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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-06-16 Board of Selectmen Minutes Board of Selectmen Meeting June 16, 1998 The meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, Massachusetts. Present were Chairman Camille Anthony, Vice Chairman Bruce MacDonald, Secretary Sally Hoyt, Selectmen George Hines and Matt Nestor, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, and the following list of interested parties: Cheryl and Leslie Sidelinker, John Atwood, Joseph Tello, Bill Hughes, Bob Brown, Nancy Eaton, George Perry, Will Finch, Kim Honetschlager, Bernice Pierce, Janet Baronian, Jack Hannabury, Denyelle Potter, Ted McIntire. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board voted to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussion of strategy with respect to purchase or sale of real estate to come back into Open Session at approximately 7:30 p.m. On a roll call vote, all five members of the Board voted in the affirmative and the motion was carried. The Board of Selectmen returned to Open Session at 7:32 p.m. Town Manager's Report The Town Manager submitted his report. ♦ The Town Manager commented on the study that the Board received in their packet relative to the Auburn Street Water Tower and the options that may exist with regard to that. He also - commented on the recent rainstorms, and he will get information on what kind of storm event this rainstorm was. ♦ On June 15, Jonathan Edwards held a hearing on the modification to the budget for the blight program, and the modified budget has been submitted. There is no increase in budget or change in the scope of the project just an internal adjustment. ♦ Meeting with Grubb &Ellis. ♦ Creative Arts for Kids has determined that the old Police Station is not satisfactory for their needs. Personnel and Appointments Arts Council — On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen placed the following names into nomination for two positions on the Arts Council for a term expiring June 30, 2001: Roberta Ann McRae and Debra Darcy. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Roberta Ann McRae and Debra Darcy received five votes and were appointed. Board of Health — On motion by Hoyt seconded by Hines, the Board of Selectmen placed the following names into nomination for one position on the Board of Health for a term expiring June 30, 2000: Nancy Carlson and Jennifer Smith DiLascia. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Nancy Carlson received five votes and was appointed. Board of Selectmen Meeting;—June 161998 —Page 2 The Town Manager was asked to follow up on the possibility of having an Associate Member for the Board of Health. Cable TV Committee — On motion by Hines seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen placed the following name(s) into nomination for one position on the Cable TV Committee for a term expiring June 30, 2001: Michael Longo. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Michael Longo was appointed. Constable Sally Hoyt removed herself from discussion on this matter. George Hines noted that the candidates who have not been Constables in the past should have some training and should be bonded. Constables - On motion by Hines seconded by Nestor, the Board of Selectmen placed the following names into nomination for one position as a Constable for a term expiring June 30, 2001: William J. Hughes, Jr., Dan Halloran and Eric Jones. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, William J. Hughes received four votes and was appointed. On motion by Hines seconded by MacDonald, the Board of Selectmen placed the following names into nomination for two positions as a Constable for a term expiring June 30, 1999: Dan Halloran and Eric Jones. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Dan Halloran received four votes and Eric Jones received three votes and were appointed. Comments were made that there should be a better speaker system at the cemeteries on Memorial Day. The Cemetery Board was asked if they would be interested in having Associates and they noted that they would take it under advisement. Board of Cemetery Trustees — On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen placed the following names into nomination for two positions on the Board of Cemetery Trustees for a term expiring June 30, 2001: Daniel F. Driscoll, Jr., Randolph R. Harrison, Florence Sorenson and Vern Taylor. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Daniel F. Driscoll, Jr. and Randolph R. Harrison each received five votes and were appointed. Solid Waste Advisory Committee — On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen placed the following names into nomination for two positions on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for a term expiring June 30, 2001: Robert A. Brown and Jean B. Krogh. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Robert A. Brown and Jean B. Krogh each received five votes and were appointed. The Town Forest Committee was asked if they would like Associate members, and they are not interested at this time. They might want to have the Tree Warden as an Associate Member in the future. Camille Anthony asked for a yearly report on the health of the Town Forest. Board of Selectmen Meeting-June 16, 1998—Page 3 Town Forest Committee—On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen placed the following names into nomination for one position on the Town Forest Committee for a term expiring June 30, 2001: Benjamin E. Nichols, James Goldsmith and Florence L. Sorenson. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Benjamin E. Nichols received five votes and was appointed. Water and Sewer Advisory Committee—On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen placed the following name(s) into nomination for one position on the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee for a term expiring June 30, 2001: Stewart D. Chipman. On a roll call vote of the nominated candidates, Stewart D. Chipman received five votes and was appointed. Discussion/Action Items Approval of Bond Anticipation Notes—On motion by Hines seconded by Hoyt, the Board voted to approve the sale of$5,650,000 of Bond Anticipation Notes as follows: Commerce Capital Market $5,000,000 at 3.7022%NIC Eastern Bank $610,000 at 3.98%NIC Eastern Bank $40,000 at 4.11%NIC The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Decision on Sidewalk—Charles Street-The Board of Selectmen reopened the discussion on this matter. Anthony noted that she had talked with the Crossing Guard and some residents. There are a lot of students in cars in traffic in this area. People park all day along Charles Street. Parents feel that the sidewalk here is a safety issue. The afternoon has a different traffic pattern. Sally Hoyt viewed the site in the morning and afternoon. Parents need to be informed where to drop off and pick up children. This is definitely a safety issue. Joseph Tello of 353 Charles Street spoke. He feels this is the wrong time to review the issue. September to December is a better time. In the winter, there is a plowing issue. Parents and children walk in the street in the wintertime. The Town should route the traffic through the school to the gate on Haverhill Street. Camille Anthony noted that we should be trying to keep the school children for pick up and drop off on the school side of the street. John Atwood of 361 Charles Street spoke. He feels that the Town should get a professional to look at this. The Principal and the Safety Committee are not professionals. Atwood indicated that the Police Department was not informed about this issue. When cars are parked on both sides of the road, traffic cannot pass on Charles. At the Crossing Guard, the site line would be blocked. If you have parking on only one side of the street, then the sidewalk could not be used. There are more cars parked on the even side of the street than the odd side of the street. Board of Selectmen Meeting—June 16 1998—.Page 4 The Town Manager talked about granite curbing and that is not proposed. George Hines asked Mr. Atwood and Mr. Tello what the problem was with sidewalks. Mr. Tello said that it is a safety issue. He had an experience of sidewalks in Everett. Mr. Tello asked if the sidewalk is placed here, whether we could eliminate the tree lawn. He would also like to see signs that say"do not block driveway". The Town Manager noted that the Police Department was in fact aware of and supported the sidewalk in this area. This was discussed at the Parking, Traffic and Transportation Task Force Meeting. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hines, the Board of Selectmen voted to approve the construction of a sidewalk on the easterly side of Charles Street from the Killam School northward to Haverhill Street, as proposed by the Town Engineer, with the use of granite curbing throughout this area of the project. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Adopt Policy on Standards for Plowing Private Ways —Public Works Director Ted McIntire was present and presented the proposed policy. The Board of Selectmen had a discussion on the policy. Matt Nestor was concerned that the policy delegates complete authority to staff and that this could be abused. George Hines noted that he, as a member of the Board of Selectmen, did not want to be involved in this kind of detailed discussion on plowing of private ways. It was suggested that Town Counsel should review this policy. Hines noted that every policy that comes before the Board of Selectmen should be reviewed by Town Counsel. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hines, the Board voted to continue the hearing on a policy on standards for plowing private ways in order to get a legal review from Town Counsel and that the hearing is continued until Tuesday, July 14, 1998 at 8:30 p.m. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Policy on Beer and Wine Licenses — The Board opened the hearing on a policy on beer and wine licenses. Amendments were proposed to make the policy a little bit less restrictive. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hines, the Board of Selectmen voted to close the public hearing on a policy on the sale of beer and wine in restaurants. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen voted to approve the policy on the sale of beer and wine in restaurants as amended. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Board of Selectmen Meeting;—June 16, 1998—Page 5 Request for Fire Lane — Gazebo Circle — The Town Manager reviewed the request which was made by the Condo Association and recommended by the Fire Chief. There will be a fire lane restriction on both sides of Gazebo Circle in the Summit Village Development. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen voted to approve a fire lane on both sides of Gazebo Circle for its entire length in accordance with the request from the property manager and on the recommendation of the Fire Chief. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Request for Local Traffic Exclusion — Mill Street — Kim Honetschlager from Mill Street spoke. The material that was presented to the Board of Selectmen was reviewed. The Police Department in speaking with a representative from Mass Highway has determined that signs like no thru traffic, local traffic only and residents only are not allowed on a public way. This would be a very difficult regulation to enforce. Will Finch from Mill Street noted that this is a quality of life issue. He is concerned about the need for sidewalks. George Hines asked if he would support sidewalks on Mill Street and he indicated that he would. Janet Baronian of 75 Mill Street spoke. In addition to volumes of traffic, there is concern about speed. Bernice Pierce of 66 Mill Street spoke in support of restrictions. Nancy Eaton of 13 Short Street spoke about the need for enforcement on the size of trucks and speed limit. Camille Anthony asked what the options are, and the following motion was presented: On motion by MacDonald seconded by Nestor, the Board 'of Selectmen directed the Town Manager to contact the appropriate North Reading officials regarding possible signing at both ends of Mill Street with the intent of mitigating through traffic on Mill Street. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Follow Up on Special Employees — Old List — The Town Manager reviewed correspondence between the Town and the Ethics Commission regarding a list of Town positions that had previously been designated as Special Employees. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board of Selectmen voted to rescind all previously granted Special Employee status except for the following: Conservation Commission Consultant Reading Memorial High School Coaches Substance Abuse Prevention Advisory Council The motion was approved by a vote of 4-1-0, with Hines opposed. Board of Selectmen Meeting—June 16,1998—Paye 6 Approval of Minutes On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board voted to approve the minutes of their meeting of May 26, 1998 as amended by a vote of 5-0-0. ". On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board voted to approve the minutes of their meeting of March 3, 1998 as amended by a vote of 4-0-1, with Nestor abstaining. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Hoyt, the Board voted to approve the minutes of their meeting of February 17, 1998 as amended by a vote of 3-0-2, with Anthony and Nestor abstaining. Sally Hoyt gave an update on West Street — Mayor Dever from Woburn has indicated that the city has received a $1.1 million grant to connect Converse Way to Presidential Way. This is not enough funding to do the entire project. They will move forward with as much as they can as soon as possible. This may take another year to complete. On motion by MacDonald seconded by Nestor, the Board voted to adjourn their meeting of June 16, 1998 at 11:00 p.m. by a vote of 5-0-0. Respe fully submitted, 4retary Section 3.2-Sale Of Beer And Wine In Restaurants Pursuant to a Home Rule petition by the Town of Reading, the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts authorized the Town of Reading to issue a limited number (currently 5) of Beer and Wine licenses to restaurant establishments with fewer than 100 seats. This legislative action was confirmed by the voters of the Town in the election of March 24, 1998. This policy is established pursuant to those votes. The intent of this policy is to encourage the development and retention of smaller specialty restaurants in the downtown area of Reading in order to enhance the economic vitality of the downtown area. It is recognized that the serving of beer and wine in a restaurant is part of the customers' dining experience. In issuing a beer and wine license to a restaurant of less than 100 seats in the Town of Reading, the Board of Selectmen is acting in its capacity as licensing authority of the Town of Reading and pursuant to authority vested in it by the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Board of Selectmen hereby makes the following conditions to the issuance and exercise of the restaurant beer and wine license: 1. Beer and Wine licenses are reserved for restaurants seating less than 100 customers. 2. No premises shall be licensed that contain any advertisement or sign upon which appears the brand name of a wine or beer, except that signs or advertisements inside of the premises that cannot be seen from the sidewalk or the exterior of the premises are permitted. 3. Restaurants possessing a beer or wine license shall serve at tables only, (not at counters or for take-out). Food shall be served on china, pottery, or other solid dinnerware, and shall use metal silverware. No plastic or paper dinnerware or silverware is permitted. An establishment that has a separate and distinct take-out area may be licensed for the sale of beer and wine on the premises.. 4. Beer or wine may be served in glass or pottery containers only. No paper, plastic, or other containers will be used for service. No pitchers of beer or wine will be served. 5. Each customer must order food from the regular fare or menu of the restaurant before being served a glass of beer or wine. No customer will be served beer or wine until he/she has been seated and ordered food. b. A service bar is permitted. Its function is to serve to restaurant employees only, who will then serve the customers who are seated at tables. There will be no seats at this service bar, and no customer will be served directly from the service bar. 7. No employee under the age of 18 will be permitted to serve beer or wine to a customer, or clear beer or wine glasses from a table. 8. The server must check proper identification to ensure that no individual under the age of 21 is served beer or wine. 9. Beer or wine may not be sold for take-out consumption at any time. 10. No establishment licensed for the sale of beer and wine shall permit the use of any amusement device or electronic game unless specifically licensed to do so by the Board of Selectmen, 11. No customer will be permitted to bring into the licensed establishment any alcoholic beverage for consumption on the premises. All beverages sold on the premises shall be consumed on the premises. 12. No premises shall be licensed unless toilet facilities are generally available to the customers of the restauaunt. v 13. The applicant agrees that if a license is granted under this policy, that the construction or alteration of the licensed premises will begin within 45 days of the issuance of the license, and will be in full operation within 120 days, unless a longer period of time is approved by the Board of Selectmen. Thereafter the licensee will continuously operate the premises in accordance with the terms and conditions of the license. The closing of the licensed establishment for 7 consecutive calendar days or for more than 10 calendar days during a calendar year shall be deemed to be abandonment of the license, and sufficient grounds for revocation. The fee for a beer and wine license shall be $2000 per year, not prorated for any part of the year. The fee is subject to periodic review and modification by the Board of Selectmen. For breach of any of the above requirements, restrictions, or conditions, the licensing authority reserves the power and right to modify, suspend, revoke, or cancel the license in accordance with the law. Adopted-6-16-98 23