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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Select Board
Date: 2021-06-29 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Location:
Address: Session: Open Session
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Mark Dockser, Karen Herrick, Carlo Bacci, Chris Haley, Anne Landry
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Town Manager Bob LeLacheur, Executive Assistant Caitlin Nocella, Jeanne
Borawski, Chris Latham, Aaron Mackey, Saverlo Fulciniti
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By:
Topics of Discussion:
This meeting was held remotely on Zoom.
All documents used in this meeting can be found in the Select Board meeting packet located on the town
website.
The board discussed which boards/committees from VASC to pull out from the consent agenda.They
agreed to pull out:HRAC, PARC,Climate Advisory Committee and the Audit Committee.
Liaison Reports
Mark Dockser—Council on Aging are happy the Senior Center is back on open again,shout out to the
staff during the last year keeping in touch with the community.They also would like to be Involved in
the study using the funds Town Meeting allocated to look into space needs. He also noted him and Anne
met with the Chief and Deputy Chief about communications.They would like to start doing badge
pinning's again,maybe in the fall and have quarterly updates with the board.
Anne Landry agreed with Mark's previous updates regarding their conversation with the Chiefs.
Chris Haley—the audit committee is back in person.The audit came back good with no concerns.They
spoke about a water meter replacement.The school committee also met back in person and Dr.Doherty
gave his final presentation.He thanked him for all his years of service.
Karen Herrick—the Climate Advisory Committee Chair David Zeek is working on getting legislation to
help get Green Communities approved.
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Public Comment
Jeanne Barowski wanted to updated the board about some fall events that will be held this year. Porch
fest will be September 11'^.The Fall Street Faire will be September 12".There will also be a 9/11
commemoration on the common on September 11th as well.
Town Manager's Report
Bob LeLacheur noted September 71°is the Reading Art Walk. He urged people to check on their elderly
neighbors during this heat wave and do know there are cooling centers around town if anyone needs
them.There was a very successful hazardous waste day at the DPW recently.They had to cut the line off
because there were so many people there.They will do another one on August 281h.Simply recycling,
the program with the pink bags,will no longer do regular pick ups;if you have a bag you need to call and
request a pick up.There was a recent local rapid recovery program meeting and it went great;all the
information can be found on the town website.The discussions with Camp Curtis have ended;they
cannot give us enough dry land to do anything with.
Consent Agenda
There were 3 items under the consent agenda; Eagle Scout Proclamations,vote on the fuel efficient
vehicle policy and vote on the consensus VASC appointments.
Mark Dockser moved to approve the 3 items under the consent agenda.The motion was seconded by
Karen Herrick and approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
Chapin Ave
Chris Latham,Aaron Mackey,and Saverio Fulciniti were present to explain their request for Chapin Ave
improvements.The plans for this proposal can be found in the meeting packet on the town website.
Chris Latham explained the proposal to improvements on Chapin Avenue.This proposal also comes from
CPDC and PTTTF.These have been thru multiple hearings before now.The Town's Engineering
department has reviewed this and approved the improvements as well.The improvements include a 24'
wide Chapin Ave staying a two-way street with two 8'X22' parking spaces on the south side with a
sidewalkjob.
Karen Herrick asked if any more trees will be planted and it was noted just the ones shown on the plan
for now.
This was an informational agenda item and the board will look to schedule a formal public hearing on
this in the upcoming months.
FY22 Goals
Town Manager Bob LeLacheur gave a broad overview of the FY22 goals.Some members went thru the
first 4 goals giving input.The board decided to move the rest until the next meeting. It was asked of
board members to send any further input to the town manager before the next meeting.
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Instructional Motions
Town Manager Bob LeLacheur gave the board a list of instructional motions that resulted from Town
meeting. He explained where they are in regards to who/what Board would need to be involved.This list
can be found in the Select Board meeting packet located on the town website.
VASC
The first board they pulled out of the consent agenda was Audit Committee. Karen Herrick recused
herself for this vote.
Carlo Bacci moved to reappoint Stephen Herrick to a full membership on the Audit Committee with a
term expiring lune 30,2024.The motion was seconded by Mark Dockser and approved with the
following roll call vote:Dockser—yes;Bacci—yes;Landry-yes;Haley—yes.
The second board pulled from the consent agenda was the Climate Advisory Committee.Mark Dockser
explained they had a candidate for this board and it was noted he uses a fake name on social media to
comment on town politics and pages.Mark noted he spoke with the candidate again after their initial
meeting and feels his social media usage doesn't apply to him being a volunteer and now will be
recommending him to this position.Carlo Bacci disagreed with Mark noting his social media use goes to
his character if he won't show his real name when making statements on town pages.
The rest of the board discussed whether social media use is relevant and if they agreed or not.Chris
Haley feels this is not being transparent and volunteers should be held to some expectations. Karen
Herrick doesn't feel we should be looking into peoples personal lives; if they're qualified to volunteer,
that is enough.Anne Landry felt maybe this person just wanted privacy on social media.
Carlo Bacci noted it is not the fact that he uses an alias on social media, it is the fact he inserts himself
into town politics with his opinions as a 'ghosV and no one knows who it is. If the board appoints him to
the board,he feels that is the board saying it is ok with residents using fake profiles commenting on
town politics.
Mark Dockser moved to appoint incumbent Ray Porter to a full membership on the Climate Advisory
Committee with a term expiring lune 30,2024.The motion was seconded by Karen Herrick and
approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
Mark Dockser moved to appoint Genady Pilyaysky to a full membership on the Climate Advisory
Committee with a term expiring lune 30,2024.The motion was seconded by Karen Herrick and
approved with the following roll call vote:
Dockser—yes;Bacci—no;Haley—no; Landry—yes;Herrick—yes.
The third committee the board pulled out of the consent agenda was HRAC. HRAC had many applicants
for 4 spots.
Mark Dockser moved to appoint incumbent Ashley Gross to a full membership on the Human
Relations Advisory Committee with a term expiring lune 30,2024.The motion was seconded by Carlo
Bacci and approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
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Mark Dockser moved to appoint Sherilla Lestrade to a full membership on the Human Relations
Advisory Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2024.The motion was seconded by Carlo Bacci and
approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
Mark Dockser moved to appoint Carolyn Johnson to an associate position on the Human Relations
Advisory Committee with a term expiring lune 30,2023.The motion was seconded by Karen Herrick
and approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
Mark Dockser moved to appoint Carolyn Whiting to an associate position on the Human Relations
Advisory Committee with a term expiring June 30, 2022.The motion was seconded by Karen Herrick
and approved with the following roll call vote:
Dockser—yes; Bacci—no;Haley—no; Landry—yes;Herrick—yes.
The last committee the board wanted to pull from the consent agenda is PARC. PARC is a newly formed
committee that VASC was tasked with filling 7 seats.They received many applicants for these seats.
Carlo explained how they tried to make sure the downtown businesses,downtown residents, and
general residents were represented.They tried to create a balanced board between them.
Mark Dockser moved to appoint:
Sarah Brukilacchio to a membership on the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee with
a term expiring December 31,2021;
Daniel Dewar to a membership on the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee with a
term expiring December 31,2021;
Jay Jackson to a membership on the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee with a term
expiring December 31,2021;
Thomas OConnor to a membership on the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee with a
term expiring December 31,2021;
Karen Rose-Gillis to a membership on the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee with a
term expiring December 31,2021;
Elizabeth Whitelam to a membership on the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee with
a term expiring December 31,2021;
Bernard Horn,Jr.to a membership on the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee with a
term expiring December 31,2021;
The motion was seconded by Carlo Bacci and approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
Future Meeting Location
The board discussed their options for in-person/remote/hybrid meetings in the future. Legislation has
passed to allow them to keep doing remote meetings but they are allowed to meet in person again as
well.They could also do a hybrid version and have some people in person in a meeting room and some
remote in. A majority of the board felt they should start meeting in person but would like to meet in a
bigger room incase there happens to be a large audience one night.The board decided to try and secure
the two adjoining conference rooms at the Library for the July meeting.
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Karen Herrick moved that the board operate under the recently passed legislation extending the
executive order on remote participation until April 1",2022.The motion was seconded by Mark
Dockser and approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
Minutes
The board edited minutes from the past two meetings.
Mark Dockser moved to approve the meeting minutes of lune 1"and June 9`h,2021 as amended.The
motion was seconded by Anne Landry and approved with a unanimous roll call vote.
Mark Dockser moved to go into Executive Session including staff members Bob LeLacheur and Caitlin
Nocella and Counsel Ivria Fried,pursuant to Executive Session Purpose 2 and Purpose 3,to vote to
approve Collective Bargaining Agreements(International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO, Local
1640;Public Works—AFSCME Council 93,Local 1703;DPW Engineers,AFSCME Council 93, Local 1702,
Sub local 038),and that the Select Board Chair declare that an open meeting may have a detrimental
effect on the bargaining position of the body,and,pursuant to Executive Session Purpose 1,to discuss
an Open Meeting Law complaint filed against the Select Board by Walter Tuvell on lune 22"d, 2021,
and to approve executive session minutes and not reconvene in Open Session after the executive
session.The motion was seconded by Karen Herrick and approved with the following roll call vote:
Haley—no;Landry—yes; Dockser—yes;Bacci—yes; Herrick—yes.
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