Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-04-05 Board of Selectmen Minutes Board of Selectmen Meeting April 5, 1994 The meeting was convened at 7: 10 p.m. in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, MA. Present were Chairman George Hines, Vice Chairman Bill Burditt, Secretary Sally Hoyt, Selectmen Dan Ensminger and Camille Anthony, Town Manager Peter I. Hechenbleikner and the following list of interested parties: Jane Fiore, Mike DeBrigard, Peter Tassi, Faye Meehl, Bill Murphy, Susan Tapley, Stephen Phillips, Lee Roberts, Lois Bond, Whitney Goetz, Marie Patterson, William Winkler, Joyce Miller, Robert Keating, John Silvaggi, Elaine Singleton, Mary McIntire, Ruth Cogan, Corinne Fisher, Sally McDonald, Deirdre Hanley, Bernice Herrick, Nicole Curran, Michael Slezak, Nancy Eaton. Meeting with State Representative Brad Jones - The Board welcomed guest Brad Jones, newly elected State Representative. Jones in- dicated that the formula for distribution of snow and ice money will be the same as for the Lottery distribution, and Reading's share will be a little bit more than $49, 000. He indicated that action has taken place on the Lottery aid and local aid, and that action is pending on Chapter 90 aid for FY94 and FY95. Dan Ensminger indicated that the Town might need some help on issues related to the sale of the landfill, public works Ecomonic Development Grants for widening and inprint of Walkers Brook Drive, use of Central Artery construction materials, and sewers on Concord Street in North Reading. Hines expressed the need for development of containment devices on I-93 to reduce. salt areas, an improvement of the I-93/128 intersections are other projects. Hoyt noted that Jones will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Selectmen in North Reading as well as State Representa- tive and will thereby avoid special election costs. Bill Burditt indicated that the MWRA assessment for sewers is a big issue and it has to change from a population-based system to user-based system. Camille Anthony noted that the gas tax money needs to be better distributed to cities and towns, discussed concerns about underground storage tanks on Concord Street, and expressed concern about road salt and the State DEP and DPW's in- teractions. The Town Manager noted that special legislation has been filed to fund the cost of the special elections in 1994 . Proclamation - Drug Free Weekend - Jane Fiore and members of the Substance Abuse Advisory Council were present. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Ensminger the Board voted to approve a proclamation declaring April 8 & 9 as a Drug Free Weekend. The motion was ap- proved by a vote of 5-0-0 and several pledges were submitted to Ms. Fiore. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Ensminger the Board approved a --- resolution declaring the month of April S.A.D.D. month by a vote of 5-0-0. Les York was present to receive the proclamation. Board of Selectmen Meeting - April 5, 1994 - page 2 Approval of Minutes On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to ap- prove the minutes of the Board of Selectmen's meeting of March 8, 1994, as amended by a vote of 4-0-1 with Anthony abstaining. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Burditt the Board voted to approve the minutes of the Board of Selectmen's meeting of March 15, 1994, as amended by a vote of 4-0-1 with Anthony abstaining. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Burditt the Board voted to approve the minutes of the Board of Selectmen's meeting of March 24, 1994 as amended by a vote of 5-0-0. Liaison Reports/Selectmen's Comments Anthony had no report. Hoyt attended a meeting with the MWRA and the Legislative Delega- tion. She also attended the Spelling Bee as a supporter; she at- tended the Middlesex County Advisory Board meeting; and she has been sponsored by Senator Tisei to attend a six-week legislative class. Dan Ensminger attended and participated in the Spelling Bee, and hopes it becomes an annual event. It made $4 , 000 for various worthwhile causes in the community. Ensminger is on the MMA Health Care Committee which is reviewing the resumption of the State bill on healthcare versus holding out until the Federal Bill is approved. He commented on a healthcare survey that has gone to the community. Ensminger also expressed concern about traffic speed on West Street and whether we could have possible warning signs. He also noted that on Linden Street at Lowell the One Way sign needs ar- rows and the Do Not Enter sign should be reflectorized. Burditt noted that he had attended and participated in the Spell- ing Bee and that he has received phone calls on various subjects. Hines indicated that he participated in the Spelling Bee, but missed the Mineral Street Bridge Task Force Meeting. Following up on discussion on Professional Fundraisers, he indicated that no one intended the Selectmen's concerns about professional fundraising to reflect negatively on any organization of the Town. He further noted that sports teams needed to use good judgment in the use of fields because of the wet spring. Public Comment Ron Wood indicated that last year there was a Proposition 2 1/2 Override which provided for 2 .5% in salary increases. He indi- cated that "we think that the Town Manager should get a 2% in- crease to $68,000. " There was some discussion about who Mr. Wood represented. Wood felt the Town Manager does a good job, is knowledgeable and performs well. - i t Board of Selectmen Meeting - April 5, 1994 - page 3 Town Manager's Report The Town Manager indicated that the Treasurer had completed the sale of $2 million in bonds for the Reading Municipal Light Department. $100, 000 was sold to Century Bank at an annual in- terest rate of 2.77%, and $1.9 million was sold to Shawmut Bank at a net bid of 2 .879%. The Town Manager noted the city and town article regarding Reading's sharing of Town and School finance functions. He also noted that the week of April 11, 1994, was designated as National Public Safety Telecommunicators week and expressed pride in our telecommunications officers. Certificates of Appreciation - Girl Scouts - The Board awarded Girl Scout Gold Award recognition certificates to Melissa Morse, Carolyn Morse and Gretchen Laab. The Town Manager also noted that there is an upcoming Eagle Scout Award Ceremony that will require a certificate. The Town Manager noted that there is a vacancy on the Conserva- tion Commission, the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee, Solid Waste Advisory Committee, and the Reading Housing Partnership. The Town Manager noted that the Building Inspector position will be advertised Sunday. He also noted that people using the ath- letic fields needed to take special care because of their condi- tion following a very difficult winter. Presentation by Mystic Valley Elder Services - Year of the Family f Doris Fantasia was present representing Mystic Valley Elder Serv- ices. She noted that Reading gets $400, 000 in benefit from the Municipal expenditure of $1, 600. She introduced Ana Sanchez who talked about the International Year of the Family Walk-A-Thon. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Burditt the Board awarded a presentation to Mystic Valley Elder Services in appreciation of its celebration of the International Year of the Family. The mo- tion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0, DiscussionjAction Items Modification to Agreement - Town Counsel - H Theodore Cohen ad- dressed the Board of Selectmen. Camille Anthony noted that the Conservation Commission will be pleased with his new affiliation. On motion by Burditt seconded by Ensminger the Board voted to as- sign the appointment of Tyler & Reynolds Town Counsel for the balance of the term expiring June 30, 1994, to H Theodore Cohen, McGregor & Shea, PC, with the all inclusive annual retainer of $97,500 and upon the same terms and conditions as in the original appointment of Tyler and Reynolds as Town Counsel . The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Cohen filled the Board of Selectmen in on the one remaining title issue at Bear Hill. There is an issue of a water easement to ad- jacent federally owned lands. The Federal Government, through the Army Corps of Engineers, has indicated that it would probably not object to relocation of the easement, but it was fairly non- committal. They indicated that the Federal Government would want Board of Selectmen Meeting - April 5, 1994 - page 4 $500 for processing. The Board has two options: do nothing in terms of the purchase and sales agreement and resolve the matter when the time comes; or pull out of the purchase and sales agree- ment at this time. The Board decided to take no action and therefore to commit to resolving the easement problem at the ap- propriate time. The Town Manager is directed to have discussion with the developer on relocation of the water line. The Board specifically noted that it does not want this relocation to incur any additional costs to the Town. Ratification - Police Superior Officers Contract - Lieutenants Silva and Patterson were present. The Town Manager outlined the terms of the agreement of a two-year contract between the Town of Reading and the Police Superior Officers Association. Chairman George Hines noted that the Board of Selectmen supports public safety as illustrated in the support for the Quinn Bill, support for priority add backs to the budget, and the Board's action on the Police Chief's position being in Civil Service. Silva noted that the Police Superior Officers understand and recognize that support. On motion by Burditt seconded by Ensminger the Board voted to ratify the agreement between the Town of Reading and the Police Superior Officers Association effective July 3, 1993 and expiring June 30, 1995. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. The Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, the President of the Superior Officers Association and the Town Manager signed the agreements. Public Hearing Street Acceptances - The Secretary read the hearing notice for the Street Acceptances and for the Pay and Classification Plan. The Public Hearing on the Street Acceptances was opened. No per- sons were present with regard to this issue. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to close the Public Hearing on the Street Acceptances by a vote of 5-0-0. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to recom- mend the approval by Town Meeting as Street Acceptances for Rice Road, Estate Lane, Pond Meadow Drive, Kurchian Lane, subject to concurrence on each of these acceptances by the Conservation Com- mission. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Pay and Classification Plan - The Board opened the Public Hearing on the Pay and Classification Plan. The Town Manager explained the details of the plan to the Board of Selectmen and interested parties in attendance. Camille Anthony asked about how positions were rated, and the Town Manager explained that positions were rated on 13 different categories. Sally Hoyt indicated that her review is based on a short period of time, and it's hard to see if the plan that is proposed is fair. She has talked with her liaison assignees, and has concern regarding whether or not we worked with the job descriptions. She indicated we need to meet pay, equity laws and compared duties F E 1 Board of Selectmen Meeting —April 5, 1994 - page 5 and responsibilities regarding comparable worth. Sally Hoyt asked if we could get an EOCD grant as we had in 1987 to do the _ -- full Pay and Classification Study. The Town Manager responded that study had been done with Town funds not EOCD grant funds, and that we did not have funds available. Dan Ensminger asked how we would fund the program. The Town Manager indicated that perhaps we should delay the discussion of that until we see if we have an actual viable plan. The floor was open for questions or comments from the public. Bili Murphy, from the Board of Health, indicated that the Public Health Nurses position was a Grade 8 and recommended it to go to a Grade 11; the Health Prevention Educator position is a Grade 11 and it should go to a Grade 12; and that the title of the Human Services Director should be the Health and Human Services Direc- tor. Faye Meehl, Administrative Assistant in the Assessor's office, noted that the 1987 MMA study classified 22 positions for 57 employees. She is concerned that this study would make the non- union position for Administrative Assistant"different than union position grade. Lee Roberts, Coordinator of Volunteers, handed out material to the Board of Selectmen. Lois Bond, Director of Elder Services, noted that we worked so long for the study and the Elder Services staff has waited a long time. She wants to see the grades done accurately and is concerned about the 10% ceiling which would keep salaries artificially low. Specifically, she mentioned the Outreach Worker position which is really a Social Worker position and should be the same as Public Health Nurse. She feels it should be rated higher than the Coordinator of Volunteers posi- tion and that it can't be done with a high school diploma. The Meals on Wheels Coordinator should be higher than the Shopping Assistance Coordinator. She noted that some program coordinators are paid less than the support staff. She commented on the Van Driver and it was pointed out that that was not part of this study. Corrine Fisher, Children's Librarian, noted that the Library has had well written job descriptions for years and she feels there has been enough input. She would like to see the Pay and Clas- sification Plan adopted. She felt there is an inequity in wait- ing and that the issue should be addressed sooner rather than later. Cathy Quimby, Town Clerk, noted that the Library has had a longer time to deal with this. She wishes she had a handout. Her big- gest concern is the 10% limitation. Dan Ensminger asked about a dollar cap instead of a percentage ........-..: cap. George Hines thought that we might be able to deal with the cap by exceptions. Board of Selectmen Meeting - April 5, 1994 - page 6 Whitney Goetz feels that the job description adequately describes her position and that there is a strong element of social work and crisis intervention. She feels it is a very clinical posi- tion. Ruth Cogan feels that the pay and class study is a good starting point for discussion. She is concerned about the sub- stitute Van Driver and the health title in the Human Services Director position. Deirdre Hanley felt that the plan was fair and equitable. It does not address the School/Municipal differences which are global issues. She noted that the dialogue at the Department Head meetings was good, and she urges implementation now. Her staff is being heavily recruited and staff is the Town's most valuable resource. After discussion, the Board of Selectmen asked for copies of all job descriptions. Fred Van Magness indicated some concerns about the number of steps, the size of the bands, and how this program will be implemented. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Burditt the Board voted to continue the hearing to Tuesday, April 12 , 1994 as the only agenda item. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Report of Progress - Mineral Street Bridge Task Force - Bill Goodrich presented the progress report to date on the Mineral Street Bridge Task Force. He noted that the task force had recommended that a traffic study by McDonough and Scully be com- missioned in the amount of $4, 000. That would require a reserve fund transfer. He reviewed the membership on the task force, their meetings to date, town staff input, types of information received to date, and additional information needed. Camille An- thony asked if the reconstruction of the Parker Middle School will have any impact perhaps by extending the driveway through between King Street and Temple Street. The Town Manager indi- cated that the School Department was not in favor of that. Dan Ensminger asked about counts of the number of school kids via car and walking, and another traffic count will be done during better weather. He asked about the additional time needed and it was indicated that six to eight weeks additional work will be needed. Bill Goodrich indicated that some of the additional information required would be design of similar structures and some addi- tional discussion with the MBIA. On motion by Anthony seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to recommend seeking of a $4, 000 reserve fund transfer for the traffic study by a vote of 5-0-0. On motion by. Ensminger seconded by Burditt the Board voted to ex- tend the report to not later than May 30, 1994 , by a vote of 5-0-0. It was noted that the task force will make a report to Town Meeting towards the end of Town Meeting - scheduled for April 25 , 1994 . Dan Ensminger asked about the Inwood traffic study and whether some money could be savedby using this study. Goodrich noted that Jonathan Edwards has commented that the traf- fic study doesn't quantify the figures. Mike Slezak indicated that the traffic study would address other issues including ade- Board of Selectmen Meeting - April 5, 1994 - page 7 quacy of intersections, street widths, site lines, etc. Bernie Herrick indicated that she thought 1600 northbound on Salem Street were anticipated as part of the traffic study (this is 1600 vehicles total - not those that would use Mineral Street) . Arts Center Task Force Report - Richard Radville made the report for the Arts Center Task Force. He reviewed the membership on the committee, the tasks performed to date, significant results including the fact that the RMLD site could support a "core" arts center, options that Town Meeting has, and conclusions. The task force has taken the following votes: 1) The task force recom- mends that the Town pursue an EOCD grant to conduct a feasibility and market study on the desirability and ecomonic impact of creating an arts center in Reading. 2) The task force feels that the RMLD site could support a potentially viable arts center, but without definitive ecomonic impact information and other issues, the task force recommends the sale of the RMLD proceed unimpeded. 3) The task force recommends that the Selectmen continue the Arts Center Task Force in some form after Town Meeting to offer support to the feasibility study process. The Board directed the Town Manager to go ahead and develop the grant application for economic feasibility study and the Board would like to review the application and especially any sites - that would be possible sites. Review of Town Meeting Warrant - The Board discussed Warrant Ar- ticles. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to support the subject matter of Article 15 by a vote of 5-0-0. The Board agreed to table Articles 20, 21 and 22. Vacating Land Court Decree - Selfridge - On motion by Burditt seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to petition the Massachusetts Land Court to vacate the decrees whereby the following Colburn Road properties were foreclosed upon and conveyed to the Town of Reading on April 9, 1993 : Plat 154 Lot 26 Assessed to Edward D. McIntire, and Edward M. Selfridge et al, Robert B. Selfridge Plat 154 Lot 1 Assessed to Edward M. Selfridge Plat 154 Lot 2 Assessed to Edward M. Selfridge Plat 154 Lot 3 Assessed to Edward M. Selfridge Plat 154 Lot 26A Assessed to Edward M. Selfridge Said action is taken in light of the payment by bank check of $62,860.54 to cover all taxes, charges and fees owed on said five properties on March 29, 1994, by Edward M. Selfridge. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Licenses On motion by Burditt seconded Hoyt the taxi licenses for Loyd Donald, Charles Carney and Glen R. Gallant were approved expiring April 30, 1994, driving for Acura Industries. Board of Selectmen Meeting - April 5, 1994 - page 8 On motion by Burditt seconded "by Anthony the Board voted to ad- journ at 11:30 p.m. by a vote of 5-0-0. Res , ctfully submitted,