Board of Selectmen, June 18, 2018
HOLDEN BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING MINUTES
June 18, 2018
6:15PM Senior Center
Present: Chairman Geri Herlihy, Jeremy Kurtz, Anthony Renzoni, Tyler Gibbs, Robert Lavigne
Others Present: Peter Lukes, Town Manager
Stephanie Bacon, Assistant Town Manager
Liz Fotos, Town Recorder
Chairman Herlihy called the meeting to order at 6:35PM. Chairman Herlihy announced that the Board was reconvening from an earlier Executive Session. The Board stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Appointments, Licenses, and Permit
Mr. Lukes stated that this was a three year term and that Mr. George had appeared in front of the Board previously.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO REAPPOINT DAVID GEORGE FOR THE ALTERNATE POSITION TO THE ZBA FOR A THREE YEAR TERM TO EXPIRE JUNE 18, 2021.
Sel. Kurtz stated that there was a Friends of Eagle Lake event being held on July 4, 2018. He stated that he believed they were serving food and he wished to grant the Town Manager authorization to approve any permits that came forth for the event.
Motion by Sel. Kurtz, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO APPROVE ANY PERMITS THAT COME FORTH FOR THE EVENT AT EAGLE LAKE FOR JULY 4, 2018 AND TO WAIVE ANY LICENSING FEES.
- Town Manager Contract Amendment Vote
Chairman Herlihy stated that this matter was discussed earlier in Executive Session. She stated that with the retirement of the Light Department Manager, the Board agreed to give Mr. Lukes the powers of duty for Light Department Duties. She stated that with the extra hours and work that would come with that, the Board agreed to amend Mr. Lukes contract and give a monthly allotment to his salary for the extra duties.
Sel. Renzoni stated that the Light Department Chair was retiring and the Town was without a Light Department Manager. He stated that in the interim the Board authorized three months of this to allow for a search for a Light Department Manager to be conducted. He stated that this was a difficult position to fill and there were not many candidates out there. He stated that the Town Manager was working to fill the position and the Board would have an update by the end of the summer. He stated that in addition to the general duties, the Town Manager would also need to move forward on the Light Department budget and the Board authorized a pay boost to do so.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO RATIFY THE AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN MANAGER’S CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZE THE CHAIR TO SIGN THE AMENDMENT.
- MOMS Club Free Little Library
Sel. Renzoni welcomed Marissa Fitzpatrick, incoming president to the Wachusett Region Moms club to the podium.
Marissa Fitzpatrick stated that the MOMS Club is an organization that does service projects in the area. She stated there is currently a picnic table and bench at the Dawson Park that was donated by the organization and they have done bags for homeless and more. She stated that their idea was to donate a Little Free Library behind the park in the Rec. Center and it would be a place for kids and adults to read and borrow books.
Chairman Herlihy asked if there were any in the area.
Ms. Fitzpatrick replied there were not any in the parks.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he was familiar with the MOMS Club and he was in support of this. He asked Ms. Fitzpatrick to explain what the organization was and how they could be reached.
Ms. Fitzpatrick stated that it was a National Organization and they would be found on Facebook. She stated that they were there to support moms and that they do service projects in the community along with playgroups and more.
Sel. Herlihy asked how many members they had.
Ms. Fitzpatrick replied they currently had about 22.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Gibbs, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ACCEPT THE LITTLE FREE LIBRARY GIFT FROM THE WACHUSETT MOMS CLUB TO THE TOWN OF HOLDEN.
- Master Plan Announcement
Elizabeth Wood, CMRPC was present at the meeting along with Clara Baylor and a few people from the steering committee.
Ms. Wood stated that this meeting would serve as the kick off to the Community Survey for the Master Plan. She stated that they had been working on this since February with the Town Planner, the Committee, and CMRPC. She stated that this project was an update to the Master Plan that was completed in 2008 and that they were looking to analyze it and update it carrying it forward for the 2019 Master Plan.
Ms. Wood stated that starting in February they took the 2008 Master Plan and did an implementation matrix. She stated that with this they went through the chapters of the 2008 document and looked at the goals and what had been accomplished and what was no longer relevant. She stated that was the starting point of the project and that they have now launched a website for the Holden Master Plan, Holdenmasterplan.com. She stated that they also have a Facebook Page.
Ms. Wood stated that the Master Plan was a vision document as to what everyone wanted the Town to be, how it should look, what facilities it should have. She stated that it was basically a plan for the community’s physical evolution and it did comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the community development, housing, senior, youth, and more. She stated that this was not a Zoning Bylaw Change or a regulation change, it was a Public Policy Document.
Ms. Wood stated that the Master Plan helps manage growth and change and provided for orderly and predictable development. She stated that it protected environmental resources and strengthened the local identity. She stated that it set priorities for developing and maintaining infrastructure and public facilities, and created a framework for future policy decisions. She stated that it also made the Town eligible for specific grant programs and it promoted open and democratic planning processes and helped to guide land owners, developers and Town officials.
Ms. Wood stated that the way the process worked was that there would be a vision and goal setting, then interviews, public meetings, focus groups, surveys, use of internet tools and data collections.
Ms. Wood stated that they were just kicking off the survey today and that they put surveys in Town Hall, the Library, and the Senior Center and that people could also take the survey on-line at holdenmasterplan.com. She stated that the encouraged everyone to take the survey and that it would be updated regularly. She stated that it would take about 30 minutes to complete.
Ms. Wood stated that there would also be a vision day in September along with a booth at Holden Days. She stated that additionally they sent out a press release and that mailings went out with the Light Bills and that there were radio interviews being conducted by the Town Manager and others.
Chairman Herlihy interrupted Ms Wood to call for Citizens Address.
- Citizen Address
Will Savino, 216 Highland Ave, was present at the meeting. He stated that he was present to request a new skate park in Holden. He stated that a lot of kids locally skate and scooter but there is nowhere in Holden for them to go. He stated that they are not allowed to skate in business parking lots, but that the Holden Police did say they can skate behind the Senior Center. He stated that not everyone played football or baseball and that skating and scooter riding were sports too. He stated that they needed the Board’s help to support a public park where they could do this. He stated that this could be a safe environment for kids to go to and that because there was no place to go there was a negative feeling about skaters. He suggested the old Rec. Building off 31 as a possible location, an area near Eagle Lake, or anywhere else.
Riley Mulkese was present at the meeting. He stated that there was a large growth in skaters and riders and that he thinks a skate park would be a great idea and give kids a good safe place to go. He stated that it would grow the community.
Graham Mahoney was present at the meeting. He stated that he was new to Holden and that he and his friends ride around to different parks. He stated that most people don’t think of them as athletes, they think of them as punks. He stated that they want to expand the sport without the negative representation. He stated that there were skate parks but they were far away. He stated that Holden was the center of the Wachusett District and it would be good for other Towns too. He stated that sometimes they have to go all the way to Boston to ride but it is hard to get there. He stated that a skate park could help them stay out of trouble and have a positive representation for action sports.
Mike Savino, 216 Highland Ave, was present at the meeting. He stated that he was on a skate park committee for a long time and they tried to raise awareness for the parks. He stated that he is a 56 year old skater and he will take the kids different places to skate but that they need a spot locally to go to. He stated that he had worked with Denise Morano and that the police did say that they could skate at the Senior Center but that a park would be great for the kids.
Ilene Mulkese was present at the meeting. She thanked the Board for their time and stated that she loved that the young people were using the political process to be heard. She stated that Riley was her son and that she wanted to thank the Board for listening. She stated that it was hard for these kids at 12, 13 years old. She stated that you wanted them to have some independence but you do not want them to be a nuisance. She stated that she thinks on multiple levels this could be a positive thing. She stated it would be another way to get kids outside playing and being active as well.
Jessica Milliken, Co-Chair of the Master Plan Steering Committee was present at the meeting. She stated that this was a great reason to complete the survey for the Master Plan. She stated that the survey did ask what you wished to see change and that they could share the link with their friends and family to help their voices be heard.
Chairman Herlihy closed Citizens Address; she reminded the public that they did not go back and forth during Citizens Address.
Master Plan Announcement Cont.
Ms. Wood agreed with Ms. Milliken and stated that this was a great opportunity to have your voice heard by filling out the survey. She opened it up for questions or comments.
Sel. Lavigne thanked Ms. Wood for coming out. He stated that they would all get out there and help spread the word. He asked how the municipality could use the Master Plan. He stated that Main Street was a huge problem because it was a state highway and the Town couldn’t even fix a pot hole.
Ms. Wood stated that this would give the Town more clout. She stated that it was a lobbying tool that they could go to state legislature with or even go to your senator at the federal level. She stated that he was speaking about a state highway so there was state money and programs that were rolled out and they looked at the Master Plans of Towns. She stated that within the Master Plan they would have a transportation chapter that would address goals which could be taken to State Reps. She stated that in the past she has had luck going to the federal level and having them contact the state to trigger a conversation.
Sel. Lavigne asked if there was anything in the survey that discussed what to do with the land at 18 Industrial Drive.
Ms. Wood stated that there was an open ended question but that she encouraged everyone to also attend the visiting day in September to give opinions as well.
Sel. Renzoni stated that for the record there was also an Implementation Committee that went on for years. He stated that they will review all the unfinished goals to see what changed.
Chairman Herlihy asked if interesting parties could attend these meetings.
Ms. Wood stated that they could and that July 24, 2018 was the next meeting.
Sel. Kurtz asked what type of outreach was done with local businesses.
Ms. Wood stated that they had reached out to the Chamber to see what events were supported and that the Executive Director will pop in and see what additional outreach can be done.
Chairman Herlihy thanked Ms. Wood for coming out.
Sel. Lavigne cautioned the Board to make sure that any events that could overlap multiple members was posted.
- Follow Up to Citizens Address
Sel. Lavigne thanked the kids for coming out. He stated that a while back the Town had spoken about a skate park and it fell by the way side but that the Board was hearing them and that he thinks the Master Plan was a great starting point. He stated as they start to think about this as a potential project, location and cost were key things to think about. He stated this was something to follow up on.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he thought that the Town Manager was a good person to follow up with. He stated that there may be some money set aside for this and that budget was a good time to look into some of these things and he thinks that the Master Plan was a good place to start as well. He stated that he thinks there is a lot of fields and courts in Town but no place for kids to skate. He stated that he thinks there is potential locations and that they should continue the conversation to see if they get any momentum.
Sel. Gibbs stated that he had spoken to a lot of the skaters while he was running for a seat on the Board. He stated that coming to this meeting was a good start and that they should be persistent. He stated that he is all for outdoor activities.
Chairman Herlihy stated that she is not sure if they had been to the park in Northborough but she has said the same thing. She stated that if they could find a location, it could be another place for kids to be outside and hanging out.
The kids stated that they would be happy to volunteer to help. He stated that because of the lack of places to go, kids were being pushed away from the sport.
The Board thanked the kids for coming out.
Sel. Renzoni left the meeting at 7:29PM.
- Town Manager Update
HPD/HFD Joint Training: The Holden Police and Fire Department recently engaged in joint training, hosted by Holden Fire. Enclosed in your packet is a letter from Chief Armstrong to Chief Hall praising the training and the expertise of those involved. Once again we have seen collaboration and professional courtesies between our two public safety departments that has boosted morale in both departments and certainly increased the standards for public safety in Holden.
Summer Composting: The Department of Public Works has released their summer schedule for composting and brush chipping. Days of operations are June 16, June 21, August 18, and September 15, from 8AM to 2:30PM. Leaves and grass clippings will be accepted at the Composting Facility located at the site of the former landfill, 560 River Street. Brush chipping will be done only at the Adams Road Facility. Proof of Holden Residency is required.
HMLD Monthly Report: Attached is the HMLD monthly financial repot prepared by Light Dept General Manager Jim Robinson.
Employee Appreciation Cookout Our annual Employee Appreciation Cookout was held on Thursday, June 14 at Trout Brook. Chairman Herlihy and Sel. Renzoni attended and employees were honored fro their years of service individually for those who have been employed by the Town for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35 and one employee (Marie Carlson) who served the Town for 40 years.
Sel. Renzoni returned to the meeting at 7:30PM.
Year- To-Date- Revenue and Expenditure Reports: Lori Rose, Town Accountant, has prepared the enclosed monthly year-to-date revenue and expenditure reports for the month ending May 2018.
Holden summer concerts: Concerts would be starting July 1 through August 19 and a full schedule come be found on the Town website and on Facebook.
- Designation of MMWEC Voting Representative
Mr. Lukes stated that earlier the Board voted to bestow on him the work to be done at the Light Department in lieu of the General Manager. He stated that with that MMWEC has asked that the Board reappoint the voting member to represent Holden.
Motion by Sel. Kurtz, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOSLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE CERTIFICATE FOR THE DESIGNATION OF VOTING REPRESENATIVE AND ALTERNATES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2018 AS PRESENTED. (Attached).
- Mt. View Wall
Chairman Herlihy stated that the Mt. View wall had been damaged over the winter. She asked Mr. Lukes what the terms of the agreement that they had come up with was.
Mr. Lukes stated that there had been some question about who the responsible parties were for the damage that occurred to the wall. He stated that they had worked in out with the superintendent and that it will be fixed.
Sel. Lavigne asked a time frame for the fix.
Mr. Lukes replied that the Town would handle some of it and the school district would do the rest.
Sel. Renzoni stated that there was damage to parking spaces as well. He stated that the people who were doing the plowing needed to be trained because the damage was unacceptable.
Sel. Gibbs left the meeting at 7:36PM.
Chairman Herlihy stated that she was hopeful that the wall would be fixed in a timely manner.
- Selectmen Minutes
Motion by Sel. Lavigne, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was VOTED TO APPROVE THE MAY 7, 2018 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED BY A VOTE OF 4-0.
Motion by Sel. Lavigne, seconded by Sel. Renzoni, it was VOTED TO APPROVE THE APRIL 23, 2018 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED BY A VOTE OF 4-0.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Kurtz, it was VOTED TO APPROVE THE MAY 21, 2018 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED BY A VOTE OF 3-0-1.
Sel. Gibbs returned to the meeting at 7:39PM.
- WRSDC Open Position Interviews
Sel. Renzoni stated that the best way to proceed was to have the applicants make a statement and then the Board could open it up for questions.
Laura Kirshenbaum was present at the meeting.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that she had applied for the open seat for the WRSDC. She stated that she had been a teacher for about 18 years and has worked in a variety of school settings. She stated that she currently has two kids in Dawson and she has also more recently been involved in the ‘I am Wachusett Group’.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that looking at the financial conditions, she is concerned with the long term plan for funding the schools. She stated that she thinks there is a multipronged approach that needs to be addressed that needs to keep our financial priorities in alignment here in Holden but also working collaboratively with the district.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that the other approach is to continue to work with the state about funding the transportation. She stated they need to work to advocate on that level as well.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that based on her experience, the work she has done with her degrees including a degree in School Administration, and with her perspective as a Town Member, tax payer, and parent she wanted to throw her hat in the ring and help move the district forward.
Sel. Renzoni asked if she supported the release of a line by line item budget to member towns.
Ms Kirshenbaum asked for clarification on the question.
Sel. Renzoni stated that the budget was a big number proposed to the Town. He stated that they have a hard time getting the transparency of a line by line budget from the schools.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that she thinks that transparency as much as possible from the schools perspective is important but she thinks that it may be difficult to get. She stated one thing she would like to see is a vision based budget rather than a band aid approach to the budget. She stated that she wants to see where they want to go and then work from there to build the budget. She stated that if they continue to look only as line items they may miss the opportunity to solve problems.
Sel. Lavigne stated that Ms. Kirshenbaum noted a concern of long term funding; he asked what her plans for that would be.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that working with the ‘I am Wachusett Group’ with Regional Schools with regards to transportation and transportation reimbursement they are in a unique situation. She stated that the foundation budget formula is out of date and it does not fully reimburse the region. She stated that it is out of date and does not address the real cost for funding students in situations like limited English, learning difficulties, Special Education, and other needs that are present today. She stated that they need to push the state and be our own advocates to have their voices heard.
Sel. Renzoni stated that she listed some of the complaints and state solutions. She stated this year they would have the most active year in local government but they need location solutions too.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that she has heard two differing perspectives; one is sticking with the Regional School Districts and the other is withdrawing from K-8. She stated that she wants to investigate that and make an informed decision. She stated that she was not an advocate for one or the other yet but that her opinion did not matter, it was the Town voters that would need to make that decision. She stated that where they were now was the point where they were asking the hard questions.
Sel. Kurtz stated that they know that there was a budget issue in the district, but outside the budget what was the vision they saw for the district and what was the district lacking now.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that the current state of education was moving away from the one test indicator. She stated that it is long overdue. She stated that the MCAS was one indicator but should not be the only measure of success. She stated that another thing was moving to a more technology based education. She stated that she would like to see more one to one technology and would like this to happy quickly. She stated that she would also like to see math and science be at the forefront.
Sel. Gibbs asked what the difference was between teaching at a different district to Wachusett.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that she had been at two different districts; one was a district with high diversity and the other was on the other end of the spectrum. She stated in her district they have one to one for all students and she can see how her teaching has transformed to a more guide on the side as they can access real world articles versus a 10 year old text book. She stated that was more of a vision as to where they could move as more access is provided to the students.
Chairman Herlihy stated that she mentioned working collaboratively with other Towns, she asked how they would do that.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that first of all, they had gotten so much better at that and that the fact that they were all able to agree to pass the budget was a good example of collaboration. She stated in the years past, the Towns were not on the same page and they need to create a vision and make a path to meet it. She stated she knows that it is difficult but that we all have kids and want the best for them so they have to start from there.
Sel. Lavigne asked how she viewed the role of Holden members of the School Committee; education for all kids in the district or for the Town of Holden.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated that she would imagine that anyone is there for all the kids but that she does not think that motivation should be judged.
Sel. Renzoni asked if in her role she was there for the district or the tax payer.
Ms. Kirshenbaum stated she would be there for the students first and then the Town. She stated that anything else would be disingenuous.
The Board thanked Ms. Kirshenbaum for her time.
Maleah Gustafson was present at the meeting.
Ms. Gustafson stated that she was interested in the fall and she was still interested. She stated that in her life, she believed in creating change and solutions. She stated that she served several years with AmeriCorps and she likes to get things done. She stated that she believes in getting involved and finding solutions and that now is a challenging time in the district. She stated that she does not think the issues have disappeared despite the excitement of this year.
Ms. Gustafson stated that she is also concerned with how the District is operating. She stated that it is improving but there was not enough communication. She stated that there was a strategic plan but there was no action plan. She stated that while she is sure it exists, it is not readily available to guide us. She stated some strides have been made but they need to continue to improve.
Ms. Gustafson stated that her background is in higher education and she has worked with students through formal community organization and in education. She stated that she had worked in community based organizations at all levels and also had some background in research which is helpful in critical thinking and understanding where to go next. She stated she feels some of that is lacking in schools. She stated a lot of numbers were given but there was not a lot of critical questions being asked in the community as to where to go next and she thinks that it is important to ask those questions.
Ms. Gustafson stated that she has been involved in a lot of school efforts. She has been active in discussion and not just accepting the information that was thrown out there. She stated that she is interested in this because she is passionate about the Town and its students. She stated that she choose to come back here largely based on the schools and that she wants to see her student and his peers be given the education that they came for.
Sel. Lavigne asked what she thought her role on the School Committee would be; did she think they should represent the district or the tax payers.
Ms. Gustafson stated that in the School Committee mandate, it stated that you needed to address all students but as a representative to Holden her first priority would be the tax payer. She stated that with the largest number of students in the district she understands that it is a difficult balance but that she knows the overall mission but her first priority would be to Holden.
Sel. Renzoni asked about transparency. He stated that at this point they have exhausted the state solution, he asked what some local solutions would be.
Ms. Gustafson stated that she agreed and she had checked in on the state information but there was not any new public information available. She stated that there was some discussion and that while those discussion were important they weren’t the solution. She stated that one of the challenges that they were facing was that Holden has the largest number of students. She stated that she would be in favor of exploring the separation of k-8 even though she understands the challenges the agreement would present. She stated she also thinks that the Towns having better communication with each other was essential.
Ms. Gustafson stated that she felt there was a lot of discussion that needed to happen. She stated that she believed the Population Study would give Holden more useful information as Holden’s population continued to grow.
Sel. Renzoni asked what is a fair percentage of the budget going to education.
Ms. Gustafson stated that was a difficult question because she did not know the entire budget. She stated that she did know that we were out of balance though. She stated that it was a difficult question to answer without looking at other towns but that she thinks about two thirds to three fourths were going to education and that it was a big concern.
Sel. Gibbs stated that she had been involved at Davis Hill; he asked what she had learned about the school and the district from that experience.
Ms. Gustafson stated that she had been involved in the schools and on the parent committees. She stated that she learned that the amount of community that existed and the teachers were amazing and doing a lot of great things for the kids that were not in the standard curriculum.
Ms. Bacon left the meeting at 8:06PM.
Ms. Gustafson stated that while these teachers going outside the normal curriculum was amazing, she wishes that it was a little more consistent. She stated that some of the classes were doing coding and she thinks everyone should have access to it.
Ms Bacon returned to the meeting at 8:08PM.
Sel. Kurtz asked outside the budget what other opportunities was Holden missing.
Ms. Gustafson stated that she thinks technology is a big one. She stated that she thinks one to one computers was a great thing and it enhanced the learning in the classroom. She stated that she thinks that there is more opportunity than just the technology though; she stated it was a question of how you integrate subjects into multidisciplinary works. She stated that she thinks there is a way to use the technology to enhance it and teach more consistency. She stated that another challenge is the state mandated tests. She stated that she thinks that these tests make it possible to leave kids out and that opportunities could be missed teaching to these tests. She stated that she thinks that we do a good job education kids at the top and a good job at the bottom but that she feels that there is a large gap for the kids in the middle and all kids should receive the same quality of education.
Chairman Herlihy stated that Ms. Gustafson’s letter regarding inclusion was helpful but she asked her to explain it further.
Ms. Gustafson stated that one to one technology was discussed often, which was great, but it was basically just modernized busy work and was not teaching integration or critical thinking or using concepts to integrate subjects. She stated that she thinks the ways we are using technology were not always the best way to meet the needs of the students.
The Board thanked Ms. Gustafson for her time.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he believed Mr. Campbell left the meeting.
Sel. Lavigne left the meeting at 8:15PM.
Sel. Lavigne returned to the meeting at 8:16PM.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he thinks that the Board should consider Mr. Campbell for the role but that without interviewing him, it would detract from his score at least from his perspective.
Sel. Renzoni thanked Ms. Kirshenbaum and Ms. Gustafson for coming out, he asked if there was any follow up questions.
Sel. Kurtz stated that his only generic question was that the School Committee was a very time intensive commitment and he wanted to make sure that neither candidate would have an issue making the majority of the meetings.
Both candidates replied they would not have an issue making the meetings.
Sel. Renzoni thanked both candidates for coming out. He stated at this time he wished to make a motion to appoint Ms. Gustafson to the WRSDC. The motion was seconded by Sel. Lavigne.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he appreciated having a firm answer to the question of who you represented. He stated that it is the Town of Holden first and that they would be accountable to the tax payers even though the voters were not putting them there today. He stated this is something he felt strongly about and he thinks that too many people when they get in this role think they represent the District. He stated that Holden was the largest portion but we are under represented. He stated that we see the most cuts and that he doesn’t feel enough people are putting Holden first. He stated that Ms. Gustafson was highly qualified and he thinks she has a great attitude. He stated that one answer carried the debate for him.
Sel. Lavigne stated that he agreed with Sel. Renzoni. He stated that with a School Committee this large, we needed to make sure that Holden was represented.
Chairman Herlihy stated that when they spoke about transparency, she felt that the Town needed a line by line breakdown that Ms. Gustafson also supported. She stated that she did watch the meeting and she did not think any of the Holden representative bought up the fact that there was a 7% increase for Holden. She stated that if they could see where all the money went, they wouldn’t have to ask the questions. She stated that it was upsetting for her to watch because she felt that the Holden Representatives should think of Holden first with budget considerations.
Sel. Renzoni stated that he was disappointed that Mr. Campbell left the meeting early. He stated that he was interested in what a non academic person would bring from the outside. He stated that you did not need an education background to serve on this committee.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPOINT MALEAH GUSTAFSON TO THE WRSDC TO FILL THE INTERIUM POSITION UNTIL THE NEXT TOWN ELECTIONS OCCURRED.
- Selectmen Miscellaneous
Sel. Lavigne: none
Sel. Renzoni thanked the Town Manager and the Recreation Director and staff for getting the pool open on a hot day. He stated things like this make a big difference and much of the Town showed up to the pool and enjoyed it before the bad weather.
Sel. Renzoni thanked the Assistant Town Manager for the field trip for the 3rd graders at Davis Hill.
Sel. Kurtz stated that this weekend there would be a car show from 10-3 at Moutview. He stated that on July 4, 2018 the Friends of Eagle Lake would be having a celebration at the Lake as well. Sel. Kurtz thanked the DPW for their work at Wyoming Drive for the road repairs and for coordinating having the trash picked up.
Chairman Herlihy stated that the DPW Facility Committee would be meeting Monday, June 25, 2018 at the Light Department.
Motion by Sel. Renzoni, seconded by Sel. Lavigne, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN THE JUNE 18, 2018 BOARD OF SELECTMEN AT 8:27PM.
APPROVED: ___August 13, 2018____