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Home My WebLink About2018-04-26 Annual Town Meeting Minutes ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Alan E. Foulds, at 7:35 PM, there being a quorum present. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was said by all. The following announcements were made by the Moderator: Here is how we will proceed tonight: We'll begin with the annual "State of the Town Address," followed by the Financial Update by the Finance Committee. After that we will proceed to Article 17 - the Budget. Traditionally, we have completed action on the budget during one session, so it is planned that a vote will be taken to take it out of order so we get to it early. We will handle the budget, as we have done in the past. We will take it by groupings. If you have any discussion or proposed amendments, the time to do so is while we are in the midst of that particular grouping. We'll vote on any proposed amendments before moving to the next set of line items. We won't vote on the budget until we have finished all five sets. Next, I expect to go back to the articles we skipped on Monday, beginning with Article 10, followed by 13. Then we will return to articles 15 and 16, and finish with 18. If we have any instructional motions (Article 3) they will be taken up last. ARTICLE 2: Motion made by Barry Berman, Board of Selectmen to take Article 2 off the table Motion Carried ARTICLE 2: To hear and act on the reports of the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Library Trustees, Municipal Light Board, Finance Committee, Bylaw Committee, Town Manager, Town Accountant and any other Town Official, Board or Committee. Reports given by: State of the Town Barry Berman, Acting Chair Board of Selectmen Good Evening and thank you to Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Superintendent Dr. John Doherty, members of the Reading School Committee, town and school staff, Town Meeting members, my colleagues on the Board, and neighbors here in the hall and watching at home on RCN. It is my honor to deliver, the first ever State of the Town address as Chair of the Reading Select Board. Before I summarize the events of the past year and outline the challenges and opportunities of this coming year, I want to recognize some new and returning faces to our town government family. Congratulations to Andrew Grimes and Alice Collins who return as Library Trustees. Congratulations also ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center to Dave Hennessy and John Stempeck who will continue to serve on the Light Board, and Elaine Webb who is going back to the School Committee. And how can we forget you Mr. Moderator. There is an entire generation in Reading who has never known anyone but Alan Foulds as Town Meeting Moderator. We are also blessed to welcome the energy and talents of those elected for the first time. Monette Verrier will join the Library Trustees, and Sherri VandenAkker, who was appointed in the middle of this past budget season to replace Dr. Gary Nihan, was elected in her own right and will take her seat on the School Committee. I also want to welcome a new colleague to my Board - Vanessa Alvarado. Besides bringing down significantly the average age of this Board, Vanessa brings a unique perspective to this Board. A keen intellect, and a firm understanding of the budget from your service on Fin Com, you represent a large segment of volunteers from this town and the only one on this Board who does school drop-off, hops on the train to work, comes home and makes dinner before coming to the meeting. But more importantly, you listen, you ask questions, and you are open minded. That is a valuable skill set, and I am confident you will make us better. I am delighted to be able to work with you. Welcome, Vanessa. And finally, I want to welcome the new members of this body. Whether you are here the old fashioned way by getting your name on the ballot, or, if you waged a write in campaign, we are thrilled you are here. I hope you know what you signed up for! To all of the women and men who have agreed to serve, I say a heartfelt thank you from a grateful town. Your neighbors have entrusted you to act in good faith, and to work diligently in the best interests of the Town of Reading. I am confident you will do just that. And while we welcome new and returning colleagues, it is also important to acknowledge and thank an old friend. Let me take a moment to say a special thank you to John Arena who graced the Board of Selectmen for two terms. I served with John both here on the Selectmen, and on Finance Committee. He has served this town with distinction for many years in a myriad of volunteer positions, including coaching. He has a first-rate intellect and his ability to synthesize complex data into understandable nuggets was a valuable attribute. We all owe John a debt of gratitude. No one should doubt his commitment and love for the Town of Reading. Thank you, John. Friends, I started thinking about giving this address three weeks ago. If I had to describe then the state of the town in one word, I would say we were fatigued. This has been a long and grueling 12-18 months. Both overrides and the corresponding budget cycles were exhausting endeavors that dominated the body politic since the summer of 2016. But this year we have also endured a major fire which left dozens of our neighbors homeless, two bomb threats, and a natural gas failure which left dozens with no heat on the coldest nights of the year. The recent proliferation of racist and anti-Semitic graffiti has challenged us to engage in community wide discussions as we ponder proper responses and question what it means to be an open and welcoming community. But after some much needed rest and contemplation, I stand before you tonight re-energized and never more confident in our ability to ensure not only our fiscal stability, but our civic pride as a town that is the envy of all who observe. Some may think that the passage of the override was the only significant issue we undertook last year. It certainly seemed like it, especially the last four months. But we were busy elsewhere: 1. We implemented the first year of senior tax relief. 182 households received on average a 30% reduction to their property tax bill. This was paid for by homeowners and owners of commercial property. We expect participation to increase next year as the word gets out. We remain committed to do all we can to allow those seniors who helped build this town, age in place if they so choose. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center 2. We completed our housing production plan. We will continue to strive to reach our legal and moral obligation of 10% affordability of our housing stock. No less than five large projects have moved through the permitting stage through CPDC and the ZBA, and are ready to put shovels in the ground this year. Our efforts have been rewarded by the state as we have been given a safe harbor from 40b development until February of 2019. Only a handful of other towns in the Commonwealth have been granted such a waiver. This allows us to control the scope, design, and implementation of high density housing, and increase our leverage over developers who want to build here. 3. In October we hosted an Economic Development summit at the Library with Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash as the featured speaker. There, we introduced Reading to the development community, and let the world know in no uncertain terms that Reading was open for business. Over 75 people attended, including a number of developers, as we showcased the town as a place worthy of investment. 4. We completed our emergency management training and building security study. As we know from recent events we can never prepare or train enough. Building security will be an on-going topic going forward. The schools will be hosting a community-wide school safety forum on May 23rd, and building security will be a major part of our capital budget going forward. 5. We have completed a good chunk of revamping the Selectmen's operating policies. This is important as the public has a right to expect from its highest elected board, predictable and transparent operations, especially in the wake of what some have called a trust gap. So let's talk about the override. What will it do? What won't it do? And what did we learn? You, the voters of Reading, underwent an intense number of months of digesting data, attending community meetings, reading and writing millions of social media posts and letters to the editor, speaking, cajoling, persuading and maybe even arguing, with your neighbors. We undertook individual and collective soul searching about the town we want to live in. We came out in record numbers for a municipal election (43%) and overwhelmingly decided to invest in our town, our schools and ourselves. While relieved, we must be mindful and respectful of our neighbors who did not vote in favor. Living among us are folks who will struggle with this extra burden. We need to help those who need it. We are all by now familiar with what the passage of the override will help us achieve, and later this evening in the budget presentations, we will hear this in great detail. Now that our fiscal health and ability to deliver basic services is assured for the next few years, the town and the schools can focus on a more robust agenda for the future. The tenor of this meeting and this address would be so much different without your efforts. While we all have breathed a collective sigh of relief, the passage of the override is not a panacea. The town is not suddenly flush with cash. As you recall, the Town Manager and the Superintendent together proposed level service budgets that required about $5.OM of additions. These did not include other nice- to-haves. It only included what in their mind was needed to get us to level service. At a marathon meeting on January 30, we settled on $4.15M as the figure that accomplished the most with the best chance of passing. The need for future operating overrides is still here. Nothing about the results on April 3rd makes the annual challenges and structural deficits inherent in Prop 21/2 disappear. When revenue is capped and costs are not, at some point the reset button needs to be hit if you want to avoid drastic cuts. That has not changed. Our budgets will always be stressed. It is important to set these expectations. There are many lessons learned from this endeavor that I believe will have a lasting impact on how government operates-not only on future overrides but on all key decisions facing the town in the future. Here are three: 1. Don't assume. lust ASK! During override 1, we perhaps made decisions in a bubble. After hearing loud and clear that we did it wrong, we went back and asked, what did we do wrong? The Selectmen's survey was a critical component of getting to "yes" in April. There, 2200 respondents laid out the blueprint for success. In it, you told us what was needed to turn the necessary number of'no" voters into "yes" voters, and then more importantly, we listened. You said: make it smaller, ANNUAL TGWN MEETING Reading Memorial Nigh School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center show us where the money is going, show us where you cut, and tell us about other revenue. We also endured some pointed and perhaps deserved feedback in the comments section. You didn't hold back. Stinging? Perhaps. Necessary? Yes. 2. An Engaged Community is a better community. It was not surprising to me that 43% of the electorate turned out to vote. People never stopped caring about the town they live in. But most times, they are satisfied to relegate the decisions to others. But when a neighbor knocks on your door, or invites you to a coffee, or engages you at the soccer field, you will listen more. We, as the elected leadership, have a limited reach. You, the citizens, are far more adept at telling the story, making the case, and reaching your neighbors. You were clearly invested. 3. Don't make assumptions about your neighbors. Perhaps during Override 1, assumptions may have been made by the voters. "Only the elderly vote" or that "only folks with school age children care about schools," "if you voted no you are selfish." "The newcomers want to drive us out". I heard them all. The biggest takeaway for me as an elected official is that I firmly believe that when you lay bare all the facts for everyone to see, show all the numbers, and tell the whole story, even if you know it is something people don't want to hear, and may generate anger, voters will listen and make the right decisions. It's not for us to tell you what kind of town government you should have. Waiting fifteen years to pass an override because we were fearful of the outcome has had devastating consequences. We have all heard the term "trust gap." Maybe part of that gap is we didn't trust you to make the right decisions. Hopefully this campaign will fundamentally change the way town government interacts with you, the voters, and you with us. So What Now? There are a slew of issues coming before us in the next months which will require action and attention. Among these are: meeting with the housing authority to discuss preserving affordable housing, work with the Board of Health on a pesticides policy, review and adopt town wide personnel policies, discuss a public process for the Oakland Road property, continue contract negotiations with Comcast and Verizon, establishing a new master plan, and town manager goals for the next year, and finalizing plans for the water tower. But I want to focus on a couple of major issues which will fill our agenda this year. Economic Development and New Growth Expansion of the 40R smart growth district to include much of the downtown has and will continue to have a profound impact on the face downtown, and the health of our downtown business community. Thank you to Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios , her staff and volunteer boards for years of planning and now overseeing five major projects that will break ground in around the downtown in the next 12-18 months. The Postmark Square 40R, the Gould Street 40R, the Sunoco 40R in addition to the 40b at Lincoln Street which has broken ground and the 40B reuse at St Agnes collectively will add over $100M of private investment and over 200 new households within walking distance of the commuter rail and our downtown merchants. That's 200 new customers for Nick's Dry Cleaners, the Hitching Post, Pamplemousse, and Professors Market. New wayfinding signs which culminated from a grant that Community Development Director Julie Mercier wrote will help create a sense of place and arrival and make the businesses at Main and Have a destination rather than something you zoom past on your way to Stoneham or North Reading. All of the 40R projects will also include commercial and retail space, including restaurants, and outdoor seating, giving life during the day to downtown, when most of us leave town to go to work. The Sunoco project will also add three on street parking spaces. This growth, while exciting and providing opportunities will not come without its challenges. The impacts of construction, as well as the presence of high density housing spilling into residential neighborhoods, need to be carefully managed. The Select Board is committed to making these new neighbors, good neighbors. Similarly, we are also committed to ensuring the proposed 40B at Lakeview and Eaton is properly sized and that neighbors' concerns and input are heard before the project is approved. We will also engage on a downtown parking study, taking into account the new housing units which will be built. This new growth is imperative if we are to increase the percentage of our commercial tax base, currently the lowest among our peer communities. It will also give the override some legs. Currently we budget ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center about $550,000 of new growth annually. With known pipeline projects, our new growth figure will approach $1.014 during the next few years. This will hopefully sustain the override you so generously voted. Not all this growth is net. There will be added costs to service new residents and projects, but the net will be very positive relative to single family housing growth. The lion's share of the new housing is one and two bedrooms, targeted for millennials. We are in the process of hiring a new Economic Development Director to replace Andrew Corona who left when his wife was transferred for a new job. Andrew left us in a good place. Reading is now on the radar of the development community. His replacement will have as task one coordinating all the moving pieces of the potential DPW garage project. Volunteerism, Collaboration and Civic Discourse The last topic I want to touch on addresses not the "what" but the "how," and really defines the essence of how we should operate a modern day local government. Broadly speaking, I call this volunteerism, collaboration and civic discourse. In my travels I am often approached by citizens who say, "The town should do more of this", or the town should do "less of that". What is the town? "Who is the town?" Look up at this podium. There are twenty odd folks sitting up here, and only two draw a salary from the taxpayers. The "town" is us. The "town" is you. Reading has always enjoyed a robust volunteer spirit. There are over 40 volunteer boards or commissions consisting of over 150 volunteers appointed by our Board. There are countless other volunteer organizations working for the benefit of our town. One of the benefits of the override campaign is that it uncovered a new generation of leaders many of whom got involved for the first time. The mom I canvassed with is also an investment banker. The retiree holding a sign was also a former exec at an engineering firm. The point is, there are really talented and invested people living in town who have never been asked, and we are going to need all of you. You don't need an advanced degree, just a commitment and a love of service. I am asking you to consider putting your skills and commitment to work, as we look to fill the myriad positions on town boards. The issues we face in town are complicated and many of our resources are limited. Driving to Boston Saturday night for dinner, I counted no less than 15 construction cranes from the Zakim Bridge to the Seaport. Business is booming in Boston as we enter the eighth year of an economic recovery but our partners in the federal and state government have not shared the largess. Reading's share of the Governor's local aid budget increased a scant 1.8%. While I would welcome Betsy DeVos or Charlie Baker to join us tonight, I would like it better if they brought a check. Not likely. For better or worse, we are on our own. It means we have to do things differently now. Boards and Committees used to working in silos are going to have to come together. We all know the Senior Center and the Killam School need either massive renovations or to be rebuilt. We will be challenged to do both. Is a possible solution one multi-generational facility that serves both populations? If so, the Select Board and the School Committee will need to work together like they never have before. Imagine a campaign where seniors and parents of school age children work hand in hand on the same project. We all are grateful to the RMLD, not only for the reliable, low cost energy delivered in a customer friendly way, but for the almost $2.514 dividend it pays to the town each year. But we heard Monday that RMLD, in an age of conservation, is selling less power, while their fixed costs are increasing. How can the Select Board and the RMLD work together to assist RMLD develop other sources of revenue, thus, not only protecting our dividend, but enhancing our economic development efforts as a town with the lowest electric rates in the region? I think you get the point. To thrive, we are going to have to do business differently. We must pay more than lip service to the notion of working together. We are going to have to think out of the box. The Select Board has no monopoly on how to get this done. The "ideas window" is now open. We will work with each and all of you to come up with innovative and creative ways to move ahead. I know there is tremendous ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center talent and commitment within the 01867. Please come forward and apply for one of the many open positions we will advertise shortly, or join one of the dozens of other civic groups working in town. If you don't know exactly what you want to apply for, send in a resume anyway. We will find a spot for you. Some people have suggested that our local civic discourse has deteriorated over the last couple of election cycles, and that we have devolved into factions. Maybe that is true, but I don't think that's who we are. I believe all of us have the best interest of the Town of Reading in our hearts and minds. But maybe we don't trust that our neighbor does also. The override showed us that people who don't always agree will work together on a project that is in the best interest of the town. If we get people working together, trust will slowly build, and we will be better for it. To quote President Kennedy: "Civility is not a weakness." In the meantime, put down your device and talk to your neighbor face to face. You will find you have a lot in common. Thank you all very much for your love and commitment to the Town of Reading. I am tremendously proud and excited about what lays ahead for us. Now let's get to work. Finance Committee Report Peter Lydecker, Chair First, I want to thank the members of Yes for Reading, and especially Erin Gaffen and Michele Sanphy, for their hard work in getting out the vote in the recent override. I also want to thank the employees of the town and the elected boards for all their work in a long, sometimes grueling, budget season. As a result of your efforts, the voters of Reading showed their support for the needs of the town when they voted on April 3rd. I have a tax background, and I think I am pretty safe in saying almost no one wants to pay higher taxes. However, most will admit that local spending is where you see the greatest personal impact from your tax dollars. Local tax dollars are visible to all in the areas of public safety, schools, infrastructure and services provided to residents. One could argue that real estate taxes are unfair or regressive but it is still the primary way the Town of Reading has to raise the funds needed to provide the services to its residents. Property values in Reading and throughout the state have risen, often making it difficult for people that have owned their homes for many years to afford the property tax levied on the value of their home. Last year Reading attempted to decrease the impact on many of our senior citizens in town by reducing their property tax levy if they met the requirements. Though not perfect, it has helped to lessen the tax burden on many of the long term residents of the town. I have served on the Finance Committee for the past 5 budget seasons, I have seen firsthand that because of unfunded mandates at the state and federal levels, a significant portion of the increases in spending are outside of the town's control. With increases in health care cost, the need to fund pensions and other retirement benefits accrued by the town's employees over many years, coupled with a reduction in state aid, the limits on the town's property tax increases within the confines of Prop 2 1/2 constrain the town's ability to provide the services that are expected by our residents. A partial solution might be found at the state level through more state aide, but Massachusetts has its own issues, probably only solvable with an increase in the state income tax rate and a better and more reliable system of sharing with local cities and towns. For the foreseeable future, the town can only look to the property tax to fund the majority of its expenses. The voter's recent approval of an override of more than $4 million will allow the schools to restore teachers and programs that have or would have been cut, as well as increased staffing in public safety, the library and other town services where cuts would have otherwise been required. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center There will still be issues with the budget going forward, and the town's capital budget has several large items that will be needed in the near future. Everyone hopes that the recent override, coupled with new growth, will enable the town to provide the funds to support the necessary town services for several years before another override will be needed. For now at least, we can continue to fund the services and needs of the residents. Motion made by Vanessa Alvarado, Board of Selectmen to table Article 2 Motion Carried to Table ARTICLE 17: Motion made by the Finance Committee that the Town raise by borrowing, or from the tax levy, or transfer from available funds, and appropriate the sum of: $112.490,193 for the operation of the Town and its Government for Fiscal Year 2019, beginning July 1, 2018. Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item B99 (Benefits): $18,207,600 to be provided as follows: Line B99 - $1,200,000 from Free Cash; $ 400,000 from Overlay and the balance from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item C99 (Capital): $3,133,100 to be provided as follows: Line C99 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts. Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item D99 (Debt): $4,471,158 to be provided as follows: Line D99 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item E99 (Vocational Education): $415,000 to be provided as follows: Line E99 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item F99 (FINCOM Reserve Fund): $150,000 to be provided as follows: Line F99 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item G91 (Administration Services Wages): $1,428,725 and Line Item G92 (Administration Services Expenses): $1,491,350 to be provided as follows: Lines G91 and G92 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item H91 (Public Services Wages): $1,417,725 and Line Item H92 (Public Services Expenses): $355,700 to be provided as follows: Lines H91 and H92 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item 191 (Finance Wages): $721,250 and Line Item 192 (Finance Expenses): $152,950 to be provided as follows: Lines I91 and I92 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item 391 (Public Safety Wages): $10,724,775 and Line Item 192 (Public Safety Expenses): $527,200 to be provided as follows: Lines 191 and 192 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item K91 (Public Works Wages): $2,660,850 and Line Item K92 (Public Works Expenses): $829,100 to be provided as follows: K92 - $25,000 from the Sale of Cemetery lots to support Cemetery expenses; and the balance of Lines K91 and K92 from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item K93 (Public Works - Snow & Ice Expenses): $650,000; Line Item K94 (Public Works - Street Lighting Expenses): $160,000 and Line Item K95 (Public Works - Rubbish Collection & Disposal Expenses): $1,644,395 to be provided as follows: Lines K93, K94 and K95 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item L91 (Library Wages): $1,328,550 and Line Item L92 (Library Expenses): $365,965 to be provided as follows: Lines L91 and L92 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item M91 (Core Facilities): $2,999,275 to be provided as follows: Line M91 - $100,000 from School Rental Revolving Fund; and the balance of line M91 from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item M92 (Town Buildings): $314,400 to be provided as follows: Line M92 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item U99 (School Department): $44,860,275 to be provided as follows: Line U99 - from property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item W99 (Water Enterprise Fund): $6,356,475 to be provided as follows: Lines W99 - $550,000 from Water Reserves and the balance from user fees and other charges Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item X99 (Sewer Enterprise Fund): $6,502,150 to be provided as follows: Line X99 - $475,000 from Sewer Reserves and the balance from user fees and other charges Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget as presented for Line Item Y99 (Storm Water Enterprise Fund): $622,225 to be provided as follows: Line Y99 - $175,000 from Storm Water Reserves and the balance from user fees and other charges Move that the Town approve and appropriate the proposed FY 2019 Budget, exclusive of State and county assessments: $112,490,193 • Representing the total of all motions made under ARTICLE 17 as amended ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center • Funds are to be provided as set forth in said motions as amended Backaround: Please see the budget pages of this document for the full details of the FY 2019 Finance Committee Budget. Finance Committee Report - given by Peter Lvdecker: Please see Spending Scorecard of this document for the votes of the Finance Committee on line items in the FY19 budget. The Finance Committee recommends the subject matter of Article 17 as explained by these votes at their meeting on February 27, 2018. Bylaw Committee Report: No report Presentation given by: • Bob LeLacheur - See Attached • John Doherty - See Attached After some discussion a vote was taken Motion Carried as proposed Motion by Barry Berman, Board of Selectmen to take Article 10 off the table Motion Carried ARTICLE 10: Motion made by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote to amend Section 6.6.4 of the General Bylaw, establishing the Library Materials Replacement Revolving Fund as shown below, with additions being shown in bold and deletions being struck through: Library Mate:;a's••Rep.aeemen Fines and Fees Revolving Fund Funds held in the Library Mateim'._:_ Replaeement Fines and Fees Revolving Fund shall be used for the acquisition of library materials to replace lost and damaged materials, or for the maintenance, upkeep and supplies for supplementary fee-based services. aa9 Funds shall be expended by the Library Director under the supervision of the Library Trustees. Receipts credited to this fund shall include charges for lost and damaged library materials, and fees from printing, faxing or similar supplementary fee- based services. Background: During the course of a year, the Library recovers funds from patrons who have lost or damaged books or other materials. Previously, those funds went into the Town's General Fund and at the end of the year went into Free Cash. Once this Revolving Fund was adopted (beginning in FY 2010), those funds recovered from patrons for lost or damaged materials were available directly to the Library for expenditure to purchase replacement materials and processing supplies. The Library currently offers printing as a supplemental service and natural extension of our public computer and wifi services. The fees, $0.20 pp for black/white and $0.25 pp for color are minimal and necessary to maintain the printers, replace toner, and purchase paper so the Library can continue to offer this service. The print fees have averaged $3800 per year. However FY18 has seen over a 50% increase of use and, consequently, an increased need for toner and equipment service. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center Similarly, the Library provides a regularly used fax service that incurs both equipment and communications costs: therefore patrons are currently charged a fee of $1.00 pp. This service averages $1400 in fees. To more easily manage the collection and use of these fees, the Board of Library Trustees and the Library Director recommend rename and amend the current Materials Replacement revolving account to accommodate receipt and expenditure of fees from these current or future supplemental services such as printing and faxing. Finance Committee Report - given by Peter Lydecker: At their meeting on March 7, 2018 the Finance Committee voted 7-0-0 to recommend this Article to Town Meeting. Bylaw Committee Report - aiven by Paul Sylvester: At their meeting on March 12, 2018 the Bylaw Committee voted 4-0-0 to recommend this Article to Town Meeting. Presentation given by: • Sharon Angstrom - See Attached Motion Carried Motion by Barry Berman, Board of Selectmen to take Article 13 off the table Motion Carried ARTICLE 13: Motion made by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote to authorize the Superintendent of Schools, or a designee thereof, to enter into a contract or contracts for Digital Curriculum for a term in excess of three years but not to exceed six years, including any extension or renewal thereof or option under an existing contract, upon such terms and conditions determined by the Superintendent or designee to be in the best interests of the Town; provided, however, that, prior to executing a contract for a term in excess of three years, the Superintendent or designee shall certify in writing to the School Committee that such longer term will enable the Town to secure more favorable terms, considering price, expected useful life of the technology and any other relevant factors, that would otherwise be available under a contract with a three-year term; and provided further that any such contract with a total value in excess of $25,000 shall require the concurrence of the Town Manager. Backaround: In accordance with Chapter 30B of the Massachusetts General Laws, there is a three- year restriction on the length of leases or agreements that can be entered into by the School Department. Given the recent trend toward digital curriculum and the market pricing for three-year terms of service being high and longer terms (up to six-years) contracts being more reasonable, this Article is being brought forth to allow the Superintendent, or designee, to enter into leases for digital curriculum for up to six-years in length. Finance Committee Report - elven by Anne Landry: At their meeting on March 7, 2018 the Finance Committee voted 7-0-0 to recommend this Article to Town Meeting. Bylaw Committee Report: No report Presentation given by: • John Doherty - See Attached ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial Nigh School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center After some discussion a vote was taken Motion Carried Motion by Barry Berman, Board of Selectmen to take Article 15 off the table Motion Carried ARTICLE IS: Motion made by Community Planning and Development Committee that the Town vote to amend Section 6.0 Intensity Regulations of the Zoning Bylaw as shown below, with additions being shown in bold and deletions being struck through: 6.0 INTENSITY REGULATIONS No use shall be established, nor building or structure erected in any district unless it conforms to the dimensional regulations of the Zoning Bylaw. No existing lot, building or structure shall be changed in size or shape so that the height, area, yard or coverage provisions herein prescribed are exceeded. 6.1 General Requirements 6.1.1 Dimensional Requirements Dimensional requirements for all uses and buildings shall be as set forth in Section 6.3, the 'Table of Dimensional Controls." The letters "NA" in this table denote that specific dimensional controls are not applicable to a particular use. Additional requirements shall be as set forth in Sections 6.2 and 6.3. 6.2 Supplementary Requirements All buildings, structures and uses shall be subject to the following additional requirements: 6.2.1 Lot Shape 6.2.1.1 Minimum Lot Width Specified Any newly created lot in a Residential District for which a minimum lot width is specified shall satisfy the following requirements: a Each lot shall have, in addition to the required frontage, the required minimum lot width at all points between the required frontage and the nearest point on the front wall of any dwelling on such lot; and b The angles formed by the intersection of the side lot lines and the right-of-way providing the minimum frontage shall not be less than 45 degrees. 6.2.1.2 Minimum Lot Width Not Specified Any newly created lot in any Zoning District for which a minimum lot width is not specified shall satisfy the following requirement: The angles formed by the intersection of the side lot lines and the right-of-way providing the minimum frontage shall not be less than 45 degrees. feet,6-2-2 Lot Frontage in a Single Family 20 D stF at, the Fequ red Frentage shall be Feduced te met less than a ghty (89) feet i the StFeet 1 ne is a curve having a Fad us Of Bet More than twe hundmel (209) feet, and the let has a w Elth ef met less than one hundred twen", (120) measured at the reaF ef the Fequ .cu nus , ru u. 6.2.32 Yards ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High school April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center whieheyeF is gFeater. FOF the PUFpeses ef Sect on 6.2, f an adjaeent 'at 9 vacant, t shall be deemed te be 6.2.32.31 In Residence Districts, yard requirements shall not apply to projecting eaves, cornices, chimneys, steps, bow or bay windows, windowsills and belt courses that do not increase the gross Floor area of the building. have fFentage shall be twenty (20) feet for any build ng ether than a mult fam ly dwell W. 6-2.3.4 1 i an industF a' D str et, FeElaired front yards shall be five (5) feet feF eanepies eYeF any 6.2.34 Height 6-2.44 Maximum he ght regulat ans shall not apply to eh mneys, elevats�, peles, sp Fes, tanks, 6.2.34.13 In the Industrial District, a hotel or motel may have a maximum height of eighty-four (84) feet if the following conditions are satisfied: a , Nno hotel or motel building may cast an unacceptable shadow as determined by the CPDC based on stamped and sealed shadow studies submitted by the Applicant, on any building containing a dwelling unit in existence at the time of the building permit application; b Along a major street, the hotel or motel building shall be set back seventy f Ve a minimum of (75) fifty (50) feet or the he ght ef the bu ding, wh eheyeF S gFeatef, and a landscaped or naturally vegetated buffer at least fifty—(30) twenty (20) feet wide shall be provided along the major street, except where there are curb cuts.;and e The hotel er mete! bu Id ng shall be laeated an a let ef at least twenty five (25) aefes. 6.2.64 Gross Floor Area 6.2.54.1 In Apartment 40 and Business A Districts, the gross Floor area of a multi-family dwelling shall not exceed forty percent (40%) of the lot area. 6.2.54.2 In the Apartment 80 Districts, the gross Floor area of a multi-family dwelling shall not exceed the lot area. 6.2.65 Landscaped Area 6.2.65.1 In Apartment 40 and Business A Districts, not less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the area of a lot containing a multi-family dwelling shall be a landscaped area. 6.2.65.2 In Apartment 80 Districts, not less than thirty-five percent (35%) of the area of a lot containing a multi-family dwelling shall be a landscaped area. 6.2.76 Buildings Per Lot 6.2.76.1 In -' - -- - ether than the Apartment 80, and Business C, Industrial and PUD-I Districts, a lot may have more than one principal building. net meFe than eme pr me pal bu ld ng shall be eFeeted en a let, 6.2.76.2 Where two or more principal buildings are permitted on the same lot: ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center a T-4he • shall be located at leastst `i" "^` feet '^' l. minimum distance between the buildings shall be determined, at the discretion of the Building Inspector, as follows: 1 The total distance between the proposed building(s) and any proposed or existing building(s) on the lot is adequate to meet Building Code and Fire Code requirements, accounting for fire-rating and other fire prevention/suppression features; and 2 The Fire Department has sufficient access between the buildings. b The area between the buildings shall be maintained and kept clear by the property owner. 6.2.67 Upland Requirement Any portion of a lot lying within a delineated wetlands resource area, as determined by the Reading Conservation Commission, may be credited to the minimum lot area requirements set forth in Section 6.3 ^ems Zoning Bylaw only if the portion outside such wetlands resource area is of at least the following size: Zoning Minimum Area Outside of District Wetlands Resource Area Single Family 15 12,000 square feet Single Family 20 12,000 square feet Single Family 40 20,000 square feet 6.3 Table of Dimensional Controls Minimum Raquked 'mumMinimum ASM MInI"� Froin RegWrod Re ulna ll Naxlmum lot WhIth (Squen Events" Y+rdi BNN YYd Rear Yard. coverage Use Feet) Fat Faat Peat %or Lot One or Two Famll Dwellin In 5-15 District 6015 000 100 20 15 20 25 35 In s-20 Districts 80 20 000 120r 20 15 20 25 35 In s-40 Districts 1 80 1 40,000 1 200 1 20 1 15 20 25 35 In A-40 Districts 1 10,000 180 20 15 20 25 40 In Bus-A Districts I NA I NA 1 15' 1 10' 1 20° 1 25 45 Multi-Famliv Dwellin In A-40 Districts 40,000 80 30 30 30 25 40 In A-80 Districts 80,000 NA 60 60 60 12.5 60 In Bus-A Districts 40 000 NA 15 30 30 25 40 In S-15 Districts 100000+ 100 20 15 20 25 35 In S-20 Districts 100 000+ 120 20 15 20 25 35 In S-40 Districts 100000+ 200 20 15 20 25 35 In A-40 Districts 100000+ 80 20 15 20 25 40 In A-80 Districts 100000+ NA 20 NA NA NA 60 Hotel or Motel In Bus-A Districts NA NA 50° 10' 20' 60 45 In Bus-B Districts NA NA NA NA 1 20 85 45 In Bus-C Districts NA NA 30' 10° 10' 60 60' In Ind Districts NA NA 506°• 20° 20^ 6025 60*° Other Permitted Princi al Use In 5-15 Districts 15,000 100 20 15 20 1 25 35 In S-20 Districts 20 000 120 20 15 20 25 35 In S-40 Districts 40 000 200 20 15 20 25 35 In A-40 Districts 10 000 80 20 NA NA NA 40 In A-80 Districts 80 000 NA 20 NA NA NA 60 In Bus-A Districts NA NA 15° 10' 20' 60 45 In Bus-13 Districts NA NA I NA NA 20 85 1 45 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center Ii �lfilnMWM .Required Ma%Mwm ii Mbllmutn Area HlMmum R""*d Ntaalmum Vii... Lot Willits ( r r � ernrd RalMrattL In Bus-C Districts NA NA 1104 104 30' 60 55*s° In Ind Districts NA NA 20°..ED 20° 20' 60 60 Exempt Uses-School and Church In S-15 Districts 1 15,000 100 15 30 30 25 35 In S-20 Districts 20,000 120 15 30 30 25 35 In S-40 Districts 40,000 200 15 30 30 25 35 In A-40 Districts 10,000 80 NA 30 30 NA 40 In A-80 Districts 80,000 NA NA 30 30 NA 60 In BUS-A Districts NA NA 104 30' 30' 60 45 In BUS- B Districts NA NA NA 30 30 85 45 In BUS-C Districts NA NA 10' 304 30' 60 55 In Ind Districts NA NA 20°.°50 20'30 20°30 60 60 - ENEept as emvided A Seat an 6.2.1.2 of the Zen ng Bylawd. 1. In a*Residence Districts, Irrespective of the requirements set forth In hls Table, the required front yard for any building other than a multi-family dwelling shall be ten (10) feet or the average of the actual front setbacks of the buildings on the adjacent lots on either side, whichever is greater. For the purposes of Seetion-6.2this requirement, if an adjacent lot is vacant, it shall be deemed to be occupied by a building with a required front yard as specified In this Table. 2. Maximum height equlekienslimits shall not apply to appurtenances such as: chimneys, elevators, poles, spires, tanks,towers or similar structures not Intended to be used for human occupancy. 3. In a Single Family 20 Districts,the required frontage shall be reduced to not less than eighty (80)feet if the street line Is a curve having a radius of not more than two hundred (200)feet, and the lot has a width of not less than one hundred twenty (120)feet, measured at along the rear of the required front yard. 4. In Business A and C Districts,the required yard measured from en a street which is not designated as the front lot line hall be twenty (20)feet for any building other than a multi-family dwelling. * S. Fifty-five (55) feet, except ninety-five (95)feet if the structure is located within four hundred (400)feet of the property line adjacent to Route 128, as the property line exists on May 1, 2000, including ramps, and south of Jacob Way and excluding areas within two hundred (200)feet of the residential zoning district to the west, all as more specifically shown on a plan entitled: "Plan Showing Height Limitation and Setback Areas, Business C District in Reading, Mass.," dated March 27, 2000, Scale I" = 60', by Hayes Engineering, Inc., on file with the Reading Town Clerk. 6. Where an Industrial District lot directly adjoins another Industrial District lot,the applicable Required Side Yard or Required Rear Yard where the adjacency occurs can be reduced or eliminated, at the discretion of the Building Inspector, If the following conditions are met: a. The total distance between the proposed building(s) and existing building(s) on adjacent lots is adequate to meet Building Code and Fire Code requirements, accounting for fire-rating and other fire prevention/suppression features; and b. The Fire Department has Sufcient access between the proposed building(s) and existing building(s) on adjacent lots. The area(s) between any proposed building(s) and the lot lines) shall be maintained and kept clear by the property owner. 7. Except as provided in Section 6.2.3.1. S. In an Industrial District, the Rrequlred Ffrorit Yyards shall be five (S) feet for canopies over any drive-through facility. 6.4 Special Cases 6.4.1 Transitional Areas The following additional requirements shall apply to buildings in Business A; or Business B and Districts located within one hundred fifty (150) feet of a Residence District;, and buildings in a Business C District located within one hundred (100) feet of a Residence District; and to buildings In Industrial Districts whose lots share a lot line with a Residence District: ANNUAL TowN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center 6.4.1.1 Table of Additional Dimensional Controls for Transitional Areas District Distance From Residence District Required Yards Front Fast Side Feet Rear Feet Business A and B Sharing a lot line with 510 NA Within 150 feet 5 NA NA Business C Within 100 feet 5 NA NA Industrial Sharing a lot line with NA +0950 44050 Wmthrn 150 fee I 4A I 444 1 100 11I in an indUStFal D StFet, the _ rear yaF ,rn, feet . h.._.. .he let 6.4.1.32 In an Industrial District, as part of all new construction of any building, parking lot, structure, or any extension or addition to a preexisting building, parking lot or structure on a lot that is lecated shares a lot line with or is across a street from a w thin are hundred Fifty (150) feet ef any Residence District, a buffer strip with a minimum depth and visual screen is required and may include any combination of the following at the discretion of the CPDC: landscaping, fencing, or other structures. to be estabI shed subjeet te the f49Il6WiHg Fequ Fements! a Saidbuffer _ _ _ shall have _ twelve feet m _ mum depth and eentain a _b . e prevent park Fig W th R the StFip, a 9 3( (6) feet h gh fence wh eh shall be leeated a max mum ef-4 - the fenee L'_L ._ be at east .L_.... (3) feet in 6. ght at the .'..n.. of plant Ag and a 11 _._.i de a year reand Elerse visual seFeen and atta n a height ef at least seven (7) feet within F ve years ef planting. IS Sa El bd*eF Strip shall be SenStFIReted along the full abutt Fig length ef any Residenee P 94 at lots se 6.4.1.3 In an Industrial District, as part of all new construction of any building or any extension or addition to a preexisting building, on a lot that shares a lot line with a Residence District, any building wall facing a Residence District shall be stepped back such that the maximum building envelope is bounded by a line projected from the property line at a 3 to 5 ratio. FIGURE bx%% 6.4.1.4 In the Business C District, all new construction of any building, parking lot, structure, or any extension or addition to a preexisting building, parking lot or structure shall be subject to the following requirements: a No building shall be located within one hundred (100) feet of a Residence District. b There shall be a landscaped buffer strip of a minimum width of twenty-five (25) along the full abutting length of a Residence District. Said buffer shall be a densely planted staggered double row of a seventy/thirty (70/30) mixture of evergreen/deciduous trees. Plant material shall be such that a minimum of seven (7) feet in height is reached within the first five (5) years of planting. Plant material shall be maintained in a healthy condition or replaced to attain previously noted height. Buffer edge shall be planted a minimum of two (2) feet off of the property line abutting residential property. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center c No parking area shall be located within twenty-five (25) feet of the Residence District, and no parking area or building shall be allowed in Restricted Area "A" as shown on the plan entitled: "Plan Showing Height Limitation and Setback Areas, Business C District in Reading, Mass.", dated March 27, 2000, Scale 1" = 60', by Hayes Engineering, Inc., on file with the Reading Town Clerk." d Maximum Allowable Development - Senior Housing and Townhouses. The plan entitled: "Business C Planning Subdistricts", dated October 2, 2007, on file with the Building Inspector and the Town Clerk, and incorporated herein by reference, establishes four (4) Planning Subdistricts within the Business C District. The boundaries of a Planning Subdistrict may be modified by the CPDC based upon Site Plan Review applications submitted by the landowner or its agents for proposed developments within the Business C District. Within such Planning Subdistricts, the following restrictions shall be applicable: 1 Townhouses shall be permitted only within Planning Subdistrict A and shall be limited to no more than sixteen (16) dwelling units. 2 Age-restricted dwellings, assisted living facilities and nursing homes shall be permitted only in Planning Subdistricts B and D; provided, however that (a) no more than one hundred sixty (160) units shall be permitted in any Planning Subdistrict, (b) no more than three hundred ten (310) units shall be permitted within the entire Business C District, and (c) no more than two (2) Planning Subdistricts may contain age-restricted dwellings, assisted living facilities or nursing home units. 3 Within any Planning Subdistrict, an increase of one hundred sixty thousand (160,000) square feet in the total authorized gross floor area of all office or other allowed principal uses shall be permitted; provided, however, that the amount of such increase shall be reduced by one thousand (1000) square feet for each age-restricted dwelling, assisted living or nursing home unit constructed within the Planning Subdistrict. e For purposes of determining compliance with the foregoing requirements and the height limitations set forth in Table 6.3, all yards and buffer areas shall be measured from the boundary line between the Business C District and the adjoining 5-20 District and the 5-15 District. 6.5 Landscape Standards 6.5.1 Appropriate landscaping and design shall be incorporated into new nonresidential development and redevelopment projects within nonresidential districts and into new multi-family dwelling projects. Landscape design plans shall be prepared by a registered landscape architect; provided, however, that the CPDC may accept a plan prepared by one other than a landscape architect if it believes the plan meets the landscaping standards of this Section and is in concert with the intent thereof. Wherever possible, naturally occurring vegetation shall be incorporated into the landscape plan, which shall show the limits of work, existing tree lines, and all proposed landscape features and improvements including screening, planting areas, size and type of stock for shrubs and trees, and proposed erosion control measures. 6.5.2 Side yards required by the Intensity Regulations set forth in Section 6.0 of the Zoning Bylaw shall be landscaped. Such side yards shall be planted with a combination of grass, shrubs of appropriate height and shade trees. If there is not an adequate amount of side yard area to landscape, a fence may be allowed as an alternative; provided, however, that chain link fencing shall not be permitted. No parking area or driveway shall be allowed within such side yard. 6.5.3 Exposed storage areas, machinery, garbage dumpsters, service areas, truck loading areas, utility buildings, and structures shall be screened from the view of abutting properties and streets using plantings, fences, and other appropriate methods. 6.5.4 A landscaping maintenance plan shall be prepared and submitted as part of the landscape design plan. All landscaped areas shall be properly maintained. Any tree or shrub that dies shall be replaced within one (1) growing season. Replacement trees or shrubs shall be of similar type and size to what was approved as part of the original approval. 6.5.5 Trees are to be planted where necessary, as determined by the CPDC. Trees shall be well- rooted nursery-grown stock, free of injury, harmful insects, and diseases. They shall be well-branched, ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center and the branching structure shall be sound. Trees shall be planted only after April 15 and before September 30. The Tree Warden DipeeteF ef the Ferestrt Div son shall approve any planting outside of those dates. 6.5.6 No more than 50 percent (50%) of the trees, approved to be planted, shall be of any one species and no less than 25 percent (25%) of the total trees planted shall be of any one species. Trees shall be chosen from a list provided by the Tree Warden , unless an alternative is specifically approved by the CPDC. 6.5.7 Trees along a public way shall be spaced at intervals of fifty (50) feet; provided, however, that no trees shall be planted within fifty (50) feet of an intersection or future intersection. Trees on one (1) side of a street may be set either opposite or diagonally to trees on the opposite side. Trees shall be planted two and a half (21/2 ) feet behind the sidewalk or six (6) feet behind the gutter line and always within the right-of-way. The location of all the proposed trees must be reviewed by the ^'---teF of the Ferestq-Bivisien-Tree Warden on site and approved prior to installation. 6.5.8 The minimum acceptable size of tree to be planted along a public way shall be three (3) inch trunk caliper at four (4) feet above the grade. At the time of delivery, the Gifeeter of the FeFestry DivisienTree Warden must approve the proposed trees. Evergreen trees shall be at least eight (8) feet tall at the time of planting. 6.5.9 Specifications for planting operations and for support stakes, guy wire and cable, ground anchors, hose, and strapping material shall be as specified in the American Standard Specifications for Nursery Stock published by the American Association of Nurserymen. or take any other action with respect thereto. Background: This proposed amendment to the Zoning Bylaw is designed to allow more flexibility for development and growth on industrially zoned-lots, especially those that are directly adjacent to other industrially zoned-lots. In addition, some existing regulations were moved to Table 6.3 and clarified for ease of use of the bylaw. Finance Committee Report: No report Bylaw Committee Report: No report Community Planning and Development Committee Report - given by Tony D'Arezzo: On Monday January 22, 2018 the Community Planning and Development Committee convened to hold a public hearing on the purposed Article 15. All documents were made available on the Town website, the public hearing was held to provide an opportunity for comment and to determine whether the provisions of the purposed Zoning Bylaw amendment should be included in the warrant for potential adoption by the Town. The January 22, 2018 public hearing was opened at approximately 7:30 PM Any comments heard at the public hearing was included as part of the record of the hearing. On February 12, 2018 the hearing was closed. The Community Planning and Development Committee voted 5-0-0 to recommend Article 15 to Town Meeting. Presentation given by: Tony D'Arezzo - See Attached Motion made by Angela Binda, Precinct 5 to amend as follows: 6.2.34.12 In the Industrial District, a hotel or motel may have a maximum height of eighty-four (84) feet if the following conditions are satisfied: ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center an ., p.m. .. F:ebFuaFy 21 te GetebeF 21, Nno hotel or motel building may cast an ueaeeeptablany shadow as determined by the CPDC based on stamped and sealed shadow studies submitted by the Applicant, on any building containing a dwelling unit in existence at the time of the building permit application; Motion Does Not Carry Motion made by Tom Grant, Precinct 4 as follows: 6.2.76.2 Where two or more principal buildings are permitted on the same lot: a The . minimum distance between the buildings shall be determined, at the discretion of the Building Inspector, as follows: Motion Carried Motion made by lames Maughan, Precinct 4 as follows: 6.2.34.1:2 In the Industrial District, a hotel or motel may have a maximum height of eighty-four (84) feet if the following conditions are satisfied: a , Nno hotel or motel building may cast an unacceptable shadow as determined by the CPDC based on stamped and sealed shadow studies submitted by the Applicant, on any building or lot containing a dwelling unit in existence at the time of the building permit application; Motion Carried 2/3rd Vote Required 125 Voted in the affirmative 1 Voted in the negative 153 Town Meeting Members in Attendance After some discussion a vote was taken Motion Carried ARTICLE 18: Motion made by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote, pursuant to Section 2-6 of the Reading Home Rule Charter, to declare the seats of certain Town Meeting Members to be vacant and remove certain described persons from their position as Town Meeting Members for failure to take the oath of office within 30 days following the notice of election or for failure to attend one-half or more of the Town Meeting sessions during the previous year. Background: The Reading Home Rule Charter provides for the removal of Town Meeting members who attend less than one-half of the sessions through this required Article: ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 26, 2018 Performing Arts Center "... If any person elected as a Town Meeting Member fails to attend one-half or more of the total Town Meeting sessions within one year preceding the most recent Annual Town Election, his seat may be declared vacant by a majority vote of the Town Meeting. The Board of Selectmen shall place an Article on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant to remove any such Town Meeting Member from office. At least seven (7) days prior to the Annual Town Meeting, the Town Clerk shall notify any such Town Meeting Member that he may be removed from office, provided, however, that such notice shall be deemed adequate if mailed postage prepaid to the Town Meeting Member's last known address ..." Total of 2 Town Meetings resulting in 6 evenings of attendance Listed below are those who attended less than 3 evenings First Last Precinct Name Middle Name Term Total Precinct Vote 1 Michelle Grenier Mini 2019 2 Remove from List - Remain a TM Member 2 Sean P Kelly 2019 0 Remain on List - Remove from TM 4 Robert M Connors 2019 1 Remain on List - Remove From TM 6 Michael Allen Mandell 2019 0 Remove from List - Remain a TM Member 82 Town Meeting Members had perfect attendance in 2017 Motion Carried as Amended Barry Berman, Board of Selectmen moved to adjourn the 2018 Annual Town Meeting adjourn sine die at 10:21 PM with 153 Town Meeting Members in attendance. Motion Carried Town of Reading FY19 Budget Town Meeting April 23, 2018 s P Itttt� Itttt� FY19 Budget Warrant Report Budget votes (see p.49) Overview pages 3049 Shared Costs pages 50-54 lines B99 to F99 8 203-211 Town Government pages 55-103 lines G91 to M92 School Department pages 104-190 line U99 Enterprise Funds pages 191-201 lines W99 to Y99 1 Overview - Reserve Status April 2018 FREE CASH July 1,2017 $ 8,569,349 • April TM(FY 18 transferal 300,000 • April TM(Proposed for FY19) 4 1,200,D00 $ 7,069,349 GENERAL STABILIZATION FUND $ 1,584,336' FINCOM Reserves $ 150000 TOTAL $ 8,803,685 is 9.2%of estimated$96 million FY19 net available revenue (revised for Overdde);FINCOM Policy is 7%minimum -total excludes funds designated for specific puww 81• � Free Cash Ten Year Actual History Projected out 3 Years Li eom a,aa u® umo nre ruoo vas naw i m I POIE$a$pflpYlBeanuTe El fcn rrre,ro,aMnvdZEf a'mAbnin FyfEueµtlgn Sl]mFvnnMweln FYfiM 2 Regeneration of Reserves • Receive more revenues than expected _ — Last six years range from+$l mil to+$1.8mil; — State Aid, new growth and excise taxes vary widely; — Known one-time variances are ignored in forecast • Spend less expenses than budgeted Average recent sources: -Town Government 63% -Schools 18% -Shared Costs&other 19% • Combination is called 'regeneration' $1 million assumed minimum—serves as basis for spending that much Free Cash to balance annual budgets Pages 30-34 FY19 Projected General Fund Revenues (millions) Prop $66.51 $68.61 +3.2% $72.76 +9,4% Taxes Local Rev 7.03 7.28 +3.6% State Aid 14.11 14.46 +2.5% Trf&Avail 3.95 4.04 +2.2% Sub Total $91.60 $94.39 +3.0% $98.54 +7.6% Reserves 1.20 1.20 0% TOTAL $92.80 $95.59 +3.0% $99.74 +7.5% 3 FY19 Spending Scorecard Pages 48-49 SI,ereU 5241]1,362 j35,56),6p8 r56% j26,3]6,659 K.t% T—Govt 25,929,90] 825,568710 +25% 27772110 +7.1% S 1. 41,401661 54Z)23,025 +32% 44W,275 +8.4% Gen.Fund 5911603.930 $4,659,. N]% 588,0%,50 +6.2% Van. 6166665 6,345975 +24% 6,356,475 +25% 'S., 62.$ . 6,491,650 +36% 6502,1W HO% Sloan Wmer ds/800 622,225 +33.0% 622215 +33.6% Ent Funds 512,@.685 613,48elea M3% Sll,4$,650 +4.3% TOTAL $105,4N,616 $I"Xk1$ I.M S112,WA93 q]% "Nate FY190Jor Wafer and Sewer reJkn shared clerk+S10,500 each Pages 49-54 Shared Costs &203-211 B99 `Benefits $16,496,047 $18,207,600 +10.4% C99 'Capital 2,259,400 3,133,100 +38.7% D99 Debt 4,880,915 4,471,158 -8.4% E99 Voke Schools 386,000 415,000 +7.5% F99 FINCOM Reserves 150,000 150,000 0% Shared Costs $24,172,362 $26,376,858 +9.1% 'additional funds,rom Override 4 Pages 5051 Benefits (Line B99) Employee& Retiree Benefits $18,207,600 +10A% Retirement $ 4,505,850 + 5.2% Medicare $ 900,000 + 13.9% 'HeaBh Insurance $ 12,226,750 + 12.5% Worker Compensation $ 325,000 + 5.2% Indemnification $ 110,000 + 4.8% Unemployment $ 140,000 + 0% 4nchWes+$601,750Jrom Override,placed.Health lha orre(lwnaw) Pages 52-54 FY19 Capital (C99) & Debt (D99) Pages 203-211 Proposed Capital spending $3,133.100 +38.7% $ 357.5k 'Permanent Building Committee funding $ 680k School Facilities $ 570k Town Facilities $ 2551, School&Town technology projects $ 100k Assessment of dowrdown infrastructure improvements $ 15k Playground improvements $ 96.61, Public Safety vehicles and equipment $ 6001, Road and sidewalk repairs $ 2001, School she safety improvements $ 50k Parking lot and fence improvement, $ 1751k Wood chipper $ 34k Engineering vehicle IFINCOM Poficv:a minimum of 5% 0 ae sent on eaplf it+deal Ride the tax kW 'mdader the 3+107,SOOincreaseffom the Override Pages 52-54 FY19 Capital (C99) & Debt (D99) Pages203-211 Debt service $4471158 -64% debt premiums paid $ 12,325 within levy $1,514,551 School bo d,,IMects $ 945,988 NI wdd"S-em" $ 408.60 Roadway lmpovemenls It 159.900 excluded from the levy $2.944,282 Schools(enaa 2024) $1.418.182 ❑b.a uae da 2025) $1,528.100 Vocational Education (Line E99) Page 54 & FINCOM Reserves (Line F99) Vocational Education $415,000 +7.5% This figure annually estimates enrollment, and sometimes needs to be amended at a future Town Meeting. FINCOM Reserves $150,000 unchanged 6 all Town Government Overview Pages 56-103 -® -� Admin $1 +1.9% E108k $2,920,075 +5.1% Services Public 1,550,959 +3.6% 521, 1 77342 +5.8% Services Finance 805,050 +2.4% 501, 874,200 +8.6% Public 10,074,925 +3.3% 8455k 11.251,976 +117% Safety Public 5,78,075 +2.$% 47.5k 5,944,345 +3.1% Works Public 1,540,883 +28% 102sk 1894.515 +9A% Library Facilities 2,997,180 +0.1% none 2,999.275 +0.1% CORE Facilities 299,935 +4.9% none 314,400 +4.8% T. TOTAL $25,929,907 +2.5% 61,203.51, $27,]]2,210 +7,1% Administrative Services +5.1% Pages 56-60 Wages (G91)and Expenses (G92) Wages$1,428,725 (+9.9%) Expenses $1,491,350 (+0.9%) Wages+2.6%run rate;+2.2%all+5.1%Override Three scheduled elections compared to one in FY18 New Software Training Coordinator position(0) Expenses-1.8%ran rate;+2.7%Override A°d5ional HR Training for Organization(0) Additional technology replacerserd(0) Public Services +6.8% Pages 61-68 Wages(H91)and Expenses (H92) Wages 1 17 725(+10A%) Expenses 355 700 (5.5%) Wages+6.3%run rale;+4.1%Override Full time support staff position in Admin division replaced with full time junior planning position to provide higher level of customer service at the counter Additional hours added for Building Inspection division Further additional hours added for Building Inspection division(0) Additional hours added for Human and Elder Services Admin(0) Expenses-5.5% • Expense reduction is driven by some cost cutting and lower spending on Veteran's Benefits Finance +8.6% Pages 69-70 Wages (191) and Expenses (192) Wages $721,250 (+9,9%) Expenses $152,950 (+2.7%) Wages+2.3%run rale;+7.6%Ovamde Addition of Assistant Town Accountant position(0) Senior tax relief program was completed without adding any additional staff Maintain Regional Assessing arrangement with Wakefield • Fiduciary independence of Accounting,Assessor and Finance functions challenge because of overlap and shared staff.Many peer communities have deeper staffing and separate these responsibilities. Expenses+2.7%run rate 8 Public Safety +11.7% Page 71 Wages(J91)and Expenses (J92) Wages $10.724.775 (+11.8%) Expenses $527.200(+9.1%) Police $5,433,650 +13.5% Pages 72-81 Fire/EMS $5,218,550 +10.7% Pages82-87 Dispatch $ 599,775 + 4.2% Page 88-89 Wages+3.4%run rete,+8.4%Override Expenses+0.9%run rate,+8.2%Override Police Pages 72-81 Wages$5,144,950(+13.8%) Expenses$288,700(+B.2%) Wages+4.1%run rate;+9.7%Override Addition of 5 police officers(0) Increase Ovedime and Training by$30k(0) • SRO will be in place from existing staff by August 2018 Expenses+1.7%run rate;+6.5%Override Expense increase driven by cost to outfit 5 new officers(0) RCASA grant reduces wage costs,$118,400 grant shown as offset RCASA grant reduces expenses,$6.600 grant shown as offset 9 Fire and EMS Pages 82-87 Wages$5,004,050(+10.7%) Expenses$214,500(+12.3%) Wages+2.6%run rete;+8.1%Override Addaion of 4 Firefighters(0) Oventme increased by$461,(0) Expenses+0.8%run rale+11.5%Override • Expense increase driven by cost to outfit 4 new firefighters(0) • Increase in ALS medical supplies related to expansion of treatment options, increase in call volume and complexity and pricing Increases • Ambulance revenues have increased to almost$800,000 and 100%flows to the general fund for use by both the School and Town departments Dispatch Page 88-89 Wages$575,775(+4.7%) Expenses$24,000(5.9%) Increases to wage line reflect some training time changes under negotiation through collective bargaining Grant shown as offset to wages and expenses previous additions of ovemight staffing has reduced OT • No impact from Override 10 �4 OEM Public Works +3.1% total Pages 90-95 Division Wages (K91) and Expenses (K92) Wages2 6�, 60,950 (+5.7%) Expense$829.100(-1.9°h) Wages+3.9%run rate;N.9%Override Additional support staff hours(increased by Override) Addition of$26k for highway temp Increase in Engineering wages reflects collective bargaining effort and management's need to fill vacant positions in strong local construction economy. E)Venses-7.9% • Expenses trimmed,no impact from Override Public Works Page 94-95 Snow& Ice (K93) Snow& Ice funding increased to$650,000 (+4.0%) ,a4mo V 9999 � � � Nl; aaaaa � Probably'underfwMed on purpose:why eliminate teachers&public safety in can "haw a light winter(Fy12&Fyi&)7 )) Mir Public Works Page 95 Street Lights(K94)and Rubbish(K95) Street Lighting$160.000(-11.1%) Rubbish $1.644.395(+3.0%) Ten year Solid Waste CollecgorvReryding contract signed just in time (thankfully)as the market is in chaos with a large vendor withdrawing,leaving some communi ies without the service and others susceptible to high renewal rates.We looked in+3%annually for the ten years. Public Library +9.4% Pages 96-98 Wages (1-91) and Expenses (1-92) Wages $1,328,550 (+9.6%) Expenses $366,9660 (+8.9%) Wages+l.8%win rate;+7.8%Overrule • Restorationincrease for Sunday hours(0) Addition of part time support staff position(0) Staff turnover has caused some wage budget savings Expenses+2.2%run rate+6.7% Revised materials budget(14.1%)complies with 13%Municipal Appropriation Requirement but is below what the Trustees would prefer 15%(0) 12 Facilities +4.9% Pages 99-103 CORE Facilities (M91)and Town Buildings (M92) CORE 2 999 275 (+0.1%) Town Bldgs$314,400 (+4.8%) Po9es 99-103 page 103 No impact from override • Recall that a third portion of this department is voted as part of the overall School Budget:School Buildings$1.316422(+7A%)paga9156-157 • CORE no staffing level changes Maintenance and Custodian staff wages are subject to collective bargaining, and are budgeted as shown because the town intends to discuss changes to PTO benefits received while considered School employees A new expense line for ice mea drives the 31.2% mist.exp.Increase Town building cleaning services are outsourced due to lack of in-house resources,this line mem is up 16.9%over prior year ®� Pages 116-198 School Department 13 Enterprise Funds Pages 191-193 Overview • Current Reserves well over 10%target • Excess Reserves help manage rete increases • MRA assessments are about 50%of combined W&S budgets • Suggested Reserve usage through FY21 will keep rates-+5%to+6% - FY19 rates set by vote of BOS are as kllows' Wear+px aewar cox • Storm Water S6plbouaeM1dd(upfrom Sx9lM1puaehp10) — Signifiwnt infrastructure required in 10-year capital plans: Water $29 mllllon • Sewer $13 million • Smrm Water Sbmillion Water Enterprise Fund Pages 194-196 (Wg9) Rates+0% • Wages+9.1%addition of 0.5 FTE cleric support plus an increase to long term seasonal staff(0.25 FTE related to Override) • Overhead expanses+6.3%(+4.9%pension&health insurance estimate) Operating expenses 5A%(successful conservation efforts lowered future requirements) • Support to general fund costs+2.5% Capital&Debt planned at M% = Total Lowl costs+3.9% MWRA assessment preliminary.0.6% = Gross budget+2.4% • Use&550k Reserves to offset some wpitalldebt costs = Nat budget+1.76% 14 Sewer Enterprise Fund Pages 197-199 (x99) Rates+0% • Wages+20%addition of.5 FTE support staff(0.25 FTE related to Overtide), more OT and promotion of Laborer to Skilled Laborer Overhead expenses+5.9%(+5%pension 8 health insurance estimate) • Operating expenses.13.7%(capital expenditures has reduced some operating costs) • Support to general fund costs+15% CaDmil 8 Debt planned at 45% Total Local costs 3.55% • MWRA assessment Pmliminary+53% = Grass budget+2.8% • Use$475k Reserves to offset some capital/debt costs Net budget+2.6% Storm Water Enterprise Fund Pages 200-201 (Y99) Rates$60/residential SF home(620 increase) Wages+2.4%no changes in staffing Overhead expenses+6.34%(+4.8%pension 8 health insurance estimate) Operating expenses unchanged • Support to general fund costs+2.5% • Caoital8 Debt Planned at+60% Total Local costs+27.95% • Use$175k Reserves to offset some capital costs Net budget+43.4% FUTURE _>Federal regulations impact—unknown but forecast very high for state _>Local Infrastructure-3 projects(sea Capital Plan on page 201) 15 Town Meeting-April 26, 2018 FYig School Committee Budget Presentation Summary of FYig School Department Budget Aligned with goals, mission, and vision of the Reading Public Schools $44,860,275 budget(includes override budget of$2,237,250) ncludes retention of 22.o FTE Staff(20.o FTE Teachers) 7.6 IFTE Middle School Teachers (Override Budget) 3.o FTE Elementary School Teachers (Override Budget) • 2.o FTE Elementary Tutor(Override Budget) • Includes the restoration of 6.o FTE Staff from previous years • 5.o FTE High School Teachers (Override Budget) • 2.o FTETechnician (Override Budget) J/lY/LVL. Summary of ■ Department ■ 1 Includes• • • • • FTE Staff Positions) * 2.o FTE Curriculum ■ •(Override •Budget) (Override* .5 FTE Assistant Director of Special Education e FTE RISE Preschool Teacher for new Subseparate Classroom r FTE RISE Preschool Paraeclucators for new Subseparate Classroom * 3.0 FTE Special Education Paraeducators for Special Education Programs * 1.0 FTE Kindergarten Teacher based on enrollment increases (partially funded from kinergarten revolving account) ar IFTE Kindergarten Paraeclucators based on enrollment increases (partially funded from kindergarten revolving account) • AdditionalExpenses (Override• Curriculum Updates and Renewals Computer• TeacherTraining(Override Budget) • Classroom (Override •' Restoration• (Override• • Department • " i dg ' chool Department Override Items Wage Expense Total etain To FTE Middle School Teachers-retains middle school model $ 500,000 s - $ 500,000 estore S.o FTE High School Teachers s 350,000 $ - $ 350,000 etain 3.o FTE ElementaryTeachers-retains class sizes(mid-2o's) $ 242,000 $ - $ 242,000 etain 2.0 FTE Regular Education Tutor(retain elementary tutor hours) $ 20,000 $ - $ 20,000 alary Adjustments(retaining and attracting staff) $ 360,00o $ - $ 360,000 urriculum Updates and Renewals $ - $ s5o,000 $ 250,000 eacherTraining for Science,ELA,Math(K-8) $ - a 75,000 $ 75,000 Ad ,.o FTE K-6 Math/Science Curriculum Coordinator $ 95,000 $ - s 95,000 cid 2.o FfE K-6 ELA/Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator $ 95,000 s - $ 95,000 estore 2.0 FfE Computer Technician S 57,000 $ - $ 57,000 lassmom Computer Replacement s - $ 50,000 $ 50,000 ddo.5 FTE Special Education Team Chair $ 49,050 $ - $ 49,250 estructure o.5 FTE RISE Preschool Director/Assistant Director for Special Education $ 70,000 $ - s 70,000 estore Athletics Schedule-restore 2 non-league games and Elementary Chorus $ . $ 25,000 $ 25,000 $2,837,250 $ 300,000 $2,237,250 District Priorities for FYig • Four Focus Areas • Closing the Achievement Gap • Literacy • Mathematics Instruction • Social Emotional Learning • Class sizes in K-z (i8-22 students) • Middle school interdisciplinary model • Ensuring that RMHS Juniors and Seniors have access to -- ---coursework for graduation - Joshua Eaton School Improvement Plan Process General Fund Expenditures by Cost Center Administration Regular Day Special Education School Facilities Districtwide Pro rams Grand Total J/lY/CVl. FYiq Budget Breakdown Accommodated/Non-Accommodated Approved FV4g FV'1g SchoolExpenses FY'18 Balanced % Merride 184%%School Exp enses(Accommodated) 4.011.670 s 4.czo.8a4 10.2% s 4.c0o 814 Total School Expenses s 41,401,661 s 40,703,026 31% f 44,860,076 OF BUDGET Financial Drivers - FYig Budget Expenses: • All salary and benefit obligations to represented and non-represented employees. All five collective bargaining agreements are ending this year and the School Committee is negotiating new agreements with each collective bargaining unit. • Increases in regular day mandatory transportation(for students in Grades K-6 who live over a miles from their school). • Increases in special education out of district tuition and transportation as a result of an increase in the number of students in out of district placements and an increase in the number of students who require specialized transportation. • Restored the following expenses from FY18 • sioo,000 in building based budgets s5o,000in district wide.technology replacement s98,000 in Substitute Teaching line items 9 Financial Drivers - FYig Budget (continued) • Increases in athletic expenses, including an increase in contractual coaches salaries, rental fees for pool and ice and athletic transportation. • Increase in third year of contractual cleaning services at RMHS. -. -Renewal of our anti-virus protection and other technology software services. Grants and Revolving Accounts: • Decrease of$200,000 in the state circuit breaker reimbursement program for special education based upon current projected reimbursement rate of 65%(decrease from historical reimbursement rates of 70%-72%). • Reduction of sioo,000 in the special education tuition offset due to a projected decrease in enrollment of students for the 2018-19 school year who are to itioned into our district programs from other school districts. • Reduction of$5o,000 in the athletics revolving account offset due to an anticipated decrease in user fee revenue resulting from an increase in the number of students who are on free and reduced lunch and that family caps were not increased when user fees were increased. Items that Impact Budget During Year Not Budgeted • Staff Turnover • Change in DESE classification • Unanticipated Special Education Out of District Placement and Associated Transportation • Staff on leave where we have to hire an additional position • Example: Administrator Position • Example: School Psychologist • Changes in State and Federal Aid and Grant Funding Items not Included in FYig Budget • Full funding of special education out of district tuition and transportation ($133,000) • We will continue to monitor these items. If the state circuit breaker reimbursement percentage does not increase or we do not qualify for extra-ordinary relief,we anticipate requesting funding at NovemberTown Meeting. Town Meeting �! 26, 2018 Questions and ThankYou