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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-09-22 Board of Selectmen Minutes Minutes of the Board of Selectmen Meeting September 22, 1992 The meeting was convened at 7:04 p.m. in the Lecture Hall, Read- ing Memorial High School, 62 Oakland Road, Reading, Mas- sachusetts. Present were Chairman Dan Ensminger, Vice Chairman George Hines, Secretary Sally Hoyt, Selectman Bill Burditt, Town Counsel H Theodore Cohen, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner and O. Bradley Latham. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Hines the Board voted to go into Executive Session for the purpose of approval of minutes, real estate negotiations, and labor negotiations, to come back into Open Session at approximately 7:45 p.m. All four members voted in the affirmative and the Board adjourned to Executive Session at 7: 05 p.m. At 7:53 p.m. the Board reconvened in Open Session. Present were Chairman Dan Ensminger, Vice Chairman George Hines, Secretary Sally Hoyt, Selectman Bill Burditt, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, and the following list of interested parties: Paul Peoples, Pat Iapicca, Rick Nelson, Steve Smith, Tom Wallace, N. C. White, Gary Demopolous, Bill Brown, Fred Van Magness, Joseph B. Veno, Robert L. Eaton, Jr. , George Jakubowicz, W. Richard Atwood, Tom Stohlman, Bob Charlton, Teresa M. Moran, Kevin Moran, Al LaHood, Pat Sudbay, Ray Parsons, Virginia Par- sons, Joseph T. Marotta, Kathy Dumas, Raymond Mangion, Jim Biller, Catherine Powell, Robert Powell, Lynne Cassinari, Robert E. Powell, James Hall, Camille Condon, Nancy Eaton. Approval of Minutes On motion by Hoyt seconded by Hines the minutes of 8/25/92 were approved as amended by vote of 3-0-1 with Ensminger abstaining. On motion by Hines seconded by Burditt the minutes of 9/8/92 were approved as amended by vote of 3-0-1 with Hoyt abstaining. On motion by Hines seconded by Burditt the minutes of 9/9/92 were approved by vote of 3-0-1 with Hoyt abstaining. Liaison Reports Sally Hoyt indicated that the Drug and Alcohol Task Force has been selected as one of 1992's Massachusetts Drug Fighter of the Year recipients. Flu Clinics are scheduled for next week. Registration for basketball and Middle School ski programs will be on October 31. She attended the Hunt Park meeting. She also visited the Water Treatment Plant and suggests that the Town should be looking at alternatives for sludge removal including expanding the lagoons. George Hines indicated that negotiations on the Ice Rink lease are close to conclusion and hopefully will be concluded within the next week. The process will continue with the Town issuing a Request for Proposals and accepting bids. Hines also indicated that he had a tour of the Water Treatment Plant. Bill Burditt had no report but he planned to attend the Middlesex Community College Regional Seminar on Thursday. Selectmen's Minutes - 9/22/92 - page 2 Dan Ensminger indicated that he had attended a retirement dinner for five firefighters who have retired during the last three years. They are James Sharkey, Stephen Shea, Donald Michelini, Alan McMahon, and Robert O'Brien. He has also received calls about the Benton Circle easement. There were no Public Comments. Town Manager's Report The Town Manager indicated that two proclamations were on order for this evening. One for Chief Redfern's retirement, and the other for Pride Stride Walkathon. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Hines a resolution honoring Chief Redfern was approved by a vote of 4-0-0. On motion by Hoyt seconded by Hines a proclamation for Pride Stride Day on October 18, 1992 was approved by a vote of 4-0-0. Jessie Mraz from the Eastern Middlesex YMCA and several inter- ested parties were present to receive the proclamation. Personnel and Appointments On motion by Hines seconded by Burditt the Board voted to approve the agreement between the Town and Reading Patrolmens' Associa- tion Mass. C.O.P. Local 191 effective July 1, 1991 and expiring June 30, 1993 ; and the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen was authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the Board. The mo- tion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0. The Town Manager intro- duced the members of the Bargaining Committee, and thanked them for their perseverance in getting this. contract approved. On motion by Hines seconded by Burditt the Board voted to approve the agreement between the Town and Reading Superior Officers' As- sociation, IBPO, effective July 1, 1991 and expiring June 30, 1993; and the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen was authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the Board. The motion was ap- proved by a vote of 4-0-0. The Town Manager introduced Lt. Silva and Lt. Patterson who were on the Bargaining Team for the Superior Officers. He commended them for their_ efforts in this regard. Public Hearings The Secretary read the notice of the hearing on Birch Meadow Traffic Improvements. The Town Manager reviewed the improvements proposed, and corrected the notice regarding "Do Not Enter, lam to 9am on Parkview southbound" and "Do Not Enter, lam to gam Mon- day through Friday on Longfellow northbound at Weston. " The Board opened the Public Hearing and heard the following com- ments. Steve Smith, Forest Street - Are stop signs needed at both ends of Arthur B. Lord Drive; what about taking the yellow lines off of Hartshorn and Forest; the "do not enters" on Birch Meadow and Forest are supposed to be tried on a temporary basis. Selectmen's Minutes - 9/22/92 - page 3 Sally Hoyt asked the Safety Officer about the need for the yellow lines, and the stop signs on Arthur B. Lord. Joe Veno, Traffic Safety Officer, felt the yellow lines are there to channel traf f is and to keep traf f is on its own side of the road. There was a fatal accident a short time ago on Forest Street. He feels that the yellow lines are appropriate to avoid head on collisions, and the stop signs would be appropriate. George Hines asked if the yellow lines enhance safety or con- tribute to the lack of safety. Officer Veno indicated that it keeps the cars on their own side of the road and cuts down on possible head on collisions and cuts down veering off the road. Letters from Mrs. Kouki, Richard Davidson, Bernie Lobdell, Thomas Ryan and Mr. and Mrs. Warren were read into the record. Richard Atwood of Parkview Road indicates that the residents in that area like the do not enter signs on Parkview and Longfellow but would like to see them extended from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. , or from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. , or 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. They would like to see a 20 mile an hour speed limit. They would like a stop sign at Parkview at Oakland. They would like a School Zone or Children sign. They would like a police detail between 1:45 p.m. and 2 :15 p.m. He suggested a permit program for driving to school through some kind of a sticker for the vehicles. Speeders could then have their parking privileges at school rescinded. Jim Biller felt that the do not enter proposals on Forest and Birch Meadow would take more traffic past Birch Meadow School to avert the problem, and that this is a very poorly thought out proposal. Fred Van Magness agreed with Biller. He also feels that parking hasn't been addressed and was concerned about parking on both sides of Arthur B. Lord Drive and Birch Meadow Drive by Coolidge. He indicated that the High School has closed two parking lots and now people park on Oakland which is unsafe. He felt that the stop signs on Arthur B. Lord Drive would not be effective. Stop signs should be placed on Birch Meadow Drive. He asked who would enforce. Pat Iapicca felt that the do not enter 7 to 9 on Forest and Birch Meadow are not a good idea. It would take more traffic past Birch Meadow School. He 'felt that the yellow line on Forest should be eliminated. Trish Biamonte indicated that Intervale Terrace has nine kids un- der seven years old. She has tried going around from Main Street to Lowell Street and it takes two minutes and 35 seconds longer than going across Birch Meadow Drive. She felt this should be done for safety purposes. She felt that the do not enter - 7 to 9 a.m. sign on Birch Meadow Drive should be moved farther west to where people could make a U turn near Castine Field. Selectmen's Minutes - 9/22/92 - page 4 Phil Quinn of Browning Terrace does not like the 7 to 9 a.m. restriction at Van Norden because of traffic problems by the schools. Kendra Cooper from Covey Hill Road agreed with comments by Messrs Biller and Van Magness. She is very concerned about the do not enter signs. It would push more people to the signalized inter- sections of Main Street. Covey Hill Road gets traffic now and it will push more traffic onto Franklin and Grove where there are no sidewalks. Regarding the yellow line, she felt that it needed as a safety feature. We should have more crosswalks. Painting the islands is a good idea but if an actual island was built it would make bus turns difficult. She felt that something should be done about reinstuting school bus transportation. Kevin Moran from John Carver Road spoke. He felt that this is a backup solution because the initial solutions of stop and speed signs can't be done. Forty percent of the traffic is cut through traffic. Bill Brown from Martin Road thought that Birch Meadow Drive should be made one way from John Carver to Arthur B. Lord with angle parking on the north side of the street. Steve Smith from Forest Street felt that the one way solution is a safety issue. The Task Force is trying to cut down on volume of traffic and speed. Speed is the main problem. This program is supposed to create less traffic on Forest west of Arthur B. Lord Drive if only the school traffic is using that. They tried to balance the proposals. Bruce Grimes from John Carver Road indicated that he can't back out of his driveway and would like increased enforcement. Teresa Moran from John Carver Road indicates that it takes an ex- tra two to three minutes to go around rather than going through Birch Meadow. She is certain that eliminating the yellow lines would decrease the speed. She feels that all parties need to work together. Lynne Cassinari from Bancroft Avenue feels that the stop sign at Bancroft and Hartshorn should be northbound on Bancroft, or if possible both ways on Bancroft. She would love to see a state- ment by the Board of Selectmen about future use of the area. She is concerned about proposals such as the ice rink and a single polling place. She would like to see no more usage of the Birch Meadow area until there are solutions to some of these problems. Parking should be a privilege for high school students, and school bussing should be reinstituted. Mr. Fiorello from Buckskin Drive is opposed to the do not enter signs on Forest and Birch Meadow because of the increase in traf- fic that it will have on Arthur B. Lord Drive. Selectmen's Minutes - 9/22/92 - page 5 Al LaHood, Principal of Coolidge Middle School, said that the discussion tonight sounded like a play back of the Task Force meetings. The issues are already raised - slow traffic can reduce the volume. This is recommended on a trial basis. There is no perfect solution. Police Chief Marchand indicated that at Arthur B. Lord Drive there is limited parking for teachers and therefore parking takes place on both sides of the road. Any one way restrictions puts more traffic on other streets. Some will go by the high school and up Longfellow and Bancroft. Birch Meadow School will definitely get more traffic. With respect to speed, he indicated speed has increased over the years on all streets and that the Reading Police Department issues a lot of tickets. People do not pay any attention to children signs. Pat Sudbay from John Carver Road indicated that the group has tried hard to minimize the inconvenience and that we should try this program. Sally Hoyt indicated that the Board has heard the concerns and would consider a temporary plan, but that any solution must be one that meets all legal requirements and has the approval of Traffic Safety Officers. Steve Smith quoted from the McDonough and Scully report regarding the option of closing off Birch Meadow. Drive which would shift 250 vehicles to Forest Street. On motion by Hines seconded by Burditt the Board voted to close the hearing at 9:55 p.m. by vote of 4-0-0. The Town Manager will prepare appropriate actions for the Board of Selectmen for their next meeting. Discussion/Action Items Sally Sabo and Ted McIntire appeared before the Board to discuss the proposed materials recycling facility (MRF) for the North Shore area. Five communities have signed up and another five plus or minus are expected to sign up. By being involved in the beginning, the Town would have the ability to have a great deal to say in where and how the materials recycling facility would be built. It is likely that such a facility would be constructed by 1996 . The sense of the Board was very positive and we should come back to the Board of Selectmen once we identify the source of funds. Ted McIntire reviewed the current status of solid waste. The RESCO contract expires in June 1995. The arbitration with RESCO is ongoing. The collection recycling contract expires 6/30/93 . Leaf collection and composting will be going on for three weeks this fall. The Compost Center sees approximately 200 customers per weekend during the summer because of the heavy lawn mowing season. A compost seminar will be scheduled this fall in Reading to teach communities the right way to run a compost center - the way Reading runs it. The grant application for a composting Selectmen's Minutes - 9/22/92 - page 6 machine has been submitted to the state. our legislative delega- tion has supported it and there are seven communities who would be involved. McIntire will be meeting with the seven communities later this month. Jim Biller from the Conservation Commission and the Town Manager presented a series of land transactions which would have the ef- fect of increasing the amount of conservation land in Reading. With regard to the Batchelder area, 8 . 9 acres from "Batchelder Field" would go to the Cemetery along with .72 acres from Batchelder Estates. The back of Batchelder Field consisting of 28 . 1 acres would go to the Conservation Commission, along with 4 . 36 acres from Batchelder Estates. A land trade from Harper would see 3 .72 acres go to the Conservation Commission, and point .56 acres go to Harper. Some of this action will require legis- lative action, and some Town Meeting action this fall. The Board of Selectmen was favorably disposed towards this transaction. A proposal to swap 6.791 acres between the Conservation Commis- sion and Reading Rifle and Revolver Club was viewed favorably. This is in four parcels and gives the Conservation Commission more usable parcels of land. This will require legislative ac- tion via home rule petition from Town Meeting this fall. The Reading Rifle and Revolver Club represented by Nancy Eaton indi- cated that the portions to go from the Town to the Reading Rifle and Revolver Club would have conservation restrictions on it. In addition, the Reading Rifle and Revolver Club and the Conserva- tion Commission are looking at conservation easements on the remainder of the Reading Rifle and Revolver Club land. The swap as proposed has the agreement of the Conservation Commission and the Reading Rifle and Revolver Club. It would resolve long- standing issues of a license between the Town and the Reading Rifle and Revolver Club for use of a portion of the Conservation Commission land. The Town is working through the Town Manager's office to collect back license fees owed. A proposed transfer of 7. 66 acres of land from Morris to the Con- servation Commission on Lowell Street met with Selectmen's ap- proval. This will be scheduled for action following Conservation Commission action. The land will be accepted for conservation purposes with the provision that the Town will have the ability to explore for and develop a water supply on the site if that should become appropriate some time in the future. The salt- contaminated Revay Well is immediately adjacent. The Board of Selectmen reviewed the draft outline for the Subse- quent Town Meeting Warrant with the Town Manager. A proposed Bylaw regarding junk cars will also be added. The Town Manager will draft a letter for the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen to send to the Chairman of the Bylaw Committee regarding snow and ice control on sidewalks. Selectmen's Minutes - 9/22/92 - page 7 Ron Wood complained that the Town Manager has not followed up on ! a previous discussion during which he had complained about Lois Bond's lack of response on food distribution d hasbeen sick and that The he Town Manager indicated that Ms• would be following up on it. On motion by Burditt seconded by Hines the Board voted to adjourn at 11:30 p.m. by vote of 4-0-0. Respectfully submitted, Secretar