HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-03-26 Board of Selectmen Minutes - Executive Session Board of Selectmen Meeting
Executive Session
March 26, 2013
The meeting convened at 7:02 p.m. in the Conference Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading,
Massachusetts. Present were Chairman Stephen Goldy, Vice Chairman Ben Tafoya,
Selectmen John Arena and James Bonazoli, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner,
Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director Bob LeLacheur, Superintendent of Schools
John Doherty, School Committee Chairman Karen Janowski.
The Town Manager reviewed the proposed settlement of litigation with TLT in the
amount of$72,000. He reviewed a confidential attorney client privileged communication
which indicated the cost of the settlement to the Town will be $72,000, the estimated cost
of trial, stated conservatively, is $55,000, and the potential exposure of the Town is
$647,110, including interest from date that the suit was filed in September 2007.
The Board asked several questions, and agreed that they would, in Open Session,
recommend this Article to Town Meeting.
The Town Manager presented to the Board of Selectmen a draft letter of intent to
purchase the Woburn Street School from the St. Agnes Parish and Archdiocese of
Boston.
j The Board had several questions on the details of the.settlement. Ben Tafoya asked if we
can actually provide space to St. Agnes at no cost for CCD or similar classes (item 4
under Additional Terms). The Superintendent noted that we have for a number of years
allowed CCD classes in a number of schools including Killam School. John Arena asked
how we make sure that this issue perpetuates itself (so future Superintendents, Town
Managers, etc. will know the condition). The Town Manager will ask Town Counsel
how that would be done—perhaps as part of the deed rider.
There was discussion about additional items #2 extension of the natural gas service to
serve the school. The Town Manager noted that we would do that to provide heating fuel
to the school in any case and that the pipe sizes would be no different to also be able to
supply the church and rectory building. If the cost of the gas service wound up being
significantly higher than the $40,000 estimate the Town could make other decisions for
its own fuel cost.
Discussion on additional item #6 which provides that the Town would pay $5935 per
month from July 1 to November 1 or any other date that was established for closing on
the property in lieu of lost rent. It is anticipated that the Town will know by November 1
whether it has approval to close on the property and would close on or close to that date.
The intent is that those payments stop once the Town either closes on the property or the
Town gave notice to the Church that it could not close and is no longer interested in
purchasing the property. -
Board of Selectmen Executive Session Minutes—March 26, 2013 - page2
Stephen Goldy asked how we proceed from now. The Town Manager and
Superintendent noted that the Archdiocese and the Parish have the draft terms and
condition of sale. Once we reach agreement and sign the document, then the Town
would pursuant to item additional terms #1 would have the right to go into the property.
We are in the process of hiring an architect and others who will proceed to develop a
design for the project and detail cost estimates. The request for a Special Town Meeting
in September and Special Election in October will be to fund the acquisition of the land
and the construction of the project. The architects need 12-14 weeks to do their work.
This takes them well into July. Therefore, there is no opportunity to get this on the
Special Senate Election ballot in June.
A motion by Tafoya seconded by Arena the Board of Selectmen voted to adiourn the
Executive Session at 7:30 p.m. on a roll call vote of all four voting in the affirmative.
Ylly submitted,