Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-07-15 Board of Selectmen Minutes � F { O Town of Reading g Meeting Minutes RECEIVED c� r TOWN CLERK f: ADING. MASS. soard - committee - commission - council: 1011 AUG 13 P IP 38 Board of Selectmen Date: 2014-07-15 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Location: Great Room Address: 49 Pleasant Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Chairman John Arena, Vice Chairman Marsie West, Secretary Daniel Ensminger, Selectmen John Halsey and Kevin Sexton Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Assistant Town Manager Jean Dellos, Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom, Town Planner Jessie Wilson, Office Manager Paula Schena, Thomas Fratto, Dave Mancuso, Joanne Senders, Jack Devir, Virginia Adams, Erin Calvo-Bacci, Edward Smethurst, Barry Berman, Jeff Zager, Daniel Martell, William J. Hecht, Jr., David B. Tuttle, Nancy Smethurst, lack Russell, George Katsoufis, Janet Wolbrom, Richard Hamel, Paul Sylvester Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Secretary Topics of Discussion: Reports and Comments Selectmen's Liaison Reoorts and Comments - John Halsey noted that he visited the Board of Health regarding a staff opening. The Board of Health wanted a full time person but the partnering communities only use 15 hours. Ruth Clay is attending a workshop In Atlanta re: strategic planning and she will attend and hopefully come back with some ideas. The Recreation Department acquired a new 15 passenger van and that will create program opportunities; they added an outdoor program person and 130 kids attended summer camp last week. There will be a preconstruction meeting regarding Washington Park; the lights in Memorial Park will be on in late August/early September; the benches at Morton Field will be Installed this fall and a new Item is there will be Trick or Treating in downtown the Saturday before Halloween. Daniel Ensminger noted that the Volunteer Appointment Subcommittee will be meeting next Tuesday to interview two candidates for the Historical Commission and one candidate for the Conservation Commission. He noted there are still many vacancies on various Boards, Committees and Commissions. John Arena noted that he and the Town Manager attended a Charter Committee meeting and passed along the Board's remarks. Town Manager's Report - The Town Manager noted that he will be asking for a Special Town meeting on September 29, 2014 for medical marijuana and budget transfers for the School Department. Page I 1 Burd of Selectmen Minutes - July 15 2014 - page 2 John Arena noted that the Town Manager received an anonymous letter regarding the ' Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD). He asked Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom to provide results of her Investigation to date. Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom noted that the letter was in regards to the sale of three bucket trucks to a RML) employee for $350. She called the RMLD and they confirmed the sale and feel that they followed procedures. She asked them for backup i.e. newspaper clippings, letter to the towns, etc. and experienced an excessive delay In receiving the Information. When she finally did receive the Information they had already given the information to the auditors before giving It to her. She asked for the maintenance records on the vehicles. She was also told that the General Manager had no knowledge of the sale. She indicated that it was Inappropriate for employees to be buying auction Items. Ms. Angstrom noted that the invoices for the maintenance records were complete. The trucks were serviced up to the day they were sold. They had new stickers and new tires - only 3,000 miles on one set and only 5,000 miles on the other. There was no information showing they did an assessment value. The replacement cost was $184,000. The RML) put $80,000 Into those vehicles for maintenance. The RMLD missed the 30B process to get the best price. They should have asked for a trade in value. She met with the Reading Municipal Light Board and they were receptive but didn't agree with everything. She Inquired to DPW as to how they dispose of vehicles and they sold a F350 truck with no engine for$850. The General Manager has since put a freeze on disposal of any equipment. Under the conflict of interest law they have 30 days to remedy the situation. She was told the purchase is being reversed. The practice has been going on for a very long time. The General Manager Is researching any other violations. Ms. Angstrom noted that she is stili , Investigating and there was a list of Items that were wrong with the truck that have actually been repaired. Mamie West noted that the lineman who purchased the vehicles works many hours of overtime so how can he work a side job. She googled the makes and models of the vehicles and came up with $19,100 as an average price for those vehicles. None of the prices were under $5,000. She noted that the policy wasn't followed because the first step is to find the value. She finds this upsetting and feels the Individuals did not serve the communities well. John Halsey noted that there is a local business in Reading who auctions these types of vehicles every 30 days. John Arena asked Ms. Angstrom if she is still waiting for Information and Ms. Angstrom Indicated no she has been getting the Information now. She will be Interviewing people. She noted the assessment value was totally skipped and also, bids can be rejected and rebid. John Arena noted this topic will be on a Board of Selectmen agenda when the investigation is done. Proclamations/Certificates of Appreciation Proclamation - ADA Day - A motion by Ensminaer seconded by Halsey to Proclaim July 26. 2014 as Americans with Disabilities Act Day in the Town of Reading was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Certificates - Retiring Volunteers who served 5+ years - Ted Smethurst, William Hecht and ' Barry Berman were present to receive their certificates. A motion by Ensminaer seconded by West that the Board of Selectmen approve the Certificates of Appreciation for: P,, 1 2 Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 15 2014 - page 3 John Miles who served six years on the Zoning Board of Appeals; William Hecht who served 11 years on the Conservation Commission: Carol Oniskev who served six years on the Council on Agina: Margaret Caouette who served six years on the Cultural Council: Lynne Cassinari who served six years on the Cultural Council: Edward Smethurst who served six years on the RCN Board of Directors: Louis DeBriaard who served 12 years on the Town Forest Committee: Barry Berman who served seven years on the Finance Committee; David Greenfield who served nine years on the Finance Committee: Roberta Sullivan who served 1S years on the Historical Commission The motion was aooroved by a vote of 5-0-0. Discussion/Action Items Reading Little League - Reauested Field Changes - Andrew Fotino, President of the Reading Little League noted that the league has Increased In size and they would like to make some enhancements to the tennis court fields. Technology is getting better. There are 40 kids in the Home Run Club, they are hitting the balls over the fence. He would like to put a fence 210 feet from home plate. It would be no taller than five feet and have a yellow safety border. There would be a six foot foul pole, a warning track and a small manual score board. The Town will bring in fill to level the field and the Town is already doing the netting. John Arena noted that the proposal made two years ago had a longer list and the Board was told it was to be all or nothing. Mr. Fotino noted that their biggest goal is to get the fence and hopefully all, but they will take whatever they can get. ' John Halsey asked if they have a landscaper to maintain the warning track and Mr. Fotino Indicated they do. Daniel Ensminger asked if out of town players will use the field and If the occasional father and son play be allowed. Mr. Fotino indicated they won't own the field. It is mostly an in- town matrix. The field will be reserved- through the Recreation Department. Daniel Ensminger asked if other sports can be played there and Mr. Fotino indicated yes. Mr. Fotino Indicated the gate will be big enough for the maintenance equipment to get through. John Arena asked If the fence will prevent traverse for casual use and Mr. Fotino indicated that people will be able to get through It. John Arena asked about the netting and John Halsey noted that is in the capital plan. A motion by Ensminger seconded by West that the Board of Selectmen accept Reading Youth Baseball's orouosal for enhancements to the Tennis Court Field as presented subiect tp the approval of the Recreation Administrator and Public Works Director was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Zoning Advisory Committee Update - Zoning Advisory Committee members Mamie West, David Traniello, David Tuttle, Jeff Hanson, Eric Bergstrom, Erin Calvo-Bacci, George Katsoufis and Associate Virginia Adams were present. Marsie West called the Zoning Advisory Committee to order. ' Assistant Town Manager lean Delios noted that the Town Manager came up with a small amount of money to hire a consultant. The Advisory Committee has been meeting for almost one year and the goal was to have a new draft Zoning Bylaw by July 15th. The Committee held 40 community meetings. Jean Delios noted that zoning is the regulation to evaluate development of property. In the 1990's the town adopted more stringent regulations for signs, adopted the aquifer Page 1 3 Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 15 2014 - pace 4 protection district and change S10 to S15. These regulations clash with the community ' goals, creates hurdles and applicants express frustration over a lengthy, confusing process. The medical marijuana Issue will be dealt with at a Special Town Meeting in September. Definitions have been added with graphics and medical marijuana has been added. Daniel Ensminger noted that Town Counsel suggests a definition for the facility and also where it can be grown. Jean Dellos noted that they received public input on accessory apartments and the goal is to make the rules clearer and the process simpler. There are 190 homes In Reading with accessory apartments vis-a-vis our records indicate they have two kitchens. The Committee suggests eitherremovingthe aquifer protection or relax the standards. The recommendation for the medical marijuana is to keep It as far away from where children congregate. The industrial district is the best place for it. lean Dellos reviewed the aquifer protection district. She noted that the DEP says we need to keep the wells as a back-up water supply. There are 983 developable parcels in the aquifer protection district which is 20% of the total land in Reading and 12% of the parcels In Reading. The Town Manager noted that there are two ways to get rid of the aquifer protection district. When the MWRA finishes the backup with Stoneham or when North Reading connects there will be an emergency connection up north and that will help relax the regulations. Jean Dellos noted that the Town has 3488 nonconforming lots. John Arena asked if we can undo the zoning and Jean Delios indicated that would create a problem. The nonconforming lots have to go before the ZBA. , Paul Sylvester asked how much can we reduce that number and Jean Delios noted that we are not looking to reduce we are looking at more staff review so daytime government can issue permits for minor projects so applicants don't have to go to nighttime government. David Mancuso gave kudos to everyone who worked on this project. George Katsoufis noted that CPDC is keeping a list of items to tackle. David Tuttle noted that the roiling schedule is to have it ready for Town Meeting review. Extend Zoning Advisory Committee from 8/20/14 to 2/20/15 - A motion by Arena seconded by Ensminuer to extend the term of the Zoning Advisory Committee to February 20 2015 was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Economic Development Self Assessment - Professor Bluestone from Northeastern University reviewed the results of the EDSAT. He noted that the Commonwealth growth outgrew the US and recovered all the jobs that were lost and is continuing to grow. The number of establishments In Reading In 2001 was 597; in 2007 was 572; in 2013 was 586. The total employment In Reading In 2001 was 7312; in 2007 was 6063; and In 2013 was 7462. The Town lost construction and administrative services jobs. He noted that companies move to municipalities, not states. Municipal officials play a key role because we won't get much assistance from the Federal or State governments. To promote economic development the Town needs to assess the strengths and ' weaknesses; change what they have control over and collaborate on others. He surveyed corporate and real estate to find out the deal breakers. The deal breakers Include ignorance of the changing market conditions; uncorrected cognitive maps; too little attention to site deficiencies; slow municipal processes and too much reliance on tax breaks. Page 14 Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 15 2014 - page 5 ' Reading's strengths include excellent highway access; comparable traffic, good Infrastructure; good workforce, public transit; good office space; culture; low crime rate; good housing and super schools; local tax rate including a meal tax and is close to the airport. Reading's weaknesses Include timeliness of approvals; high rents; parking issues; lacks an up to date economic development plan; small amount of available space; no checklist of permitting requirements for prospective developers; no business incentives; high cost of housing and low vacancy rate; amenities need more restaurants and the Town needs a webmaster to maintain Its website. Reading's Economic Development strengths Include public transit, low traffic congestion and site availability. Reading's economic development weaknesses Include economic development marketing, timeliness of approvals, parking, and cross marketing. Professor Bluestone noted that an attractive website is a number one Investment to give a clear idea of everything the town has. Jack Russell asked how communities attribute this and Professor Bluestone noted by website development and working with the Chamber to put testimonials on the website. Dave Mancuso noted that the Reading Municipal Light Department has very low rates and asked if that helps. Professor Bluestone indicated it does especially for certain businesses such as computing facilities who use a lot of energy. ' lean Delios noted that streamlining will improve the permitting process. Special permits will be handled by one committee. The town received a priority development grant and we will go through a visioning process. Margie West asked who we is and lean Delios indicated MAPC. The Town Manager noted that more business owners are needed in the process next time. Close the Warrant for the State Primary on 919/14 - A motion by Ensminger seconded by West to close the Warrant for the State Primary on September 9. 2014 was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Review FY14 Customer Service Results - John Arena noted that the results of the customer service survey are overwhelmingly good. The Town Manager noted that he runs the report every six months and we are not learning a lot from It. He will talk about this in the FY15 goals. He would like to focus on night time government. Review FY14 Town Manager Goals - The Town Manager noted that there is a lot to think about after tonight's presentation. He changed the list last year to things that could be achieved. Communication falls under Administrative Services. Kevin Sexton noted that the website doesn't talk about our successes - that would be a ' good marketing tool. John Arena noted that we need a smaller number of goals - one should be marketing of the Town - both aspirational and operational. Page 15 Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 15. 2014 - pace 6 The Board will review the goals and get back to the Town Manager with any , comments/changes. Approval of Minutes A motion by Ensminaer seconded by West to approve the minutes of June 24. 2014 as amended was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. A motion by Ensminaer seconded by West to adjourn the meeting at 10.00 p.m. was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Respectfully submitted, Secreta ry Pap 16