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2015 Annual Report
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2015 YEAR IN REVIEW
Town Manager Annual Letter & Table of Organization .. ...............................
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ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Boardof Selectmen ................................................... ...............................
5
TownCounsel .................................................. ...............................
8
TownClerk ..................................................... ...............................
9
Human Resources ............................................. ...............................
10
Technology & Operations ................................... ...............................
11
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
PlanningDivision .............................................. ...............................
13
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPQ ............ ...............................
15
North Suburban Planning Council (NSPC) ................ ...............................
15
Conservation Division ........................................ ...............................
18
Historical Commission ........................................ ...............................
20
Historic District Commission ....................................... ...............................
22
Inspections Division & Zoning Board of Appeals ......... ...............................
22
HealthDivision ................................................ ...............................
24
Elder /Human Services Division .............................. ...............................
25
Recreation Division ............................................ ...............................
33
Veterans' Services Division .. ............................... .............................
43
The Arc of Middlesex ......................................... ...............................
44
Mystic Valley Elder Services ................................ ...............................
45
TrailsCommittee ............................................... ...............................
47
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Accounting.................................................................. ...............................
48
Assessing........................................................ ...............................
49
Treasurer........................................................ ...............................
50
Assessing........................................................ ...............................
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PUBLIC SAFETY
FireDepartment .......................................................... ...............................
55
Police Department ............................................. ...............................
60
AnimalControl ................................................ ...............................
68
Parking Enforcement Officer ................................ ...............................
69
PoliceRoster ................................................... ...............................
69
Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse (RCASA) . ...............................
72
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Director's Report ............................................... ...............................
76
Administration Division ...................................... ...............................
78
CemeteryDivision ............................................. ...............................
78
Custodian of Soldiers' and Sailors' Graves ................ ...............................
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Engineering Division ......................................... ...............................
79
HighwayDivision ............................................. ...............................
87
Forestry Division: Tree Warden's Report ................................. :..............
88
ParksDivision ......................................................... ...............................
89
Water Supply Division ........................................ ...............................
90
Water Distribution Division .................................. ...............................
91
SewerDivision ................................................. ...............................
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READING PUBLIC LIBRARY
Report........................................................... ...............................
93
HOUSING AUTHORITY
Report............................. ............................... ...........................
101
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Superintendent's Report ...................................... ...............................
109
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School ..... ...............................
155
BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS
Report........................................................... ...............................
166
APPENDIX
A. Legislative Reports ................................... ...............................
176
B. Financial Statements .................................. ...............................
476
Dear Fellow Reading Residents,
The Town of Reading Annual Report covering. calendar year 2015 is attached. This report
both summarizes and provides great detail for many Town activities during the year.
The year 2014 might be said to have been a `Policy Year' with the first significant set of
revisions to the Reading Home Rule Charter in twenty -five years and the first
comprehensive review and revisions to the Zoning bylaws in almost seventy -five years.
In that sense the year 2015 was a `Financial Planning Year' as steps towards protecting
the long term financial health of the community were taken.
Permanent Building Committee
Town Meeting approved a General Bylaw that formed a Permanent Building Committee.
The PBC began its work in two areas — one was the development of a process for
initiating, evaluating and discharging projects; the other was reviewing sites for a
Cemetery garage. In the past, efforts including the successful Library project and the
unsuccessful All Day Kindergarten project had met with Town Meeting criticism for lack
of a formal independent process.
Facilities Reorganization
During the summer extensive discussions between management and senior elected
leadership of the Town and Schools resulted in changes to the Facilities department. The
largest portion of core facilities responsibilities and a smaller piece of town buildings
were moved at November 2015 Town Meeting to be under the town government, while
responsibilities for cleaning and maintenance of school buildings remains under the
School Committee. This way the expertise of town staff from all disciplines that deal
with commercial facilities projects in town, ranging from public safety to
planningibuilding inspections, can work more closely with the facilities department.
Early results are quite favorable.
Budgets
For a few years the discussion of the balance of available financial resources contrasted
to the desires for services by the community have been highlighted.
The Town Manager presented comparisons with Peer Communities, a group that was
established by independent analysis and adopted by the Finance Committee, to a
Financial Forum that included all local elected boards and many residents of the
community.
Property taxes provide Reading just over 60% of the annual revenue to support. budgets,
whereas the average of Peers was almost 67 %. Examined more closely, on average, both
Reading and Peers collect about $54 million in local property taxes from single family
homes. The difference lies in the fact that Peers collect about $17 million from their
commercial tax base while Reading collects only $5 million.
Over the past few years Reading has taken many internal steps to establish a foundation
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to better encourage commercial development, recognizing there is very little vacant land
available. These steps ranged from simplifying and streamlining applications processes to
a significant revamping of the zoning bylaws. As this foundation is now largely
established, and in consideration of the need for the Town to improve tax revenue from
the commercial sector, in January the Selectmen instructed the Town Manager to include
another planning position in the proposed FY17 budget that would focus exclusively on
commercial development opportunities. Funding for this position for at least three years
would come from fees paid by recent large development projects and therefore have no
impact on the town or school budgets.
The Town Manager also examined how Reading allocates funds in the budget process
compared to these Peer Communities. The findings were remarkably dull — Reading
allocates funds in a very typical way, as is shown by the table below:
Of some note are the comparatively high levels of funding given to Public Safety and
Culture (Public Library) and low levels to general government (Town Hall). Also note
that the average allocation to Education does not contradict the low per pupil spending
figures reported by the Schools. Indeed Reading ranks 9th of the 26 communities in terms
of enrollment as a % of population — in other words we have a lot of students.
In 1982 Massachusetts voters adopted Proposition 21/2 as a cap on property taxes and a
measure designed to reign in runaway annual municipal spending. For the next 25 years,
average statewide municipal revenue growth was still over 5 %; since that point it has
steadily declined now to 3.8 %. One significant factor limiting this revenue is the collapse
of inflation adjusted state aid: since 2001 the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
cites state aid as declining by 51 % in real terms.
As a bedroom community, Reading's smaller commercial tax base has caused the town to
lag those annual revenue growth figures shown above by almost I% each year. The Town
Accountant has forecast a 2.9% Reading revenue growth in FY17 and between 2.6% and
2:9% for the next five years, figures which also rely on some amount of economic
development.
The Town Manger recently submitted a balanced budget for FY17 to the Finance
Committee as required by the Reading Home Rule Charter. The entire budget increased
by 2.6 %, and both the town and schools had to eliminate some staffing positions in order
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Reading
Peers
Difference
Public Safety
9.2%
8.7%
+0.5%
Culture/Recr.
2.1
1.7
+0.4%
Education
39.3
39.1
+0.2%
DPW
5.1
4.9
+0.2%
Human Svcs
0.6
0.7
-0.1%
Fixed costs
17.1
17.8
-0.1%
Other
22.4
22.8
-0.4%
Gen'1 ov't
3.6
4.3
-0.7%
Of some note are the comparatively high levels of funding given to Public Safety and
Culture (Public Library) and low levels to general government (Town Hall). Also note
that the average allocation to Education does not contradict the low per pupil spending
figures reported by the Schools. Indeed Reading ranks 9th of the 26 communities in terms
of enrollment as a % of population — in other words we have a lot of students.
In 1982 Massachusetts voters adopted Proposition 21/2 as a cap on property taxes and a
measure designed to reign in runaway annual municipal spending. For the next 25 years,
average statewide municipal revenue growth was still over 5 %; since that point it has
steadily declined now to 3.8 %. One significant factor limiting this revenue is the collapse
of inflation adjusted state aid: since 2001 the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
cites state aid as declining by 51 % in real terms.
As a bedroom community, Reading's smaller commercial tax base has caused the town to
lag those annual revenue growth figures shown above by almost I% each year. The Town
Accountant has forecast a 2.9% Reading revenue growth in FY17 and between 2.6% and
2:9% for the next five years, figures which also rely on some amount of economic
development.
The Town Manger recently submitted a balanced budget for FY17 to the Finance
Committee as required by the Reading Home Rule Charter. The entire budget increased
by 2.6 %, and both the town and schools had to eliminate some staffing positions in order
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to balance the budget to available revenues. The forecast for FY18 and beyond looks
particularly challenging and significant staff reductions appear likely.
By reputation, Reading delivers both a high quality and volume of services given the
funding that is available. We use an extensive planning process that looks ahead several
years and we adapt to the rapidly changing present in order to deliver good value.
Reading should be proud at how the Town and Schools work together and spend
efficiently. Employees and retirees have contributed significantly with increased out of
pocket expenses in order to keep health insurance premium increases lower. Wage
growth has been very modest, not keeping pace with the level of average pay among our
Peer Communities. Financial reserves continue to be at strong levels. Significant ongoing
investment in infrastructure has improved the condition of buildings and equipment over
the past decade, which has in turn lowered operating costs. In recognition, Standard &
Poor's increased our rating to AAA (higher than the federal and state government).
Town and school elected officials and leadership will work together in coming months to
establish a path forward to foster an open and honest discussion with the community
about the imbalance of revenues available and the demand for services. A future Override
is under consideration by the Board of Selectmen. The last Override in 2003 was hoped
to last for ten years and, considering the slowing in revenue growth since then, the fact
that town and school service levels have remained strong for over 13 years is a testament
to staff, elected officials, appointed volunteers and to residents and local businesses .that
volunteer their time and funding as well.
As always, we will all strive to meet the expectations of the community with whatever
level of resources that are made available.
Robert LeLacheur, Jr. CFA
Town Manager
Email: townmanager(a,ci.reading ma.us
Website: www.readingma.gov
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ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
The department consists of the Office of the Town Manager, Human Resources,
Technology, Operations and the Town Clerk. Matthew A. Kraunelis was appointed as the
Administrative Services Director in May. Changes brought about by the Charter Review
Committee (approved by both Town Meeting and local voters) restructured this position
to formally include the role of Ombudsman — an advocate for the residents. Below is a
brief summary of events during 2015:
Board of Selectmen
John Arena was re- elected as Selectmen for a three year term. Daniel Ensminger served
as Chairman, John Halsey served as Vice Chairman and Kevin Sexton served as
Secretary.
Personnel and Appointments
The Board of Selectmen reappointed Sharon Angstrom as Town Accountant with a term
expiring June 30, 2016.
The Board also appointed the firm of Miyares and Harrington as Town Counsel.
On December 15, 2015 the Board of Selectmen confirmed the appointment of Mark
Segalla as the new Police Chief replacing Police Chief James Cormier due to retirement.
Matthew Kraunelis was appointed as Administrative Services Director and Ombudsman.
The Board of Selectmen met jointly with the Reading Municipal Light Board to appoint
David R. Hennessy to the Reading Municipal Light Board with a term expiring April 7,
2015.
The Selectmen held a hearing in February 2015 to amend the Non -Union Classification
Plan to change the name of the Library Technician to Library Associate; to upgrade the
Veteran's Services Officer; downgrade the Computer Technician and upgrade the Senior
Computer Technician. In addition, the Recreation Director changed to Community
Services Director. Finally, Selectmen approved the Non -Union Classification Plan and
the FY 16 Non -Union Compensation Plan that includes the 1.50% increase from FY 15.
On October 6, 2015 the Selectmen approved amendments to the Non -Union FY16
Classification Plan, which included adding the Facilities Director position to Grade M
and adding an Assistant Facilities Director to Grade J due to the reconfiguration of the
Facilities Department. The vacant Business Analyst position was changed to a
Purchasing Agent to take on additional Facilities work. The Assistant Recreation
Program Coordinator was promoted to Recreation Administrator. The Appraiser and
Assistant Assessor positions were renamed. A Human Resource Generalist position,
which will be shared with School Department, was created and the Assistant Building
Inspector position was deleted.
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On December 1, 2015 the Board of Selectmen approved the amendments to the FY16
Non -Union Classification Plan to upgrade the Assistant Collector and Assistant Treasurer
positions by one grade.
The Board of Selectmen approved an Inter - Municipal Agreement between the City of
Melrose and the Town of Reading for shared public health services for the incumbent
Melrose Senior Health Inspector for a period ending June 30, 2016.
The Board of Selectmen voted to renew the Inter - Municipal Agreement between the
Town of Reading and the Town of Wakefield for the Director of Assessing Department
effective January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018.
Boards and Committees
At the direction of Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen created an Ad Hoc Firearms
Safety Committee to look at the use of firearms on public land. The Committee consisted
of two Selectmen, the Police Chief or designee, one Town Meeting Member and three
residents at large including a resident from the Timberneck Swamp neighborhood. The
duties of the Committee are to suggest strategies to improve safety; investigate the
history of Timberneck Swamp and how it was designated conservation land; review the
general bylaw; and report to the Board of Selectmen by August 2015.
The Board of Selectmen discussed the five committees that were due to sunset on June
30, 2015 and approved the following:
• to extend the Climate Advisory Committee to June 30, 2017;
• to sunset the Economic Development Committee along with the Board of
Selectmen thanks as of June 30, 2015;
• to extend the Fall Street Faire Committee to December 31, 2017;
• to extend the Human Relations Advisory Committee to June 30, 2017;
• to extend the Trails Committee to June 30, 2018.
In addition, the Board discussed the possibility of creating a Disability Commission.
Licenses and Permits
At the request of Dunkin Donuts, 87 Walkers Brook Drive, the Board of Selectmen
approved the reduction in hours from 24 hours to close at 10:00 p.m. and open at 4:00
a.m. with the reason being the lack of overnight business. The Board also approved the
request for early opening for Tread LLC, 6 Linden Street to open at 5:00 a.m.
The Board of Selectmen approved many liquor license requests throughout the year
including:
• the all- alcohol liquor license transfer from Phider Corp d/b /a Grumpy
Doyles to Unagi Servers Inc. d /b /a Biltmore and Main at 530 Main Street;
• approved a new all- alcohol restaurant liquor license for Anthony's Coal
Fired Pizza at 48 Walkers Brook Drive;
• approved the change of d /b /a from Sam's Bistro to Fusilli's Cucina;
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• approved the transfer of the liquor license from Athens Liquor Inc. to
Radsha Inc. d /b /a Square Liquors, 13 High Street
Community Development
In May 2015, the Board of Selectmen heard a presentation on a proposed Lincoln Street
40B project, on the current site of the Simply Wood and Doucette Buildings. The project
proposes a five story building with the first story being parking and four floors of
residential units above. The entrance would be on Prescott Street with a one -way drive
exiting onto Lincoln Street. The developer seeks 77 units with one parking spot per unit.
Seventy percent of the units would be one bedroom and there would be eight 3-
bedrooms. The Board of Selectmen and the Police Chief were not satisfied with the
parking plan for this project and the Fire Chief was not satisfied that building clearances
allow adequate access to the back of the building. The density of this project is five times
what is allowed under zoning.
Infrastructure
At their May 5, 2015 meeting, the Board of Selectmen approved naming the baseball
complex on and around Morton Field Moscariello Ballpark in honor of Pete Moscariello,
who was both a great baseball coach and person who made a profound impact on the
residents.
In March 2015 the Board of Selectmen approved an order of taking and plan for the bus
shelter easement at 25 Walkers Brook Drive to allow for the installation of a bus shelter
in front of Stop and Shop.
The Selectmen invited residents in to discuss lighting at the Birch Meadow Field. The
biggest concerns from neighbors being light spillage, noise and parking in the
neighborhood. Due to the lack of money, the Board of Selectmen had to rank the order
of fields to have new lighting installed in the Birch Meadow area. At their December 15,
2015 meeting the Board voted to rank the fields as following: Unlit Field #1, Tennis
Court Field #2, Moscariello Field #3, Lighted Field #4, and Turf 2 #5 as an alternate.
The Board of Selectmen also signed an order of taking of land at 25 Walkers Brook Drive
to allow room for a bus shelter to be installed.
On September 15, 2015 the Board of Selectmen recommended the acceptance of
Causeway Road, Cory Lane, Dividence Road, Pond View, Roma Lane, and Sailor Tom's
Way as public streets.
Financial
The Board of Selectmen approved an Inter - Municipal Agreement between Reading and
Wakefield to share a Special Education Program for youth ages 18 — 22. This resulted in
a cost savings of $50,000 to the Town.
The Board authorized the Town Manager to sign on its behalf all documents needed to
complete the Sutton Brook Disposal Area Superfund Site settlement.
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There were many discussions throughout the year about the upcoming need for a
Proposition 2 1/2 override.
Economic Development
The Selectmen attended multiple Public Forums presented by the Metropolitan Area
Planning Council (MAPC) regarding the planning for Reading's Economic Development
Future. A great deal of planning work has been undertaken over the past few years in
order to set the stage for commercial development, recognizing there is not much vacant
land in town. Diversifying the property tax base is crucial to relieve the tax burden on
single - family residential homes.
Town Counsel
The role of Town Counsel is to provide information about what the law requires, to
advise Town officials and boards concerning the law, to protect the legal interests of the
Town in the conduct of its affairs, and to represent the Town in judicial and
administrative proceedings. This involves the preparation of legal memoranda and the
negotiation, drafting or review of protocols, memoranda of understanding or other types
of agreements and contracts. In addition, Town Counsel answers questions on topics
such as procurement, contracts, insurance, land use, environmental law, wetlands
protection, municipal finance, construction law, employment, open meeting and public
records requirements, and ethics.
In 2015, we represented Reading in four litigation matters:
Fulgoni v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Reading,
Superior Court Case No. MI CV2009- 03499
The Town resolved this case in 2015. As the 2014 Annual Report of Town Counsel
described, this case involved the rezoning of a parcel that caused it to be non - buildable.
The Town approved a zoning change at the November 2014 Town Meeting to permit the
lot and a few others that were caught in the zoning change to be buildable for residential
use. The Attorney General approved the zoning change in early 2015 and the case has
been dismissed.
Beltran v. Reading Zoning Board of Appeals,
Superior Court Case No. MICV- 2014 - 00062 -D
The Superior Court (Krupp, J.) denied the Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment and
simultaneously awarded judgment to the Zoning Board of Appeals. This zoning appeal
concerned property located at 29 Gardner Road. In a decision dated December 5, 2013,
the ZBA denied the plaintiffs application to modify a variance originally issued in 1957.
Now that judgment has entered, the ZBA's decision stands, and has become final.
Da Silva v. Gemme,
Docket No. 14EO083 (Worcester Probate Court)
Two current residents of Worcester were married in 2009 by a Justice of the Peace
residing in Reading. They sued the Town Clerk seeking correction of what they claim are
mistakes in their marriage certificate. The Town Clerk filed an answer in February 2015
in which she noted that the documentation required by law to change the certificate has
not been provided. There has been no activity on the case since February.
Webb v. Zoning Board of Appeals,
C.A. No. MICV2015 -04203 (Middlesex Super. Ct.)
This zoning appeal concerns the special permit issued to Thomas F. Wise, Trustee, for
property located at 181 South Street. Michael and Lee Anne Webb, whose property at
224 Walnut Street abuts the subject property, filed this appeal of the special permit. The
Webbs and Mr. Wise negotiated a settlement agreement and, after the Board of
Selectmen and ZBA approved
the negotiated plan changes, the parties agreed to dismiss the case.
The year 2015 marked the first full year of our tenure as Town Counsel in Reading. We
believe that each matter that comes before Town Counsel deserves careful thought, and
we strive to provide the Town with personal, direct and responsive legal counsel, diligent
attention to the Town's needs, and good humor.
Respectfully Submitted,
J. Raymond Miyares
Miyares and Harrington LLP
Town Counsel
Town Clerk
Elections
In 2015, the Annual Town Election was held on April 7th.
Election Turnout
On April 7th, there were 1,963 votes cast with 55 Absentee Ballots, a turnout of 11.3 %.
Board of Registrars
Registrars Krissandra Holmes, Gloria Hulse, Harry Simmons, and Town Clerk Laura
Gemme registered 944 voters; made 1,590 voter changes (name, address, status); and
deleted 632 voters in 2015. There were over 12,000 signatures certified on nomination
and petition papers for the 2015 election year. Registrars also offered assistance to voters
on Election Day.
Census
The Annual Town Census was conducted in January, entirely by mail, with over 10,200
forms mailed to residences. The local census assists Town Clerks in putting together the
Street List (resident book) and the Jury List. Major functions served by an annual local
census are:
• Information collected for municipal purposes
• Schoolneeds
• Growth and planning needs
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• Resident identification for police and fire
• Collection of dog information
• Veteran Information
• Information for the Jury Commissioners
• Determining inactive voter status for voter removal as required by the
National Voter Registration Act.
Town Meeting
Town of Reading held an Annual and Subsequent Town Meeting in 2015 as well as three
Special Town Meetings. The Annual Town Meeting was held in three nights on April
27th, April 30th and May 1st. The Subsequent Town Meeting was held in two nights on
November 9th and November 12th. The three Special Town Meetings were held on
January 5th, January 6th and January 7th as a three night meeting, February 23rd as a one
night meeting and April 27th as a one night meeting.
Vital Statistics and Licensing
During the calendar year 2015, the following Vital Statistics were recorded in the Town
Clerk's Office:
Births — 266 Marriages —100 Deaths — 388
The Town Clerk's office issued 2,495 dog licenses, 2 commercial dog kennel licenses
and 0 residential kennel licenses, 152 business certificates, 18 renewals for 67
underground storage tanks, and 37 cemetery deeds. The Town Clerk acts as the Burial
Agent for the Board of Health and issued 284 Burial Permits.
Total Receipts
Total receipts collected in the Town Clerk's office for the calendar year 2015 amounted to
$84,047.00.
Human Resources
The Human Resources Division supports the Town (under the direction of the Town
Manager), Schools (under the direction of the Superintendent), Light Department (under
the direction of the RMLD General Manager) and Retiree benefit activities.
Employee benefits administered through this Division include health, dental and life
insurance, deferred compensation,- flexible spending accounts, the sick -leave bank, the
Employee Assistance Program, paid time off, leaves of absence, professional
development and unemployment benefits. Job related injuries covered by worker's
compensation or MGL Chapter 41 Section 111 F (for public safety employees) are also
administered through this department.
Worker's compensation is a premium -based program purchased through the
Massachusetts Inter - Local Insurance Association (MIIA). The Town is self - insured for
job - related injuries of its public safety employees qualifying under Section 111F. This
program is fully administered within the Human Resources Division.
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The Town's health insurance program is currently administered through MIIA, with large
losses being shared by all members of the MIIA Health Benefits Trust. The Town
occasionally reviews options of its health insurance plans available through an open bid
process. Longfellow Benefits recently assisted the Town in an open bid process which
included a wide comparison of plans available to the Town including the Massachusetts
Group Insurance Commission municipal options. The Public Employee Committee
meets occasionally to review the status of the Town's plans and to provide input
throughout the selection process. MIIA was selected to continue our health plan
throughout the FY16 plan year. We are currently anticipating the disclosure of our FY17
rates and will be meeting with the Public Employee Committee to confirm our plan
coverage.
Technology
The Technology Division is responsible for providing and maintaining the necessary
computing and telecommunications infrastructure and systems that the various Town
departments use, in a secure and thoughtful manner. Additionally, the division
administers the geographic information system (GIS), and provides the town's
departments, boards, committees, and commissions with custom maps and analysis.
During the year, we were able to make some much needed changes to our infrastructure.
We had a 12- year -old digital phone system that was replaced with a more modern VoIP
controller, and upgraded a voicemail system that was the same age. In order to support
the additional demands that this placed on our network, we made some upgrades to our
network equipment which resulted in additional bandwidth, and redundancy between our
locations. The video surveillance system was upgraded in a way that allowed for
additional capacity, and more modern cameras, while still supporting our investment in
the equipment that we have been using. In addition to the ongoing effort that the town has
been making with its geographic information systems, there were server changes made
this year that enable us to expand on our mapping capabilities, and provide more
advanced solutions to the town's departments and residents.
Several new web apps were rolled out for the public, the Town's online mapping site was
given a new look and increased functionality, and a major effort was begun to support the
DPW with mobile mapping capabilities. As a result of the recent security issues that
other government agencies and businesses have been experiencing, we added to the
systems that are responsible for securing our computing environment. The technology
division also helped to support the library renovation project through the adoption and
implementation of upgraded information systems.
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PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT
The Public Services Department (formerly Community Services) provides professional
services to the public and provides varying levels of staff support to the 10
boards /commissions that fall within the departmental organizational chart. The
Department's expertise is derived from a staff of 29 employees (nearly one third of
employees are either regional or part- time).
The services provided are organized as either Community Development or Community
Services. The Community Development Divisions include Conservation, Planning,
Historical, and Inspections (Building, Plumbing /Gas, Electrical, and Mechanical). The
Community Services Divisions include Health, Human/Elder Services, Veterans Services,
and Recreation.
Providing services in a cost efficient manner is an overriding goal of the Department. For
example the Metro North Regional Housing Services Office (MNRHSO) includes a full
time staff person that is shared with the Communities of North Reading, Wilmington, and
Saugus. Another example of cost savings is the use of three part-time building inspectors,
a part-time electrical inspector and a part-time plumbing /gas inspector. A full -time senior
administrative assistant oversees permitting so that the part-time staffing is effective. The
savings realized from not having to provide benefits is significant yet the efficiency of the
office is notable often resulting in "same day" issuance of permit applications.
The Assistant Town Manager (ATM) leads the department and works closely with the
Town Manager on Town Administration and special projects. The Public Services
Department has two assistant department heads that oversee their respective areas.
Outside services are provided as needed mostly on projects. Grants are secured where
possible to reduce the project cost, including consultant services. Volunteers make an
enormous contribution to the Public Services Department and are too numerous to list.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Within the Public Services Department, Community Development personnel comprise
expertise and deliver services to the public related to the fields of planning, conservation,
historical properties, and building inspections.
In 2015, Community Development staff continued to provide regular support to the
Community Planning and Development Commission, the Conservation Commission, the
Historical Commission, the Historic Districts Commission, and the Zoning Board of
Appeals. Planning staff also provided support to the ad hoc Zoning Advisory Committee,
the Economic Development Committee, and the Board of Selectmen as needed.
Volunteers represent a tremendous resource for Community Development. Extensive
work is undertaken because of the on -going efforts of the many volunteers.
12
Planning Division
Community Development Director: Jessie Wilson
Regional Housing Coordinator: Laurie Stanton
Staff Planner: D. Anthony Fields
Planning Intern: Marianna Corrente
The Planning Division provides technical and professional planning services to the Town
of Reading and the relevant land use boards. The Town of Reading Master Plan, as well
as other long -range plans regarding economic development, transportation, housing, and
other aspects of land use and development, serves as a guide for planning staff in helping
to achieve stated goals for the Town. Planning processes aid civic leaders, businesses and
citizens in envisioning and implementing new possibilities for the future. In addition to
long -range planning, planning staff also develop action plans aimed at providing
solutions to current community problems and addressing daily needs.
Site Plan Review (SPR) is the zoning tool used to evaluate development projects. This is
an important tool as it allows the Town to influence projects so that they respect the
existing fabric of the Town as well as future planning objectives, and are carried out in
harmony with the rest of the community. Planning staff work directly with the
Community Planning and Development Commission (CPDC) in reviewing development
proposals and drafting SPR decisions that reflect and mitigate issues elaborated by the
CPDC, staff and the public during the development review process..
The existing organizational structure of Public Services supports collaboration and
communication across the department. The Planning Division regularly collaborates with
all Divisions of Community Development as well as Community Services (Health,
Recreation, Elder /Human Services, Veterans' Services). For example, Planning staff
coordinate Development Review Team (DRT) meetings and Pre - Construction meetings
with applicants to provide guidance on permitting and development. In 2015, there were
a combined total of 61 DRT and Pre - Construction meetings.
Streamlining permitting was one of the Town Manager's goals stemming from the
Reading 2020 strategic planning effort. Clarifying permitting requirements for developers
was a recommendation of the Economic Development Assessment Tool (EDSAT). In late
2015, in an effort to clarify applicants' expectations during the permitting process,
Planning staff created a 2016 Permitting Schedule that delineates submission deadlines,
completeness review deadlines, and dates for noticing legal ads, as is applicable for each
type of application, based on CPDC meeting dates.
The Planning Division engaged MAPC throughout the year on additional efforts to
streamline the permitting process. Planning staff worked with MAPC to create a Project
Scoping Guide, Infographic illustrating the permitting process, and a more user - friendly
Business Guide. The Project Scoping Guide outlines the process applicants should go
through and the materials that he /she should provide before applying for a building
permit. The Infographic is a detailed flow chart depicting the permitting process. The
Business Guide is designed to help prospective new businesses navigate the Town's
13
approval process and provides an overview of what applicants should expect during the
permitting, licensing and zoning processes. These draft documents are being finalized
with the goal of a 2016 release.
The Planning Division undertook other notable projects in 2015, including continued
work on the Comprehensive Update of the Zoning Bylaw, which began in 2013. Planning
staff worked with the CPDC to bring the following Zoning Bylaw Amendments to
Subsequent Town Meeting in November 2015 (all four were approved by a 2/3 vote):
• Update to Section 1 — Purpose
• Update to Section 10.3 and related Sections — Aquifer Protection District
• Update to Section 5.6.3 — Personal Wireless Service Facility
• Addition of Sections 4.3.3 and 4.5.3 — Associate Members on CPDC and
ZBA
In April 2015, the Planning Division began the process of updating the Town's 2010
Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was developed by the MAPC. Following the steps
outlined within the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 2013 Local
Mitigation Planning Handbook, Planning staff convened a small group of Town staff to
review the existing plan and determine areas for revision and update. The Town's Hazard
Mitigation Planning efforts continued through June 2015 and included 3 internal staff
meetings and 1 public forum. In November 2015, in recognition of the considerable
amount of staff time needed to complete the plan update process, Town Meeting
authorized $25,000 f6r the Hazard Mitigation Plan. Planning staff have since retained
experts at MAPC to lead this effort, and will work with MAPC to complete the Hazard
Mitigation Plan update in 2016.
Another notable project in 2015 was the start of an Economic Development Action Plan
to build on the Town's 2014 Economic Development Self- Assessment Tool (EDSAT)
Report and. 2013 Priority Mapping Project. With this information, as well as a better
understanding of some of Reading's current economic challenges, the Planning Division
requested the assistance of MAPC to create an Economic Development Action Plan. The
Economic Development Action Plan was finalized in December 2015, and recommends
strategies and actions for the Town to pursue in 2016 and beyond. Some of the strategies
are: expanding the Downtown Smart Growth District (DSGD); facilitating more compact,
mixed -use development in the Priority Development Areas (PDAs); developing a
comprehensive parking strategy; enhancing walkability and connectivity through
infrastructure investments; and establishing a branding and marketing plan for the PDAs
to attract interested developers as well as retail customers. Planning staff have begun
drafting an application for District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) funding to aid in
implementation of the recommended economic development strategies. This work is
expected to continue through 2016.
Planning staff also submitted an application for Technical Assistance with wayfinding
and branding under the DHCD's Massachusetts Downtown Initiative (MDI) program,
and are awaiting notification of the grant award. If awarded, the Planning Division will
work with a consultant to establish a comprehensive and contextually sensitive
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wayfinding /branding strategy for Reading's downtown area. This work is expected to
occur within 2016.
Community Development Director, Jessie Wilson, left in September 2015, and was
replaced by Julie Mercier, who started with the Town in late November 2015. In the
interim, Anthony Fields was hired on a part-time basis to help the Planning Division
during the transition.
Metro North Regional Housing Services Office (MNRHSO)
In regional planning efforts, the towns of Reading, North Reading, Wilmington and
Saugus jointly hired a Regional Housing Coordinator in January 2015 to provide staff
support to the Metro North Regional Housing Services Office (MNRHSO), which is
situated under the Planning Division at Reading Town Hall. During 2015, the Regional
Housing Coordinator worked with a housing consultant to establish the Regional Housing
Services Office. Initial services for each town included: the creation of monitoring
databases of affordable housing developments and residents, and the collection of records
for each affordable unit. Ongoing core services include: annual monitoring for both
ownership and rental units; reconciling municipal inventories with the DHCD's
Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI); petitioning to add new units to the SHI when
required; the creation and updating of interested -buyer lists; on -site consulting on
projects; preparation of proposals for supplemental services as needed; and assistance
with regional linkages.
The Planning Division continues to work to further the scope and range of the Regional
Housing Coordinator and MNRHSO, and to reach out to other nearby communities to
expand membership when possible.
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
North Suburban Planning Council (NSPC) Sub - region
The North Suburban Planning Council (NSPC) is composed of eight towns and one city
that have formed a voluntary association to facilitate cooperative regional planning. The
goals of NSPC are to facilitate communication between member communities on
planning topics of interest including issues of growth management and land use and to
provide a forum for members to create a shared agenda for action that, if thoughtfully
addressed, will allow the region to continue to thrive as a desirable place to live and
work.
NSPC held nine meetings in 2015. Danielle McKnight, North Reading Town
Planner /Community Development Administrator, and Kristin Kassner, Burlington
Planning Director, served as co- chairs. Amanda Chisholm, MAPC Regional Planner II,
served in the role of NSPC Subregional Coordinator. NSPC members interacted with
guest presenters and MAPC staff around topics of economic development, community
engagement, transportation, local and regional development, historic preservation,
infrastructure investment priorities, housing, and stormwater management. NSPC co-
sponsored two joint forums (one focused on transportation and one focused on housing)
with the North Shore Task Force. NSPC also spearheaded efforts to coordinate a Historic
15
Preservation Forum with the neighboring subregions of MAGIC and MetroWest. The
forum was a great success and attracted around 80 enthusiastic participants. Joint forums
are advantageous because they allow opportunities for members to network with planners
from other municipalities. NSPC also sponsored a Citizen Planner Training Collaborative
(CPTC) Workshop entitled Creating Master Plans. This workshop was hosted at North
Reading Town Hall and attracted about 10 participants, many of whom serve on local
boards in and around the subregion.
NSPC is now involved in generating project ideas to follow up on the recommendations
included in the NSPC Priories Mapping Project (mapc.org /nspcprioritymapping) that was
completed in January 2014. This regional process involved identifying local and regional
priority development and preservation areas and the infrastructure investments needed to
support those priorities. One follow up study that NSPC is particularly interested in is a
suburban mobility study. The subregion is currently preparing a scope of work that will
focus on coordinating and maximizing the use of existing transit service in the sub-
region, including developing strategies to enhance new transit and facilitating first and
last mile connections.
Many NSPC communities have also participated in individual technical assistance
projects that have involved follow up related to the NSPC Priority Mapping Project. In
particular in 2015, MAPC worked with the Town of Reading to prepare a Strategic
Economic Development Action Plan and worked with the City of Woburn on a Master
Planning process.
In an on -going effort to provide member communities with better access to information,
MAPC• updated the NSPC webpage on a regular basis and released a monthly Constant
Contact newsletter that reached over 340 people in 2015. The page can be accessed at
http: / /www.mape.org/nspc.
Community Planning and Development Commission (CPDC)
In 2015, the CPDC met 23 times and with the assistance of Planning staff reviewed a
total of 38 applications for the following: 3 Special Permits; 3 Site Plan Reviews; 5
Minor Site Plan Reviews; 7 Modifications to existing Site Plan Review decisions; 13
Sign Reviews; 2 Minor Modifications to existing Planned Unit Development decisions; 1
Preliminary Plan for a Planned Residential Development; 4 Approval Not Required
Plans; and 7 Street Acceptances. No Subdivision applications were filed or reviewed. The
Commissions meetings also included attendance at Town Meeting, 1 site visit, 3 public
forums on the Economic Development Action Plan, 1 public forum on the Hazard
Mitigation Plan, and numerous public forums regarding 2015 Zoning Amendments.
In 2015, Jeffery Hansen continued to Chair the Commission with the support of long-
term members John Weston, Nick Safina and David Tuttle, and associate member George
Katsoufis. Karen Goncalves -Dolan joined the Commission as its fifth full member in
March of 2015.
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Zoning Advisory Committee (ZAC)
In February 2015, the ZAC held one final public meeting before the Committee's sunset
on February 20, 2015. Due in large part to the ZAC's efforts, a number of changes to the
Zoning Bylaw were approved at Town Meetings in 2014 and 2015. However, changes to
the Sign section, Parking section, and PUD /PRD overlay districts were identified as in
need of more time to update and will be included in future phases of updates. The CPDC
and Planning staff will continue the work of the ZAC in 2016 and into future years.
Economic Development Committee (EDC)
In 2015, the Economic Development Committee (EDC) members included Karl Weld,
George Rio, Maria Higgins, Meghan Young - Tafoya, Sandra Popaja and Jack Russell.
The EDC attended numerous MAPC meetings regarding the Economic Development
Action Plan, and held five (5) meetings of their own. In June 2015, the EDC held their
final meeting and decided to Sunset. They mentioned that after 9 years of existence, the
downtown has changed tremendously, and they expressed hopes that the Town will
continue efforts to expand the economy.
The EDC continued to offer the Building Fagade and Signage Improvement Program
(BFSI) in 2015, and approved awards of $5,000, $850, and $1,500 for fagade and signage
improvements for three downtown businesses. The EDC also provided funding for
replacement holiday bows after the winter storm, and for streetscape flowers. The
Commission continued its efforts related to business retention/expansion, new business
development, bolstering the local creative economy, wayfinding, promoting the Town's
cultural assets, bringing people downtown, and making Reading more business - friendly.
Major Development Projects: In an effort to keep the public informed, the Public
Services Department's Bi- Weekly Notes were continued in 2015, and included items of
interest related to Community Development.
Reading Woods, 1 Jacob Way — Reading Woods is a 24.8 acre site being developed by
Pulte Homes of New England, LLC and is a redevelopment of a former office complex
known as Addison Wesley. The former office use consisted of 208,000 square feet of
vacant and dilapidated buildings and related parking. In total, the project will include
424 for -sale residential units (208 age- restricted and 43 low or moderate income units as
required under the Gateway Smart Growth 40R District zoning designation) that mostly
are garden style condominiums with the exception of 16 units which will be townhouses.
Construction of the townhouses and clubhouse is complete as well as all four buildings
located in the 40R district. In 2015, three of the five age- restricted buildings were built.
Construction of the remainder of the project is ongoing.
Johnson Woods, Phases I and II — This major residential project on the western side of
Town was approved as a PUD -R in 2004 and has been amended many times since. The
project includes the development of 293 ownership units, 36 of which will be available to
households earning at or below 80% of the Boston Area Median Income (AMI), on
approximately 39 acres. The developer has been simultaneously constructing Phases I
and II, and as of December 2015, approximately 150 market rate units and 20 affordable
17
units had received Certificates of Occupancy. Construction of the remaining 123 units is
anticipated to continue throughout 2016.
Perfecto's, 285 Main Street — A coffee shop /cafe is proposed for this former tuxedo shop
building that had a fire some years ago. Originally permitted in 2009, the project has
undergone several modifications and changes over the years. A Building Permit was
issued in September of 2014 and construction has continued through 2015.
Artis Senior Living Center, 1090 -1100 Main Street — A nursing home development
consisting of 64 beds specializing in Alzheimer and memory care patients is under
construction on the 3.5 -acre former Eric's Greenhouse site. The two -story structure has a
proposed footprint of approximately 18,000 square feet. Demolition began in February
2014 and construction is anticipated to continue throughout most of 2016.
44 -48 Walkers Brook Drive — In June 2015, the 6,500 square foot former Macaroni Grill
space was approved to be demised into three new retail and restaurant tenant spaces —
Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, Chipotle, and Super Cuts. Demolition and construction of
the vanilla boxes for each tenant began in 2015; tenant fit -outs and occupancies should be
complete in early spring 2016.
Reading Public Library — A building permit was issued and construction of the library
expansion / historic renovation project commenced in 2015. The expansion will provide
several new meeting rooms for the Town, a new reading room, improved accessibility
and safety, better functional organization, and updated mechanical systems. Construction
is expected to be completed in 2016.
Modular Classrooms — Modular classrooms were installed at the Joshua Eaton, Killam
and Barrows elementary schools.
New Businesses: In 2015, the following new businesses opened in Reading: Biltmore &
Main, Tread, Tin Bucket, Golds Gym, Tropical Nails, My Furry Dog Mother, Subway,
and Bunratty Tavern. In addition, interior renovations were made to the following
commercial businesses: Eastern Bank at 123 Haven Street, Fuddrucker's at 50 Walker's
Brook Drive, and Chili's at 70 Walker's Brook Drive.
In 2015, revenue generated from. Planning Division activities totaled $27,611. The
Planning Division is located at Town Hall, 16 Lowell Street, telephone 781942-6648.
Conservation Division
Conservation Administrator: Charles Tirone
Reading Conservation Commission (RCC)
The Reading Conservation Commission is required by state and local laws to protect and
preserve wetlands and waterways and their surrounding areas. The Commission can have
up to seven (7) volunteer members, appointed by the Board of Selectmen for renewable
three -year terms. In 2015, the RCC was comprised of six (6) members: Brian Sullivan —
S
Chair, Rebecca Longley —Vice Chair, Annika Scanlon, Alison Stager, Terry Selle and
James Maughan. During the year, Terry Selle and Alison Stager stepped down and were
replaced by Michael Flynn and Al Coulliard. Staff support to the Commission includes:
Charles Tirone — full -time Conservation Administrator, Ann Gentile — Clerk, and Julia
Rodger — Minutes Secretary.
At public meetings and through site visits, RCC members work to ensure that all
residential and commercial construction and development projects, which may alter
wetlands, floodplains, rivers and /or streams, are in compliance with state and local
regulations. The RCC also protects and manages the Town's Conservation Lands and
natural resources. Meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of
each month at 7:00 p.m. The Commission's office is located at Town Hall, 16 Lowell
Street, Reading, MA 01867, and the telephone number is (781) 942 -6616.
Wetlands Protection Activities
The RCC is mandated to protect wetlands, waterways, water supplies, fisheries, wildlife
and wildlife habitat as well as regulate activities in a floodplain through its administration
of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and. the Reading Wetland Protection
General Bylaw for Wetlands Protection. RCC members regularly seek continuing
education to keep abreast of frequently changing regulations and to assist applicants
through the regulatory process.
The Commission has a primary role in administering the following statutes and
regulations:
• Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40;
• Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act Regulations at 310 CMR 10.00;
• Town of Reading Wetlands Protection Bylaw, and Reading Wetlands Protection
Bylaw Regulations
During 2015, the RCC reviewed 65 permit applications for proposed work and wetlands
delineation. The Commission held 22 public hearings and meetings and performed more
than 130 site inspections. The Commission also issued 130 decisions including permits,
resource area delineations, extensions, and amendments. The Commission made final site
inspections, closed 57 project files, and identified and resolved 2 violations. In addition,
the Conservation Administrator reviewed and signed off on 670 building permits and 24
minor projects, and performed 617 site inspections. The Commission collected $3,039.00
in filing fees under the Wetlands Protection Act and $10,527.00 under the Wetlands
Protection Bylaw.
The Conservation Commission administers several types of permit review processes
under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Reading Wetlands
Protection Bylaw. Projects involving proposed disturbance within a Wetland Resource
Area, associated Buffer Zone, or Riverfront Area will require the filing of a Notice of
Intent by the project sponsor. This process involves a comprehensive review of potential
project impacts to protected areas, and eventually results in the issuance by the
Conservation Commission of an Order of Conditions or an Order of Denial. An
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Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD), for review of Wetland
Resource Areas, is generally utilized for large tracts of undeveloped land, and results in
an Order of Resource Area Delineation. Applicants proposing projects with limited
potential impact may be advised to submit a Request for a Determination of Applicability
(RDA). The RDA process is generally less demanding upon the applicant than the NOI
process. Projects with insignificant potential impacts may be reviewed under a Bylaw
Minor Project Permit.
The Commission is also involved in coordination with other governmental bodies, in
numerous other regulatory activities including the following:
• Management of conservation properties in Reading;
• Administration of the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act, M.G.L. Chapter 91
and associated Public Waterfront Act Regulations at 310 CMR. 9.00;
• Review and comment on forest land and agricultural land purchase options under
M.G.L. Chapters 61 and 61A;
• Review and comment on housing development plans under M.G.L. Chapter 4013;
• Review and comment on forest management plans under M.G.L. Chapter 132;
• Review and permitting of beaver activity controls in Wetlands Resource Areas
under M.G.L. Chapter 131.
In addition to the statutes and regulations listed above, the Conservation Office reviews
permit applications received by the Planning, Building Inspection, and Public Health
matters within the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission. In many cases, this
"sign -off' process involves a visit to the site to ascertain whether jurisdictional areas are
present.
Natural Resources Conservation Activities
The Conservation Commission engages directly with the community during the Town's
Earth Day and Friends & Family Day events. The opening of Mattera Cabin has
provided a venue for many town wide activities. Scheduling is done by the Recreation
Department, with many Town groups using the facility.
Conservation has welcomed nature walks led by Library staff, including an "owl prowl"
in March, a spring walk in April, and a summer walk in July. Conservation has worked
cooperatively with Eagle Scouts and the Trails Committee to improve trail information
and conditions Town -wide.
Historical Division
The Historical Division oversees the work of the Reading Historical Commission and the
Reading Historic Districts Commission. In 2015, staff support for these two
Commissions was provided primarily by Jessie Wilson — Community Development
Director, and Ann Gentile — Clerk.
Historical Commission (RHC)
The Reading Historical Commission's (RHC) work in 2015 included regular monthly
meetings, upholding town bylaws, handling questions from the public and work in the
20
Town Archives. Membership at the end of the year consisted of Carl Mittnight as Chair,
Sharlene Reynolds Santo as Secretary, Jonathan Barnes as Treasurer, and Ron Weston as
a full member along with Virginia Adams and Jack Williams as associate members. The
RHC had two resignations, due to increased family and work responsibilities, opening up
one of the full member positions with Jack Williams coming in to replace an associate
member.
The RHC continued to maintain the Town Archives. Throughout the year, several
donations were received; including class photographs from Killam Elementary School
and an 1892 section of water pipe, courtesy of the Engineering Department, unearthed
during recent water main upgrades.
The RHC responded to inquiries regarding many properties, including some that were not
on the Town's list of Historic and Architecturally Significant Properties, from
prospective buyers, owners, realtors, developers, and concerned neighbors. The RHC was
pleased to see the creation of a new Historic District along Summer Avenue, protecting
from demolition the home and barn at 186 Summer Avenue, as well as many of the other
historic homes along that picturesque streetscape.
Of the many issues the RHC dealt with this year, the Demolition Delay Bylaw was the
most prominent. The RHC was pleased to host a Massachusetts Historical Commission
workshop on administering demolition delay bylaws held at the Pleasant Street Senior
Center on May 27, 2015. Several members of Historical Commissions from surrounding
towns attended.
The RHC held four Demolition Delay Hearings, imposing a delay on 119 Salem, 116
Lowell, and 258 Main Streets, while voting to allow a demolition of the barn at 96 John
Street. The six -month demolition delay expired on 116 Lowell and 119 Salem Streets.
The home at 116 Lowell Street has been demolished; as of the end of the year, 116 Salem
Street was still standing. Additionally, the RHC was consulted on retaining the original
porte cochere at the Reading Public Library. Despite efforts to save this historically
significant feature of the Library, it ultimately was demolished and replaced with a
replica.
The RHC presented the M.F. Charles Building /Masonic Block at 600 Main Street with its
2015 Preservation Award. The Mawn family purchased the building several years prior
and completed their renovations at the beginning of 2015. The family's restoration of the
building is an excellent example of architectural, and historic stewardship that will be
passed on to future generations of this Town. The RHC was pleased to present its 2015
Preservation Award on behalf of the community.
The RHC initiated a Plaque program for all of the homes on the Town's list of Historic
and Architecturally Significant Properties. Each homeowner on the list was asked to
purchase a plaque citing the year of construction and to proudly display it on the exterior
of their home. There are three - hundred (300) homes on the list and forty -nine (49) of
those homeowners purchased a plaque. An annual mailing will be sent each spring to
offer a plaque to the remaining households.
In 2015, members of the RHC represented the commission on the West Street Historic
District and Celebration Trust Committees.
Historic Districts Commission (HDC)
In January 2015, the Summer Avenue Historic District was officially created when
Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, approved Article 9 of Reading's
November 2014 Town Meeting. Article 9 and the accompanying map of the District were
recorded with the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds as Bk: 64775 Pg: 522 on January 9,
2015.
The West Street Historic District Commission now operates as the Historic Districts
Commission, overseeing both the West Street and Summer Avenue Historic Districts.
The purpose of the Historic Districts Commission is to administer Section 7.3 Local
Historic District of the General Bylaw as it pertains to the two Districts by preserving the
distinctive characteristics and architecture of the buildings through review of all
construction projects and encouraging building designs compatible with the historic
character of the Districts.
In 2015, the Commission reviewed fifteen (15) applications within the West Street
Historic District, and issued thirteen (13) Certificates of Non - Applicability and two (2)
Certificates of Appropriateness. The Commission also reviewed seven (7) applications
within the Summer Avenue Historic District, and issued three (3) Certificates of Non -
Applicability and four (4) Certificates of Appropriateness.
In 2015, the Commission was composed of five (5) voting members: Everett Blodgett —
Chair, Virginia Adams, Ilene Bornstein, Greg Maganzini, and Priscilla Poehler, and two
(2) alternates: Camille Anthony and Jack Williams.
For more information about the Historic Districts and the Commission please refer to the
Town of Reading's website. ,
Inspections Division
Senior Administrative Assistant: Kim Saunders
Building Commissioner (part- time): Glen Redmond
Building Inspectors (part- time): Steven Paris, Paul Kolodziej
Electrical Inspector (part- time): Robert Marrocco
Plumbing/Gas Inspector (part- time): Paul Raffi
The Inspections Division is responsible for carrying out inspectional services related to
building, mechanical, gas, plumbing and electrical permits for all commercial and
residential construction, as well as follow -up Certificates of Inspection for existing
institutional uses. The Division also attends Massachusetts Building Commissioner and
Inspectors Association (MBCIA) meetings, internal staff Development Review Team
22
(DRT) meetings for proposed development projects that trigger Site Plan Review, and
coordinates pre - construction meetings with contractors for both major and minor
construction projects. In addition, the Division is responsible for enforcing the Town's
Zoning Bylaw as well as sections of the Town's General Bylaw, and addressing
violations with property owners.
In 2015, Division staff attended 9 MBCIA meetings, held 61 DRT and pre - construction
meetings, and made 2 court appearances related to code enforcement.
STATISTICS
YEAR END
2015
YEAR END
2014
BUILDING:
Building Permits issued**
1,048
969
Inspections
1,753
1,337
Certificates of Inspection
173
112
Occupancy Permits issued
155
161
Fees received
$431,333*
$362,600*
WIRING:
Wiring Permits issued
667
715
Inspections
659
1,098
Fees received
$60,688*
$52,298*
PLUMBING
& GAS:
Gas Permits issued
319
334
Gas Fees received
$12,421 *
$15,355*
Plumbing Permits issued
456
494
Plumbing Fees received
$22,152*
$28,154*
Combined Inspections
Gas /Plumbing
1,051
998
TOTAL FEES
$526,594*
$458,407*
* Totals do not include permit fees for Johnson Woods and Reading Woods deposited in
revolving building accounts.
* *The total Building permits issued-include Building, Mechanical, Fire & Sprinkler Alarm
Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
The Zoning Board of Appeals is authorized under MGL Ch. 40A to hold public hearings
on requests for variances, special permits and on appeals of decisions by the Building
Commissioner. The ZBA met 11 times in 2015 and voted on petitions for 7 variances, 8
special permits, and 2 appeals.
In 2015, the ZBA consisted of the following full members: Chairman Robert Redfern,
Damase Caouette, John Jarema, Kathleen Hackett, David Traniello; and associate
member Erik Hagstrom. Staff support to the ZBA was primarily provided by Glen
Redmond — Building Commissioner, Jessie Wilson — Community Development Director,
Kim Saunders — Senior Administrative Clerk, and Maureen Knight — Office Manager.
23
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Community Services consists of the Health Department, Human/Elder Services,
Recreation and Veteran's services.
Board of Health
Chairman Andy Friedmann and members Beth Shurland and Nancy Docktor currently
comprise the Board of Health. This three member board meets monthly with Health
Agent Steven DiLauro in order to enforce the State's public health laws and regulations.
The Board of Health, appointed by the Board of Selectmen, is staffed by Health Agent,
Steven DiLauro, Public Health Nurse Donna Pierce, part time, Health Inspector Joan
Vitale, part time, Health Inspector David Greenbaum, part time, Senior Health Inspector
Jen Keough, Part time , and Administrative Secretary Darlene Foley. In August 2015,
Steven DiLauro became the Health Agent for the Town of Reading.
Environmental Health
The Board of Health enforces 14 state regulations, 18 local Board of Health regulations,
and Town -By -Laws. The Board of Health conducts inspections and is responsible for
complaints that are involved with nuisance, housing, food establishments, tobacco,
swimming pools, camps, churches, septic systems, animal licensing and all other
permitted establishments. Routine inspections for food establishments are continued
throughout the year with education and guidance given where needed.
In 2015 the Board of Health conducted 205 Routine Food Establishment inspections. Out
of the 205 Food Establishments 181 received a Re- Inspection. During 2015 there were
10 new Food Establishments that came into Reading in which each obtained a Pre -
Opening Inspection before final approval. Between housing, nuisance, and food, only 57
complaints were documented.
Public Health Nurse
The Public Health Nurse was responsible for 16 flu clinics; giving 985 influenza vaccines
throughout the town. The PHN complies with Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic
Network which is a web -based disease surveillance and case management system. The
PHN is also responsible for the follow up of all reported communicable diseases, blood
pressure clinics and health education activities. During the year 2015 there were 350
communicable diseases, one malaria, one vibrio parahaemolyticus, and two tuberculosis
cases that required four months of follow -up. The PHN met with camp directors and
reviewed more than 500 campers and counselors for required immunizations, physicals
and CORI'S /SORI'S.
Emergency Preparedness
Effective as of January lst 2016, Reading moved from the 3E Mystic Valley Coalition
back to the 3B Greater Lawrence Public Health Coalition. The Greater Lawrence
Coalition is an eight community Coalition which includes Andover, North Andover,
Lawrence, Methuen, Lynnfield, Wilmington, North Reading, and Reading. The Coalition
24
meets monthly to continuously prepare for emergencies and to discuss Department of
Public Health's updated information.
Tobacco
Tobacco licensing and inspections. are conducted by the Tobacco Program Coordinator
for the Town of Reading. The Tobacco Program Coordinator works closely and educates
establishments who sell tobacco. Working with the Public Health Agent, the Coordinator
enforces and regulates the towns Tobacco Regulations. Compliance checks are conducted
at establishments that sell tobacco on an annual basis.
Weights and Measures
The Weights and Measures function is contacted to the State Division of Standards. In
2015 there were 30 businesses checked. 18 out of the 30 businesses had a total of 100
scales sealed, there were 12 gas stationed checked and 256 gas meters sealed.
Mosquito Control
The East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project conducts a program in Reading consisting
of mosquito surveillance, adult and larval mosquito control, ditch maintenance and public
education.
Elder/Human Services
The Division of Elder /Human Services provides social services, advocacy, activities,
transportation, educational programs, and a meal site for Reading residents age 60 and
over. In addition the Department also aids Reading residents of all ages with social
services, advocacy, referrals and holiday programs. In assisting residents both young and
old, the Department works closely with all town departments in receiving referrals and
ensuring safety and quality of life are maintained to the highest standards.
Elder/Human Services partners with many outside organizations. The Department's state
designated ASAP (Aging Service Access Point) is Mystic Valley Elder Services
(MVES). ASAPs manage the state -based Massachusetts Home Care Program, and work
with Councils on Aging (Elder Services), established under the federal Older Americans
Act, to make sure that seniors have access to all essential services. Through MVES a
variety of services are provided. These programs include home care, personal care,
Protective Services, meal -site catering and home - delivered meals through the Meals on
Wheels program. Not all residents are eligible for MVES nor do all accept the services
provided. In these situations the Department plays a vital role in ensuring Reading
seniors are able to remain at home with the proper safe guards.
The staff consists of an Administrator (20 hr /wk), a Case Manager. (35 hr /wk), a Senior
Center Coordinator (35 hr /wk), a Van Driver (35 hr /wk), a Nurse Advocate (37.5 hr /wk)
and a Clerk (19 hr /wk).
Highlights of the Year:
The winter of 2015 proved to be the most difficult winter in recent history. January and
February had record snowfall and challenged seniors throughout the community. The
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Pleasant Street Center closed for a record 6 days over the course of two months. The
Council on Aging delivered 22 emergency meals to home bound seniors. Other
highlights include:
• In late June the Division received a new van through a grant from the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
• In September an Elder Services survey was distributed throughout the
Community.
• The new full -time Nurse Advocate started in Late November.
Social Services
Senior Case Manager addresses the needs and concerns of Reading residents of all ages.
Assistance for those under the age of 60 saw an increase of services during the year.
Assistance involved crisis intervention, food pantry, domestic violence, homelessness and
information and referrals regarding housing, mental health, and disability - related
concerns.
For those age 60 and over, assistance includes crisis intervention; addressing housing
concerns; mediating intergenerational disputes; intervening in cases of neglect,
loneliness, or depression, hoarding, coordinating appointments with area medical and
social service agencies; as well as providing information and referrals with regard to
nursing home /rehabilitation placement and eligibility for State and Federal programs. It
is the goal of the Senior Case Manager to assist the resident in aging successfully at home
for as long as possible.
The Department receives referrals and assistance from many Town Departments as well
as outside agencies. The Fire Department and Police Department refer elders to the
Department when there is an observed need for assistance. Other areas in which the
Senior Case Manager partners with Town Departments include the Health Department in
assisting with hoarding and unsanitary living issues, as well as vaccinations; the Veterans
Agent in ensuring services for veterans; the DPW in holiday programs; the High School
in coordinating volunteer service and Library on a variety of programs and referrals.
The Senior Case Manager provides eligibility screening for, and assistance with,
applications for the Reading Food Pantry. In order to qualify for the Food Pantry the
Case manager meets with the applicant to review their financial qualifications and
residency requirements. The Department also provides transportation to the Food Pantry
which is coordinated by the Senior Case Manager. During 2015, 54 residents were
certified for the Food Pantry.
There are a variety of transportation programs available to Reading residents. The Social
Services .division. assists with referrals for the MBTA Ride program and coordinates
services for the Reading Response Medical Transportation program: This service
provides taxi or chair car transportation for medical appointments throughout the Boston
Area. The Reading Response Program is funded by the Town of Reading's Hospital Trust
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Fund, the income on which helps to defray medically related services to Reading citizens
as authorized by the Commissioners.
A new program was added to the Medical Transportation program. Residents having day
surgical procedures can be accompanied by a Home Health aide. During 2015 the
division schedule 942 rides through the Reading Response program.
Nurse Advocate
The Nurse Advocate is dedicated to helping Reading seniors manage their health care
needs. This position is instrumental in identifying the frailest seniors in Reading,
especially those who live alone and do not have someone nearby for support. Through
outreach and referrals the Nurse Advocate is able to help seniors better understand
changes in their medical conditions and/or medication. She is available to seniors at the
Pleasant Street Center and home visits.
Other responsibilities of the Nurse Advocate include educating, counseling and
advocating for seniors. The Nurse Advocate also serves in a leadership role in
coordinating a variety of wellness programs for seniors at the Pleasant Street Center.
Due to the increase in the aging population in the community and changes in Medicare
laws the Division felt the position warranted a full -time Nurse. In late November a new
Nurse Advocate was hired and immediately made a significant impact in the lives of
many frail seniors.
The Pleasant Street Center
The goal of the Center is to be a place of education, socialization and wellbeing for
Reading seniors. The Center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Lunch
is served Monday through Friday (except holidays) at noon and meals are provided by
Mystic Valley Elder Services. There is a suggested donation for lunch of $2.00 per
senior and $3.50 for visitors under 60). During the year, 4,258 meals were served at the
Pleasant street Center.
The Center is staffed daily from 8:30 am — 4:30 pm. The Center Coordinator's primary
responsibility is to manage the daily operations of the Center including the care of the
facility and the coordination of activities. Below is a summary of the daily programs.
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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Zumba fitness
Motion to Music
- aerobics
Zumba
Motion to
Music- aerobics
B.E.S.T. -
Strength Training
Hairdresser*
Art Lessons
Knitting Club
Manicures
Painting Group
Yoga
Brain Yoga
Billiards
Chair Massage
Chess
Tai Chi
Bingo
Computer
Lessons
Computer
Lessons
Party Bridge
Cribbage
Computer
Lessons
Tai Chi
Book Club*
Clean & Sober
Support Group
Birthday Lunch*
Parkinson's
Support Group*
Movies
SHINE - health
insurance info*
Podiatry Clinic*
Low Vision*
Blood Pressure
Clinic
Blood Pressure
Clinic
SHINE - health
insurance info*
Scuttlebutt*
Reiki*
*Meet monthly
New programs added in 2015 include Reiki, Matter of Balance, Writers Workshop,
Scuttlebutt and Wii games. In November, the Division also started offering day trips on
the new van. Locations included the Enchanted Village at Jordan's Furniture, Peabody
Mall, and the Christmas Tree Shoppe.
In addition to daily programs, the Center also hosts bimonthly Lunch n' Learn programs,
a variety of musical entertainment as well as lunch trivia days. During 2015 the Center
offered dinner programs including a Chinese Dinner and a Lobster Roll Dinner.
Intergeneration Programs
Elder /Human Services continues to reach out to the community particularly the younger
generation. High School students act as servers, bingo callers and kitchen staff during the
summer months. In 2015 several high school students assisted frail elders with snow
removal.
Through fund raising efforts for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, the Wood End
Elementary School students once again received a complimentary lunch from the Olive
Garden restaurant. The student body chose to donate the luncheon to Reading Seniors.
In June under the direction of the school Principal, students served the lunch and visited
with the seniors at the Pleasant Street Center.
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As in past years the middle schools provided entertainment during the holidays. They
also made cards, cookies, and tray favors at holiday times. In the Spring, Parker Middle
School hosted the annual intergenerational Cribbage Tournament.
During 2015 the Division also began partnering with the Recreation Division on
Intergenerational programming. During April school vacation, a Bingo Night was held at
the Pleasant Street Center and in August a pizza and movie night. Other events included
a Mother's Day tea and pumpkin painting. The Division played an active role in
Downtown Trick or Treating and in December we cohosted a character breakfast at the
Center.
Volunteers
Over the course of the last several years, there has been a decrease in the number of
volunteers and volunteer hours. This is largely in part due to the staffing hours required
to manage and train volunteers. As social services contacts and clients increase, the time
needed to recruit volunteers has diminished. Another factor in the decrease of recorded
volunteer hours is the need for more efficient data entry in capturing the work hours of
the volunteers. The division recognizes the importance and need for volunteers and is
grateful to the residents that offer their time in service.
Positions filled by volunteers include: Pleasant Street Center receptionists, gardeners,
book discussion leaders, game leaders, income tax preparers, computer instructors, COA
members, friendly visitors, medical escorts, office workers, newsletter editor, kitchen
helpers, shoppers for homebound seniors, and shopping escorts.
When reporting statistics, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs has requested a
differentiation between "registered" volunteers and "unregistered" volunteers. Registered
volunteers include those who have completed the volunteer application process including;
the application; Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, interview,
training, placement and ongoing support. Unregistered volunteers include, but are not
limited to, students, civic groups, town departments, and free performers.
In the past year a 125 registered volunteers gave estimated 15920.25 hours of service.
The financial equivalent for these services is approximately $61,139.69.
Property Tax Workers
The Property Tax Worker program allows Reading seniors to perform various tasks for
Town departments in exchange for an abatement on their property taxes. The program is
open to Reading residents age 62 and over or disabled, who own property and have a
household income that does not exceed limits set by the program. In 2015 there were 28
tax workers (30 positions available) and each participant was permitted to earn a
maximum abatement of $1,000 annually. The 28 workers performed 2,967.50 hours of
service. In 2015, participants were compensated at a rate of $8.00 per hour for a program
total of $23,740.00. The program has been funded through the Assessors' Overlay
account.
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Van Transportation
The van transportation program provides a vital service for those seniors that don't drive.
Transportation is provided in -town and surrounding shopping plazas for the following
purposes: errands, grocery shopping, voting, pharmacy needs, and visiting the Pleasant
Street Center. For younger residents, the van services offers transportation to and from
the food pantry and other vital destinations. In 2015, the van provided 5,995 one -way
trips.
In the spring of 2014 the Division applied for and was awarded a grant through the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation for a new van. The grant amount was for
$46,495.00 with a match by the Town of $11,624.00. In late June of 2015 the Division to
took delivery of the van. The Division now operates two vans, one on a regular route and
the other offering bimonthly trips to various destinations.
Newsletter
The Pleasantries newsletter is a monthly publication created by the division. The
publisher of the newsletter is Senior News Publications. There is no cost to the Town for
this arrangement. SNP's revenue is derived from selling advertising space in the
newsletter.
Each month 900 copies of the newsletter are available by subscription or at various
locations throughout town. The annual monthly subscription is available by mail for $5.
Residents can also subscribe to the newsletter online at no cost and receive it via email.
Three times per year the Department has a `Big Mailer' in which the newsletters are
delivered to approximately 3,000 senior households in Reading based upon the most
recent local census. The Burbank Trust Fund provides the funding for postage.
The goal of the newsletter is to increase awareness of the programs and services available
to Reading's seniors and their caregivers. The newsletter also provides important
information about benefit changes and helpful agencies.
In addition to this monthly newsletter Elder Services has a semi- monthly on -line update
about programs and services. This is a one page email highlighting significant
events /programs within the Department. It is available by emailing the administrator at
jburnsgci.reading ma.us and joining the distribution list.
Burbank Trust Fund
The fund was established by the Burbank Family of Reading. This fund can be used in a
variety of ways to benefit seniors. The fund was established with no usage restrictions
however the COA determined the fund cannot go below $250,000.00.
In 2015 the Council on Aging approved expenditures from the Dorothy L. Burbank Trust
to pay for the following: the Volunteer Recognition Reception; three months of postage
cost for bulk mailings of the newsletter; birthday cakes, gift certificates, lunch for the
monthly birthday celebrants. In addition, the Fund also purchased a new audio system
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for the Great Room which is compatible with a new video system purchased by the
Town.
The Council allows the Division Administration a discretionary budget of $2,000.00 to
provide entertainment at the Pleasant Street Center.
2015 beginning balance = $265,236.00
2015 ending balance = $263,693.06
Patrons for Older Adults Support Fund
In 2010 Town Meeting (Article 17) the members voted to accept a gift from the Patrons
for Older Adults. This fund used to support programs not funded by the Town of
Reading. "New" programs can be funded year after year. The fund came to Elder
Services /COA as a gift from The Patron for Older Adults, who donated the money when
the organization dismantled. The fund when originally established was in the amount of
$125,000.00.
In 2015 the Council on Aging approved expenditures from the fund to support the
Volunteer Appreciation Event, Chinese Dinner, New Year's Eve Celebration and a
Lobster Roll Dinner. In addition the Council approved funding day trips for seniors. The
fund covers the cost of fuel and drivers salary for a variety of monthly excursions.
2015 beginning balance = $137,703.00
2015 ending balance = $141,350.71
Schroeder Trust Fund
The Schroeder fund is a goodwill fund that can only be used to provide small gestures of
kindness to seniors. This fund allows the COA to purchase and deliver meals to seniors
on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. During the winter storms the COA also
delivered emergency meals to residents at risk. In 2015 the Thanksgiving meals were
once again generously donated by Christopher's Restaurant and not purchased by the
Schroeder Trust.
The Schroeder fund allows interest only spending, and cannot go below $10,000. All
meals were delivered by Council on Aging members and staff.
2015 beginning balance = $23,008.00
2015 ending balance = $23,179.23
Donations
Many individuals and organizations have generously supported Elder /Human Services'
efforts by providing money, gifts, and in -kind services. Some of the donations have
included: sponsorship of an event, program or meal; senior center decorations; baked
goods; flowers; plants; art work; refreshments; and more.
The Elder Services Donations Fund covers situations for persons age 60 and older who
lack financial resources to cover basic needs or emergencies. The Human Service
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Donations Fund is for persons under age 60 who lack financial resources for emergency
situations.
Human Services Donations 2015 beginning balance = $6375.00
Human Services Donations 2015 ending balance = $5,870.24
Elder Services Donations 2015 beginning balance = $41,912
Elder Services Donations 2015 ending balance = $42,191.73
Holiday Programs
Adopt -a- Family
Once again the Reading Rotary Club and ReadingCARES coordinated the Adopt -A-
Family holiday program. Elder /Human Services assisted them by verifying eligibility and
distributing food and gifts to families in need.
The Adopt -a- Family program matches low income Reading families with confidential
donors of food and gifts for children. Reading residents, businesses, out -of -town
businesses that employ Reading residents, youth organizations, school groups, nursery
schools, churches, and municipal departments join together to make this program a
success. This past year, 120 donor groups, families, and individuals made donations of
food and gifts to the Adopt -A- Family program.
Recipients
Households
Thanksgiving Food
43
Christmas Food/Gifts
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Thanksgiving /Christmas. Baskets
The Social. Worker supplies the Wakefield Elks with a list of 10 seniors who would
welcome receiving a basket of a complete holiday dinner.
Hitching Post Gift Shop Giving Tree
During the Holidays the Division partnered with the Hitching Post Gift Shop. Through
the Center, seniors were able to refer friends and neighbors for the giving tree. The
division staff coordinated the names and gift suggestions and anonymously submitted
them to the Hitching Post. Shoppers to the gift shop selected the seniors and purchased
gifts. A reception was held at the Pleasant Street Center in December for recipients.
Council on Aging Board
The Council on Aging is a 10 member advisory Board. They meet the second Monday of
the month September through June. The role of the Council is to aid the department in
promoting the needs of Reading Seniors. The Council is also responsible for overseeing
the Burbank, Patrons for Older Adults and Schroeder Trust Funds. The purpose of these
funds is to help subsidize the activities of the Department to the benefit of Reading
seniors.
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Recreation Division
The mission of the Reading Recreation Division is to provide the community with year
round recreational activities. Recreation programs are broad based to meet the
recreational needs of all segments of the population. The Recreation Division must
continually update and modify its programming to meet the current needs of the
community. As the community's participation and awareness of local recreational
programs increase, so does their expectation of Recreation Division programs. The
Recreation Division must be ready to anticipate and adapt to these growing expectations
and trends.
Division Overview
The Recreation Division finishes its 2nd year back under Community Services. The
Recreation Division continued to host over 450 different classes /programs in 2015,
including several new events and trending programs. The Recreation Division was able
to successfully schedule 22 field over three active sports seasons for all the groups in
Reading.
Projects
In the fall of 2015, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to rename the area
Moscariello Ballpark at Morton Field in recognition of retired HS Baseball Coach Peter
Moscariello.
As recent as November of 2015, the older galvanized backstop was replaced with black
vinyl fencing and connects directly to the newly constructed dugouts on both home and
visitors side. The dugouts are constructed with black vinyl fencing for complete
transparency and 25 foot benches on a concrete pad with a pitched metal roof. It should
be noted that this project was paid for privately through the Reading Babe Ruth
organization headed by Jeff Pierce, Joe D'Allasio and John Halsey.
In October, the Washington Park renovation project for phase I was completed. The park
underwent significant construction in the summer and fall season. A newly constructed
entrance way now leads to a brand new existing playground, a new multipurpose play
area, and basketball court area. The addition of a new stamped concrete walkway and
water fountain. as well as carefully planned drainage will improved the overall
functionality and aesthetics of the park and playground. The single tennis court has been
enclosed with a beautiful black vinyl fence that blends into its surrounding. The project
took close to two years to complete and featured a $30,000 gift from Dunkin' Donuts.
In April, Town Meeting voted to allocate funding for phase one of the Birch Meadow
Master Plan. This was to illuminate up to 6 fields over 5 areas. At this writing, borings
and soil sampling /analysis has been completed. Also, the project will be reviewed by the
Conservation Commission in early 2016. The hopes are the new lighting units will be
installed in the summer of 2016.
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Reading Fall Street Faire
Reading Recreation and its staff again played a large role in the Fall Street Faire in 2015.
Community Services Director, John Feudo, was on the FSF Committee and staff liaison
once again. Also assisting with the day of logistics and taking meeting minutes, was
Jenna Fiorente from Recreation who worked with the Children's Area at the Faire. The
faire was estimated to have about 8- IOK people in attendance with close to 200 vendors.
Attendance was lower this year due to inclement weather.
Mattera Cabin
Reading Recreation increased its use of the cabin in 2015. With the addition of the
Outdoor recreation supervisor position, the cabin saw a plethora of new and exciting
recreation programs. The cabin is a small building, but the users seem to like the feel of
using it for programming.
Mattera Cabin steadily increased rentals in 2015. It was used or rented close to 120 times
by various users including Reading Recreation, the School Department, Reading Library.
This total also included Trails Committee meetings, birthday parties, baby showers,
Town government meetings and a wedding shower. The cabin has seen revenue increase
each ear it has been open.
Rental Revenue Breakdown
FY 2012 - $930.00
FY 2013 - $1,260.00
FY 2014 - $1,750.00
FY 2015 — $1990.00
FY 2016- $1,400.00 (to date)
Generally more rentals occur for the cabin the spring months than any other season. In
October, the scheduling' of the cabin was given to the Full -Time Conservation
Administrator. The building has been under the 'custody of the Conservation
Commission, so having the Conservation Administrator oversee the use and operation
made sense on many levels. The maintenance of the building is now being handled by
the facilities department.
Reading Community Courts Tennis Monitor Program
For the fourth straight year the Town has hired staffing for the Reading Community
Tennis Courts on Bancroft Ave from the late spring to early Fall. This was done to
combat the issue of over use of the courts. The Recreation Committee voted to raise the
fee of the pass from $10 to $20 for an individual pass and from $25 to $30 for a family
pass. For non - residents it was raised from $100 to $120. Currently players (residents)
may purchase a priority pass for the tennis courts to be able to use the courts in the
evening from 5:00 — 8:00 PM Monday — Friday.
This program is staffed by 3 monitors that rotate on a nightly basis. They carry a check -
in clip board and track what time folks arrive and leave. The positions are paid for by the
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Recreation revolving fund mostly using the revenue that is collected for the passes.
Passes can be purchased on line on the Recreation website.
This year the Recreation Division hired "Reserve a Game" AKA "Play Local ", an online
tennis reservation system. Play Local was an enhancement made to the program to the
current priority pass system and gave tennis players the option to reserve a court in
advance during non -peak hours.
Programming
Winter /Spring
The Winter /Spring season featured many great programs for participants of all ages.
Reading Recreation T -Ball, in its 9th season had another successful year with 206
participants. Participation increased by 8% this year. This program has become a
mainstay and intricate part of the Recreation Division's programming line -up. The 7 year
olds now need to go to RYS or RYB as a natural progression. The program also catches
the kids that do not make the age cut off for Reading Youth Baseball, so no player is left
out.
The Recreation Egg Hunt was again a huge success this year. The division was forced to
hold this event indoors because of the large amount of snow still on the ground. The
division was able to schedule indoor space and secure a performance so the kids could
still have an enjoyable event around this time. Easter goodies were given out at the event.
The Recreation Division continues to offer programs such as a babysitting class from the
staff of Winchester Hospital as well as Fencing for all ages. The Recreation Division
believes that recreation is more than just the typical four major sports and can and should
include enrichment type programs.
Additional the Recreation Division runs several popular adult programs such as fencing,
pickleball and volleyball. Volleyball and pickleball expanded this year to a second night
due to the increased interest. The volleyball matches are pick up and in nature and
anyone can join.
The division also offered another basketball offering in the spring for grades 3 -8th at the
outdoor courts at memorial. The program was facilitated by Jenna Fiorente and Paul
Orlando. The younger division had 21 children in its first attempt.
Pickleball continues to grow to multiple nights with multiple sessions offered each night.
It is now offered year round.
The Rec. Division decided offered a February & April Vacation Program for kids grades
K -5th. The program was directed by Paul Orlando under the supervision of Jenna
Fiorente. Paul was also assisted by part-time staff. The program participated in a variety
of sports and games for the week. The program was offered with half day and full day
options. February Vacation had 38 total participants compared to last year's 26 and April
Vacation had 28 total participants compared to last year's 29. Recreation will continue to
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grow this program to offer for those full -time working parents who need the coverage
during vacation times.
Also during vacation time Recreation ran a Parkour Clinic for kids ages 8 -14. This clinic
sold out. Parkour has been a popular and innovative program for the Recreation Division
in the Winter, Spring, and Summer.
Reading Recreation and Human & Elder Services teamed up again to hold a Bingo night
for kids, parents, and grandparents in an effort to create a multigenerational atmosphere.
The night featured bingo, pizza, ice cream, popcorn, and numerous giveaways. We also
had a traveling baby animal petting zoo for all of our guests. The Pleasant Street Senior
Center was at maximum capacity with about 60 people. Fun was had by all.
The Recreation Division wanted to do a Mother's Day Tea and again teamed up with the
Senior Center. This event was very popular and featured tea served in official china to all
adults and hot chocolate in smaller unbreakable cups for our little ones. The afternoon
also featured pastries, fruits, cheese and crackers, etc. All children were given a craft to
create that was a little photo frame shaped as a tea cup. All mothers /grandmother and
children had a great time.
Summer 2015
The Recreation Division offered over 80 programs in the Summer of 2015, the most
popular being the Reading Recreation Summer Camp.
The 2015 Summer Camp Program reached full capacity in all 7 weeks aside from one.
The program was a great success with over 800 kids taking part over 7- weeks. Thanks to
Program Coordinator, Jenna Fiorente and the hard work of the summer camp staff the
program was a success. The Recreation Division continued theme weeks for each week
of camp which were very popular. Jamie Walsh continued as camp director of the 4th —
8th grade participants and staff. John Bruno served as the director of the K — 3rd grades.
Both working under the guidance of Jenna Fiorente, steer the program in its many
directions. This year's camp staff saw approximately 80% returning staff. With a high
rate of returning staff we were able to add more to the program. This summer we
continued to add "bonus" events within camp such as Slush day, Cynde and the Whale
Mobile, and an inflatable water slide. The goal is to continue with the strong numbers for
summer camp again this summer and make Reading Rec. Camp part of most kid's
summer experience.
Summer Camp in 2015 was a huge success. In only 7 weeks, Regular Day camp had 813
participants. This was an increase from the 694 participants from last year. Jamie Walsh
continued as camp director of the 4th — 8th grade participants and staff. John Bruno
served as the director of the K — 3rd grades. Both working under the guidance of Jenna
Fiorente, steer the program in its many directions. The Summer Camp continued to
incorporate various themes and special guests like Cynde and the Whale Mobile during
Under the Sea week and the inflatable water slide for Wet N' Wild week. These special
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"bonus events" add an element of excitement to the camp that kids do not expect. With
several returning staff, the camp was able to run smoothly and at top -notch quality.
The Summer Camp was full in 6 out of the 7 weeks. Wait lists were upwards to 20 in
some of the more popular weeks like Dodgeball Tournament and Summer Olympic
Games
Junior Camp continued with success this summer and was also full in 7 out of the 8
weeks for half day. The Director for this Camp is long -time staff, Meghan Sullivan.
Intern, Jacqui Reynolds, also worked closely with Junior Camp this year.
A new program added to the Junior Camp Day, was twice a week tennis lessons with
tennis pro Gregg Luongo and staff for the full day campers. This added value to the
already existing program and the children loved it.
With the boom in our Regular Summer Camp this year and the continued high demand
for Junior Camp, we will look to place Junior Camp at a different school to maximize
enrollment for both Camps. The Junior Camp will be planned at Birch Meadow
Elementary School to allow for each of these camps to increase and thrive.
The Recreation Division had steady numbers in many of the summer sports clinics from
the previous year. These sport clinics continue to thrive.
The Recreation Division made the old outdoor volleyball court into two pickleball courts.
The courts were lined for play over the summer so picklers could enjoy the sport year
round.
David Blanchard, entered his 2nd year as varsity head coach of RMHS and as the Director
of the Reading baseball clinic. He had 37 participants in his first week of the clinic.
The Track & Field All Comers Meets are hosted at the RMHS Stadium Track on
Wednesday nights. 75 participants were enrolled each week compared to the year before
of 61 and would participate in 3 events. Events featured were 100, 200, 300 meter, long
jump, and shot -put. This program now starts earlier with the younger group to allow for
more structure in the overall program. This also allowed us to take more participants in
each level.
Gregg Luongo again served as the Recreation Tennis Professional for the 13th year.
Gregg did a good job working with kids and adults and the program is very steady each
summer with more than 175 participants. Many kids enjoyed the clinics so much that
they signed up for more than one week.
Summer Tennis is also a very popular adult programming activity. The sessions are run
by Tennis Pro Gregg Luongo and were run Tuesday nights throughout the summer.
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Gregg Luongo also helped us facilitate lessons for our full day junior campers this
sunmer.
Due to the popularity of pickleball, 2 courts were painted on the old volleyball court next
to the basketball court behind RMHS. Organized pickleball was held once a night and
there were other nights that people would bring down their own equipment and play
amongst their peers. The majority of the organized sessions had 12 picklers playing
which is the maximum capacity for 2 courts.
"Theater on the Green" and "Concerts on the Common" concert series were again a great
hit. "Theater on the Green" had a successful turnout this summer each Wednesday
afternoon, five concerts highlighted by Johnny the K and The Toe Jam Puppet Band.
These concerts are very well attended by anywhere between 50 -75 people each
Wednesday. These concerts take place on the Marge and John Pacino band stand at
Memorial. After each concert, the Rec. Division holds a Wednesday Field Game open to
all children. Some of this summer's games /activities included, tie dye t- shirts, capture the
flag, and obstacles.
The "Concerts on the Common" concerts included Reading's own "Steven Savio" among
the five concerts. Between donations that were collected during each of the concerts and
sponsors the Recreation Division was able to run these concerts at minimal cost. These
concerts are held on the Common and front lawn of Town Hall. Barabara Faso helped
manage these concerts on Sundays. This is a very good location and attracted more
people than the remote location of Memorial Park used to.
The Summer also featured Fireworks in Reading. On Friends and Family Day, Reading
Recreation partnered with FORR for the 7th consecutive year to put on a great display of
fireworks. Working closely with the Reading Fire Department and Police, the show was
enjoyable for all. They were shot from the outfield at Morton field and could be seen
from miles around. The estimated crowd was about 3000 — 3500 people. A spectacular
event!
Finally, the Reading Recreation Division sponsored its 25th Annual Reading Tennis
Open. The Tournament was a success once again this year with over 100 players
participating. All proceeds go back to the RMHS tennis program and new equipment for
the Town courts. The Tournament was again held on the "Reading Community Tennis
Courts at Bancroft Ave ". The program is run by Kate Kaminer and Lorraine Salter from
Friends of Reading Tennis.
Fall /Winter
The Fall /Winter season for the Reading Recreation Division produced many
programming opportunities. The Recreation Division offered a host of programs such as
Baseball, Basketball, Flag Football, Karate and an Art program among others.
IN
Saturday Night Lights Flag Football returned for a third season. The program continues
to grow. This year enrollment hit 688 from 554 kids last year. This program has quickly
become a top three program in size for Reading Recreation. The program was again
directed by Jimmy Murphy and Carl McFadden. The steady increase of this program has
also forced the Recreation Division to get creative and utilize the outfields on the lighted
ball fields at the Birch Meadow Complex. Fields were lined and Portable Lights were
even brought down to offer more light on the darker areas of the fields. Each Saturday
night for 8 weeks, players congregated at the RMHS Hollingsworth field to participate in
flag football games. Teams were coached by volunteer parents.
The Rec Division teamed up with Game Time Training Basketball Program to offer a
skills and preparation for tryouts session to its travel and Sunday ball participants. The
boys program ran successfully and was held outdoors at the Barrows Elementary
Basketball Courts. The division received great feedback on the program.
The Recreation Division again offered a Jr /Sr. Volleyball program for 4th — 8th grade
students. The program had 49 participants. The program, was run by RMHS Varsity
Coach Michelle Hopkinson and several HS volleyball players. Recreation will continue
to look for ways to enhance this program and take advantage of its popularity.
The Recreation Division continued to offer a Fencing program with Olympic Coach
Michael Tarascio. The program was open and populated by students from 3rd grade —
adults. The program is offered on Mondays and has seen over 20 participants in each fall
session, which is an increase of about 5 people from last Fall.
Another very popular program we the Halloween Parade which had over 250 participants
this year and was hosted by the Recreation Division in conjunction with the Friends of
Reading Recreation at Coolidge Middle School. The parade route was flanked by police
and fire department equipment and toured around Arthur B Lord, Forest Street and
Whittier Road back to the Middle School. The route is approximately 1 mile long. This
program was staffed by Recreation and volunteers from FORR.
In addition to the Halloween Parade, the Recreation Division offered the 2nd Annual
Downtown Trick or Treat. Over 50 Downtown businesses participated in the .Downtown
Trick or Treat by handing out candy, stickers, tattoos, etc. The event took place down
both sides of Main Street (including the Town Hall) and both sides of Haven Street. The
division implemented a teal balloon initiative which indicated that that particular business
had a goodie that was not a food item. The non - downtown Reading businesses set -up on
the Town Common with DPW, Fire, and Light Department Trucks. The Downtown Trick
or Treat was plagued by bad weather but still saw upwards of 500+ people.
The Recreation Division decided to add another Halloween event, Pumpkin Painting. The
Rec. teamed up with Human and Elder Services to run this event and it was sold out. The
Recreation Division and Human Elder Services also combined forces again to run the
Holiday Character Breakfast. This year we had special guests frosty, the Grinch, and Mrs.
Claus. Mrs. Claus face painted and took photos with the kids and everyone left happy.
39
The Travel Basketball program in 2015 featured over 90 participants with 8 travel teams
competing in the Metro West Basketball League. This was our third participating in the
Metro West League and we continued to enjoy the league and its amenities. Players
come to a 2 -day evaluation and the teams are selected by coaches with input from the
Recreation Staff and independent evaluators. Every player that signed up made a team,
unless there are not enough coaches and players. The teams are coached by volunteer
parents and friends of the Recreation Division.
The Sunday Basketball program continues to be successful each year. This year there was
a total of 386 participants. The flex time was still scheduled due to overflow in 2 &3 boys
and 2 &3 Girls. Paul Orlando supervised for the third year. He again showed outstanding
communication with parents and great management of the program as far as set -up,
organization, and delegating of the high school aged employees. Fourteen high school
students were hired to work this program. We continue to use the Alphabasketball
Coaches Training tool to support our volunteer coaches. Alphabasketball is an on -going
training tool for all Sunday basketball coaches to take advantage of. It includes weekly
practice plans and instructional videos to help coaches. Surveys were sent out to all
families to gain feedback and collect further data to advance the program.
The Recreation Division held the Annual NYC Shopping Trip. This trip has filled up the
past few years with this year being no exception. The trip leader this year was Paul
Orlando.
The Nashoba Valley Ski & Snowboard Program continued to be very popular in 2015.
There were a total of 35 kids for the 4 week program. This was the max amount of kids
we could take. The program was directed by Program Coordinator, Jenna Fiorente, and
parent volunteers. Due to the popularity of this program, the Recreation Division will
look into a 5 week program for the future.
Special Needs Programming
Special Needs programming this year was offered by The Arc of East Middlesex
Recreation in conjunction with the Recreation Division. Reading Recreation values this
relationship for programming and as a support network on all things tied to the special
needs programs. Programs such as aquatics, social club and social dances were offered.
The Arc offered successful programs such as Special Olympic training, bowling, teen
groups, and social clubs to name a few. The participants are asked at the end of each
session to fill out an evaluation form to give feedback. Aureen Currin volunteers for
Challenger Bowling which unfortunately did not run this year. Challenger Soccer was
managed by EMARC only this year. The Challenger little league program was run in
North Reading this year under the oversight of Chris Hanson. The league is still
combined as a Reading/ North Reading sport to allow for more participants which in turn
makes game -play more fun! Games were played in North Reading at the Benevento Little
League Complex. The children also participated in away games with other towns and
received t -shirts and hats. The Recreation Division continued to have success with the
Special Skates Program at the Burbank Ice Arena. The Directors ,of NSSC came into
r1
their second year strong and were able to provide several volunteers and experience staff
to make this program a success. The numbers were great this season. The Division
continues to look for other programming areas to expand into.
Brochure and Advertising
Reading Recreation continues the mailing of Reading Recreation Magazine to every
household in Reading, three times a year. Participating agencies include Recreation,
Police Department, Fire Department, Library Services, Elder Services, YMCA, Creative
Arts, RCASA, Friends of Reading Recreation and various in -town organizations. The
magazine also features interest articles for the community to keep them connected to
what's happening around Town. The Recreation Division staff continues to work hard to
put out a quality magazine that the public will look forward to receiving and reading each
season.
The Reading Recreation Division posts all of its programming at www.readingrec.com.
At this website, patrons can easily search and sign up for programs. They have the option
of either paying on -line or they can print a registration form and mail a check to pay for
the class.
The. website also allows for opt -in direct emails to the public. Email blasts can be sent to
the entire database at the click of a mouse or can be sent to specific participants in a
specific program.
Reading Recreation continues to use many different. advertising avenues, including email
blasts /newsletters from our database, social media including Facebook and Twitter as
well as newspapers and on -line forums.
Personnel
Jenna Fiorente entered her fourth year as Program Coordinator for the Town. Jenna has
brought energy and excitement to our programs. Jenna has excelled at finding innovated
new programs to offer the general public. She has done a nice job not only finding these
new programs but positioning them and marketing them in a fashion that allows them to
run.
She has worked hard surrounding herself with seasonal staff members that she trusts and
knows will do a good job for the division when called upon. She was named the
Recreation Administrator in November of 2015.
Sue Simeola enters her 8th year with the Recreation Division. The principle clerk
position was refreshed during the pay and class study and was renamed Administrative
Secretary. This better described the work Sue does on a daily basis for the Division. Sue
handles many of the records for the Rec Division including payment plans, outstanding
balances, medical records, CORI records, etc. Sue also helps out with events such as
travel basketball tryouts and pre -fit night, Halloween parade and the Egg Hunt. Sue
handles much of the face to face customer service for the Recreation Division as well as
mi
serves as the frontline for our phone system. Sue is the glue of the Recreation Division.
She was also recently renamed to Administrative Secretary in November of 2015.
Rachel Gasowski joined the Recreation staff in January of 2015 as the part-time Outdoor
Recreation Supervisor. She implemented many new innovative programs for the
Division. Rachel unfortunately had to leave in May of 2015 to explore full -time work.
One of the programs she put together, indoor rock climbing, is still run successfully by
the division.
Administration
John Feudo begins his 14th with the Town of Reading. He assumed his new title in
January of 2015 as Community Services Director /Assist Director of Public Services. The
Community Services Director position oversees Recreation, Health, Elder Human
Services and Veterans Services.
For Recreation, Permits are issued for every field in Town. Reading Recreation will
continue to work with the local Youth and Adult sports organizations in maximizing field
space. Over the past nine years, capital and master planning have become a very high
priority for the Recreation Division and the Town. John has worked with many volunteer
groups to design master plans that are functional and advantageous for the Town. This
process involves working with members of the DPW, School and other leaders in Town.
John is currently working with engineering on design plans for a renovation for Killam
field. The new field, expected to break ground in late -June, is scheduled to have
irrigation, improved drainage, a new clay infield surface and a new state of the art
backstop.
Reading Recreation is continuously looking for available land for the development of
new recreational facilities. A comprehensive capital plan has been developed to include
tennis courts, basketball courts and backstop replacement over the next twelve years.
The Community Service Director continues to work with leaders of the sports
organizations to develop other field opportunities with in what is already provided. The
best chance of expanding fields is the addition of lights as most developed land
opportunities have been exhausted.
The Reading Recreation Division and the Recreation Committee continue to develop
policies that will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of each Reading Recreation
program.
Reading Recreation has been glad to offer the public over 450 recreational programs
throughout the past year. Reading Recreation hopes to meet the communities changing
recreational needs while providing them with a combination of safe, fun, and educational
programs. Suggestions of new programs are welcomed and encouraged.
►W
Veterans' Services
The Veterans' Services Office is the main point of contact for advocacy and support of
veterans. A full range of benefits and services are available to veterans and their families
based on certain qualifications and eligibility requirements. State Veterans' public
assistance, mandated by Chapter 115, Mass. General Laws, 108 CMR, Commonwealth of
Mass Regulations. This program assists eligible Veterans and their families with income
maintenance, medical care and emergency services. The number of beneficiaries and
expenditures has remained level. Through outreach, new residents have been identified
and are now receiving benefits. At the same time, some individuals have been removed
from the rolls due to non - qualification and through VSO assistance in finding
employment or financial assistance through other State or Federal programs. The state
repays 75% of these costs in the following fiscal year through state aid payments.
Applications for federal benefits are also processed through this office, coordinated with
the regional office of Department of Veterans Affairs and various Veterans
Administration medical and support facilities. Demand for these services is steadily
increasing to include claims for veteran, dependent and survivor pensions, Aid &
Attendance, disability and indemnity compensation, medical and death benefit
entitlement, along with GI Bill Education benefits. In the past year Reading residents
received over $3.2m in compensation and pensions from the VA. During 2015 the
Veteran Services Officer assisted in preparation of 35 VA Compensation claims and 6
VA Pension with Aid & Attendance applications.
The Veteran Services Officer provides outreach to veterans to ensure they are aware of
and utilizing additional state benefits to include tuition waivers, motor vehicle benefits,
property tax exemptions, annuities and bonuses, counseling, employment assistance,
housing assistance and many more. Our goal is to accurately identify and obtain
necessary assistance in a timely manner that veterans and their family have earned and
deserve. The Veteran Services Officer is available during the Reading Lions Club
Reading Friends and Family Day, The Fall Street Faire and other public information
gatherings. He has attended school functions and worked with Scouting programs to
promote overall awareness and appreciation of Veterans and their sacrifices.
The Veterans' office works with other Committees to coordinate public events such as
annual Memorial Day services at all four Reading cemeteries and Veteran's Day
ceremonies throughout the town. Last summer the Veteran Services Officer helped
coordinate the homecoming of Sgt. Christopher Vars, WWII and Korean War veteran
who had been missing for 65 years. Sgt. Vars received full military honors and his return
to Reading was met with hundreds of flag waving residents.
During the year a Veterans group called Scuttlebutt was resurrected. The group meets
the first Thursday of each month, 10:00 at the Pleasant Street Senior Center. It is open to
all Veterans and those interested in Military history. Members enjoy the comradery of
fellow sailors and soldiers, share sea stories and other personal experiences, learn and
discuss the Military history of the month and enjoy guest speakers and historical movies.
The group took a fieldtrip to visit the Vietnam Moving Wall in Gloucester last summer.
More trips to Veteran focused events are being planned.
43
The Veterans' Services Officer office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30
AM — 5:30 PM. Tuesday 7:30 AM — 7:00 PM. Home and off hour appointments are
available upon request. The Veteran Services Officer will bring services to the veteran
and their families wherever they are and whenever they need assistance. You may reach
Kevin Bohmiller at 781 - 942 -6652 or kbohmillerga ci reading.ma.us.
East Middlesex ARC, INC.
Listed below is a detailed analysis of the number of individuals serviced during CY2014
by the East Middlesex Arc, INC. in Reading as well as in the surrounding cities and
towns.
Program Statistics for CY 2014: Day,
Recreation and Residential
Program
Reading
Other
Total
Day Services
27
214
241
Recreation '
54
500
554
Residential
Range heights Road, Lynn
4
4
Rustic Lane, Reading
5
5
Woodcrest Drive, Wakefield
5
5
Main Street, Melrose
7
7
Haven Street, Reading
8
8
Hopkins Street, Reading
5
5
Pitman Drive, Reading
4
4
Newcomb Avenue, Saugus
4
4
Albion Street, Wakefield
5
5
Water street, Wakefield
5
5
Nahant Street, Wakefield.
3
3
Spruce Street, Wakefield
3
3
Independent Living
4
21
25
Total Supported
100
783
879
Day Services
EMARC's Day Services Division includes Life Choices Day habilitation program,
Community Based Day Services and Career Services employment program. Life Choices
offers skill building in areas that allows for more independence in daily life, and offers
opportunities to use learned skills in the community as well as becoming active members
of the community. Career services promote skill building to prepare individuals for
independent and group employment in the community. Community Based Day Services
is both a pathway to employment as well as a community based day program.
E
Recreation Program
The East Middlesex Arc, Inc. provides therapeutic recreational services throughout the
year for children and adults with developmental disabilities. The funding to run these
programs is raised through grants, fundraising efforts and individual attendance fees.
Although these programs are staffed by employees, not all of them could be run without
the assistance of volunteers. A variety of sports and recreation programs are held
throughout the year, and it should be noted that approximately 50 Reading residents have
volunteered to assist in these successful programs.
Residential Services
Residential services are currently provided at several sites throughout the area to 91
adults who have developmental disabilities. Residential programs are funded primarily
by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS). Room and Board
fees charged to the residents are used to offset DDS funding. The goal of residential
services is to provide individuals with an opportunity to live and participate in the local
communities that we serve.
Family Support Services
EMARC's Family Resource Center offers assistance to parents and caregivers who
provide supports for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Our philosophy
is to support families by offering services that are flexible, individualized and family
directed. We assist with referrals, support groups for parents, elders and siblings;
educational programs and trainings, advocacy, DDS Family Case Management, School to
Work, Transition services, and Adult Family Care.
Reading Residents
• Senior Group 7
• Adult Foster Care 2
• DESE/DDS
• IFFS
3
• School to Work
12
• On -Going Family Support
15
• RPS Specialized Services
1
• Sib -Shop groups for siblings of individuals with DD
9
• Adult Waiver Services
2
• Total
52
The East Middlesex Arc, Inc. (EMARC) is appreciative of the partnership and continued
support that the Town of Reading has provided to its residents with developmental
disabilities.
Mystic Valley Elder Services
In FY15 over 539 Reading residents used Mystic Valley's services valued at $2,888,111.
Of these, 111 were eligible for Nursing Facility care while remaining at home.
45
Mystic Valley Elder Services is a nonprofit organization, which has been helping people
find practical solutions to long term care issues since 1975. Our goal is to help seniors,
disabled adults and their family caregivers find the best available services that fit within
family resources. We offer a wide range of services creatively designed to support the
challenges of daily life and independent living. Some are free of charge, others are
offered on a sliding fee scale or private pay basis.
Information & Assistance: Resource specialists offer FREE advice and referrals from our
extensive database of local, state and national resources. Assistance is available by
telephone, email or a home visit by an experienced Care Manager.
307 Consumers served at a Cost of $25,497
Care Management & Home Care Services:
A range of programs for older residents and adults living with disabilities designed to
provide assistance with activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, etc.) for those who
wish to remain in their own homes. Services include: in -home assessment by a care
manager, development of a care plan, and delivery of approved services.
294 Consumers served at a Cost of $2,695,200
Caregiver Support: Services may include an in -home assessment, caregiver training and
education regarding such areas as memory loss, home safety, respite care and fall
prevention. Provides useful resources especially for working and long distance
caregivers.
18 Consumers served at a Cost of $14,480
Transportation: Providing rides to medical appointments and adult day health centers.
I Consumers served at a Cost of $813
Meals on Wheels: A mid -day meal and daily check in by a friendly driver for those over
60 who are homebound and unable to prepare their own food.
16,746 Meals served at a Cost of $95,574
Senior Dining Sites: ites: Centers in 14 locations offer seniors an opportunity to meet and
enjoy a nutritious lunch.
3,882 Meals served at a Cost of $27,955
Behavioral Health Services: Clinical Caseworker provides outreach and connects
consumers to behavioral health services-in home and community settings. The program
provides assistance with coordination and payment of behavioral health services.
7 Consumers served at a Cost of $7,358
Outreach: Services for non- and limited - English speakers include information and
referral, translation of and assistance responding to important documents, health
insurance information counseling, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
classes.
0 Consumers served at a Cost of $0
.,
SHINE Health Benefits Counseling: Trained counselors provide older residents and
adults living with disabilities with no -cost, confidential counseling and unbiased
information regarding health insurance and prescription drug options.
191 Consumers served at a Cost of $4,212
Money Management Assistance: Trained volunteers provide assistance with bill paying,
budgeting and banking tasks. A volunteer may also serve as a Representative Payee.
13 Consumers served at a Cost of $14,601
Volunteer Program: Dedicated volunteers augment the agency's capacity by sharing their
expertise with a variety of professional and administrative functions, providing bill
paying assistance to elders, counseling Medicare and MassHealth recipients, staffing
congregate meal sites and /or food pantries, and serving as literacy tutors in area
elementary schools.
25 Volunteers contributing to 28,766 total hours of service
Legal Assistance: No -cost legal assistance and education on issues such as public
benefits, landlord tenant disputes and loss of independence.
3 Consumers served at a Cost of $934
TRIP Metro North:
A free, passenger- controlled transportation program open to older adults and adults living
with disabilities.
2 Consumers served at a Cost of $1,485
Trails Committee
The Trails Committee met six times in 2015. Sixteen volunteers put in over 140 hours
building structures and clearing trails. Members of the Trails Committee and volunteers
accomplished the following during the year:
1: Cleared more than 15 trees in Bare Meadow. These were downed trees that
blocked the trails. Trees were also cleared in Kurchian Woods, Sledge Woods,
and in the Town Forest.
2. Cleared the entrance to the Higgins trail as well as part of the trail and repaired
the bridge there.
3. Replaced trail maps in the Town Forest, Kurchian Woods, and Bare Meadow.
4. Replaced 82 baluster rods that were stolen from the viewing platform in Bare
Meadow.
5. The Trails Committee led, or co -led, the following walks. A Winter Walk in Bare
Meadow in January. Birds Before Breakfast walk in Bare Meadow on May 3rd.
Walk Reading Weekend walks at Pinevale Conservation Area, the Town Forest,
and the Lobs Pound Mill Site on May 30th and 31st. The committee also co-
hosted gatherings at the Mattera Cabin after the winter walk and the bird walk.
47
6. Built three bog bridges along the Bare Meadow vernal pool trail and, with the
help of the DPW, raised the treadway along 45 feet of the white trail in Bare
Meadow. These projects will make the trails more passable in wet conditions.
7. Met with an Eagle Scout candidate who subsequently built a short boardwalk on
the yellow trail in Bare Meadow.
8. Two members of the Trails. Committee attended the 2015 Massachusetts Trails
Conference sponsored by the DCR.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
The Finance Department, under the direction of the Town Accountant, supports a wide
variety of financial and administrative functions. The Finance Department staff are
designed to be flexible and experienced in many of these divisions as work flows vary
throughout the year:
a.) Accounting: The Accounting Department is responsible for maintaining financial
records. These records facilitate the preparation of financial reports and schedules that
provide meaningful, accurate information for comparability and for management's
decision making process. The Accounting Department ensures that all financial
transactions are in compliance with legal requirements and are properly recorded on a
timely basis. The Town used the auditing firm of Melanson & Heath in FY 2015.
b.) Assessors: Assessment of property is the first step in the process of tax revenue
collection for the Town of Reading. The Assessment division's function is to provide for
the fair and equitable assessment of all taxable real and personal property. A three -
member Board of Assessors sets policy.
c.) General Finance: Collections is responsible for collecting all taxes and other charges
(including ambulance and water /sewer /storm water bills). They also receive and process
all deposits (such as schools and recreation). Treasury is responsible for providing the
cash for the operation of all Town, School and Light Department functions on a timely
basis. In addition, it conducts all borrowing and investing activities, including those on
behalf of the Town's Trust Funds (assisted by the Trust Fund Commissioners).
Finance: Assessment Division
Assessment of property is the first step in the process of tax revenue collection for the
Town of Reading. The Assessment Division's function is to provide for the fair and
equitable assessment of all taxable real and personal property. The Assessors trend the
values each year so that the revaluations done every three years won't result in substantial
changes. The Assessors must annually determine the tax levy and obtain State approval
of the tax rate so that bills can be issued in a timely manner.
.•
The tax rate for FY 2016 was set at $14.50 per thousand, a $0.20 decrease per thousand
from the FY 2015 rate. The total assessed value of all properties and accounts for FY
2016 is $4.310 billion which is a 7.75% increase from the previous year.
The hreakdown of Reading nronertv for FY 2016 is as follows:
Finance: Collection Division
The Collection Division is responsible for collecting all taxes and other charges
(including ambulance and water /sewer /storm water bills). This Division also receives and
processes all deposits (such as schools and recreation).
Massachusetts does not allow Towns to pay any charges associated with electronic
collection of tax bills — such as a flat fee or credit card fee. Debit card usage is
comparatively inexpensive, and an economical method to pay online.
Plertranic Pavmentc (*to 1 ?/31/151
Assessed Value
Share
Change
Residential
$3,954,100,299
91.8%
+8.1%
Commercial
$ 306,052,388
7.1%
+3.5%
Industrial
$ 10,053,000
0.2%
+3.5%
Personal
$ 395502,360
.9%
+6.4%
TOTAL
$ 4,309,708,047
1 100.00%
1 +7.75%
Finance: Collection Division
The Collection Division is responsible for collecting all taxes and other charges
(including ambulance and water /sewer /storm water bills). This Division also receives and
processes all deposits (such as schools and recreation).
Massachusetts does not allow Towns to pay any charges associated with electronic
collection of tax bills — such as a flat fee or credit card fee. Debit card usage is
comparatively inexpensive, and an economical method to pay online.
Plertranic Pavmentc (*to 1 ?/31/151
Municipal lien certificates have increased due mainly mortgage refinancing activities.
Foreclosures dropped off from a high in 2008, in sharp contrast to economic measures
nationally.
Municipal Lien Certificates (to 12/31/15)
*Fee increased 121112010
CY15*
CY14
CY13
Registered Users
4847
4250
3741
Real Estate/Personal Property
512
454
407
Excise
1768
1574
1356
Water /Sewer /Storm Water
1326
1 1190
1 873
Municipal lien certificates have increased due mainly mortgage refinancing activities.
Foreclosures dropped off from a high in 2008, in sharp contrast to economic measures
nationally.
Municipal Lien Certificates (to 12/31/15)
*Fee increased 121112010
I •
Foreclosures (Foreclosure deeds recorded at
the Registry of Deeds as of 12/31/15)
2016
Issued
Fees
FY16
418
$22,300
FY15
786
$42,000
FY14
702
$37,600
FY13
1251
$66,450
FY12
1170
$61,400
FY11 *
1107
$40,525
FY10
859
$24,875
FY09
969
$26,901
FY08
743
$22,350
FY07
698
$21,252
I •
Foreclosures (Foreclosure deeds recorded at
the Registry of Deeds as of 12/31/15)
2016
6
2015
3
2014
2
2013
6
2012
5
2011
10
2010
18
2009
11
Real estate taxes collected were $57.8 million - a 4.3% increase from the $55.5 million in the
previous year. Personal property taxes collected decreased to $0.546 million from $0.647
million; and Excise tax collections increased to $3.38 million in FY15 from $3.35 million in
FY14.
Finance: General Division
This Division is responsible for providing the cash for the operation of all Town and School
functions on a timely basis. In addition, it conducts all borrowing and investing activities,
including those on behalf of the Town's Trust Funds.
Interest earnings for the General Fund during FY14 were only $132,876 - a few years ago this
figure was about $1.7 million before interest rates began their historic drop.
General Finance - Trust Funds:
The Trust Funds disbursed over $1 million in the past five years as shown in the table above. The
Hospital Trust Fund continued to provide aid through the Reading Response Program, which
provides skilled health care services, respite care, medical transportation and Lifeline Emergency
call systems to Reading residents who meet specific health and income guidelines.
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
Beginning Balances
$8,775,298
$8,882,468
$9,025,026
$9,125,527
$9,289,189
Contributions
$92,097
$154,858
$91,384
$115,146
$130,471
Disbursements
($255,805)
($288,129)
($262,441)
($275,268)
($269,343)
Interest
$270,878
$258,171
$271,558
$323,783
$406,169
Ending Balances
$8,882,468
$9,025,026
$9,125,527
$9,289,189
$9,556,486
The Trust Funds disbursed over $1 million in the past five years as shown in the table above. The
Hospital Trust Fund continued to provide aid through the Reading Response Program, which
provides skilled health care services, respite care, medical transportation and Lifeline Emergency
call systems to Reading residents who meet specific health and income guidelines.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Angstrom, CPA
Town Accountant
50
Ending
Ending
Ending
Ending
Ending 1 -year
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance
Balance Change
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
Cemetery
$3,784,637
$3,849,339
$3,926,015
$4,021,156
$4,169,742
3.7%
Hospital
$4,203,279
$4,223,461
$4,246,326
$4,302,000
$4,408,337
2.5%
Library
$62,524
$59,491
$61,301
$59,095
$61,692
4.4%
Scholarships
$171,628
$159,428
$173,145
$172,384
$171,706
-.4%
Veterans Memorial
$104,503
$114,130
$112,472
$119,634
$122,613
2.5%
Downtown Imp
$17,659
$41,100
$37,208
$37,363
$37,378
.6%
Celebration
$44,146
$42,804
$44,106
$43,923
$45,853
4.4%
Historic
$70,925
$75,765
$76,613
$79,409
$83,331
4.9%
Preservation
Elder Services
$416,790
$420,535
$422,850
$427,823
$428,271
.1%
Loans
$24,035
$24,737
$25,490
$26,401
$27,561
4.4.%
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Angstrom, CPA
Town Accountant
50
ASSESSING DEPARTMENT
Mission Statement
The mission of the Reading Assessment Department is to provide fiscal stability by promptly,
fairly and equitably determining the valuation of all real and personal property located in the
Town of Reading. The Assessment Department is obligated under law to assess all property at
its full and fair market value as of January 1 of each year for the purpose of taxation. This is
accomplished through the maintenance and administration of all property tax data records. In
addition, the department also administers motor vehicle excise tax, real, personal and motor
vehicle excise tax abatements, and all statutory tax exemptions as allowed by law.
Our staff is comprised of an elected three- person board and three full -time employees.
rw
w. fi
Francis Golden, MAA, Chairman
Victor P. Santaniello, MAA, Dir. of
Assessments
Robert N. Marshall, MAA
Kathryn Sherber, Assistant Assessor
Stephen Crook, Secretary
2 Clerks
During the past year, the major activities undertaken by the Assessors office include:
• Provided online access to our property record database via the internet.
• Conducted a state mandated interim revaluation of all properties.
• Reviewed and adjusted properties to reflect updated market conditions.
• Completed a revaluation of all personal property accounts and canvassed town for
new accounts.
• Maintained and updated all real estate and personal property tax records.
Special projects and future goals of the Assessment Department include:
• Manage ongoing state - mandated data recollection effort.
• Continue review and update of valuation neighborhood designations.
• Continue ongoing sales verification questionnaire mailing program.
• Implement new and efficient office policies and procedures as required.
• Maintain supplemental assessment program as required by state law.
• Update existing tax maps. .
• Make select state tax forms available via the internet.
• Increase public awareness relative to assessing and exemptions.
51
$97,184,243.96
$38,389,569
Residential Tax Rate: $14.70
Commercial Tax Rate: $14.70
Vaation
$3,962,502,523
Real Pro
4k J/yp §' F "SY F LS
$37,135,230
Personal'ry aluat�ri ,k= r , . ,2z',
$3 9 999 637 7 753
y
s t
Totaleestate,t.
$58,248,787.08
r. , .x_ E3
$295,682,305
ro` e3 `,
$545,887.88
,Totalron
91.4360%
$3,657,108,918
14.70
guou
MUM
Y �.5:. �!
�i A
° i'i/i? f..,,c.k1
4k J/yp §' F "SY F LS
° .:K
$3,657 108 918
(�,.e'
qY. jt y�1'r(♦
^{
tP
0.0000%
$295,682,305
7.3927%
esxni'
91.4360%
$3,657,108,918
14.70
$53,759,501.09
xt
-
0.9285%
��►o r� .;
$3,999,637,753
"
0.0000%
0
�c r
7.3927%
$295,682,305
14.70
$4,346,529.88
Lp-j0
0.2428%
$9,711,300
14.70
$142,756.11
99.0715%
$3,962,502,523
-
$58,248,787.08
P
0.9285%
$37,135,230
14.70
$545,887.88
100.0000%
$3,999,637,753
-
$58,7947,674.96
guou
$3,657 108 918
91.4360%
0
0.0000%
$295,682,305
7.3927%
F
$9,711,300
0.2428%
$37,135,230
0.9285%
��►o r� .;
$3,999,637,753
100.0000%
52
ASESSENTICASSxFICATIUN.REPQRT
Other Local Expenditures
; X2015:
`�",T4�1e2$y
Parcel
GlaSS � d
Class 3 �
Glass 4
Class 5
Type `
,CQznt A
Resrdentlal
Comumerezai
Inidustzal
PexsQnal
' d
k�1'alpe
x z
ax.1�
F�1ue
pp Value
�0 l..
6,528
$3,030,633,500
X02 1,113
$326,114,100
NC»c 10� 09 `; 12
$5,817,800
319
$141,509,700
135 f 31
$14,858,600
l §1 36
.$110,165,100
228
$11,404,100
196
$284,141,800
4�U,s4 zf 15
$9,711,300
$n d 3
$511
0
0
C* 3
$1,139,912
�D2" ,rt 27
$16,606,018
$10,400,082
174
$6,199,330
fly=
188
$9,619,760
�0 a
0
$0
�'
3
$10,460,940
§Y
a:
3
$9,317,600
1
$931,400
5
$606,200
8,885
$3,657,108,918
$295,682,305
$9,711,300
$37,135,230
R a
$3,999,637,753
v g.
$280,091,200
. ,
..
-
�5� T
Total appropriations...._ $95,868,803
Other Local Expenditures
$0
Snow and ice deficit / Overlay deficits
$0
Allowance for abatements and exemptions
$653,012.96
Total state and county charges
$613,513
Total cherry sheet offsets
$48,915
Total of appropriations and expenditures
$97,184,243.96
53
$13,331,233
State cherry sheet estimates
Ma school bldg. auth
$0
Local estimated receipts
$8,578,464
Ente rise funds
$12,414,108
Free cash
$2,934,895
Other available funds
$1,130,869
Offset receipts
$0
.. �,
$38,389,569
53
Respectfully submitted,
Board of Assessors
54
_
�Qp s z
2014',20]5
t(s1S 5,.18
$0
$0
ferra5
$10,350.43
$10,866.82
$14,250
$15,000
tx�8c't�z S �, a
$88,654.95
$56,228.01
os5
$4,200
$2,800
y
$0.00
$0
$7,500
$6,500
Respectfully submitted,
Board of Assessors
54
PUBLIC SAFETY
Fire Department
The Reading Fire Department is responsible for four major functions: fire suppression, fire
prevention, the emergency medical system and emergency management. This Department is also
responsible to coordinate and apply for all reimbursements for State and Federal disaster
declarations.
The Reading Fire Department provides emergency medical treatment at the Advanced Life
Support level (ALS) of care to sick and injured patients. This is the highest level of pre - hospital
care available and we are continually expanding this program as the budget permits.
Emergency management continues to expand in importance. The primary goal for Emergency
Management is to identify areas of vulnerability to the community, to prepare for all disasters
whether natural or manmade, to coordinate the response of a wide range of agencies and assist in
the recovery phase. A secondary goal is to ensure the Town of Reading is in compliance with all
Federal and State requirements to enable the community to remain eligible to receive
reimbursement for Federal and State disaster declarations.
Emergency Activity:
In 2015 the Fire Department responded to 3,508 emergency calls for assistance. Of these calls
2,166 involved some level of emergency medical response. A review of our response data
revealed total emergency responses has increased 9.1% over calendar year 2014. A review of
our Massachusetts Fire Incident Report data indicated we responded to 38 fires defined as
structure fires, 11 fires in mobile equipment and 39 outside fires. All these fire incidents were
required to be reported to the State Fire Marshal.
Significant Events:
On February 24, 2015 at 5:24 AM Firefighters were dispatched to 122 John Street for an elderly
women with limited mobility who reported smoke in her house. When Firefighters arrived on
scene smoke was visible coming from the eaves and front door. The woman was still inside the
house and Firefighters had to remove her from the home.
Firefighters extinguished a fire in carpeting and debris in a first floor bedroom.
On February 23, 2015 Firefighters responded to 12 Winslow Road for a report of a roof
collapse. When Firefighters arrived on scene, they conducted a survey of the home and
determined the roof had collapsed downward and the rear wall of the home was displaced
outward due to the weight of the snow. Fortunately, the home was not occupied.
Emergency Medical Services:
The Reading Fire Department provides an Advanced Life Support Level (ALS) of care to the
community and this allows Reading Firefighters to treat patients with a wide variety of
medications and sophisticated treatment techniques. This level of care is essential to patients
who are experiencing a medical emergency that is an immediate threat to their lives. Our
emergency medical program is coordinated by Firefighter Joseph Lapolla and Lieutenant Garret
Antanavica.
55
Total emergency medical responses have increased over calendar year 2014. The most troubling
statistic is the response to overdoses (chemical, poly- substance, prescription and substance
abuse). In calendar year 2015 a total of 17 patients were treated with Narcan. All personnel
have been trained on Naloxone administration. This medication has been highly successful with
certain types of overdoses. Below is a graph indicating the clinical impression of patients
transported in calendar year 2015.
Pregnancy OB Delivery
Obvious Death
Syncope
Seizure
Poisoning
Pediatric
Psychological Emergency
Overdose
Medical
Behavioral / Psychological Disorder
Influenza/Pneumonia
Respiratory
Trauma
Stroke
Diabetic Emergency
Altered Neurological Status
Allergic Reaction
Cardiac
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Clinical Impression Calendar Year 2015
A total of $784,518 was collected in ambulance revenue in fiscal year 2015. This revenue is
trending higher than last fiscal year due to increases in our ambulance fees. In FY 14 we
collected $616,839 and in FY 13 ambulance revenues were $626,343.
Emergency Management:
Emergency Management is an active component of the Department. Housed within Reading's
Emergency Management system are three components, Emergency Management, the Local
Emergency Planning Committee and the North East Homeland Security Region ( NERAC).
NERAC is one of the 5 Massachusetts homeland security regions created by the Executive
Office of Public Safety.
Federal and State legislation requires every community in the country to have a Local
Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). The LEPC identifies areas where the population is
most at risk from a hazardous materials release, facilities and transportation routes that contain
hazardous materials and resources that would be used to mitigate an incident.
To pool resources the Town of Reading has joined with other communities and formed the
Mystic Regional Emergency Planning Committee. The Mystic Regional Emergency Planning
Committee has grown to nineteen member communities and is designed to facilitate the sharing
of resources in the event of an emergency. The Mystic Regional Emergency Planning
W
Committee has achieved Full Certification Status by the Massachusetts Emergency Management
Agency.
The Reading Fire Department has developed a Hazardous Materials Emergency Plan to meet
both Federal and State statutory planning requirements. For the Town of Reading the Fire Chief
is the Local Emergency Planning Committee Chairman.
Keeping current with State and Federal requirements is required to remain eligible for
reimbursement of expenses when a Presidential Disaster Declaration is granted. Since 2001 we
have seen an increase in storm events being eligible for reimbursements due to Federal disaster
declarations. Over this period the Town of Reading and Reading Municipal Light Department
has received a total of $1,221,528 in reimbursements for emergency response and damage to
infrastructure. Below is breakdown in revenue the Town of Reading has received since 2001.
Fire Prevention:
The fire prevention duties are assigned to the Day Officer. This position is staffed by Lieutenant
Paul Jackson and he is responsible to ensure all life safety systems for new construction and
renovations are designed and installed properly. This requires pre- construction meetings, plan
review, code research and continual site visits to ensure proper installation. In 2015 the
Department issued 529 permits and monitored several building renovations. Major projects
include: Pulte Homes, M.F. Charles Building, Reading Public Library, Austin Preparatory
School and Johnson Woods.
For existing buildings, the Day Officer is responsible to ensure all life safety systems are
maintained properly. Other areas of responsibility include ensuring the safety and code
compliance of flammable and combustible product storage and coordinating the maintenance of
Department vehicles.
Lieutenant Jackson is also involved in school safety initiatives. He is an active member of the
NEMLEC (North East Metropolitan Law Enforcement Counsel) Stars Program. This program is
designed to assist school systems to prepare and respond to a wide variety of threats in the school
environment.
57
Regional Initiatives:
We have three Department members who serve on specialized regional response teams. One
Firefighter serves on the State Hazardous Materials Team, two personnel serve on the Essex
County Technical Rescue Team.
Firefighter Pelrine as a member of the State Hazardous Materials Team provided Hazardous
Materials monitoring during the Boston Marathon event. Firefighter Pelrine was deployed along
the route and provided public safety monitoring services during the race.
SAFE and Community Education:
This year we have expanded our community education program. In addition to our existing
school based SAFE Program we have the Senior SAFE Program. Funding for these programs is
provided by two State grants that total $7,018. Lieutenant Mark Dwyer is coordinating the Senior
SAFE program and Firefighter John Jenks is coordinating our school program.
The S.A.F.E program is funded by a $5,023 grant and features Reading Firefighters who are
trained as S.A.F.E educators. These Firefighters visit each school classroom of Kindergarten
through grade 5 to deliver the fire safety and anti - smoking message. Firefighters use a specially
designed trailer that is shared by the Metrofire District to present a very real fire scenario to the
students. Using this training aid, the children are taught lifesaving skills in a controlled setting
that is not possible to duplicate in the classroom.
Our Senior SAFE program is funded by a $2,995 grant that is designed for senior citizens.
Statistically, seniors have a high rate of fire injuries and our program has been designed to
increase the safety of this population. This year Lieutenant Dwyer gave several group
presentations, made home visits to the elderly and assisted needy elderly residents with the
installation of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Fire Alarm:
The municipal fire alarm system in Reading is in good condition. This is a direct result of the
planning, care and maintenance given to the system by our dedicated Fire Alarm Technicians,
Brian Ryan, Michael Holmes and Bruce Ayer. When appropriate, we are connecting new and
remodeled buildings to the municipal fire alarm system to ensure a rapid response to an incident.
In 2015 the Fire Alarm Technicians moved all the fire alarm equipment located in the West
Street road construction area. All costs for labor and materials were reimbursed by a State grant.
In addition to servicing and maintaining the municipal fire alarm system the Fire Alarm
Technicians put up and take down the Town of Reading's flag display and Christmas decorations
on the decorative light poles in Reading Square. These displays take a considerable amount of
time to install and remove.
Personnel:
This year we had changes in the Department. We had two promotions, two retirements and one
resignation. Lieutenant Richard Puopolo and Firefighter Daniel Cahoon retired in April 2015.
Garrett Antanavica was promoted to Lieutenant on June 30, 2015 and Scott Myette was
promoted to Lieutenant on July 1, 2015.
Due to vacancies outlined above we hired four new Firefighters. Our four new Firefighters were
hired in May of 2015. Firefighters Brian Yeager, John Messer, Eric Bagby and Robert Forsey
completed an in -house training program and completed the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy
Recruit Program.
Conclusion:
Over the last year we have striven to make advancements in all areas of the Department. We
have increased the level of training for our personnel, introduced new technology and equipment
and aggressively pursued resources through public safety grants. The Advanced Life Support
Program has been expanded to all fire apparatus and continues to provide Reading residents with
the highest level of emergency medical care in this area. The condition of our fire apparatus is
excellent and this increases our efficiency and capability at the scene of emergency.
I would like to thank all Town Officers, Boards, Departments, members of the Reading Fire
Department and especially the citizens of Reading for their continued high level. of support and
assistance.
Respectfully submitted,
Gregory J. Burns
Chief of Fire Department
Reading Fire Department
Roster
Chief of Department
Gregory J. Burns
Ca tp ains:
Kenneth N. Campbell Philip B. Boisvert
Paul F. Guarino Peter L. Marchetti
Lieutenants:
Paul D. Jackson Mark F. Dwyer
David T. Ballou Garrett Antanavica
Richard A. Puopolo^ Scott Myette
Richard L.S. Nelson
Firefighters:
Daniel Cahoon^
Michael Wood
Michael Holmes
Scott Dole
David Roy '
John Jenks
Robert McCarthy ^
Eric Blackman
Patrick Wallace
Paul Roy
Brian Ryan
Derek Loftus
Stephen Pelrine
Dana Ballou
59
Paul Damocogno
David Ferreira
Christopher Germain —
Robert Loring
Robert Drake
Daniel Pouliot
John Keogh
Robert Beck
Stephen Murphy
David Robidoux
Anthony Delsignore
David Gentile
Michael Belmonte
Secretary
Cynthia M. Keenan
Resigned position
Thomas McCarthy
Matthew Berger
Sean Devlin
Brian Yeager
Bruce Ayer
John Messer
Paul Dalton
Eric Bagby
Ryan Buckley
Robert Forsey
Joseph Lapolla
*Hired to fill vacancy ^Retired
Police Department
The Reading Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of public safety and
service to the citizens and business people within the community. The members of the
Department are empowered to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
Bylaws of the TOWN OF READING to ensure that the peace and tranquility of our
neighborhoods are maintained and that crime and the fear of crime are reduced. We emphasize
and value integrity, honesty, impartiality and professionalism from our members in order to
create an environment that values differences and fosters fairness and flexibility in our mission.
We encourage citizen input and interaction that will assist us in developing sound partnerships
between the community and police. Working together we can protect our future and enhance the
quality of life for everyone within the town.
This report summarizes the participation, activities, sponsorships, enhancements,
accomplishments, and other notable events of the Reading Police Department in Calendar year
2015.
Personnel Changes:
The following personnel changes and adjustments were experienced by the Police
Department in calendar year 2015.
January 2015
■ Dispatcher Jennifer Antczak was hired as a dispatcher and completed all training
requirements at the dispatcher academy.
:1
Fire Department Statistics for 2015
Permit Fees collected (FY 15)
$18,328
Ambulance Fees Collected (FY 15) $784,518
Total Emergency Responses
3,508
Emergency Ambulance Calls
2,166
Inspections
1,120
Police Department
The Reading Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of public safety and
service to the citizens and business people within the community. The members of the
Department are empowered to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
Bylaws of the TOWN OF READING to ensure that the peace and tranquility of our
neighborhoods are maintained and that crime and the fear of crime are reduced. We emphasize
and value integrity, honesty, impartiality and professionalism from our members in order to
create an environment that values differences and fosters fairness and flexibility in our mission.
We encourage citizen input and interaction that will assist us in developing sound partnerships
between the community and police. Working together we can protect our future and enhance the
quality of life for everyone within the town.
This report summarizes the participation, activities, sponsorships, enhancements,
accomplishments, and other notable events of the Reading Police Department in Calendar year
2015.
Personnel Changes:
The following personnel changes and adjustments were experienced by the Police
Department in calendar year 2015.
January 2015
■ Dispatcher Jennifer Antczak was hired as a dispatcher and completed all training
requirements at the dispatcher academy.
:1
March 2015
■ Timothy Barrett was hired as a Patrol Officer and began his training at the Reading
Municipal Police Training Council Police Academy.
April 2015
■ Dispatchers Alyssa Bryan and Cheryl Nahigian were hired as dispatchers and completed
all training requirements at the dispatcher academy.
August 2015
■ Patrol Officer Patrick Dawley was selected as a member of the NEMLEC Regional
Response Team.
December 2015
■ Chief James W. Cormier retired after 33 years of service to the. department.
■ Deputy Chief Mark D. Segalla was promoted to Chief of Police following the retirement
of Chief. James W. Cormier.
Awards Recognitions and Other Noteworthy Events:
April 2015
■ Armorer Justin Martel was awarded Police Officer of the Year by the Reading -North
Reading Chamber of Commerce.
May 2015
■ The Board of Selectmen recognized National Police Memorial Week.
June 2015
■ Lt. David Stamatis and Sergeant Christine Amendola were awarded the First Responder
Recognition Award from the Municipal Police Training Committee for their first
responder actions performed in life saving.
December 2015
■ AAA Southern New England presented the Reading Police Department with two awards:
1) The Gold Award of Excellence — recognizes achievements in traffic safety, 2) Ten
consecutive years without a pedestrian fatality
Community Policing:
The Reading Police Department is here to serve the Town of Reading and we look forward to
continuing our existing efforts and are always looking for more opportunities to work with you,
our community, to address criminal activity, traffic and safety problems, quality of life, and
community development issues in the Town. The Police Department strongly promotes the
61
philosophy of "working with the community ". The Department sponsors or participates in a
number of community events and /or programs. The following are a number of those:
• The Police Department continues to be an active member the Reading Coalition Against
Substance Abuse (RCASA). Chief James Cormier and School Resource Officer Michael
Muolo are members of the RCASA.
• The Police Department is- represented on the Human Relations Advisory Committee
(HRAC) by Deputy Chief Segalla.
• Community Service Officer Collins presented safety and community talks to the residents
at the Wingate at Reading.
• In May, Bike Patrol Officer Matthew Edson participated in the RMLD Bicycle Day and
presented information on bicycle safety.
• In June, the Department participated in Friends and Family Day held at Birch Meadow.
• Department provided traffic assistance and safety for the Friends of Reading Recreation
5k road race in July and the Fall Street Fair 5k in September.
• Several officers participated and assisted schools with the annual Walk to School Day in
October.
• In October, the Department in conjunction with its labor unions organized its annual
Senior Ham and Bean Supper at the Senior Center.
• In December, the Department in conjunction with its labor unions organized the ,35th
annual Children's Holiday Party at Austin Preparatory School. Again collaborating with
the Free Masons (Reading Lodge) to offer the Child Identification Program (CHIP)
providing over 50 identification kits.
• Throughout the year, the Department participated in the Governor's Highway Safety
Bureau's "Click -it or Ticket" program. This program is an intensified traffic
enforcement effort subsidized by a grant that targets specific traffic issues, such as seat
belt use, or impaired operation.
• In September, the Department was awarded a grant to participate in the Governor's
Highway Safety Bureau's Pedestrian Crosswalk Safety Initiative ($3000). In summary,
752 pedestrians were observed, 63 pedestrians were issued safety packets, and 12
pedestrians were issued warnings for not crossing at the crosswalk. More importantly, 24
drivers were issued citations for failing to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
• The Police Department collaborated with RCASA and was awarded grant funding that
enables the Department to conduct alcohol compliance checks. The Detective Division
has worked closely with the RCASA to be trained and implement alcohol compliance
checks throughout the community.
• The Department's Web Site - http: / /www.readingma.goy/police- department, Facebook
and Twitter pages are very successful and offers a variety of information for the public.
• Safety Officer David V. Savio highlights of presentations, Reading Police Station tours,
and traffic assistance:
• Safety presentations conducted at Cobblestone Family Day Care, Little
Treasures Pre - School, Joshua Eaton School, Wood End School, and for
various Cub Scout packs.
• Reading Police Station tours conducted for various Brownie Troops and Cub
Scout Troops.
62
• Safety literature was provided to all of the Elementary School Principals for
key points in their weekly news bulletins. Topics included bicycle safety,
snow safety, and stranger safety.
• Traffic assistance was provided for The Barrows School Fun Run, Joshua
Eaton School Jaguar Jog, and the Downtown Trick or Treat, Fall Street Fair,
Friends and Family Day, etc.
• 15 Work Orders were executed for new and replacement signage. throughout
the town.
• The Speed Alert Trailers were deployed to more than 50 Locations.
Patrol Division:
The Reading Police Patrol Division is the core of policing services in the Town of Reading. The
Patrol Division falls under the command of Lieutenant David Stamatis during daytime operations
and Lieutenant David Clark on nights. The Patrol Division is comprised of 2 Sergeants and 8
Patrol Officers during the day; and 6 Sergeants and 12 Patrol Officers on nights. It currently
operates a marked fleet of 4 Ford Crown Victoria style and 3 Ford SUV style cruisers as well as
1 Ford Expedition and 1 Ford Explorer as Support Services vehicles. In addition to standard
patrol vehicles, the Reading Police Department's Patrol Division also uses 4 pedal bikes and
from time to time will augment patrol as well as unmarked units.
The Patrol Division is the most visible section of the police department, providing around the
clock service to the citizens and visitors to Reading. They are the uniformed officers who
provide the first line of defense for the public's safety. Each law enforcement patrol officer
works to protect life and property, uphold the civil rights of individuals, preserve public peace,
provide citizen assistance, enforce criminal and motor vehicle laws, and respond to emergency
situations. These are dedicated and committed professionals who place their lives and well-
being in jeopardy for the citizens of Reading on a daily basis.
The men and women of the Patrol Division are responsible for; enforcing state and municipal
laws and regulations designed to protect life and property; maintain order in an assigned sector
or beat; patrol the community to preserve the peace and to prevent crime; take criminal reports
and interview witnesses and suspects; apprehend fugitives and criminals; collect evidence and
give testimony in court; conduct investigations for all misdemeanor and many felony cases;
direct traffic, issue traffic citations, investigate accidents, and make arrests; participate in crime
prevention, public information, and safety programs. Patrol officers maintain closer contact with
the public than any other section of the police department.
Most likely, the first person you will see when you are in need of the police will be a patrol
officer. The men and women of the Reading Police Department's Patrol Division take great
pride in serving the citizens of Reading. It is important to realize that in a split second, the most
inconsequential and routine activity can develop into a potentially hazardous situation. Without
question, the Patrol Division is the backbone of the police department. In 2015, the Patrol
Division issued 4,152 moving violations, made 135 arrests and answered 20,400 calls for service
throughout the Reading Community.
63
The Reading Police Department also maintains specialized units functioning within the Patrol
Division. Two of these are the Mountain Bike Operations Team and the Rapid Response Team
which are overseen by the Day Shift Division Commander.
The Mountain Bike Unit is comprised of 8 Officers who operate the 4 pedal bikes, which work
on various shifts. These Officers are able to respond quickly to. areas differently from the
traditional response vehicle and also offers. another level of Community Service by being in the
public view on an additional plane.
The Rapid Response Team (RRT) tactical professionals are Patrol Officers who are part of
Northeastern (Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) NEMLEC activated into a team on a
moment's notice. These Officers have further expertise designed to assist, access, and mitigate
extremely volatile situations, making use of additional equipment and manpower. The Reading
Police Department currently has three Patrol Officers that are part of NEMLEC RRT.
Each section of the Reading Police Department is designed to work separately and augment the
other departments to achieve the collective goal of maintaining a safe community. This is
achieved by regular operations of all and delivering customer service via daily interaction and
community policing initiatives.
Detective Division:
The Detective Division is responsible for the follow -up investigations of all murders, homicides
and unattended deaths; rapes; robberies, including armed and unarmed; breaking and entering of
all types; aggravated assaults; larcenies, including certain types of check and credit card cases;
auto thefts; and fires of suspicious origin which have had preliminary investigations conducted
by the Patrol Section and cannot be further investigated by them. The Detective Division shall
be assigned to handle the investigation of a case where the extension of their efforts exceeds the
normal limitations of time and place in seeking to satisfactorily close the investigation of the
crime.
The Detective Division pursues all reports received of narcotics violations within the community
by initiating full investigations, which utilize all the various resources available from within the
department, from other criminal justice agencies or informants. Detectives conduct a similar
type of investigation upon receiving reports of potential criminal acts, which may be perpetrated
within the community. Detectives will also be responsible, along with the patrol section, for the
suppression of organized crime and vice within the community.
The Detective Division is the liaison of the Police Department with the Reading Public Schools,
Austin Preparatory School as well as the Northeast Regional Vocational School in Wakefield.
Outlined are a number of activities the Detective Division was involved in for 2015.
■ SRO continues to be involved with "Community Based Justice" which brings all
interested parties together to discuss current student issues which are involved at some
level with the court system.
. 1.
■ In January SRO Muolo and Detective Halloran became instructors of "Youth Mental
Health First Aid ". The course is designed to teach parents, caregivers, teachers, school
staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how
to help an adolescent (age 12 -18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions
challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults
who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health
challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5 -step action
plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non - crisis situations. Topics covered
include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur,
disruptive behavior disorders (including AD /HD), and eating disorders. During the year,
SRO Muolo and Detective Halloran have taught several classes to school staff. The plan
is to now train them both in the adult mental health course in the coming year. They will
also being teaching members of the police department in the future.
■ Detectives process all liquor licenses applications and review all licenses as "manager on
record" are changed at pouring establishments. Over the past several years as the town's
business district as has grown, the number of license applications, license transfers, and
change in manager applications has increased substantially.
■ Detectives conducted alcohol compliance checks of all licenses, completed a "Cops in
Shops" education program, and surveillance patrols to monitor underage drinking
violations throughout the year. In June, 23 liquor license locations were checked with
zero violations for `sale to a minor'. In September, Detectives observed three locations
resulting in one criminal application for procuring alcohol for a minor and two juvenile
criminal applications for minor in possession of alcohol.
■ Detectives are responsible for maintenance and technical issues for the Departments
Crossmatch fingerprint machine.
■ This year, Detective Saunders was replaced as the "Evidence Officer" by Detective
Halloran. As part of the process, a complete audit of the evidence room is conducted. We
are also in the process of changing how evidence is packaged, logged, and categorized.
Changes in the length of retention are also being .reviewed. As part of the changeover,
Detective Holmes and Detective Halloran attended "Property and Evidence Management
for Law Enforcement Agencies" at Hanscom Air Force Base.which was sponsored by the
Middlesex District Attorney's Office.
■ In March Detective Halloran and Detective Fitzgerald graduated from "Basic Criminal
Investigator Training Program" sponsored by NEMLEC. This course is a comprehensive,
hands -on training program. The purpose of the program is to further develop important
skills for detectives in managing investigations, managing and reconstruction crime
scenes, writing and executing search warrants, completing thorough reports, and
preparing cases for prosecution. As part of the program, they toured the Medical
Examiner's Office and watched several autopsies. They also role - played interviews with
suspects and witnesses with local college students playing various roles. Since 2007, 225
65
Detectives from 61 cities, towns, and sheriffs departments in Middlesex and Essex
Counties have gone through this vital training.
■ In January of 2014 the Detective Division activated the Reading Police Departments
Facebook Page. We currently have 2,136 followers. In addition, the Division has been
maintaining the Department's Twitter page. The Twitter page currently has 5,584
followers, up from 4,267 in 2014. Besides those that follow us directly, our messages get
shared to thousands more on a regular basis. These pages allow the Department to get
important public safety information out quickly including information on; road closures,
special events, press releases, weather related concerns, Level 3 Sex Offender
notifications, and safety tips. We have seen a significant increase in communication with
citizens and other agencies contacting us through these sites.
■ The Detective Division handles all court matters, including processing the court
paperwork for all arrests; summons, hearings, restraining orders, citation appeals, and any
other pertinent issues that deal with the court. The Division makes all officer
notifications for court appearances, gives information on the status of on -going cases. In
addition, the Division is responsible for all discovery requests by the Commonwealth and
Defense, which requires a significant amount of time to compile. All juvenile cases that
meet the standard for diversion are monitored to make sure all of the obligations set forth
for the juvenile are met.
■ Detectives processed over 200 anonymous tips via the Department's Text -a -Tip program.
■ The SRO and Detective Division held numerous ALICE (Alert,. Lockdown, Inform,
Counter, Evacuate) trainings with all school personal, and conducted ALICE drills in
each school in the district and Austin Prep. As this program has become more established
in the school system, the schools are taking on more responsibility in conducting these
exercises on their own.
■ SRO participated in monthly RCASA Board of Directors meetings and quarterly special
events.
■ Detectives worked in conjunction with RCASA to collect and properly destroy
prescription drugs through the "RX Round -up" program. This past year 5, 072 bottles
were collected and destroyed.
■ Members of the Detective Division attended many training programs in the areas of,
cybercrime investigation, search warrant preparation, domestic violence, drug and
narcotics investigatory techniques, legal updates, and prosecution.
■ Detectives fingerprint residents for business purposes upon request.
■ Major Crimes the Detective Division investigated this past year included Sexual
Assaults /Rapes, B &E's, Larcenies, Sudden Deaths /Suicides /Overdoses, Child
Enticement, Missing Person, Possession of Child Pornography, Narcotic Investigations,
multiple reports from DCF, Frauds, and Cyber- Crimes. In addition, the Detective
Division reviews all patrol reports, and conducts investigations on numerous other types
of crimes.
■ The Detective Division registers and monitors all Level 2 and Level 3 Sex Offenders that
live and /or work in Town. In addition, Detective's makes the required community wide
notifications.
■ The Detective Division reviews all new /renewal or change in manager applications for
Alcohol Licenses or any modifications for existing licenses. In addition, numerous Class
2 Licenses (License to buy, sell, exchange or assemble second hand motor vehicles or
parts), Livery Licenses, Precious Metal License, and Auctioneer's License which are
submitted to the Town.
■ Detectives processed 110 anonymous tips via the Department's Text -a -Tip program.
■ In October, Lt. Det. Abate attended the IACP Conference in Chicago, IL.
■ In November, with the impending retirement of Detective Iapicca approaching in
January, Detective Fitzgerald was temporarily assigned to Police Prosecutor.
■ One new Police Officer hire background was conducted this year (Timothy Barrett).
■ Five new Dispatcher hire backgrounds were conducted this year.
Detective Criminal Investigations = 138
Public Safety Dispatch
The Reading Public Safety Dispatchers deliver, through communications, a lifeline for the
community, Police Officers, and Firefighters. Nine full time Dispatchers are under the direct
supervision of Head Dispatcher Victoria Avery and under the command of the Day Shift Patrol
Division Commander Lt. David Stamatis. Dispatchers provide support to the Officers,
Firefighters, EMT's, Paramedics, and other ancillary personnel within the departments, as well
as, outside agencies to augment emergent and non - emergent operations via radio, phone, and
computer related activities. Dispatchers receive requests for information and services, triage
based on available resources and disseminate accordingly. Dispatchers manage 911 and
administrative calls, supply Emergency Medical pre - arrival instructions when necessary, and
furnish .customer service and information to the public, and provide valuable service to our
community.
The Dispatch team had positive staffing changes that brought three new faces to the team, lifting
the staffing level to nine. This brings the Town closer to the goal of having two professionals
scheduled 24 hours a day. Each year, Dispatchers participate in various trainings to expand their
knowledge and present a higher level of service.
67
Dispatchers issued 4,124 Community Access Stickers.
The Dispatch section is the face of Reading Public Safety and in most cases, they are the first,
first - responders, and the initial interaction the public has with a Public Safety agency.
Crossing Guards
The school crossing guards are part-time, civilian personnel. Currently there are nineteen
permanently assigned crossing guards and eight spares. They fill in when a regular crossing
guard is unable to cover his /her post. They are under the direct supervision, coordination, and
control of Safety Officer David Savio. Each crossing guard plays an essential role in the safe
commute of children to and from school. They also serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for the
police department and the community as well. These crossing guards have proven to be devoted
to their duties and are a great asset to the Town of Reading.
Animal Control
The Animal Control Officer is Ronald Burns and he works 13 hours per week and is on call for
emergency situations. There were more than 300 calls for service received by the Animal
Control Officer. There were 16 dog bites over the year resulting in injuries to humans. There
were 14 dog to dog bites resulting in veterinary care. There were 20 bites over the year resulting
from animal of unknown origin (15 dogs and 5 cats). There were 2 cat bites to humans reported.
Those that tested negative for rabies were quarantined for 10 days. There were over 20 coyote
sightings reported. Over 300 citations were issued to residents for failure to keep their dog on a
leash, failure to license their dog, for biting and disturbing the peace. The majority of the calls
were received from neighbors complaining about other dogs. There was one bat call which
tested negative for rabies.
The Animal Control Officer is authorized to isolate and confine domestic animals suspected of
being exposed to rabies. Acting according to state regulations and guidelines, Animal Control
Officers must:
• Investigate reports of domestic animals exposed to rabies.
• Determine if the domestic animal has or may have been exposed to a rabid animal, and if
the domestic animal has been properly vaccinated.
• Make an evaluation of the exposure of the vaccinated animal and prescribe the
appropriate action according to state regulations.
• Obtain permission to euthanize exposed, unvaccinated animals from their owners or from
the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture. ( MDFA)
• Carry out euthanasia permitted by the animal owner or MDFA.
• Collect the head of the euthanatized animal and deliver or send it to MDPH State
Laboratory Institute, if the animal has bitten or otherwise exposed a human or domestic
animal.
• Inspect residential kennels that house 4 or more dogs.
• Ensure that vaccinated domestic animals receive a booster vaccination if needed, and that
the animal remains under appropriate strict confinement or isolation.
• Contact local officials when exposed domestic animals have exposed humans.
.:
Although the Animal control Officer is not responsible for handling wildlife calls, he evaluates
such calls and assists where possible. He provides contact numbers for the appropriate State or
private agency to handle wildlife issues beyond the Town's control.
Parking Enforcement Officer
The Parking Enforcement Officer is Ronald Burns. He works 18 hours per week. The major
responsibilities of the Parking Enforcement Officer are:
• Identify and cite motorists who violate Reading's parking regulations and reduce
opportunities for violations to be committed through preventive patrols of all parking
areas.
• Tally and inventory tickets daily.
• Identify parking problem areas within the town and forward this information to the Safety
Officer.
• Perform related duties as required.
The following is the Department Roster, a statistical analysis of our enforcement efforts and a
record of revenues generated by our department for calendar year 2015.
Mark J. O'Brien
Kevin M. Brown
Patrick R. Silva
READING POLICE DEPARTMENT
2015 ROSTER
CHIEF
James W. Cormier
DEPUTY CHIEF
Mark D. Segalla
LIEUTENANTS
Lt. David M. Stamatis Lt. David J. Clark
SERGEANTS
John J. McKenna
Christine M. Amendola
Corey P. Santasky
DETECTIVE DIVISION
Lt. Det. Richard Abate
Detectives: Michael D. Saunders
Pasquale M. Iapicca
Robert J. MacHugh Jr
School Resource Officer: Michael A. Muolo
.•
Christopher R. Picco
Christopher E. Jones
Derek R. Holmes
Michelle E. Halloran
Michael P. Fitzgerald
SUPPORT SERVICES
Community Service
Officer
Safety Officer
Armorer /Fleet Maintenance
James P. Collins
David V. Savio
Justin P. Martel
PATROL OFFICERS
Christopher J. Voegelin
Anthony F. Caturello
Matthew C. Edson
Joseph J. Belmonte
Michael R. Lee
Keith D. Hurley
Salvi A. Lavita
Sean M. Wilson
Ian A. Nelson
Kristen L. Stasiak
Erik W. Drauschke
Mark R. Mullen
Laura M. Bullis
Patrick A. Dawley
Michael S. Scouten
Matthew B. Vatcher
Matthew J. Orr
Kaylyn A. Gooley
Timothy L. Barrett
Dick Prudente
MacKinnon
Reading Police Department
2015 Ancillary Personnel
CLERKS
Administrative Assistant Victoria Cummings Administrative Secretary Joanne Power
DISPATCHERS
Head Dispatcher Victoria Avery
Christopher Finnegan
Debra Haynes
Ryan Mahoney
Joseph Pagnotta
Regina Saunders
Susan Tapley
Jennifer Antczak
Alyssa Bryan
Cheryl Nahigian
Bob Dewolfe ,
James Hubbard
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER / PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Ronald Burns
SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS
(s= Spare)
Cindy Asci
Mildred Barton
John Cain
Art
Peg Faulkner
Dickinson
Bob Dewolfe ,
James Hubbard
Lucy Intonti
Tina Lantz
Marsha Leighton
Ann Lipchus
Joe Lopiccolo
Louann
Kris McNiel
Dick Prudente
MacKinnon
70
Rosemary
Barbara Wilson
•
License to Carry Permits
Claude Miller (s)
Violante
Firearm Identification Cards
$ 425.00
•
Police Reports Copied
George Snow
Robert Matarazzo
Lynn Upton (s)
Mike Upton
Joe Veno (s)
(s)
(s)
•
(s)
$78,400.00
Service Statistics calendar year 2015:
• Arrests 135
• Protective Custody 58
• Motor Vehicle Citations 4,152
• Parking Violations 1,947
• Detective Criminal Investigations 138
• Automobile Crashes Investigated 552
Fees Collected calendar year 2015
•
License to Carry Permits
$ 2,850.00
•
Firearm Identification Cards
$ 425.00
•
Police Reports Copied
$ 3,956.50
•
Parking Fines
$52,500.00
•
Administrative Fees for details
$40,096.08
•
Community Access Stickers
$78,400.00
•
Parking Space Rentals
$58,380.00
•
Civil Motor Vehicle Infractions
$42,252.50
•
Community Room Rental fee
$ 710.00
•
Motor Vehicle Lease Surcharge
$ 3,196.20
Conclusion:
To summarize our Mission Statement, we are empowered to enforce the laws of our land, but in
order to do this appropriately and adequately we have to work with the community. Providing
the community with the highest level of police service is a goal that will require dedication, hard
work and a strong commitment to and from our community.
I want to thank the citizens of our community for their support and cooperation. Working with
the community your police department will accomplish its mission.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark D. Segalla
Chief of Police
71
Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse
Overview
As a community convener, RCASA has several critical roles and functions. We leverage our
position in the community by connecting programs, organizations, agencies and sectors to
increase positive results for substance abuse prevention. We plan and promote community -wide
and special events, community education, coalition trainings, youth leadership development,
ongoing meetings, and advocacy. We promote inter - departmental resource sharing through the
Reading Chemical Health Education and Reading Police Diversion Programs.
Staff
The RCASA staff included two full time employees. The Director oversaw personnel, fiscal
management, public relations, and coordinated coalition work, including planning, training,
communication, data collection, dissemination, reporting, and evaluation. The Outreach
Coordinator coordinated project services and activities, including communication and
information dissemination. As a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, the Outreach
Coordinator supported residents impacted by substance use disorders. A seasonal Youth
Organizer, .provided support to the coalition during the summer and winter of 2015. Staff
participated in professional development opportunities to enhance our knowledge including the
Active Parenting of Teens Program, 2015 MA Medical Society Public Health Leadership Forum,
Heroin Education Action Task Force Conference, the and SAMHSA Webinars on substance
abuse topics. The MA Board of Substance Abuse Counselors acknowledged the RCASA
Director for receiving her Certification as a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist and renewed
licensure for the Outreach Coordinator as a Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor.
Leadership
The 24- member Board of Directors met monthly to accomplish critical tasks including data
gathering, outreach, and leadership development. Board representatives provided valuable status
reports on initiatives. In September, the RCASA Nominating Committee conducted officer
elections and reported roster changes at their Annual Meeting. James Cormier (Reading Police
Chief, Founding Member, Parent) and Richard Abate (Reading Police Lieutenant, Founding
Member, Parent) celebrated 9 years of board service.
Per our needs assessment of members, staff coordinated specific Board Education throughout the
grant period. The RCASA Director facilitated interactive small groups working on sector -
specific projects twice during the year. Special guest presentations and/or media shared with the
board included:
• Understanding Vaping by Maureen Buzby, Regional Tobacco Control Coordinator
• Recovery High Referrals by Michelle Lipinski, Principal)
• The Continuum of Recovery by Rich Winant, Kelly House/ WBUR (NPR Affiliate)
Sherri VandenAkker, Reading resident, RCASA Board member, filmmaker was featured on the
national talk show "The View" last winter to raise awareness about women suffering from
alcoholism. View her appearance at http: / /www.thebetteflm.com/
W
Collaboration
Staff worked on the Multi - tiered System of Support Plan to expand behavioral health support for
all students in the public school district by participating in District Leadership Council meetings
and providing expertise on substance abuse prevention. Reading Public Schools /RCASA hosted
our first Behavioral Health Providers Breakfast in June at the High School Library for 25
healthcare, behavioral health, and mental health professionals to exchange information on the
district's behavioral health needs.
Staff conducted outreach at events including Reading Fall St. Faire, Friends & Family Day,
Future Freshman Night, and the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration (600 people
reached).
RCASA honored RCASA Youth Crew leaders including Sophia Kalogeris, Meghan Whelan,
Emily Breen,, Jennie Dockser and Claire Bishop at this year's RMHS Awards Ceremony.
RCASA hosted their 9`h Annual Coalition Meeting on 9/30/15 at Jordan's Furniture /Sunbrella
IMAX Theatre for 425 participants. Youth volunteers and board members welcomed guests in
the lobby. Guests viewed a 12 -foot display of the coalition's vision/mission, goals & strategy,
growth & development, initiatives & projects. The RCASA Info tables staffed by Board Leaders
featured over 50 valuable free resources including SAMHSA literature, upcoming RCASA
events and local resource directories. A second table featured an Al -Anon representative to
address questions and engage in conversation.
The formal program included the Annual Report Highlights delivered by Erica McNamara,
RCASA Director, 2015 Recovery Month Spotlight by MaryAnn Frangules, Mass Organization
for Addiction & Recovery and the presentation of a short film. The Mark Wahlberg Youth
Foundation and Millennium Health created the film "If Only" to raise awareness among teens
and adults about the opioid epidemic. Following the film, James Wahlberg spoke and eight
addiction professionals answered audience questions. Click here to view local media coverage of
the event. http• / /readin¢ wickedlocal .com/article /20151007/NEWS /151006520/ ?Start=1
Staff were actively engaged in the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition involving the
communities of Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham and Wakefield continued their.
opioid prevention and intervention project. Reading benefits from the collaborative through
access to data, capacity building and training. Staff participated in the United for Recovery
Candlelight Vigil and Rally held in Wakefield). Staff and police representatives also participated
in the Eastern Middlesex DA's Opioid Task Force (leveraged important connections to the three
hospitals serving Reading).
RCASA was chosen to host the Regional World Cafd on Opioid Abuse for the second year in
concert with State Senator Lewis to update residents and leaders on progress happing at the local,
regional and state levels.
Substance abuse prevention efforts as outlined in our work plan included:
I) Alcohol Compliance: RCASA provided support to officers to procure state grant funds
through the MA Highway Safety Division. In January and June of 2015, the Reading Police
73
issued the Annual Public Notice for operations. In May, officers arranged their `Cops in
Shops' operation with four off premise establishments and reported enhanced collaboration
with those businesses. Officers recruited underage operatives to conduct the compliance
operation in June. No violations found at any of the 23 establishments checked. Following
the operation, RCASA prepared "pass" letters signed by the Chief of Police and a press
release was shared with local news. Officers conducted surveillance patrols in September.
On September 18, officers observed three locations resulting in one criminal application for
procuring alcohol for a minor and two juvenile criminal applications for minor in possession
of alcohol. The last patrol in September, officers reported no illicit activity.
II) Prevention Education: RCASA conducted Student Leadership Training for 63 Student
Leaders at Reading Memorial High School. RCASA hosted the 2015 Regional Dialogue on
Opioid Abuse with State Senator Jason Lewis. Staff and School Resource Officer met with
small groups of students to conduct Opioid Prevention Workshops (300 students total).
RCASA engaged 45 parents in the second cycle of the Active Parenting of Teens Online
Program. Staff conducted Substance Abuse training for all new officers & dispatchers (10
staff total). Staff prepared resource packets for officers to give to residents in need of
support. During the Reading Public Schools Blue Ribbon Conference, 70 school personnel
turned out for the RCASA Opioid Prevention workshop featuring the Heroin Rising video.
Seventeen high school students completed the skill -based Chemical Health Education
Program this year facilitated by RCASA. The Director presented in the High School's Child
Development Course on Substance Exposed Newborns reaching 15 students. Staff used the
CADY Ready, Set, Done Media Kit to guide media messaging throughout the year via
Twitter and Facebook. We placed four large ads in the Reading Recreation Fall Magazine,
which reached 19,000 households, largely parents of school age children.
III) Mental Health Promotion: Under the Project Aware Grant awarded to.the Reading Public
Schools, the RCASA Director launched a training project. In 2015, the National Council on
Behavioral Health credentialed nine town/school /police staff members as Youth Mental
Health First Aid Instructors. Overall, these instructors certified 424 school and town staff
during the last calendar year.
IV) Data Collection: 4900 bottles collected through our Rx Round Up. Four Lock -med boxes
raffled off at events. RCASA administered the Pride Faculty & Parent Surveys. We
developed the 2015 Reading Youth Risk Behavior Survey with the Reading Public Schools,
grades 6 -12, and data release in October 2015. The data results indicated a decline in lifetime
cigarette use of 20% since 2005; decline of recent cigarette use of 8% since 2005; and recent
cigar use declined by 3% since 2005.
Reading has implemented a number of tobacco control policy and education initiatives through
our local substance abuse coalition, Board of Health, and School Committee, which had reduced
tobacco use. However, the influx and availability of vaping in just the last year has increased
with 24% of high school students reporting lifetime use of e -vapor products. We are also
concerned with the increased use of synthetic marijuana (8% of high school students reported
lifetime use), opening of medical marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts and a potential ballot
question to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. The RCASA Board felt it was important to
increase education on the dangers of marijuana and the growing availability of synthetics by
inviting Dr. Kevin Hill to speak in Reading on his research and book in October of 2015.
74
We coordinated with regional tobacco control to have their staff conduct presentations for the
RCASA Board, the School Committee and Boards of Selectman in 2015. We updated
educational materials for health educators to include vaping; addressed policies related to vaping
use, and made parents aware of the trends through disseminating information.
We launched a new Youth Leadership capacity- building strategy called "RCASA School
Chapters ", modeled after the RCASA Youth Crew, to engage younger youth (12 -14) in
substance abuse prevention initiatives and to expand involvement of older teens. This process
involved interviewing previous RCASA youth leaders through key informant interviews on
program elements to include in chapter replication; receiving approvals from local principals;
engaging district leaders in providing classroom space; and designing training materials.
RCASA staff developed a Chapter Training Booklet, ordered Asset Development materials and
put together School Chapter kits for each local school.
Per our needs assessment, we wanted to increase online training offerings for local parents.
RCASA staff was trained in implementing Citrix GotoWebinar modules to expand online
training. We developed our first webinar with a local college student called Teen Athletes and
Painkiller Addiction Webinar. We chose this topic because our local athletic participation rate
(97 %) is higher than the state rate of 78 %, expanding the risk pool of potential student athletes
that may be injured and at higher risk. We plan to launch the webinar in 2016.
Finance
RCASA staff worked diligently with town, police and school staff to generate quality grant
proposals for a number of public funding entities. RCASA, Police, and the Reading Public
Schools were successful in securing five grants to support substance abuse prevention and
mental health education. RCASA contributed to grant proposals for the Police ($5;000 for
Alcohol Compliance) and Schools ($1.25 million for School Climate).
SAMHSA Grants Supporting RCASA
Annual
Amount
End
Renew
Sober Truth On Underage Drinking Prevention Act
$48,258
$190,032
9/30/16
N
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
$125,000
$625,000
9/30/16
Y
Advancing Wellness & Resilience in Education
$50,0000
$100,000
9/30/16
N
The Director compiled all required federal reports for funding. The town, school and police
departments contributed $160K in match resources for RCASA's office /meeting space,
supervision, and oversight.
Public Relations
Staff created newsletters, updated the website and social media to keep the community informed.
Police posted RCASA news on their twitter reaching over 2,200 followers. Large posters, online
invitations, flyers, and a program were developed for the Coalition Film Series, which reached
500 people. Staff sent Press Releases to three local news outlets. Local news shared coalition
articles. RCASA also used YouTube to release four new videos. Staff connected with elders
through two senior center events including their Annual Health Fair.
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DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
Directors Comments
I am pleased to submit the 2015 Annual Report for the Department of Public Works.
I would first like to thank the Board of Selectmen and Town Manager Bob LeLacheur for all
their help and support over the past year.
In addition, I would like to specifically thank all supervisors for their continued professionalism,
cooperation and dedication, as well as all other members of the Department for their hard work,
team spirit, and pride, which is evident in the excellent professional service and programs you
provide, and projects you complete.
The 2015 winter season turned out to be a real challenge. With records being set for total
snowfall, total budget expenditures, and winter cold (polar vortex), the department, and its
dedicated employees, were certainly put to the test. We passed with "flying colors ", not
surprising with the crew we have here in Reading. I sincerely thank them for their efforts.
During 2015, the department's ongoing succession process /reorganization continued. Jane
Kinsella, longtime Public Works Business Manager, was promoted to Assistant Director; while
still helping out other town departments during a town wide transition/reorganization process, I
look forward to working with her in her new role, and have no doubt that she will be an asset to
the department. Also, Administrative Assistant, Mike O'Halloran, was upgraded to Senior
Administrative Assistant, and Deb Malonson to Administrative Secretary, both well - deserved
promotions. In addition, George Zambouras, Town Engineer for the past 10 years has
announced his retirement effective June 2016. I look forward to working with George and the
engineering staff in the transition process for what will be a new looking engineering division in
2016. I thank George for his over 10 year of dedicated service to the Town of Reading, and wish
him a happy and healthy retirement.
Department personnel continue to be actively involved as members or liaisons to a number of
Committees and town wide events (examples of this being our coordination/work with the town
fall street faire committee, annual tree lighting ceremony, as well as the town friends and family
day event). Specifically, ongoing staff support to the Town Forest Committee, and Town Trails
Committee, resulted in the implementation of new rules and regulations regarding use of the
Town Forest, monitoring /tracking all Town Forest activities, various trail improvements, a new
Matera Cabin parking lot, as well as various other projects within the Town Forest. We also
assisted other Departments throughout the year on many projects and programs, including the
Conservation Commission, Recreation Committee, and public safety departments, as identified
in the department's report.
The Engineering Division continues to be extremely active with a number of ongoing projects
including road paving (approximately 25 streets between FY15 and FY16), outside agency
project oversight/inspection monitoring (West Street project - MA DOT), as well as projects
from both National Grid, and MWRA.
76
In addition, to its aggressive road paving program, engineering oversaw the construction of a
new sidewalk on Prescott Street, as well as a number of repairs to various sidewalks throughout
town.
Town Meeting also authorized the continuation of a major water capital improvement program,
which was initiated /originally authorized in 2014, (Main Street, Salem Street), that will only
further enhance the Town's water quality and infrastructure for generations to come.
The Town continued, with a major focus on customer service, with a program titled "See Click
Fix ", where residents can, via on -line or mobile application, initiate requests for services, or
report on issues that need attention, including potholes, missing signs, hanging tree limbs, etc.
By the end of 2015, we had received 557 service requests, all of which were completed -
outstanding!
Discussions have continued with the Town of North Reading and the Mass Water Resource
Authority (MWRA), regarding the potential of wheeling water through Reading into North
Reading. North Reading has begun to coordinate the process with both Reading and the MWRA.
They are projected to continue their aggressive capital /infrastructure improvement program, in
hopes of this potential new town water source becoming a reality in the not too distant future -
stay tuned.
The department also participated in a number or professional development/safety training
programs including driver fatigue, chainsaw safety, back injury prevention, work zone safety,
effective communication in the workplace, etc., many of which were sponsored by MIIA, the
Town's insurance carrier. With Water Coordinator, Erik Mysliwy, acting as the department
safety coordinator, and working with MIIA and the town safety committee, a number of safety
policies have been drafted, and we look for implementation shortly into 2016. These ongoing
programs not only continue to professionalize the department and help to reduce the town's
insurance obligations, but, first and foremost, keep our employees safe in the workplace.
As you will see in the individual Division reports, the Department continued to be extremely
active in 2015 with our many projects, programs, as well as ongoing daily maintenance work,
while also continuing to assist and service the general public on a daily basis. All this work
requires a major teamwork/group effort approach to accomplish. It is a credit to the staff that
these major high profile projects were completed in a timely, cost effective manner, while at the
same time, performing the daily, routine tasks needed to serve our residents.
I am confident that in the year ahead this department will continue on its path of excellence.
Jeffrey T. Zager
Director of Public Works
77
Administration Comment
The Administration Division supported the Department with procurement administration, budget
preparation and. coordination, departmental personnel and payroll services, accounts payable
processing, cemetery administration services and responses to public inquiries and concerns over
all Public Works areas of responsibility.
Significant projects included:
➢ Procurement, project support, and contract management for contracts throughout the
public works divisions including highway projects and supplies, water and sewer main
projects, fuel, salt, and snow removal.
➢ Oversight of a five year contract for our Town -wide solid waste collection and curbside
recycling. The contract ends in July 2016. The program includes weekly dual- stream
recycling for paper and comingled items, scheduled events for rigid plastics, paper -
shredding, metal pickup, (5) curbside leaf collections, along with (1) bulk item picked up
weekly curbside at no charge, and a reduced charge for curbside TV /CRT pickup through
the vendor.
➢ Coordination of (2) Household Hazardous Waste Day collection events with the Town of
Wakefield.
➢ Overall facilitation of the Water Conservation Rebate Program: Appointment scheduling,
rebate processing and tracking of high - efficiency washing machines, low -flow toilets,
and irrigation system rain sensors, and rain barrels.
➢ Significant strides have been gained in reducing disposal tonnage. Increased recycling
efforts through continued media and educational initiatives have led to new programs and
new initiatives being instituted.
➢ See -Click -Fix enables residents to enter issues such as potholes, downed tree limbs, and
water leaks into the system. The system is monitored by the Administration and work
orders are routed to our supervisors, who address each concern.
➢ Re- configuration of recycling at Newcrossing Road. New layout allows for safer access
and incorporates a more self - service approach.
Emphasis continued on providing public information, responding to inquiries and concerns, and
improving all areas of public communications.
CEMETERY DIVISION
To the Board of Cemetery Trustees
The following is from office records for calendar year 2015.
Interments —125 Interments for all years — 15,139
Markers set —26 Foundations — 21 Monuments re -set —10
S
Sale of Lots
Forest Glen — 3 lots in the Urn Garden, total for all years — 2,077 lots, 799 single graves.
Charles Lawn — 6 lots, total for all years 524 lots, 3 single grave 266 single and veterans graves.
Wood End — 21 lots and 3 single graves — total for all years — 468 lots, 42 single graves.
Cooperation from other divisions of Public Works was outstanding and much appreciated. The
Board of Cemetery Trustees has been very supportive of all the numerous programs and goals of
this division. I thank them for all their assistance.
Respectfully submitted — Robert L Keating, Supervisor
Custodian of Veteran's Graves — Calendar year 2015
Interments — WWII — 9 Korea — 1 Vietnam —1 Iraq -1 Peacetime -6
Total of all veteran's interred —1,864
As has been the custom for many years, all veteran's graves were decorated with a flag and a
potted flower for Memorial Day.
Respectfully submitted — Frank Driscoll, Custodian of Soldiers and Sailors Graves
ENGINEERING DIVISION
The Engineering Division provides engineering services to all Departments within the Town of
Reading. The Division is responsible for: preparation of plans, contract documents,
specifications and estimates; survey layout, inspection, design and construction management of
Town construction projects; upkeep of traffic markings and traffic signals; review of subdivision
plans and site plans for accuracy and conformance with the subdivision and site plan rules and
regulations; review of conservation submittals, preparation of subdivision and conservation bond
estimates, inspection of subdivision construction and the administration of the pavement
management program and Chapter 90 roadway improvement program. The Division also
provides technical assistance and guidance on various Town projects, performs traffic studies,
regulates and inspects private construction activities within Town roadways; and is responsible
for the maintenance of all records concerning the subdivision of land, roadway, water, sewer and
drainage construction, town maps, issuance of street addresses, updating 911 address records and
the issuance of various permits.
The division provided field survey, design and construction management services for the
following construction projects designed and completed during the year:
79
Roadway Improvements:
Prepared bids, provided project management and inspection for the resurfacing of 34 roadways
totaling approximately 5.3 miles consisting of the following:
Reclaim the following roadways;
• A Street
• B Street (East side)
• Bradford Road (contractor reclaim/graded roadway, DPW paved)
• C Street
• Crocus Lane
• D Street (East side)
• E Street
• Fremont Street
• Heritage Drive
• Howard Street (Sigsbee St. to County Rd.)
• Ivy Lane
• Laneton Way
• Libby Avenue
• Longview Road
• Manning Street at Pleasant Street
• Margaret Road
• Palmer Hill Avenue
• Parkman Road
• Pleasant Street (Parker St. to end)
• Scout Hill Lane
• Shady Hill Lane
• Sturges Road
Mill and overlay the following roadways;
• Dana Road (20 Dana Rd. to Small Lane)
• South Street (Curtis St. to mid -313 South St.)
• South Street (329 South St. to 355 South St.)
• South Street (Gleason Rd. to Walnut St.)
Overlay the following roadways;
• James Road
• Pasture Road
• Sherwood Road
• Whitehall Lane
HE
Micro - surfaced the following roadways;
• Ashley Place
• Fairchild Drive
• Jessica Circle
• Lindsey Lane
Sidewalk and Curb Installation and Repairs:
• Prescott Street — Prepared bids, provided project management and inspection for the
installation of approximately 1,400 linear feet of new granite curb and bituminous concrete
sidewalk along the northerly side from Summer Avenue to West Street
Roadway Traffic Improvements:
• Salem Street/Bay State Road - Prepared bids, provided project management and inspection
for the installation of three Solar Powered LED Pedestrian Warning Beacons
Water Projects
• Water Main improvements — During the year the Division managed two (2) separate water
main projects which resulted in the replacement and lining of approximately 9,500 linear feet
of water main.
o Phase I Improvements - provided project management and inspection for the installation
of water main improvements on the following roadways:
Length
Location Project Limits (feet) Improvement Type
Main Street Ash St to Hopkins St 4,633 Replace w /12" DI
Main Street
South St to Hopkins St
658
Abandon
Bear Hill Road
Summer Ave to Hopkins St
1,186
Clean & Line
Summer Avenue
Hopkins St to Bear Hill Rd
1,486
New 12" DI
X Country
Belmont St to Libby Ave
1,105
New 8" DI
o Phase II Improvements — completed project survey, design, contract preparation, bidding
services and provided project management and inspection for the installation of
water main improvement on the following roadways:
Location Project Limits Length
(feet)
Linden Street Woburn St to Lowell St 992
Salem Street Main St to Bay State Rd N/A
The following work will begin spring of 2016 tc
Salem Street Main St to Bay State Rd 4,567
NN
Improvement Type
Replace w/ 12" DI
Installed 12 Isolation
Valves
> complete project
Replace w/ 8" DI
o Phase III Improvements — performed project survey and completed preliminary
design for the cleaning and lining of water mains on the. following
roadways:
Location Project Limits Length Improvement Type
(feet)
Main Street
Woburn St to Mill St
12,313
Clean & Line
Mill Street
Main St to Town Line
1,724
Clean & Line
Locust Street
Main St to Auburn St Tank
1,016
Clean & Line
• Larch Lane Main Replacement — assist water division in establishing material quantities and
cost estimates for project performed by water division personnel
• Auburn Water Tower — project on hold pending issues of RFP for additional cell company
equipment and lease extensions, expected bid date 2017 pending approval of leases
• Supplying MWRA to North Reading through Reading's Water System. — attendance at
several engineering review meetings during year with Town's consultant and North
Reading's consultant to review water system's Hydraulic Model and to determine needed
improvements to Reading's water system to supply North Reading with MWRA water
through Town's system
• MWRA Reports - prepared quarterly reports for above water main assistance projects in
accordance with grant / loan agreement.
Sewer System and 1/I
• West Street / Batchelder Road Sewer Station Replacement — attended project meetings,
reviewed construction plans and assisted Town's consultant in the design and bidding of the
West Street / Batchelder Road sewer station replacement project. Project bids were received
in July that exceeded funding levels. Contractor agreed to extend bid price time limits until
the end of the year. Supplemental funding for the project was approved at the supplemental
Town Meeting. Execution of contract is in progress and a 2016 construction is planned.
• Whittier Rd. / Tennyson Rd. Area — completed MWRA assistance project consisting of test
and seal sewer main lines and manholes.
• MWRA Phase 8 - worked with consultant and provided project administration on the
following portions of the $350,000 grant loan assistance project:
o Incorporating Historic TV Inspection into GIS Database and Sewer Asset
Management Software
o Completion of sewer main Dye Testing and report
• MWRA Phase 9 - worked with consultant to submit MWRA Assistance application for a
$221,000 grant / loan for the following project:
o Internal inspection of approximately 5,000 if of sewer
o Develop plans and specifications for the rehabilitation of approximately 24,500
linear feet of sewer main
o Removal of inflow from approximately 20 locations identified in previous studies
MWRA Reports
o Prepared quarterly reports for above I/I projects in accordance with grant / loan
agreement.
o Prepared annual I/I report
o Prepared annual discharge permit application
o Updated various MWRA water and sewer system questioners
Parks & Play rog unds
• Washington. Park — contractor completed project; installed decorative sidewalk, court
markings, loam and seed and installed additional decorative sidewalk to tot lot area.
• Main Street — Simms Jewelers Planting /Sitting Island — survey, design, provide construction
layout and project management of improvements performed by DPW crews and contractor
• Sturges Park — developed revised plans for expanded scope of project and received Order of
Conditions to include stream bank restoration and headwall wing wall repairs
• Birch Meadow Complex Lighting — prepared bids and provided project management for the
installation of 26 borings; prepared scope of work and requested price proposals for electrical
design services and geotechnical services; performed topographical site survey, developed
base plans and initiate project design and specifications
• Birch Meadow School — design walkway to provide handicap access to tot lot
• Killam School Playground Improvements — completed project plans, specifications and
advertised project; due to bids exceeding budget the scope of the project was reduced and re-
bid; revised project still exceed funding levels and project is on hold until additional funding
is received
• Mattera Cabin Parking Lot — survey and prepare design alternatives for parking area
improvements
Stormwater
• Walnut Street / Curtis Street Drain Installation — provided project management and
inspection for the installation of a new drainage system along the rear property lines of 152 -
156 Walnut Street
• High Street / Howard Street Drain Improvements — performed project survey, design,
contract preparation, bidding services and provided project management and inspection for
the installation of approximately 600 linear feet of drain line on High Street and the
construction of drainage swale improvements on Howard Street
• Ash Street / Newcrossing Road Area — perform field survey of project area to analyze area
flooding and drainage system deficiencies; successfully petitioned Railroad to clean and
perform maintenance of drainage swale along railroad bed
• Bond Street - perform field survey, analyzed existing drainage system, develop design
alternatives to alleviate flooding conditions in area
• Charles Street / Pearl Street — research, survey, field locate and map existing drainage
system and easement
• Cory Lane — research and survey drainage system and easement rights for repair by DPW
crews
Stormwater Mapping and NPDES MS4 Assistance
Consultant completed and delivered Town's stormwater GIS mapping database. Consultant also
incorporated missing water and sewer data into the Town's GIS database. Met with consultant to
review database record keeping and updating procedures; field data collection methods and asset
management software.
Work continued on meeting the requirements of the NPDES MS4 Phase II Stormwater program
with the submission of the annual compliance report; completion of system mapping, completion
of draft IDDE program, distribution of storm water awareness information, and flyers; presented
stormwater information at the Parker Middle School Science Fair Day. Attended EPA meetings
on release of MS4 draft permit scheduled for release early in 2016.
Miscellaneous Projects
• Private Road Acceptances — researched Town and Registry of Deed records and prepared
taking plans for the acceptance of the following private roadways;
o Causeway Road — from end of existing public way to end
o Cory Lane - entire length
o Dividence Road — from Franklin Street to Emerson Street
• Pondview Lane — entire length
• Roma Lane - entire length
• Sailor Tom's Way — entire length
• Traffic Markings — repainted roadway centerlines, edge lines, stop lines, crosswalks,
roadway stencils, parking stalls and parking lot markings
• Walker Brook Drive Bus Stop — provide construction layout and project oversite for
installation of bus stop by DPW personnel
• Belmont Street to Ivy Lane Wetland / Stream Crossing — assisted Town's consultant and
provided supplemental survey and documentation necessary to secure Army Corps of
Engineers 404 permit and DEP Waterways 401 Water Quality Permit for the water main
installation
• Conservation Notice of Intent — provide field survey, prepared plans, supplemental
documentation and completed application to receive a Notice of Intent for the following
projects:
o. Annual DPW Drainage and Brook Maintenance
o Annual Paving Program
o Howard Street Drainage Improvements
o Sturges Park Stream Bank and Headwall Improvements
Federal / State Projects
MassDOT
• West Street Roadway Reconstruction Project:
On May 4, MassDOT's contractor Newport Construction began the long anticipated West Street
construction project. The project includes the West Street corridor from the Woburn City Line to
Longwood Road. Improvements to the intersection of Woburn Street at Summer Avenue are
O
also included as part of the project. The project limits along the corridor extend approximately
7,500 feet (1.4 miles) along West Street and an additional 2,500 feet (.5 mile) along the
intersecting side streets for a total project length of approximately 10,000 feet (1.9 miles).
To date the following work has been completed:
• Trimmed and removed trees necessary for the Project.
• Utility crews have relocated utility poles and are in the process of transferring cables. m
• The short section of Willow Street which runs between Sumer Avenue and West Street,
alongside the grassed island was permanently closed to all traffic.
• The contractor completed the installation of the new drainage system on West Street.
• The portion of West Street from Longwood Road to the Woburn city line was reclaimed,
regraded and has received the first course of pavement.
• The contractor completed installing the concrete foundations, poles for the proposed mast
arms, along with control cabinets for the new traffic signals along West Street and at the
Woburn Street / Summer Avenue intersection.
• The contractor completed the installation of retaining walls from #381 to #397 West
Street.
• The contractor installed traffic signal conduit on West Street, between Longwood Road
and South Street.
• The contractor has installed approximately 12,000 feet of granite curbing along West
Street, between Longwood Road and Oak Street, along with some concrete sidewalks on
West Street in the vicinity of Arcadia Avenue.
The Contractor will continue to install the remaining granite curb and signal conduit through the
winter as weather conditions allow. It is expected that concrete sidewalks, traffic signals; the
final paving of the roadway, pavement markings, signage, and landscaping will be completed by
the summer / fall of 2016.
During the year the Division performed daily inspections of the work, resolved utility conflicts
and held weekly progress meetings.
• Main Street / Hopkins Street Intersection — attend MassDOT utility site walk meeting;
reviewed projects 25% design plans
MWRA
• Phase I - MWRA 36 inch diameter redundant water main: provide project oversight to
MWRA's water main project on West Street, attended project meetings
• Phase II - MWRA 36 inch diameter redundant water main: attendance at several meetings
with MWRA staff and consultant to review projects impacts and recommend improvements
to Town's roadway and utility infrastructure; review 50% and 100% design plans and
contract specifications
Traffic Signal Maintenance — During the year the Division performed site and equipment
investigations, and contracted consultants and contractors to perform repairs to the following
traffic signals:
•
Replaced faulty school zone flashers with School Zone signage
• 372 Haverhill Street
• 295 and 374 Charles Street
Main Street at Pleasant Street
• Installed LED "No Turn on Red" blank out sign
Woburn Street / Summer Avenue — Damage by sidewalk plow
• Up righted pole; replaced broken base, concrete anchor; rewired the signal
Main Street / Haven Street
• Installed and reprogramed traffic controller
Main Street / Salem Street
• Repaired traffic signal damaged by unknown vehicle on two (2) occasions
• Repaired traffic signal head following knock down by unknown vehicle
Interdepartmental Reviews
The Engineering Division performed engineering reviews of plans submitted to the Community
Planning and Development Commission and performed site inspections for site plan compliance,
adherence to subdivision regulations and conformance with DPW utility standards for the
following private development projects, subdivisions and Town projects:
Austin Prep.
Bethune Ave.
Johnson Woods
1090 -1100 Main St
Mariano Drive
Town Library
Reading Woods
600 -622 Main Street
186 -190 Summer Avenue
198 -202 Ash Street
40 Walkers Brook
2 Audubon Road
285 Main Street
258 Main Street
Portable Classrooms at Eaton / Barrows and Killam Elementary Schools
In addition to the above private developments the Division provided general oversight and field
inspected work performed by NGRID in the replacement of cast iron gas mains on the following
roadways:
Minot St (Main to Washington)
Sweetser Ave (Minot to 18 Sweetser)
Maple St (Warren to Center)
Longview Rd (Prospect to Palmer Hill)
Fremont St (West to Berkeley)
Summer Ave. (Victoria to Pennsylvania)
Orchard Park Dr (Summer to end)
Hopkins St (Main to Milepost)
Forest Glen Rd (Main to Pearl)
Grey Coach Rd (Rustic to end)
Pine Ave (Minot to 7 Pine)
Warren Ave (Minot to Maple)
Center Ave (Minot to Maple)
Palmer Hill Rd (West to Longview)
Fremont St (18 Fremont to Prospect)
Robin Rd (Summer Ave to end)
Ellis Ave (Summer to 16 Ellis)
Oak St (Hillcrest to Summer)
Forest St (Main to Martin)
Carriage Lane (Grey Coach to end)
::
Permitting and Utility Hearings
The Division reviewed and held public hearings for the expansion of public utilities for the
following;
NGrid Gas Main Extensions
• 218 Franklin Street
• Grey Coach Road
• Carriage Lane
RMLD Utility Pole hearings
• High Street and Vale Street
• 86 Forest Street
• West Street — multiple locations for the West Street Roadway Project
During the year the Engineering Division issued permits, performed utility mark outs and
performed construction inspections for the following:
Sewer Connections
34
Gas Permits
93
Sewer Disconnections
9
Street Occupancies
2
Sewer Repairs
7
Street Openings
102
Water Renewals
18
Driveway Permits
40
Water Connections '
20
Jackie's Law Permits
66
Dig Safe Requests
264
Soil Test Inspections
10
HIGHWAY DIVISION
The Highway Division at the Public Works Facility consists of eighteen employees; four
Mechanics, one Dispatcher and thirteen employees who maintain the infrastructure of the Town
of Reading.
Highway Division:
The regular projects such as street sweeping, catch basin repair (51), roadside cutting, sidewalk
and street maintenance (potholes), tree lawn repair, mixing and sifting loam and compost, traffic
control, street signs, 327 which were replaced or added to the Town. Cleaning of catch basins
(approximately 2600), and ditches continued by priority and need. Street sweeping was started
on April 13, 2015 and finished on May 6, 2015.
Miscellaneous:
Styrofoam and Electronics recycling on a daily basis, held Household Hazardous Waste Day, (2)
Paper shredding and (2) Rigid Plastic recycling events, and held an ADOPT -A- FAMILY in
November and December. Provided support for the annual Fall Street Faire, Town Day, did
traffic control for Christmas on the Common, and the Halloween Parade. We installed Brackets
and Banners, Flowers and Hangers in the square and maintained Downtown street lights.
Vehicle Maintenance:
Repaired and serviced the equipment from Police, Fire, School, Building Maintenance, Council
on Aging, and Public Works Departments with 4 mechanics. They continued to take waste oil
from the public during the week and on Saturdays, and did emergency in the field repairs as
needed.
Snow and Ice:
During the historic winter season of 2014 -2015 we plowed nine (9) storms and sanded thirty (30)
times.
Special Projects:
Berm and fence replaced at Municipal Parking Lot. Paving projects: Bradford Rd., Canterbury
Dr. and the DPW Salt shed area; Assisted Water Division with paving after the Austin Prep
water main break; Pennsylvania Ave.; drainage replacement. Laurel Hill Cemetery
reconstruction and paving of Olive Path; Constructed Walkers Brook Dr. Bus Stop and Wall;
Downtown CVS island project excavation, walls and finish work.
FORESTRY -TREE WARDEN'S REPORT
Sixty -six trees were planted this spring and fall. The varieties included Zelcova, Elm, Linden,
Tulip, Plum, Red Maple, Kwanzan Cherry, Gingko, Sweet Gum and Pear. Trees were planted
roadside with 26 .trees planted on Summer Ave. Plantings were also done in several parks,
schools and Cemeteries. The trees varied in size from 1.5 to 2.5" caliper. Managed operation of
Compost Center on Strout Avenue. There were 36,394 visits by residents. Compost is recycled
and used by Town residents and DPW for tree planting, tree lawn repair, and park and cemetery
improvements.
Eighty -seven hazardous trees were removed. One Hundred and sixty seven trees were trimmed
through resident requests or on our trim list. One Hundred and ten stumps were ground out with
the tree lawn loamed and seeded. Tree pruning is performed in cemeteries, parks and schools in
off times during winter and vacations. A windshield hazardous tree survey was conducted
throughout the Town during the winter months. Twenty -six hazardous trees were identified for
removal. Thirty -seven trees were identified for trims and eighty -eight hangers were located in
trees hanging over street or sidewalk.
Forestry staff attended several conferences such as Mass Tree Warden's and New England
Grows. Also several safety and pesticide related conferences such as Hazardous Tree, Dot
Hazmat, Safety and Mixing and Bucket truck operation. All personnel have pesticide licenses.
Schools, parks and downtown areas were sprayed for weed control. Newly planted trees were
water via tanker during the summer months to increase survival. High profile trees were sprayed
in the spring for Winter Moth. On Arbor Day 2015, 500 6 " -9" Kousa Dogwood seedling trees
• •
were donated by the Rotary Club who distributes the trees and speaks to each 5th grade class in
Reading, MA.
Over 22,000 Holiday lights were draped over the trees in Reading Common and downtown by
the tree crew. The lighting is fabricated and maintained by the Tree Department.
PARKS
The division continues to maintain 80 acres of grassed area though out the town, also the
facilities within the parks and schools. This includes the renovation as well as continued
maintenance of all the ball fields on school or parks grounds. The division maintains sixteen
tennis and basketball courts, the tot lots, and the skating rinks. The Division maintains the
grounds for all municipal as well as school buildings.
The division also assists all Town departments, committees and commissions with tree
maintenance, snow and ice removal and election set -up.
Respectfully Submitted — Robert L. Keating, Supervisor -Tree Warden
WATER/SEWER DIVISION
The DPW Water Conservation Program (WCP) continued with great success. In 2015, just over
$20,000 in rebates were distributed to Reading Residents who participated in the program. Over
$575,000 has been rebated to over 3,200 residents since the program's inception in July 2003.
The program incorporates emphasis on rebates for low flow washing machines, toilets, irrigation
system rain sensors, and rain barrels, along with free home and irrigation water system use audits
and water use reports. Since 2003, the Reading Water Department has offered home water saving
devices for Reading Residents, they are available free of charge to residents through the Reading
Water Department located at Town Hall in the DPW office.
The WCP school educational phase continued with Meg Tabasco, Education Coordinator for the
MWRA, making presentations to all 3rd grade classes in Town focusing on water supply and
conservation.
As required by the August 6, 2006, Administrative Consent Order (ACO) the Town entered into,
with (DEP), the Town continued to retain ownership and control of the Zone I (400' radius) and
protection of the Zone II (well recharge area) of the emergency water supply wells and wellfield.
As a condition of the DEP ACO, the water supply wells and wellfield continued to be maintained
as an emergency water supply to pump water to the distribution system with disinfection
capabilities. All nine (9) of our Town wells were exercised monthly; all such wells are ready and
operational in the case of a water supply emergency.
The MWRA in conjunction with the Reading Water Department compiled and mailed the
seventeenth drinking water report to all water customers this past June.
• •
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act requirements, quarterly EPA Uncontaminated Monitoring
Rule 3 required sampling was completed and we were fully within all regulations. We are proud
to offer Reading Residents some of the highest quality water in the country.
The Town has continued and is moving forward with Reading to be a `wheeler of water' for the
Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) in order to provide North Reading with entry
and provision of water from the MWRA's Water Distribution System. The Town of Reading
and The Town of North Reading will both greatly benefit individually and collectively from the
inclusion of North Reading into the MWRA water distribution system through the Town of
Reading's Water Distribution System. The Town of Reading Water Department is looking
forward to offering The Town of North Reading water by July 1, 2019.
SUPPLY
The Reading Water Department and DPW has operated and maintained our water supply valve,
vault, SCADA and security systems, with emergency water supply wells, pump stations and all
emergency power equipment. We have collected and delivered to laboratory for analysis over
550 water system water quality samples in 2015.
In 2015, a total of 607.65 million gallons of water was purchased from the MWRA and delivered
to the Town of Reading's water distribution system.
The single highest single day consumption of water by the Town of Reading in 2015 occurred on
July 29, 2015 in the amount of 2.46 million gallons. The highest seven (7) day week
consumption of water occurred from May 24, 2015 to May 30, 2015 in the amount of 17.12
million gallons.
The whole Town Town of Reading's average daily usage of water for 2015 was 1.66 million gallons
per day. That water use of 1.66 million gallons a day is supplied to Reading through 7,679
Residential Water Connections, 67 Municipal Water Connections and 246 Commercial Water
Connections. Through the 7,679 Residential Water Connections, Reading Residents used a total
of 442.94 million gallons of water. In 2015, the Town of Reading had a year -end population
count of 25,571 residents.
The average water daily per capita use by Reading Residents (use by each individual) for 2015
was 47 gallons per person per day, which is 27% below the State required 65 gallons per person
per day.
The MWRA Redundant Water Main Supply installation work continued in 2015 with further
installations of 24 -inch and 36 -inch diameter MWRA water mains, along with water main valves
and pipe connections on West Street, South Street and Oak Street all making way to Louanis
Drive for a future Town of Reading /MWRA Water Metering Vault and Control Valve.
The Town of Reading and the MWRA look forward to Reading's Redundant Water Main Supply
loop to be operational before 2019, when the MWRA's Northern Intermediate High System
Master Plan is completed.
BE
WATER DISTRIBUTION
A total of 27 new water services were installed, 17 old water services were replaced, repaired 17
water service leaks, repaired 19 broken water mains, replaced 5 old fire hydrants, repaired 5
broken fire hydrants, rebuilt 25 fire hydrants. Disconnected 11 water services for house
demolition, replaced 5 water main gate valves, replaced 750 feet of old 6 inch water main with
new 8 inch main on Larch Lane, replaced 48 old water services from the water main to the
sidewalk shut off on Middlesex Ave., Ide St., Maple Rd., Martin Rd., Mineral Ave., Summer
Ave., Hancock St, John Carver Rd., Green St., Beech St., Perkins Ave., Curtis St., Intervale Rd
and South St. for Chapter 90 road reconstruction, assisted with friends & family day and vehicle
day at Reading Library, inspected the installation of water mains at Reading Woods, Johnson
Woods, Ivy Lane and Main St. Continued cross connection control program, flushed water mains
in various sections of town, inspected Auburn St. water. tank, all drinking fountains and town
irrigation systems turned on in spring and turned off and winterized in fall, 2 seasonal laborers
painted and lubricated hydrants over 1/4 of Town, completed annual water inventory, loam and
seed on all water jobs, hot topped water and sewer trenches, checked and maintained 2 water
booster stations daily, cleaned and maintained the grounds, cutting grass, etc. at the Auburn St.
tank site, lowered and raised water gate boxes for construction jobs, conducted a leak detection
survey, assisted Highway Division during snow plowing operations, The Town's water
conservation program awarded rebates for 102 energy efficient washing machines, 12 water
saving toilets, 3 irrigation rain sensor and sold 60 rain barrels.
METER ROOM
The regular quarterly water meter reading cycle was supported, 314 work orders were received
and completed, 317 bill -to -date readings were taken, 6 meters were removed, 3 meters were
reset, 3 meter tested correct, 0 meters tested incorrect.
SEWER DISTRIBUTION
Approximately 22,023' of sewer mains were cleaned and T.V. inspected, 1076 sewer main joints
were tested and 464 sewer main joints were sealed, 111 vertical feet of sewer manholes were
sealed, replaced 3 sewer manhole frames and covers, cleaned wet wells at all sewer stations,
checked and maintained 12 sewer stations daily, cleaned approximately 1/4 of the sanitary sewer
main system, cleaned and maintained the grounds, cutting grass, trimmed bushes etc., around the
sewer stations, completed work orders re: leaks, broken gates etc., exercised emergency
generator weekly, completed the annual sewer inventory. Assisted Highway Division during
snow plowing operations.
2015 MWRA WATER PURCHASED
MONTH
MILLION
GALLONS
DAYS
AVERAGE
MILLION
GALLONS DAY
JANUARY
43.68
31
1.47
FEBRUARY
41.66
28
1.44
MARCH
45.68
31
1.48
APRIL
42.27
30
1.37
MAY
66.50
31
1.74
JUNE
56.75
30
1.97
JULY
63.63
31
1.87
AUGUST
61.85
31
1.86
SEPTEMBER
58.32
30
1.76
OCTOBER
45.56
31
1.45
NOVEMBER
40.47
30
1.36
DECEMBER
41.37
31
1.39
TOTAL
607.65
365
1.66
2015 READING, MA RAINFALL RECORDS
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/waterSUply/rainfall/
MONTH
READING
MEASURED
INCHES 2015
RAINFALL &
MELTED SNOW
MASSACHUSETTS
MEASURED
INCHES 2015
RAINFALL &
MELTED SNOW
MASSACHUSETTS
MEASURED INCHES
25 YEAR AVERAGE
RAINFALL &
MELTED SNOW
JANUARY
4.62
4.48
3.54
FEBRUARY
3.76
3.14
3.23
MARCH
2.31
2.79.
3.97
APRIL
2.49
2.58
3.81
MAY
1.75
1.05
3.80
JUNE
7.07
6.11
3.86
JULY
2.71
3.39
3.70
AUGUST
2.53
2.60
3.91
SEPTEMBER
4.18
3.99
3.85
OCTOBER
3.72
3.10
3.84
NOVEMBER
1.85
2.58
4.03
DECEMBER
4.36
4.63
3.93
INCHESTOTALS1
41.35
40.44
45.57
92
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY
REPORT OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The year 2015 started on an exciting note with the February 6 groundbreaking ceremony for the
Reading Public Library renovation and addition. State and local officials, community members,
library administration and staff, and project architects, managers and contractors gathered on an
extremely cold winter's day to celebrate the beginning of this long- awaited plan that will allow
the library to provide the 21St century services and programs that the community desires while
remaining in the much - loved, historic Highland School Building at 64 Middlesex Avenue.
While construction progressed throughout the year, the library continued to provide its high level
of services at its temporary location at 80 General Way. Though operating from a much smaller
space, the staff worked diligently to make the temporary location a warm and welcoming
environment and to meet patron needs as efficiently as possible. Programs for children, teens
and adults continued at their usual robust level, but many of those programs were held at off -site
locations. The schools and other town departments were supportive of the library in providing
spaces to hold programs that couldn't be accommodated in the library's temporary space. The
community has also shown great support in adapting to the library's temporary location and
outreach activities. The Board of Trustees extends its thanks to all segments of the community
for their continued support during the construction process this year.
In the spring the library began work on a strategic planning process. In April, town meeting
voted funds for the library to contract with a consultant to develop a strategic plan to maximize
the opportunities presented by the library project. The team of Stephanie Anderson and Alan
Kirk Gray of Anderson and Gray Consulting spent several months interviewing library trustees,
administration and staff, and town officials and staff. They held several focus groups of library
stakeholders and also conducted a survey, both in paper and online, of community members,
which had its kickoff at the Reading Fall Street Faire in September. Survey response was high
and the trustees thank the community for the helpful comments. In November the library
received the final report with survey results and recommendations for strategic plan goals and
objectives for 2016 -2021. The library staff then began working on an action plan. for
implementation over the next five years as they anticipate returning to their home on Middlesex
Avenue in mid -2016.
Victoria Yablonsky
Chair, Board of Library Trustees
93
REPORT OF LIBRARY SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES
The Reading Public Library operated from a temporary location at 80 General Way during all of
2015 while construction commenced and proceeded at 64 Middlesex Avenue.
The year started slowly for the library in its new smaller space: patrons took their time during
January and February discovering the new location during a particularly harsh and stormy
winter. By the time Spring rolled around, circulation was averaging 85 -90% of normal month
for month. Patrons consistently reported their relief at finding a comfortable, bright place to
browse; a broad selection of books, movies, and music, and lots of extra copies of newspapers
and magazines to read; public computers and public printing services; and designated areas for
teens and children with librarian specialists available for research assistance and consultation.
Staff initiated several new ways to make the temporary library highly visible in the community
and pleasant and convenient to use: we changed loan periods for popular titles; increased digital
resources and subscription databases; established a demanding schedule of outreach and remote
programming; and created regular news blasts, website, social and traditional media reminders
about library services.
While there are many constraints on services and inconveniences to public and staff due to the
temporary arrangements, thoughtful planning and hard work from the dedicated staff resulted in
a remarkably successful year overall as the data on program attendance, circulation, and
reference consultations demonstrate. We are very grateful to our community and school partners
whose help, goodwill, and ready cooperation in lending us space for programs, classes, deposit
collections, and more have contributed to a surprising and unusual year!
Planning Consultants Gray and Anderson conducted a community wide survey during September
and October 2015. In the early Fall, they facilitated focus group discussions on future library
services and met with library staff and Town and Library officials and boards. Their
recommendations will help the library develop its framework of locally- customized services for
the next several years. The clear direction given by the community is in line with national
trends: emphasize literacy and education, particularly early childhood literacy; grow services for
lifelong education; increase outreach and partnerships; showcase 21St century technology and
make it broadly available for Reading citizens; provide meeting, gathering, and informal spaces
for the community; and invest in staff development to meet changing demands. In late Fall,
2015, we presented a three -year timeline outlook to implement some of the recommendations in
the new Strategic Plan and budget requirements to bring the new Plan to fruition.
In November, 2015, we watched and marveled as the conical turret roof tops were maneuvered
into place on the old library building, restoring a piece of local history that had been missing
since a fire damaged part of the second floor and attic in 1960. Also in November 2015, we
marked a full year of tenancy in our "temporary space." 2015 was full of discoveries and
enormous progress on the massive restoration of the building: masonry work was extensive,
water abatement continued to present challenges because of ledge on the southwest side and an
out of date foundation, the porte cochere had to be completely removed to be rebuilt safely, and
many other big challenges added up over the year, as the 120- year -old school- building was
opened up and interiors fully exposed and explored.
.,
Librarians and staff have spent a busy, productive year moving collections, tagging the
collections with RFID tags for a new circulation system, and thinking about new space and
shelving needs and plans. Librarians have continued to find ways to bring great programming
for all ages by locating sites to hold children's, teen, and adult programs and classes and
providing top - quality delivery service and deposit and outreach collections in several locations in
Reading. We finished the year on a high note when we saw that our circulation numbers had
climbed back up to within a few percentage points from our usual year- over -year numbers,
making Reading the busiest library in Noble in July 2015!
We are grateful for all the support we've enjoyed from our colleagues in Reading Schools and
Town departments, for all the offers of programming locations and other assistance, and
particularly for the enormous help and responsiveness to our needs from the Facilities
Department.
Adult Programs
Library staff offered technology training classes covering online privacy, social media and new
technologies in a new tech ed series custom developed and taught by RPL librarians. Attendee
evaluation measures demonstrated an increase in technological knowledge. Satisfied patrons
continue to request more technology programs.
The library developed a new model for older adult programming featuring miniseries on memoir
writing, local history, birdwatching and aging in Reading. This new format promotes positive
aging through active learning, creativity, and social engagement. The aging in Reading series was
particularly successful bringing together agencies and attendees to learn about local services, share
personal experiences and discuss independent aging options.
A few other adult programming highlights include the Winter Warmers, when library staff
presented "speed book reviews" of recommended titles for 80 enthusiastic attendees. Another
librarian -led book discussion group was added to the usual roster and is offered at the Pleasant
Street senior center monthly. Ninety people enjoyed the wrap up summer reading concert
featuring Mississippi Delta Blues.
Local History
The library's old microfilm reader finally wore out and an updated microfilm reader with several
new digital enhancements was purchased and installed on the library network. It was put to
immediate use to examine old newspapers for projects on Boy Scout, family and sports history.
The Library is working with the Statewide Digitization Project Archivist, and Lead Digital
Projects Librarian, at Boston Public Library to have the Reading Town Reports from 1872 through
2002 the current LaserFiche collection digitized. By capitalizing on available State resources for
digital conversion, these local documents will be complete, digitally preserved, and searchable
online. As an additional benefit to this project at no local cost, the Town of Reading will have a
complete set.
95
Teen Services
Library staff started a new reading program pairing teens with kids one on one at the library.
Book Mates gives children the opportunity to practice reading with an attentive teen with
specialized librarian training and oversight. Thirty Seven kids and twenty one teens continue, and
a new session will be added in 2016.
In the Superhero Summer Reading Program, 146 teens read 545 books and enjoyed activities like
Walkalong Gliders, YMCA collaborative reading/ activity, and a Superhero end -of- summer Bash.
Reading Public Library sponsors a teen book group at- the high school with periodic librarian
visits, designated book collections, and special services including a Skype visit with an author.
The long- standing Teen Advisory Group met ten times in 2015 and assisted with program
planning, created props and participated in book selection trips.
New Collections
In November 2015 the "Library of Things" collection was introduced, an exciting new selection of
items to check out and try at home! Now available to borrow are: Digital Light Projector, a
laminator, a graphing calculator, a Garmin GPS, Makey Makeys, a Roomba. The new Children's
"Library of Things" circulating collection includes Launchpads (preschool tablets),
MakeyMakeys, and other STEM materials. Available for use at the library are tethered iPads with
monthly curated apps.
Reading patrons took full advantage of electronic resources that are curated by librarians to
provide a well- rounded collection of traditional and new research tools. In striving to meet the
library's lifelong education goals, resources are evaluated for various age groups and interests, and
reviewed regularly for ease of use, frequency, and value. These valuable resources are introduced
on an ongoing monthly basis to the public through tips on how to use them and other promotional
devices. RPL librarians also provide in -house and outreach training in their content and access.
Reading Librarians offer training to teachers at all ,levels in the schools and participate with the
Reading School Librarians in promoting sound research techniques and practices with students of
all ages.
Children's electronic resources include several subscriptions : Tumblebooks (18,187 views)
Scholastic Flix, (3,312 sessions) World Book, (1,585 views), PebbleGo, and Overdrive ebooks
that are used at home, in the library, and by the Reading Public Schools. .
Databases used by adults and older students include: Tutor.com — 248 live Tutor sessions; .
Ancestry.com - 142 family history sessions; Mango Language Learning — 519 language learning
sessions; Consumer Reports — 989 consumer research sessions; Zinio Magazines — 622
downloaded magazines; Freegal Music — 5389 downloaded songs.
Another valuable new resource added in 2015 is LearningExpress Library. Through it, Reading
library users took 45 computer courses, watched 54 interactive tutorials, and read 129 eBooks to
help achieve academic and career success. Included were middle school Math and English tools;
practice exams for plumbers, electricians and teachers; and Adobe, MAC and basic computer
courses.
Museum Passes
The 27 passes available to Reading residents from the Library were borrowed and used 1,755
times, resulting in over $58,000 saved from admission charges. The library thanks the Friends of
the Reading Public Library, who contribute the majority of funds for the passes, and several other
generous sponsors including the Young Women's League of Reading, The Mom's .Club of
Reading, Friends of Reading Recreation, and other individuals and groups.
Elementary Curriculum Support and School Collaborations
Highlights of close partnership with the Reading Schools to serve children and families in
Reading in 2015: Reading Public Library librarians presented information and instruction in
using online resources to teachers and organized and implemented a special Reading teacher
material loan program. Reading Public librarians selected 97 collections of curriculum - related
resources for teachers upon request.
Each year, the elementary teachers assign readings from the Mass. Children's Book Award
(MCBA). Reading Public Library purchases and borrows deposits of multiple copies of the
award- winning books in all formats and promotes them heavily during the late spring and
summer reading season.
Librarians worked with parents to select appropriate books and coached them to perform as
"mystery readers" in their child's classroom. Also as part of the library's outreach mission, RPL
librarians are present during school open houses, at incoming Kindergarten parents' meetings,
Family Literacy Nights and the Science Expo.
Seven hundred elementary students read for over 7100 hours over the summer as participants in
the "Every Hero has a Story" Summer Reading Program. "Summer slide," is a real cost to
schools, well -known to elementary teachers as the loss of up to three months worth of reading
skills by students after summer break.
Children's Programs
In 2015, with a reduced collection available, librarians prepared, taught and organized a total of
245 programs, most held off -site, that were attended by nearly 8000 children. Preschool early
literacy classes & other programs were held at schools, Police Station Community Room,
Mattera Cabin and Pleasant St. Center. Storywalks became a popular new program, taking place
outside at Friends & Family Day (Birch Meadow) and Bare Meadow.
Partnership Programming
Thanks to colleagues in Reading Recreation, Reading Girl Scouts, Reading Garden Club,
Cultural Connections, Walkable Reading, R.M.H.S. French Club, Reading Elder Services, and
many other organizations and individuals for collaborating on shared programs and supporting
library services in countless ways.
97
Appreciation
The Library would be lost without the constant guidance of the Library Board of Trustees and
the support and generosity of the Reading Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the
Reading Public Library. Every day we are grateful for the goodwill and kindness of the people
of Reading, and thankful for their commitment to building a wonderful community and an
outstanding library. Thank you!
Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Urell, Director
LIBRARY SERVICE STATISTICS 2015
Circulation total
407,968
Adult circulation
187,547
Children's circulation
151,761
YA circulation
17,428
Interlibrary loans
51,232
Visitors
NA
Volunteer Service Hours
632
Library collections total
123,124
Adult Books
42628
Adult Video, DVDs, CDs
16,237
Children's Books
35,383
Children's media
4665
Teens
5412
Other media
5280
EBooks and Downloadable & E Subscriptions
13,120
Print periodical subscriptions
362
Electronic database licenses
37
Meeting room reservations
NA
Museum passes borrowed
1755
Program attendance (Adult = 1592/ Teens =578/ Children--6623)
8793
Reference Consultations (Adult = 25,651 / Children = 16,231)
41,882
Library Card Holders: Registered Borrowers
19,562
Open Hours
2777
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY STAFF 2015
Administration
Director — Ruth S. Urell
Assistant Director — Amy Lannon
Administrative Assistant — Kathryn Melesciuc
Reference Division
Division Head — Lorraine Barry
Adult Services Librarian — Andrea Fiorillo
Local History Librarian — Rachel Baumgartner
Young Adult Librarian/Liaison to Volunteers — Susan Beauregard,
Young Adult Librarian - Renee Smith
Promotional Services Librarian — Kathleen Miksis
Readers Advisory Librarian — Eileen Barrett
Technical Services
Division Head — Jamie Penney
Senior Library Associates — Dawn Didham Colford, Allison DaSilva
Library Associate — Judy A. Newton
Circulation Division
Division Head — Michelle A. Filleul
Senior Library Associate - Patrice A. O'Donnell
Library Associates
Donna Beaulieu Carol Macomber
Maureen Conwell Joanne H. Penta
Susan R. Haggerty Christine Rutigliano
Louise Hetherington
Circulation Pages — Neftali Gonzalez, Andrea Hogan, Lisa Li
Children's Department
Division Head — Corinne Fisher
Early Literacy Librarian — Brenda Wettergreen,
Primary /Middle Grade Librarians - Rachel Baumgartner,
Special Needs Services Librarian - Ashley Waring,
Sunday /Substitute Librarians - Kathryn Geoffrion Scannell, Megan White
Senior Library Associate — Mary McIntire
Library Associate — Meaghan F. Kinton
Children's Dept. Pages — Meaghan Coughlin, Theresa Teixeira
Sunday and Substitute Librarians — Lauren Forsyth, Sara Kelso
Sunday and Substitute Associates — Suzy Axelson, Virginia Guazzaloca, Jennifer O'Connell
Custodian — John Davis
..
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015
John Brzezenski Andrew Grimes
Alice Collins David Hutchinson
Cherrie Dubois Victoria Yablonsky
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION BOARD 2015
Bruce Austin, Secretary Russ Graham
John Brzezenski Bill Hecht
Lynne Cameron Barbara Mulvey
Elise Ciregna, Vice President Bob Nordstrand
Amy Coumounduros, Treasurer Maria Silvaggi, President
FRIENDS OF THE READING PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD 2015
Jean Clark, Secretary
Eleanor Delaney
Kathy Egmont
Leslie Haley, Co- President
Elizabeth Klepeis
Elizabeth Krugman, Co- President
Alissa Onigman, Treasurer
Sharon Petersen, Ass't. Treasurer
Anne Schofield
Sheila Young
Lynda Zarrow
100
READING HOUSING AUTHORITY
It is with great pleasure that I share with you the activities and accomplishments of the Reading
Housing Authority over the past year.
The start of the New Year has seen some improvement in our economy; however, we remain
cautious during this somewhat unstable time. The pressure on the real estate market has
continued to create a critical challenge for poor and lower income families to find, keep and
maintain their housing. As the real estate values escalated over the past few years, it was
certainly felt most dramatically at the low- income levels. Rental units have been at a greater
premium once again in this area and participants have experienced difficulty in locating
affordable units. Previously, landlords had been able to ask for and receive a high rent, which
historically prices the poor and lower income families out of the rental market. Again, we are
beginning to see a change in the rental market area with increase inquiries from landlords who
are experiencing more difficulty renting units, therefore, willing to negotiate rents within the
range of Fair Market Rents established each year by HUD.
The Reading Housing Authority (Authority) strives to assist these families to seek and obtain
housing that is decent, safe and sanitary. In an effort to ameliorate this impact, the Authority will
continue its efforts to develop new units and purchase affordable units when the opportunity
arises. The Authority most recently has begun a careful search for a multi - family home in our
area with the hope of adding additional family affordable units tg our present inventory in the
upcoming year. We continue to support private developers and the Town in their efforts to set
aside units for low /moderate income families in their proposed developments. We reach out to
owners of multi - family units who would like to work with us to serve our clients.
As always, the Authority goes beyond the bricks and mortar and provides assistance to families,
elderly and handicapped persons to obtain the services they need. We continue to work closely
with Mystic Valley Elder Services and other home care agencies to meet the needs of the elderly
residents as they strive to remain independent and age in place. The addition of our local nurse
advocate, Alyse Warren, will be someone that elder residents and RHA staff can rely on in
greater numbers in order to have seniors remain in their homes. With budget cuts affecting all of
us, we strive to maintain our programs, work with other supportive agencies and still offer a safe
and decent place for our seniors, disabled and families in need. On behalf of the Board, we want
to thank Executive Director, Lyn Whyte and her staff for their continued dedication,
commitment and service to the Reading Housing Authority. We look forward to working with
them as we meet the new challenges that lie ahead.
Respectfully,
Timothy J. Kelley, Chair
101
Organization
Organized in 1963 to address the housing needs of the Town's low and moderate income
residents, the Reading Housing Authority (Authority) is "a public body politic and corporate"
duly organized and authorized by Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), Chapter 121B, s.3. The
Authority receives it funds from the State and Federal government to assist our clients with their
housing needs. Although the Authority does not receive any local funding, five unpaid Reading
residents compose the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Selectmen appoints four of these
board members and one is the Governor's appointee. Each member serves for a 5 -year term.
The Board is responsible for the overall operation of the Authority. The day to day
responsibility is delegated to the Executive Director.
The Board meets regularly and has scheduled their monthly meetings for the first Monday of
each month. The Annual Meeting of the Board is currently scheduled for the month after the
Selectmen makes their annual appointment of a Board member. As of December, 2015, the
Board Members and their term of office are as follows:
Timothy J. Kelley Chair
84 Woburn Street Term expires 6/30/2019
Kevin Mulvey Vice -Chair
67 Whittier Road Term expires 6/30/2018
Madeline J. Hodgdon Treasurer and Tenant Representative
4 -7 Frank Tanner Drive Term expires 6/30/2017
Diane Cohen Ass't. Treasurer and State Appointee
173 Hillcrest Avenue Term expires 6/30/2016
Richard Robbins Member
42 Dudley Street Term expires 6/30/2020
Lyn E. Whyte Secretary and Executive Director
41 Shore Road, Saugus
Administrative Staff
The Board contracts an Executive Director who manages the day -to -day operations of the
Authority. Within State and Federal guidelines and other budgetary limits, the Executive
Director hires the supporting staff necessary to achieve the goals and responsibilities of the
Authority's programs. The Executive Director, Lyn Whyte, is in a three -year contract that
expires August 29, 2018.
Administration:
Lyn E. Whyte Secretary and Executive Director
Catherine Sutherland Office Manager
Iris Perez - Feliciano CHA Federal Program Coordinator for RHA
Michelle Hudzik State Program Coordinator
Vacant Part-time Program Assistant
102
Maintenance:
Frank Veglia
Maintenance Supervisor
Joseph Costello
Maintenance Staff
Kevin Boyle
Maintenance Staff
Edward Bennett
Maintenance Staff
Supportive Service
Home Care:
Jacqueline Carson
Daniel J. O'Leary
Jane Burns
Kerry Valle
,s Affiliations
Sanborn Home Care Director
Director, Mystic Valley Elder Services
Town of Reading, Elder Services Administrator
Town of Reading, Case Worker
Financial Insitutions:
Reading Cooperative Bank
Eastern Bank
Affiliations:
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
Massachusetts Chapter of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials
(MassNAHRO)
New England Regional Council of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Officials (NERC/NAHRO)
Section 8 Administrators Association
North Shore Housing Executive Directors' Association (NSHEDA)
Adult Literacy Committee of Reading /Wakefield YMCA
Consultants:
Accounts - Fenton, Ewald & Associates
Legal — Latham Law Offices, LLC & DHCD Legal Counsel, Lori McBride
Contractors:
Hiltz Waste Disposal
Avon Plumbing Supply
Hodson S M Co Inc
Mystic Landscaping
Automatic Laundry
Mystic Painting
J.F. Burns, Inc.
Banner Glass Shelmar
American Alarm
Home Depot
Maintenance
We do it all from the beautiful paint job to the new appointments before you move into your
new apartment. The maintenance staff meets the challenges on every occasion and has done an
excellent job.
With the four seasons here in New England, maintenance has to be ready to take it all in stride.
They do the spring clean -up and plantings; the summer mowing, watering, weeding and
trimming; the fall leaf pick -up; and winter's snow and ice removal. The maintenance staff works
tirelessly to keep our developments looking beautiful. We have been lucky enough to have the
assistance of the Work Release Program from the Middlesex Sheriff's Department. They have
103
been exceptional in the work that they have done with our landscaping and painting projects.
These programs are cost. effective and have become a critical component to maintaining our
properties. During the course of this past year, this program enabled us to maintain the grounds
of our properties with a spring clean up and prior year snow removal. This annual scheduled
project assists us with maintaining these properties and it greatly enhances their appearances. We
hope to continue our relationship with the Middlesex Sheriff's Department to afford us the
opportunity to enhance the appearance of all of our properties.
The Authority is responsible for 115 individual units located on 10 different sites. It is no easy
task to keep each one looking in its top form. The maintenance staff is also responsible for the
daily work orders and any emergency work that has to be done. The Authority has an extensive
preventative maintenance program for all major components and has a cyclical paint schedule for
all units.
2015 Funding Received
Each year the Authority applies for several grants or capital funding when available to improve
our properties and better serve our residents and the community. Included in this year's awards
were:
MODERNIZATION OF STATE HOUSING
The Housing Authority has had a very busy year with projects; some of which are ongoing. To
date, we have completed in excess of $80,000 in various upgrades throughout our properties;
new siding for three of our family development properties, furnaces at three family units and
another oil fired furnace in our special needs home. We have received state capital funding in
excess of $60,000 for our fiscal year 2015/2016 through Department of Housing and Community
Development to cover most of the costs associated with these projects. All of these
improvements will benefit all of our residents that live in our developments.
SUPPORTIVE SER VICES GRANT — HUD
No funding available since we no longer administer an FSS program.
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES GRANT — STATE
Funding of Resident Service Coordinator to address elderly /non - elderly needs for Frank D.
Tanner Drive residents was approved; however, it is now categorized as an administrative
expense.
Audits
The Authority has a Single Audit of all programs by an independent auditor each year. Ross and
Company of Nashua, NH was engaged to perform the latest review of the Authority's programs
for fiscal year end June 2015. At this time, the audit has been completed but final submissions to
designated agencies will be completed in January 2016. The Authority had no findings or
additional recommendations as a result of this latest audit. The Authority's financial position is
adequate to meet the needs of the operation and development of the programs and we are
fortunate to maintain a retained revenue agency status.
A new compliance audit mandated by DHCD for FYE June 2015 has also been completed as of
December, 2015. Final reports have not yet been made available to the Housing Authority.
104
Management Review
The Authority has had a current Management Review done of all State programs. The Asset
Managers from the State's Department of Housing and Community Development reviewed all
the operations of the State programs to insure compliance in the daily operation of the
Authority's budget, occupancy, administration, maintenance, services and tenant participation.
The Authority received an excellent review with minor comments.
In regard to our federal program, the Authority submitted its annual Section 8 Management
Assessment Program ( SEMAP) reports for fiscal year end June 2015 to HUD for review and
subsequent scoring. The purpose of SEMAP is to measure public housing authority performance
in key areas of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program management. It is a tool used by
HUD to effectively monitor and assist PHA's. It is our pleasure to report that the Reading
Housing Authority received an overall score of 85 percent for the fiscal year ending June 30,
2015. As a result of this score, HUD designates the Authority as a "standard performer" with
credit going to former Section 8 Program Coordinator, Kathy Rolli for her continued efforts in
administering an ever- changing federal program. We will not submit additional SEMAP reports
until fiscal year June 2017. These assessments are now performed every two years for an agency
of our size per latest HUD changes.
As of September, 2015, the Reading Housing Authority entered into an inter - agency agreement
with Chelsea Housing Authority to administer our Section 8 housing program. This cost effective
measure has enabled the RHA to maintain the federal housing program with the assistance of
personnel from another agency. The Reading Housing Authority continues to oversee the
program and remains responsible for all reporting requirements to HUD.
State Programs
The Authority currently manages the three programs under the State's Department of Housing
and Community Development: 667 Housing (elderly/handicapped housing); 705 Housing
(Family housing); 689 Housing (Special Needs Housing).
All of our wait lists are open at the present time; however, estimated wait times can be long. All
information regarding our agency and the programs we administer can be found on our website
at www.readinghousing.org. We encourage applicants to apply for our elderly/handicapped (667)
housing by contacting the Housing Authority at (781) 944 -6755 or by accessing the application
on our website.
HOUSING FOR ELDERLY /HANDICAPPED PERSONS (667) effective 316115
80 units Frank D. Tanner Drive Complex
Eligibility: 60 years of age or disabled
Income: 1 person - $48,800
2 persons - $55,800
HOUSING FOR FAMILIES (705) effective 316115
6 units Waverly and Oakland Road (six 3BR units)
4 units Pleasant and Parker Street
(two 2BR units; two 3BR unit )
Eligibility: Family of 2 or more depending on Bedroom size
Income: 2 persons - $55,800
3 persons - $62,750
4 persons - $69,700
105
5 persons - $75,300
6 persons - $80,900
7 persons - $86,450
8 persons - $92,050
Federal Programs
The Authority manages 125 subsidies for persons of very low income under the Federal Section
8 program. However, the Chelsea Housing Authority is currently managing this program for the
RHA through an inter - agency agreement. Currently, the RHA participates in a centralized
waiting list administered by the MASSNAHRO organization. Applications for this wait list are
available at the administration office building at 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive, Reading or online @
www.readinghousing.org. The income limits are:
Section 8 Rental Assistance:
Income limits: 1 person — $34,500
2 persons - $39,400
3 persons - $44,350
4 persons - $49,250
5 persons - $53,200
6 persons - $57,150
7 persons - $61,100
8 persons - $65,050
RHA -Owned Properties:
The Authority presently owns and manages seventeen family units located in various locations
throughout the Town of Reading. RHA had the opportunity to add an additional two bedroom
unit to our inventory in 2015. We continue to pursue opportunities to expand low income
housing units within the Town whenever possible.
Applications
Elderly %Handicapped Housing (667)
The Authority manages 80 one - bedroom units of housing for elderly /handicapped persons at our
Frank D. Tanner Drive complex in Reading. To qualify for this housing, a single person or
couple must meet the eligibility guidelines and be 60 years of age or older or handicapped. The
Authority sets aside 13.5% of these units for non - elderly handicapped persons.
The wait list is currently open for all seniors' 60 years of age and older. We encourage Reading
residents to apply and are making special outreach efforts to elderly of minority representation.
The 13.5% non - elderly handicapped requirement has been fulfilled but applications are still
being accepted for our wait list. Non - elderly applicants will be served after the Authority has
placed all qualified applicants if the 13.5% requirement has been met. You may obtain an
application at the office of the Authority, 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive, Reading, MA 01867 or by
accessing one online at www.readinghousing.org.
Family Housing — State (705)
The Authority operates the State's Family Housing Program with two different developments.
The first family housing development that was built by the Authority is located at Oakland and
Waverly Roads and is called Waverly Oaks. There are six 3- bedroom units. Our second state
family development is near the center of Town and is referred to as our Pleasant /Parker location.
There are only four units available at this site. Our wait list is open. Approximate wait times for
those presently on the list remains in excess of ten years.
1:
Section 8 Federal Housing Assistance Program
Currently the wait list for our Section 8 Program is open. We now participate in the centralized
wait list program initiated in December 2002 and administered by Mass NAHRO. Applications
are available at our administrative office or online at www.mnahro.org. An application can be
downloaded from that site and submitted to any agency participating in the centralized wait list
program. There are currently over 125 member agencies taking part in that joint process. At
present there are almost 200,000 families on this waitlist with waiting times for assistance quite
long.
The State maintains a wait list for its programs through the Metropolitan Boston Housing
Program (MBHP). Anyone seeking an emergency application should contact MBHP at (800)
272 -0990 to obtain an application. The local area service agency for emergency applicants is
Community Service Network. You may contact them at (781) 438 -1977.
Summit Village First Time Homebuyers.Program
The Authority continues to oversee the maintenance of the wait list for qualified and eligible
applicants for the affordable units at Summit Village through the First Time Homebuyers
Program. We presently have no potential buyers on our waitlist. During the past year, one 2 -BR
affordable unit was made available and was purchased by the RHA at an affordable price and
will become part of the overall affordable inventory held by the Housing Authority. The
"affordable" owners must have a fair market appraisal done; the Authority reviews the appraisal
and if accepted, provides the owner with the maximum resale price for the affordable unit. If the
owner has a friend who would be eligible and income - qualified, then the Authority reviews their
qualifications and provides them with an. "Eligible Purchaser Certificate ". If the owner wishes to
select an applicant from the wait list, the Authority would send the next available and eligible
buyer's name to the owner to negotiate the sale. If no one is available or eligible to purchase an
affordable unit at this location, the RHA has the "right of first refusal" and can opt to purchase.
Interested applicants may pick up applications packets at the Town Clerk's office in Town Hall;
at the Reference Desk at the Reading Public Library; or at the office of the Reading Housing
Authority, 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive. When making an application, a $10 fee made payable to
the "Reading Housing Authority" must be included along with all pertinent documentation. If the
family applying for the affordable unit is headed by 2- persons, both parties must execute the
application as applicant and co- applicant. Income from all family members age 18+ is included
in family income for eligibility. However, if the income of one of these persons is from a
dependent (not spouse) who is a full -time student, then a deduction for out of pocket expenses
for books, tuition, fees and/or travel is allowed. Documentation from the school must be
provided and verification for employment and expenses must be provided with the application.
All persons must sign a "Release of Information" to have their documentation verified by the
Authority. Highlights of the program are:
First Time Homebuyer Cannot have owned a home within the last 3 years; divorced
persons cannot currently own home but 3 year restriction is
excused.
Maximum Family Income Currently, the maximum family income cannot exceed 80% of
FY 2015 Medium Family Income presently set at $98,500
(effective 03/06/15) for all persons in the family from all
sources (wages, interest, dividends, etc.)
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Family Housing The 2 bedroom units must have a minimum family size of 2
persons. The maximum number of persons that can qualify for
a 2- bedroom unit would be 4 persons.
The 3 bedroom units must have a minimum of 3 persons with 2
being minor children living in the household. The maximum
number of persons that would qualify for a 3- bedroom unit
would be 6 persons.
Affordable Price The affordable price is based on a 20% discount from the
current fair market appraisal of the unit, which must be verified
by the Authority.
Deed Restriction Anyone wishing to purchase an "affordable" unit should be
aware that a permanent deed restriction would be recorded with
their deed. This restriction states that the unit must be sold to a
qualified and eligible purchaser at a 20% discount from the fair
market value as approved by the Reading Housing Authority.
Single Persons Applications are accepted from single family households but
persons on the single person wait list will be chosen only after
all the eligible family applicants have been served.
Local Preference Applicants from the Town of Reading are given preference
over other applicants if their application is made on the same
day. This local preference is given if a person is employed in
the Town of Reading; has a business or enterprise in Reading
which has been established for one or more years; if they are
parents of a school child in Reading; persons who were
residents of Reading for 5 or more years.
Conclusion
The Reading Housing Authority is proud to provide this information to you. Anyone interested
in obtaining an application for any of our housing programs: elderly /handicapped housing, state
family or the Federal Section 8 Rental Assistance Program, should contact the authority at 22
Frank D. Tanner Drive or by calling the office at (781) 944 -6755.
1•
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Reading School Committee
Charles Robinson, Chair
Leadership
There were several changes in leadership of the Reading School Committee. Gary Nihan and
Elaine Webb were elected for a three -year term. Mr. Caruso opted not to seek reelection. Julie
Joyce was elected to a one year seat.
At the committee's annual reorganization in June, Chuck Robinson was elected as Chair, and
Jeanne Borawski, Vice Chair. Other members of the committee are Elaine Webb, Gary Nihan,
Julie Joyce, and Linda Snow Dockser.
Budget
The School Committee engaged in a comprehensive process of establishing FY16 budget.
Numerous meetings were conducted to discuss the various priorities and how the budget should
support the District mission and goals. The final budget, while below the initial recommended
budget put forth by the Superintendent, met the guidelines as proposed by the Finance
Committee.
At the Annual Town Meeting that commenced in April the following school department budget
was approved.
Public Schools
Budget Summary
iscal Year 2016
Administration
Regular Day
Special Needs
Other School Services
Custodial /Maintenance
Total
Recommended
Budget
$925,790
$24,397,646
$11,352,501
$1,582,254
$3,166,852
$41,425,043
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
Reading's statewide prominence in the MCAS rankings continued in 2015 as Reading, once
again, placed in the upper third of all Massachusetts districts in MCAS performance. This
represents a significant accomplishment for a system that continues to spend below the state
average on per pupil spending. This achievement continues to define Reading as a school system
that always gets more performance for less money. We continue to be a frugal district that sets
high expectation, and achieves these goals through a collaborative effort of the administration,
the teachers, the students, and the parents. This is certainly a model to be envied throughout the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The School Committee is very proud of our accomplishments
in this regard and sees this as the standard for accountability ... high scores, low cost.
109
Student Enrollment
As students returned to school in September of 2014, it is apparent that our students are staying
in the school system. We have seen increases at all levels this year. Student enrollment in the
fall of 2014(FY2015) stood at 4,418 students. See chart below.
Reading Public Schools
Student Enrollment FY2015
Preschool 99
Elementary Schools K -5 1,979
Middle Schools 6 — 8 1,067
High School 9 —12 1,241
Special Education *32
Total 4,418
* This is the number of enrollees in our "substantially separate"
Special Education classrooms. Reading students who receive full -
time Special Education services outside of Reading are not counted
in this chart.
Achievements
Reading Memorial_ High School graduated 318 young men and women in 2015. While many of
our graduating seniors are attending some of the most prestigious universities in the country, all
are moving into the future with a solid portfolio of skills, which will help their success in any
environment they choose. While we naturally point to acceptances at schools like Tufts and
Northwestern as an indication of our system's success, it is the goal of the School Committee,
and a better measure of success that we find appropriate placements for all of our students, that
will further prepare them to be productive, contributing citizens of our country.
In addition to the success of our graduates, we can continue to take pride in the success of our
students at all levels. Our athletic programs continue to be one of the best in Massachusetts,
with our student athletes demonstrating athleticism, academic achievement, and above all,
sportsmanship. Our students take part in a number of statewide competitions, including the
Science Olympiad program, National History Day, Drama Fest, and numerous Band
competitions. Our success at all levels is almost too numerous to repeat but continues to reflect
on the efforts of the students, staff, and parents. We are always indebted to those in the
community who provide the additional support when the school department cannot. It is this
support from our PTO's, the Boosters, the Band and Drama Parents support organizations, the
Reading Education Fund, just to name a few, that provide that added support and encouragement
that fosters a sense community and promotes participation and success.
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