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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-11-09 Subsequent Town Meeting MinutesSUBSEQUENT TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School November 9, 2009 Precinct 1 appointed John Arena to fill a one-year vacancy. Precinct 2 appointed Paul McNeice to fill a one-year vacancy; Janice Murphy to fill a two-year vacancy; Karen Cheverie and Phil Cheverie to fill three-year vacancies; with a one year vacancy remaining open. Precinct 4 appointed Matthew Wilson to fill a one-year vacancy. Precinct 5 appointed Donnan Barnes to fill a three-year vacancy. Precinct 8 appointed Olive Hecht to fill a one-year vacancy. Alan Foulds and Laura A Gemme swore in newly appointed Town Meeting members after the precinct meetings. The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Alan E. Foulds, at 7:45 p.m., there being a quorum present. The Invocation was given by Philip B. Pacino, Precinct 5, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. The Warrant was partially read by the Town Clerk, Laura A. Gemme, when on motion by Ben Tafoya, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, it was voted to dispense with further reading of the Warrant except for the Officer's Return, which was read by the Town Clerk. ARTICLE 1 - Mary Ellen O'Neill, Chairman of Municipal Light Department, gave the following Reading Municipal Light Department 2009 highlights: The Board of Commissioners adopted a strategic plan in Fiscal Year 2009 to guide the Department through 2015. Four key elements: - an emphasis on energy efficiency and load management - a long-term diverse and environmentally responsive power supply portfolio - long-term reliability of the RMLD distribution system - enhanced customer service to residential and commercial customers To implement these strategies the RMLD has done the following: established and filled a full-time position for an energy efficiency engineer expanded its energy efficiency programs including residential and commercial energy audits and various rebate programs ranging from appliance rebates to major commercial lighting rebates adopted a strategy for its power supply portfolio that includes contracts with different suppliers for varying lengths of time and ongoing efforts to include renewable energy resources in this portfolio commenced an $8 million dollar project at the GAW sub-station in Reading to replace the three sub-station transformers and related equipment to improve the reliability and capacity of the system Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 In FY 2009 the RMLD sold 696 million kilowatts of electricity, a 3% decrease from FY 2008. The peak demand in FY 2009 of 155 megawatts occurred in July 2008, which was about 8% lower than the previous year's peak demand. Fuel costs for FY 2009 were $51 million, 7% higher than the previous year The RMLD makes voluntary payments to the four towns in its service territory based on each town's percentage of kWh sales. In addition, the RMLD makes a return-on-investment payment to the Town of Reading. In FY 2009, the RMLD returned a combined total of $2.35 million to Reading, an increase of 2.3% above the previous year. Additional information on our capital projects and financial status is available in our FY 2009 Annual Report, which is being distributed this evening. Annual Report provided and available at Reading Municipal Light Department, 230 Ash Street ARTICLE 1 - Charles Robinson, School Committee introduced Dr. John Doherty, Acting Superintendent ARTICLE 1 - John Doherty, Acting Superintendent of Schools, gave the following State of the Schools report: Town Meeting Speech 1. Welcome a. Thank you, Chairman Robinson. Good Evening. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the Reading Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, my fellow Town Department Heads, our Town Manager, the Reading School Committee, Reading Public Schools Administration, Faculty and Staff and you, Town Meeting Members for all the hard work and effort all of you put into making our Town of Reading such a great place to live, work and learn. b. On behalf of the Reading School Committee, I am pleased to present to you the 2009 State of the School Address. I would like to thank the Reading School Committee for giving me the opportunity to lead the school district this year as Superintendent Schettini is on medical leave. Before I begin, I would like to update you on Pat's progress. As you may or may not know, Pat had very successful surgery two weeks ago and is now recovering at home. He is in great spirits, and thanks all of you for your support, your thoughts and prayers. He appreciates and continues to welcome the cards, emails, and phone calls. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he goes through this recovery period. C. As we are now one quarter into this school year, I want to personally thank the following groups for their support and leadership: the Reading School Committee, Central Office Administrators, Building level administrators and Directors. I would like to thank Town Officials for their continued collaboration and guidance. d. Last year at this time, Superintendent Schettini unveiled for you the vision for the Reading Public Schools. This collaborative vision focuses on three main areas: Curriculum, Instruction, Technology, and Assessment; Leadership, Personnel, and Learning Environment; and Families and Community. In the handout that you received this evening there are excerpts from the vision. I am pleased to announce that we have already seen gains since last year in moving toward our vision. and continue to see advances in a regular manner this year. Tonight's State of the School address will highlight our accomplishments that support our district's vision. II. Superintendent's Award a. One of those highlights recognizes academic achievement. The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Superintendent's Award for Academic Excellence is presented annually to two deserving students following the tradition introduced by Supt. Schettini 7 years ago.. The two students receiving the award this evening typify the many outstanding seniors who attend Reading Memorial High School. The academic criteria for the Superintendent's Award include a strong three year cumulative average, high class rank, participation in community service activities, and are currently in the top 5% of their graduating class. b. Patrick DeBenedetto III. Our first recipient tonight is Patrick DeBenedetto, who is currently taking Honors English, Computer Aided Design, AP European History, AP Spanish, Calculus and Physics. Patrick has been captain of the lacrosse team for the last two years, is a member of the indoor track team, and has been a class officer all four years at Reading Memorial High School. He is currently the President of the National Honor Society and has volunteered countless hours with the Reading Recreation Program and the Youth Lacrosse Program. Regarding his college plans, Patrick has applied to several excellent schools including Tufts, Northeastern, Clarkson, and Dartmouth. He intends to major in Engineering and play lacrosse. Patrick, please come forward and receive the 2009 Superintendent's Award. a. Abigail Tyrell L Our next recipient is Abigail Tyrell, who is currently taking all advanced placement courses in Chemistry, Biology, English, European History, and Calculus. She is a member of the National Honor Society and last year won 1 st prize in the National History Day Competition for a documentary, as well as, the Merrimack Valley Scholastic History Award in Grade 10 and 11. Abby is a recipient of the Dartmouth College Book Award, a four year member of the field 2 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 hockey team, a three year member of the science team and has participated in the Red Cross Club, Chess Club, and the Book Club for two years. ii. Outside of school, Abby earned her Girl Scout Gold Award by organizing a series of clean up days in the community. She is a volunteer at Winchester Hospital, a tutor to middle school students, and is a youth field hockey coach. iii. Her college plans include applying early decision to Yale University, pursuing a major in Biology or Chemistry. She also is very interested in eventually either becoming a medical researcher or a physician. Abby, please come forward and accept the 2009 Superintendent's Award for Academic Excellence. IV. Accomplishments of District a. I am proud to now highlight other accomplishments of the Reading Public Schools for the 2008-09 school year. The packet that you received this evening lists several of the 2008-09 accomplishments, as well as, current initiatives. Over the last several years, I have had the opportunity to network with colleagues and visit schools from all over the country. I have come to the conclusion that Reading is a very special place. The learning experiences, activities and programs that we offer in this school district are not commonly found in other school districts. These would not be possible without the dedication of our staff, the strong leadership provided by our principals, assistant principals, and directors, and the financial and volunteer support that we receive from our parents and our community. What you will hear and see this evening was truly accomplished through a team effort. There may be other accomplishments not mentioned tonight for which I apologize if I have omitted any of them. b. District i. At the district level, The Reading Public Schools continues to graduate a very high percentage of college bound students. Students go on to attend some of the top schools across the country. Our students continue to excel in standardized tests like the MCAS, AP and SAT tests and, once again, 100% of our graduating class passed the MCAS test requirement for graduation. ii. Under the leadership of Kara Gleason, we completed a very successful three year Teaching of American History Professional Development Grant and I am pleased to announce that Reading has received a second one million dollar federally funded grant for the next three years. This professional development grant will enable us to continue our work in teaching American History from a global perspective. iii. In addition to the Teaching of American History Grant, our district provided numerous professional development opportunities for our teachers and para-educators in a variety of areas including technology integration and 21 st Century Skills, project based learning, literacy, inclusion, and curriculum development. iv. One such experience occurred this past April when Reading was the host to the Blueprint for Educational Excellence National Institute. This high energy two day institute focused on the sharing of best teaching practices in a variety of areas and was attended by over 800 educators from all over the country, including our entire Reading Public School staff. It was also our most cost effective professional development activity ever costing us only $4.11 per staff member. It was a successful and inspiring experience for those in attendance. We are proud to say that we will host this conference again this year in Reading. V. Under the leadership of Reading Memorial High School Fine Arts Department Chair Bill Endslow and Elementary Fine Arts Curriculum Coordinator Al Mosier, our 4th annual ArtsFest, which showcases student art work, drama, and music performances, was the best it has ever been. And that is a high bar to achieve. vi. Under the leadership of Colleen Dolan, the Office of Pupil Services has created new programs within our schools to better meet the needs of our students at all levels. As a result a number of students have returned to the district from out of district placements. There are three benefits to these programs. First, a significant cost savings for our district. Second, and more importantly, our students who were previously separated from their peers are now in inclusive settings in their community schools and are provided more appropriate opportunities for academic and social growth. Finally, the quality of our programs has enabled us to tuition in 4 students from other districts who would otherwise be placed in non- inclusive settings. It is the right thing to do for our children. vii. Our schools are better prepared for crisis and emergencies and are safer because of the leadership of Emergency Preparedness Grant Coordinator Frank Orlando, School Resource Officer Rich Abate, our building principals, the district and school based safety committees, and the efforts of the Reading Police Department and Chief James Cormier and the Reading Fire Department and Chief Greg Burns. Over the last 15 months, we have seen the impact of these safety plans as we have addressed a variety of emergency issues. C. High School L Reading Memorial High School continues to focus on preparing our students for a 21st Century Global Society with increased use of technology integration, project based learning, and authentic assessments. ii. Reading's success in the National History Day Competition continues as several RMHS students competed at the state-level. iii. Based on tenth grade MCAS scores, 80 of our students qualified for the Abigail Adams scholarship which gives them free tuition to any of our state colleges and Universities. iv. 14 RMHS students were recognized as National Merit Scholars Commended Students and 2 of our students are National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists. V. Our high school staff has received recognition as well. Our Foreign Language Department Chair Joanne Alvarez received the Wheaton College Award for Outstanding High School Teaching. History teacher Dr. Jeff Ryan received The Kidger Award from the New England History Teachers Association, Music Teacher David Bunten was elected to the Music Educator Hall of Fame and Athletic Director Phil Vaccaro was named the Massachusetts State Athletic Director of the Year. d. Our Fine Arts programs continue to be exemplars for the region. The Marching Band and Jazz Bands received several gold medals in competitions throughout the year. Several musicians were recognized for outstanding musicianship at competitions. The RMHS Jazz Band performed at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade. Our music program has expanded to include courses in the new Midi-Lab for music composition. Two students were recognized by the Massachusetts High School Drama Guild and received State Awards for Set Design. Several students Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 received Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards. Our Visual Arts curriculum has expanded to include the addition of AP Art courses in Studio Art and Digital Photography. - e. Last year, the RMHS Drama Club had very successful productions of Peter Pan, The Scarlet Letter and The Laramie Project. The community support for the Laramie project and the year long Project Challenge was amazing and it continues to show how by working together toward a common cause, powerful messages can be communicated. f. As an aside, I encourage you to attend our student fine arts performances, including the fall drama production that begins this week, Me and my Girl. The quality of these performances and productions are incredible. In these difficult economic times, it is even more important to support the arts in our schools. V. Our high school athletic program continues to excel both on the playing surfaces and on the sidelines. Reading Memorial High school received the prestigious Ames Award from the Boston Globe for the highest winning percentage over all three seasons. We had several Globe and Herald All-Scholastic athletes and Coaches of the Year. Our boys winter track team and girls volleyball team won sectional championships and RMHS received the District B Sportsmanship Award and Sportsmanship Media Award. VI. Our middle schools continue to provide the strong foundation knowledge and skills necessary for our students to be prepared for high school. a. Both Parker and Coolidge Middle Schools were awarded for a second three year cycle to be NELMS Spotlight Schools for their leadership and best practices in middle level education. There is no other community in New England that has each of their middle schools recognized as both National Blue Ribbon Lighthouse Schools and NELMS Spotlight Schools. The Parker Math Team went undefeated and finished first in the Intermediate Math League while the Coolidge Science Team continued to excel in state and national competitions. In addition, Parker and Coolidge students received top honors in literacy, history, and geography, and foreign language events. Both middle schools continue to provide quality opportunities for our students in the fine arts with strong music and art programs, productions of Alice in Wonderland and The Secret Garden, and participation in the Junior District Music Festival. Several students received Boston Globe scholastic art awards and our middle school jazz band received a gold medal at the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education Festival. VII. Our elementary schools continue to prepare our students with the skills and knowledge necessary to transition successfully to middle school. Each school has a unique culture that focuses on content skill building, character education, health and wellness, the arts, technology integration, community service, and literacy. a. Last year, the Barrows Elementary School was awarded the designation of a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School and along with the Joshua Eaton Elementary School were the site visit schools for the April Institute. I am also pleased to announce that in December the Wood End Elementary School will be awarded the designation of Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School. b. Due to the joint efforts of our PTO's and district funding, each elementary school now has SMART Boards in every classroom. These interactive white boards have changed instruction forever in our classrooms. C. Under the leadership and dedicated efforts of David Ventola and several parent volunteers, over 100 elementary students participated in the First Annual Lego Robotics invitational in January. The momentum continues as we now have teams at both the elementary and middle school for this year. d. RISE Preschool continues to grow offering superior programming for 3 - 5 year olds. This year a substantially separate program was added so that the needs of students with severe disabilities could be met in an inclusive setting. Our teachers and para-educators are continually engaged in professional development activities including training in specific disabilities, video modeling, and push-in related therapy services. Support form the RISE parent teacher network has provided excellent enrichment opportunities for RISE students. VIII. The unsung heroes in our school district are in our Food Service and Facilities Departments under the leadership of Director of Finance and Operations Mary DeLai, Director of Facilities Joe Huggins, Assistant Director DJ Cacciapuotti, Jr. and Director of Food Services Kristin Morello. These departments have implemented several cost savings measures and improved efficiencies which positively affect all other budgets. a. In our facilities department the most significant accomplishment continues to be energy conservation. Our continued aggressive management and control strategies have led to significant conservation of energy resources with significant credit going to the diligent efforts of the custodial staff. b. Because of your support last year at Town Meeting, we have begun the implementation of performance contracting which will result in over $5.5 million in energy conservation improvements to school and town buildings to be completed in January of 2011. C. We have enhanced the use of the competitive bidding process resulting in cost containment and cost reduction for many repair and maintenance trade contracts. d. Because of these efforts, our buildings are in unprecedented condition from a cleanliness, safety, and security perspective. IX. Food Service a. In our food service department, we now have full implementation of a Point of Sale System across all schools in the district. This use of technology significantly improves the collection of receipts from students and improves customer relations with parents. b. We are the only district in the Commonwealth to have ALL food service staff enrolled as members of the School Nutrition Association and participating regularly in SNA professional development activities. C. Finally, our Director of Food Service, Kristin Morello was named the State and Regional Food Service Director of the Year by the School Nutrition Association. X. School Secretaries a. Last, but not least, we have now completed our first full year of utilizing the new MUNIS system. This successful implementation is due to the school leadership of Mary DeLai, the town leadership of Gail LaPointe, and the hard work of - our school secretaries who have done an outstanding job learning and integrating these new tools to improve tracking, monitoring, and reporting of the numerous financial and human resources tasks. XI. Teamwork Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 a. This is just a snapshot of what is happening in our district. I would like to reemphasize why the Reading Public Schools has continued to improve and move forward while some surrounding school districts have stood still. It takes a culture that is focused on leadership and teamwork, not only within our schools, but with town government and the community as well. A few weeks ago, Peter Hechenbleikner and 1 attend a joint session of Town Managers and Superintendents at the Massachusetts Municipal Association Joint Conference. The focus of the session was sharing town services with schools. What we quickly found out is that our town has already done several of the "Best Practices" that were highlighted, particularly in the areas of Facilities, Buildings and Grounds, Human Resources, and Finances. b. However, as we all know, our culture will be challenged this year as we face limited resources caused by a weakening economy and a decrease in state aid. For the last several years, we have had the opportunity to grow and improve as a community together. Now, we face our next test to continue to provide a quality education for our children and quality services for our citizens without dismantling the core structures that we have in place. History has shown us that if we dismantle those structures, it will take us even longer to put it back together once the economic conditions improve. This challenge will take leadership, innovation, but most of all, teamwork. Neither town government, nor the school department will be able to accomplish this task alone. You have my word that I will continue to lead and support the collaborative culture begun by Superintendent Schettini and work in partnership with Town Officials to navigate through these turbulent waters during difficult economic times. XII. To that end, I would like to share with you the Superintendent's Goals for the 2009 School Year. These goals are in alignment with our individual school improvement plans, our mission, and our vision. These goals are focused on keeping our school district improving and moving toward our vision, even during these difficult turbulent times. 1. The first goal is to provide leadership, effective communication and support to the district, the school committee, and the community as we pursue the vision of the Reading Public Schools during challenging fiscal times, especially in the areas of special education, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and technology integration. Our focus needs to continue be on teaching and learning and we need to continue to creatively find the resources to continue in this area. 2. To oversee full implementation of the district's emergency safety plans. As you may or may not be aware we received Federal Emergency Preparedness Grant 2 years ago which has allowed us to develop safety and emergency preparedness plans. This year, in cooperation with the Police and Fire Departments we are conducting a series of lockdown, evacuation, and shelter in place drills to practice the effectiveness of these plans. In addition, we continue to work closely with the Town Health Department and Town Health Administrator Larry Ramdin to implement our H1 N1 pandemic plan and provide the continuity of learning necessary for our students. 3. To work collaboratively with the Town of Reading to develop an FYI 1 budget that minimizes reductions in programs, maximizes efficiency of services and seeks out additional revenue sources in order to maintain focus and progress toward the district's vision. I have already elaborated on this goal, but during the next two months, Mary DeLai and I will be presenting a Superintendent's Recommended Budget to the School Committee which will have significantly less educational services than the current FYI 0 budget. It will be critical to seek out additional revenues, consolidate our costs, and identify other means to continue to provide the same high level of education that we have here in Reading. 4. To work with RCASA (Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse) and school leaders to develop and implement an action plan which addresses key areas of concern as measured in the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and other data sources. Recently, we received the results of our 2009 YRBS survey for Middle and High School Students and have identified the areas on which to focus on and strengthen. We will continue to work in collaboration with the Executive Director of RCASA, Erica McNamara to address this critical community and school issue. 5. To maximize efficiency and effectiveness of our human resources area through ongoing review and improvement of the hiring process, induction of new personnel, employee support, professional development, and evaluation systems. As you are aware, we have restructured our human resources department which has allowed us to focus more time and energy on the hiring and development of our staff, which is our greatest resource during difficult budget times. 6. To oversee development of additional before school, after school, and summer expanded learning opportunities for students. For the last several years, we have emphasized expanded learning opportunities for our students. We see this year as an opportunity to expand the programs even further and to provide an additional revenue source for the school department budget. 7. To practice and encourage everyone to maintain a healthy balance between personal and professional life. In order for us to be effective during stressful times, we need to maintain a healthy balance. This goal is critical so that we can continue to lead effectively. XIII. Ladies and Gentlemen, I leave you this evening with two quotes on teamwork. I included the first one from Disney's High School Musical because being a father of two daughters; I can't ever seem to escape this movie. The quote is simple, but pertinent for the situation that we are in today. "We are all in this together." The last quote I want to share with you is from Andrew Carnegie who defines teamwork as, "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision and direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. Teamwork is not only limited to working together but it collectively means to achieve whatever is planned, by helping each other. It is the spirit to care for others in your group, help them, support them, and then win together. Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain and achieve uncommon results." I think this quote exemplifies the challenges that each elected board, each department head, each administrator, and town meeting members will face over the next several months as we develop an FYI 1 budget. I am confident that our spirit of teamwork will allow us to achieve those uncommon results. I want to thank you for your time this evening and I look forward to working with you in my role as Acting Superintendent for the remainder of the school year. ARTICLE 1 - Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager, Report of progress - Instructional motion re Cemetery Garage from 2009 Annual Town Meeting Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 ARTICLE 1 - On motion by Ben Tafoya, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen it was voted to table the subject matter of Article 1 Motion Carried ARTICLE 2 - On motion by James Bonazoli, Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, it was voted to table the subject matter of Article 2. - Motion Carried ARTICLE 3 - On motion by Camille Anthony, member of Board of Selectmen, it was voted to amend the FY 2010 - FY 2020, Capital Improvements Program as shown on Pages 26 through .33 of the Warrant Report and as provided for in Section 7-7 of the Reading Home Rule Charter. A FINCOM Report was given by George Hines. The following are proposed modifications to the CIP previously approved at the Annual Town Meeting in April 2009: • C1 to C99 -All FY 2020 items are new to the CIP; • C1 to C99 - Several energy-related items have been deleted from the CIP as they are being funded by the debt for Performance Contracting; • C1 to C99 - Some items have been updated to reflect current cost estimates; • C1 to C99 - Some items have been moved ahead in time or further into the future reflecting changing priorities; • C2 (Buildings - Schools) - Add a Phone System for Coolidge MS in FY 2017 ($50,000); • C4 (Buildings - Town) - Add an Elevator Controller for the Library in FY 2012 ($35,000); • C9 (Public Safety - Fire) - Add a Patient Care Reporting System for Fire Department ALS Ambulance Service in FY 2011 ($25,000); • C12 (DPW - Parks and Cemetery) - Several new items have been added to the Parks list of capital, reflecting further investigation by planners for Washington Park and the Birch Meadow complex. Some backstop projects now include re-grading the infields. At the April 2009 Annual Town Meeting, Town Meeting member Jeff Struble offered an instructional motion to the Board of Selectmen regarding the process of developing plans for replacement of the Cemetery garage. This is a report of progress on that issue. Since the Annual Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen and Board of Cemetery Trustees have discussed this matter, and have accepted a process to produce and evaluate the information that we need in order to make a decision. The primary issues are: • Where should such a facility be located? • What should be the size of any such facility? In order to proceed we have made the following assumptions: ■ meet the needs of the Cemetery Division for approximately 50 years ■ as much flexibility as possible ■ we will not be creating new cemeteries or expanding the size of our existing cemeteries ■ the basic form of governance of the Town or the Cemetery Division will not change Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 The quality of design and construction should reflect the historical nature (if any), quality, and scale of the neighborhood in which it is to be located We have determined that we need to collect the following information: 1. What elements of the Cemetery Division are we designing a facility to house 2. How much of the elements identified should a facility be designed for 3. Considerations in location and design 4. Impact on abutters 5. General Management Issues 6. What is Shared (primarily with DPW) Thanks to the excellent work on the part of the Department of Public Works - Jeff Zager, George Zambouras, Chris Cole, and Bob Keating - much of this information has been collected. We know the following: • Existing conditions • Building need - 3800 square foot for storage and 900 square foot for employee related space - total 4700 square foot • General location factors have been identified What needs to be accomplished next is to determine what among potential sites is optimal, what the cost and scope of the next steps will be, and how to fund whatever these next steps will be. We expect to have a further report to the Annual Town Meeting, including potential action to be taken by Town Meeting. Motion carried ARTICLE 4 - On motion by George Hines, Finance Committee, it was voted to amend the following votes taken under Article 14 of the April 27, 2009 Annual Town Meeting relating to the Fiscal Year 2010 Municipal Budget, and that the Town vote to raise and appropriate from available funds the following sums as the result of such amended votes for the operation of the Town and its government: Article submitted as listed below: Line B99 - To reduce the use of free cash by $169,743; Lines B99 to K92 - To use an additional $130,000 from property taxes, State aid and non- property tax local receipts; Line V99 - To reduce the use of property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts by $842,443; Line C7 - To use free cash in the amount of $75,000. General Fund - Wages and Expenses - Block A Account Line Description Decrease Increase FINCOM Vote B99 Benefits - Expenses Health Insurance $175,000 9-0-0 D99 Debt Service Performance Contracting $60,000 9-0-0 7 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 E97 Northeast Vocational Ongoing budget discussions $28,257 0-8-1 G92 Town Administration - Expenses P&C Insurance $15,000 9-0-0 K91 Community Services - Wages Planning $12,000 9-0-0 K92 Community Services - Expenses Veteran's Benefits $50,000 9-0-0 Subtotals $190,000 $150,257 Net Operating Expense Reductions $39,743 and Transfers Net Change in Revenues $130,000 New Growth +$250k Reading Ice AA - $120k Reduce Free Cash Use from $169,743 $346,805 to $177,062 General Fund - Wages and Expenses - Block B Account Line Description Decrease Increase FINCOM Vote V99 School Department $842,443 9-0-0 Reduce General Fund Expense to allow payment by Federal Grant Subtotals $842,443 Net Operating Expense Reductions $842,443 and Transfers NOTE: Net Change in Revenues $842,443 Fed Grant replaces State Aid General Fund - Capital - Block C Account Line Description Decrease Increase FINCOM Vote C7 Finance Department - Assessors $75,000 9-0-0 Replace Assessor's Software System Subtotals $75,000 Net from Operating Transfers $75,000 and Available Funds (Free Cash) Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 At the Annual Town. Meeting in April 2009, Town Meeting approved an increase from the recommended FY 2010 budget in the amount of $19,473 for funding the then vacant position of Coordinator of Volunteers in the Elder/Human Services Division. As you are all aware, since that time an uncertain economic picture has become even -more uncertain. I have not filled the position, pending the foreseen cuts to local aid by the Governor in the month of October. Local government was spared direct reductions in the latest series of state budget reductions. It is not certain that what we saw in October is the last of the State budget reductions that will be required in FY 2010. Meanwhile the essential functions of the position are being carried out by Staff in the Elder/Human Services Division as well as the Finance Department, and some of the functions have been outsourced to community groups. On motion by Ben Tafoya, Precinct 4, Board of Selectmen. Chairman it was moved to adjust line item E-97 Northeast Vocational to zero (0) dollars Amended and carried as listed below: Line B99 - To reduce the use of free cash by $198,000; Lines B99 to K92 - To use an additional $130,000 from property taxes, State aid and non- property tax local receipts; Line V99 - To reduce the use of property taxes, State aid and non-property tax local receipts by $842,443; Line C7 - To use free cash in the amount of $75,000. General Fund - Wages and Expenses - Block A Account Line Description Decrease Increase FINCOM Vote B99 Benefits - Expenses Health Insurance $175,000 9-0-0 D99 Debt Service Performance Contracting $60,000 9-0-0 E97 Northeast Vocational Ongoing budget discussions $0 0-8-1 G92 Town Administration - Expenses P&C Insurance $15,000 9-0-0 K91 Community Services - Wages Planning $12,000 9-0-0 K92 Community Services - Expenses Veteran's Benefits $50,000 9-0-0 Subtotals $190,000 $122,000 Net Operating Expense Reductions $68,000 and Transfers Net Change in Revenues $130,000 New Growth +$250k Reading Ice AA - $120k Reduce Free Cash Use from $198,000 $346,805 to $148,805 Q Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 General Fund - Wages and Expenses - Block B Account Line Description Decrease Increase FINCOM Vote V99 School Department $842,443 9-0-0 Reduce General Fund Expense to allow payment by Federal Grant Subtotals $842,443 Net Operating Expense Reductions $842,443 and Transfers NOTE:.Net Change in Revenues $842,443 Fed Grant replaces State Aid General Fund - Capital - Block C Account Line Description Decrease Increase FINCOM Vote C7 Finance Department - Assessors $75,000 9-0-0 Replace Assessor's Software System Subtotals $75,000 Net from Operating Transfers $75,000 and Available Funds (Free Cash) Motion Carried as Amended ARTICLE 5 - On motion by Richard Schubert, member of the Board of Selectmen, it was voted to indefinitely postpone the subject matter of Article 5. Motion Carried ARTICLE 6 - On motion by Steven Goldy, member of Board of Selectmen, it was voted that the Town is to authorize the Board of Selectmen to sell, or exchange, or dispose of, upon such terms and conditions as they may determine, the following items of Town tangible property, • Tennis Court wind screens Presentation by Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager As part of the design and bidding of the new tennis courts on Bancroft Avenue, the proponents - asked that the project include wind screens in conformance with USTA standards. When the wind screens were installed, residents in the neighborhood asked that they be removed, and the Board 10 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 of Selectmen agreed. These wind screens are now surplus to the Town's needs, and we would like to sell them for the best available price, through eBay, Craig's List, auction, bid, or any other means available. The initial cost to the Town was $10,350. Motion Carried ARTICLE 7 - On motion by Robert I. Nordstrand, Secretary of Board of Assessors, it was voted to indefinitely postpone the subject matter of Article 7. Motion Carried ARTICLE 8 - On motion by Ben Tafoya, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, it was voted to rescind authorized but unused debt in the amount of $120,000 for energy and similar improvements to Town owned buildings as authorized by Article 9 of the November 10, 2008 Subsequent Town Meeting. Presentation by Robert LeLacheur, Finance Director. Background: Last November, Town Meeting approved $120,000 in a debt authorization in order to complete a comprehensive energy audit of all School and Town facilities. In the event that a performance contracting project was not undertaken, the Town would owe this amount to the auditing firm. However, Town Meeting approved the performance contracting project at the Annual Town Meeting in April 2009 and, therefore, no audit fees are due and there is no further need for this debt authorization. Motion Carried ARTICLE 9 - On motion by James Bonazoli, Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, it was voted to raise by borrowing pursuant to G.L. Chapter 44, §7(1) and appropriate the sum of $404,000 for the purpose of reconstructing surface drains, sewers and sewerage systems, including the costs of engineering services, plans, documents, cost estimates, bidding services and all related expenses incidental thereto and necessary in connection therewith, said sum to be spent under the direction of the Town Manager; and that the Town vote to authorize the Town Manager, the Board of Selectmen, or any other agency of the Town to apply for a grant or grants to be used to defray all or any part of said sewer construction and/or reconstruction and related matters; and that the Town vote to authorize the Town Manager to enter into any or all agreements as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Article; and that the Town authorize the Town Manager, the Board of Selectmen, or any other agency of the Town to apply for a non-interest bearing loan from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and to authorize the Treasurer-Collector, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to borrow pursuant to said loan. Background: The MWRA's Infiltration and Inflow (1/1) Local Financial Assistance Program provides support to MWRA member communities to perform sewer rehabilitation and reduce infiltration and inflow into the sewer system. The assistance is provided through a combination grant and no-interest loan from the MWRA. The Town allocation under Phase 7 of the program is 11 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 $404,000 of which 40% ($181,800) is in the form of a grant, and 60% ($222,200) in the form of a no-interest loan. The loan is required to be paid back to the MWRA in equal installments over a five-year period beginning one year after distribution of the funds Acceptance of the grant/loan offer will enable the Town to continue with its 1/1 removal program to remove unwanted sewage flows from the sewer system which reduces excess assessments from MWRA and decreases the excess demand on the sewer system. The Town's 1/1 removal program consists of house-to-house inspections, TV inspections, test and sealing of manholes and sewer mains, spot repair of sewers, lining and replacement of sewers, flow metering and gauging. Infiltration occurs when surface water enters sewers through leaks, cracks and faulty joints in pipes and manholes. Inflow is caused from storm water runoff 'that enters the sewer system through improper connections such as cross connected drains, roof drains and sump pumps. The house-to-house inspections will identify inappropriate direct connections (inflow) to the Town's sewer system with the purpose of assisting residents with identifying methods to remove the connections. The Town will also provide limited financial assistance to the homeowner. TV inspections and the testing and sealing of manholes and sewer mains will continue with the purpose of identifying and eliminating points of infiltration into the sewer system. Spot repairs, lining and replacement of sewers are performed when damage to the sewer system is not repairable or cost effective through internal sealing. The Town will also perform flow metering and gauging to assist the Town in determining the areas of the sewer system that are experiencing the highest levels infiltration and inflow. Flow metering will also help to establish how effective the Town has been in mitigating 1/1 for the past - several years. 2/3 vote required 144 voted in the affirmative 0 voted in the negative Motion Carried ARTICLE 10 - On motion by Bill Brown, Secretary of Board of Cemetery Trustees, it was voted that the Town vote to indefinitely postpone the subject matter of Article 10. Motion Carried ARTICLE 11 - On motion by Camille Anthony, member of Board of Selectmen it was moved that the Town vote to accept the provisions of G.L. c. 64L, § 2(a) to impose a local sales tax upon the sale of restaurant meals originating within the Town by a vendor at the rate of .75 percent of the gross receipts of the vendor from the sale of restaurant meals, to take effect January 1, 2010. Alan Foulds excused himself due to possible conflict of interest, ownership of a restaurant in Reading; Town Clerk, Laura A Gemme requested nominations for an Acting Moderator; Mr. Schubert nominated Paul Dustin Motion Carried to have Paul Dustin fill in to moderate Article 11 12 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 Presentation by Bob LeLacheur, Finance Director. Background: The Town may now approve as a local option an excise of .75% on the sales of restaurant meals originating within the municipality by accepting the provisions of G.L. c. 64L, § 2(a). The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) will collect the local meals excise at the time it collects the State tax on the sale. Therefore, the local excise applies to all meals subject to the State sales tax. A community may not vary the rate or the meals subject to the excise. The acceptance of the meals excise may not be rescinded for a period of three years from the date of local acceptance. A community's acceptance of the local meals excise becomes operative on the first day of the next calendar quarter after the vote, provided that date is at least 30 days after the vote to accept. If not, the acceptance becomes operative on the first day of the second quarter after the vote. If accepted by this Subsequent Town Meeting, the Local Option Meals Excise will become effective January 1, 2010. The Town has looked at the following issues with regard to the meals excise, and will present updated information to Town Meeting: ♦ What are other near-by communities doing with respect to adoption of this local option? An updated list will be presented to Town Meeting. ♦ How much money will be generated to the Town of Reading by acceptance of this local option? The estimate is $150,000 per year. There are several estimates available using different methodologies, and this is the mid-range of those estimates ♦ What are the Reading establishments that sell meals that would be subject to this local option? There is a list of 40 "Common Victualers" licensed establishments in Reading. ♦ Can a "sunset" of this local option meals excise be included in the acceptance? No. If accepted by Town Meeting, Town Meeting could consider whether or not to rescind the acceptance three or more years after it is accepted. ♦ How much of the meals excise on restaurants in Reading would be paid by residents of Reading? There is no way to determine or even estimate this statistic. What would the meals excise be for typical meals? For a $2.00 cup of coffee, the additional excise would be 1.5 cents; for a $10.00 meal, the additional excise would be 7.5 cents; for a $100.00 meal, the additional excise would be 75 cents. ♦ What is the meals excise levied on? Fast food? Candy bars? Drinks at a restaurant? Drinks at a club? A "meal" is defined as "any food or beverage, or both, prepared for human consumption and provided by a restaurant, where the food or beverages is intended for consumption on or off the restaurant premises, and includes food or beverages sold on a "take out" or "to go" basis, whether or not they are packaged or wrapped, and whether or not they are taken from the premises or restaurant. "Therefore, the local option meal tax is imposed on alcohol and other beverages served either with or without a meal, for example, at the restaurant bar. A "restaurant" is broadly defined and means "any eating establishment where food.... or beverages are provided and for which a charge is made, including but not limited to, a cafe, lunch counter, private or social club, cocktail lounge, hotel dining room, catering business, tavern, diner, snack bar, dining room, vending machine, and any other place or establishment where food or beverages are provided, whether stationary or mobile, temporary or permanent..." The MA Department of Revenue will issue implementation guidelines. Vending machines which dispense snacks and candy with a price of less than $3.50 are also exempt. Church suppers, etc. are also exempt. Bylaw Committee Report: The Bylaw Committee voted to recommend the subject matter of this Article by a vote of 3-2-0. 13 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 Town Meeting Member Bill Brown of Precinct 8 made a motion for a Roll Call Count; In order to do a Roll Call Count there must be 20 Town Meeting Members in favor; 16 Town Meeting Members voted for Roll Call Count Motion for Roll Count did not carry 69 voted in the affirmative 75 voted in the negative Original Motion did not carry ARTICLE 12 - On motion by Stephen Goldy, member of the Board of Selectmen, it was voted to amend Article 5, Public Order, of the Town of Reading General Bylaws as follows: (New language is in italics.) 5.5.4 Public Buildings, Public Property and Public Ways 5.5.4.1 No person shall gamble or keep, use or have in his possession any spirituous or intoxicating liquor in any building or room owned or occupied by the Town or upon any public property or public ways, except as otherwise authorized by the Board of Selectmen, special Statute or general laws. 5.5.4.2 No person shall smoke or have in his possession any lighted cigar, cigarette or other tobacco product in any building or room owned or occupied by the Town, Presentation by Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager Following discussion with the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, the Board of Selectmen approved a policy in the summer of 2009 which allows the Board of Selectmen to license the use of public sidewalks in Reading for outdoor dining. This was done at least in part in anticipation of the completion of the Downtown Streetscape project. As part of that process, it came to light that the local bylaw did not permit the Board of Selectmen to allow liquor service associated with sidewalk dining, and the Board of Selectmen decided to put this article on the warrant. If passed, it is the Board of Selectmen's intent to amend the sidewalk dining license policy to provide the necessary protections related to service of liquor as part of outdoor sidewalk dining. Individual licensed establishments would also have to amend the description of their "licensed premises" to reflect the outdoor dining. Motion Carried ARTICLE 13 - On motion by Stephen Goldy, member of Board of Selectmen, it was voted to indefinitely postpone the subject matter of Article 13. Motion Carried 14 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 ARTICLE 14 - On motion by Bill Brown, Board of Cemetery Trustees, it was voted to indefinitely postpone the subject matter of Article 14. Motion Carried ARTICLE 15 - On motion by Ben Tafoya, Chairman of Board of Selectmen, it was voted to amend Section 6.3.17 of the Town of Reading Zoning By-laws as follows: (Language underlined shows deletions / words in italics denote new language.) 6.3.17.Re construction after Destruction (by a Special Permit) The Board of Appeals may grant a Special Permit for the reconstruction of a use, structure, building, sign, parking space or loading bay or other situation allowed by Special Permit, which is destroyed or damaged by explosion, collapse, fire, storm, natural disaster or other catastrophic event, any of which is beyond the control of the owner or by the proposed voluntary action of the owner, to demolish, in whole or in part, in a manner different from the prior conditions, provided that the Board determines that: a. The reconstruction conforms to the current requirements of this bylaw to the maximum extent practicable. b. The reconstruction is appropriate in scale and mass for the neighborhood, with particular consideration of abutting properties. c. In the case of the reconstruction of a nonconforming use, that it complies with the standards for the substitution of a nonconforming use. Presentation by Jean Delios, Town Planner and Ellen Doucette, Town Counsel. After discussion among Town Meeting Members; Bill Brown of Precinct 8 motioned to indefinitely postpone this article Motion by Bill Brown Carried There were two other amendments on the table that never received a vote. ARTICLE 16 - On motion by Camille Anthony, Secretary of Board of Selectmen, it was voted to Indefinitely Postpone the subject matter of Article 16. Motion Carried 15 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009 On motion by Ben Tafoya, Chairmen of Board of Selectmen it was voted that this Subsequent Town Meeting stand adjourned (sine die). Meeting adjourned at 11:08 p.m. 148 Town Meeting Members were present. A true copy. Attest: Laura A. Gemme Town Clerk 16 Subsequent Town Meeting November 9, 2009