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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-05-07 Board of Selectmen Minutes Board of Selectmen Meeting May 7, 2002 The meeting convened at 7:30 p.m. in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, Massachusetts. Present were Chairman George Hines, Vice Chairman Camille Anthony, Secretary Matthew Cummings, Selectman Gail Wood, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, Police Chief Bob Silva, Public Works Director Ted McIntire, Fire Chief Greg Burns, Paula Schena and the following list of interested parties: Police Officers Michelle Lloyd, Michael Fitzgerald and Leone Sullivan, Karen Millet, Gina Dirocco, William Carrick, Attorney John Dow, Jack Ghazi, Fred Van Magness, Doug Cowell. Reports and Comments Selectmen's Liaison Reports and Comments - Selectman Matthew Cummings noted that he attended a meeting of the RMLB, and this needs to be scheduled for discussion with Town Counsel. Selectman Gail Wood noted that she read to the first and fifth grades at the Joshua Eaton School. She also attended an inflow and infiltration meeting with CDM and residents. Chairman George Hines indicated that he feels the property owner across from Longwood Place should be reimbursed for the damage to his lawn from the moving trucks. He noted that the Conservation Commission attempted to get a search warrant for Eric's to verify the violations but the court turned them down. He also noted that the Reading Housing Authority has reissued information on availability of affordable housing at Summit Village, and Mass Highway has scheduled a public meeting on June 4th at the Stoneham High School regarding the I/93—I/95 Interchange. He offered congratulations to Safety Officer Dave Savio for being named MADD Officer of the Year. Public Comment—There was no public comment. Town Manager's Report The Town Manager gave the following report: ♦ Yesterday afternoon, there was a fire on Sanborn Lane. The emergency equipment was able to respond adequately and dealt effectively with the emergency. However, there were a number of calls from residents of the area complaining that they either were not able to get home, or not able to get out of their homes because the entire Sanborn Village is a large dead end street. While this did not and would not have caused a public safety issue (fire and emergency vehicles would have been able to get through the fire scene, if needed), it did create an inconvenience for the residents. I will work with staff to identify the options for providing additional access to this area of the community, and present these options to the Board of Selectmen in the near future for Board discussion and direction. ♦ The RMLD Oversight Task Force is meeting on May 16th in the Arnold Berger Room at _._ Town Hall. ♦ The last free curbside "Bulk Waste" pickup will be the week of May 13-17 on the regular trash day. A notice will be included in the next water bill. Board of Selectmen Meeting—May 7, 2002—Page 3 Chief Silva wants the Board to know the impact the implementation of this program has on his ability to manage the Police Department given the current staffing levels. The DARE Program has been successful, and DARE Officer Leone Sullivan and former DARE Officer Sgt. David Stamatis,deserve a lot of the credit for its success. Chief Silva noted that due to our inability to adequately fund even successful programs such as DARE, we must make the difficult decision to discontinue the DARE Program. He feels that this decision should rest with him, however, because it affects a wide area of the community, and it was best to come before the Board to discuss this issue publicly. Chairman George Hines asked how much of a detriment it would be to miss one or two years of the DARE Program. Officer Leone Sullivan noted that they would miss next years fifth graders but they will get them in the sixth grade. Selectman Gail Wood indicated that she did not want to cut the DARE Program. Chief Silva noted that he needs every officer to fill the shifts, and he also has contracts to follow. Selectman Matthew Cummings asked if the three Police Officers who were out on long-term injury leave are back, and the Chief noted that two are back and one has retired. William Carrick, Chairman of the Substance Abuse Prevention Advisory Council, noted that education provides a springboard for dialogue. He feels that fatalities and incidents will be greater without the DARE Program. - Karen Millet, Reading mother of three children and licensed Social Worker, noted that the youth need preventative programs and children do not want the program cut. She feels that if DARE is cut, there will be more problems on the street and that one officer will not be enough. Gina Dirocco noted that the DARE Program means a lot to her son -- he talks about the program all of the time. Selectman Gail Wood noted that the program teaches alternatives and is a starting point to talk about drugs. She is afraid that if it is cut, it will never come back. Selectman Matthew Cummings noted that if we look at cutting this program, it opens up the whole budget to try to look for the money elsewhere. Chairman George Hines noted that this is a significant program that is being cut, and it could end up costing more if problems increase. The Board directed Chief Silva to come back with an organizational chart, a scenario with the DARE Officer, a scenario without the DARE Officer, and a list of what other programs can be dropped. Chief Silva noted that there are no other programs that are assigned to an individual officer — only the DARE Officer. He needs all 38 officers to run his department. Board of Selectmen Meeting—May 7, 2002—Page5 Vice Chairman Camille Anthony asked what happened to the pumps that were installed. Mr. Ghazi noted that Prime Energy put in the wrong mode, then they backed out. The new company wanted different pumps. Fred Van Magness of 243 Franklin Street noted that this site is in his neighborhood. The condition of the site is deplorable. The pile of dirt exceeds the height of the gas station. The dirt that was removed to do some paving was piled on top of another pile. He indicated that there could be structural damage to the building. He also indicated that there is no access to the site for fire suppression and that the building has been vacant for three years and will have to be brought up to code. The Town Manager noted that Mr. Ghazi owes $3,744.75 in back taxes. A motion by Cummings seconded by Wood to close the hearing on the revocation of the gasoline storage license at 1337 Main Street failed by a vote of 2-2-0, with Wood and Hines opposed. Selectman Matthew Cummings noted that he would have voted to revoke the license if the hearing was closed. A motion by Wood seconded by Cummings to continue the hearing on the revocation of the gasoline storage license at 1337 Main Street until May 21, 2002 at 9:00 p.m. failed by a vote of 2-2-0, with Cummings and Anthony opposed. The Town Manager noted that he will have the building inspected by the Building Inspector who will confirm that the site meets code as required. Vice Chairman Camille Anthony requested a listing of projects with estimates and funding mechanisms. She noted that she voted against the license last January because she didn't think Mr. Ghazi could do what he promised. Chairman George Hines requested confirmation that the back taxes have been paid. This will be put on the May 21, 2002 agenda. Spence Farm Confirmation—The Town Manager noted that the Board of Selectmen decided not to exercise the Chapter 61A option. There has been some internal family changes for estate planning and they want confirmation that this doesn't trigger the right of first refusal. A motion by Cummings seconded by Wood to confirm that the Town has no right of first refusal or option to purchase the property at 40-42 West Street, Reading, MA in connection with the intra-family exchange, pursuant to the agreement reviewed by Town Counsel, was approved by a vote of 4-0-0. CATV Advisory Committee Revisions — Doug Cowell, Chairman of the Cable TV Advisory Committee was present.