions.
Sel. Ethier stated that P. Harding had been the Town Planner for a long time. He stated that D. Lindberg was also a long time member of one of the Towns Boards (Planning).
Ms. Kelly stated that D. Lindberg needed to resign from the Planning Board when he was promoted.
Sel. O’Brien congratulated both P. Harding and D. Lindberg. He stated that his first interaction with P. Harding was when a development was being built behind his house; he appreciated her attention to what was going on. He stated he had also known D. Lindberg for some time. Sel. O’Brien congratulated them both again and stated he felt very comfortable with them both and that the Town was in good hands.
Sel. O’Brien stated that one of the things that Ag Com wanted to do was a survey to with regards to 61A land to try to be more proactive rather than reactive. He stated that the Town was in reactive mode and he would like to see some planning and be more proactive with open space and creating a ranking system for those parcels. He stated that Holden is one of the fastest growing Towns in the state and it is important to have a system to be able to be proactive. He stated he is hoping to have a further discussion on the matter. Sel. O’Brien stated again that he is happy for both of them and that he was one of the Selectmen that had encouraged inviting them out in order for the public to meet them.
P. Harding replied that she is looking forward to working with everyone.
- Citizen’s Address
No citizens stood to address the Board.
- Recognition of Christopher Meservey, Police Academy Graduate
Recognition of Fire Department Personnel
Chief Armstrong and Chief Chandler approached the podium.
Chief Armstrong stated that tonight, they were here to recognize Christopher Meservey, a 9 year veteran of the Holden Police Department as a part time patrolman, dispatcher, and patrolmen. He stated that during his tenure with the Holden Police Force, he had been deployed three times to combat zones. Chief Armstrong stated that the entire force was very proud of what he has done and was there tonight (February 22, 2016) to recognize him for graduating from Police Academy. He stated that C. Meservey received high praise from the academy; and that his leadership and military skills shinned throughout.
Chief Armstrong stated he was very proud of him and wanted to recognize him for his achievements.
The Board stood to recognize Christopher Meservey, shook his hand and presented him with a Certificate of Recognition. The Board paused for a photo.
Sel. Ethier stated that C. Meservey had deployed three times; he stated that it was not easy to sacrifice jumping back and forth and that the Town was lucky to have him with all his experience.
Chief Chandler thanked the Board for having them in. He stated that the Fire Department has 5 promotions that they wanted to recognize.
Chief Chandler stated that in March of 2015, they started a training class in Holden from surrounding towns. He stated the curriculum was organized by Paul Pierce, Bob Connor and assisted by a number of other people within Holden Fire. He stated the class and state certification ran for 9 months with weekend training sessions and with the exemplary training they received they became Firefighter 1 2 certified and are cleared to perform all duties within the department.
Chief Chandler recognized Nicholas Gezotis, Matt Jette, and Ryan Pescaro on their accomplishments with this training.
The Board stood to recognize the Firefighters and shake their hands. Chairman Kurtz presented them with a Citation from the Town congratulating them of graduating from Firefighting Academy. The Board paused for a photo.
Chief Chandler stated that this was a class that was put on by the Town itself. He stated normally, Holden sends a class and they are held to others attendance and locations. He stated that it was a lot of work but they think it paid off and he thinks they will do it again in the future.
Chief Chandler stated that as the Fire Department prepared for the future; they were able to promote two of their own into the Captain role.
Deputy Chief Russ Hall was present to introduce the promotions.
Deputy Chief Hall stated that over the last eight years, the Fire Department had seen a lot of attrition in the command staff. He stated they had lost many members to retirement and they felt as though they needed to expand the role. He stated that the department has four staff shirts and it was a natural progression to go from there to the Captain role.
Deputy Chief Hall stated that these individuals had the qualities and skills needed for the role. He stated along with the role and responsibilities, they will also increase added duties within the fire house.
Scott Charbonneau, a lifelong Holden resident and dedicated Firefighter and Sean Smith, a Holden Firefighter for ten years were both promoted within the Department.
The Board stood to recognize both Firefighters. Sel. O’Brien read the Certificate of Recognition into record and presented it to the men.
The Board paused for a photo and shook their hands.
Ms. Kelly thanked both the Chiefs and their staff for all their hard work and what they do daily.
Sel. O’Brien thanked the officers and firefighters and stated it was great to have them in Town. He stated that he has never heard anything bad about Holden’s first responders and that people are grateful for their efforts in keeping the community safe. He stated that all the recognition is well deserved.
Sel. Ether stated that he was in awe of the number of people that were present at the meeting in support of the officers and firefighters. He stated that it was great to have everyone there and it speaks to the level of comradely that the departments have.
Chairman Kurtz called for a five minute recess at 7:15PM.
Chairman Kurtz called the meeting back to order at 7:25PM.
- Chief David Armstrong- Staffing Plan
Ms. Kelly told the Board that she had passed out a list of topics that Chief Armstrong wished to discuss with the Board about 2017 additional officers. She stated it doesn’t talk about dispatch. Ms. Kelly stated that Chief Armstrong did a study and is requesting two additional officers this year and it is in the budget and the resource profile. Ms. Kelly asked Chief Armstrong to walk the Board through the highlighted items on his list and how it relates to the second information sheet that was handed out.
Chief Armstrong stated that looking at man power 2017 it going to be an important year. He stated some of the reasons he felt like this were based on the continued growth of Holden. He stated that the next census projected about 20,000 people. He stated that the way ratios are given in police work is a given formula; based on that formula the Town should have 40 officers. He stated that what he looked at was a tailor made recommendation based on crime rate, schools, traffic patterns, continued growth, apartment complex, and other things. He stated that another thing that is needed to look at is the constant traffic issues in town. He stated that every night at 5:00PM there are about 20,000 people passing though with only two officers dealing with traffic.
Chief Armstrong stated that the Town saw a spike in area crime this year; he stated with the current opiate crisis in Worcester, there has been an increase in house breaks and larcenies.
Chief Armstrong stated if the force is allocated two new officers in 2017 budget; they will not be up and running until 2018. He stated by the time the right person is found, background is completed, and an academy is found, it takes about a year. Chief Armstrong stated that when officers go to training, the force is down to 20/21 officers. He stated that when the force went to pro dispatch, they also lost the spots of four part time officers. He stated that Officer Meservey who was recognized earlier in the evening was a part time officer that could come off the desk if need be. Chief Armstrong stated that the loss of those part time dispatch/ officers impacted them more than thought it would in the day to day operations of the force.
Chief Armstrong stated that another thing that was reviewed was the age of the force. He stated that looking at retirements, max vacation time, contractual obligations and vacation times was also important in requesting these additional officers.
Chief Armstrong stated that he looked at all these factors and more. He stated that he also reviewed building shifts. He stated that currently a shift can be manned by two officers without an appointed supervisor. He stated that he wanted to formulate shift coverage to lesson the need for Officer in Charge. He stated that as they have seen, there was 8 bomb scares across the Commonwealth; he stated that it was time to look at the buildings and staff so that in the event something happens, on those days, there is a fighting chance. Chief Armstrong said that with 20,000 people, they are pushing the edge and the request for additional officers is a very reasonable one.
Sel. O’Brien thanked the Chief for coming to the meeting and giving the highlights to the Selectmen. He stated that one of the things he was struck by was in 2007 there were 25 Full Time employees including dispatch; he asked if on busy shifts, they had a hard time keeping up.
Chief Armstrong replied absolutely. He stated there are busy shifts and they have had it where as first responders, they go to all calls. He stated that they go to every medical call. He said for example if there are only two officers working, and they are tied to a medical call and there is an accident, there needs to be an adjustment made.
Sel. O’Brien stated that at the MMA conference, there was a recommendation made that spoke about having officers in the schools. He stated he would love to see an officer back at Mountview especially in light of the opiate crisis across the state. He stated that he knew the presence of an officer in the school was always a calming one and if they were trying to broker additional officers, maybe they could discuss working with the district to have an officer put back into Mountview.
Chief Armstrong replied that one of the most successful programs he saw was at Mountview. He stated that the funding left and they have been hopeful to see it again but that has yet to happen.
Sel. O’Brien stated that at one point the officer count went from 30-23; he asked if that was reflective of the officers from dispatch.
Chief Armstrong replied that they lost 4; 7 full time dispatchers.
Ms. Kelly stated they were taken out of the police department budget so it does appear as a decrease.
Chief Armstrong replied if Sel. O’Brien saw 30 it was reflective of dispatch.
Sel. O’Brien stated that he was hoping that they could outline more of where the funding is coming from for the dispatch center.
Chief Armstrong replied he could put something together on that.
Chairman Kurtz replied that they were there to look at the police force and if the Chief needed to come back to talk about the budget surrounding dispatch they could set a later date for that.
Sel. Renzoni thanked the Chief. He asked if it was policy that two officers could cover without a supervisor.
Chief Armstrong replied that they could.
Sel. Renzoni asked if they were successful in getting two additional officers how that will improve the Officer in Charge situation.
Chief Armstrong replied that it would change how they stacked the shifts and they would be able to do so with more depth. He stated that he is working on a plan to have enough full time personnel in place during every shift.
Sel. Renzoni asked if that would be a supervisor.
Chief Armstrong replied that there is nothing budgeted to allow for that.
Sel. Ethier asked if the two new officers were in the budget.
Ms. Kelly replied they were in the proposed budget.
Sel. Ethier stated it was all the more reason to make sure that Chief Armstrong and the officers get to Town Meeting; he stated it is still a political process and the Town is in need of additional officers.
Sel. O’Brien suggested doing some public education on the Town Manager blog or website so people can recognize there is a need. He stated they want to make sure the officers have what they need and part of that is developing support and educating the public around that need. He stated he was surprised to learn that the Town has so few officers.
Chairman Kurtz thanked the chief. He stated that looking at the attachment; he stated that reading the attachment it looked as though Holden should have a force double in size.
Chief Armstrong replied that it is a federal recommendation/ formula. He stated it was his job to come up with what was right; he said he does not need 40 officers as suggested; but that he does need more than what he has now.
Chairman Kurtz replied that he thinks Chief Armstrong runs a great staff; he complimented the chief on his staff.
Chief Armstrong replied that his staff steps up all the time and works hard; he stated that they deserve to get more support.
Sel. Renzoni asked Chief Armstrong to come back when he has more information about how he employs the forces and impact in the streets. He stated that he wants the Selectmen to be the Chiefs biggest supporter in asking for additional staff.
- Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School
Jim Cournoyer stated that he was happy to be with the Board and that it was quite a difference from the last time he was there. He stated there are a lot of exciting things going on and that Monty Tech is one of the top vocational schools but that Holden is missing a golden opportunity. He stated he was there tonight to see how they can correlate to help get kids enrolled in the school. He stated that Worcester Tech has a waiting list and there is a huge demand for vocational education. He stated he has been there eight year and his son attended as well. He stated they have college placement; he stated that the difference between comprehensive schools and voc schools, is that the kids coming out of voc schools have choices. He stated that kids get skills and he feels as though Holden is missing the boat and a lot of kids in Town would benefit from this opportunity. He stated that Dr. Sheila Harrity, Superintendent, has been doing a wonderful job and has exceeded all expectations in just over a year. He stated that she can tell you what is happening at the school better than he could.
Dr. Sheila Harrity, Superintendent, Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District was present at the meeting. She told the Board that Monty Tech is the second largest regional voc schools. She stated that there is a very good graduation rate of 97% with a .1% drop out rate. She stated that voc schools were created so that kids could go to college and learn a skill. She stated there are 120 students with coop senior year that are working for employees within their field, building their resumes, and learning.
She stated some programs are a health course, with home health aid, CPR, EMT Course and student receive 8 college credits free of charge so they can choose to go to work or they can go on to more education in the field.
She stated there is a cyber certification AP computer programming course, additionally there is a ROTC in cyber security that is training students on this.
Dr. Harrity stated they have a business tech program that allows students to work at credit unions and they worked to have a credit union build a full service branch in the foyer of the tech school and hired four of the schools students.
Dr. Harrity stated they have a Chrome Book Initiative where the whole school went to Google classroom and do an initiative with Google where the students would receive the Chrome books.
Dr. Harrity stated another exciting thing they are doing is working to build and construct a vet clinic on their campus and they will hire a vet and Becker College with partner with them for vet doc free of charge. She stated they were pretty excited about it and not asking the district for a cent and it would not only help students but meet the needs of the community as well.
Dr. Harrity stated that unfortunately they are not meeting the quota from Holden; only 5 students from Holden had applied and she wanted to go to a Selectmen meeting in order to get the message out about what a great education it is.
Sel. Renzoni replied that every time he spoke with J. Cournoyer, he is bragging about what a great education Monty Tech is and how much it has to offer. He stated there are only 5 8th grade applicants for 38 seats. He asked how many Holden students were in each grade.
Dr. Harrity replied there were 13 in 9th grade, 11 in 10th grade, 18 in 11th graders and 13 in 12th grade.
Sel. Renzoni stated that they have been going through budgets and have seen a decrease in services. He asked what the timeline was for application.
Dr. Harrity replied that applications are at the middle school and Holden students can go and explore the school on several days. She stated they have summer camps for 6, 7, and 8th graders and they can give tours as well. She stated they are also able to send an application to anyone’s home that is interested.
Sel. Renzoni stated that there is some aging technology in the district; he asked if everyone at the school would have a Chrome book.
Dr. Harrity replied they would and that it was going to help cater education to each student.
Sel. O’Brien stated that he has known Shiela Harrity and has watched her career and that it is pretty remarkable what is going on. He stated that the Town should put this information on the website. He said it is unbelievable to think about a school building a vet clinic. He stated it was great to have her back within the Town’s schools. He congratulated her on the good work and said they could work on more public education on the Selectmen’s end.
Chairman Kurtz stated that he has a son in 8th grade and he said he had received more information tonight in ten minutes then he had from Mountview Middle School. He asked if there was outreach program. He said that there was not a lot of information out there for people to look at and maybe some type of information with the student would help as well.
Ms. Kelly thanked J. Cournoyer and Dr. Harrity for coming to the meeting. She stated she was very excited about the vet clinic as well and thinks it will fit a need and be a great success. She stated that there is a student in Town that wants to go to an agricultural school and the nearest school is Amherst. She stated that the tuition is very expensive and if Monty Tech is ever looking for a new idea she suggested looking into this type of program.
Sel. Renzoni left the meeting at 8:08PM.
- Town Manager’s Update
- Amendment to WRSD Regional Agreement: The WRSD School Committee has been developing amendments to the Regional Agreement to be brought to members towns’ town meeting this spring. There will be a hearing on this matter on Monday, February 22, 2016 at 6:45PM in the Media Center, Wachusett Regional High School. This public hearing is to give member town officials and residents the opportunity to provide input and to ask questions about these proposed amendments.
Sel. O’Brien asked if Ms. Kelly was comfortable with the amendments that were made.
Ms. Kelly replied she had no objections and she adjusted the dates.
- Creamer House Demolition: After discussing the status of the former Creamer House, which was vacated over a year ago, we decided it would be in the Town’s best interest to demolish the structure and grade the site. The structure can not be re-used without major alternation and it would not be a good use of town funds for a building with no useful purpose. If left vacant, it will become an attractive nuisance and a liability to the Town and neighborhood. It is also a safety hazard.
We determined that there was a small amount of asbestos that as been removed by an LSP. We have also removed any metal pipes that can be sold for scrap.
The Fire Department has indicated that it would like to use the structure for training before it is demolished. The training will take place once the weather improves, the neighbors notified and all safety precautions taken by the Fire Department. We will keep you informed about the actual dates.
Chairman Kurtz asked if it would be a controlled burn.
Ms. Kelly replied it would be.
Sel. Ethier asked if as part of the demo they will clean up that area.
Ms. Kelly replied that she had met with the Community Garden Committee and they have a plan to address the poison ivy; she stated they will need to hire outside help in order to do so.
Sel. Renzoni returned to the meeting at 8:13PM.
- HMLD Monthly Report: Ms. Kelly is enclosed a monthly report for the Holden Municipal Light Department for the month of January 2016, prepared by Jim Robinson, General Manager
Sel. O’Brien stated that he spoke to J. Robinson and they have two new hires so they are fully staffed again. He stated that there was a recent incident with a pole down and they were able to connect temporary line to a tree and run the electrical service and keep the power while they did the fix. He stated it was pretty remarkable event.
- Holden Pupil Population Study Taskforce: The Pupil Population Study Taskforce has reviewed enrollment numbers and population trends in Holden. According to the enclosed memorandum from Darryll McCall, Superintendent of Schools, the Committee did not see major shifts in Holden student population trends. That has led the Committee to conclude that re-districting will not be required at this time. However, the District will continue to monitor student enrollments in Holden elementary schools in the future.
Sel. Ethier stated that the findings surprised him. He stated that a few people had expressed dismay about the size of the classes in Dawson verses Davis Hill.
Ms. Kelly replied that they have looked at it for years.
- Excise Tax Commitment: The Holden Tax Collector’s office recently mailed approximately 16,500 motor vehicle excise tax bills for the calendar year 2016. These bills, which are due by March 10, 2016, represented approximately 80% of the vehicles garaged in Holden. Excise bills are generated from the Registry of Motor Vehicles’ records thorough the calendar year, and not all vehicle owners will receive an excise bill at this time. If a vehicle was purchase recently, it is likely that the owner will be billed sometime later this year.
Excise bills may be paid through the mail using the envelope provided to our bank lockbox for this first commitment only. If you use the bill payer service through your bank, you must make sure the checks will be mailed to the Collector’s Office, 1204 Main St., Holden, MA 01520 with the correct bill numbers noted on the checks. This will avoid any confusion as to what the payment is for when received and posted.
Payments may also be mailed directly to the Collector’s office, 1204 Main St., Holden, MA 01520. In addition, the collector’s office highly recommends payment may be mode online, either from a checking account or by credit card, by logging onto holdenma.gov and clicking on the “Pay Bills Online” link or in person on the second floor of the Starbard Building.
If you have sold your vehicle or have any other questions regarding the validity of your excise bill, please call the Assessors’ office at (508) 210-5514. If you did not receive a bill or have question about payments, please contact the Collector’s office at (508) 210-5510.
- Education Options Review Committee: Ms. Kelly attached a slightly edited version of the Charge for this Committee. We have placed a note about it on the website and have received several inquiries about serving on the Committee
Sel. Renzoni asked Ms. Kelly what the changes that were made were.
Ms. Kelly replied that they edited it so it was a little more organized.
Sel. Ethier stated he did not see an end date for the report.
Ms. Kelly replied she did not know what the Board wanted so she didn’t add one.
Ms. Kelly stated she had received 7 potential candidates, all registered voters, for the committee. She asked who would like to look though them.
Chairman Kurtz took the applications.
Sel. Renzoni told the public that if there was anyone else who felt as though they could add value to the committee to please reach out
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was VOTED TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS TO THE EDUCATION OPTIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE BY A VOTE OF 3-0-1 (O’Brien: abstain).
Ms. Kelly told the Board that she had provided them with a copy of a memo from Darryll McCall, Superintendent regarding the development of along term District Strategic Plan. She stated that they have hired a consultant group to do a survey and in order to gather input from member town’s residents. She stated that they have been working with the Light Department in order to have the survey go out to residents in that way and an online survey was set to up live on Monday, February 22, 2016.
Sel. Renzoni confirmed that the survey came out electronically today (February 22, 2016).
Chairman Kurtz asked if they were piggybacking on an existing mailer.
Ms. Kelly replied that it was not a separate mailing; it was printed on the actual bill.
Ms. Kelly told the Board that she had given them a copy of the Planning Board Agenda as well. She stated it was a reminder that the hearing on the bus parking would be tomorrow February 23, 2016 at 7:00PM at Memorial Hall.
Ms. Kelly stated that she believes the school district has published its budget and she will be working with them and her staff to roll that into the budget as well. She stated that they will need to do some strategizing to see how they Town can handle their requests.
Chairman Kurtz asked if the MLC had changed dramatically.
Ms. Kelly replied that MLC did not go up that much; she stated the transportation was the largest factor.
Sel. Ethier asked if that was because of lower reimbursement rates.
Ms. Kelly replied it was a combination of things. She stated that they do not know what they receive in state aid and the school committee adopts a budget without these figures. She stated she does not know what will take place but she will be looking at it.
Ms. Kelly stated the superintendent will come to the March 7, 2016 meeting and will also be at the Fin Com Public Hearing on March 23, 2016.
Ms. Kelly stated they will also be getting more information and see what other Towns reactions are as well.
9) Follow Up to Citizens Address
None
10) Selectmen Subcommittee
Sel. O’Brien stated that HMLD did not meet.
Sel. Ethier stated Ag Com did not meet. He stated that Jed’s Hardware hosts an indoor farmers market on Friday’s in the winter and they are always quick to help the Town.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he had no meetings since the last Selectmen meeting. He stated that he will attend the Fin Com meeting Wednesday. He stated that if anyone is interested in the Community Garden Committee to be please reach out. He stated that a member from Holden Garden reached out to him and they will be sending someone to the meeting. He stated they will be happy when the building is gone from the Craemer Property.
Sel. Renzoni stated that Water / Sewer had not contacted him.
Chairman Kurtz stated that 275th was meeting on March 1, 2016 and there is talk about doing something bigger in the fall. He stated they were discussing doing a family event maybe in conjunction with Holden Days. He stated that some corporate sponsors had stepped up and they were trying to finalize plans and put some dates together in the next month.
11) Selectmen Minutes
No Minutes
12) Selectmen Miscellaneous
Sel. O’Brien stated that he was able to attend the Resource Profile and that the budget is a work in progress. He stated that Ms. Kelly had made some great cases and he is hopeful that they will be able to find some middle ground about tax rate increases.
Sel. O’Brien stated that Stephen Manio passed away and his services would be held on Friday.
Chairman Kurtz stated that the Resource Profile was good. He stated that adding $600 to the tax bill is not a 14% increase based on added services; it is mostly due to the debt exclusion of Mountview. He stated he wanted to clarify that and have the citizens understand that as well.
Sel. Ethier stated that he too attended the Resource Profile. He stated that the tax increase was in direct correlation to Mountview. He stated that is what debt exclusion is; it would force an increase in taxes for the next twenty years.
Sel. Ethier stated that the Town will start to see other things fall off such as the pool, the high school, public safety building. He stated the increase is not a direct result of Town spending money.
Sel. O’Brien stated that this was still the very preliminary phase of the budget. He stated that everything right now was very preliminary and the budget still needs to come together and get presented.
Sel. Renzoni stated that the farmers market at Jed’s Hardware is the third Friday of the month.
Next Meeting: March 7, 2016.
Motion by Sel. Ethier, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN THE FEBRUARY 22, 2016 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING AT 8:39PM.
APPROVED: ___March 21, 2016 (as amended)__________