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Home My WebLink About2023-06-14 Historical Commission Minutes�' RECEIVED Town of Reading TOWN CLERK Meeting Minutes READING, MA. OR ro „��'"°�^• 2123 JUN 29 AH 7: 36 Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Historical Commission Date: 2023-06-14 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: General Business Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Virginia Adams (VA), Sarah Brukilacchio (SB), Samantha Couture (SC), Pino D'Orazio, Amelia Devin Freedman (ADF), Christine Keller (CK), and Jonathan Barnes (JEB) participated by phone per the Mullin Rule Members - Not Present: Others Present: Ben Cares Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Christine Keller Topics of Discussion: Meeting called to order at 7:04PM. SC made VA a voting member for the meeting. Guest, Ben Cares Economic Development Director. Town of Readino Ben previously met with RHC on April 12 to discuss options to enhance community feeling for the Town Common environs. Since then, he has communicated with other municipalities to gather feedback on how they have activated public spaces. In his presentation titled "Reading's Town Common: Increasing Use and Access," Ben shared photos and comments from his professional peers in Weston, Great Barrington, Lexington, Needham and Newburyport. Tables and chairs and colorful, modern Adirondack chairs were used in gathering areas in these towns. Ben also showed a photo of a bench that can transform into a picnic table. Funds ($5,000) from the state's rapid recovery plan have been designated for seating options in Reading and must be spent by 2026. There was discussion among the group regarding the "Guidelines for Evaluating Changes to Common" and the current park benches on the green. Location of seating, style and color of seating, seasonality of seating, as well as materials were discussed. Ben is going to explore winter storage of seating with Jeff Cummings at the DPW, and he will meet with the RHC again to follow up. Officers for July 1. 2023 SC proposed the slate of officers: PD Chair; SC Vice Chair; JEB Treasurer and CK Secretary. VA second. Vote 5-0. Reauest to MHC to add five Reading structures to their Inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets On June 2, JEB submitted Form Bs for 115 Eaton St., 158 Salem St., 767 Main St., 832 Main St., and Hillcrest Rd. to the MHC. We are awaiting feedback. Page i 1 186 Summer Ave. - Nothing to report. 583 Main St. - Demolition of the parapet has begun. 25 Haven St. - CPDC review continued to July 10 meeting RHC Inventory/MHC Inventory reconciliation CK prepared a summary of MHC properties that are not on the RHC inventory. Sixty-eight properties in the West Street and Summer Avenue Historic Districts are not in Reading's Historical and Architectural Inventory Protected by Demolition Delay but should be under the Bylaw. JEB will discuss how to proceed with Town Counsel. Four additional properties that are not on the RHC inventory were discussed and require follow up: • 717 Pearl Street / Emerson Barn / Disassembled and relocated to NH. Move to Demolished list? • 337 Pearl Street / Johnson, John House / Who will research meeting minutes to determine if this was "325 Pearl St." which RHC removed from the inventory circa 2020? • 66 John Carver Road/Diment, Gordon J. - Bjorkman, Edwin House - Patriot Properties shows this to be a new house built in 2010. • 25 Haverhill Street/Camp Curtis Guild/27 structures covered by Form A (Area) by Icon Architecture in 2003; SC to discuss with Jennifer Doherty at MHC. Action item: The last update to the The Inventoried Historic and Architecturally Significant Structures Lost or Saved in Reading was June 2018. Who will update it? Should we post this file on the RHC webpage? Archive Software and Archivist SC meet with the Town's IT team to present Cataloglt software for the Archive. The IT team approved the purchase and will manage the software and back up files. Amanda Beatrice has set CatalogIt up as a vendor. SC made a motion to spend $450 of ARPA funds to purchase CatalogIt software. PD second. Vote 5-0. The budget for an archivist is $5,000 from ARPA; $500 from RHC Budget; $550 from ARPA (balance after CatalogIt software purchase) for a total of $6,050. A job description was written, and the employment offer is $22 per hour. JEB made a motion to hire Robin Marrow as Archivist for a contract period of one year and to approve the budget and payment appropriation amount as described in the job description and in Robin Marrow's invoice, VA second. Vote 4-0-1, SC abstained. Archive acquisition of WWI photos and Alice Hunter. WWI nurse VA introduced Alice Hunter, a psychiatric nurse, who served in WWI. While in Europe, Alice took extensive photographs, which her great-nephew gifted to VA. Alice lived at 362 South Street after the war and died in 1976 at age 98. She is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery and was a trailblazer in the care of soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder. SC made a motion to accept the photos to the Archive. PD second. Vote 4-0-1, JEB abstained. Reading Garden Club (May 20) inquires to follow up on: • SB will research the age of 55 Hancock Street. • SC will follow up on 3 Highland Street. The date of the house listed on MHC Form B is different from Information at the Registry of Deeds. Open Meeting Law and Public Records training (May 23 2023) Several members of RHC attended this training by Town Counsel, and we have agreed to review best practices for our meetings, deliberations and correspondence. Page 1 2 2024 RMLD Calendar: ADF worked with Jean D'Onofrio of RMLD to select five historic photos from the Archive for the 2024 calendar. One of the photos is of 63 West Street, a historic house lost to demolition. Future Agenda Topics: • RMHS History Award; 2023 recipient Sedona Skendarian; we need to ensure she received a copy of At Wood End and Reading: Images of America. ADF will create an award certificate. • VA suggested that the RHC develop a presentation on moved houses in Reading, based on research in At Wood End. Finances/Treasurer's Report: 2023 Budget balance: $576.64 Invoice from Arts Reading for membership renewal: $50 SC motion to pay invoice, JEB second. Vote 5 - 0. Review minutes from 5/10/23 Meetino: Motion to accept as amended by SC; JEB second; Vote 4-0-1, PD abstain. Motion to adjourn by SC at 9:28PM; JEB second; Vote 5-0. Documents listed: Reading's Town Common: Increasing Access and Use Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System; search results for Reading, 4/2023 Historical and Architectural Inventory Protected by Demolition Delay Next meeting: July 12, 2023 Page 1 3 xtCEIVEU TOWN CLERK M Gmail Chri"rta Ae1 jilif"er T#lPt<kellenalbot@gmail.com> Archivist description 1 message Samantha Couture <samanthamuture9@gmail.com> Mon, May 15, 2023 at 8:02 PM To: Christine Keller <kelledalbot@gmail.com>, Sarah 8 Tom Brukilacchio <harpley@aol.com>, Pino D'Orano <pdomzio@gmail.com>, Amelia Devin Freedman <amelia.devin.freedman@gmail.com>, Virginia Adams <vahistodan@comcast.nel>, Jonathan Barnes <jebarnes2@gmail.com> Hi all, Here is a proposed description of the temporary archivist position. I've listed the arpa funding and an approximation of the rest of this yea=s budget, broken down by a rate of $22/hr, which is the going rate for temp positions around here Please send me your questions and feedback individually. We can discuss it together at our June meeting. The Town Archive has a significant backlog of items needing organization, cataloging, and storage. A majority of the photographs and some of the manuscripts are inventoried in an Access database, but not all the collections are accounted for in the catalog. The database is less useful than most new cataloging software, and is only available on the archive computer. The new catalog software will allow all members to access the catalog and research from home. A temporary archivist is key to bringing the Town Archive up to professional standards, and will allow greater access to the Town's historical record for the residents of the Town. To achieve these goals, the temporary archivist will work with RHC members as needed on the following priorities: 1. Develop standards for organizing catalog information 2. Prepare existing catalog database for migration to Cataloglt 3. Organize, catalog, and store backlog of items in the archive 4. Create records for uncataloged items that are already shelved 5. Improve storage of physical items using best preservation practices 6. Separate RHC working/current records from collection items 7. Identify duplicates Arpa $5,000 Arpa- software $450 Remainder of 2022/23 budget $500 Total (270 hours at$22/hr) $5,940 Sam Samantha Couture Book & Papa Conscmton Pm&ssional Associate AIC, MLIS Chau, Reading Historical Commission Reading, Massachusetts samanthacoutureg@gmail.com www.dyleafbindery.com (518) 377-1163 �t��Gt-ERK Robin Marrow, MSLIS Z�p3 JUN 29 4t1 610 Silver Street Rollinsford, NH 03869 (207) 351-5914 Reading Historical Commission 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 Archival Processing Quote (Part 2) 30" June 2023 OVERALL PROJECT GOALS • Survey the town of Reading (MA) Historical Commission's archival records • Develop standard naming conventions for record groups • Process collections, including physical arrangement and description, according to archival principles • Rehouse materials in archival quality enclosures; including buffered boxes and folders, as needed • Create mufti -level inventories • Create database documents for utilization through Catalogit" software SPECIFICATIONS, Part 2 1. Prepare existing catalog database for migration to Catalogit". 2. Organize, catalog, and store backlog of items in the archive 3. Create records for uncataloged items that are already shelved 4. Improve storage of physical items using best preservation practices 5. Separate RHC working/current records from collection items 6. Identify duplicates Part 2 Estimated time 252 hours Hourly rate of $22.00 TOTAL: $5,544.00 Work to be invoiced at every 55 hour increments as completed. Total project hours are estimated to be complete by June 30, 2024. The above specifications and conditions are satisfactory and hereby accepted. Reading Historical Commission Robin Marrow, MSLIS Date 06/23/2023 Robin Marrow, MSLIS 610 Silver Street Rollinsford, NH 03869 (207) 351-5914 Reading Historical Commission 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 Archival Processing Quote (Part 1) 30" June 2023 OVERALL PROJECT GOALS • Survey the town of Reading (MA) Historical Commission's archival records • Develop standard naming conventions for record groups • Process collections, including physical arrangement and description, according to archival principles • Rehouse materials in archival quality enclosures; including buffered boxes and folders, as needed • Create multi-level inventories • Create database documents for utilization through Catalogit" software SPECIFICATIONS, Part 1 1. Survey materials and develop standards for processing archival records. 2. Prepare existing catalog database for migration to Catalogit". Part 1 Estimated time 22 hours Hourly rate of $22.00 TOTAL: $484.00 All work to be invoiced when complete. Total project hours are estimated to be complete by June 30, 2024. The above specifications and conditions are satisfactory and hereby accepted. Reading Historical Commission Robin Merrow, MSLIS Date Date 06/23/2023