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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-03-21 Select Board Minutes06F.014, Town of Reading RECEIVED Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK READING, MA. Board - Committee - commission - council: 2823 APR 20 PMI 21 Select Board Date: 2023-03-21 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Select Board Meeting Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: General Business Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Mark Dockser via Zoom, Karen Herrick, Carlo Bacci, Chris Haley, Jackie McCarthy Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Fidel Maltez, Executive Assistant Caitlin Nocella, Geoffrey Coram, Angela Binda, Erin Bacci, Liz Whitelam, Joseph Carnahan, Bill Brown, Mary Zeek Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Executive Assistant Caitlin Nocella Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held in person and remote via Zoom Dockser called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Public Comment Diane Sirna of Sanborn Lane noted she would like to see a sidewalk put in because the road is narrow and unsafe as is. Bruce Mackenzie, also of Sanborn Lane, noted he was the resident who placed the last 2 citizen petitioned Articles on the Town Meeting warrant and would like help from staff to improve his articles. He would also like the Select Board to take a vote to recommend his two articles before town meeting. Bill Brown noted none of the restrooms are ADA compliant in Town Hall. He would like this building brought up to code ASAP. Geno Pilyaysky wanted to comment about incentivizing volunteers that the board spoke of last meeting. He doesn't feel offering money or gift cards is the right way to go because we want to draw in volunteers who are passionate about the boards they are on, not just volunteering for the money. Liaison Reports Bacci mentioned the Recreation Committee meeting that discussed softball putting in a temporary home -run fence and pickleball is not pursuing courts at Sturgis or Washington Park. June 10th is friends and family day. Ice Arena Authority had a standard meeting before this; they are working on a few internal bylaw changes. He noted he has found 7 firms that handle municipal law. Page I r Haley noted the School Committee meeting met and decided on the first day of school. RCN held the candidate forum last week. Herrick noted last Thursday was Winterfest and it was well attended. FINCOM finished up budget presentations and discussed standardizing the trash carts and recommended additional funding for Birch Meadow Phase I. She attended RMHS PTO noting travel programs are back. She spoke about the Reading Scholarship Foundation who distributes funds to Reading residents. Last night the Killam School Building committee met last night as we enter the next phase of the MSBA program. Today was METCO advocacy day at the State House; she joined Sherilla Lestrade and many students from the METCO program. She thanked Mark Dockser for being Chair the past year. McCarthy attended FINCOM where DPW and Fidel explained the recent comments made regarding staffing levels and they have made great progress filling those positions. She attended an MMA Webinar about affordable housing trust funds and communities that have adopted one of these. The RMLD board met last week. She was nominated to the Energy and Environment policy committee through the MMA. She mentioned health related events coming up. Dockser noted the Bill Russell events that were held recently. ReCalc will be making a presentation tonight on their findings. The Select Board will have a table at Friends and Family day. Town Managers Report He noted we are significantly overbudget for Birch Meadow because of inflation and market conditions, not because the project was changed in anyway. There are some options on deferring certain aspects of the project but there are some concerns about doing that. Article 14 for Town Meeting covers this request and reallocating funds from other projects. He noted they are down to only three vacancies in DPW right now. Water & Sewer Rates Matt Abrahams from the Abrahams Group gave the board a presentation about water and sewer rates and going to a tiered system. He noted is a lot of the same material the Town Manager has showed them previously. The presentation can be found in the Select Board meeting packet on the town website. The board discussed when the tiered system would start and what kind of increases they would see each year. Carla Nazzaro asked if tiered rates are mandated? It was noted the MWRA states that towns belonging to the MWRA should have a tiered rate. She also asked which tier a family of 4 would be considered. An average family of 4 would be in tier 4 which this system would not help; it would increase their rates. ReCalc Presentation ReCalc and Council on Aging called to order. John Sasso of ReCalc gave the board a presentation on their findings. The presentation can be found in the Select Board packet on the town website. ReCalc and Council of Aging adjourned at 9:31 PM. Parking Kiosks Presentation Economic Development Director Ben Cares gave the board a presentation about how to roll out the parking kiosks the board voted previously to put in to help downtown parking. The presentation can be found in the Select Board packet on the town website. Page 12 Sherilla Lestrade suggested changing the cobblestones in front of CVS to 15 minute parking instead now so that can be used for people doing quick errands. Town Forest Committee Presentation William Sullivan, Chair of the Town Forest committee gave the board a presentation about what the committee has been up to lately. The presentation can be found in the Select Board packet on the town website. Surplus There has been a request of the board to vote to declare some items from the police department as surplus. Haley moved to declare the 37 Glock Handguns as presented as surplus property. The motion was seconded by Herrick and approved with a unanimous roll call vote. Haley moved to declare the ammunition as presented as surplus property. The motion was seconded by Bacci and approved with a unanimous roll call vote. Affordable Housing Trust Fund The board needs to vote a member to be the board representative on the new Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board. Dockser nominated McCarthy to be the board representative. Bacci seconded the nomination. The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Future Agendas The board discussed future agenda items. Minutes The board edited previous meeting minutes. Haley moved to approve the meeting minutes from March 7th, 2023 as amended. The motion was seconded by Herrick and approved with a unanimous roll call vote. Executive Session At 10:39 PM, Haley moved to enter executive session under Purpose 6 to consider the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of 17 Hamden Street, as the Chair declares that an open meeting could have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the body, to invite Town Counsel Ivria Fried and Jennie Merrill, Town Manager Fidel Maltez and Executive Assistant Caitlin Nocella to attend the executive session, and not to reconvene in open session. Documents Used: 2023-03-11 Select Board Packet Page 13