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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-26 Select Board Minutesa RECEIVED Town of Reading TOWN CLERKMeeting Minutes P.FADING, MA. 2026 AN 10 AM 9: 33 Board - committee - commission - Council: Select Board Date: 2026-05-26 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: Melissa Murphy, Karen Rose -Gillis, Karen Gately Herrick, Sal Bramante, Chris Haley Members - Not Present: Others Present: Town Manager Jayne Wellman, Human Resources Director Sean Donahue, DPW Director Christopher Cole, Assistant DPW Director Mike Kessman, Attorney Josh Latham, Lynne Ostrowsky, Vipin Khera, Jim Clifford, Matt Abrahams, Don Boudreau, Giuseppe Fodera, CFO Sharon Angstrom (Remote), Town Clerk Laura Gemme (Remote), Senior Computer Technician Tim Johnson (Remote), Guy Manganiello (Remote), Nancy D (Remote) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Madeleine 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 There was no Public Comment. Town Manager RepoR Town Manager Jayne Wellman thanked Veterans Agent Will Valliere for his efforts and organization of the Memorial Day event. She also thanked the Police Honor Guard and Fire Department for participating, as well as Ray Boyd and all volunteers for setting out flags and markers. She noted that the Cemetery Department did a greatjob in preparing for the event. She expressed gratitude for all the residents who came to the event to honor fallen heroes. Ms. Wellman thanked Karen Rose -Gillis for participating in the event with her. She welcomed Kerry Valle as the new Elder and Human Services Administrator and noted that Ms. Valle served as the Interim Elder and Human Services Administrator for the past five months. Ms. Wellman thanked the Finance Committee, Select Board, School Committee and Dr. Milaschewski for their discussion at the financial forum last week. Ms. Wellman noted that she will continue to meet with department heads to discuss needs for FY28 to bring forward the best numbers for the Select Board's consideration of a potential override vote in the fall. A community conversation will be held on Wednesday, June 24 at the library to discuss budgets and overrides. Ms. Wellman noted she will be attending the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association (MMMA) Conference this week and will be on vacation next week. She has appointed Police Chief David Clark as Acting Town Manager in her temporary absence. She Page 1 1 noted several upcoming events in June including the Pride Parade on June 6'" Juneteenth Event on June 20" from 1:00 pm — 5:00 pm on the Town Common, and Porchfest on Saturday, June 27r' from 12:00 pm — 6:00 pm. Community Spotlight Town Manager Jayne Wellman recognized Fire Chief Rick Nelson and Assistant Fire Chief John Keough for completing their one-year anniversary in their roles this month. She highlighted the Birch Meadow Playground's opening this past Friday and noted it's success and that the community has provided positive feedback for Town Staff, construction team and the Police Department throughout the process. Ms. Wellman thanked Recreation Administrator Jim Sullivan, Town Engineer Ryan Percival, Activitas, and Quirk Construction for their work. She concluded by congratulating Presence and Co and Hanna Corbett for nearing their one-year anniversary in Reading. Pride Month Resolution Karen Gately Herrick read the Pride Month Resolution. Karen Gately Herrick moved that June 2026 be recognized as Pride Month in the Town of Reading. The motion was seconded by Karen Rose -Gillis and approved by a vote of 5-0. Wreer Karen Gately Herrick read the Hearing Notice to open the hearing. This was seconded by Karen Rose -Gillis and approved by a vote of 5-0. Representatives from Dunkin Donuts, District Manager Lynne Ostrowksy, Regional Manager Vipin Khera, and Jim Clifford, stated to the Board that they wish to open their locations at 110 Main Street and 273 Salem Street at 5:00 am. Don Boudreau of 261 Salem Street noted he went around the neighborhood and got signatures on a petition opposing the early opening of the 273 Salem Street location. He gave the petition to the Board. Mr. Boudreau noted delivery trucks were active outside of operating hours. Mr. Khera noted that he would confirm recent delivery times as well as trash pick-up times. Board Members noted that they would like to follow up one the timing of deliveries before voting to allow the Salem Street location to open early. The Board also agreed that since it has been done this way historically, they would allow the lobby, not the drive thru, to open at 5:00 am for the 110 Main Street location at this evening's meeting. Karen Gately Herrick moved to close the Public Hearing regarding the early opening request for 273 Salem Street and 110 Main Street. The motion was seconded by Sal Bramante and approved by a vote of 5.0. Don Boudreau of Salem Street noted that there is a gate that can be closed to prevent trucks from entering at certain hours and he will look to get in touch with the building owner about this. Karen Gately Herrick moved to approve a license to operate a retail business between the hours of midnight and 6:00 am pursuant to Section 7.7 of the Reading General Bylaws and further pursuant to Section 3.8 of the Select Board Policies to Dunkin Donuts at 110 Main Street. This license is for approval to open for business, lobby service only, not earlier than 5:00 am. In granting this license the Board finds: 1. In accordance with Section 7.7.4.1 of the General Bylaws that the operation of the establishment will not cause unreasonable disruption or disturbance to, or otherwise adversely affect, the customary character of any adjacent or nearby residential neighborhood; and 2. In accordance with Section 7.7.4.2 of the General Bylaws that the operation of the establishment is reasonably necessary to serve the public health, safety, and welfare, serves a public need and provides a public convenience which outweighs any increase in the impacts on the adjacent or nearby residential. The motion was seconded by Chris Haley and approved by a vote of 6.0. Page 1 2 Karen Gately Herrick moved that the Board continue the Public Hearing for 273 Salem Street to be taken up at their June 9v' meeting. The motion was seconded by Chris Haley and approved by a vote of 5-0. Chris Haley recused himself from this vote as an abutter. Karen Gately Herrick read the Hearing Notice pen he Public Hearing. This was seconded by Sal Bramante and approvedY a vote Attorney Josh Latham presented the application on behalf of his clients Giuseppe and Stephanie Federa and noted that Bean & Barrel will be a European style cafe where coffee, pastries, and bread will be available and served all day, with alcohol to accompany the food, and will offer bar and other seating. Mr. Latham noted that he was seeking Board approval of the license and approval to pledge the license to Middlesex Federal Savings, as required by the bank for era are mindful ofhthe responsibility e line of lthat comt to Bean &esrwit serving a coholrand they take these policies very seriously. Karen Gately Herrick moved to close the hearing regarding the Annual All -Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License for Bean & Barrel LLC, d/b/a Bean & Barrel. The motion was seconded by Sal Bramante and approved by a vote of 4-0. Karen Gately Herrick moved to approve the Annual All -Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License for Bean & Barrel LLC, d/b/a Bean & Barrel, located at 45 High Street. The motion was seconded by Karen Rose -Gillis and approved by a vote of 4-0. Public llearitagiL,Qiscuss and Vote on FY27 Non -Union Classification and Compensation Plan Karen Gately Herrick read the Hearing Notice to open the Public Hearing. This was seconded by Sal Bramante and approved by a vote of 5-0. Town Manager Jayne Wellman noted that this classification plan is brought to the Board annually after the budget is adopted to review any changes. Ms. Wellman noted that the changes presented tonight were made to create equity in the management structure and are revenue neutral with an estimated savings of $20,000. Notable changes include leaving the Assistant Town Manager position on the classification chart but not filling it currently. The new classification chart will elevate the current Community Development Director and Community Services director to department head positions. Ms. Wellman noted her wishes to bring back the position of Administrative Services Director and that it will be a budget focused position, responsible for overseeing the Human Resources department, and will serve as the Constituent Services Officer. She noted that this position will go through the normal hiring process. Other changes include bringing back the Business Administrator position to reclassify a current role and to add a new position, Assistant to the Town Manager, as a reclassification of a current role to reflect additional duties. Ms. Wellman noted that the Recreation Administrator will be elevated to the same grade as the Elder and Human Services Administrator position. Lastly, the Senior Center Coordinator will be the same grade as the Recreation Coordinator. Ms. Wellman stated her thoughts that this new management structure is efficient and allows Town Staff to work in depth in their departments and she wants resilience in the structure if an override does no pass. The Board was supportive to this new reorganization, but some Members questioned not filling the Assistant Town Manager position. Ms. Wellman noted that she would not be able to make these proposed changes to the structure with filling the role of Assistant Town Manager and her wish is to put the money into the specialized department heads in this proposed new structure. Ms. Wellman noted that these changes would be effective July 111, 2026, and she will provide an Organization Chart. Karen Gately Herrick moved to close the Public Hearing regarding the FY27 Non -Union Classification and Compensation Schedule. The motion was seconded by Karen Rose - Gillis and approved by a vote of 5-0. Page 13 Karen Gately Herrick moved to approve the FY27 Non -Union Classification and Compensation Schedule as presented. The motion was seconded by Sal Bramante and approved by a vote of 5-0. Preview FY27 Water and Sewer Rates Town ger Jayne Wellman provided the Board with a memo in their packet with a Mana recommendation of bringing down retained earnings with the intention to reach a target of 30% to achieve savings for sewer rates and stability oratethe rraterates. and Sewer Rates Study for FY27. Matt Abrahams of The Abrahams Group presented The presentation focused on getting retained earnings to the target 30%, projected revenue, expenditures and different 5-year rate plan options. Mr. Abrahams noted Reading is at 54% retained earnings for water and 96% for sewer. The Board reviewed the water and sewer rate plan options with rate increases ranging from 0-3.25% for FY27 water rates and a decreases in sewer rates ranging from 1-5%for FY27. The Board discussed the impact of second water meters on revenue and the charges from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). All the options presented aim to reach the goal of 30% retained earnings over the five- year plan. Paul Silva of Autumn Lane suggested to the Board that the Town should be using a rolling average for rates to help decrease bills for residents. Guy Manganiello of Richards Road expressed concerns with debt service spending and asked about the use of reserves to pay off debt for water. Ms. Angstrom noted that the Town's debt to the MWRA would be paid off in FY26. Ms. Wellman's memo noted the Town's recommendation would be to choose Option 3 of both the Water and Sewer rate plan choices, which would be a 2% increase on water rates for FY27 and a 5% decrease on sewer rates for FY27. The Board discussed wanting to get more information on water restrictions and cost of maintenance on the wells. Policy Lommirme Melissa Murphy noted that School Committee Chair, Shawn Brandt, reached out to her stating that the School Committee is forming a Naming Policy Committee. Ms. Murphy further stated that one of the members on this committee needs to be a member of the Select Board. She noted her wishes to nominate Chris Haley to participate, as she and Mr. Haley are the liaisons to the School Committee and she does not have the ability to take this on. Ms. Murphy concluded by stating that she was not sure if a vote was required but she wanted Board Members' input. The Board was in agreement on this nomination of Mr. Haley. Karen Gately Herrick moved that the Board appoint Select Board Member Chris Haley to the School Committee Naming Policy Committee. The motion was seconded by Karen Rose -Gillis and approved by a vote of 5-0. Discuss and Vote on Public Comment Practices Melissa Murphy noted that she wanted the input of the full Board on this as public comment practices have differed from being offered at the beginning of the meeting to at the beginning and after each agenda item on that Rem. Board Members discussed this and while some members want to see it after each item, others noted that while they value public participation, allowing public comment after each agenda Rem has come with its challenges and made for longer meetings. The Board agreed to adhere to a new public comment practice of allowing public comment at the beginning of the meetings, and at the discretion of the Chair and Vice Chair, to allow public comment on any topic that seems of high interest to the public. The Board noted that it is important that residents feel heard. Karen Gately Herrick moved to continue Public Comment with the 2-minute limit at the beginning of the meeting and allow the Chair, Vice Chair, and Town Manager to add Public Comment to other agenda Items as needed. The motion was seconded by Karen Rose -Gillis and approved by a vote of 5-0. Page 1 4 Discuss and Vote on Police Presence at Select Board Meetinas Melissa Murphy noted that a police detail has been present at recent meetings and this is a topic that the Board is revisiting. She noted that she feels the need to be mindful of spending and no longer thinks it is necessary to have the police presence at meetings. Board Members noted that they wish for conversation and public input to happen in a respectful manner at their meetings and the Board's role in conducting themselves that way will carry over. Karen Gately Herrick moved that the Board not continue to have Police presence at Select Board meetings. The motion was seconded by Karen Rose -Gillis and approved by a vote of 5-0. Discuss and Vote on Consent Agendas Melissa Murphy stated that along with fellow Board Members Karen Rose -Gillis and Karen Gately Herrick, they attended a virtual Women Elected Municipal Officials (WEMO) mentoring conference and the topic of using consent agendas was discussed. She noted that this could be a tool to approve routine budget matters, resolutions, minutes, etc. and continued to state that utilizing a consent agenda could make meetings more efficient. She noted that any item on the consent agenda could always be removed from the consent agenda if a Board Member wished to discuss the topic further. The Board agreed that this would be a good tool to implement and to use them going forward. They concluded that if any Board Member wanted to discuss any item on a consent agenda further to take it out of the consent agenda. Karen Gately Herrick moved to was seconded by Karen Rose -Gillis I and approved by a vote of 5 ement consent agendas as i0cussed. The motion Liaison e Karen Gately Herrick attended meetings including the Financial Forum and the Audit Committee. She thanked the DPW, Cemetery staff, and all volunteers who helped with the Memorial Day event. She attended the Ad Hoc Commemoration Establishment Committee (ACE) event and congratulated them on a well -attended three-part event series. Ms. Herrick also attended the Plant Sale. She concluded by noting the upcoming ribbon cutting event at the Reading Public Library for their new terrace. Karen Rose -Gillis attended several meetings including the Historical Commission, Eastern Gateway, Recreation and Council on Aging, and the Financial Forum. She participated in the Volunteer Appointment Committee (VASC) interviews and the Memorial Day event and thanked all those who attended and organized the event. Ms. Rose -Gillis attended a Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) override webinar and a training sponsored by Mass Housing Partnership on managing housing programs. She also attended the Police and Fire Award Ceremony. Chris Haley attended meetings including the Financial Forum and Burbank Ice Arena Authority. He also attended the Memorial Day event, the Police and Fire Award Ceremony, and the Charlie Hardy Turf Naming event. Sal Bramante participated in the VASC interviews and noted his appreciation for meeting people and the volunteers' enthusiasm. He also attended the Police and Fire Award Ceremony. Melissa Murphy attended meetings including the RCN Board of Directors, Board of Health and the Financial Forum. She noted that RCN has an upcoming fundraiser on June 22"d at Anthony's Coal Fire Pizza. She attended the Police and Fire Award Ceremony and thanked everyone who attended the Memorial Day event. Future Agendas Future Agendas include a Juneteenth Resolution and a Public Hearing on FY27 Water and Sewer Rates. Page 1 5 Discuss and Vote on Prior Meeting Minutes The Board had no edits to the dratt minutes. Karen Gately Herrick moved that the Board approve the meeting minutes of May 2, 2026, and May 12, 2026, as presented. The motion was seconded by Sal Bramante and approved by a vote of 5-0. Karen Rose -Gillis moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Karen Gately Herrick and approved by a vote of 6-0- The meeting adjourned at 10:03 pm. Page 1 6