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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08-05 Select Board Minutes� R By ACY1.Y0p,y Aup H, }OM Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Select Board Date: 2025-08-05 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: Chris Haley, Melissa Murphy (Remote), Karen Rose -Gillis, Carlo Bace, Karen Gately Herrick Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Matt Kraunelis, Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman, CFO Sharon Angstrom, DPW Director Chris Cole, Marianne Downing, Computer Technician Tim Johnson (Remote), RCN Studios (Remote), Angela Binda (Remote), Elizabeth Pisano (Remote) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Madeleine Baptiste Topics of Discussion: This meeting was held in the Town Hall Select Board Meeting Room and remotely via Zoom. Chair Chris Haley called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm and provided an overview of the evening's agenda. Town Manager Report Town Manager Matt Kraunelis stated that Reading has completed all steps in the process of becoming a Green Community. The Town will receive its official designation from the State at an event on August 21°'. He highlighted the hard work of many people to achieve this and that this designation is a significant milestone for Reading. He reminded everyone that the first Financial Forum has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 1r at 7:00 pm at the Library. Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman noted that she met with the MBTA and the delegation as a first step in their process of conducting studies and public engagement. She explained that next steps for the MBTA include meetings with the Police and Fire Chiefs, Town Manager Matt Kraunelis and Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman, and holding a public engagement session in early September. The session is planned to be remote with an in -person attendance option at the Library. Jayne shared that she and other staff members began development of the operations plan for the Reading Center for Active Living. She stated her intent to bring this plan to both the Council on Aging and Recreation Committee to receive feedback. She highlighted that the Town received five proposals for the rubbish and recycling contract. She shared feelings of encouragement from this and noted her plans to keep the Board fully informed in the selection process. Some Board members requested that Melissa Murphy provide an update on RCN contract negotiations before addressing other agenda items. Ms. Murphy stated that the group had several meetings, and she cannot share much detail right now with negotiations progressing, as no agreements have been made yet. Page 1 1 Karen Gately Herrick requested that a broader discussion take place with the full board. Community Spotlight Town Manager Matt Kraunelis highlighted the work of Next Step Ministry Volunteers. He noted that they were originally recruited by the Town's Conservation Officer and thanked them for their reliability, substantial contributions to the Town, and the positive impact they have had on many conservation areas. Mr. Kraunelis congratulated Marathon Sports on their one-year anniversary of opening in Town and thanked them for being a great part of Reading's downtown. He also noted that Marathon Sports plans to hold a celebration event in the coming weeks for their anniversary. Board Members addressed the sudden passing of resident Michael Coltman and extended their sentiments to his family. They noted Mr. Coltman's great value to the community and highlighted his involvement in many aspects of the Town. CFO/Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom explained the process of the proposed internal borrowing of funds from the Town's reserve funds for the Birch Meadow Phase I I project in the amount of $2.14 Million, Killam School project in the amount of $6 Million, and the Reading Center for Active Living project in the amount of $1.5 Million. She noted that the Town's bonding agent recommended that the internal borrowing be borrowed all at once, as it will save on interest and debt issuance costs. Ms. Angstrom stated that the proposed amounts needed for each project were provided by the Owners Project Managers (OPM). Maryanne Downing of 13 Heather Drive, in the capacity of her role as a member of the Finance Committee, asked Sharon why this topic of borrowing was not raised at any recent Finance Committee meeting. Sharon explained that she discussed this publicly at Town Meeting with the intent to carry out this internal borrowing and explained that it does not need Finance Committee approval. Karen Rose -Gillis moved to approve the internal borrowing of $9.64 Million for the following projects: • Birch Meadow Phase It:$2,140,000 • Kiitam School: $6,000,000 • Reading Center for Active Living:$1,500,000 The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote of 5-0. Roll Call Vote: Melissa Murphy —Yes, Carlo Bacci — Yes, Karen Gately Herrick — Yes, Karen Rose -Gillis — Yes, Chris Haley — Yes Discuss Potential Override/Budget Review— Possible Ways to Increase Revenue Through Review of Field Advertising, Short Term Rentals. and Accessory Dwelling Units Rules and Regulations Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman discussed potential revenue streams that focused on advertising on Town fields or sponsorships and short-term rentals. Community Development Director Andrew MacNichol provided a memo that speaks to short term rentals and accessory dwelling units (ADU's). The memo noted that the current room tax rate is four percent, with the possibility of increasing that rate by a Town Meeting vote. Jayne explained that this applies to short-term rentals such as Air BNBs. The tax money is received at the State level and is then passed along to Reading. Ms. Wellman also noted ADU's contribution to the new growth of Reading's revenue. Jayne shared that if the Board wished to advertise on fields, there would have to be a procurement process for any cost over $10,000. She explained that Recreation Administrator Jim Sullivan proposed a sponsorship type model, as opposed to formal advertising, where a group could adopt/sponsor a court or field to keep advertising displayed in a clean, respectful manner. The Board members discussed and agreed that they would like to continue conversations and explore these options further. Karen Rose -Gillis read the Public Hearing Notice. The Board heard from Elizabeth Pisano, counsel for Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza LLC, who stated that the current licensee had filed for bankruptcy and Florida Coal Fired Pizza LLC is acquiring ownership. She further explained that customers will not notice any difference in service as operations will remain the same. Karen Rose -Gillis moved to close the Public Hearing regarding the Transfer of All - Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License for Florida Coal Fired Pima LLC, d/b/a Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote Of 5-0. Roll Call Vote: Melissa Murphy — Yes, Carlo Bacci —Yes, Karen Gately Herrick — Yes, Karen Rose Gillis — Yes, Chris Haley — Yes Karen Rose -Gillis moved that the Board approved the transfer of the All -Alcohol Liquor License for Florida Coal Fired Pima LLC, d/b/a Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, located at 48 Walkers Brook Drive. The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote of 5-0. Roll Call Vote: Melissa Murphy — Yes, Carlo Bacci — Yes, Karen Gately Herrick — Yes, Karen Rose -Gillis — Yes, Chris Haley — Yes Discuss Formina a Water & Sewer Rate Advisory Committee Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman discussed examples of other towns' structures of their Water & Sewer Rate Committees, including materials from Canton, Swampscott, and Wakefield. She explained that currently, the water and sewer rates are developed by the Town Manager in conjunction with the CFO and DPW Director, along with an outside consultant. The Board expressed interest in a smaller advisory committee, like Swampscotts model, and agreed that improved public education on water rates is needed. The Board discussed creating a more accessible, online explanation of water rate planning available to the public. Discuss Communication Tracking Methods Town Manager Matt Kraunelis reviewed the Communication Tracking spreadsheet previously used by former Town Manager Bob LeLaucher. He noted that the spreadsheet tracks emails from the public and the resolutions for each email. He shared that currently it is himself, Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman and any other department head if needed, who answers the emails, so someone is always addressing these resident emails. Some Board members proposed using See Click Fix to track these resident complaints because it has different reporting capabilities. Chris Haley stated that he felt like the current excel spreadsheet method makes sense to track actionable items and does not agree with the need to use See Click Fix for this. He also raised the question of whether emails of things such as RMLD related complaints would be considered an actionable item or be addressed by an email from the Board's secretary acknowledging the sender, with reference to a resident email (See Appendix). The Board ended the discussion by agreeing to explore the See Click Fix option and they would like to see examples of what the reports would look like. Select Board Liaison Reports Karen Rose -Gillis met with the Ad Hoc Commemoration Establishment Committee twice and discussed the Juneteenth event and future planning for various topics. She held Office Hours at the Library and at Presence and Co. She met with the Reading Housing Authority. She met with a resident named Bob to develop some sort of new resident's packet and plans to meet with people at the Library to collaborate on this. She attended the Eastern Gateway Steering Committee and a Council on Aging meeting. She also met with Simone Payment at the Reading Food Pantry and shared that the Food Pantry invited any Select Board members who were interested in coming to tour their space. Karen Gately Herrick participated in the MMA Fiscal Policy committee meetings and the MWRA call. She attended a Finance Committee meeting and discussed improving communication between them and the Select Board on certain topics such as the possibility of an override as well as the spending on the Reading Memorial High School Field House floor. She said she hopes to discuss policies on bidding and spending for these types of projects on a future agenda. She attended the RMLD Audit meeting and updated the Select Board about kilowatt hour sales. She attended a planning and zoning seminar hosted by the Greater Boston Board of Realtors. She also visited an art showcase related to the Writers Collaborative and expressed that it was a wonderful event with great art. Caro Bacci attended a Community Preservation Act Study Committee meeting where they continued working on a flyer to showcase what the committee does. He is hopeful it will be ready for distribution through approval at their next meeting, and he expressed that a lot of good discussion was had. He also watched a Community Planning and Development Commission meeting. Melissa Murphy shared that she has listened to several Conservation Commission meetings where a big topic of discussion is the Primrose School and the Mulberry Forest Montessori School. She has participated in five RCTV meetings regarding negotiations and expressed that the conversations are positive. She also attended the MWRA meeting. Chris Haley also attended the MWRA meeting and expressed his appreciation for a quiet month. Future Agendas Future agendas will include a status update on RCN, an update from the Reading Food Pantry, an annual update from Burbank Ice Arena, and a discussion on the Charter Review Committee update and public hearing. Discuss and Vote to Approve Meetino Minutes Karen Rose -Gillis moved to approve the meeting minutes of July 15, 2025, as presented. The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote of 5-0. Roll Call Vote: Melissa Murphy — Yes, Carlo Bacci - Yes, Karen Gately Herrick — Yes, Karen Rose -Gillis — Yes, Chris Haley — Yes Carlo Bacot moved to adjourn at 8:49 pm. The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote of 5-0. Roll Call Vote: Melissa Murphy —Yes, Carlo Bacci — Yes, Karen Gately Herrick — Yes, Karen Rose -Gillis — Yes, Chris Haley — Yes The meeting adjourned at 8:49 pm. Appendix: Email referenced in Discuss Communication Tracking Methods From: Rebecca Iihennan To: RMLD BoC: Rexfno-gqplaCboardl Sukjech Pleau do a betterjob of mGfying RMLD cunomers and Reading residents about Shrad Ne Peak amg Drte: Tuesday, Mpg 5, 2025 4:37:eo PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Town of Reading's email system. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content Is safe. Dear RMLD Board of Commissioners and Select Board Members, I urge you to send out Shred the Peak alerts to all customers, instead ofjust to the select few who opt in, as well as through the townwide alert system. The current system requires customers to opt in to get these alerts. This makes no sense, since reducing use during peak times benefits all of us. And at the same time, I urge you to do a better job in promoting RMLD programs that can help reduce our town's emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, like reminding people about Renewable Choice, Solar Choice, and other programs at the same time that the Shred the Peak alerts go out. Lastly, I urge you to find a way to provide instant rebates for efficient window air conditioning units and central air systems as another way to reduce use on hot summer days. Please let me know what you will do to help Reading do a better job at Shredding the Peak and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you. Rebecca Liberman 50 Pratt St. Reading, MA