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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-01-09 Board of Selectmen HandoutTOWN MANAGER'S REPORT Tuesday, January 09, 2007 • Imagination Station is slated for the beginning of demolition within the next week or 2. The Recreation Administrator has overseen the removal of plaques and other art work that can be removed. The site will then be secured by boulders so that encroachment by other uses does not occur until a master pan for the area can be completed. • Curbside holiday tree collection - week of January 8 to 12, 2007; Compost center is open for trees on Saturday, January 13 from 8 am until 2:30 PM. • Members of the Board of Selectmen and I and ATM/Finance Director Bob LeLacheur will be at the MMA Annual Meeting Friday and Saturday - January 12 and 13. • Board/Committee/Commission training including ethics training will take place on January 31 • An Affordable Housing audit by Inspector General of 1375 Main Street - I have referred to Town Counsel for review and recommendation. • The list for the Lottery for street signs is attached • The West Street at South Street traffic signal has been repaired - it was damaged by the contractor installing curb and sidewalk on that piece of South Street. The Board of Selectmen is facing a very busy couple of months: BOARD OF SELECTMEN AGENDAS January 10, 2007 - FINANCIAL FORUM 8:30 January 12/13,2007 - MMA Annual Meeting January 16, 2007 Conference. Room Board of Selectmen Goals Review 7:00 to 10:00 January 20, 2007. -.Board of Selectmen budget Meeting 8:30. January 2712007 - Board of Selectmen budget Meeting ~ 8:30 January 30, 2007 Close Warrant - Special Town Meeting 8:00 Executive Session Security Issues i Board/Committee/Commission Trarmng 7:00 February 6, 2007 Selectmen's Office Hour - Ben Tafoya 6:30 Highlights I Facilities Department ~ 7:30 Process - National Development Policy establishing an ad hoc Tax Classification Study Hearing Committee Review Action Status report Executive Session Labor Negotiations February.13; 2007 Follow-up - hours of retail operation Hearing I Woodland Road Street Acceptance Preview of Annual Town Meeting warrant February 26, 2007 - Special Town M[;eetin I ~ February 27, 2007 Close Warrant - Annual Town Meeting 8:00 Traffic issues: Board of Selectmen proposed standards for multi-way stops; Bancroft and Hartshorn multi-way stop; "Children" signs; Vine Street 1 way with parking? West Street School Zone; Standards for street width and parking regulations Follow-up -128/I93 position 0 2.2.6 Advisory Committee (Committee) on the "Cities for Climate Protection "Pro--rain The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) has established a "Cities for Climate Protection" program, which works with cities, towns, and counties to reduce the pollution that causes global warming. There is hereby established a five (5) member Advisory Committee (Committee) on the "Cities for Climate Change" program to advise-the Board of Selectmen on implementation of the Program. The purpose of the Committee is to: s Advise the Board of Selectmen on matters of policy related but not limited to the "Cities for Climate Protection" Program for use within the Town of Reading. In doing this work, the Committee will: 0 Conduct a local emissions inventory of greenhouse gas emission. ♦ Recommend an emissions reduction target.. e Identify local actions that achieve the target. ♦ Develop a proposed implementation action plan identifying policies and actions. e Quantify and report benefits created. o Make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen; the Town Manager, and other bodies of the Town on measures appropriate to implement such a program. The Committee will be made up of five (5) members appointed for 3 year terms, so appointed that as even a number of terms shall expire in each year. In selecting the Conunittee membership of 5 members, the Board of Selectmen shall appoint all members and shall give consideration to members representing the following interests within the community: Residents of the community who have expertise or interest in conservation, environmental affairs, energy, or other areas of expertise which, in the opinion of the Board would be helpful in meeting the Committee's mission. Subcommittees may be created by a vote of the Committee. Members of Subcommittees do not necessarily have to be members of the Committee. The Committee shall be advisory in all matters. Decisions as to whether or not to implement measures shall rest with the Town Manager, the Board of Selectmen, or other body having jurisdiction in the matter. This Committee shall administratively fall within the Department of Community Services. Staff as available will be assigned by the Town Manager to work with the Committee. This committee shall sunset on June 30, 2012 unless renewed by the Board of Selectmen. Adopted 11-22-05 V January Street Sign Lottery Reading's next street sign lottery drawing will be held on January 31, 2007. You could win the opportunity to purchase (for $25) a wooden street sign from the following list of available signs. Interested citizens may submit their name, address, telephone number and street sign name to the Department of Public Works by mail to: DPW, Town Hall, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, MA 01867, email to: publicworks@ci.reading.ma.us or visit the DPW Office at the Town Hall Mon- Fri, 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Entries are limited to one per household and will be accepted only for the following street signs. Questions? Please call 781-942-9077. STREET SIGN LOTTERY RULES: One name will be drawn for the opportunity to purchase each available sign for twenty-five dollars. First priority for each drawing will be given to residents currently residing on that particular street. For example, if five Pearl St. residents enter the drawing for the old Pearl St. sign, only those five names will be entered into the drawing. If no drawing entries are received from Pearl St. residents, the drawing for the Pearl St. sign will be open to all. Drawing entries are limited to one name per household. All drawiniz entries must be received before 5:00 PM on Januarv 30, 2007. All street signs must be paid for and claimed within 15 days following the date of the drawing. Any street signs remaining unclaimed after 15 days will be awarded to the next eligible citizen. All signs are offered in "as-is" condition and shall not be displayed within 20 feet of a public way. The following street signs are available for the January 31, 2007 drawing: Arcadia Ave Covey Hill Rd Lincoln St Selfridge Rd Avon St Dividence Rd Longwood Rd Short St Azalea Cir Eaton St (3) Louanis Dr (2) Smith Ave Balsam Rd Edgemont Ave Lucy Dr South St Barbara Ln Elderberry Lin Maple St Summit Dr. Batchelder Rd (2) Emerson St Meadowbrook Ln Sunset Rock Ln Bethesda Ln Enos Cir . Melbourne Ave Terrace Pk Blueberry Ln (2) Fox Run Ln Minot St Timnberneck Dr Border Rd Franklin St (4) Nichols Rd Timothy's PI Boyce St Franklin Terr Norman Rd Twin Oaks Rd Brentwood Dr Fremont St Oak St Varney Cir Briarwood Ave Gavin Cir Palmer Hill Ave Wakefield St Buckskin Dr Grove St Parsons Ln Wentworth Rd Canterbury Dr Hamden St Pasture Rd West St (2) Cape Cod Ave Haverhill St (3) Pearl St West Hill Cir Catherine Ave Hodson Ln Pitman Rd William Rd Center Ave Howard St (3) Pleasant St (2) Winslow Rd Chapel Hill Dr Kelch Rd River Rd Woburn St Charles St King St Robin Rd Wood End Ln (2) Clover Cir Kurchian Ln Rustic Ln (2) Dead End (8) Collins Ave Lakeview Ave Salem St County Rd Larch Ln Scotland Rd Numbers in parentheses indicate that multiple quantities of this street sign are available. Memo Date: January 5, 2007 To: Patrick Schettini, Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Walsh, Executive Director of the YMCA Craig Martin, Coolidge Middle School Principal Tom Daniels, Birch Meadow Elementary School Principal CC: Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager From: John Feudo Recreation Administrator:..-° RE: Imagination Station N B V 0 co -a N O On Monday, January 8"' our DPW will begin some preliminary work at Imagination Station to prepare for demolition. This initial work will not have any effect on the parking area adjacent to the structure; however once the demolition has begun, the parking lot will be closed. I will follow-up a minimum of 48 hours before demolition begins to get you an exact date. Please begin alerting your staff and any necessary parties that might be affected to make alternative parking plans. The Department of Public Works will post no parkina signs and block the driveway each day. At the conclusion of the demolition the site will be closed until further notice. Thanks for your attention to this matter. If -you have any questions, please contact me at 781-942- 9075. 0~ IPSWICH RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION PO Box 576, Ipswich, MA 01938 978-887-2313 fax 978-887-2208 January 8, 2007 Secretary Ian A. Bowles Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Attn: Aisling Eglington 100 Cambridge Street Boston, MA 02114 Ref: EOEA #12514 Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Report, Town of Reading Admission to MWRA Water Supply System Dear Secretary Bowles, The Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) is writing in support of the alternative water supply scenario proposed in Reading's Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Report in the above-reference project. Under this alterative proposal, Reading will obtain all its water from the MWRA, except in an emergency. The Town of Reading's decision to obtain all its water from the MWRA, and to cease use of the Ipswich River basin wells except on an emergency basis, is a positive outcome to years of consideration of water supply alternatives for the town. This resolution addresses both contamination threats that affect Reading's Ipswich River sources, and the extreme environmental damage caused by Reading's wells over a period of decades. In particular, this proposal addresses IRWA's concern that the prior Water Resources . Commission authorizations (2004 and 2005) allowed withdrawals from the Ipswich basin during low-flow periods, despite evidence that these wells are not a viable source at those times. As low-flow periods have never been confined to the May-October period, the Town's new proposal is an improvement over the seasonal purchase originally proposed, and is fully responsive to our concerns that the Ipswich River wells are not a viable source during low-flow periods. Based on the information available to IRWA, the impacts of Reading's increased withdrawals from the MWRA system will not result in significant adverse impacts to the Authority's source river systems. IRWA also commends Reading on the resources that the Town is dedicating to improving water conservation and the progress that they have made in that area. The commitment to continue these exemplary efforts is important in meeting the requirements of the Interbasin Transfer Act. Even in light of this support, IRWA wishes to reiterate several concerns that have been brought up by IRWA or others, and that we believe should be addressed: 1) While IRWA agrees that the increased withdrawal by Reading will have insignificant impacts on the MWRA system, IRWA supports full evaluation of the instream flow releases needed to support fisheries and other ecological values in the source watersheds, prior to authorization of future interbasin transfers not currently under consideration. We encourage the WRC to initiate a process to conduct this evaluation, in collaboration with federal and state fisheries experts, to avoid piecemeal authorizations of increased withdrawals which singly may not rise to the level of significant impact, but cumulatively may do so. 2) IRWA supports requirements for effective performance standards for water conservation as a pre-requisite for all interbasin transfers, and is concerned about approvals that weaken the implementation of these standards. 3) IRWA does not support Reading's retention of a registration of 2.57 mgd; this is problematic in a number of ways. IRWA believes the registration should be retired, or at least amended, as follows. First, it should be made completely clear that use of the Ipswich wells is allowed only on an emergency basis. Second, the total should be 2.27 mgd, not 2.57 mgd. The 0.30 mgd difference is not simply a matter of the amount used for backwash, but is the result of inaccuracies in the town's metering of water use during the registration period, as the town has subsequently acknowledged. For both reasons, the amount of water authorized under the registration should not include the additional 0.30 mgd. IRWA has considered filing an appeal of the registration if it were issued with the additional volume included, because all information currently available indicates that 2.57 mgd is not an accurate number, and 2.27 mgd is the highest justifiable registered volume. IRWA thanks all those in the Town of Reading and at the state environmental agencies who have dedicated so much time and energy to come to this resolution. We also thank you for affording IRWA the opportunity to submit comments after the January 6`h deadline, in recognition that the MEPA website had not included this project in its list of current projects under review. Sincerely, A Kerry Mackin Executive Director Cc: Kathleen Baskin, EOEA and Water Resources Commission Peter Hechenbleikner, Town of Reading Peter Shelley, Conservation Law Foundation Jon Beekman and Mike Cunningham, SEA Consulting Eileen Simonson and Martha Stevenson, WSCAC 0? 3 WS WATER SUPPLY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE CA.C to the Mass. Water Resources Authority Secretary Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Aisling Eglington, MEPA analyst 100 Cambridge Street, suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 Subject: Reading SFEIR EOEA #12514 Dear Mr. Secretary: 8 River Drive • RO: Box' 478' Hadley, Massachusetts 01035-0.478 (413) 5867880 FAX: (413),585_9257 E-mail: wscoc@rcn'xom January 5, 2007 WSCAC is the formal water advisory committee to the MWRA. Again the Town of Reading is before MEPA and the Water Resources Commission to negotiate final steps for its long-term water supply from the MWRA. There are few surprises, but there remain opportunities through this process to uphold the tenets of the Interbasin Transfer Act and to implement aspects of the state's recently approved water policy and conservation standards. This would result in a more powerful water management position for our Commonwealth. MWRA and the ITA: A difference has emerged regarding the MWRA's description of system impacts, (if it provides full service to Reading, or any other community), and the purposes and requirements of the Interbasin Transfer Act's explicit concern for the maintenance of "reasonable in-stream flow in the donor basin." Preceding the SFEIR, in the NPC Appendix 9, s. 2.1.1B, the consultant reported that the MWRA's provision of water to Reading would have "insignificant impacts-to existing MWR.A communities, the donor basins and the maintenance of reasonable in-stream flow in the Chicopee and Nashua River Basins. See Appendix 6." The WRC response to the NPC was to alert the proponent and MWRA that a condition of the WRC approval would be for them to remove the "reasonable in-stream flow" language in the NPC, because it contains an imbedded judgment that MWRA's required releases were adequate or "reasonable" to meet the standards of the ITA. The MWRA has unfailingly met its required release schedule. The imbedded judgment was that meeting required releases qualified as meeting the streamflow requirements of the ITA. This is not the case. The WRC letter correctly asked that the proponent restrict its statements to its required release performance and avoid the evaluative word "reasonable." Whether the releases are reasonable from an ecological perspective is a judgment that is central to the Commission's deliberations under the ITA. The WRC statements highlight a very important legal and policy matter that the Reading application places squarely before the Commission. MWRA's fulfillment of its statutory responsibility may or may not satisfy the needs of the downstream reaches from the systems two huge reservoirs. And although WSCAC concurs with members of the commission, when they said last spring that a single community should not be held responsible for evaluating and amending what the MWRA does by law, WSCAC certainly also holds that the 065~ Commissioners and Commission are charged with such an evaluation and have the authority to require that MWRA's operating policy be reviewed and modified to meet the requirements of the ITA. The MWRA's release requirements are minimums and in no way prohibit operating changes and/or flow increases. Recently MWRA made such modifications by rebuilding the piping and valves at the Wachusett Reservoir. Although by statute the impounded south branch Nashua River must receive 1.7 mgd or as stated in the law, 12 million gallons a week, the MWRA has been releasing, on many days, over 100 million gallons. What is the downstream issue: Since MWRA's promotion of the sale of its water in 2005, WSCAC, watershed groups and streamflow researchers and advocates have looked at the availability of MWRA reservoir water to improve the downstream reaches of its impounded streams. MWRA is the steward of its water supply system and surrounds including the ecological health of its reservoirs immediate downstream reaches. Unlike the failure at Silver Lake, a Brockton water source, to have any required releases of water to the Jones River, the MWRA was required to make some releases, but they were based on the needs of the mills at Pepperell in 1898 and the navigability of the Connecticut River at Hartford in 1927, and not based on any ecological assessment. Based on recent MWRA practice, the Nashua can accommodate higher flows than those required, and the Swift River needs a more variable regime to begin to even slightly replicate the natural hydrograph of a comparable mid-New England stream (and there is a long gage record before Quabbin). The science is fairly well understood. The capability of the water system to actually perform these improved functions is under discussion with the MWRA, and M WRA has made a few small steps to hold a dialogue with the two watershed groups concerned, the Nashua River Watershed Association and the Connecticut River Watershed Council. What should the WRC be doing The WRC can open wider the dialogue between MWRA and the interested parties mentioned above as a step toward meeting the ITA requirement of "reasonable" stream flow in the donor basin. Others will participate in the dialogue, but the WRC should require a hearing of the discussion and tentative conclusions as they emerge. WSCAC has already presented to each relevant watershed group its own informal view on downstream releases and how they could be managed. Because MWRA's water demand has declined the downstream rivers have been receiving more flow than at other times in the history of the system, and by design the reservoirs are not built for flood control and the ability to limit spillage is minimal.. WSCAC's goal, since reservoir-operating controls may constrain the release flows, is to ensure that particularly in times of low precipitation, a higher and more appropriate variable flow to the streams is provided by the MWRA. In regard to current operations, both reservoirs are capable of improved releases - fieldwork should be implemented by a number of state agencies as releases are modified to document the impacts on the streams. No modification of MWRA's release laws is necessary. Two MOD's with the watershed groups are necessary, and the regimes proposed should be considered preliminary until fieldwork can help identify the benefits. WSCAC seeks the Commission's concurrence under its authority to support and promote a continuing dialogue with MWRA. Reading will not be the last community to apply - in fact Wilmington is already on the runway. The Commission need not provide the parameters (9 or answers on the releases, but should monitor and approve that reasonable accommodation is ultimately made to "reasonable in-stream flows" in the donor basin. Readina. the WMA allocation and the Ipswich Basin: Reading intends to retain its 2.57 mgd Water Management Act allocation. We object to this! If the WRC will not ask the DEP to freeze this volume of water and eliminate it from allocation anywhere else in the Ipswich Basin, (DEP may reconsider doing so when the entire basin is reevaluated in 2008 as stated in earlier ITA documents) then the volume should be reduced to 2.27 mgd, the actual volume Reading was allocated without the .3 mgd that was added to meet the Town's discrepancy between its withdrawals from its wells and finished water from its treatment plant. As there will be no treatment plant, even in an emergency situation, .3 mgd is superfluous to the Town's needs and should be removed. Conservation: Our final comments are on the conservation plan on the assumption that Reading is sticking to its previously issued plan (Appendix "I" of the SFEIR addresses waivers from the restrictions only). 1. Reading should modify its summer water use controls to eliminate odd-even day watering and to further limit watering to two days a week for hours of cooler temperature such as 5-9 am and 6-10 pm. 2. Reading should return to a differential summer/winter water rate. The rate should be apportioned to illustrate the special constraints which are reasonable on unnecessary outdoor uses. Why was it changed, especially with remote reading capability in the works? As always, WSCAC appreciates the opportunity that MEPA review provides for all interested parties and the state's hard-working agencies. We look forward to the continued deliberations of the Water Resources Commission on this matter. Very truly yours, Eileen R. Simonson, Co-executive Director Page 1 of 1 Hechenblelkner, Peter From: heidi [heidijerry@verizon.net] Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 1:08 PM To: Reading - Selectmen Cc: Cormier, Jim Subject: crossing guard Selectmen and Chief Cormier, I am unable to attend the Selectmen's meeting tonight regarding the crossing guard at Walnut Street, so I wanted to send a few comments. My family walks to school via Walnut and Red Gate Lane. It is a very dangerous intersection with blind spots and cars speeding by. It is imperative that there is a guard at the intersection. There are no signs or lights warning drivers that this is a school crossing. My children feel very comfortable and safe with Gerry there. He knows all of the kids in the neighborhoods and as parents we have peace of mind. Please reconsider you decision and place Gerry back at the intersection of Walnut and Redgate Lane. Thank you for your time. Heidi Bonnabeau /9~~11 1/9/2007 Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867-2685 C 16.61 FAX: (781) 942-5441 RECREATION DIVISION: (781) 942-9075 Call to Order RECl4EA TION COMMITTEE AGENDA WEDNESDAY, January 10m , 2007 Town Hall C® fei°e ee ®o Approval of December 131 Minutes New Business Feature Articles for Summer Brochure Old Business Administrator's Report- General A Winter/Spring Update Imagination Station Demo Update Itty Biddy Baseball Update Field Scheduling Subcommittee. Reports Tennis Task Force Northern Area Greenway (NAG) C.P.A. Task Force Aquatics Advisory Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse Adjournment 7.00 PM 7:05 PM 7:20 PM 1~ EET FO, please p 11 ~ QF 5ELECT~E1~ ~ TIDE 0 q~-- SS C r~ _jb 51 IZ G 9 Lbo