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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-03-31 Board of Selectmen Minutes Minutes of the Board of Selectmen Meeting March 31, 1992 The meeting was convened at 7:31 p.m. in the Selectmens Meeting Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, Massachusetts. Present were Chairman Eugene Nigro, Vice Chairman Dan Ensminger, Secretary Sally Hoyt, Selectmen George Hines and Bill Burditt, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Clerk Cathy Quimby and the following list of interested parties: James S. Calhoun, Lucille Calhoun. Gary Demopoulas, Mark Doherty, Ann Power, Peter Doherty, Pat Keane, Bob Marrocco, Bill and Ruth Warren, Edward F. Driscoll III, Pat Sudbay, Steven Clark, Brad Lathem, Ken Latham, Garth Scott, Bill Dyment, Michael A. Bertone, Sharon Ofenstein, Brenda Stinson, Leo Meuse, Marjorie Libitz, Michael J. Libitz, Peter C. Wright, Michael P. McLaughlin, Karol McLaughlin, Joseph Mayne, Ron Marfione, Bill Corley, David Fallman, Arthur O'Brien, Cheryl Burton, Deirdre Hanley, Elia Marnik, Arnold Berger, Nancy L. Eaton, Andrew Santo, Debbie H. McCulley, David J. Mallett, Walter Mahoney, William C. Wagner, Richard Cooper, Francis P. Driscoll, Anne Mark, Irving E. Dickey, Ted McIntire, John D. Wood, Gail F. Wood. Selectmen Bill Burditt and Dan Ensminger were sworn in by Town Clerk Cathy Quimby for three-year terms on the Board of Selectmen. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Nigro the Board approved a proclamation for National Library Week beginning April 5, 1992. the motion was approved by a vote of 5-0-0 and the proclamation was presented to the Board of Library Trustees Chairman Elia Mar- nik and Library Director Deirdre Hanley. The Chairman suspended the approval of minutes and the liaison reports. Public Comment Arthur O'Brien spoke regarding the Ice Rink and the fact that the report does not reflect the data in the appendik; there is no traffic study; there is no Conservation Commission report; and there is no environmental impact report. .Joseph DeShaw, Haverhill Street, Reading has lived in Reading for 35 years and left Boston to get away from hockey and baseball ac- tivities. It is unfair to subject residents to traffic, and this is the wrong zoning to do it. Sharon Ofenstein, 320 Haverhill Street, has lived there since 1978 in a house that was built in 1775. They have invested in the house and in Reading and know that some. development is likely to occur on the Nike Base site. But there is concern about com- mercial development like South Main Street. Dave Maillett, Haverhill Street, moved in one year ago and there was no mention of an ice rink to be constructed on the adjacent property. He wanted to know if the 30-foot width is wide enough for two lanes of traffic and a walk, and is concerned about early morning and late evening operations, speeding, the site becoming Selectmens Minutes - 3/31/92 - page 2 a hangout, vandalism and trespassing. Joan Nickerson, 229 Pearl Street, is a member of the Conservation Commission and feels that the Conservation Commission does not have enough information to pass along to Town Meeting. Cedar Swamp is a recharge area to Bare Meadow. George Hines responded that the Board of Selectmen appointed a Conservation Commission member to the Site Committee. They will go to the Conservation Commission at the appropriate time. Dan Ensminger asked if there is a written report from the Conser- vation Administrator. George Hines indicated that there was such a report and it will be in the last final report of the com- mittee. Brenda Stinson of Haverhill Street agrees with Sharon Ofenstein's comments. Mike Libitz of 49 Wakefield Street appreciates resident's con- cerns about traffic, but indicated that there are very few cars for such a facility and very little traffic at youth hockey. There are two high school hockey games per week maximum, and one is home and one is away. The season is December to February from 6:OO to 8:00 p.m. Pat Driscoll lives in a highly trafficed area near the Depot. They were able to work out a solution to traffic concerns. She has been involved in hockey for a number of years and has never seen traffic volumes of the level where concerns are expressed. She feels that kids ought to be involved in wholesome activities. Nancy Eaton from Reading Rifle and Revolver_ asked that if this is passed at Town Meeting would abutters have input into the lease. Gene Nigro indicated that citizen input would be welcome. Eaton indicated that Reading Rifle and Revolver had been vandalized three times in the last year. At 8: 00 p.m. the Secretary read the notice of the closing of the Warrant. Dan Ensminger expressed concern that the amount of the gift is not specified and it should be - perhaps in the motion. He also asked if under Article 6 this would enlarge the right of way and it was indicated that it would not. Gene Nigro indicated that Article 5 was specific to the Nike Base site, and asked if a motion could be made for other sites. Ted Cohen indicated that it was drafted to a specific site. He would recommend that the Town Moderator not accept amendments which would apply to other sites. Gene Nigro felt that this answers Mr. Subday's concerns. George Hines indicated that the Committee has recommended only the Nike site. If the site fails they would need to do more analysis and come back to another Town Meeting with another al- ternative. Selectmens Minutes - 3/31/92 - page 3 Ted Cohen felt that if the Birch Meadow site were to be con- sidered, it would need additional Articles including a transfer of lands from the School Committee. Gene Nigro indicated that if Town Meeting turns down the Nike Base site, he would be open to other sites. Bill Burditt read the Article as a stand alone Article - that deals with acceptance and the location. If the location is not accepted then a new Town Meeting would be needed to deal with any other alternatives. Bill Weimar of 286 South Street talked about an Article for a Home Rule Petition regarding the reconstruction of South Street. He felt that the Town was reluctant to help preserve the charac- ter of the scenic road. A concern is that if the reconstruction does not stay within the same footprint of the existing road, then the scenic nature of the road would be lost. Walter Begonis at 289 South Street spoke about the large trees that would be in jeopardy. Under the DPW plan there would be 14 significant trees lost. Residents are not against fixing up the roadway. The residents understand the need to use Chapter 90 funds. The petition was signed by 82% of the households. Sally Hoyt indicated she spoke with Jonathan Edwards and only one tree would be lost. Jonathan Edwards indicated that part of the scenic roads provisions are to ensure minimum safety standards. On motion by George Hines seconded by Sally Hoyt the Board voted to include Article 7 as a courtesy and without prejudice. The motion was approve by a vote of 5-0-0. George Hines suggested accepting the Siting Committee report. This was deferred until after the Warrant was closed. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Hines the Board voted to close the Warrant by vote of 5-0-0. There was a motion by Hines seconded by Hoyt that the Board of Selectmen approve the recommendation of the Siting Task Force. Following discussion Hines and Hoyt both withdrew the motion un- til April 14 when a final report including traffic work could be presented. Bill Burditt indicated that he was not sure that he has a final report but he is comfortable with the site recommendations. He indicated that the Rifle Range was not residential in nature. He indicated that other sites have been evaluated and were not prac- tical and/or had some similar level of impact. Dan Ensminger expressed concern that the traffic study was not yet done and it is important. He also hadn't .seen the Conserva- tion Administrator's report. He sees incomplete aspects to the report and had moved to table Hines' motion. The move to table was not seconded. Selectmens Minutes - 3/31/92 - page 4 Arthur O'Brien indicated that the report was incomplete and in- - consistent. Gene Nigro indicated that he had seen copies of the traffic counts on Haverhill but he is not sure what they mean. George Hines indicated that the Board of Selectmen has previously accepted the report. He was concerned that the Board should recommend approval of the report. The traffic study is in progress. The traffic information is needed for CPDC to deter- mine traffic mitigation measures as part of the site plan ap- proval. Nancy Eaton indicated dissatisfaction with the site selection meeting. She asked if the traffic study would be done before Town Meeting. Sally Hoyt agrees with the need for Conservation approval. Camille Anthony, Chairman of the Conservation Commission, spoke with concerns about the procedure and process - she felt Conser- vation should have been involved up front. Brad Latham indicated that the process was to identify the site, secure Board of Selectmen endorsement and a Warrant Article, have Town Meeting authorize negotiations on a lease, and then go through the decision process with regard to site plan review, Conservation approval etc. s H Theodore Cohen, Town Counsel, concurred in Mr. Latham's analysis. It was noted that the Article would require a simple majority of Town Meeting. George Hines indicated that the Site Selection Committee would be willing to meet with the Conservation Committee on site, and Camille Anthony felt that this was a good idea. Public Hearings Sally Hoyt read the notice of the hearing on Licensing for Storage of Chemicals - North Central Warehouse, One General Avenue. Bill Wagner spoke for the applicant. The Town Manager reviewed the application and indicated that the Fire Chief recom- mends its approval. The Fire Chief has indicated that this site has been very well run and the owner is extremely cooperative with regard to inspections and drills. Bill Wagner indicated that there are current approvals to store 20, 000 gallons on ap- proximately 2000 square feet of floor space. The request would be to expand the facility to 14,400 square feet. This exceeds state and federal standards. They are doing storage not process- ing. They would install a new foam water system and would like _ the approval left generally at a maximum storage area of 14,400 square feet. They would be using either palletized or rack storage. The design has not been completed. -- ` Sally Hoyt indicated that she had talked with the Chief and he felt that it was fine. The barrels and containers are double Selectmens Minutes - 3/31/92 - page 5 sealed. George Hines asked who was responsible for the modifications to the fire suppression system - it was responded that the Fire Chief was. He felt that any approval should be subject to final sign off by the Fire Chief before final operation. . He under- stands that the design is not yet complete. He asked if there were redundant systems,. and it was indicated that the protection and containment systems exceed standards. Dan Ensminger asked where the limit is stated. It was commented that it isn't. It was based on using the maximum 14,400 square feet of space. This space was previously used for that purpose. The proposal is based on the maximum. Gene Nigro asked what the different classes of materials are. It was responded that Class 1 has a flash point below 100 degrees farenheit; Class 2 has a flash point between 100 and 140 degrees farenheit; and Class 3 has a flash point of 140 degrees faren- heit. The applicant indicated that for example motor oil and Lysol are both household materials `that are combustible. Materiais to be stored included isopropyl alcohol, solvents etc. The materials are used for manufacturing process including clean- ing electronic boards. This is a storage facility only and there is no processing and no re-packaging. Material will be stored for as short as one month to as long as three to four months. There are no corrosion problems. Materials are stored in 55- gallon drums mostly, and the drums are either metal or stainless steel. There are some small fiber drums. Inspections are done periodically and any time the Fire Department wants to. The Fire insurance carrier also reviews the plans and inspects. Dan Ensminger asked as to the exact location. It is at the very left of the building and is separated from adjacent property by a four-hour fire wall. George Hines asked if they know how they are going to store the materials. It was indicated that it would be in bulk on pallets, or on racks. That hasn't been finalized. They lean toward pal- letized storage. They may go to using racks later. Hines asked about operator training. John Brubaker was a safety coordinator. He indicated they have extensive training including communicating risk, meeting all labeling requirements, and working with the Fire Department. They enroll all personnel in hazardous material training courses including those offered by Middlesex Community College. All employees get in-house training four to five times per year. They have been in business since 1966, and at this site since 1986. Most of the training is on-the-job training. They service large manufacturers, and suppliers will take back the product when there is any spill. They don't get involved in hazardous waste clean up. There are no radioactive materials stored on the site. There are a total of 13 full-time employees, three to four working in the warehouse. The hours of the warehouse are 6:00 a.m. to 8: 00 p.m. although at times they may be open until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. They have had no break ins, and a new security system has- been installed. They have a contract Selectmens Minutes - 3/31/92 - page 6 with Clean Harbors for emergency response. George Hines asked about additional traffic from the increased capacity. It was indicated that this would be a maximum of one truck per day, and all truck traffic accesses exit 39 of Route 128. This is a service company - they don't own the chemicals, they merely inventory, control and distribute. Ron Wood indicated that the security guards patrol the property at night. Gerry Mugo from the MBTA distributed comments from the Safety Department at the MBIA. They would like to make sure there is a procedure in place to notify the commuter rail system if there is a spill it would be hazardous to the commuters. The applicant indicated that this would be incorporated into the company's emergency procedure. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Ensminger the Board voted to close the hearing by vote of 5-0-0. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Ensminger the Board voted to ap- prove the license subject to final inspection by the Reading Fire Department, and a commitment that the applicant work closely with the MBIA to address their concerns. The license was approved by a vote of 5-0-0. Sally Hoyt read the notice on Amendments to the Organization Chart. The Town Manager produced an overhead of the existing and the proposed Organizational Chart. Sally Hoyt asked why Personnel was being moved and why Building Maintenance was included in the Library. It was indicated that Building Maintenance was proposed as a separate department. George Hines indicated that the proposed Chart should be circu- lated to the staff in advance to reduce employee anxiety over such changes. Gene Nigro indicated that some of the areas are divisions and some are functions. He asked about the Building Maintenance. Bud Dickey asked where the Tree Warden and Insect and Pest Con- trol fall. The Town Manager indicated that the Chart did not go into that kind of detail. Gail Wood asked three questions - why is Personnel under Finance, why a separate Department of Building Maintenance, and what would we do about a Parks. Forestry, Cemetery Division if an early retirement bill doesn't get approved. George Hines indicated that having Personnel under Finance is compatible with many corporate structures. The Town Manager in- dicated that Building Maintenance was shown as a separate depart- ment to enable a merger with School Building Maintenance to take place. Selectmens Minutes - 3/31/92 - page 7 The Town Manager indicated that Parks and Forestry was kept as a separate division from Cemetery. If an early retirement bill is not approved, then the Town would have to revise the budget to keep two supervisor's positions intact rather than sharing the two supervisor's positions. John Wood asked whether Arts Council doesn't belong in General Services, and whether street lighting shouldn't be in the RMLD. On motion by Hines seconded by Ensminger the hearing was closed by a vote of 5-0-0. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Ensminger the Board voted 3 to 2 to include Building Maintenance in the Department of Public Works. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Ensminger the Board voted 5-0-0 to leave Personnel in the Finance Department but put in a footnote that the Town Manager has ultimate responsibility for Personnel. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hines the Board endorsed the Organizational Chart as amended by vote of 5-0-0. Sally Hoyt read the notice of the hearing on Street Acceptances. The Town Manager explained that the application for Street Ac- ceptance for Ashley, Fairchild and Lindsay had been withdrawn. CPDC has made recommendations on the other two. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to en- dorse Article 14 accepting Davis Lane by vote of 5-0-0. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hoyt the Board voted to en- dorse Article 15 accepting Emerald Drive by vote of 5-0-0. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Hines the Board voted to in- definitely postpone Articles 16, 17 and 18 by vote of 5-0-0. The hour being close to 11: 00 o'clock on motion by Ensminger seconded by Hines the Board voted to table items 8a and c by vote of 5-0-0. Discussion/Action Items Pete Moscariello, Reading High School Baseball Coach, reviewed with the Board a proposal to install a batting cage in the right field area of Morton Field in the Birch Meadow Park. This proposal has been through two public hearings at the Recreation Committee, and the Recreation Committee has endorsed the project at that location. It has the support of the High School Athletic Department, and the various baseball organizations in Reading. Funding is in place via the Boosters Club. The total cost is ex- pected to be $5,300, some of which may be funded from various other organizations. Moscariello has gotten bids. There will be no cost to the Town of Reading for construction. Gene Nigro asked about screening the sides and the consensus was that this 3 was not desirable from either neighborhood or use perspective. The question was asked whether or not there would be a mechanical pitching machine in the batting cage. Moscariello indicated that Selectmens Minutes - 3/31/92 - page 8 this would be possible for any organization who wanted to bring in such a machine. For most purposes there would be individuals pitching in the cage. Mr. Sudbay indicated that he felt the process was excellent and the neighbors were satisfied with the project and its location. George Hines asked about its being on the right field foul line, and Moscariello indicated that this was the location approved by the Recreation Committee. Access will be available to anyone who has a permit to use Morton Field. Sally Hoyt indicated she has received some complaints from resi- dents as late as this afternoon. On motion by Hines seconded by Ensminger the Board voted to ap- prove the proposal as to the site, with the details to be worked out by Town staff. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-1 with Hoyt abstaining. The Town Manager will communicate with Mr. Moscariello about the next steps in this project. The Board talked about the budget - and specifically about rub- bish options. The main issues are whether the Town administers the program or whether we administer it privately; and whether we have one or two sized bags. George Hines indicated that if we are going to have pass through costs they should be built into the per bag cost. Gene Nigro felt that this should be ad- ministered privately and it should be a one bag system. He indi- cated we should encumber the pass through cost. George Hines in- dicated that he thought we were going to get a RFP for both a per bay and flat fee system. He is not prepared to make a decision tonight. Dan Ensminger supported keeping recycling and legal costs in the budget. He would look toward rebating the pass through costs that were over collected when the case is settled. He would prefer the bag system with two bag size options. Sally Hoyt supported the Ensminger proposal. Bill Burditt supports two bags. He feels that collection, disposal, administrative and pass through costs should all be included in the per bag cost. He supported keeping the administration in house with a position of less than 19 1/2 hours. George Hines left at 12 : 00 p.m. The remaining members were polled. Three recommended the Town administering the program and three recommended going to a two bag system. The Board of Selectmen will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 1992. On motion by Ensminger seconded by Burditt the meeting was ad- journed at 12:10 p.m. by vote of 4-0-0. Respectfully submitted, f Secreta