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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-11-15 Board of Selectmen PacketOF RggO�y Office of the Town Manager �0,6'39r 16 Lowell Street 7NCORp�RP��Q Reading, MA 01867 To: Board of Selectmen From: Robert W. LeLacheur, Jr. CFA Date: November 10, 2016 RE: BOS Agenda for November 15th 781 - 942 -9043 townmanager @ci.reading.ma.us www.readingma.gov /town - manager Next week's meeting will focus on community development and tax policy. First up will be our former Community Development Director Jessie Wilson who has been working on a project as an Economic Development Liaison. Your packet contains an overview of that project, and a copy of her presentation. She has gathered a lot of Peer Community data, conducted a survey, and is in the process of visiting about a dozen of the communities. She will show you only a brief snapshot of some the preliminary analysis. Last week Business Administrator Jayne Miller (a former Tewksbury School Committee member) and I joined Jessie in a visit to Tewksbury, where the Board's appointed MAPC representative Steve Sadwick serves as Assistant Town Manager and Director of Community Development. Steve was very generous with his time and we all learned the story behind the data for that community. Next I am very happy to be able to introduce our new Economic Development Director Andrew Corona, who will begin his work here during the last week of November. Andrew has an interesting background — all in economic development: most recently working in municipal government in Kent (WA) and previously in Seattle (WA), Albuquerque (NM) and Glendale (AZ). His ten years in New Mexico at a private non - profit included working directly with the Governor's office in recruiting business to that state. Let's hope that the 350+ community approach in Massachusetts isn't too scary for him O. The folks developing Reading Village (at the train depot) will be in briefly to discuss a loading zone option at the front of the property facing the depot, with the Board serving as the Roadway Commissioners. After that Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios will provide the Board an update on so- called 40B projects, such as Reading Village. We actually have five in various states of progress in the community. The state sets an affordable housing goal of 10% in each community, and in the next few years Reading may make significant progress and even achieve that goal. Such an accomplishment would protect the town from further 40B projects, which afford the town very little local control. The Board of Assessors and Chief Appraiser (shared with Wakefield) Victor Santaniello will be in for the annual Tax Classification Hearing. The Board is well familiar with this topic from several discussions over the past year. As expected, the proposed tax rate declines from $14.50 to $14.04 under a uniform rate, in response to the increase in assessed values. His presentation is also in your packet: generally the trend of residential values increasing faster than commercial values continues. Senior Tax Relief (STR) has met with very strong support thus far in the legislature, with senior Beacon Hill leaders expressing an interest in rolling out our STR model as an option for all communities in the state. The bill is progressing through the legislative process but still is not complete. In any event, tax policy set this year by the Board is unrelated to STR — that happens one year from now. Assuming the bill is passed, we will begin alerting the community next spring to the impact and opportunity for our seniors, which will begin late next summer with an application process. Next the Board will be requested to vote to declare the Oakland Road as surplus. Paula Schena has spent many hours reading through manuscripts for nearly 100 years of related Town Meeting Minutes, and this vote is suggested as a precautionary one by Town Counsel. Dan Ensminger will then lead a discussion and review of the Town Manager's performance. Your next meeting is scheduled for November 29` ". We have tentatively scheduled a joint meeting with the School Committee to appoint a SC member to a vacant position, with this timing helping a new person become acclimated especially to the School budget process. In addition the Permanent Building Committee would like to visit the Board, along with members from the Bylaw Committee, School Committee and Board of Library Trustees to discuss the PBC's mission. This will ensure that any drafted changes to the PBC bylaw scheduled for April 2017 Town Meeting are consistent with the vision of the three elected boards. Town Counsel will join the Board for a quick discussion of Ballot Question #4 (marijuana) and then to present a new Article 3 — Liquor Licenses. Finally the Board will approve annual Liquor licenses, in advance of the December deadline. As a reminder, here is the tentative and Town Meeting schedule, at 7:30pm in the Performing Arts Center of RMHS on Oakland Road: Town Meeting November 14, 2016 Monday Town Meeting November 17, 2016 Thursday Town Meeting November 21, 2016 Monday Town Meeting November 28, 2016 Monday Town Meeting December 1, 2016 Thursday Town Meeting December 5, 2016 Monday Town Meeting December 8, 2016 Thursday Town Meeting December 12, 2016 Monday Town Meeting December 19, 2016 Monday Town Meeting December 22, 2016 Thursday Staff Estimated 11/9/2016 Responsibility I Start time Office Hour John Halsey 6:30 Economic Development update Wilson 7:15 Introduce new Economic Development Director LeLacheur 7:40 Reading Village (depot 40B) Delios 7:45 Update on 40B projects (Goal #23) Delios 8:00 Hearing Tax Classification Santaniello 8:30 Oakland Road - vote to declare as surplus LeLacheur 9:25 Town Manager Evaluation lEnsminger 1 9:30 Appoint School Committee member through April 2017 - joint meeting with School Committee (TENTATIVE DATE) Halsey 7:15 Discuss Permanent Building Committee - joint meeting with PBC & Bylaw Committee and representatives from Library Trustees and School Committee LeLacheur 8:00 Ballot Question #4 Town Counsel 8:40 Board of Selectmen Policies: Article 3 Liquor Hearing Licenses (Goal #18) Town Counsel 8:45 Approve Liquor Licenses LeLacheur 9:30 Office Hour John Arena 6:30 Town Personnel Policies (draft version) Perkins 7:30 Request formation of an ad hoc Cable Advisory Committee (Goal #13) Kraunelis 8:00 Boards & Committees Halsey Semi -ann Realistic Commercial Development in Reading: June Annual Hearing Joint Meeting with CPDC and commercial June Annual Hearing developers LeLacheur Annual Board of Selectmen Policies: Article 1 General December Annual Reports to BOS Operating Procedures Burns Qtrly Board of Selectmen Policies: Article 2 Volunteer Semi -ann Boards /Committees /Commissions (Goals #11 Semi -ann and #12) Kraunelis Annual Board of Selectmen Policies: Article 3 Licenses Burns Annual Schoolhouse Commons - 40B project at 172 Annual Woburn St (former St. Agnes school) Annual Review BOS /TM Goals Mar & Sep Semi -ann Appointments of Boards & Committees June Annual Hearing Approve Classification & Compensation June Annual Hearing Tax Classification October Annual Approve licenses December Annual Reports to BOS Town Accountant Report Qtrly RCTV members Report Semi -ann CAB (RMLD) member Report Semi -ann MAPC member Report Annual Reading Housing Authority Report Annual Reading Ice Arena Report Annual BOS Appointed Boards & Committees Annual Community Development Project — Fall 2016 Overview: Reading's Community Development objectives The Town has conducted several planning efforts in recent years including a June 2014 Economic Development Self- Assessment Tool (EDSAT) conducted by the Northeastern University Dukakis Center (http•/ /www readingma gov/ sites /readingma /files /u281 /readingedsatreport 07152014.pdf) and culminating in a December 2015 Economic Development Action Plan 2016 -2022 (http•/ /www read ingma gov/ sites /readingma /files /uploads /readinged action plan narrativeappendicesme reed 2016- 2022.pdf). The purpose of this Community Development Project is to establish a framework of comparison to our Peer Communities with these two goals: (1) How do our Peer Communities approach Community Development and (2) Given our Community Development objectives, what can we learn from our Peers? A key focus of the Board of Selectmen in adding an Economic Development Coordinator (EDC) position in the FY17 budget was to examine opportunities to expand the commercial tax base. This project framework will be useful both for ongoing community development work by current Planning division staff as well as efforts by the EDC position. Goal 1 How do our Peer Communities approach Community Development? - (a) Compile Peer Community information from these towns: Andover, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Canton, Concord, Danvers, Dedham, Lexington, Lynnfield, Mansfield, Marshfield, Milton, Natick, North Reading, North Andover, Shrewsbury, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Walpole, Westborough, Westford, Wilmington and Winchester. Here they are on a web map: http / /readingma maps arcgis com /appsZSimpleMapViewer /index html ?appid= 7778d9dl3O454 25688107702c9b460b7. Other towns or cities are available to include in this project, but should be discussed before they are researched. For example, cities tend to operate differently than towns. All towns listed above do not need to be included. (b) Use available online information and also conduct Key Informant Interviews to learn: o What their objectives are in Community Development? • Master Plan, adoption date • Key components (number, initiatives, and items enacted) • Economic Development Plan, adoption date • Key components (number, initiatives, and items enacted) • Economic development volunteer group • Place Making, Public Events • Beautification • Infrastructure (streetscape improvements, wayfinding, period streetlights, sidewalks, walkability, complete streets) • Open Space and Rec: Are there any open space and recreation amenities that you feel is a draw for economic development. 1 ■ Regulatory enforcement (are regulations in need of revision to support community development goals ?) • How they measure Community Impact; • If they measure Community Impact, do they have any built -in self- improvement process? • Permitting — explore this issue, any lessons learned? Consider EDSAT data • What are their town government's (staff, then who...): • Interactions with commercial property owners; (how do you deal with difficult property owners ?) • Efforts to retain current commercial businesses; • Efforts to attract new commercial businesses; (marketing, signage, TIF, overlay districts) • Involvement with community groups (Chamber, Downtown Business, etc..) • Commercial related zoning, parking regulations • TAX information (Victor) • Tax land area (CIP in terms of sq footage), density, land use codes, GIS • Rates • CIP shifts — assessor's office • Open and /or undeveloped land • Top tax payers • Abatements o Government structure • City, town, town manager, town administrator, mayor, BOS, Council • Website information - does it include prominently displayed information related to economic development (location information, open space, available space, permitting process, etc). Who maintains the website so that the information is kept current? • Community Development efforts extend beyond standard Town Hall hours. This could include extra time spent beyond the typical workday. How is this handled generally? How do you staff night meetings? How do you approach it? Which b /c /c's have assigned professional staff? Which b /c /c's have assigned recording secretaries? How are staff compensated for night meetings? ■ Who manages 40B housing applications • Has your community adopted the Community Preservation Act? Can you share feedback about how that has supported Community Development? • School Department— ratings What else would you comment on that we haven't asked about to help us understand Community Development in your community? - (c) Site visits to capture relevant visual representations of Peer Communities. o Meet with staff 2 54, 'Z�- o Photos of towns — examples may include downtown, trails, open space, industrial development, wayfinding, signage, parking, public transportation, walkability, streetscape, complete streets, murals, public spaces, historical or other attractions, key initiatives, hallmarks of the town, where do they get most of their revenue - (d) Compile the information gathered into a format that will be useful for the Town in the short run, and easy to update longer -term. This will include a PowerPoint presentation to be provided to the Board of Selectmen. Note that the town has a wealth of assessing and tax data for all Peer Communities that will be integrated as needed into this project in order to examine the commercial tax base impacts. Narrative Portion of the report — Key findings, key informant interviews, executive summary Goal 2 - Given our Community Development objectives, what can we learn from our Peers? - (a) Assess the information gathered under the first Goal and categorize the results. o Identify best practices in various categories. o Within the framework of Reading's EDSAT & Economic Development Action Plan which best practices are recommended as a supplement? o Which Towns are implementing Community Development initiatives that Reading should consider pursuing to support our stated goals? - (b) Prioritize the findings under Goal 2 (a). Consideration should be given to relative timeframe needed to study and make any changes, the cost to do so, the expected impact of the change, and how the change may impact other areas. The seven EDSAT recommendations (page 45) and the the Economic Development Action Plan Immediate Term (2106 -2022) Vision and Action Plan Matrix (pages 53 -60) should be addressed. While there is overlap, the focus of this study is to identify initiatives that primarily help to attract new commercial businesses not retain existing businesses. - (c) Create a template to suggest what information gathered in this Community Development project should be re- gathered on a regular basis and what information needs to be re- examined on any regular interval. 3 3 s�- OF R Office of the Town Manager 781- 942 -9043 .r� .!'� Fo . 4 16 Lowell Street townmanager @ci.reading.ma.us 9 ;1N '?Q Reading, MA 01867 www.readingma.gov /town - manager iwilson @ci.reading.ma.us To: Peer Community Colleagues From: Robert W. LeLacheur, Jr. CFA CC: Jessie Wilson Date: September 30, 2016 RE: Economic Development Survey Greetings from the Town of Reading! I am writing to the leaders of communities that have been econometrically judged to be similar to Reading by two independent consultants in the past several years. As a Peer Community we are looking for help by asking that you complete a short Survey about Economic Development, and offering those that participate an opportunity view the results, including significant amounts of staff work we are conducting on each of your communities beyond the Survey results. One thing I learned from an Economic Development Self- Assessment Tool (EDSAT) with Professor Barry Bluestone of the Dukakis Center of Northeastern is that one or two restaurants may fail in a given location, but five or more would succeed. It is in that spirit that I reach out to my colleagues, as Economic Development is not a zero -sum game, in the hopes that we may all benefit. Next month we are asking taxpayers for an Override to Proposition 2 -1/2. At the same time we are striving to expand our commercial /industrial tax base to help ease the tax burden on homeowners. Today our CIP sector stands at only 8% and we have limited vacant land available to expand. Given these limitations, we have spent a great deal of staff and community time over the past three years in developing efficient and effective Economic Development Best Practices, which have included several planning studies and a complete overhaul to our Charter and to our Zoning Bylaws. This Survey of our peer communities is the final step of research that we have planned, and is under the direction of Ms. Jessie Wilson, our Economic Development Liaison. Jessie already knows many of your planning staff members from professional interactions, and will be reaching out to you or whomever you designate on the survey to schedule a site visit in order to have a dialogue about Economic Development. I know the burden of answering surveys quite well, and I asked that this one be designed so that even I could easily respond to it! You may respond in one of two ways: 1) The attached PDF which you may respond directly into the PDF; OR 2) Utilizing and online survey by clicking this link: https:// www. surveymonkey .com /r /PeerCommunitySurveV If there are any areas where you prefer to respond but ask for confidentiality, we will honor that request. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at any time, and thanks for your consideration of this request. U U Ca -F-r (1) co IJ 0i F F 04- & L a a� ^E CE ^O W W U O O U W L. 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CL O L. O c O O O O O N N O U) O _Cl) O co Jc 3: n nV ♦' W . i CCU cu -4--a Cu 7D CCU O O 73 co r Cam• E Q. _O U E O C� O U O O Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 -2683 JULIE D. MERCIER Community Development Director Phone: (781) 942 -6648 Fax: (781) 942 -9071 jmercier @ci.reading.ma.us To: Zoning Board of Appeals / Board of Selectmen / Community Planning and Development Commission / Development Review Team staff CC: Matt Zuker & Ken Chase, MKM Reading / Geoff Engler, consultant From: Julie Mercier, Community Development Director Date: November 9, 2016 Re: Reading Village 40B — Status Update This memo is intended as an update to the ZBA from staff on progress made since October 20th New Information from the Applicant The Applicant has provided the following new information, which has been posted to the website: • Updated Civil Engineering Plans (Sheets 1 -9), dated 9/12/16, revised 10/17/16 and 11/4/16, submitted 11/8/16. • DeCelle -Burke & Associates, Inc. Response, dated 11/4/16, on behalf of Applicant, to Civil Engineering Peer Review Report dated 10/18/16. • Revised Landscape Plan, dated 10/25/16, submitted 11/8/16. • Planting Specification for Carpinus betulus fastigiata. • Hydrant Flow Test results from 10/24/16. Draft Decision The Draft Decision dated 10/17/16 was distributed to the Applicant and posted to the website on 11/8/16. In order to ensure everyone is working from the same draft, it has not been updated to reflect the new plans submitted at the 10/20 hearing or the new information received on 11/8. Staff intend to update the Draft Decision to incorporate the new information as well as Board feedback after the 11/10 hearing. Follow up from 10/20 DPW / Engineering were asked about the following resident concerns: • A Prescott Street resident noted that storms in 1984, 1996 and 2003 exceeded the capacity of the sewers in that area and blew the manhole covers off into his yard; and • Another resident mentioned that the Atlantic Food Mart had a sump to deal with the fact that there is a stream that runs under the Doucette Storage building and under the tracks. DPW / Engineering responded as such: The highway supervisor, who has been with the town for over 40 years, believes that the area drainage infrastructure in place, other than for any potential extraordinary events, is more than adequate for the proposed project. He recalls no history of any issues in the area. Fire & Police were asked about the following Board concern: • Will the lack of lighting at the back of the building pose any safety concerns? The Safety Officer responded as such: With regards to the lighting, too much will impact the neighbors and too little will diminish safety. Looking at Reading Woods, it appears that all entrances and exits are lit, including garage doors. They also have exterior light posts. If the rear of the building has entrance and exit doors, stairwells, etc. lighting seems to be a reasonable request. Page 1 / ��l Board of Selectmen The Applicant is scheduled to meet with the Board of Selectmen at 7:45PM on 11/15 for a brief discussion of the proposed loading spaces along Lincoln Street. The public is welcome to attend. Feedback from Staff The revised plan submission was forwarded to Town staff on November 8th. The following comments were received: DPW / Engineering: • Peak morning flow capacity - the Town Engineer has followed up with the Applicant's Engineer to schedule the manhole spot inspection. It has not been done yet. Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD): • Peter Price, RMLD Engineer, met with the Applicant on 10/24 to review requirements, which are expected to be incorporated into revised plans. • The Applicant has been instructed to contact Verizon and Comcast to discuss their needs for the project. Fire Department: • A hydrant has been requested on Lincoln Street. • All prior comments from 10/13/16 memo still apply. Recommended Process for ZBA Meeting on November 10th • Call to Order • Chair — read Legal Ad and Ground Rules for Public Meetings • Chair — give brief overview of Board process with this Application • Applicant — provide overview of plan changes and updated information • Board — review and discussion of Draft Decision • Public Comment • Board — determine next steps, date of continued hearing on this Application: o December 15'h— date Hearing needs to close without another Extension of Time • Adjourn Outstanding Information The following information has been requested and should be provided by the Applicant: • Additional data to justify the parking ratio • Strategy for visitor parking & how it will be managed Timeline • Hearing Opened: February 4th • Halfway Point (90 Days): May 3rd • 180 Days: August 1`t • Extension of Time of 91 days to: October 31" • Extension of Time of 45 days to: December 15th • Today: November 10th (35 days left) • Next Hearing: December 15th? 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O N W h� h _ 0 0 a� • cli s s 0 Z M:z Ed 0 tit o < LU M co v - = ;5 y I < 0 �-- < C m L 0) O O 0 L �^ • O � s = •- o •o O v 0 L w °" w .O ca CL m Q. N L M L >. L ^•+ .V i ri '- N Lq L O L 3: c . �E 0 G� L i a s ca o cr oo L L. V W O N Vr1 00 cm1 cI Ol Ln n i i � N 9 c O a = N { V1 N U i N N N Z O n O 0 O d I- O 0 Z H O cn N p p ap` Vi Z N O O Y Q 1 = +' N O O m O = u +� c M N N L C + - O c .c m m - + O + + O VI 3 N O O u �- d O N p -, p 0 O O U 7 ti Q H C m L 0) O O 0 L �^ • O � s = •- o •o O v 0 L w °" w .O ca CL m Q. N L M L >. L ^•+ .V i ri '- N Lq L O L 3: c . �E 0 G� L i a s ca o cr oo L L. V vl O W O _ y� r o bLO U W re W ON 00 . �O cu w C: O •+ E 0 U N ! •� oG }, > .N — DC � O o� CD •� � v c6 Q CL c N Co a� � i N `�- � C N O U N (D O cB L •� N L Q •� L � c6 = N D U N U cc 4— f� c =O cu E t1A •� � 0 0 L ca = N N -0 >- ^ _ L c > : bn '� N � to V) 0 -0 U N _ N : n OD ro cr- � V) N V 0 N ON t c6 •c � � i N � O L N N • N •1-+ CL Q E O bD CIO tao cu N N O Q E L O � co O W L N 3 • O L CL z re 0 0 oc Q i- cC W co ca t LU C: N O co L 0 CIO O �F- E '5 cr 0 N N U O 4-1 E ON t/1 O cn on O N t i ,N O Q N rq d' O1 LEGAL NOTICE TOWN OF READING To the .Inhabitants of the Town of Reading: classes of property involved are residential, open space, commercial, industrial and personal property. A' copy of the proposed docu- ment regarding this topic is available in the Town Manager's office, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, MA, M-W_ Thurs from 7:30.,a.m.-.- 5:30 p.'m., Tues from 7:30 a.m: - 7:00. p.m. and is attached to the hearing notice on the website at www.readingma.gov Notice is hereby given that a.. public .hearing will be held in accordance with the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 369 of the .Acts of 1982 on the issue of :deter- mining a. residential factor:in assessing the percentage: of tax._ burden to be borne by each .class of property: for Fiscal Year 2017. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 8:30 p.m. in the Selectmen's Meeting: Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, MA. The five All interested parties are invit- ed. to attend the hearing, or may submit.their comments in writing or;by,email prior to 6:00. p.m. on November 15, 2016 .to ,town manager @ci. read ing:ma. us By order of Robert W., LeLacheur, Jr. Town. 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O � t t E .a �, a a •a a �, v w v A A a z z z vV� H 3 3 3 3 3 3 as as `_� �� �) W H H z H x 0 a a,�N aF$' y' c 6�9.tNCOAQ��� Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Board of Selectmen Date: 2016 -10 -13 Building: School - Memorial High Address: 82 Oakland Road Purpose: Joint Meeting School Committee /Board of Selectmen Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:30 PM Location: Superintendent Conference Room Session: Open Session Version: Chairman John Halsey, Secretary Barry Berman, Vice Chairman Kevin Sexton, pan Ensminger & John Arena, Members - Not Present: Others Present: Jeanne Borawski, Chuck Robinson, Elaine Webb, Linda Snow Dockser, Gary Nihan, Julie JoyceSuperintendent John Doherty, Director of Finance Gail Dowd, Board of Selectmen - John Halsey, Barry Berman, Kevin Sexton, Dan Ensminger & John Arena, Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Town Counsel Ray Miyares, Fincom member Peter Lydecker, Attorney David Doneski Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Secretary Topics of Discussion: Chair Halsey called the Board of Selectmen to order at 7:43 p.m. Mr. Ensminger moved, seconded by Mr. Arena, to enter into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to pending litigation and to return to open session at approximately 8:45 p.m. The roll call vote was 5 -0. Mr. Halsey, Mr. Ensminger, Mr. Arena, Mr. Berman and Mr. Sexton. The open session meeting went into recess at 7:45 p.m. The Board of Selectmen were called back to order in open session at 9:33 p.m. Chair Halsey reminded the Board that their next meeting is on October 25tH Mr. LeLacheur provided information of some agenda items including that the Board will need to call for a Special Town Meeting within the Subsequent Town Meeting in November, close the warrant and discuss details on a change in the liquor license process. Mr. Halsey said information will be included in their packets. Al Sylvia, Reading Chronicle, asked about the lights at the Library. Page I 1 Board of Selectmen Minutes — October 13, 2016 — pa ee22 Mr. LeLacheur said a lighting consultant has been contacted and as of yet there has been no resolution. The maintenance staff has been shutting the lights off. RMHS Litigation Chair Borawski called the School Committee back to order at 9:40 p.m. Mrs. Borawski called for Public Comment. There was none. Mr. Robinson moved, seconded by Mrs. Webb, to request that the Board of Selectmen call for a Special Town Meeting to address the High School Construction litigation. Mrs. Borawski announced that the School Committee and TLT had come to a tentative agreement to settle and proceeded to read a press release regarding the High School Construction Litigation tentative settlement. For Immediate Release Selectmen vote for Special Town Meeting to address High School Construction Litigation Tentative settlement agreement to be reviewed between Town of Reading and TLT Construction At a joint meeting of the Reading Board of Selectmen and School Committee, the Board of Selectmen voted to hold a Special Town Meeting on November 14 to address the High School construction litigation with TLT Construction Corporation that began in 2007. At the Special Town Meeting, the timeline of events over the last decade will be reviewed, a funding vote will be requested, and the settlement process will be outlined in order to ensure that no funds from operating budgets will be impacted. The Reading Memorial High School construction project began in 2004, and TLT Construction Corporation was the general contractor for the project. In the fall of 2007, TLT filed a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court against the Town of Reading, claiming that the Town owed additional money for work performed under the contract. In response, the Town filed a counterclaim, alleging that TLT did not complete the contract work on time and that the Town had to correct various parts of the project work TLT did perform. In 2013, after several years of the litigation discovery process and attempts at reaching a settlement with TLT, the court referred the case to a Special Master, a retired judge, who conducted a hearing process in lieu of a trial in the Superior Court. The hearings began in December of 2013 and concluded in March of 2015. Closing arguments were presented in July of 2015. Since that time, the Master has been preparing, and issuing to the parties, draft decisions on the various issues that make up the matters in dispute. These issues included payment to TLT for asbestos abatement work, the Town's replacement of the outdoor track, Page 1 2 Board of Selectmen Minutes – October 13, 2016 –pie 3 compensation to TLT for additional work outside the scope of the contract, correction of site work, and liquidated damages for failure to complete the work on time. The first draft ruling was issued in January of 2016, and the most recent ruling, which left only a small portion of the claims still to be decided, was issued in September of 2016 The net result of the rulings to date is approximately 3 million dollars, in TLT's favor. If the process continued, each party would have the opportunity to respond to the draft rulings with proposed revisions, and the Special Master would then prepare a final report to the Superior Court. Under the applicable legal procedure, the court would review the Master's final report and may adopt it, reject it in whole or in part, or send it back to the Master with instructions for additional action. Ultimately, the Superior Court would enter a judgement in the case, whether on its first receipt of the Special Master's report or after such additional action by the Master as it may order. On account of the volume of material to be reviewed, a Superior Court judgment would not be expected until sometime well into 2017. By Massachusetts statute, a court judgment is subject to 12% annual interest, and interest would apply from the date the complaint was filed in November, 2007. As a result, the amount of the judgment would now more than double. If the final court judgment were issued in late 2017, it is expected that the total amount could be close to $7, 000, 000 in TL Ts favor. Given these circumstances, the Town and TLT have reached a tentative settlement agreement in the amount of $6 million, subject to Town Meeting approval. If approved by Town Meeting, the settlement would be paid through three sources of funding: remaining funds from the RMHS building project (approximately $800, 000), certified free cash, and borrowing —with the debt being paid off over a period of several years. No operating budget funds would be utilized, and the result of the override election will not have an impact on the funding sources for the settlement. It should also be noted that the override vote scheduled for October 18th is to support the operating budgets for the town and schools, and has no real impact on the capital plan. The override was not required because of this legal settlement. As a result of the settlement, it is expected that capital projects currently on the 10 year capital plan (i. e. roof replacements, field replacements, and capital equipment) would be pushed out additional years into the future in order to disperse the impact. Town officials are also exploring the possibility of additional MSBA reimbursement funding for the High School project. As several people have understandably inquired, town and school officials want to also clarify and emphasize again that this issue is not related in any way to the need for an override ballot question. Even if the litigation had been resolved years ago, an operational override would be necessary at this time to sustain current services of the town and schools —and to address the structural deficit in the operating budgets that has been developing over the last several years. Revenue from an override would successfully address these identified deficits. Although litigation has taken years, it was a process that legal counsel at the time believed was the best course of action. After almost a decade -long process, however, the School Committee supports moving forward on a settlement in order to bring the Page 1 3 0 Board of Selectmen Minutes — October 13, 2016 — page 4 litigation process to a necessary close and to best position our Town and schools for the future. Town Manager LeLacheur reviewed the funding sources to address the proposed $6M settlement saying $800,000 will be used from the remaining money in the high school project line, $1.2M will come from free cash and the remaining $4M will be borrowed. Town Meeting will need to authorize the use of free cash and also authorize separately to borrow. This funding will have no bearing on the tax levy but there may be a delay in capital purchases. The motion carried 5 -0. Mr. Halsey said the Selectmen will address the Special Town Meeting when they have warrant in hand. Mr. Ensminger moved, seconded by Mr. Berman, to adjourn. The motion carried 5 -0. The meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Page 1 4 b 0/� Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Board of Selectmen Date: 2016 -10 -25 Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:00 PM Location: Selectmen Meeting Room Session: Open Session Version: Chairman John Halsey, Vice Chairman Kevin Sexton, Secretary Barry Berman, John Arena and Daniel Ensminger Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Town Engineer Ryan Percival, DPW Director Jeff Zager, Executive Assistant Paula Schena, Bill Brown, Jonathan McNeal, Jeanne Borawski, Kate Grant, Nancy Docktor, Sherri Vandenakker, Ashley Quinn, Jen Hillery, Amy Cole, Samantha and Lisa Gibbs Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Secretary Topics of Discussion: Reports and Comments Selectmen's Liaison Reports and Comments - Daniel Ensminger referred to a letter to the editor from DL Bulic who indicates that the assessment increase will increase taxes. Daniel Ensminger noted that is incorrect. Taxes are not going up; the assessment has no affect because the rate will come down to match the 2.50 %. He also noted that if a resident feels their assessment is not fair they should see the assessment staff. The Town Manager noted that there is an abatement period in January if they don't get in before November 1. Barry Berman noted that he and John Halsey have been involved with interviewing candidates for the Economic Development position. Kevin Sexton noted that he attended the last ZBA meeting regarding Reading Village. Parking is an ongoing issue. They are looking for specific spaces on the street for loading and unloading and the developers are coming to the next Selectmen's meeting. John Halsey noted that we should extend an invite to the ZBA. Kevin Sexton noted that they are not asking for exclusive use but want it to count. The Town Manager noted it is exclusive use if you look at the map. Kevin Sexton noted they will use a trash compactor to limit trash pickup and they have removed the balcony in back. He feels they are more willing to work with the Town now. The Town Manager noted that the Selectmen and Planning staff have done a significant amount of work on this and it has made a difference. John Arena noted that only one person in DPW keeps the calendar for the Town Forest and the Boy Scouts want to know if the calendar can be put online to make it easier for the Scouts to see when it is available. Page i 1 Board of Selectmen Minutes - October 25. 2016 - paae 2 John Halsey noted that he participated in interviewing for the Economic Development Coordinator and a lot of energy has gone into filling this spot. This position will create more revenue for the Town and the position is being funded by permit fees. The applicants are also aware that the position is temporary. The job requires sales and marketing and this position has been building for over three years now. John Arena noted it will be important to record the beneficial impact and John Halsey noted that one of the applicants noted that we need to quantify the results. The Town Manager noted that it is also important to track the costs of the position. Town Manager's Report - The Town Manager noted that this is the second day of early voting and 1006 people have voted. Town Clerk Laura Gemme was present and noted that people commented on how much easier it is. Proclamations /Certificates of Appreciation Girl Scout Silver Award - Samantha Gibbs - Samantha Gibbs and her mother Lisa Gibbs were present. Samantha Gibbs noted that last year she worked on her Girl Scout Silver Award. She had to find a problem in the community and find a way to solve it. She decided on friendship and inclusion. She created the Buddy Bench. Dr. Doherty helped her much and gave her permission to talk to the Principals and many supported her on her project. Channel 5 interviewed her at her school. She received more donations and she was able to order all of the benches. The principal have the video that she made to show at assemblies to teach people how to use the bench. The Selectmen congratulated Samantha on a job well done. A motion by Berman seconded by Ensminger to approve the Certificated of Recognition for Samantha Gibbs achieving the Girl Scout Silver Award was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. Discussion /Action Items Hearing - Approve Amendments to the FY17 Classification Plan - The Secretary read the hearing notice. The Town Manager noted that the cost to the amendments is a very modest amount. There are two changes being proposed - remove the Recreation Program Coordinator and add a Permit Coordinator to Grade F. He noted that someone is already doing the Permit Coordinator job so this is just a change in title. All of the inspectors are part time and she holds them all together. This is a crucial piece of economic development. Barry Berman asked if this is the person he would go to for multiple permits and the Town Manager noted yes, she can't speak for them but she can direct them. Daniel Ensminger asked if the time spent can be billed out of the permit fund and the Town Manager noted it could, he would have to look at that. A motion by Ensminger seconded by Arena to close the hearing was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. A motion by Berman seconded by Arena that the Board of Selectmen approve the amendments to the FY17 Classification Plan by eliminating the Recreation Program Coordinator position and adding the Permits coordinator position was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. M&W Page 1 2 Board of Selectmen Minutes - October 25, 2016 - pane 3 Change in Manager for American Legion - Treasurer Brendon Hoyt and Manager James Fucci Jr. were present. John Halsey asked Mr. Fucci if he is TIPS trained and Mr. Fucci noted yes that he has been bartending for a few years. The Town Manager noted that the Police have reviewed the application and have no problems with it. A motion by Berman seconded by Ensminger that the Board of Selectmen approve the change in Manager for the Reading Veteran's Association Inc. from Dennis F. Lane to James J. Fuccil, Jr. was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. Wine and Spirits Change of d /b /a to Baystate Liquors - The Town Manager noted this is just a change of d /b /a. A motion by Berman seconded by Area that the Board of Selectmen approve the change in d /b /a for HT Reading Liguors LLC, 345 Main Street from Wine and Spirits to Baystate Liguors was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. Approve Internal Borrowing - Library Building Project because the Last State Payment of $1,021,022 is Expected in early 2017 - The Town Manager noted that the State turns over $1 million per year for five years. This will be the final payment for the State. The Town Treasurer will use free cash to pay. Barry Berman asked if the State pays automatically and the Town Manager noted they do and he doesn't expect any problems. A motion by Berman seconded by Ensminger that the Board of Selectmen approve the internal borrowing for the Library building project in the amount of $1,021,022 was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. Auburn Street Water Tank Repairs /Cell Company Equipment - The Town Manager noted that the painting and repair of the water tank is in the Capital Plan. The cell phone equipment needs to be moved and hopefully permanently. Town Engineer Ryan Percival noted that is a 750,000 gallon tank and is 110 feet tall. There are three phone companies and DPW and Public Safety antennas on it. The last time the tank was painted was in 1996. The roof shell ladder is supposed to rotate but cannot because the cell phone equipment is attached to it. The overcrowded catwalk creates a work safety hazard. The cell phone equipment must be removed. Corrosion is also a problem. John Arena asked how wide the catwalk is and also asked about the Public Safety equipment. Ryan Percival noted the catwalk is two feet wide and the Public Safety equipment is antennas and they impede painting. John Arena noted that OSHA requires two attached points for a safety harness and Ryan Percival noted that was correct but they don't have two points to attach to. All they have is a slide rail going up. He also noted that there is a hole in the catwalk. The Town Manager noted that Federal law says we cannot say no to cell carriers. He also noted that we have a fourth carrier who wants to go up now. Page 1 3 Board of Selectmen Minutes - October 25, 2016 - Daae 4 Ryan Percival reviewed the options. He noted that Option 1 is to modify the tank by welding support brackets. Option 2 (the preferred) is to construct a new cell tower and get the equipment off permanently. The cell tower would be 165 feet tall; the tank would not need structural modification; it will increase safety, increase cell coverage and increase revenue. Barry Berman asked if the carriers would pay more for being on a cell tower and the Town Manager noted that there are a lot of moving parts regarding that issue. John Arena asked if any of the cell tower models require guidewires and Ryan Percival noted they do not. He also noted that the antennas need to be 10 feet above the tank and 10 feet between rays. He noted that mutual aid would benefit greatly. The Town Manager noted that Metro Fire would be interested. Barry Berman asked if there are any additional health and safety concerns and the Town Manager noted there is not because they will be moving further away and they are already there. Ryan Percival noted that option 1 will cost $1.75 million with tank rehab for $1.35 million and carrier relocation at $400,000. Option 2 will also cost $1.75 million for tank rehab at $1.35 million and a new cell tower at $400,000. The Town Manager noted that the carriers would prefer not to own the tower - they rather pay rent. John Arena asked about the build time and the Town Manager noted option 2 is the faster option. He recommends talking with the neighbors to help make it look better. Jeff Zager noted that Burlington is doing theirs now so we can see how they do. John Halsey asked if carriers will be interested in tearing up leases and starting new. The Town Manager noted that the carriers don't want to spend money on capital. John Arena recommended bringing back a number of options for cell towers because people will have problems with certain things. Ryan Percival noted he would seek a design consultant. John Halsey requested that he also show the differential costs between options. He also asked what the shelve life of a tank is and Ryan Percival noted that removing everything will extend the life of the tank. The cost to replace a tank is three times the cost of painting. The Town Manager noted that our security consultant has recommended these things be added to the security list. Barry Berman noted that he wants there to be an inclusive abutters list. Special Election Wrap Up - Daniel Ensminger noted that he received data from the Town Clerk since 1993 to 2003. He noted that the number of registered voters has grown by 20 %. The NO vote in 2016 was the largest in history of the Town. Many people in the community have the same needs we do with health insurance, utility bills, etc. and most people he spoke to feels the Town spends money non - prudently. Barry Berman noted if he could go back and do it again he would ask for a lower number. Daniel Ensminger noted that we fixed the problem so long so well that we are a victim of our own work. 6h Page 1 4 Board of Selectmen Minutes - October 25, 2016 - Daae 5 John Arena noted that he heard comments that there wasn't enough information and people want more transparency in the School Department. He also noted that people are angry and not in the mood to entertain this. He feels the need to talk with the School Committee and Finance Committee about how to move forward. Kevin Sexton noted that he heard comments that the timing was not good. He doesn't think a lower number would have made a difference. We need to look at revenue up - perhaps billboards. Daniel Ensminger noted that in 1991 and 1992 the employees received 0% increase in pay. John Halsey noted that in 1993 an override was passed. Ten years later a school was built and another override was passed. Now, 13 years later an override failed. He believes people are feeling fatigued. We will need to be very creative and work closely with the School Committee not to create Schools versus Town. We will have to redouble our efforts and we will not shut down the Schools and close our doors. We need to say no to certain things and work with less. Barry Berman noted that people are happy with the level of services they are getting now. School Committee Chairman Jeanne Borawski noted that she supported the one question that was on the ballot. She is glad the split stayed the same. She also noted that the conversations over the next six months will be hard. They have to cut $1.7 million from services over the years. The Superintendent will be presenting his budget to the School Committee in December. John Arena noted that we need to be proactive and the Schools need do the same. He recommends doing a bottom up budget. It is easy to grow but hard to shrink. The Town Manager noted that depth and function will be cut and there will be less public safety. There appears to be a deep anger in all of the communities and nobody knows why. Jen Hillary noted that she reviewed the percentage of yes votes and she doesn't feel that 46% was bad. She feels the litigation and timing of the settlement; the Library project and the vote No on #2 signs regarding the charter schools complicated things. Peter Brown, Precinct 8 noted that he has lived in Town since 1985. He spoke to a lot of Town Meeting members and there was a level of misinformation. He feels we need to think about how to educate the residents. He also feels the issue of trust is significant. People don't believe the layoffs will happen and until they feel the pain they will say no. He feels there will be a problem if the School Committee doesn't do what they said they would cut. He also noted that a lot of people said if the amount was smaller they would have voted for it. He suggests asking more frequently for smaller amounts. Barry Berman noted it is the Board's job to squeeze more growth in and maybe they can cut 15 School positions instead of 30 because they are cutting services. The Town Manager noted that there was a lot of misinformation on social media and he will not argue with people online but someone needs to do that. Jeanne Borawski noted that projecting out past FY18 is something people need to look at. Bill Brown noted that a lot of people are hurting financially. He does canning and there are less now than there used to be. Page 1 5 Board of Selectmen Minutes - October 25, 2016 - page 6 Amy Cole suggested the Board look at the difference in the gap between back then and what we have now. Close Warrant for Special Town meeting (requested by School Committee) - RMHS Construction - Jeanne Borawski noted that the School Committee informed the public that we have a tentative agreement for approximately $6 million settlement. This will require Town Meeting approval so they are requesting a Special Town Meeting within the Subsequent Town Meeting where a presentation will be made. A motion by Berman seconded by Arena to close the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting on November 14, 2016 regarding the RMHS construction was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. Close Warrant for Special Town Meeting - Special Act Request for Liquor Licenses - The Town Manager noted that there is a discrepancy between what the Town believes and what the State believes. Starting next year the ABCC will be online and they will tell applicants we have licenses available when we don't. The State says we have five beer and wine package store licenses available and we don't. This action will set the state clear on what we have. A motion by Berman seconded by Arena to close the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting on November 21, 2016 regarding liquor licenses was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. Approval of Minutes A motion by Berman seconded by Arena to approve the minutes of October 4, 2016 was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. A motion by Berman seconded by Arena to adiourn the meeting at 10:35 p.m. was approved by a vote of 5 -0 -0. Respectfully submitted, Secretary Page 1 6 6 �� � � f1F! F"iU rxronQnQo- To: Office of the Town Manager 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 Senator Jason Lewis From: Robert W. LeLacheur, Jr. CFA %i Date: October 26, 2016 RE: Senior Tax Relief Home Rule Petition CC: Reading Board of Selectmen Dear Senator Lewis, c /_ 781 -942 -9043 townmanager @ci.reading.ma.us www.readingma.gov /town - manager Please find attached a memo that was sent to the Reading community on August 24, 2016 that described our proposed property tax relief for seniors, and details both about what the benefits would be as well as who would share paying the associated costs. We conducted about 30 public meetings over the past eight months to discuss the financial condition of the town, and every meeting was attended by a wide variety of at least 50 residents each time. While we had some repeat attendees there were consistently new faces in the audience. One thing we learned quite clearly was the difficulty that many seniors on limited fixed incomes faced in simply paying their bills. Most of these seniors pointed to their property tax bill as either their highest expense, or one that was right behind medical expenses. We heard some difficult stories about choices they needed to make in their lifestyles in order to remain in the community, and in fact we heard about several of their neighbors that simply could not afford to do so and had sold their homes after living in town for over 40 years. We had initially envisioned tax relief for seniors to be designed to protect them from the impact of an Operating Override, but it quickly became clear there was a problem right now that needed to be addressed. Thus the Board of Selectmen voted 5 -0 to hold a Special Town Meeting in September 2016 to address this tax relief, and to make sure it was NOT tied to the passage of an Override vote, which parenthetically failed last week: Town Meeting approved the Senior Tax Relief Article by a vote of 120- 29 (81 %). We strongly believe as a matter of public policy that it is our responsibility to do what we can to allow our seniors to 'age -in- place' when medically possible, These are the folks that built the community; they have generally lived in town for decades; usually raised a family here; and supported the town in every way when they were able to do so. I have spoken to about a dozen area Mayors and Managers since last spring about this issue, and it is a situation we all share to varying degrees. Our efforts to design this tax relief received a lot of informal review by the DOR, and it could well serve as a model for other communities that wish to address this growing challenge in the future. As always, we appreciate your help! O� OF RFAO' y' a Office of the Town Manager 16 Lowell Street 6`38 °IAcoRp�pP Reading, MA 01867 To: The Reading Community From: Robert W. LeLacheur, Jr. CFA Date: August 24, 2016 RE: Senior Tax Relief 781 - 942 -9043 townmanager @ci.reading.ma.us www.readingma.gov /town - manager The Board of Selectmen voted to hold a Special Town Meeting on September 12th in order to approve four senior tax relief Articles. The first three Articles involve a relatively small senior population in town, but the relief proposed is meaningful. The fourth Article is more broadly based and the subject of this memo. In preparation for a future Override, almost two years ago Town Finance staff began researching tax policy that could assist the Reading seniors for which property taxes were a high financial burden. Town Public Safety and Human /Elder Services staffs interact with these seniors daily, and know they face both medical and financial challenges to remain in their Reading homes. Many of them have lived in town for decades. No such tools existed in state tax policy to accomplish this assistance. Several months ago the town learned of two relatively recent so- called Home Rule Petitions — in Sudbury and in Wayland — that aim to protect their senior taxpayers. The Reading Assessing division and the Town Manager began researching these options, asking peer communities, local legislators, and the state Department of Revenue. The research showed that interest was high, but only these two communities had made an effort. Such a Home Rule Petition, if approved by the September Town Meeting and then by the state legislature and the Governor, would take effect only in Reading, beginning next July 2017. To be eligible for the Reading property tax exemption, the senior: (1) has filed and been deemed eligible for a prior year Schedule CB (Circuit Breaker) for the purpose of state income taxes; (2) has owned property in Reading for at least ten previous consecutive years; and (3) applies annually to the Board of Assessors for the exemption. Here are the qualifications for state income tax relief Schedule CB for 2014: (1) You, or your spouse if married filing jointly, must be at least 65 years of age before January 1, 2015 to qualify for this credit Also, you must file as single, married filing jointly or head of household to qualify for this credit. If married filing separately, you do not qualify for this credit, (2) The assessed value of principal residence as of January 1, 2014 must be $691,000 or less; (3) Qualifying Income (includes MA Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) + social security benefits + untaxed pensions + miscellaneous income - certain income tax exemptions) is capped at $56, 000 (single); $70, 000 (head of household); or $84, 000 (married filing jointly); and (4) Real estate taxes paid in calendar year 2014 for your principal residence (plus some adjustments, including 50% of water & sewer charges) must exceed 10% of the Qualified Income above. The state tells us that in 2014 the average CB income tax benefit in Reading was $856, and that 645 local residents qualified. Thus the income tax relief was 645 x $856 = $552,120. We know some of those 1 q`v-Z" residents that qualified under CB rent property and others have not owned property for ten years. Both factors shrink the pool that is eligible for local property tax relief. We don't know how many seniors did not file Schedule CB that might otherwise do so in order to obtain a property tax benefit, however. If this Home Rule Petition is approved, the Board of Selectmen at their Tax Classification Hearing each November will set the exemption between 50% and 200% of the Schedule CB income tax relief. The exact % multiplier will be determined by how many seniors qualify for the exemption, and the total amount of senior tax relief desired by the Board. If only that 2014 income tax pool were fully eligible, the total local tax relief would be between $276k (at 50 %) and $1.1 million (at 200 %). The Board indicated a strong desire to set the % figure to keep the total amount under $1 million, and that a reasonable annual goal would be the 125% midpoint, or about $0.7 million of tax relief. Please seethe following table for some examples of possible local senior property tax relief seen by applicants: Schedule CB benefit 50% local tax relief 125% tax relief 200% local tax relief $1,070 Maximum $535 $1,337 $2,140 $856 (Average) $428 $1,070 $1,712 According to state tax policy, by default only the rest of the residential taxpayers would bear the full cost of this tax relief. However at a recent meeting the Board of Selectmen indicated a unanimous desire to share this tax relief across all classes of property by splitting the tax rate. Here are some examples of what this proposed senior tax relief will cost various taxpayers: Single Family Homes % parcels 50% relief - $276k tax benefit 125% relief - $700k tax benefit Max relief - $1.0mil tax benefit $300k 13.5% $19 $48 $69 $400k 14.0% $25 $64 $192 $500k 31.4% $32 $81 $115 $600k 30.9% $38 $97 $138 $700k 10.3% $44 $113 $161 Commercial % parcels 50% relief - $276k tax benefit 125% relief - $700k tax benefit Max relief - $1.0mil tax benefit <$500k 40.8% $25 $63 $90 $50001 mil 29.6% $58 $146 $209 $1 -2mil 17.0% $110 $279 $398 $2 -3mil 3.9% $183 $464 $663 $3 -10mil 5.8% $353 $895 $1,278 $10mil+ 2.9% $1,530 $3,882 $5,545 While the early staff research was designed at helping seniors stay in their homes during an Override, the Board of Selectmen recently decided that the two concepts should be separated, and each decided on their own merits. Therefore on September 12, Town Meeting will be asked to approve Senior Tax Relief, and on October 18 the voters will be asked to approve a $7.5 million Override. As always, we welcome your questions or comments at any time! 2 1'a/J L'I C i is FINAL REPORT AD HOC LIBRARY BUILDING COMMITTEE To: Reading Board of Selectmen Town Meeting From: David P. Hutchinson Chair of Reading Ad Hoc Library Building Committee Date: October 31, 2016 Re: Final report of the Ad Hoc Library Building Committee I am pleased to report the opening and successful, substantial completion of the renovated and expanded Reading Public Library on October 2, 2016. This library: • meets all of the design and safety features originally presented to the Town; • retains and restores all of the historical charm of the original building; • blends a modern addition that enables a dramatic expansion of the functional use of the library; • costs the Town within 1% of the original budget; • meets all of the requirements of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners enabling retention of $5.1 million in state aid; and • embeds sustainable decisions in design and construction that will serve the Town for decades. In February 2013, the Ad Hoc Library Building Committee (LBC) was formed and appointed for the purpose of overseeing the design, professional selection, fiscal management and construction implementation of a fully renovated and updated public library. The LBC was to serve until the earlier of the completion of construction and the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy of the building project, or until the filing of a final report with Town Meeting. The Certificate of Occupancy was issued for the library on September 29, 2016. The LBC held its final meeting on October 13, 2016 and voted to dissolve and turn management of the project entirely over to Town management. We are confident that the final completion phase of this project is in good hands under the watchful eyes of the Town Manager, Director of Facilities and STV, Inc., our external project manager. I ask that the Board of Selectmen acknowledge and accept this dissolution and turnover. The project had a total Town approved budget of $18.4 million, $5.1 million of which was funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the balance of $13.3 million by the Town of Reading. The final resolution of all financial matters has not been reached due to the ongoing completion of punch list items with the general contractor as supervised by the project manager and the facilities department. At the end of such activity there will be a final reconciliation of open items among the general contractor, the project manager and Town management. However, as of the date of this report we expect the final encumbered amount to be no more than $100,000 to $180,000 of the original budget, or within 1 %. As noted by the Town Manager, all spending decisions were held to a 50 year standard to ensure the investment in the building was done properly. I am very proud of the collaborative efforts among all of the stakeholders to achieve this precision, especially given the extraordinary amount of unexpected contingencies that arose during the project. We were also able to work closely with the donor community to provide some funding for interior furnishings and equipment needs, further relieving the project budget. The charter of the LBC assigned the following duties to the LBC: (1) To the extent that it does not delay the process, give advice to the Town Manager on the Architect and Owners Project Manager (OPM) selection for the project. (2) Review the detailed options for renovation /reconstruction of existing space and addition of additional space to the existing library building at 64 Middlesex Ave. including a discussion of expected timelines and costs. (3) Develop a recommended proposal for the final design. The Library Building Committee will base its recommendation on the detailed program needs developed as part of the application process for State aid, and approved by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. (4) Monitor the bid process and make a recommendation as to the award of construction bids. (5) Provide input into the arrangements for temporary space for the library during the construction project. (6) Monitor the construction process, working with the Facilities Director to determine how the project is tracking with respect to the construction contract, timelines, and cost. (7) Without delaying decisions, review and make a recommendation to the Facilities Director on periodic payments including change orders. The LBC, including subcommittees, has worked dutifully on each of these tasks over the last three and a half years. I believe we have selected excellent advisors, the result of which has been a remarkable and sustainable library to serve as the centerpiece of Reading's public buildings with a beautiful design and high utility. In addition, the project has involved all of the Town's stakeholders, including safety officers and engineering resources, such that the resulting site satisfies all safety requirements of each. The project went through a rigorous site review process with the CPDC as well. The LBC afforded a forum for all stakeholders to view the progress, costs and challenges of the project in a regular and transparent manner through monthly public meetings. I would like to acknowledge and thank the other dedicated volunteers who generously donated their time and ranges of expertise to ensure a successful and prudently managed project: Rachel Baumgartner Cherrie Dubois Jane Kinsella Marc Moll Robert Newton Gregory Stepler Nancy J. Twomey as well as two previously serving members, Karen Herrick and Ruth Urell. I believe this successful project illustrates the best potential of the Town of Reading, combining the support of its citizens, neighbors, town officials, volunteer governance committees, other volunteers, library staff, advisors, legislators and well- intentioned stakeholders with a result that rewards all. On behalf of all the LBC members past and present, we appreciate the trust the Town has placed on the LBC and it has been an honor to serve in such capacity. Do enjoy and use this library, the envy of the region. Thank you. q� 5 /-& Schena, Paula From: LeLacheur, Bob Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2016 12:13 PM To: Schena, Paula; Forwarding Account for John Halsey Cc: Zager, Jeff Subject: Town Forest update Paula — email for the next BOS packet: Town Forest Update (from DPW Director Jeff Zager) Bookings now appear on their web page if you look at the calendar on the upper right hand side: http: / /www.readingma.gov /town- forest - committee To request a reservation, there is a Quick Links form on the left hand side of that same page 'use request form'. This should give the transparency and ease -of -use desired by the various groups that use Town Forest. After a request, as soon as is practical the calendar will be updated, and the request then either confirmed or refused on a first -come- first - served basis by DPW. The DPW Highway division will remain as the location for key & fire extinguisher pick -up. Robert W. LeLacheur, Jr. CFA Town Manager, Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street, Reading, MA 01867 townmanaaerna ci.readina.ma.us (F) 781 - 942 -9048, (F) 781 - 942 -9087 www.readingma.aov Town Hall Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 7:30 a.m - 5:30 p.m.;Tuesday: 7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.; Friday: CLOSED