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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-10 Select Board MinutesO�tN Ore Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Select Board Date: 2026-02-10 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: General Business Attendees: Members - Present: Location: Select Board Meeting Room Session: Open Session Version: Final Chris Haley, Melissa Murphy, Karen Rose -Gillis, Carlo Bacci, Karen Gately Herrick Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Matt Kraunelis, Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman, Police Chief Dave Clark, Fire Chief Rick Nelson, Chief Information Officer Kevin Furilla, Town Clerk Laura Gemme, Joseph Carnahan, Sarah Brukilacchio, Martha Moore, Sandy Matathia, Nancy Docktor, Angela Binds, Jeffrey Dietz, Bethann Matathia, Katie Matathia, Kate Kaminer, Tony D'Arezzo, Will Finch, Vanessa Alvarado, Town Counsel Ivria Fried (Remote), Computer Technician Tim Johnson (Remote), RCN Studios (Remote)M 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. Melissa Murphy called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM and provided a brief overview of the evening's agenda. Public Comment (for any items not included on the agenda) Nancy Docktor of Pearl Street urged the Board to adopt Roberts' Rules of Order and expressed disagreement with some agenda items. Jeffrey Dietz of Orchard Park Drive expressed appreciation for Ms. Gately Herrick's participation in the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) and for serving constituents and shared information on the MMA. Angela Binds of Orchard Park Drive expressed her thoughts that agenda items previously requested by Board Members should be placed on agendas. Vanessa Alvarado of Mount Vernon Street expressed disagreement with items on the agenda and encouraged the Board to focus on residents' concerns. Town Manager Report Town Manager Matt Kraunelis shared that both the Killam School and the ReCAL Projects are both on time and under budget and further explained that the Killam project is at 90% design. He then noted that the charter change and senior tax exemption changes, passed by Town Meeting, were voted on by the Board to be submitted for Home Rule petitions to the Legislation. He has submitted the petitions to the legislation and will be informed on the progress of the submissions. Mr. Kraunelis attended the Fiscal Policy workshop hosted at the Reading Public Library and noted it was informative with a great turnout. The Town Manager report concluded with Mr. Kraunelis explaining that he fled a letter in September to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Advisory Board regarding entrance fee reimbursement and met Page 1 1 with them this week. The MWRA Advisory Board voted against it at this point. Mr. Kraunelis stated the Town will continue to investigate a resolution. Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman noted that she, along with Director of Operations Katie Gabriello, have met with several boards including the Historical Commission, Housing Authority, School Committee, Council on Aging, Recreation Committee, Community Planning and Development Commission, and the Finance Committee to present their Pleasant Street Center Road Show. She mentioned all ideas are welcome and they will be launching a public survey in the coming weeks and will bring all feedback and findings to their presentation for the Select Board. Community Spotlight Town Manager Matt Kraunelis highlighted two Reading Firefighters that will be retiring: Lieutenant Dave Robidoux and Firefighter Tom McCarthy. He stated that Lt. Robidoux has served in Reading for 31 years as the Tom's Fire Prevention Lieutenant and is very well respected. Mr. McCarthy has been in Reading for 22 years and he was one of the founding groups of paramedics that started our advanced life support program. Mr. Kraunelis wished them both a happy and safe retirement on behalf of the Town. Town Manager Matt Kraunelis shared that he has always participated in the Budget process, but with some changes at the Ethics Commission, Town Counsel suggested that because his salary is not yet set due to his contract being up for negotiation, he should file this disclosure to be safe. He recommended the Board sign this disclosure form seeing as he will be participating in the FY2027 Budget Process. Karen Rose Gillis moved to vote that the Town Manager's financial interest in the budget process is not so substantial that it would likely affect the integrity of his services which the Town may expect from him and authorize The Board to sign the Town Manager's Section 19(b)(1) disclosure form presented here tonight. The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote of 5-0. Karen Rose Gillis read the Public Hearing Notice. Owner of Post 1917, Jason Carron, explained to the Board that the restaurant is taking over the space at 144 Haven Street and will add two private dining rooms. He shared that the new private dining rooms will also act as overflow on holidays and weekends with 66 total new seats. Board Members expressed appreciation for Mr. Carron's investment in Reading and congratulated him on the restaurant's success. Karen Rose Gillis moved to close the Public Hearing regarding the Alteration of Premises Application for an Annual All -Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License for PARC Restaurant Group, LLC d/b/a Post 1917. The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote of 5-0. Karen Rose Gillis moved to approve the Alteration of Premises Application for an Annual All -Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License for PARC Restaurant Group, LLC d/b/a Post 1917, located at 136 Haven Street, Unit 2. The motion was seconded by Chris Haley and approved by a vote of 6-0. Jason Carron asked about the previously discussed valet parking and what the next steps in the process would be. Mr. Kraunelis noted that regulations are being worked on with Town Counsel and there will be an opportunity for public input on the process soon. Member Joe Carnahan called the Community Preservation Act Study Committee (CPA) to order. Members Joe Carnahan and Sarah Bmkilacchio presented their findings and information on CPA to the Board including information such as its members, their charge, their research through speaking with residents and looking at what other communities do, possible spaces CPA could preserve, and opportunities for funding. They noted that the CPA is recommending the adoption of CPA with a surcharge rate of I%with a $100,000 property value exemption, exemption of all commercial and industrial properties, exemption of low-income residents, and exemption of low and median -income senior residents. They noted that this will go before Town Page 1 2 Meeting in April where Town Meetng Members will then vote on whether to submit CPA to the voters in November. The CPA's full report can be found in the packet for tonight's meeting. Board Members thanked CPA for their time and commended them for their hard work on this. There were questions regarding the term "state matching". Mr. Carnahan explained that it does not mean dollar to dollar match but a contribution at a percentage, and he noted that the average percentage over the last five years is roughly 25%. Some Board Members, while also saying how this sounds like a great program, expressed concerns about the timing not being right for Reading. They also expressed concern that even with a small surcharge rate, it may burden residents with a potential override. Mr. Carnahan and Ms. Brukilacchio presented slides with data on how CPA funds could decrease the amount needed for an override. CPA Member Martha Moore spoke and emphasized that low and median -income seniors would be exempt from the tax surcharge. CPA Member Sandy Matathia discussed what amount of funds could have been raised if adopted in 2002. During Public Comment, Vanessa Alvarado asked for clarification on what types of projects the funds could go towards. Tony D'Arezzo of John Street and Will Finch of Mill Street expressed support for adoption of the CPA. Angela Binds of Orchard Park Drive questioned if things could be modified at Town Meeting in terms of aspects of the CPA's recommendations. The Board discussed sending a letter to the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) regarding a vote taken on the Fiscal Partnership Resolution at the MMA's annual business meeting by Board Member Gately Herrick. Mr. Haley explained that he emailed the MMA and Ms. Gately Herrick declining Ms. Gately Herrick's request to be Reading's delegate to vote on this matter. Ms. Gately Herrick explained that at the meeting, the MMA said that she could vote, and so she did. The Board discussed the matter at length. Some Board Members felt that because Ms. Gately Herrick did not have permission from the Chair that she should not have voted. The Board agreed to simplify the letter, removing references to Board policy and procedures. The discussion ended with a vote to approve the amended letter. Karen Rose -Gillis moved to approve the letter as amended before the Board and authorize the Town Manager to send such letter the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA). The motion was seconded by Carlo Bacci and approved by a vote of 5-0. The Board decided to table this agenda item. Karen Rose -Gillis moved to table the Resolution to Censure Select Board Member Karen Gately Herrick. The motion was seconded by Chris Haley and approved by a vote of 5-0. The Board recessed briefly for five minutes. Discuss Town Manager Review Results Town Manager Matt Kraunelis opened the discussion by noting that he met with all Board Members individually and he appreciated the opportunity to do that. He completed a self - assessment which highlighted his goals and accomplishments and noted there was good conversation about this in the Board Member meetings. He thanked department heads for participating in the 360 review and encouraged the Board to take those into consideration. Mr. Kraunelis said he feels that his leadership style is working and appreciated by Town Staff and knows that there is room for improvement. Page 1 3 Board Members thanked Town Staff for their input in the review process and noted it gave them insight on day-to-day operations. They thanked Mr. Kraunelis for his professionalism, accomplishing goals, and for his calm and objective presence. Board Members expressed their hope that their concerns, discussed in their one-on-one meetings, are taken seriously. The Board concluded by saying that there is room for improvement and more work to be done. Police Chief Dave Clark, Chief Information Officer Kevin Furilla, and Fire Chief Rick Nelson all spoke and expressed their appreciation for Mr. Kraunelis's leadership and trust in his staff. They highlighted Mr. Kraunelis's ability to delegate, lead by example, and support his staff and the Town. They also noted that if offered a long -tern contract, they feel that this gives Mr. Kraunelis the opportunity for stability and long-term planning. They concluded by thanking Mr. Kraunelis for all that he does for the staff and for Reading. There was some discussion of Mr. Kraunelis being able to join the first few minutes of the Executive Session to explain to the Board about his goals for long-term planning. Town Counsel Ivria Fried advised against this as the agenda item was not worded in a way to allow that. The discussion concluded with Mr. Kraunelis emphasizing his appreciation for everyone's support and that he is seeking a long-term contract to continue his leadership and work in Reading. Liaison Reports Karen Rose Gillis attended several meetings including the Ad Hoc Commemoration Establishment Committee (ACE), Reading Housing Authority, where the Pleasant Street Center Presentation was discussed, the Finance Committee, Council on Aging, MWRA Advisory Board, and the Town Forest Committee where they discussed their plans for Arbor Day. Ms. Rose - Gillis also participated in a meeting with the Cub Scout Den Pack 702 who needed to meet with an elected representative. Lastly, she shared that she held office hours recently at Presence and Co. Karen Gately Herrick attended various meetings and events including the MWRA Advisory Board meeting. During her report she expressed disappointment with their vote and is interested in seeking other options. She attended the Finance Committee meeting, the Fiscal Policy workshop recently hosted at the Reading Public Library, and plans to attend the next meeting of the Trails Committee. She also participated in a seminar sponsored by the Massachusetts Office on Disability and Attorney General's Office regarding best practices for accessibility. Lastly, she shared that she has upcoming office hours at the Pleasant Street Center on February 12" from 12-1 pm and she will be participating in Black History Trivia Night at the Reading Public Library at 6:30 pm on February 23'". Chris Haley attended the MWRA Advisory Board meeting and expressed interest in exploring what other options the Town has after the Board's vote. Cado Bacci attended the Fiscal Policy workshop and the MWRA Advisory Board meeting and wants to explore options to resolve the entrance fee reimbursement. He also attended the Community Preservation Act Study Committee meeting where they finalized their presentation, the Recreation Committee meeting, and the Community Planning and Development Commission meeting and learned about a proposed new mixed use building project in Town. Melissa Murphy attended various meetings including the MWRA Advisory Board, Finance Committee, School Committee, and noted that Carla Nazarro is not running for re-election and wanted to thank her for her hard work on the School Committee and involvement in the Killam School project. She attended the Conservation Commission meeting where they discussed several grant opportunities to pursue. She asked for an update on the status of Matters Cabin and Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman said there will be a meeting with Town Staff to discuss this matter soon. Future Aaendas Future agenda items include a presentation and discussion on the Pleasant Street Center status and future planning as well as a preview of the upcoming Town Meeting warrant. Karen Rose -Gillis moved to enter Executive Session under Executive Session Purpose 2 to conduct a strategy session in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel, Town Manager Kraunelis, inclusive of a discussion on whether to extend a new contract to Mr. Kraunelis, and under Executive Session Purpose 7, to comply with G.L. c. 30A, § 22, by approving and reviewing for release the minutes of the January 6, 2026, Executive Session meeting, to invite Town Counsel into the Executive Session, and to adjourn the Page 14 meeting from Executive Session and not to return to Open Session. The motion was seconded by Chris Haley and approved by a vote of 5.0. Roll Call Vote: Karen Rose -Gillis — Yes, Karen Gately Herrick — Yes, Chris Haley — Yes, Carlo Bacci — Yes, Melissa Murphy — Yes Open session adjourned at 10:10 pm. Page 1 5