Board of Selectmen, July 17, 2017 6:30 p.m.
HOLDEN BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING MINUTES
July 17, 2017
6:34PM Senior Center
Present: Chairman Robert Lavigne, Geri Herlihy, Tim Ethier, Jeremy Kurtz (6:41PM), Anthony Renzoni
Others Present: Peter Lukes, Town Manager
Liz Fotos, Town Recorder
Chairman Lavigne called the meeting to order at 6:34PM. The Board stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Appointments, Licenses, and Permits
Motion by Sel. Renzoni seconded by Sel. Herlihy, it was VOTED 4-0 TO APPROVE JENNIFER STANOVICH ON BEHALF OF WACHUSETT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR A PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT LICENSE AND COMMON VICTUALTER/ FOOD COURT LICENSE-FOR HOLDEN DAYS/ BUBAR FIELD, BANDSTAND & DAMON HOUSE LOT ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017- SET UP, SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2017 FROM 8AM TO 3PM.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Herlihy, it was VOTED 4-0 TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL APPOINTMENT OF ELECTION OFFICERS AS PRESENTED.
Chairman Lavigne told the public that prior to the regularly scheduled meeting, the Board voted to approve Chris Hugo and Mary Copeland for three year terms to the Agricultural Commission and Cultural Council. He thanked them for their time.
- Fire Department Recognitions// Recent graduates of the MA Firefighting Academy Call/ Volunteer recruit class/ Ambulance Service Recognitions/ Introduction of new lieutenant
Chief Jack Chandler was present at the meeting to recognize the firefighters. He introduced Deputy Chief Peter Bergstrom who was in charge of recruiting in order to introduce and recognize the three recent graduates.
Deputy Chief Bergstrom stated that there were three new Call/Volunteer Firefighters that were hired in 2016 and began the 18 week class for all Call/Volunteers. He stated that in that program they receive First Aid Certification, Haz-Mat Certification, FF I/ FF II Certification. He called Jake Annunziata, Mike Lemoine, and Joe Sposato to the podium.
Chairman Lavigne welcomed the three men and thanked them for their service.
Sel. Renzoni asked them how their experience was.
The firefighters all agreed that it was an excellent experience.
Sel. Kurtz entered the meeting at 6:41PM.
The Board thanked the gentleman for their service.
Chief Chandler introduced Dave Russo to the Board. He stated that Mr. Russo was the EMS Coordinator and was responsible for overseeing the ambulances and heavily involved in two recent certifications the Town received.
D. Russo stated the first certificate was from the American Heart and American Stroke Associations for their work with the Worcester-area hospitals in early intervention of myocardial infarctions. He stated that the department was doing about 1,900 EMS calls/ year and that qualified them for “Mission Life Matters’ from the AMA. He stated that it had to do with those in cardiac arrest and how quickly they respond and transport patients to the hospitals. He stated that they were awarded the Bronze Mission Lifeline this year and it was a huge accomplishment for the department.
D. Russo stated that the second certificate that they had received was from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for their participation in the Coverdell Stroke Systems of Care Pilot Project. He stated it was a grant they received that entailed getting a patient to a stroke center in under 90 minutes in order to get proper medication/surgery.
Chairman Lavigne congratulated the department on its accomplishments.
Sel. Renzoni asked out of 1,900 calls how many were cardiac calls.
D. Russo replied about 40-60 / year.
Sel. Ethier congratulated the department. He asked if they needed to change how they were doing things regarding stroke patients.
D. Russo replied that they always had guidelines for strokes but they made it a bigger awareness and they are able to call it sooner and get neurology involved quicker. He stated they were able to do a full neuro-assessment in the ambulance and were able to turn the results over to the neuro-team at the hospital to move quicker. He stated that they do not transmit the neuro report to the hospital but they were able to transmit the EKG’s.
The Board thanked them for their work.
Chief Chandler introduced Lieutenant Bob Connor as the new lieutenant to the Department. He stated they had an opening and put candidates through rigorous testing processes with a national testing company. He congratulated Lieutenant Connor.
The Board congratulated Lieutenant Connor.
Chairman Lavigne asked what it was like to the part of the beta test for the interview process.
Lieutenant Connor stated that he was happy they had the process in place and was happy to be in this role.
- Selectmen Subcommittee
Sel. Kurtz: none
Sel. Ethier stated that he had attended the DPW Building Committee and ever though it was not his Committee, he stated that he sensed some frustration from the Committee with the Board. He stated that they had already lost two members and he was hopeful that they did not lose any more. He stated that he wanted to remind this Board that when they appoint a Committee they should let them do their job.
Chairman Lavigne stated that he did not believe anyone from the Board was interfering.
Sel. Ethier stated that there was nothing in their charge to come up with a building in a specific price range and that some of their members felt that the Board was putting them in a bad position. He stated that he hoped the Board would back off a little, he hated losing members. He asked if those positions could be filled.
Mr. Lukes replied that he was working on it.
Sel. Ethier stated that he thought that they were frustrated that they were being micromanaged by people that should not be doing it.
Sel. Ethier stated that the Education Options Committee had not met but that he believed they wanted to present to the Board in September.
Sel. Renzoni: none.
Sel. Herlihy stated that she was at the DPW Building Committee and that there was some frustration but that she believes it should be a collaborative process.
Sel. Herlihy stated there was no update from the Garden Committee.
Chairman Lavigne stated that he was present at the DPW Building Committee Meeting. He stated that he was careful to not speak and to only let Sel. Herlihy speak as she was the representative to that Board. He stated that he had spoken to the Chair of that Board and they were ready to move forward with the Board of Selectmen and Fin Com. He stated that they were not micromanaging anyone but wanted open communication moving forward.
Chairman Lavigne asked if there was any interest in filling the two open spots on the Committee.
Mr. Lukes replied that there was and that it was a Town Manager appointment he was working on.
- Selectmen Minutes
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Kurtz, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE JUNE 5, 2017 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS CORRECTED.
Motion by Sel. Ethier, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was VOTED TO APPROVE THE MAY 1, 2017 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS CORRECTED BY A VOTE OF 4-0-1 (Lavigne abstain).
- SELECTMEN MISCELLANEOUS
Sel. Kurtz stated that he had no miscellaneous but that he would like to go back to licenses and permits. He asked if the Board had given the Town Manager authorization to approve any licenses and permits that may come in prior to the next meeting.
Chairman Lavigne stated they had not.
Motion by Sel. Kurtz, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO APPROVE ANY PERMITS/ LICENSES FROM NOW UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEEETING.
Sel. Ethier stated that Rutland was having its Town Meeting on July 24, 2017 to deal with the school budget. He stated that they ended up with about a 4% increase to the whole budget so it will be interesting to see what they do.
Sel. Ethier stated that a while back the Board had received a letter about having a joint meeting with the IIF; he stated that the Town Manager had indicated that they had voted to disband so he didn’t know if this was still necessary.
Mr. Lukes stated that Town Counsel had reviewed and was drafting a warrant article to disband the IIF. He stated that after the Board solicits the legislature to approve disbanding the IIF then the funds would be put into the General Stabilization Fund.
Sel. Ethier asked if the Board should be more in the loop on those communications as they were the ones to set the warrant articles.
Mr. Lukes replied that they would be.
Sel. Ethier asked if it would be ready for a fall Town Meeting.
Mr. Lukes replied that it could be.
Sel. Ethier stated that he thinks people would be more likely to vote on the DPW Building if it was because it would make people feel better.
Mr. Lukes stated that the warrant article would give the Board the authority to petition Legislature and then it would get sent back to Town Meeting.
Sel. Renzoni stated that it could take some time before all that happened. He stated that they needed a Town Meeting to vote to authorize withdrawing for the special legislation.
Sel. Ethier stated he felt that they should get the ball rolling and that possibly Rep. Ferguson could help more it along quickly and didn’t foresee it being an issue.
Sel. Herlihy stated that Holden Baseball was hosting the State Champions for the Little League and the 9/10 year olds were advancing to the State Championship and that the 10/11 year olds had lost tonight (7/17/17) but were playing again tomorrow.
Sel. Lavigne stated that Lilac Hedge Farm was having their festival on 7/22/17 and 7/23/17. He stated that you could buy tickets at eventbrite.com and that it was going to be a great event.
- Citizen’s Address
Valerie Samson, 40 Village Way, was present at the meeting. She stated that she would speak during the agenda item but that she wanted to let the Board know that she had sent a draft of the grant paperwork to S. Morrison at White Oak and that after speaking with Ralph Peck, White Oak, they indicated that they would not be signing the paperwork. She stated that it was dead in the water because White Oak won’t sign the document because the document indicates that they will maintain the dam, which they do not intend to do.
Chairman Lavigne asked Ms. Sampson to refrain from using people’s names as they were not present at the meeting.
Ms. Sampson stated that without the owner’s signature it is a moot point. She stated that if the draw down happens there will be no beach and that she thinks some consideration should be given to that as she thinks Eagle Lake Beach disappearing is not a good thing.
Dan Marrinome, 37 Village Way, was present at the meeting. He stated that he was going to talk about all the work that had been done to clear around the dam. He stated that there had been clearing brush, painting, and more. He stated that he understands the issue is complicated but that it is a resource for the Town and he thinks that should be considered.
Brian Vitale, 34 Village Way, was present at the meeting. He stated that now that they were thinking about the lake, it was important to bring up the fact that it was Town owned and that there was one piece of infrastructure that maintained it; the dam. He stated that even though the dam was privately owned, the Town had in the past assisted with its maintenance. He stated that he believes the IIF was set up because of the dam rehab. He stated that they feel that a second investment is appropriate at this time. He stated that the stakes were higher this time as the current proposal was to draw it down and it looks as though the Conservation Commission is looking at the permanent drawdown which would drain the lake.
Mr. Vitale stated that it was Town property and a Town asset that was being impacted. He showed the Board photos of the area to show how people enjoyed the lake and also what would happen to it. He stated the stakes were high and he wished to speak more about the Town maintain it. He stated that the Town should own the infrastructure that maintains its asset. He asked the Board to please think about it.
Chairman Lavigne reminded the public that Citizens Address is not a back and forth but that there is a follow up to Citizens Address later in the meeting. He stated that they could not have too much discussion without the matter on the agenda.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he thought the Board should still take a vote on the matter.
Chairman Lavigne stated that he did not think it would hurt to have the Board’s position on the matter.
Sel. Ethier stated that if the Board was not going back and forth that he wanted to get into the discussion of the Town taking responsibility for the wall
Chairman Lavigne stated that it could be set for an agenda item but that it would be a bigger conversation.
Sel. Ethier asked if they would absolutely be having that conversation.
Chairman Lavigne replied that he believed they would and that he was interested in the conversation as well.
Sel. Ethier asked if they would be having that conversation in the near future. He stated that the drawdown could not happen until next May but that he thinks that it should happen sooner rather than later.
Chairman Lavigne agreed.
Ms. Sampson stated that the grant that they were speaking about was a grant that had to be applied for by the owners of the dam. She stated that it was preferable that the non-profit applied for the grant because if the private owners did it would come with a low interest rate.
Mr. Vitale stated that the Town had not requested a permanent drawdown for the lake and the property was owned by the Town. He stated that although the vote for Town support may be moot it may be good to have the Town’s statement.
- Complete Streets Policy- DPW Director John Woodsmall
John Woodsmall, DPW Director, was present at the meeting. He stated that they were there at the meeting to ask the Board to endorse the Complete Streets Policy. He stated he also wanted to introduce the Board to the newest Civil Engineer, Mark St. Fleur, who came to the Town from a material construction site in Worcester and had a number of years experience.
Mr. Woodsmall introduced Isabel McCauley, DPW Senior Civil Engineer, to speak on the Complete Streets Policy.
Isabel McCauley stated that in 2016 the Department of Transportation implemented the Complete Streets Program and one of the main drivers of the program was a Healthy Transportation Act that’s mission was to motivate Americans to be more active and walk/ride more. She stated that it was inclusive of providing safe transportation such as bike lanes and sidewalks.
Isabel McCauley stated that it was Holden’s policy to see where improvements in Town were needed to improve their facilities and how they would go about it and how to design and implement it. She stated that one of the scopes of the policy was to look at every project and see how Complete Streets could apply. She stated that they would look at all projects, old and new, maintenance, reconstruction and look at the context of what was being done and if it made sense. She stated they would also look at the context and sensitivity which meant looking at the environment, historical data, and surroundings to see what would actually fit. She stated that there would be a number of exceptions included, as well.
Isabel McCauley stated that they would look at performance merits such as length of bike paths, feet of sidewalk that is reconstructed or number of ADA ramps as well.
Isabel McCauley stated that with regards to implementation, DPW was currently implementing some of these concepts and looking at projects to bring these concepts in. She stated that DPW was also working with other departments such as the Planning Department to implement some of these concepts into their review of the subdivisions. She stated that they would be looking for funding whenever possible.
Mr. Lukes stated that the Town wanted to constantly be reevaluating what worked and didn’t work and implement these changes where it made sense. He stated that Isabel McCauley had worked hard on this.
Chairman Lavigne thanked Ms. McCauley for her hard work.
Sel. Renzoni stated that the Town was currently doing these things, he asked if by adopting them into an official policy, it would be binding to the Town at all. He asked if there was a financial benefit or just something that would cost the Town.
Ms. McCauley stated that they do the exception so that the Town has the opportunity to look at a project and analyze the cost/ benefit versus how much it is to implement the concept so that the Town could decide if it was appropriate or too costly to move forward with a particular project. She stated that they were not tied to doing anything and it was a very flexible program.
Ms. McCauley stated that the state had implemented the program and it was being done in three steps. She stated that step 1 was for the Town to adopt the Complete Streets Program. She stated that the Town was the decision makers in the program.
Chairman Lavigne asked if the Policy was a prerequisite to receiving funding from the state.
Ms. McCauley stated that it was.
Mr. Woodsmall stated that regardless of whether the Town applied for grants or not, they (the Town) was doing a lot of these things anyway. He stated that this policy was the formalization of what they were already doing to allow the Town to apply for grants but it did not lock the Town into anything. He stated that this policy does conflict with Stormwater Management a little because for Stormwater you want to minimize pervious area and for Complete Streets you are trying to accommodate all road users however they would not be locking into doing anything more that what they were currently doing which was looking to implement it when it made sense.
Sel. Renzoni thanked them and stated that he felt like he could support it but that he would prefer to table it and review it completely. He stated that he was concerned about the state saying that the Town was not tied into something but then they actually were tied to something. He suggested having the Transportation and Circulation Committee look at it as well and taking the vote on this in September.
Mr. Woodsmall replied that the Transportation and Circulation Committee was no longer in existence. He stated that this was also already presented to the Planning Board.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he also felt they were obligated to have Fin Com review it as they were required to look at all financial matters of the Town.
Mr. Woodsmall stated that this policy did not require the Town to do anything. He stated that they were saying as a Department that they should consider these things and this policy would formalize what DPW already does. He stated that the policy simply stated that they would look into it.
Sel. Renzoni stated that if there was a financial benefit to the Town that they were obligated to pass it though Fin Com and then have them report back. He stated that he thinks he would support it but he would like to have it tabled.
Sel. Kurtz stated that a few major roads were owned by the state. He asked if this policy would help force the state to put sidewalks into these locations.
Mr. Woodsmall replied that he did not think so but that the state was subject to 2006 MA Highway Project Development Guidelines that required them to look at it. He stated that in terms of advocacy, the Town could point to this policy to support why they felt the state should install the sidewalks but that it did not force them to do so.
Sel. Kurtz stated that from a financial impact, DPW did a great job in the winter clearing sidewalks and plowing. He asked as the Town was doing more sidewalks would it tax the department or would there be another policy, such as the homeowners being responsible for their own sidewalks in front of their homes.
Mr. Woodsmall stated that operations was something that they always looked at. He stated that outside the schools they would continue to plow but that there were a number of sidewalks that DPW did not touch and there was no ordinance that required homeowners to spend their time and energy clearing a public way. He stated the Complete Streets Policy would not change that and that he believes that the Town should plow all sidewalks however it is not practical currently so could not happen.
Sel. Ethier asked if there was any real negative financial reason the Board should not support this policy.
Mr. Woodsmall stated that this was simply codification of DPW’s philosophy as a department and was in tune with best management practices. He stated there was no type of financial commitment that came along with this policy; however, it did allow for the Town to apply for grants in the future.
Mr. Lukes stated that putting the policy on record would open up grants in the future.
Sel. Ethier stated that he did not think there was any reason to table this discussion. He stated that he did not know why this needed to go to Fin Com. He stated that the Selectboard was the Town leaders.
Mr. Lukes stated that he did not think that the Planning Board needed to approve the policy but they did support it. He stated that he did not know if the Board of Selectmen needed to support it either as it was his understanding that the Town Manager just needed to sign the policy in a public meeting.
Mr. Woodsmall stated that technically Mr. Lukes was correct.
Sel. Herlihy stated that they had just received the policy; she asked why it needed to be pushed through so quickly.
Chairman Lavigne stated that there was no reason to involve Fin Com on this policy. He stated that to codify the Town’s process was a good thing.
Mr. Woodsmall stated that this policy was about design standards and did not need consideration from Fin Com.
Sel. Renzoni stated that as per the Town Manager, no vote was needed.
A motion was made by Sel. Ethier to support the Complete Streets Policy. The vote was seconded by Sel. Kurtz.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he would support it but that he felt that the policy should have been in the packet in order to allow time for the Board to review. He stated that it was bad practice to make these decisions on the spur of the moment. He stated that it looked great but that the Board typically did not adopt a policy without having time to weigh in on it.
Chairman Lavigne stated that it looked as though Mr. Lukes was prepared to sign the policy and that from what he had seen he could not imagine the Board not supporting it.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he did not matter if the Board supported it. He stated he would not put a motion up to postpone the vote and he would support it; however, he wanted to be on record stating that it was bad practice to make these decisions without proper time.
Ms. McCauley stated that the policy had been developed and was similar to several other towns that have adopted it. She stated that they had looked carefully at what would apply to Holden and made sure that it was not tying the Town to doing something that would not be beneficial. She stated a lot of what was in the policy they already did and they would continue to do going forward.
Sel. Renzoni stated is hesitation was not on Ms. McCauley’s work or presentation, it was more philosophical that the Board should not be handed a paper and asked to vote on it. He stated his hold up had nothing to do with her work and he thanked her for doing the work.
Mr. Lukes apologized to the Board for not having the information to them sooner.
Motion by Sel. Ethier, seconded by Sel. Kurtz, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUPPORT THE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY AS PRESENTED.
- Vote on Board Support for Grant Application
A motion was made by Sel. Renzoni to authorize the Chair to sign a letter of support for the Grant Application for Eagle Lake. The motion was seconded by Sel. Ethier.
Sel. Renzoni stated that it did not hurt to take the vote and it could be used at their discretion.
Sel. Ethier stated that Ms. Sampson stated that this would be a moot vote as the owner would not sign the grant application, however this was a good endorsement that the dam should remain in place.
Chairman Lavigne stated that the vote was to endorse writing a letter in support of their application for the grant, he stated it was for them to get grant money to conduct a study on the dam, not in support of keeping the dam.
Sel. Ethier stated that if the Board was encouraging this, then they were supporting the study.
Chairman Lavigne stated that was different then what Sel. Ethier originally said.
Sel. Ethier stated that the grant was to do the study. He stated that if the state kicked the money in it would be the best possible solution and this was symbolic to show support that the study should be done to make sure that the dam is safe. He asked if the Board would be doing an agenda item on Eagle Lake.
Chairman Lavigne stated that it was a different conversation but that they have it.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO AUTHORIZE THE CHAIR TO SIGN A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR EAGLE LAKE.
- Code of Conduct & Social Media Policy
Chairman Lavigne stated that every year the Board receives and review the Code of Conduct. He asked the Board to read the harassment policy and hand them to Sel. Renzoni.
Sel. Ethier asked if the Board discussed these yearly.
Chairman Lavigne stated that they did and there was no change in this policy.
Sel. Ethier asked for clarification on Section 3E: Relations with Others.
Chairman Lavigne stated that this was with relation to fellow Board members.
Sel. Renzoni stated that this was an adopted policy so all Board members needed to adhere to it.
Chairman Lavigne stated that the Town has a social media policy and it is directed at Town Employees. He stated this is the first Board where all the members have active social media presence. He stated that many times a policy is driven because something happens and he wanted to set a policy and get in front of it. He stated that it is really a reminder of what can and cannot be done on social media. He stated opinions shared needed to be personal opinions; not representative of the Board, and a reminder that it would be easy to trip up over the Open Meeting Law so he wanted to bring that up to the Board.
Chairman Lavigne stated that he had been seeing more Towns adopting Social Media Policies and that this has some language other towns use.
Sel. Renzoni made a motion to adopt the Social Media Policy dated July 2017 as presented. Sel. Herlihy seconded the Motion.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he appreciated the hard work that Chairman Lavigne put into this.
Chairman Lavigne stated that it was in no way meant to curb the Board’s right to speak or have an online presence. He stated that Board members should have an official page; not that it was a requirement but that if a Board member goes out and makes an official position on their personal page it becomes discoverable. He stated that they should be posting things for information rather than debate and that they should all be communicating through Town email at all times.
Sel. Ethier stated that he does not see the need for the all this. He stated that this does not mean that they are giving up their First Amendment rights because they were members of the Board. He stated that he agreed with some of this but he feels as though they should still be able to say what issues were being discussed and more.
Chairman Lavigne stated that what this policy was saying was not that a Board member should not say something; it was that other members of the Board should not go on and like something.
Sel. Ethier stated that he did not believe this was necessary; he asked if Chairman Lavigne put this together himself.
Chairman Lavigne stated that some he put together and some he leveraged. He stated that he believed that the Board should get in front of this matter so that they did not end up in a situation.
Sel. Kurtz stated that two years ago, the Board looked at an employee social media policy. He asked if any of this conflicted what employees to do.
Mr. Lukes replied it did not. He stated that this policy was more suggestive then that one and served more as a reminder and warning as to how to conduct themselves online.
Chairman Lavigne stated that it would be part of the Board of Selectmen Policy.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he was okay with the policy and adopting the new one. He stated that there were some new committees in Town with Facebook pages and he asked that this policy get passed to them as well.
Chairman Lavigne stated that was an interesting point. He asked if someone was supposed to be authorizing Facebook pages for these Committees.
Sel. Kurtz stated that if a Committee has a social media page they should be giving access to whoever in Town needs it.
Sel. Renzoni stated that was something the Board should look into but it was not that same thing that was being discussed. He stated that he knew of a few Committees, VA Committee and Community Garden Committee that had pages so they needed to get these pages into compliance.
Sel. Ethier stated that committees like the DPW Building Committee used their page to lobby for the project, he stated he is concerned with how this policy would impact that.
Chairman Lavigne stated that this policy was not to prohibit anything. He stated any Board member could say what they wished; however, other Board members should not comment on that post in agreement or dissent.
Sel. Renzoni stated that they also should not ‘like’ a comment because that would show support.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Herlihy, it was VOTED TO ADOPT THE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY DATED JULY 2017 AS PRESENTED BY A VOTE OF 4-1. (Ethier: no).
The Board signed to acknowledge receipt of the Code of Conduct.
- Town Manager Update
18 Industrial Drive: The Town officially took ownership of 18 Industrial Drive on Friday, June 30. Town Counsel has filed the appropriate paperwork for our Covenant not to Sue with the Attorney General’s Office, and we are moving forward with surveying and delineating boundaries and wetlands. I have also appointed an Owner’s Project Manager for the anticipated DPW Facility. We are fortunate to have a town employee who is already and experienced OPM, having worked as our OPM on the Mountview School Project, this will save us valuable time moving forward without the lengthy process of searching for an OPM.
Chairman Lavigne stated that Gary Kaczmarek has been involved in the last few projects in Town and they were fortunate to have him.
Sel. Ethier asked if there was any timeline.
Mr. Lukes stated that they were moving with hope of a fall town meeting.
Chipping and Composting: The Brush and Chipping and Composting schedule form this summer is as follows: Saturday, August 19 & Saturday, September 16. Hours of Operation are 8AM to 2:30PM weather permitting. Loose leaves and grass clippings may be brought to the former landfill site at 560 River Street. Brush should be brought to the Adams Road DPW Facility due to the Asian Longhorned Beetle quarantine area.
HMLD Monthly Report: A monthly report is attached for the Holden Municipal Light Department for the periods ending May 31 and June 30, 2017. These reports are prepared by Jim Robinson, General Manager.
Revenue and Expenditure Reports: Attached are the Revenue and Expenditure Reports for May 2016, prepared by Lori Rose, Town Accountant
Save the Date Flyer: An updated Save the Date flyer will be distributed in the August utility bills. The Save the Date flyer is yet another means to communicate with our residents, especially those who do not regularly use the Towns’ electronic media
Sel. Renzoni left the meeting at 8:05PM.
Before and After School Program Employment: The Recreation Department is accepting applications for employment for the Before and After School Program. Applications can be picked up at the Towns Manager’s Office, 1204 Main St. or the Recreation Department, 1420 Main St.
Before and After School Program Registration: Registration for the Before and After School Programs for the upcoming school year in Holden elementary schools begins Tuesday, August 1 at 9:00am. Registration is available online ONLY. www.holdenrec.com Those with questions are invited to call Holden Recreation Department at (508) 829 0263.
Appointments to Electric Advisory Board: The Holden Electric Advisory Board had two vacancies and I am pleased to announce that I have filled both vacancies by appointing Peter Elkas and Steven Sendrowski as a new member of the Board for three years.
Holden Days: Holden Days will be on August 26th this year. The Selectmen have had a table in front of Miles Funeral Home each year and we have confirmed a table for this year, as well. Usually, the Selectmen will coordinate coverage for the day-9AM to 3PM. The Town will also be given a booth for the DPW where we intend to talk about our vast operations and the need for a new facility with any Holden residents who would like more information.
Sel. Renzoni returned to the meeting at 8:06PM.
Sel. Kurtz asked if the Board had authorized the waiving of fees/ permits for Holden Days.
Sel. Renzoni asked which fees.
Mr. Lukes stated there were permit fees for the Common Vic License.
Motion by Sel. Ethier, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO WAIVE THE COMMON VIC LICENSE FEE FOR HOLDEN DAYS.
Holden Youth Soccer: Holden Youth Soccer Girls U-12 Team won the Mass Youth Soccer title at the end of June after qualifying for the tournament by going undefeated on their way to winning the Midland Area Youth Soccer regional title. Congratulations to everyone involved on their victories.
Little League Championships: The state championship playoffs for Little league ages 9/10 and 10/11 will be held at the Chaffins Recreation Area on the weekend of July 22 and 23. Holden Baseball recently won their division titles for all age groups: 9/10, 10/11, and 11/12. Congratulations to the players, coaches and parents!
Sel. Kurtz asked for an update on Holden soccer and property that they acquired from Town.
- Follow-Up Citizens Address
Sel. Renzoni stated that he is interested in talking about the potential for Eagle Lake and he thinks it is something the Board should take up. He stated if this is something they wish to do, he thinks it should be tied to a Town Manager Goal if the Board wished to move forward with it. He stated the motion that was made tonight was support of a private entity going for a grant but that if they were going to decide as a Town to maintain or invest into Eagle Lake he things it needs to be an agenda item and a goal to management.
Chairman Lavigne agreed and stated that he felt that it should be taken up in September. He stated if there is something the Board agreed with they could set it as a goal for the Town Manager and have a discussion with Fin Com about it.
Sel. Ethier agreed that the matter should be taken up by the Board sooner rather than later.
Sel. Renzoni stated the conversation would be to gauge the Board’s interest and see how much money and energy would be given to the project. He stated that would give the Town Manager guidance. He stated that he felt as though that would be the first step.
Chairman Lavigne stated that the Board wanted to discuss this further. He asked for any pertinent information to be forwarded to the Board’s attention so that they could have a more robust and productive conversation. He asked the Town Manager to let the Board know his thoughts on this matter, as well.
Mr. Lukes stated that there were several steps involved in this. He stated that the Town did not own the dam. He stated that before there could be a vote at Town Meeting they would need to know things such as the cost to care for the dam, the cost to fix it, and how to maintain it. He stated that there would have to be several steps before they could get in front of a Town Meeting.
Chairman Lavigne stated that he would distribute to the Board any information that was collected on this matter.
Sel. Ethier asked for the Recreation Department or Recreation Director to be at the meeting, as well.
Chairman Lavigne stated that was a good point, he asked if Recreation would have any part of this.
Mr. Lukes replied that they had taken up the matter and voted down having Recreation funds support the dam.
Chairman Lavigne stated that the Board could not authorize any spending so they were talking more about a long-term vision/plan.
Sel. Ethier stated that because the Town owns the recreation area they should have the Recreation Department’s input on the conditions on the buildings and more.
Chairman Lavigne told the Board that if they had any additional questions to forward them to him so he could send them to the Town Manager.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Kurtz, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN THE JULY 17, 2017 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING AT 8:20PM.
APPROVED: _____September 5, 2017_________