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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-06-20 Select Board Minutes�e Board - Committee Date: 2023-06-20 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Commission - Council: Select Board Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Time: 7:00 PM Location: Select Board Meeting Room Session: Open Session Version: Final Jackie McCarthy, Mark Dockser, Karen Herrick, Carlo Bacci, Chris Haley Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Fidel Maltez, Executive Assistant Caitlin Nocella, Cathy Zeek, John Sullivan, Nancy Minichiello, Nicky Lamson, Shaun Briere, Officer Scouten Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Executive Assistant Caitlin Nocella Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held in person and remote via Zoom. Chair McCarthy called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Public Comment Cathy Zeek asked the board to reject the tiered water rate proposal that is before them tonight. She noted that type of system doesn't work for apartment buildings and doesn't encourage conservation. John Sullivan noted a tiered water rate system is not equitable. Greg Zanni from Family Circle appreciates the board taking up the no parking on his street. He just wants to make sure emergency vehicles can get in and out. Nicki Lamson wants follow up on Memorial Park crosswalk letter she sent. Sean Briere from Family Circle agreed with Greg Zanni s thoughts as long as the Fire Department is ok with the new regulations as well. Liaison Reports Bacci noted Friends and Family day was well attended. SWEC met and ranked their top 5 criteria. Haley noted the School Committee gave out their awards to teachers with service milestones. Friends and Family day was great. RMHS boys lacrosse won the championship. Page I 1 Herrick also noted Friends and Family day was successful. The library board of trustees created a landscaping subcommittee. The Kiilam School Building committee will be meeting tomorrow night and Fidel will explain further why. Dockser noted the Pride Day parade. The Town Forest committee is continuing their discussion on dogs and rules. McCarthy noted Saturday is Porchfest and Juneteenth celebration in town. Town Manager Report Maltez also noted Porchfest and Juneteenth. He explained the Killam School Building committee needs to meet to rectify an issue with the OPM they chose. They will be selecting their alternate choice now because their initial choice withdrew their application. There will be a water tank update next Monday. FINCOM will hold their last meeting on the year on the 28th. At the boards next meeting, the engineers will come and show the construction tracker they have been working on. Public Hearing—Safety Amendments Herrick read the hearing notice opening the hearing. The board had 4 safety amendments before them. Officer Scouten explained the reasoning for the requests and the recommendation from PTTTF to move forward with these. Neighbors from Family Circle were in support of regulating the parking situation on their street further as it seems to be a popular parking spot for people using the town forest. Herrick moved to close the hearing regarding the safety amendments. The motion was seconded by Haley and approved with a 5-0 vote. Herrick moved to approve Parking and Traffic Regulations Amendment number 2023-6 as presented. The motion was seconded by Dockser and approved with a 5-0 vote. Herrick moved to approve Parking and Traffic Regulations Amendment number 2023-7 as presented. The motion was seconded by Dockser and approved with a 5-0 vote. Herrick moved to approve Parking and Traffic Regulations Amendment number 20234 as presented. The motion was seconded by Dockser and approved with a 5-0 vote. Herrick moved to approve Parking and Traffic Regulations Amendment number 2023-9 as presented. The motion was seconded by Dockser and approved with a 5-0 vote. Meadow Brook Liquor License Hearing The applicant requested this hearing be continued until July. Maltez noted the applicant is working with the neighbor to try and come to an agreement and with the ABCC to ensure they're filing the proper application. Herrick moved to continue the Liquor License Alteration of Premises Application for Meadow Brook Golf Club to July 181h, 2023. The motion was seconded by Dockser and approved 4-0 vote. (Bacci briefly excused himself from the meeting). Water & Sewer Rates The board continued their discussion on setting water and sewer rates including potentially implementing a tiered system which the town currently does not have. They have heard a lot of public input and heard from other communities on what they are doing. Page 1 2 McCarthy feels a modest set of tiers would be a good place to start on a path to conservation and affordability. She does think they still need to consider what to do on multi -unit buildings in the future. She is in favor of the May 23'd tiered proposal. Dockser agreed noting tiers is the way to go while having staff work on figuring how to handle the multi -unit buildings. He also is in favor of the May 23`d proposal to start. Herrick agreed with Dockser and McCarthy and will also support the May 23'd proposal this evening. Haley does not think the tiers work for everyone and it doesn't encourage conservation. It is not fair to the multi -unit buildings and he wants something that will make sense for the entire population. He would not vote for 5% increases for tier 4 and S. He doesn't understand why no one is interested in the second water meter system. Bacci feels a water rate committee should have worked on this. He wishes this would be a 5-0 vote but he will not vote for the tiered rates that are being proposed. He would like to keep a single rate until we study the tiered rates more and fix the numbers. Herrick moved to set the FY2024 water rate at the following rates: • $10.75 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 0 and 1,000 cubic feet • $11.70 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 1,001 to 2,501 cubic feet • $12.00 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 2,501 to 4,000 cubic feet • $12.50 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 4,001 and above cubic feet • minimum quarterly bill of $22.82 effective with the December, 2023 billing. And; moved to set the FY2024 sewer rate at the following rates: • $10.20 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 0 and 1,000 cubic feet • $11.15 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 1,001 to 2,501 cubic feet • $11.50 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 2,501 to 4,000 cubic feet • $12.00 per 100 cubic feet with usage between 4,001 and above cubic feet • minimum quarterly bill of $22.82 effective with the December, 2023 billing. And; moved to set the FY2024 Storm Water Rate at $60 per unit (3230 square feet) per year to be billed quarterly effective with the December, 2023 billing. The motion was seconded by Dockser and approved with a 3-2 vote with Bacci and Haley opposing. VASC McCarthy and Haley are the two members of the VASO committee who interviewed all incumbents and new applicants for our annual renewal process. Bacci would like to take the Recreation Committee vote separately and request Angela Bind@ not be reappointed to the Recreation Committee due to actions he feels are questionable for a volunteer. Dockser noted he disagrees with Bacci noting Bacci and Binda have had their issues and feels they should work through those. McCarthy moved to appoint: • Angela Binda and Richard Hand to full members on the Recreation Committee with terms expiring June 30, 2026 • Peter Lydecker to a full member on the Recreation Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2024 • Eric Boemer and Kevin Leete as associate members on Recreation Committee with terms expiring June 30, 2025 • Ben Ream as an associate member on the Recreation Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2024 Page 1 3 Herrick seconded the motion and it was approved 4-2 with Bacci opposing. McCarthy moved to appoint: • Salvatore Clemente to a full position on the Animal Control Appeals Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2026 • Cheryl Moschella to a full position on the Board of Assessors with a term ending lune 30, 2026 • lean -Paul Plouffe to an associate position on the Board of Assessors with a term ending June 30, 2025 • Brian Boyle and Carl McFadden to full positions on the Board of Cemetery Trustees with terms ending lune 30, 2026 • Kerry Dunnell to a full position on the Board of Health with a term ending lune 30, 2026 • Geri Cramer to an associate position on the Board of Health with a term ending June 30, 2025 • Tina Ohlson to a full position on the Board of Registrars with a term ending lune 30, 2026 • Carolyn Johnson and Mark Logsdon to full members on the Climate Advisory Committee with terms ending lune 30, 2026 • Heather Clish and Hillary Mateev to a full member on CPDC with a term ending June 30, 2026 • Thomas Armstrong to an associate member on CPDC with a term ending lune 30, 2025 • Brian Bowe and Walter Talbot to full members on the Conservation Commission with terms ending June 30, 2026 • Tony Rodolakis to a full member on Conservation Commission with a term ending June 30, 2025 • Linda Connors to an associate member on Conservation Commission with a term ending June 30, 2025 • Sally Hoyt to a full member on the Constables with a term ending June 30, 2026 • John Parsons, Rosemarie DeBenedetto and Jean Prato to full members on the Council on Aging with terms ending lune 30, 2026 • Sally Hoyt, Nancy Ziemlak and Linda Connors to associate positions on the Council on Aging with terms ending June 30, 2025 • Megan Fidler Carey to an associate position on the Cultural Council with a term ending June 30, 2025 • Illene Bornstein to a full member on the Historic District Commission with a term ending June 30, 2026 • Virginia Adams to an associate member on the Historic District Commission with a term ending June 30, 2025 • Ann Ward to an associate member on the Historic District Commission with a term ending June 30, 2024 • Amelia Freedman and Samantha Couture to full members on the Historical Commission with terms ending June 30, 2026 • Christine Keller to a full member on the Historical Commission with a term ending June 30, 2024 • Pamela Adrian to an associate member on the Historical Commission with a term ending June 30, 2025 • Steven Sullivan to a full member on the MAPC with a term ending June 30, 2026 • Carl MCFadden to a full member on the Reading Ice Arena Authority with a term ending June 30,2026 • Vivek Soni to a full member on the RMLD Citizen Advisory Board with a term expiring June 30, 2026 Page 14 • Jeffrey Lamson to a full member on the Town Forest Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2026 • Move to appoint Nancy Docktor to an associate position on the Town Forest Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2025 • Will Finch as a full member to the Trails Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2026 • Thomas Gardiner to an associate member on the Trails Committee with a term expiring lune 30, 2025 • Cynthia Hartman and Andrew Grasberger to full members on the ZBA with terms expiring lune 30, 2026 The motion was seconded by Bacci and approved with a 5-0 vote. PARC Letter Maltez explained they are applying for a competitive $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth. In order to apply they need to identify a certain project it would be for and permanently restrict the land proposed to recreation land. Staff has identified the Birch Meadow Park. They would be applying to redo the playground, courts and the parking lot. The Select Board is being asked to sign a letter of support for this grant. McCarthy moved to approve sending a letter of support far the PARC Grant Program as presented. The motion was seconded by Dockser and approved with a 5-0 vote. Future Agendas The board discussed future agenda items. Minutes The board edited past meeting minutes. Dockser moved to approve the meeting minutes from lune 6`h, 2023 as amended. The motion was seconded by Haley and approved with a 5-0 vote. Dockser moved to approve the meeting minutes from May 2P, 2023 as written. The motion was seconded by Herrick and approved with a 5-0 vote Dockser moved to adjourn at 9:22 PM. The motion was seconded by Herrick and approved with a 5-0 vote. Page 1 5