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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-07-30 Board of Selectmen Minutes 0� OFq r Town of Reading z Meeting Minutes ' Boaardnd - Committee - Commission - Council: Board of Selectmen - Date: 2014-07-30 Time: 6:30 PM Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Location: Great Room Address: 49 Pleasant Street Purpose: Interview applicants for School Committee Attendees: Members - Present: Board of Selectmen Chairman John Arena, Vice Chair Marsie West, and Board of Selectmen members Dan Ensminger, John Halsey, and Kevin Sexton. Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios, Superintendent of Schools John Doherty, School Committee Chairman Chris Caruso, Vice Chair Chuck Robinson, and School Committee members Linda Snow Dockser, Jeanne Borawski, and Elaine Webb; Amy Koehler, Gary Nihan, Robert Gibbs, and Administrative Secretary Caitlin Saunders. Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Topics of Discussion: Mr. Caruso called the meeting to order at 6:30pm. He stated the reason for this meeting is to interview and vote on the best candidate to fill the vacant school committee position that is open until April 2015. After the candidates are interviewed both the Board of Selectmen and School committee will vote and the candidate with the majority votes will be elected. The first candidate to be Interviewed was Amy Koehler. Ms. Koehler opened telling the committee she has been in Reading for four years now and has worked in public schools almost her whole professional career. She has been a teacher, on the administrative side of schools and a parent. She stated her different roles make her a good candidate for the School Committee. She is currently the Director of Events at Connect the Tots here in town and wants to be more Involved. Ms. Dockser asked Ms. Koehler how she would transition from an administrative role to the role of being on a committee with five other members. ' Ms. Koehler replied she is new to committees however she has switched roles many times in her career going from teacher to administrator and feels she knows how to navigate through changes with her experience. She stated she understands she has a lot to learn but she is willing and eager to. She told the committee if she were elected she would talk to the current members to try and help make the transition easier. Page I 1 Board of Selectmen Minutes -July 30 2014 - Page 2 Mr. Arena asked Ms. Koehler if she was familiar with Reading's challenges within the schools today? ' Ms. Koehler Indicated she is aware that free full day kindergarten Is the town's current struggle. She said she also knows the school committee decided to use the PARCC testing system and she said she knows all this because of her Involvement with the town already. Mr. Arena asked her how she felt about PARCC. Ms. Koehler said It's a different way of teaching and learning and it will be a big transition for the town to implement. Ms. Borawski asked If Ms. Koehler if she had any experience with working on budgets. Ms. Koehler explained when she was Involved on a leadership team with Boston Public Schools she did deal with budgets. She stated she is pretty well versed on how school budgets work and how to plan the budget so the town understands what is needed. Mr. Ensminger stated that Reading's per pupil expenditure is very low however Reading Schools are one of the best around; he then asked Ms. Koehler what she thinks that means? Ms. Koehler responded, it means money doesn't always buy quality of teachers, education, and learning experiences. Ms. Webb asked Ms. Koehler how she made budget decisions knowing it would affect people you know/ work with. Ms. Koehler explained she personally had to evaluate teachers In Charlestown that she knew , for a long time. She said it was very difficult and had many conversations but what it came down to was her thinking about the students sitting in these teachers classrooms and making a decision based on what is best for these kids because they deserve the best education. Ms. West asked Ms. Koehler if she had any Ideas that the town could do to somehow fund full day kindergarten but not ask the community for more money. Ms. Koehler said she would listen, do lots of research and collect data and ultimately decide based on the town's best Interest In having a great education system. Ms. West asked, financially, how would Ms. Koehler bring balance for the all the school Issues that the town will never have enough money for. Ms. Koehler said her answer is basically the same In that she would pick the best options to fund based on what is good for the students to receive the best education they can get. Mr. Robinson asked if Ms. Koehler had any role in collective bargaining throughout her career. Ms. Koehler said no, that is not something she has taken part In. Mr. Halsey explained to Ms. Koehler the great relationship/partnership that the town has ' with the schools, community and police. He stated there Is a big problem right now with substance abuse in the schools and asked her If she has ever dealt with that and what she believes the schools role in helping with this problem is. Ms. Koehler told us she once felt the school wasn't responsible for this type of abuse and that they were limited to what they could do, but after working in schools for a long period Page 12 aaaireaf arrw Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 30. 2014 - Daae 3 of time she now sees the school plays a huge role in substance abuse. She stated sometimes families aren't Involved and the school can be there to provide counselling to students that need It, and believes the police are also very good extra help. Mr. Caruso asked Ms. Koehler if she had considered running in April. She Indicated no because she hadn't thought about it because she was wrapped up with her children at home. Mr. Caruso then asked her If she has thought past April if she does get elected tonight. She indicated she would gladly be interested In continuing in April. Mr. Sexton asked Ms. Koehler what her factor in deciding to get Involved was after leaving teaching. Ms. Koehler said she believes the kindergarten issue Is critical right now In Reading and wants to be a part of that. She also said she still greatly cares about students and the educations they are receiving and that's why she would like to stay involved somehow with the school system. Ms. Koehler then gave her closing statement Thanking the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee for their time and stated she understands she has a lot to learn but Is willing to do everything she can to get up to speed and is eager to get Involved. Mr. Arena told Ms. Koehler that if she does not get selected tonight to please remember all ' the other opportunities stili available in the town for her to get involved in and to feel free to continue to follow the School Committees proceedings and attend meetings to stay connected. Mr. Caruso called the next Candidate Gary Nihan and asked him to give his opening statement. Mr. Nihan Indicated he is a lifelong resident of Reading and has been very involved In Reading schools as a teacher and administrator. He now works in colleges supervising teacher assistants. He said he has done a lot of work with grants and has been a grant manager before. Mr. Nihan explained he taught physical education and health In Reading schools and Is very Involved In substance abuse prevention. He mentioned how he had been an Interim principal at Joshua Eaton and an assistant principal at Barrows. Mr. Nihan was a budget director for public safety grants and is thankful for all the opportunities and experience he has had. He said after he retired from Reading Public Schools he started working towards his Doctor of Education and will hopefully be receiving that after the first of the year. He said he loved working on both sides of the school system and has worked with other districts on their physical education grants. Mr. Nihan said being a part of the School Committee would just be another way he can help enhance and support Reading's school district. Mr. Arena noted that It has been made known that his wife currently works in the school department as a teacher and wants to know if Mr. Nihan would be willing to file a disclosure statement with the Town Clerk if selected. ' Mr. Nihan said absolutely. Mr. Robinson asked Mr. Nihan since he is well-known in town from his many years in the school department, how would he handle a friend or someone asking him for special treatment or for a favor. Pape 13 Board of Selectmen Minutes July 30 2014 vacie 4 Mr. Nihan said it is Important to listen to people and make decisions with the most ' Information you can get and to not make promises but just listen to them. Mr. Sexton asked Mr. Nihan why he wants to be on the School Committee. Mr. Nihan replied he had wanted to join for a while but his course load at Northeastern was a lot and he did not have the amount of time needed to be a member. His course load has now lightened as he is finishing up and he has been very interested after last Town Meeting. The full day kindergarten is also a really Important Issue to him and he wants to be able to contribute to helping solve that problem. Ms. Dockser asked Mr. Nihan how he will balance his knowledge with what he can or can't discuss with the committee and other people. Mr. Nihan said again he will listen to everybody but keep confidentiality when responding. Ms. Dockser followed up with how he will deal with having to work with a committee and not always being the only person with all the answers. Mr. Nihan said he will control his responses to people even if he has an answer and will work with the committee as a team. Mr. Halsey asked Mr. Nihan what his experience with budgets has been. Mr. Nihan stated he has been at Town Meeting for 20 years and has sat through and heard about the budgets every year. He understands all the questions and concerns that go Into ' making a budget and Is familiar with the process. He also stated he has prepared the budget for his department when he was an administrator. Mr. Nihan said he recognizes priorities and thinks It is a give/take approach. Ms. Borawskl asked Mr. Nihan how he sees himself working closely with all the boards in town but strongly advocating for the schools. Mr. Nihan said he will listen to everyone and all boards but the schools priorities will always be on the top. Ms. West asked Mr. Nihan what he thinks the role of the School Committee is in terms of doing the school budget. Mr. Nihan stated the School Committee should be listening to the Superintendent but keeping in mind what the school has for funds. He thinks the 3 C's, critical thinking, communication, and creativity play a great role in doing the school budget. Ms. Webb asked Mr. Nihan his take on the per pupil expenditure in Reading. Mr. Nihan agreed with Ms. Koehler's answer that money can do a lot of great things but doesn't always reflect the work put forth. He stated the teachers we have in Reading are very willing teachers and tend to go above and beyond for their students. Money still reflects what we need to get done, like full day kindergarten. Mr. Nihan also stated that the technological world we live In today is expensive and it is hard to keep up. ' Mr. Ensminger asked Mr. Nihan what his thesis topic was out of curiosity. Mr. Nihan explained it is about teacher evaluations and the "race to the top" to be the best teacher. His thesis will explore whether It is actually making teachers change. Page 14 Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 30. 2014 - 12,19-e-5 Mr. Halsey said he had one more question for Mr. Nihan and that was what is the schools role in substance abuse prevention? Mr. Nihan said he believes everyone has a role In It and he is a strong advocate for prevention. He believes the schools can help give kids the skills they need to make better decision and also help their friends make better decisions. He believes the schools need to educate because parents don't always know what is going on. Mr. Nihan then thanked the boards for their time and stated he would like to take his experiences to the next level In education with this opportunity. Mr. Caruso called the third and final candidate Robert Gibbs to deliver his opening statement. Mr. Gibbs started off thanking the boards for their time. He said he moved to Reading 20 years ago because of the great things he had heard about Reading and their school system. He noted he currently has three children enrolled In the Reading Public Schools and he himself Is a teacher in Woburn. He taught in Lexington before switching over to Woburn and is also the co-founder of a nonprofit organization for people with Down-syndrome and disabilities. Mr. Gibbs stated he wants to be a part of continuing Readings amazing school system. He thinks his special-ed background gives him a good insight to be a contributing member on the School Committee. Mr. Gibbs stated he became Interested In joining after attending the Blue Ribbon Conference and was Inspired by the amazing teachers and It made him want to get more involved. 1 Ms. Dockser asked Mr. Gibbs how he will deal with coming from being an "expert", so to speak, in special education to not being on the front lines per say? Mr. Gibbs said he would be excited to be behind the scenes because he knows the Town can use money for programs better than they are doing now and he wants to be involved in moving that money around to the right places. Mr. Arena asked how Mr. Gibbs would prioritize resources and If he has any experience with doing that? Mr. Gibbs responded with his experience with his non-profit organization has him working on a board where he has to sit down with friends and make decisions about where to put money so that It is best used. He understands everyone must work cooperatively and value everyone's opinions on the board. He explained he has no real output in the budget for his organization but he definitely has a say and he thinks the best thing to do is look at the big picture. Ms. Webb asked Mr. Gibbs what his thoughts on the early childhood Issue are. Mr. Gibbs said there Is a huge need for space and that seems like an issue for everyone here and in town. He said we need to figure out how to do it efficiently and effectively but also think about the scarce funds we have and everyone in town without young children. He stated he thinks it will be difficult to ask the town for money and that we must continue to be efficient and use the money we have wisely. Mr. Halsey asked his question of what role does the school play In substance abuse? Mr. Gibbs stated schools are one piece of the pie. He also explained he has had a lot of experience dealing with this being a coach. He agrees with the zero tolerance policy Reading has In place and thinks it is very effective and always on student's minds. Mr. Gibbs said the educators are with the students most of the day and thinks they play a huge role. The Page 15 Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 30 2014 - page 6 best thing the schools can do is set its priority to focus on how we can do better educating , the students about substance abuse. Mr. Robinson asked Mr. Gibbs why he wants to be on the School Committee. Mr. Gibbs said he believes in the school system and the direction It is going and he wants to be a part of that as It continues and help make big upcoming decisions the board will soon be facing. He explained that Reading school system Is one that surrounding towns try to be like and he thinks he will be a helpful addition to the committee. Mr. Sexton asked Mr. Gibbs what his goals would be if he were selected. Mr. Gibbs indicated he would first get up to speed about all the issues within the schools and figure out exactly how the committee works. He said since the budget is coming up he would then start working on prioritizing the wants vs. needs of the town. Mr. Gibbs said he would listen to the people in town and work on the communication Issues. He thanked the committee again for their time and explained he understands they have a hard decision with three outstanding candidates with strong educational backgrounds and that he would be very excited to put his Iexperience to work on the committee. Mr. Caruso thanked all the applicants and explained it is a very hard vote to make tonight and urges all candidates to stay involved whether selected or not and to please consider applying again In April. The Board of Selectmen and School Committee then took a roll call vote and the results were as follows: ' Ms. Webb - Ms. Koehler Ms. West - Mr. Nihan Mr. Sexton - Mr. Nihan Mr. Halsey - Mr. Nihan Ms. Dockser - Mr. Gibbs Mr. Ensminger- Mr. Nihan Mr. Arena - Mr. Nihan Mr. Caruso - Mr. Nihan Mr. Borawskl - Mr. Nihan Mr. Robinson - Mr. Nihan Mr. Nihan was selected for School Committee with 8 votes. With the Interviews being complete the Finance Committee joined the Board of Selectmen and School Committee. Financial Forum Finance Committee Chairman Mark Dockser called the meeting to order around 8:00 pm. Mr. Dockser explained thereasonthe town started doing financial forums was to get all the boards Involved and working together. He also informed everyone that our state legislatures will be at the next financial forum in September. ' Mr. LeLacheur explained to the other boards about the EDSAT, or the Economic Development Self Assessment Tool that was used to assess Reading. One of the big things that stood out when the results came back was the towns' poor marketing. Mr. LeLacheur said we need to stop doing so many things and tell people what we are doing so they know Page 16 Board of Selectmen Minutes - July 30 2014 - page 7 ' they are happening. He stated the town does a lot of amazing things but we fail to tell people about them. Mr. Dockser explained even if the town wanted to maintain the services we already provide, we need more revenue. He noted the town has a lot of Capital projects going on and they should take a look at all the accounts to get a solid total number in reserves. He also mentioned taking a look at a level of capital spending that will be required going forward. Mr. Dockser stated that he thinks it would be beneficial to start looking at budgets In a two year time frame and that might help set the towns priorities looking at the bigger picture. Mr. LeLacheur asked the boards to start thinking about how much money can the town use in the budget process as a neutral number that we know will be regenerated. He stated last year's 1.7M figure is just not sustainable. He then went on to explain to the other boards about the"Reading 2020"working groups that were formed. These four working groups that were created with the Board of Selectmen and the Town Department Heads and will focus on looking Into the future to push Reading towards a better future. Mr. LeLacheur said communication is very important but we want to be able to control it. The Town Manager then Invited the other boards to join the working groups If they would like to help out. He then Informed the boards that the September Town Meeting will have the marijuana zoning change on the agenda and will also attempt to resolve the Summer Ave issue. Mr. Dockser stated he would like the next financial forum to be a working session while the legislatures are there so that the town can get their Input as well. He wanted to use tonight's forum to brainstorm a list of service priorities and then vote on them. ' He also asked the boards to start brainstorming how to get the word out to the community and get more people Involved. Mr. Dockser said he thinks bringing a neighbor to the next meeting will be a good start. The boards and committees then got Into discussion and came up with a list of services separated Into these categories: 1. Services provided today, needs being met 2. Services provided today, needs not being met 3. Services not provided today but should be 4. Services provided today but getting more funding than they should S. Services provided today that should not be funded at all After they created the lists, each person was asked to vote for their top 3 choices per category if they had to pick. The results were as followed: 1) Services provided today, needs being met ➢ Trash/recycling pick up ➢ Police and fire ➢ Town hall ➢ Library • DPW - streets ➢ Youth activities ' ➢ Schools ➢ RMLD D Capital D Cultural opportunities Page 17 School Committee/ BOS Minutes -lulu 30 2014 - oaa 6 2) Services provided today, needs not being met ➢ Athletics - field space, lights, surfaces, revenues (10 votes) ' ➢ Youth activities (3 votes) • Safe places for youths - Informal and academic clubs ➢ RISE preschool - room/space, revenues (8 votes) D RMHS programs (1 vote) D K-12 Special Ed space (S votes) • Full day K (11 votes) ➢ Health programs ➢ Art/Music space (1 vote) • Cultural space (2 votes) D Student social services ➢ Senior housing/transportation (5 votes) ➢ Elder services (2 votes) • Affordable housing - workforce, youth (3 votes) D Website (1 vote) ➢ Parking ➢ Signage for activities D Effective communication to community (13 votes) D Diversity D Student counselling - anxiety prevention (4 votes) ➢ Cross generation activities ➢ Institute tech specialists (3 votes) ' ➢ Measure performance D Grant funding - matching 3) Services not provided today but should be ➢ Small business D Active economic development (7 votes) ➢ RAD (2 votes) • Community policing - funding (1 vote) • Improve solar Incentives - stretch code (3 votes) D Infrastructure planning (1 vote) D Fund Innovative Ideas toward 2020 (13 votes) • Technology proactive planning (6 votes) ➢ Free full day K (7 votes) • Retain staff (6 votes) 4) Services provided today but getting more funding than they should/ services that should not be funded at all ➢ Veterans services - full funding State ➢ Some capital expenses at the margin in projects ➢ Plant watering (4 votes) More grant funding from outside sources (3 votes) ' ➢ Private - Public partnerships (12 votes) D Outsource student health and social Issues - insurance funded (5 votes) ➢ Collaboration with other organizations (11 votes) D Shift in library programming (10 votes) Page 18 Board of Selectman Minutes - July 30 2014 - Daae 9 ➢ Pruning philosophy (8 votes) ➢ Snow plowing Mr. Dockser then asked for Ideas to get people to come to the next meeting and the group came up with: tell neighbors, send out a notice on next RMLD/ water bill, put on the front page of the towns' website, place an ad in the community connection, and put a notice on the Chamber of Commerce website. Mr. LeLacheur also mentioned we can use Town Meeting to engage them in the discussion of town priorities as well. Mr. Dockser then reminded everyone to try and bring a neighbor or friend to the next financial forum. Mr. McNeice made a motion to adjourn at 10pm second by Mr. Moll and approved with an 8-0-0 vote. The Board of Selectmen voted to adjourn at 10 P.m. by a vote of 5-0-0. Respectfully submitted, S � Secretary 1 Pape 19