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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-04-19 Select Board Packet Town of Reading Meeting Posting with Agenda This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be dis cussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 1 2018-07-16 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Select Board Date: 2022-04-19 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Select Board Meeting Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Agenda: Purpose: General Business Meeting Called By: Caitlin Nocella on behalf of Chair Karen Herrick Notices and agendas are to be posted 48 hours in advance of the meetings excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Legal Holidays. Please keep in mind the Town Clerk’s hours of operation and make necessary arrangements to be sure your posting is made in an adequate amount of time. A listing of topics that the chair reasona bly anticipates will be discussed at the meeting must be on the agenda. All Meeting Postings must be submitted in typed format; handwritten notices will not be accepted. Topics of Discussion: This Meeting will be held in-person in the Select Board Meeting Room at Town Hall and remotely on Zoom. It will also be streamed live on RCTV as usual. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81581811117 Meeting ID: 815 8181 1117 One tap mobile +16465588656,,81581811117# US (New York) +16465189805,,81581811117# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 646 518 9805 US (New York) Meeting ID: 815 8181 1117 Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvicdk5oX 7:00 Overview of Meeting 7:05 Review of Select Board Ethics, Protocol and OML Requirements 7:15 Vote to Reorganize 7:25 Public Comment 7:30 Public Hearing – PARC Presentation of Recommendations; discuss and vote Town of Reading Meeting Posting with Agenda This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be dis cussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 2 Consent Agenda: 1. 8:30 – Vote to extend sunset for PARC on or before July 31, 2022 2. 8:35 – Vote to Remove Trails Committee Member 3. 8:40 – Vote to Approve process for BCCs to request funds from SB Reserve Fund 8:45 Present options of Water & Sewer Rates 8:50 Discuss/ vote on electing to use the loss of revenue election for ARPA Funds 9:00 Town Manager Goals 9:15 Discuss Select Board Liaison Assignments 9:30 SB Liaison and Town Manager Report 9:45 Discuss Future Agendas Approve Meeting Minutes: • March 22, 2022 Office of the Town Manager 781-942-9043 16 Lowell Street townmanager@ci.reading.ma.us Reading, MA 01867 www.readingma.gov/town-manager To: Select Board From: Fidel A. Maltez Date: April 19, 2022 RE: Town Manager Memo for April 19th, 2022 Meeting As I enter my 3rd Month in the role as Town Manager, I continue to be energized by our staff, businesses, and residents. Since our last Select Board meeting, I have met incredible volunteer groups, clergy, seniors, and residents that are invested in making our community a better place to live. I am extremely proud of the preparation work we have completed ahead of Town Meeting. Town Meeting will be in person starting April 25th at the Performance Arts Center at Reading Memorial High School. Our staff has completed several pre-recordings to inform Town Meeting members of the different articles in the warrant, including two in-depth presentations of our zoning bylaw changes and our FY2023 budget. I hope that residents watch these pre-recordings and reach out to our staff with any questions they might have. At Town Meeting, we will be joined by our two newest Police Officers, Officer Cooper, and Officer Rusty, who have been a great addition to our Town. I am also extremely proud of the upgrades to our website. Launching a new website is a large undertaking and it takes a village to ensure it is executed properly. Our incredible staff has taken on this challenge and have upgraded our departmental pages to facilitate easier access to our residents and businesses. This past week, we launched our monthly Town Manager newsletter. We hope this newsletter captures activities in our community and informs our residents on the happenings in our Town. We encourage everyone to sign up for the newsletter. I am thankful for the work completed by our Reading ARPA Advisory Committee. The Committee has been collaborative and is leading thoughtful conversations on how we should spend Reading’s ARPA allocation. I am confident that we have narrowed down our initial conversations and will be ready to conduct Town- wide outreach through a community survey in the next 30 days. In the agenda for tonight’s meeting, I will propose that we use a modest amount of ARPA funding to cover Capital projects in the Water Enterprise fund. Allocating these funds will allow us to hold a public hearing on May 17, 2022, to set the water rates for Fiscal Year 2023. Finally, I will be presenting the Town Manager Goals. I strongly believe that Goals should be Aspirational. My four aspirational goals are: Earning the Trust of Staff and the Community; Supporting our Schools; Economic Development; and Building our Infrastructure. I look forward to reviewing these in more detail during our meeting. FAM Reading A Community of Excellence Preamble In 1624, Reading’s first settlers arrived from distant lands after fleeing religious persecution and the lack of economic opportunity. Buoyed by hope, they risked their lives on long, dangerous journeys in sear ch of freedom. These earliest immigrants brought with them a sense of vitality, a strong commitment to hard work, and a committed respect for unfamiliar cultures, faith traditions, and viewpoints. We continue to this day to welcome new neighbors from both nearby communities and distant lands. We ask them to continue the tradition begun by the earliest settlers and to contribute their talents, skills and energy to Reading’s future, while enjoying freedom to pursue their own version of the American dream. Reading is a community that believes in equal opportunity, equal protection of the law and religious freedom. Reading citizens proudly answered the call to fight in wars to end tyranny and establish the republic, to end slavery and to destroy fascism. Today, Reading’s sons and daughters serve in our nation’s battle against present-day terrorism and in support of freedom. As the Town’s elected executive board, we recognize and accept our role as community leaders. We support the values of our democracy and especially the right to free speech and assembly. We welcome vigorous public discourse, even where disagreement may arise as a consequence. However, we also reserve the right to stand against those who would undermine our shared values or threaten our community’s welcoming nature and sense of safety. We accept our leadership role in support of the operating principles of tolerance, civility, dignity and respect for all, so as to sustain our Town’s cultural and religious diversity. It is our enduring goal, in cooperation with other Town officials and staff, to continue to build trust in our community, and to implement and enforce applicable laws concerning discrimination, intimidation, illegal conduct and hate crimes. Reading Board of Selectmen May 30, 2017 Town of Reading Mission The Town of Reading strives for excellence in all its services – from education to government – and seeks to enhance and enrich the social, intellectual, and leisure life of the community. Municipal Government In support of the Town of Reading Mission, Reading Municipal Government will: • help residents identify with their community by supporting volunteerism and civic engagement, • create opportunities for public discourse about community issues and encourage citizen participation in planning and decision-making • commit itself to community-responsive services that incorporate best practices and a strong orientation to customer service • support open and transparent government with convenient avenues for communication and access • enhance the integrity and livability of its many fine neighborhoods by supporting community initiatives for preservation and improvements • uphold the character of Reading by actively encouraging efforts to document and preserve the history of the community, its historic buildings and areas, and prized open spaces. • embrace diversity by striving to provide varied housing choices and diversifying the municipal workforce by recruiting, hiring, and promoting persons of all backgrounds and races • enhance the social, civic, and intellectual life of residents by offering a broad range of services and programs Values The municipal government of the Town of Reading will be guided by the following values: Integrity and Transparency • Reading municipal government and its employees and officials will be guided by the highest standards of ethics and integrity. • Municipal business will be conducted in an open manner with opportunities for public discussion and input into decisions. • The community will be kept informed with open communication. • All official business will be conducted in a civil, professional, and mutually respectful manner. Excellence • Excellence will be the standard for all municipal services, with continuous review and evaluation of best practices, incorporating new methods and technologies, striving for efficiency and cost effectiveness. • Reading municipal government will make decisions based on careful planning consistent with town-wide goals. Diversity • Municipal government will encourage diversity and respect for differences in the conduct of its business and in recruiting and hiring personnel and in providing enrichment opportunities for the community. Community The following are values that the community holds in high regards: • Social, Environmental, and Financial Sustainability • Tolerance, Civility and Cultural Diversity • Volunteerism and Civic Engagement • Historic Preservation and Open Space • Recreational, Cultural, and Educational Opportunities Approved August 10, 2021 Reading Select Board Board Ethics and Protocols or the purpose of enhancing teamwork among members of the Select Board and between our Select Board and professional management, we, the members of the Reading Select Board, do hereby publicly commit ourselves collectively and individually to the following operational protocols: 1. The Select Board will work together to represent the interests and needs of all the residents in our community. 2. The Select Board will lead by example at all times to build trust. We agree to avoid words and actions that create a negative impression of an individual, the Select Board, or the Town. While we encourage debate and differing points of view, we will speak with care and respect. 3. Surprises to the Select Board or Town Manager will be the exception, not the rule. We agree to ask the Board Chair or the Town Manager to add an item to the agenda within a reasonable time frame rather than bringing it up unexpectedly at a meeting. 4. The Select Board works collaboratively to establish vision, create policies, ensure accountability, and fulfill the responsibilities as the executive branch of the Town as established in the Town Charter. The Town Manager is the Chief Executive Officer and works collaboratively to execute Board objectives, manage staff, day-to-day operations, and finances for the Town as outlined in the Town Charter. 5. During meetings, the Select Board will speak to items on the agenda and refrain from engaging in inappropriate debate. Requests for further information on issues will be referred to the Town Manager. 6. Communications between Town staff and the Select Board are encouraged. Board requests of staff will be directed to the Town Manager. 7. Any complaints or criticisms of personnel received by the Select Board or individual members will be directed to the Town Manager (further details are available in Select Board Policy Article 1.4 Communications). 8. The Select Board will consider research, best practice, public input, and financial impacts in decision making. 9. When executive sessions are held, Board Members will honor the confidentiality of the discussions. 10. The Select Board and the Town Manager will facilitate goal setting for the Town. 11. The authority of the Select Board is in the body as a whole, not in individual members. We agree that an individual Board Member will not take unilateral action. 12. When Board Members attend meetings of other committees or boards as liaisons from the Board, they understand that they are speaking as individuals and not for the Board except when reporting a decision of the majority of the Select Board. F Legal Notice (Seal) Town of Reading To the Inhabitants of the Town of Reading: Please take notice that the Select Board of the Town of Reading will hold a public hearing on April 19, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. in the Select Board Meeting Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, Massachusetts, and remotely via Zoom, to make modifications to the downtown parking system. A copy of the proposed documents regarding this topic will be available in the Select Board packet on the website at www.readingma.gov. All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing, or may submit their comments in writing or by email prior to 6:00 p.m. on April 19, 2022 to townmanager@ci.reading.ma.us By order of Fidel Maltez Town Manager To the Chronicle: Please publish on Monday, April 4th & Monday, April 11th, 2022 Send the bill and tear sheet to: Town Managers Office 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 Parking Advisory Recommendations Committee (PARC) Findings TUESDAY APRIL 19, 2022 PARC Members Bernard Horn, Jr. –Chair, Reading Resident Elizabeth Whitelam –Vice Chair, Downtown Business Owner Chris Haley –Select Board, Downtown Business Owner John Weston –CPDC, Reading Resident Karen Rose-Gillis –Downtown Resident Thomas O’Connor –Downtown Business Owner Sarah Brukilacchio –Downtown Property Owner Jay Jackson –Downtown Resident Daniel Dewar –Downtown Business Owner Downtown Parking: Existing Deficiencies 24+ regulations in area = confusion and frustration for all users and enforcement officers Not enough spaces available for specific users or permit types Not enough permits available (specifically employee) Time limitations result in constant moving of vehicles Long-term parking occurring where turnover is needed PARC Charge To review Reading’s downtown parking system and regulations; To guide the preparation of comprehensive system modifications; To clarify and simplify Reading’s downtown parking system from a user perspective and enforcement standpoint; Maximize efficiency and access; Minimize cost for visitors and users; Increase public education of parking areas PARC has also discussed the following topics at times but understands they fall under the jurisdiction of other departments and/or boards: Overnight Parking (PTTTF/Select Board); Parking Requirements within Zoning Bylaw (CPDC); Privately owned parking areas/shared parking opportunities; Walkability and Traffic Calming Measures; ADA Space Count (PTTTF) Downtown Parking and PARC Prior to PARC: 10+ Zoom sessions scheduled and conducted Multiple Downtown Business Walks and Group Meetings 5 Select Board meetings Water bill notification to residents CodeRed Alert to over 3,400ppl 2020 Survey PARC: Review of initial findings/proposals from 2019-2020 initiative Distribution of new parking survey Town-wide mailing to all households, including renters 800+ Respondents 10+ Open Public Meetings Email blasts to Downtown Businesses/Property Owners/Landlords and Property Managers/Residents, Town Meeting Members, Boards and Commissions, Survey Respondents Update to Select Board December 7, 2021 Public Forum held February 2, 2022 Survey Participation: Survey Findings: Mode of Transportation Key Takeaways: •Ensure availability •Walkability of the downtown is important Survey Findings: Experience Impact Key Takeaway: Improve User Experience Survey Findings: Needed Time Frames Key Takeaways: •2-Hour and under is currently a need. •When more time is needed provide areas for such. •Find specific areas for short- term parking. Survey Findings: Number of Stops Answers: “Depends on: location, distance between, weather, accessibility” Survey Findings: How Long are you Willing to Walk? Example of a 5min walk in Downtown Reading: General/Survey Q&A On-Street Regulation Proposals – Employee Parking Increase number of dedicated employee parking spaces → increase number of employee parking permits available PARC proposals could allow an increase of ~113 formal employee parking spaces, not including unregulated areas Where? Lowell St, Woburn St, High St, Chute St, Haven St, Chapin Ave, Harnden St All areas would still allow public 2-Hour parking Modify pricing of employee permit to incentivize the permit and parking within ‘Outer Core’ ($25 recommended for review) Improve safety, lighting and walkability from Outer Core areas Street Name/Location Existing Regulation(s)Proposed Regulation(s)Approx. Space Count Notes Lowell St - in front of Church 2-Hour 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 9 Align with adjacent Lowell Street regulations. Lowell St - in front of cemetery 2-Hour 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 10 Woburn St - between Lowell St and High St Mix of 2-Hour only and 2-Hour/All Day w/ EP Entire Street to be 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 52 Consistent regulation is beneficial to enforcement and public understanding. Vine St - at High Street Resident Only 6:00-10:30AM, Unregulated after Convert to 2-Hour OR All-Day w/EP 55 Adds employee parking supply and aligns with adjacent parking regulations. Chute St - between Mount Vernon St and Woburn St Southern portions is 2-Hour only; northern portion is Resident Only 6:00- 10:30am, Unregulated after Convert southern portion to 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP. No change to Resident Only portion 13 Adds employee parking supply to area. Haven St - east of Main St to Village St Mix of 2-Hour only and 2-Hour/All Day w/ EP Entire portion to be 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 13 Align with adjacent Haven Street regulations. Chapin Ave Mix of Unregulated and 2-Hour/All Day w/ EP Entire Street to be 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 14 Align with adjacent Chapin Ave regulations. Harnden Street 2-hour Convert west side to 2-hour OR All day w/EP 9 East side remain, convert 5 spaces on west to 2-Hour/EP. On-Street Employee Parking - PARC Proposed Recommendations Est. # of Change to Employee Spaces Street Portion Estimated Count Notes Existing Employee Parking Areas PARKING LOTS NOT INCLUDED Woburn St 25 Lowell St 17 Pleasant St 9 Haven St 8 Gould St 15 Chapin Ave 8 High St 41 Existing Total 123 Proposed Employee Parking Changes Lowell Street 19 Chute Street 8 Haven Street 5 Chapin Ave 6 Harnden Street 5 Woburn Street 30 Vine/High Street 55 Gould Street -15 Proposed Total 113 Total 236 91.87% increase On-Street Regulation Proposals – Customer/Public Parking Increase number of public 2-hour only parking spaces in the ‘Inner Core’ Allow for more parking turnover and availability to customers/users of Downtown PARC proposals could allow an increase of ~54 spaces with 2-hour designations Where? Ash Street, Gould Street 2-Hour Only Vine/High Street and Chapin Avenue HOWEVER: These areas would also allow all day parking with Employee Permit Add short-term parking (30min) where helpful i.e. potentially 1-3 spaces on Main Street Unregulated after 5:00PM On-Street Regulation Proposals – Resident Parking Maintain existing Resident Only Parking north of tracks Green St, Gould St, Linden St, Bancroft Ave, Chute St Add ~9 spaces on lower Sanborn Street for residents with no off-street dedicated parking Reallocate ~16 spaces directly abutting commuter rail station What will future commuter needs look like? Change regulation hours to 6:00-9:30AM Currently 6:00-10:30AM Unregulated after 9:30AM and are thus open to any user (employee, customer, commuter, resident, etc.) Look to modify permit pricing –align with other local permits/other municipalities ($25 recommended for review) Street Name/Location Existing Regulation(s)Proposed Regulation(s)Approx. Space Count Notes High St SOUTH SIDE/Depot Parking - between Woburn St and Washington St Resident Only 6:00-10:30AM, Unregulated after; 16 spaces designated as 2-Hour. Change 16 spaces to Resident 6:00-9:30, Unregulated after 16 This area needs to be watched carefully for evolving needs. Sanborn St - between Woburn St and Haven St 2-Hour Resident Only from 6- 9:30AM for north half of street (up to Postmark where commercial business is in operation), Unregulated after 13 On-Street Resident Permit Parking - PARC Proposed Recommendations Est. # of Change to Resident Spaces Street Portion Estimated Count Notes Existing Resident Only Green St 21 Gould St 5 Required to maintain Linden St 20 Bancroft Ave 6 Chute St 6 High St 141 42 licensed MBTA spots (recommended change) Lincoln St 180 Prescott St 36 Washington St 40 Wenda St 12 Woburn St 27 Fulton St 4 Crosby Rd 15 Cant manage two-sided parking Existing Total 513 Proposed Resident Only Parking Changes Vine/High Street -55 Proposed as EP/2-Hour Parking High Street 16 Sanborn Street 9 To help with multi-family units that have no dedicated parking Proposed Total -30 Total 483 5.85% loss On-Street Parking Regulations Q&A Public Parking Lot Proposals Install two kiosks each at both the Upper Haven (CVS) Lot and Brande Court Lot Goals: To increase turnover and keep parking available To empower the users to stay as long as desired/needed Potential Pricing Scheme: Free for stay of 1 hour or less; $1 per hour for 1-4 hours; $5 per hour after 4 hours Mitigates impact to users who need short-term parking in these areas Unregulated after 5:00PM Allow payment by cash, card and mobile apps If needed, pricing can be adjusted based on utilization trends Pay by Plate –user friendly and works well with mobile apps No need to go back to car or remember space # PayByPhone app used by MBTA and further review is recommended for consistency Public Parking Lot Proposals Cont. Voted to recommend that Select Board make request to April 2022 Town Meeting for $110,000 to cover costs of 4 kiosks + 2 handheld enforcement devices Estimated payback within 1-3 years Potential to establish a ‘Parking Benefit District’ (or similar fund) Allows revenue generated to be reinvested back into the district for a wide range of public realm improvements Build/expand LPR Policy to ensure privacy to users Utilization data can help determine trends and pricing adjustments Considerations: Maintenance, Collection, Customer Service, etc. Public Parking Lot Q&A Structured Parking Findings/Recommendations Hire consultant to conduct a feasibility study to determine opportunities across the Downtown area Study potential locations, safety/access, demand, cost and funding opportunities, etc. Why: Parking garage is a frequent question/suggestion If management is not enough to mitigate existing parking deficiencies However: Recent and past studies (2007, 2009, 2019) have indicated parking management issues over inventory PARC Public Forum: public comments indicated it is a lesser priority than other on-going initiatives Overnight Parking Lincoln Street Pilot Program initiated by Select Board in February 2022 Future updates expected PTTTF/Select Board to continue to look for permanent opportunities Winter Parking Ban lifted 3/25/22 with exception of Municipal Parking Lots Plowable snow would put ban into effect town wide What’s Next? If Public Hearing Continued: Upcoming Meeting Dates: 5/3, 5/17 Extend PARC beyond 4/30 Street Name/Location Existing Regulation(s)Proposed Regulation(s)Approx. Space Count Notes Lowell St - in front of Church 2-Hour 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 9 Align with adjacent Lowell Street regulations. Lowell St - in front of cemetery 2-Hour 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 10 Woburn St - between Lowell St and High St Mix of 2-Hour only and 2-Hour/All Day w/ EP Entire Street to be 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 52 Consistent regulation is beneficial to enforcement and public understanding. Vine St - at High Street Resident Only 6:00-10:30AM, Unregulated after Convert to 2-Hour OR All-Day w/EP 55 Adds employee parking supply and aligns with adjacent parking regulations. Chute St - between Mount Vernon St and Woburn St Southern portions is 2-Hour only; northern portion is Resident Only 6:00-10:30am, Unregulated after Convert southern portion to 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP. No change to Resident Only portion 13 Adds employee parking supply to area. Haven St - east of Main St to Village St Mix of 2-Hour only and 2-Hour/All Day w/ EP Entire portion to be 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 13 Align with adjacent Haven Street regulations. Chapin Ave Mix of Unregulated and 2-Hour/All Day w/ EP Entire Street to be 2-Hour OR All Day w/ EP 14 Align with adjacent Chapin Ave regulations. Harnden Street 2-hour Convert west side to 2-hour OR All day w/EP 9 East side remain, convert 5 spaces on west to 2-Hour/EP. Est. # of Change to Employee Spaces Street Portion Estimated Count Notes Existing Employee Parking Areas PARKING LOTS NOT INCLUDED Woburn St 25 Lowell St 17 Pleasant St 9 Haven St 8 Gould St 15 Chapin Ave 8 High St 41 Existing Total 123 Proposed Employee Parking Changes Lowell Street 19 Chute Street 8 Haven Street 5 Chapin Ave 6 Harnden Street 5 Woburn Street 30 Vine/High Street 55 Gould Street -15 Proposed Total 113 Total 236 91.87% increase On-Street Employee Parking - PARC Proposed Recommendations Street Name/Location Existing Regulation(s)Proposed Regulation(s)Approx. Space Count Notes Gould St Mix of 2-Hour, 2-Hour OR All Day w/EP, and Resident Reserved Remove EP reulgations/ Convert to 2- Hour only. No Changes to Resident Only.20 5 spaces Resident Reserved at east end MUST remain Ash St - between Haven St and Washington St Mix of 2-Hour and Unregulated Convert Unregulated areas to 2-Hour only 29 Align with adjacent Ash St regulations Est. # of Change to 2-Hour Spaces Street Portion Estimated Count Notes Existing 2-Hour PARKING LOTS NOT INCLUDED Woburn St 52 some of which also includes EP parking Chute St 8 Sanborn St 13 Haven St 97 some of which also includes EP parking High St 72 41 of which includes EP parking (former leased spaces) Lowell St 36 17 of which includes EP parking (cobblestone area) Main St 44 Pleasant St 21 a majority of which also includes EP parking Ash St 12 Lincoln St 3 Chapin Ave 8 a majority of which also includes EP parking Gould St 15 Includes EP parking Existing Total 381 Proposed 2-Hour Parking Changes Ash Street 12 Chapin Avenue 6 Would also allow all day parking w/ EP Vine/High Street 55 Would also allow all day parking w/ EP High Street -16 Proposed Total 57 Total 438 14.97% increase On-Street 2-Hour Public Parking - PARC Proposed Recommendations Street Name/Location Existing Regulation(s) Proposed Regulation(s) Approx. Space Count Notes High St SOUTH SIDE/Depot Parking - between Woburn St and Washington St Resident Only 6:00-10:30AM, Unregulated after; 16 spaces designated as 2-Hour. Change 16 spaces to Resident 6:00-9:30, Unregulated after 16 This area needs to be watched carefully for evolving needs. Sanborn St - between Woburn St and Haven St 2-Hour Resident Only from 6- 9:30AM for north half of street (up to Postmark where commercial business is in operation), Unregulated after 13 Est. # of Change to Resident Spaces Street Portion Estimated Count Notes Existing Resident Only Green St 21 Gould St 5 Required to maintain Linden St 20 Bancroft Ave 6 Chute St 6 High St 141 42 licensed MBTA spots (recommended change) Lincoln St 180 Prescott St 36 Washington St 40 Wenda St 12 Woburn St 27 Fulton St 4 Crosby Rd 15 Cant manage two-sided parking Existing Total 513 Proposed Resident Only Parking Changes Vine/High Street -55 Proposed as EP/2-Hour Parking High Street 16 Sanborn Street 9 To help with multi-family units that have no dedicated parking Proposed Total -30 Total 483 5.85% loss On-Street Resident Permit Parking - PARC Proposed Recommendations Parking Lot Existing Regulations Proposed Regulations Approx. Space Count Notes/To Be Discussed Brande Court Mix of 4-Hour and All Day w/ EP. NO overnight.85 CVS Rear 4-Hour. NO overnight.61 CVS Front 2-Hour/30min No Changes 25 Pleasant/Union St Lot Mix of 2-Hour and 2- Hour Or All Day w/ EP. Police Dpt. Parking No Changes 30 Pleasant St Center Lot Senior Center Business Mon-Fri. NO overnight.No Changes 30 Town Hall Town Hall business Mon-Thr. Unregulated after 5:30pm Allow Employee Parking Fri-Sun if possible. Overnight to be re- evaluated (see regulations section)56 Could do so through education and awareness. Ash Street Lot 2 Hour No Changes 6 Pricing scheme to mitigate impact to short- term users while also disincentivizing very long- term parking. Expand LPR policy to ensure user privacy. Establish Parking Benefit District (or similar) to reinvest revenue into area. Public Parking Lots - PARC Proposed Recommendations Two kiosks at each lot. One Hour and below free (once per day); $1 per hour for 1-4hrs; $5 per hour for hours over 4hrs. Unregulated after 5:00PM. Regulation/Permit Current Regulation(s)Proposed Regulation(s)Notes/To Be Discussed Resident Only Permit (aka Reading Community Access) Enforced 6:00-10:30am. $150 for permit, annually. Free for those fronting street with such regulation. Change hours to 6:00- 9:30am Allow commuter parking to remain in early hours while opening spaces up slightly earlier for businesses/employees/customer s. Employee Parking Permit Enforced 8:30am- 5:00pm Mon-Fri. $260 for permit, annually. Free to those fronting street with such regulation. Allow for $150 to incentive parking in outer areas. Price effectively for businesses and employees to encourage parking in dedicated areas. Overnight Parking No parking on-street or municipal lots between 1:00am-6:00am TBD SB/PTTTF Permit/Parking Regulations - PARC Proposed Recommendations Parking Kiosk Cost Breakdown 4/14/22 Julie Mercier 1 A. Kiosks & Handhelds (PARC Recommendation for Funding: $110k) Kiosk2 Add-Ons3 Shipping Installation 4 O&M5 Training Total for 4 CC Fee6 Validation7 HandHeld (2)Software Kiosk + HH 30% Cont.1st Yr TOTAL Kiosk O&M5 Enforcement IPS Group1 $6,600 $1,650 $500 $300 $1,100 $950 $44,400 $44,400 $13,320 $57,720 $950/visit ITS - MacKay1 $6,045 $500 $125 $300 $1,315 $0 $33,140 $33,140 $9,942 $43,082 ITS - T21 $10,946 $4,000 $450 $300 $2,775 $0 $73,884 $73,884 $22,165 $96,049 Parkeon/Flowbird1 $9,200 $2,400 $0 $300 $750 $0 $50,600 $0 $50,600 $15,180 $65,780 $1,000 CWT Quote $7,449 $139 $0 $750 $684 $0 $36,086 $0 $36,086 $10,826 $46,912 $4,000 Strada Quote $6,799 $139 $0 $750 $684 $0 $33,488 $0 $33,488 $10,046 $43,534 $4,000 VenTek1 $14,570 $2,200 $0 $300 $2,470 $0 $78,160 $0.04 $3,000.00 $4,000 $82,160 $24,648 $109,808 $4,000 VenTek Quote $6,100 $995 $100 $300 $808 $0 $33,212 $0.04 TBD $5,800 $12,200 $51,212 $15,364 $66,576 $5,000 $6,236 6Mobile App Fees, Cellular Fees and Transaction Fees for Credit Card processing vary by vendor but are nominal ($0.05 to $0.50) and are often passed on to end-user. TBD as part of contract. 3Add-Ons vary by vendor, but generally are hardware features that do not come with basic model, such as contactless antenna, higher watt solar panel, bill acceptance, key pad, EMV (chip) card reader, coin canisters, custom wraps, etc. TBD. 7 Validation packages include a set-up fee and an annual monitoring fee based on # of merchants who use it. VenTek charges $500 per 5 merchants. Estimated Annual Costs 2Assumptions: Kiosks will be Multi-Space, Pay-By-Plate, Solar-Powered w/Cellular Communication, and will accept App/Bills/Coins/Cards 1Vendors vetted and selected by MAPC as part of their Collective Procurement Contract / Prices listed are from price sheet negotiated with MAPC, represented my initial best-guess of what we want 4Installation can be by Town staff or vendor, will include pouring of concrete pad and some assembly. Vendor installation fee also often includes training, etc. Enforcement PackageKiosks - All Capital & Up-front Costs (hardware, software, etc.)1st Year Total + Contingency Parking Kiosks & Handheld Enforcement Devices - Pricing by Vendor1 5O&M calculated for 1st year. Varies by vendor, but may include software license, data collection/download options, wireless fee, additional warranty, optional maintenance, customized marketing, software add-ons such as validation codes, etc. / Annual O&M varies by vendor but may include 24/7 software support, estimated maintenance, etc. Mobile App App Fee Cellular Fee CC Fee Total PayByPhone Flowbird $0.35 w/CWT or Strada model only Transaction Fees all inclusive Notes Transaction Fees6 - Mobile App, Cellular, Credit Card typically $0.05-$0.50 working w/vendor on details 6Mobile App Fees, Cellular Fees and Transaction Fees for Credit Card processing vary by vendor but are nominal ($0.05 to $0.50) and are often passed on to end-user. TBD as part of contract. Parking Kiosk Cost Breakdown 4/14/22 Julie Mercier 2 1. Why Solar? • Installation and operation costs are lower • Can be moved if needed • CVS Lot does not have electrical conduit/hookup • Solar not as reliable as hard-wired in winter, but newer models are better • Costs less (only slightly) than hard-wired kiosks 2. How quickly will kiosks pay for themselves? While the primary goal of implementing paid parking is to influence user behavior and generate a healthy balance between use and availability of spaces, the potential revenue stream is not insignificant. Based on initial revenue projections prepared by Nelson Nygaard, a conservative calculation reveals that the CVS Lot (58 spaces) and the Brande Court Lot (86 spaces) could generate enough revenue within 1-3 years to pay back the total cost of 4 VenTek kiosks, and to cover annual operational costs, as priced above. B. Mobile App Package ($ Included Above) Parking Apps in this area include: PayByPhone (MBTA, Arlington, Waltham); ParkMobile (Somerville); PassportLabs (Boston, Cambridge, Salem), etc. Given that we are an MBTA community, I have begun conversations with PayByPhone. After a presentation by Parkeon/Flowbird in early April, the Flowbird App also seems compelling. Kiosks can generally handle more than 1 app, so if we go with Parkeon kiosks (either CWT or Strada), my initial recommendation would be that we contract for the Flowbird App and PayByPhone App. Contracts may include a small start-up fee (~$300) paid for by the Town and then a nominal per-transaction fee, which is often passed through to the end user. C. 3rd Party Vendor to Interface between Kiosk, Mobile App, Enforcement Devices ($ Included Above) A 3rd party vendor is sometimes required to enable the Kiosk, Mobile App and Enforcement Devices to speak to one another. Contracts may include a small start-up fee (~$300) paid for by the Town and then a nominal per-transaction fee, which is often passed through to the end user. I am still working out the details of this, but initially it seems the Flowbird App was built with the ability (API) to communicate with all devices. More information to come. D. Enforcement Technology (~$ Included Above) Vehicle-Mounted Devices The Police Department currently has 1 License Plate Recognition (LPR) device that is programmed for vehicle registration enforcement, not parking enforcement. The PD was recently quoted $50,000 by PassportLabs to get an LPR device for parking enforcement (details to follow). Presumably, this device would need wireless communication capability, and need to be programmed to speak with the App and Kiosk, which would be a separate contract(s). Parking Kiosk Cost Breakdown 4/14/22 Julie Mercier 3 Handheld Enforcement Devices A less expensive, and more flexible, enforcement option is the handheld device. Of the kiosk vendors pre-selected by MAPC, only VenTek offers a handheld device – we were quoted $5,800 for 2 of them, and $12,200 for the software package. Staff are working to get pricing from other vendors. E. Data Retention & Security Data retention and security – for data collected by both the kiosks and the mobile apps – will be important to understand as kiosk users will be required to plug in their license plate number, and may also use a credit card to pay. In conversations with kiosk vendors to-date, we have learned the following: credit card data is stored as last 4 digits; license plate data can be masked with unique identifiers. Back-office reporting showing utilization/occupancy trends does not include license plate information, and there is no way for non-PD staff to access the license plate information. The PD has a privacy policy in place currently, that can be amended as needed to account for the implementation of kiosks. What the companies themselves retain/share, and for how long, is still being understood, and discussions with mobile app companies like PayByPhone are pending. More information to come. F. Insurance Initial communications with the Town’s Business Manager and our insurance provider indicate that the equipment described herein can be covered by the Town’s existing insurance policy. G. Appearance Parkeon/Flowbird Models VenTek Model (offers custom wrap options) Strada CWT Office of the Town Manager 781-942-9043 16 Lowell Street townmanager@ci.reading.ma.us Reading, MA 01867 www.readingma.gov/town-manager To: Conservation Commission, Trails Committee, Town Forest Committee, Historic District Commission, and Historical Commission From: Fidel Maltez Date: March 29, 2022 RE: New Budgeting Process (starting in FY2023) Expenses Managed by Select Board and Process for Requesting Funds CC: Reading Select Board The procedure below will serve as guidelines for the new budgeting process effective starting in FY 23 for the Conservation Commission, Trails Committee, Town Forest Committee, Historic District Commission, and Historical Commission to follow in seeking funds (expenses) from the Select Board starting in FY23. Any changes to the procedure outlined below shall be approved by the Town Manager. 1. Starting in FY23, the Select Board Reserve line in the Town Manager’s Division budget, contains $15,000 per fiscal year to fund requests from Volunteer Boards and Commissions. 2. Each commission or board that requests funds from the Select Board, must follow the process below. 3. At the start of each fiscal year, by July 1, the respective commission or board chair shall submit an annual budget request to the Select Board, including a description of why the funds are needed. It is extremely important that the commission or board body review and approve the submission before it is submitted to the Select Board. i. The Town Manager will review and validate the request. ii. The request shall include a summary of expenses requested with as much detail as appropriate. iii. The Select Board, during a normal scheduled meeting, will review the requests from the commission or board. iv. When possible, the Select Board will review all commission or board requests in the same meeting. v. The Select Board will vote to allocate the funds to the commission or board. vi. Once Select Board approves, the Town Manager will send a memo to the commission or board documenting the approval. vii. Once Select Board approves, the commission or board, can begin expending the funds. The commission or board will follow appropriate accounting and procurement practices for all expenses. All receipts and payments will be handled by the Town Manager’s office. viii. All purchases shall be voted on by the commission or board during a regularly scheduled public meeting. ix. Only expenses related to the approval will be allowed. For instance, if a commission or board requests funds for an invasive species study, it cannot use the funds for construction of a community garden, without prior approval by the Select Board. x. Receipts shall be submitted to the staff liaison, who will then submit the receipt to the Town Manager’s office for processing. xi. All requests the Select Board shall follow the process listed above. Midyear requests are discouraged but will be considered. FY23 Water Enterprise Budget $8,802,357 FY23 Sewer Enterprise Budget $7,600,710 Proposed Sewer Rate for FY23 FY23 Sewer Enterprise Budget 7,500,710$ Reserves Used to Lower Rates (350,000)$ Allowance (4%) for Lien 286,028$ Total Required Billing 7,436,738$ Estimated Annual Water Consumption (100 Cu Ft)675,000 FY23 Sewer Rate per 100 Cu Ft 11.02$ FY22 Sewer Rate per 100 Cu Ft 10.90$ % Increase FY22 to FY23 1.1% Proposed Water Rate for FY23 7.1% Increase Combined Rate 2.9% Increase Combined Rate 0.0% Increase Combined Rate OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3 FY23 Water Enterprise Budget 8,702,357$ 8,702,357$ 8,702,357$ Reserves Used to Lower Rates (750,000)$ (750,000)$ (750,000)$ ARPA Used to Lower Rates -$ (550,000)$ (1,000,000)$ Allowance (4%) for Lien 318,094$ 296,094$ 278,094$ Total Required Billing 8,270,451$ 7,698,451$ 7,230,451$ Estimated Annual Water 675,000 675,000 675,000 FY23 Water Rate/100CuFt 12.25$ 11.41$ 10.71$ FY22 Water Rate/100CuFt 10.90$ 10.90$ 10.90$ % Increase FY22 to FY23 12.4%4.6%-1.73% Recommendation for Water & Sewer Rates for FY23 $114.10 $110.20 $2,616.00 $2,691.60 Single Family - Annual Consumption of 120 HCF Annual Combined Water and Sewer Costs Water Cost Per Month Sewer Cost Per Month 2022 Annual Combined 2023 Annual Combined Description Rate % Increase FY23 Water Rate/100 Cu Ft 11.41$ 4.6% FY23 Sewer Rate/100 Cu Ft 11.02$ 1.1% FY23 Combined Rate 22.43$ 2.9% Look at Structural Change for FY24 •Wakefield completed Water Rate Study to implement Tiered Water and Sewer Billing Tiers Start End Water Sewer 1 1 1,000 $7.30 $11.20 2 1,001 2,500 $7.72 $11.70 3 2,501 6,000 $8.15 $12.21 4 6,001 + $8.99 $13.22 •65 gallons per person per day (8.7 cubic feet) used as basis for setting tiers •Tier 1 captures person living alone, senior couples, and other small users •Tier 2 captures average residential user (approx. 1,950 cubic feet) and three-person households •Tier 3 threshold allows commercial accounts and larger residential users to conserve to avoid or limit tier 4 consumption Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance 5 program. The final rule takes effect on April 1, 2022, and the interim final rule remains in effect until that time, although recipients can choose to take advantage of the final rule’s flexibilities and simplifications prior to April 1, 2022. Recipients may consult the Statement Regarding Compliance with the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Interim Final Rule and Final Rule for more information on compliance with the interim final rule and the final rule. It is the recipient’s responsibility to ensure all SLFRF award funds are used in compliance with these requirements. In addition, recipients should be mindful of any additional compliance obligations that may apply – for example, additional restrictions imposed upon other sources of funds used in conjunction with SLFRF award funds, or statutes and regulations that may independently apply to water, broadband, and sewer infrastructure projects. Recipients should ensure they maintain proper documentation supporting determinations of costs and applicable compliance requirements, and how they have been satisfied as part of their award management, internal controls, and subrecipient oversight and management. C. Treasury’s Final Rule Treasury’s final rule details recipients’ compliance responsibilities and provides additional information on eligible and restricted uses of SLFRF award funds and reporting requirements. Your organization should review and comply with the information contained in Treasury’s final rule when building appropriate controls for SLFRF award funds. 1. Eligible and Restricted Uses of SLFRF Funds. As described in the SLFRF statute and summarized above, there are four enumerated eligible uses of SLFRF award funds. As a recipient of an award under the SLFRF program, your organization is responsible for complying with requirements for the use of funds. In addition to determining a given project’s eligibility, recipients are also responsible for determining subrecipient’s or beneficiaries’ eligibility, and must monitor subrecipients’ use of SLFRF award funds. To help recipients build a greater understanding of eligible uses, Treasury’s final rule establishes a framework for determining whether a specific project would be elig ible under the SLFRF program, including some helpful definitions. For example, Treasury’s final rule establishes: • A framework for determining whether a project responds to the COVID-19 public health emergency or its negative economic impacts; • Definitions of “eligible employers,” “essential work,” “eligible workers,” and “premium pay” for cases where premium pay is an eligible use; • The option to select between a standard amount of revenue loss or complete a full revenue loss calculation of revenue lost due to the COVID-19 public health emergency; • A framework for necessary water and sewer infrastructure projects that aligns eligible uses with projects that are eligible under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds along with certain additional projects, including a wider set of lead remediation and stormwater infrastructure projects and aid for residential wells; and • A framework for necessary broadband projects that allows for projects that are designed to provide service of sufficient speeds to eligible areas, as well as an affordability requirement for providers that provide service to households. Treasury’s final rule also provides more information on important restrictions on use of SLFRF award funds, including that recipients other than Tribal governments may not deposit SLFRF funds into a pension fund; and recipients that are States or territories may not use SLFRF funds to offset a reduction in net tax revenue resulting from the recipient’s change in law, regulation, or administrative interpretation. In addition, recipients may not use SLFRF funds directly to service debt, satisfy a judgment or settlement, or contribute to a “rainy day” fund. Recipients should refer to Treasury’s final rule for more information on these restrictions. Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance 6 Treasury’s final rule outlines that funds available under the “revenue loss” eligible use category (sections 602(c)(1)(C) and 603(c)(1)(C) of the Social Security Act) generally may be used to meet the non-federal cost-share or matching requirements of other federal programs. However, the final rule notes that SLFRF funds may not be used as the non-federal share for purposes of a state’s Medicaid and CHIP programs because the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) has approved a waiver as requested by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services pursuant to 2 CFR 200.102 of the Uniform Guidance and related regulations. If a recipient seeks to use SLFRF funds to satisfy match or cost-share requirements for a federal grant program, it should first confirm with the relevant awarding agency that no waiver has been granted for that program, that no other circumstances enumerated under 2 CFR 200.306(b) would limit the use of SLFRF funds to meet the match or cost-share requirement, and that there is no other statutory or regulatory impediment to using the SLFRF funds for the match or cost -share requirement. SLFRF funds beyond those that are available under the revenue loss eligible use category may not be used to meet the non-federal match or cost-share requirements of other federal programs, other than as specifically provided for by statute. For example, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides that SLFRF funds may be used to meet the non-federal match requirements of authorized Bureau of Reclamation projects and certain broadband deployment projects. 2. Eligible Costs Timeframe. Your organization, as a recipient of an SLFRF award, may use SLFRF funds to cover eligible costs that your organization incurred during the period that begins on March 3, 2021 and ends on December 31, 2024, as long as the award funds for the obligations incurred by December 31, 2024 are expended by December 3 1, 2026. Costs for projects incurred by the recipient State, territorial, local, or Tribal government prior to March 3, 2021 are not eligible, as provided for in Treasury’s final rule. Recipients may, in certain circumstances, use SLFRF award funds for the eligible use categories described in Treasury’s final rule for costs incurred prior to March 3, 2021. Specifically, a. Public Health/Negative Economic Impacts: Recipients may use SLFRF award funds to provide assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits to respond to the public health emergency or negative economic impacts of the pandemic – such as rent, mortgage, or utility assistance – for costs incurred by the beneficiary (e.g., a household) prior to March 3, 2021, provided that the recipient State, territorial, local or Tribal government did not incur the cost of providing such assistance prior to March 3, 2021. b. Premium Pay: Recipients may provide premium pay retrospectively for work performed at any time since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Such premium pay must be “in addition to” wages and remuneration already received and the obligation to provide such premium pay must not have been incurred by the recipient prior to March 3, 2021. c. Revenue Loss: Recipients have broad discretion to use funds for the provision of government services to the extent of reduction in revenue. While calculation of lost revenue is based on the recipient’s revenue in the last full fiscal year prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency, use of funds for government services must be forward looking for costs incurred by the recipient after March 3, 2021. d. Investments in Water, Sewer, and Broadband: Recipients may use SLFRF award funds to make necessary investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. Recipients may use SLFRF award funds to cover costs incurred for eligible projects planned or started prior to March 3, 2021, provided that the project costs covered by the SLFRF award funds were incurred by the recipient after March 3, 2021. Any funds not obligated or expended for eligible uses by the timelines above must be returned to Treasury, including any unobligated or unexpended funds that have been provided to subrecipients and contractors as part of the award closeout process pursuant to 2 C.F.R. 200.344(d). For the purposes of determining expenditure eligibility, Treasury’s final rule provides Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance 26 higher, on an annual basis; OR the eligible worker receiving premium pay is not exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime provisions: ▪ A brief written narrative justification of how the premium pay or grant is responsive to workers performing essential work during the public health emergency. This could include a description of the essential workers’ duties, health or financial risks faced due to COVID-19, and why the recipient government determined that the premium pay was responsive to workers performing essential work during the pandemic. This description should not include personally identifiable information; when addressing individual workers, recipients should be careful not to include this information. Recipients may consider describing the workers’ occupations and duties in a general manner as necessary to protect privacy (Collection began January 2022) • Number of workers to be served with premium pay in K-12 schools (Collection will begin April 2022) 12. Revenue replacement (EC 6.1) – Collection began in August 2021: As outlined in the final rule, recipients have the option to make a one-time decision to calculate revenue loss according to the formula outlined in the final rule or elect a “Standard Allowance” of up to $10 million, not to exceed the award allocation, to spend on government services throughout the period of performance. The option to make this one-time decision will be provided during the April 30, 2022 reporting deadline. For recipients electing the “Standard Allowance,” Treasury will presume that up to $10 million, not to exceed the award allocation, in revenue has been lost due to the public health emergency and recipients are permitted to use that amount to fund “government se rvices.” Please note that electing the standard allowance does not change a recipient’s total allocation. Recipients must elect to use this standard allowance instead of calculating lost revenue using the formula. For recipients calculating revenue loss according to the formula, the final rule permits recipients to choose whether to use calendar or fiscal year calculation dates. Recipients must use the same calculation time frame (calendar or fiscal year) throughout the award period. Recipients calculating lost revenue using the formula should report the following: • Choice of fiscal or calendar year revenue loss (choice must remain consistent throughout award period) • General revenue collected over the past 12 months as of the most recent calculation date, as outlined in the final rule. • Calculated revenue loss due to the Covid-19 public health emergency; and • An explanation of how the revenue replacement funds were allocated to government services (note: additional instructions and/or template to be provided in user guide). For information on treatment of future tax changes, please see the Statement Regarding Compliance with the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Interim Final Rule and Final Rule. k. Required Programmatic Data for Infrastructure Projects (EC 5): For all projects listed under the Water, Sewer, and Broadband Expenditure Categories (see Appendix 1), more detailed project- level information is required. Each project will be required to report expenditure data as described above, but will also report the following information: 1. All infrastructure projects (EC 5) – Collection began in January 2022: • Projected/actual construction start date (month/year) Town of Reading Town Manager Goals Fidel Maltez –Town Manager 4/19/22 Goals “There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. And there’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them.” —Jim Rohn Reading 4/19/22 Select Board Meeting slide 1 Aspirational 1. Earning the Trust of Staff & the Community 2. Schools 3. Economic Development 4. Infrastructure 2 31 Schools Economic Development Earning the Trust of Staff & the Community Infrastructure 4 Reading 4/19/22 Select Board Meeting slide 2 Aspirational Earning the Trust of Staff & the Community Build Strong Relationships with Community Partners -Clergy, Jewish Community, Non- Profits/Volunteers, Business Community, RMLD Enhance Communication/Transparency –Coffee Hour Events, Newsletter, New Website, Social Media Support Staff -Open Door Policy, Establish a Vision, Listen, Celebrate Small Wins, Recognize the importance of Public Safety, Communicate with and Support Dr. Chatterjee Continue Employee Attraction/Retention Efforts -Finalize Personnel Policies, Complete Pay and Class Study, Identify What’s Working/Not Working Lead Responsiveness and Accountability –Culture of Excellence in Delivering Public Services Reading 4/19/22 Select Board Meeting slide 3 Schools Support School Department Initiatives. Participate in Sporting Events, Celebrations, and Classrooms. Continue Excellent Relationship with Superintendent and other School Staff. Work Together to Complete MSBA Eligibility Period for Killam School. Collaborate on Developing a Sustainable and Balanced Plan to Achieve Free Full Day Kindergarten. Reading 4/19/22 Select Board Meeting slide 4 Economic Development Support the Downtown and the “Re-Imagine Reading” efforts –BID, Bistro Table Program, Downtown Parking, Downtown Lighting Demonstration project. Downtown (40R) Smart Growth Zoning District –Next Steps for “Your Downtown” Implementation of Local Rapid Recovery Planning (LRRP) –Next Steps Complete Public Engagement Process for Oakland Road and Symonds Way Encourage Managed Growth –Attracting Commercial/Industrial/Retail and Mixed-Use as outlined in the Economic Development Action Plan (EDAP) and Residential Development per the Housing Production Plan (HPP). Revisit Camp Curtis Guild –Options to Explore? Potential for RMLD Battery? Continue Planning Process for Eastern Gateway –Next Steps for “The Yard” Next phase of Downtown Cultural Initiatives –Art Box program, Porchfest, Art Walk Reading 4/19/22 Select Board Meeting slide 5 Infrastructure Complete the Auburn Water Tank and Pocket Park. Complete Downtown Utility Improvements. Execute Climate Law Initiatives -EV Chargers, Solar Panels in Municipal and School Buildings Increase Public Health Infrastructure; transition into Police Station Continue to Pursue State and Federal Grants. Hold Public Engagement Process for 10-year Capital Improvement Plan ReCalc –Advance Recommendations Birch Meadow Master Plan –Seek Funding For Improvements Support RAAC Process and Execute Decisions Reading 4/19/22 Select Board Meeting slide 6 Thank You! FIDEL MALTEZ TOWN MANAGER Reading 4/19/22 Select Board Meeting slide 7 Select Board Open Session March 22, 2022, 7:00 pm Town Hall Select Board Meeting Room and via Zoom Members Present: Chair Karen Gately Herrick, Vice Chair Anne Landry, Secretary Mark Dockser, Carlo Bacci, Chris Haley Others Present: Town Manager Fidel Maltez, Economic Development Director Erin Schaffer (remote), Community Development Director Julie Mercier (remote), Planner Andrew MacNichol (remote), Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios (remote), Technology Director Kevin Furilla (remote), Business Administrator Jayne Wellman (remote), Administrative Services Director Matt Kraunelis (remote), Town Clerk Laura Gemme (remote), Health Director Ade Solarin (remote) Bill Brown, Angela Binda, Karen Rose-Gillis, Sherilla Lestrade, Dan Dewar, John Weston, Michelle Marcoulier-Shaw, Richard Talieri, John O’Neill, Nora Bucko (remote), Tony D’Arezzo (remote), Lars Unhjem (remote), Nancy Twomey (remote), Jay Jackson (remote), Ron Assini (remote), Naomi Kaufman (remote), Glen Alberich (remote), Documents Used: 220282 DTC Legal Notice 530 Main Street 2022-03-08 2022-02-23 Application for Transfer of Liquor License of 530 Main Street – Redacted Select Board Economic Development Update 3.22.2022 Reading Downtown Lighting Project Summary 3.17.2022 Reading_MBTAcommunities-MFguidelines_3-16-22_SB Reading_MBTAcomm_Map ReCalc-Select-Board-03-22-prep3 2022-03-22 SB Packet – Revised 2022-03-01 Select Board Minutes DRAFT - Simple - ajl-kh This meeting was held in person in the Select Board Meeting Room of Town Hall, and remotely via Zoom. Chair Karen Gately Herrick called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Service Recognition for Anne Landry: Ms. Herrick noted that this is the last meeting for Anne Landry, as she is not running for re-election. She thanked Ms. Landry for her valued contributions and her ability to listen to the needs of the community. Board members echoed Ms. Herrick’s sentiments and thanked Ms. Landry for her dedication and service to the Town. Ms. Landry thanked her fellow Board members, Town staff, and her family for all of their support. She also expressed her appreciation to the community for their support during her term and noted that serving on the Select Board was one of the great honors in her life. SB Liaison & Town Manager Reports: Mark Dockser stated that the Council on Aging and Reading Center for Active Living Committee (ReCalc) will be hosting two community forums on Wednesday April 6th to solicit feedback on needs for a Senior/Multigenerational Center. All members of the community are welcome and encouraged to attend. Chris Haley noted that the Killam School was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) eligibility period. The Reading ARPA Advisory Committee (RAAC) had their initial meeting and are meeting again tomorrow evening. Carlo Bacci shared that Friends of Reading Baseball are trying to coordinate a whiffle ball and cornhole tournament on Town Day to raise money for the league. The Community Planning and Development Commission (CPDC) approved the Chute Street project. Anne Landry noted there will be a Public Safety pinning ceremony scheduled for Police and Fire on May 4th at 7:00 pm at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at the High School. Karen Gately Herrick stated that MA DOER will be holding stretch code hearings. The House of Representatives passed a bill that will make it easier for Reading to join Green Communities. Town Manager Fidel Maltez reflected on his six weeks on the job to date. His main efforts have been to get to know the residents, staff, and businesses. The YMCA hosted a meet and greet with him last week, and there are two more scheduled for this Thursday. He has engaged with the community and is learning everyone’s priorities. The Business Improvement District (BID) steering committee efforts are under way with about 20% of downtown businesses signed on, and will continue until they reach 60%, then the formal creation of a BID will come before the Select Board. The Finance Committee approved the FY23 operating budget. This year’s Annual Town Meeting will be held in-person at the High School PAC. New staff members include Director of Equity and Social Justice Sudeshna Chatterjee, and Officer Cooper, the first of two comfort dogs joining the Reading Police Department who will partner with the Student Resource Officers. Public Comment: Bill Brown of 28 Martin Road stated that there are some ribbons around stones at Laurel Hill Cemetery for restoration. Funding was approved this morning for flowers for Memorial Day and volunteers are needed to help put up markers. He and Mr. Maltez have asked the Wakefield voke school to draw plans for a new cemetery building, which he would like to be named for him. Richard Abate of Applegate Lane, and Lt. Detective of the Reading Police Department, read a prepared statement urging the Select Board to consider using ARPA funds for premium pay for essential workers, especially the first responders. Other communities have already distributed ARPA funds for premium pay for essential workers. Public Hearing: Approve Transfer of Liquor License - 530 Main Street: Applicant Richard Talieri was present with Attorney Glenn Alberich and Manager Michelle Marcoulier- Shaw for his request for a liquor license transfer. He plans to take over the current license and space at 530 Main Street, which is currently Biltmore and Main, and change it to a new restaurant to be called Public Kitchen. Mr. Talieri also owns other restaurants, including another Public Kitchen in Wakefield, and Anchovies restaurant in Boston. Mr. Dockser asked for an explanation regarding the hearing in Boston stemming from an incident at Anchovies. Mr. Talieri shared that a regular patron had been drinking before arriving at Anchovies and another patron tried to follow her home. Other bar patrons tried to stop the individual from following her, and a fight ensued on the next block. Staff at Anchovies were unaware that anything had happened until the next day. In Boston, incidents such as this trigger an automatic hearing. Mr. Talieri stated that he has no violations at his other restaurants. Mark Dockser moved to close the public hearing. Motion seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved 5-0 by unanimous vote. Mark Dockser moved to approve the transfer of an Annual Restaurant All Alcohol License located at 530 Main Street, Reading, from Unagi Servers, Inc. d/b/a Biltmore & Main Bar and Grill, to The VI, Incorporated, d/b/a Public Kitchen, with Michelle Marcoulier-Shaw as the Licensed Manager. Motion seconded by Chris Haley and approved 5-0 by unanimous vote. Introduce Sudeshna Chatterjee, Director for Equity and Social Justice: Mr. Maltez introduced the new Director of Equity and Social Justice, Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee. Dr. Chatterjee thanked the Board for inviting her and stated she is excited for this opportunity. She noted that the Equity and Social Justice division of the Library is new and needs to continue to sustain, grow and build efforts in town and collaboratively build new partnerships with other departments and organizations. She also just moved to Reading this past weekend. Board members and former Human Relations Advisory Committee (HRAC) Chair, Josh Goldlust, and current HRAC Chair, Sherilla Lestrade, welcomed Dr. Chatterjee and expressed their appreciation for her joining Reading as both a resident and a staff member. Update on New Town Website: Administrative Services Director Matt Kraunelis and Business Administrator Jayne Wellman previewed the upgraded Town website to the Select Board. Ms. Wellman provided an overview of the new homepage and new features of the website. The new website will launch tomorrow, March 23rd. Discuss email policy for Volunteer Board/Committee Members: Town Clerk Laura Gemme addressed the request of the Board to provide email addresses of appointed board and committee members. She presented possible solutions including: not providing email addresses at all; provide email addresses to the public, which she stated she will not do without permission; provide Town email addresses for every member, which can be costly both financially and for Town staff; or provide a contact form via the new website for each member, which will be sent to the personal email address provided, and the member has the option to reply and share their personal contact information, or forward to staff to be addressed. The Board discussed the proposed solutions. Mr. Haley suggested “point to” email addresses which are free. Ms. Herrick noted that other communities are supplying boards and committees with email addresses. Mr. Maltez explained the setup and maintenance could be a lot for IT staff, though it may be easier when IT switches to an exchange server in the future. IT Director Kevin Furilla noted that other communities and organizations commonly use the form format. The Board opted to continue the discussion at a future meeting. Haven Street Lighting Project: Economic Development Director Erin Schaeffer presented the plan to install decorative lighting downtown at the end of Haven Street. The hope is that the lighting installation will help provide more interest at that end of Haven Street, enable some establishments to change their business hours to stay open until 9:00 pm, and attract customers at later hours. PARC – Presentation of Recommendations: Because there was a quorum of the Parking Advisory and Recommendations Committee (PARC), but the committee was not posted to meet or attend the Select Board meeting, the Select Board opted to reschedule the PARC presentation to the next meeting on April 19th to avoid any issues with Open Meeting Law. The PARC will be posted to attend that meeting. Update on MBTA Communities Guidance: Community Development Director Julie Mercier presented changes in legislation passed last January that set forth parameters for MBTA communities to have certain zoning in place to allow capacity for additional housing units. Basic parameters include: the district must be reasonable size, have minimum 15 units per acre, multi family housing must be “as-of-right”, and be no more than ½ mile from the station. In December 2021, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), in conjunction with MBTA and MADOT, promulgated guidelines for MBTA communities to see if they comply with the legislation. The minimum land area needs to be approximately 50 acres, the minimum multi family unit capacity is based on 2020 housing stock, and percentage of housing stock depends on the transit service designation. The district within ½ mile around the train station includes the Downtown Smart Growth District, almost all of the 40R district, and a portion of the business A district on South Main Street. If not compliant, the Town loses eligibility for certain grants such as housing choice grants, local capital projects grants, MassWorks grants, and other DHCD grants at their discretion. The timeline for compliance is extremely tight. Ms. Mercier stated that Reading is currently classified as a bus community, but she believes it should be a commuter rail community. If classified as a bus community, the Town will need to add 1,990 units, and have an action plan by March 31, 2023. However, if considered a commuter rail community, Reading will only need to add 1,493 units, and have an action plan by July 1, 2023. Next steps are to explore possibilities with the Community Planning and Development Commission and getting funds for technical assistance to help with build out analysis. Mr. Maltez stated that this is the interpretation of the DHCD. He explained that the Town should continue to pursue how to address the legislation internally and push legislators to push the state to be fairer to all communities, as Woburn and Burlington are also concerned about being able to comply with the new legislation. Board members discussed the changes and expressed their concerns with the new legislation. Ms. Mercier explained that if further changes are needed, they will be brought to Town Meeting. ReCalc - Presentation and Updates: John O’Neill of the Reading Center for Active Living Committee (ReCalc) presented the history of the committee and the progress they have made to date. ReCalc has been meting twice a month since December and had many joint meetings with the Council on Aging to come up with what is important in a new Senior Center. They enlisted the UMass Gerontology Institute as their consultant to gather information by conducting surveys, hosting community forums, identifying the vision for what the community needs are, and comparing centers of other communities. The current Reading Senior Center is on three floors, with no bathrooms on the same floor as the activities, and its size makes it difficult to host different kinds of programs. Next steps for ReCalc include: collecting and analyzing data, presenting a vision, recommending a senior center or a multigenerational center, making their final recommendations to the Select Board, then creating a Town Meeting article to fund a feasibility study. Mr. Dockser shared photos from other senior centers of open spaces for people to sit and noted that this has been trending, as isolation has been a big issue. ReCalc has been helping the Council on Aging find their voice for this project and address some short term needs as well. Future Agendas: Karen Gately Herrick stated that there will need to be a hearing to remove a Town Forest Committee member. Chris Haley requested adding PARC and extending its sunset date on or before July 31st. Anne Landry noted that while she will no longer be on the Board, she encouraged the Board to adopt a pride resolution at the May 31st meeting. Mark Dockser suggested having another discussion about the board and committee email policy. Approval of Minutes: The Board reviewed suggested edits to the draft minutes of March 1, 2022. Mark Dockser moved to approve the meeting minutes of March 1, 2022 as amended. Motion seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by unanimous vote of 5-0. Mark Dockser moved to adjourn at 10:15 pm. Motion seconded by Anne Landry and approved by unanimous vote of 5-0.