Board of Selectmen, October 17, 2016
HOLDEN BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 17, 2016
6:35PM Memorial Hall
Present: Chairman Anthony Renzoni, Jeremy Kurtz, Tim Either, Geri Herlihy, Erik Scheinfeldt
Others Present: Jacquelyn Kelly, Town Manager
Peter Lukes, Assistant Town Manager (6:53PM)
Stephen Madaus, Town Counsel
Liz Fotos, Town Recorder
Chairman Renzoni called the meeting to order at 6:35PM. The Board stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Appointments, License, Permits
Ms. Kelly stated that JD Pizza, Inc. d/b/a Domino’s Pizza applied for a common victualer license. She stated the Town was recommending approval pending approval from the Building Dept, Board of Health, Fire, Wiring, Plumbing, and the granting of an alteration of premise of the Wine/ Malt license held by Gordon W. Grant/ Manager of Grant Groceries, Inc. d/b/a One Stop Food Store. She stated that the attorney for Domino’s Pizza had submitted a letter that clarified that there would be no wine or malt beverages sold or consumed on their premises and that there was a permanent, physical barrier separating the two entities.
Ms. Kelly stated that having received this letter, she is recommending approval pending the approval of the Departments listed above. She stated that Mr. Grant had applied for an alteration of premises for his liquor license and would be before the Board at the next meeting.
Sel. Kurtz asked if it would be pertinent to delay voting on this matter until the next meeting when the approval for both (Common Victualer for Domino’s and alteration of the liquor license for Grant) would be heard simultaneously.
Mr. Madaus stated that they had worked with the applicant and the letter that was provided to the Board was to address the fact that there was a separation of space. He stated that Mr. Grant had applied to amend the license and that the applicant (JD Pizza) was anxious to move forward and open for business.
Motion by Sel. Ethier, seconded by Sel. Scheinfeldt, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE JD PIZZA, INC. D/B/A DOMINO’S PIZZA FOR AN ANNUAL COMMON VICTUALER LICENSE FOR A NEW PIZZA RESTURANT TO EXPIRE ANNUALLY ON DECEMBER 31, 2016 FOR THE HOURS OF SUDAY-THURSDAY 10:30AM TO 12:00AM AND FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 10:30AM TO 1:00AM PENDING FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE BUILDILNG DEPT, BOARD OF HEALTH, FIRE, WIRING, AND PLUMBING.
- Signing of Election Warrant -November 8, 2016
The Board signed the document.
Ms. Kelly stated that the polling hours for the November 8, 2016 Presidential Election would be from 6AM to 8PM.
- Vote on Changing Voting Equipment
Ms. Kelly stated that the Town Clerk’s office was going to make a change to the voting equipment and that the change required approval from the Board of Selectmen.
Cheryl Jenkins, Town Clerk, stated that the present equipment was outdated and repairs and replacement parts were difficult.
Chairman Renzoni asked the cost of replacing the machines.
Ms. Jenkins replied $34,500 for 6 machines.
Motion by Sel. Kurtz, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE DISCONTINUANCE OF THE ACCU-VOTE OPTICAL SCAN TABULATORS AND VOTED TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE IMAGECAST PRECINCT TABULATORS. THE APPROVED PURCHASE OF THE IMAGECAST PRECINCT TABULATORS WILL BE PURCHASED BY THE TOWN USING FUNDS FROM THE CAPITAL ACCOUNT. WE WILL BEGIN USING THE IMAGECAST PRECINCT TABULATORS AT THE ANNUAL TOWN ELECTIONS ON MAY 8, 2017.
A letter substantiating the vote, provided by the Town Clerk, was signed.
- Special Town Meeting
Chairman Renzoni told that Board that the DPW Building Committee had withdrew its request for a Special Town Meeting in order to acquire the land at 18 Industrial Drive. He stated that he wanted to keep the Special Town Meeting as an agenda item so that the Board could discuss taking over the land acquisition. He stated that the DPW Building Committee had the large task of the actual building in front of them and he wondered if the Board should take over the land acquisition at this point.
Sel. Ethier stated that he went to the DPW Building Committee’s meeting last week and he felt that they were unsure if they should proceed with both requests (land acquisition and building) at the same time. He stated that he felt that they did not understand where the Board was coming from and that he felt that the Town should acquire the land separately from proposing to borrow for the building project. He stated that if they waited they could lose the land and he felt it was an important piece of land for the Town.
Mr. Lukes entered the meeting at 6:53PM.
Sel. Ethier stated that he wanted to discuss the idea of the Board of Selectmen having a Special Town Meeting. He stated that he thought the DPW Building Committee did not push forward because they did not feel as though they had the support of the Board of Selectmen.
Sel. Kurtz asked if the decision to not move forward with the land acquisition was based solely on the previous Board of Selectmen meeting or because there were other concerns with the property.
Ms. Kelly stated that she had been to the recent DPW meeting and that she believed the Building Committee felt as though they were getting mixed signals. She stated they spoke at length about it and voted to withdraw the request for the Special Town Meeting at this time. She stated that they also discussed a process to move forward and that they did want to acquire the property as it was the recommended parcel. She stated that there will be some costs to address the existing hazardous materials on-site, and that they felt that the Selectboard’s support would be key to moving forward with both the land and the project. She stated that she thinks the Committee felt it was best to let things settle down, to regroup, and to get answers to the questions that the Board of Selectmen raised at the last meeting. She stated they would gather that information and then come back to ask for a special town meeting.
Ms. Kelly stated that the Committee wanted to be cautious in how this was rolled out and they didn’t want the project to be seen negatively from the beginning.
Chairman Renzoni stated that he did not think that the land had lost any value in the Town’s eyes. He stated that the opportunity to acquire land was in the Town’s best interest and it would be a shame to not acquire the land while they were working out the details on the plans. He stated that he felt this was the place to build the DPW Facility and he brought the matter back up for that reason. Chairman Renzoni stated that the Board of Selectmen could take on the responsibility of acquiring the land and the Building Committee could focus on the building.
Chairman Renzoni stated that he wanted to make sure that it was only $1 million for the Hazmat concerns. He stated he is fine with the recurring costs and he thinks the majority of the Board was too. He stated that he thinks it is within the Selectboard’s ability to hold the meeting and gain more certainty with the site.
Chairman Renzoni interrupted Special Town Meeting for Citizen’s Address
- Citizen’s Address
No member of the public stood to speak.
Special Town Meeting Cont.
Mr. Madaus stated that the original proposal for this property was that it was going to be donated to the Town, not purchased. He stated that it would require a 2/3 vote to acquire the land at Town Meeting.
Mr. Madaus stated that the risk is the environmental contamination that is known to be on the site. He stated that as far as that went, there was LSP (Licensed Site Professionals) who are environmental engineers that file their findings with the DEP. He stated that the Town’s LSP had looked at the information and site and are generally comfortable with it. He stated DEP also reviewed some of the filings. He stated that no one can be 100% comfortable until they have access to the site however the owner will not gain access at this point. Mr. Madaus stated that the Board is seeking a level of comfort that they may not get.
Sel. Ethier stated that he agreed with Mr. Madaus. He stated he was at the meeting and they did present some of the fact findings that they came up with and came up with the $1 million estimate. He stated that while you never know, they were dealing with a donated property and to have to do a million in clean up for that property would be a bargain. He stated that the Committee had also looked at insurance.
Sel. Ethier stated it was $24,000 to $35,000 per year for $1 million in extra insurance with a deductible.
Mr. Madaus stated that it was an estimate and he is not sure what it would cover and what would be excluded so that had a lot of unknowns surrounding it at this time. He stated that they are also pursuing a covenant with the Commonwealth to protect the Town from further lawsuits due to the contamination. He stated that it could narrow some of the Town’s exposure as well. He stated that they wanted permission from the owners to do an assessment of the building itself but they have to negotiate with the property owners to get to that point.
Ms. Kelly stated that she thinks the Building Committee has the best knowledge about this particular property, is familiar with it, and is aware of the risks that the Town wants to mitigate. She stated from what she heard, the Committee has answers to the questions that the Selectboard presented them with. She stated that the Town does have an interest in going on site to do building testing and she thinks once an agreement has been made with the owners, they could probably get in there to do that.
Chairman Renzoni asked if the Building Committee was still going to recommend the site if there was concerns on the structure. He asked what had changed from the prior Selectboard meeting of the Committee asking for a Special Town Meeting to acquire the land.
Ms. Kelly stated that given what they heard from the Selectboard they felt as though they should wait and consider pursuing the property in conjunction with the project.
Sel. Herlihy asked if they could not check the building until there was an agreement in place. She asked what would change if they found the building was not useable.
Ms. Kelly replied it would change the scope of the project.
Sel. Herlihy stated that nothing would change between now and May (Town Meeting) so she asked why they should wait.
Ms. Kelly replied that was why the Committee had originally come to the Board. The Town wants this property and there is not another property available under these conditions.
Mr. Madaus stated that they want the property under agreement before Town Meeting. He stated that if they have the agreement in place as part of the terms they may agree that they will not sell until the Town gets through the process of land acquisition.
Ms. Kelly stated that they are negotiating and think they can come to this.
Chairman Renzoni interrupted Special Town Meeting in order to conduct a Public Hearing.
- Public Hearing-Ch. 61A Right of First Refusal- Mr. Earl Massey, Owner River Street- Map 30, Parcel 33
Motion by Sel. Ethier, seconded by Sel. Kurtz, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CH 61A, RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL, MR. EARL MASSEY, OWNER RIVER STREET, MAP 30, PARCEL 33.
Chairman Renzoni read the public hearing notice into record.
Chairman Renzoni called a two minute recess at 7:18PM.
Chairman Renzoni called the meeting back to order at 7:20PM.
Jim Dunn, Ag Com, was present at the meeting. He stated that the property belongs to Earl Massey, Map 90, Parcel 33, Lot b. He stated the 1.31 acres is being broken off.
Mr. Dunn stated that they received notice and drafted letters to Boards, abutters, and land conservation agencies.
He stated that they found that the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Ag Com, and Hist. Com had no interest in the land. He stated that ZBA, Board of Assessors, Recreation Commission, and EDC did not respond.
Mr. Dunn stated that they received one response from an abutter but it was procedural.
Mr. Dunn stated that DCR, White Oak, and Mass Audubon had no interest in the land and that Trustees of Res. did not respond.
Mr. Dunn stated that in summary there was no interest by the Town boards or land conservation agencies in exercising the First Right of Refusal.
Chairman Renzoni asked if there was any public comment on the matter. No members of the public stepped forward.
Motion by Sel. Kurtz, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CH. 61A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL-MR. EARL MASSEY- OWNER RIVER STREET- MAP 30 PARCEL 33.
Sel. Ethier stated that he had gone to some of the Ag Com meetings and he could sense the frustration with other Boards.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he wanted to let Mr. Dunn know that he had not received any notification for the EDC. He stated there was a breakdown in communication somewhere.
Mr. Dunn stated that they are sent by the Town Manager on Ag Com’s behalf, he stated that Sel. Kurtz and anyone listed should have received an individual letter.
Chairman Renzoni recommended that any liaisons to the Board’s reach out to help with communication. He asked if there was any further discussion on this particular property.
Sel. Ethier stated that he felt the land fund was important and wanted to continue to fund it. He stated that the Town did not choose to exercise it’s right on this land but down the road they may and that it will be important to have funds in an account.
Sel. Scheinfeldt stated he agreed with Sel. Ethier.
Motion by Sel. Ethier, seconded by Sel. Kurtz, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO NOT EXERCISE OR TRANSFER ITS RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL ON THE PROPOSED RIVER STREET PROPERTY OWNED BY MR. EARL MASSEY.
Chairman Renzoni asked if a good piece of land was coming up how they could speed up the process.
Mr. Dunn stated that they don’t know something is coming up until they receive notice. He stated the first official document starts the 120 day. He stated that the Ag Com has taken on the task of inventorying the 61A and 61B land in Town and to assess their relative value. He stated they had put together a list of properties and a rating scale in order to make it quantifiable but they have not yet applied the process. He stated it is an ongoing project that they are working on.
Sel. Ethier stated that he was there when the Ag Com began the process and they really want other Committees to be involved as well.
Chairman Renzoni stated that the Board of Selectmen were prioritizing funding the account again and that he believes there is willingness with the right piece of land.
The Board thanked Mr. Dunn.
Special Town Meeting Cont.
Ms. Kelly stated that when they went to Town Meeting it would be to ask the Town Manager to authorize the acquisition. She stated that after Town Meeting she would be able to complete the conditions in the acquisition agreement before the town closed on the property.
Chairman Renzoni stated that all the Town Meeting would be doing would be giving the Town Manager permission to move forward. He stated if that was the case what changed in the last two weeks that the Committee was no longer asking for this.
Chairman Renzoni stated that DPW needs about 7 useable acres and the site has 17 useable acres. He stated that with the Town growing it will need more space and this is the one place that is not in anyone’s backyard. He stated that they don’t need to worry about upsetting neighbors in this industrial area. Chairman Renzoni stated that he thinks they (BOS) should take this chunk away from the Building Committee and let them continue to move forward with the building. He asked if there were objections.
Ms. Kelly stated that out of courtesy for the Committee, the Selectboard should not do this.
Sel. Ethier stated that he went to the meeting and he felt that they did not feel as though they had the support and approval of the Board of Selectmen. He stated that he thought they needed a united front and that it was his (Sel. Ethier’s) impression that the Committee did not feel as though they had the support of the Board of Selectmen.
Sel. Scheinfeldt stated that he had just learned about the withdrawal of request for Special Town Meeting from the Building Committee. He stated that he does feel as though he needs more information but he is in favor of the purchase of the property. He stated he does not know if he can support the project yet based on what Town Counsel said that the Town would be exposed to. He stated he does not really see the urgency in moving forward, he asked how long the property had been on the market for.
Chairman Renzoni stated that the urgency was about the timing of the Town Meetings. He stated that when they go to Town Meeting they can present a reasonable project to voters that will allow the Town Manager to accept the land. He stated that by giving the Town Manager authorization now to accept the land it gives her five months to acquire the land before the regular Town Meeting and then the Building Committee can brief the project and present it at the location that it will be built on.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he understood the urgency that Chairman Renzoni and Sel. Ethier felt but he did have a few concerns. He stated that the Building Committee heard something that made them pause. He stated that if the Board of Selectmen tries to acquire Industrial Drive with or without the Committee the questions will come up and they do not have the answers at this time. He stated that another concern is the month of December. He stated that it is already challenging to have people come to the Town Meetings and the holiday season makes that even more difficult. Sel. Kurtz stated he also understood that counsel was working on an agreement that will allow the Town to work on some things and ensure that the property is not sold. He stated that he thinks that they need to take a step back and work with the DPW Building Committee to strategize, answer any outstanding questions, and pick a date for Town Meeting. He stated that pushing this through could do more harm then good for the project.
Sel. Herlihy stated that the piece of land in question had one section out of compliance, she asked if putting it in compliance in terms of remediation was a possible conversation that could be had.
Chairman Renzoni stated that Town Meeting would be asked to give the Town Manager permission to work on the matter. He stated if Town Meeting allowed for this, the Town Manager could move forward with negotiations and then bring any information back to the Board. He stated that he felt that they were pretty close to having everything answered at the previous meeting. Chairman Renzoni stated once the operational costs and hazardous material conversation was had, they would reach a plateau on information that they can receive about the building and the property. Chairman Renzoni stated that he felt the only thing that had changed in the past few weeks was the Building Committee not thinking that the Board of Selectmen supporting them. He stated that there was no perfect time for a meeting and that giving the Town Manager the ability to negotiate over the winter could be an opportunity.
Sel. Herlihy stated that she did not want to take this out of the Committee’s hands as they have worked so hard.
Mr. Madaus stated that the purpose of the Town Meeting would be to vote to authorize the Town Manager to acquire the property. He stated the Town could authorize it and then it would be up to the Town Manager if she exercised the acceptance of the real estate.
Sel. Ethier stated to Sel. Kurtz’ point, that he feels as though this should be done in a two part action. He stated that if they waited until spring it is unlikely that the land will be purchased. He stated that they could do a Special Town Meeting in spring to authorize the Town Manager to acquire the property and then bring the building to the regular Town Meeting.
Chairman Renzoni asked the Board without objection could they send Sel. Herlihy as a liaison to the Building Committee to let them know that the Board of Selectmen does support them holding a Special Town Meeting and that the Selectboard thinks that they should separate the project into two Town Meetings to be held after the first of the year -- one to acquire property and the second for the building.
Sel. Kurtz stated that with the information from Town Counsel, he would like the Town Manager to continue to negotiate and have counsel work on an agreement in place with the owners as the Town works through the political course of land acquisition.
Chairman Renzoni asked if anyone had any issue with the cost of $1 million for remediation or the operational costs associated with the building.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he wanted to speak about the ongoing fees. He asked why they had not spoken to Fin Com yet about some of the costs they may incur.
Chairman Renzoni stated that until the project is on Town Meeting warrant, there is not much that Fin Com can interject. He asked if the Board had any objections as they had ballpark numbers in front of them and would not be blindsided.
Ms. Kelly stated that the numbers presented were an estimate.
Sel. Kurtz asked if they had the funds available to pay for the ongoing electric and heat and the fees associated with acquiring the property, the $200,000 or so.
She stated that the short answer is no, the Town does not have that money appropriated in the operating budget but that the costs outlined may be the costs the current owners are incurring, it may not be the Town’s costs.
- Town of Holden-Wachusett Regional School District // School Lease Agreement
Ms. Kelly stated that she had provided the Board with a memo that the twenty year lease expired a few years ago and since then, the five towns had worked with the Superintendent on the draft renewed lease. One of the updates was regarding the term of the lease. It was initially a twenty year lease but was changed to ten. Ms. Kelly stated that they also wanted to have one lease for all the Towns so that everyone was working off the same page.
Ms. Kelly stated another change was section 7.1, the District Maintenance Projects. She stated that if a project costs more than $35,000 the Town is responsible for covering it. She stated this does not include basic maintenance and is not cumulative. Ms. Kelly stated that this has been an issue with other towns who wanted the District to pay for the first $35,000, as well. Ms. Kelly stated that she recommended the increase from $25,000 to $35,000 and to keep the arrangement as it is now. She stated that she thinks that it is fair to Holden and other Towns to do it this way.
Sel. Ethier asked if Ms. Kelly was opposed to the increase. He asked Ms. Kelly if she thought the way the agreement was set up was to the Town’s benefit.
Ms. Kelly replied that if a project exceeds $35,000 that town paid the whole amount. She stated that she believed that it was fair and a benefit to the Town.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he is okay with the lease but in light of the Education Options Review Committee that was set up, he asked if the Town wanted to withdraw from the Region how the lease would bind them. He asked if there was a section about canceling the lease.
Ms. Kelly replied that they were governed by the Wachusett Regional Agreement, and that the lease of the buildings to the District was secondary to that. She stated that the Town owned our own elementary schools and Mountview, not the High School.
Sel. Scheinfeldt asked if there was a provision where mutually agreed upon amendments could be added.
Ms. Kelly replied that there was nothing preventing that from happening.
Mr. Madaus stated that the Regional Agreement had a provision for a review as well.
Chairman Renzoni stated it was a three year review.
Sel. Scheinfeldt stated that he did have some concerns going from $25,000 to $35,000. He stated that he also worries that the buildings are not being taken care of.
Chairman Renzoni stated that there is an annual walk through done to look through the schools and address any concerns.
Motion by Sel. Kurtz, seconded by Sel. Herlihy, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ENDORSE THE CHANGES MADE TO THE SCHOOL LEASE AGREEMENT AND TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO SIGN IT.
- Town Manager’s Update
Upgrade to Town Bond Rating: Moody’s Investors’ Service has announced that their bond rating for Holden has been upgraded to Aa2 from Aa3. The Aa2 rating reflects the Town’s moderately-sized tax base, healthy financial position marked by sound reserves and liquidity levels, according to the Credit Opinion issued on October 4, 2016.
Moody’s is a separate rating agency from Standard and Poor’s, which, as previously reported, also increased the Town’s credit rating. Credit rating generally related to the economic area, the tax base, and the financial operations and strength of the town. As Town Manager, I am pleased that Moody’s has upgraded our rating as it reflects positively on the management of the Town and the attention and acumen we apply to administering our financial resources. I would like to thank the Town’s financial management team including Sharon Lowder, Treasurer/ Collector, and Lori Rose, Town Accountant. Also, thanks are due to our Department Head team; their role in the fiscal health of our Town cannot be understated. The upgrade in our Credit Rating is largely due to their skilled management of our financial systems and other fiscal and human resources.
Sel. Kurtz stated that he did not want to mix the DPW Building into the Town’s ratings but that he did see that on Moody’s memo they provided it indicated that significant increase of tax burden could impact the Town’s rating. He stated that he thinks the DPW Committee has a lot of work to do and that building it may have a severe impact on the bond ratings for the Town in the future.
Ms. Kelly stated that they do look at that in addition to reserves and liquidity. She stated that when they discussed the DPW project, she also pointed out that the borrowing for the elementary schools will be paid off in 2020. Ms. Kelly stated that looking at the 2018 budget they think there is a way to structure the project whereby they do short-term borrowing and not do permanent bonding until the elementary schools are paid. She stated that should level it out the impact to the taxpayer. Ms. Kelly stated that they do look at the Towns’ overall debt schedule and they believe the timing is right. She stated that the pool debt will be paid off next year.
Early Voting Schedule- November 8, 2016 Election. For the first time, there will be opportunities for voters to cast their votes before Election Day. Enclosed is a schedule for early voting which will be held from October 24 to November 4, 2016 at the Town Clerk’s Office, 1196 Main Street, Holden. Voters will be able to go to the Town Clerk’s Office and cast their ballots in a voting booth. The early voting will be available during the Town Clerk’s normal business hours as follows:
10/24/16 8AM to 4PM 10/31/16 8AM to 4PM
10/25/16 8AM to 7PM 11/1/16 8AM to 7PM
10/26/16 8AM to 4PM 11/2/16 8AM to 4PM
10/27/16 8AM to 4PM 11/3/16 8AM to 4PM
10/28/176 8AM to 12PM 11/4/16 8AM to 12PM
More information is available on the website www.holdenma.gov
The last day to register to vote is October 19, 2016 for the November 8th Election. The Town Clerk’s Office will be open until 8PM that day. Absentee ballots are available and the Clerk’s Office should be contacted by anyone interested in obtaining one.
South Main Street Construction and Detours: Currently, the contractor performing the work on South Main Street is planning night work for Sunday night, October 23rd. Work is expected to begin around 7PM and will likely continue through 5AM. This work will be taking place between the Main Street and Shrewsbury Street intersection and the first Zottoli Road and Main Street intersection just past the Providence & Worcester Railroad bridge.
Main Street under the railroad bridge will be closed to through traffic during that time. However, we are establishing a suitable detour which will be noticed on town electronic signs and there will be detail officers. We will also be sending out a Code RED message to residents and posting the traffic advisory on the website and Facebook.
The Town has completed the work it needs to do on Princeton Street and the contractor will be back in town this week to finish what they need to do in order to complete the project.
Composting and Brush Chipping: The DPW will be offering Saturday residential composting and brush chipping events through December as follows:
October 22 November 12
October 29 November 19
November 5 December 3
Hours of operation are 8AM to 2:30PM, weather permitting. Composting materials will be accepted at the former Landfill (River Street), and brush chipping will be done at the DPW Adams Road facility due to the Asian Longhorned Beetle Quarantine area. More information including restrictions is available on the Town’s website www.holdenma.gov
Cyclical Assessors’ Visit: The Massachusetts Department of Revenue requires every town Assessor to visit each parcel in the community every nine yes to verify the interior and exterior information (for assessing purposes). Rosemary Scully, Principal Assessor, reports that each homeowner in the area to be visited by our Data Collector receives a postcard (see attached) explaining the visit and requesting to set up and appointment. If the owner is not home, the Data Collector leave a green card which asks that the Assessor’s Office be contacted.
District Budget Roundtable: Enclosed is a copy of a notice from Darryll McCall, Superintendent of Schools, announcing the District’s annual Budget Roundtable which will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 6:30PM in the Curriculum Center at the Central District Office. Town Selectboard Chairs, Finance Committee Chairs and Town Administrators are invited to attend.
Self Defense Training: The Recreation Department and Holden Police Department will be offering Women’s Basic Self Defense Training on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at the Recreation Department studio. Anyone interested in enrolling should check the Town’s website at www.holdenma.gov or call the Recreation Department at 508-829-0263.
HPD Events: The Holden Police Department has participated in the following events and exercises recently:
- Un-announced High School Lock Down: On Tuesday, October 11, 2016, there was a security training exercise at the Wachusett Regional High School which was very successful. Thanks go to Darryll McCall, Superintendent of Schools, Bill Beando, Principal, and other participating public safety and law enforcement personnel including the State Police.
- Opioid Symposium: On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, the District Attorney’s Office, Holden Police, and the Sheriffs Department hosted a Symposium and Panel Discussion on the Opioid crisis at Wachusett Regional High School. Other officials from the Superintendent’s Office and Principal’s Office were also present to discuss addiction and the resources available in our area to support recovery and address this pressing issue. Several medical organizations participated as well including UMass-Memorial Health Care and Adcare. The Symposium was well attended and provided valuable information and support for all present.
- Bank Security Workshop: The Holden Police Department hosted a workshop for area banking managers and personnel concerning bank security. The meeting was held on Thursday, October 13, 2016 as part of the Police Department’s outreach program and support for our local business community.
Best of Friends Harvest Fair: The Council on Aging will hold its annual Best of Friends Harvest Fair on Saturday, November 5, 2016 from 9AM to 2PM at the Holden Senior Center. There will be professional crafters, senior crafters, and coffee and luncheon fare including homemade soups, desserts, and other goodies. A donation of a non-perishable item for the Wachusett Food Pantry is appreciated.
Ms. Kelly stated that she had also consolidated the goals that the Board discussed and she wanted to get them to the Board.
Chairman Renzoni suggested putting the Goals on as a discussion item for the November 7, 2016 meeting.
- Follow Up on Citizen’s Address
No follow-up
- Selectmen Subcommittees
Sel. Ethier stated that the EORC would have its first meeting on October 18, 2016.
Sel. Herlihy stated that the Community Garden Committee would meet Wednesday, October 19, 2016.
Sel. Kurtz stated that the 275th Committee had not met.
Sel. Kurtz stated that the Winter Festival Committee met and that the Winter Festival is on December 3, 2016. He stated there would be s’mores, fire pits, ice sculpture, and more. He stated that anyone that was looking to volunteer could come to the meeting on Tuesday, October 18th at the Senior Center or reach out to himself or the chair of that Committee.
Chairman Renzoni stated that the VA Committee was working with a Holden Eagle Scout and he was turning over his project to the VA. He stated that the Eagle Scout was working on documenting every veteran in the cemetery and presenting his findings to the Town. He stated that the VA will then get it onto the archives and that they were hopeful another Eagle would pick up the project at the various cemeteries in Town. He stated they were also working to see if they could get military surplus to mark Veteran’s Ridge.
Sel. Kurtz asked about the Veterans Day Ceremony.
Chairman Renzoni stated that they will be receiving the project from the Eagle Scout and they would also be doing a ceremony in Town to recognize the Veterans.
- Selectmen Minutes
None.
- Selectmen Miscellaneous
Sel. Ethier stated that he went to the Mountview dedication and that the building was impressive. He stated it was the biggest construction project in Town and he was very impressed by it.
Sel. Ethier stated that he had attended the wake of Mary Sioui who was involved in scouting. He wished to acknowledge the family for all they did in town.
Sel. Ethier asked about a four way stop sign at Princeton and Quinapoxet Streets.
Ms. Kelly stated that they had been looking into it and may install a stop sign with flashing lights.
Sel. Ethier asked about the Traffic Committee.
Ms. Kelly replied it was referred to Isabel McCauley, Traffic Engineer, DPW.
Sel. Kurtz stated that Wednesday, October 19, 2016 was the last day to register to vote and you can do that online or in Town Hall.
Motion by Sel. Kurtz, seconded by Sel. Ethier, it was UNANIMSOULY VOTED TO ADJOURN THE OCTOBER 17, 2016 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING AT 8:47PM.
APPROVED: ___November 21, 2016____________