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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-11-10 Subsequent Town Meeting MinutesT SUBSEQUENT TOWN MEETING W. S. Parker Middle School November 10, 1986 The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Stephen J. O'Leary, at 7:40 P.M. The Invocation was given by Leslie H. York, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.. On motion of Russell T. Graham, on a point of personal privilege, the following Resolution was adopted unanimously: RESOLUTION MIRIAM E. BARCLAY and ELEANOR BISHOP WHEREAS, For over forty years Miriam E. Barclay and Eleanor Bishop have together acted as the Historians of the Town of Reading, and WHEREAS, They have unselfishly and with extreme devotion shared their knowledge and love of that history with legions of citizens, and WHEREAS, The populace of Reading have benefited immensely in their lives as a result of the knowledge imparted by Miriam Barclay and Eleanor Bishop, and WHEREAS, The community of Reading is, as a result of their labor, a richer and more meaningful place to live, confident and secure in the historic past which made the Town what it is today. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED in Town Meeting held on this tenth day of November, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty-Six that the citizens of Reading extend their deep appreciation, their gratitude, and their sincere affection for all that has been contributed to the Town of Reading and its history, and THAT FURTHER a framed copy of this Resolution be presented to them as a permanent reminder of the special place they hold in the hearts and minds of the citizens of Reading. On motion of Paul E. Landers, on a point of personal privilege, Peter I. Hechenbleikner, first Town Manager of the Town of Reading, was introduced to the Town Meeting body. ARTICLE 1. The following report of the Police Study Committee, presented by Mary S. Ziegler, was accepted as a report of progress. REPORT OF THE POLICE STUDY COMMITTEE November 10, 1986 Last spring this Town Meeting instructed the Board of Selectmen to establish a Study Committee to review the issues of police turnover, police educational needs and to submit a report with recommendations as to steps that can be taken to decrease turnover and provide an equitable educational incentive and assistance program. The committee was established late this past summer. The Police Chief appointed Sergeant Patrick O'Brien and Patrolman Detective William Pacunas. The Selectmen appointed John Price as a member-at-large and the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen appointed Selectman Eugene Nigro and myself as the other two members of this Committee. The Chairman of the Board of Selectmen also designated me as the Chairman of this Committee. In order to collect the data needed for our report, letters have been sent to thirteen (13) police chiefs of cities and towns in the area, requesting for example, copies of union contracts, information on retention of officers, breakdowns of different levels of degrees, questions on the Quinn Bill or other educational incentive programs. Hopefully we'll have all the information required by our next meeting in two weeks. Respectfully submitted, POLICE STUDY COMMITTEE Mary S. Ziegler, Chairman 1-7 d2~ Subsequent Town Meeting November 10, 1986 ARTICLE 1. The following report of the Finance Committee, presented by James L. O'Leary, was accepted as a report of progress. Mr. Moderator: Since the last time Town Meeting was in session, Town government in Reading has undergone several changes. The implementation of the charter reform, the selection of a Town Manager, and clearer definition of the responsibilities for the Finance Committee. The primary role of the Finance Committee is to consider, in public meeting, the detailed expenditures for each Town department as proposed by the Town Manager and present its recommendations to Town Meeting. It is stated in the Massachusetts Finance Committee Handbook that the Chairman of the Finance Committee should take the floor and set the stage for the meeting. He should be brief, and put the evening's problems in focus, and state the committee's position on controversial articles. It is my intention to adhere to that guideline by being brief and concise. In this Subsequent Town Meeting there are five warrant articles which will have a direct financial impact on the Town of Reading. Four of these articles, Warrant Articles 4 through 7, will affect the operational budget. The fifth article, Warrant Article 11, deals with the capital budget. At this time I will explain the nature of these financial items and the resources to be used to fund them. ARTICLE 4: The purpose of this article is to fund the Town's share of Medicare estimated at $20,000. This is the result of legislative action taken by the Federal Government which requires all state and local governments to match the 1.45% payroll deduction for all employees hired after March 31, 1986. ARTICLE 5: The purpose of this article is to provide an additional $2,115 for the completion of the design and engineering work for the traffic signals at the intersection of Summer Avenue and Main Street. During ATM for FY87, $16,500 had previously been authorized under Warrant Article 19. It had been some time since the quotes for the engineering work had been received, and the $16,500 was not adequate to fund the project. ARTICLE 6: The purpose of this article is to provide for car reimbursement, moving cost, and professional dues for the Town Manager in the amount of $8,000. ARTICLE 7: The Animal Control Budget is currently funded at $16,750 for the year. The salary of $14,746.16 is adequate. The balance of $2,003.84 is not sufficient to cover a variety of other costs. To properly run the operation for the remainder of the year, an additional $3,000 is required. ARTICLE 11. Is for the appropriation of $115,000 to complete feasibility, design development and final cost estimates for the Town Hall Complex Renovations. This money would be appropriated out of the Sale of Real Estate Fund, with a current balance of $1,631,827. More details concerning this Article will be forthcoming by the Municipal Space Building Committee later in this Town Meeting. It is the recommendation of the Finance Committee that the funding for Warrant Articles 4, 5, 6 and 7 totalling $33,115 be appropriated from Free Cash, which has been certified by the Department of Revenue's Director of Accounts at $761,000 for FY87. For Article 11, it is recommended by the committee that the $115,000 be appropriated from the Sale of Real Estate Fund. This action is consistent with the policy of this Finance Committee and previous committees concerning the use of Sale of Real Estate Funds to offset the cost of capital projects within the Town. The Finance Committee believes it is more prudent to use the Sale of Real Estate Funds for this type of expense and save bonding for more substantive expenditures such as site development and construction cost. Thank you Mr. Moderator. ARTICLE 1. The following report of the Community Planning & Development Commission, presented by Richard D. Howard, was accepted as a report of progress. To the People of Reading: The Community Planning & Development Commission came into existence on July 1st. The Charter provides that the Commission shall have all the powers and duties formerly given to the Planning Board, Board of Survey and the Industrial Development Commission. The Commission has also been given the power to regulate the subdivision of land within the Town and to make studies and prepare plans concerning the resources, development potential and needs of the Town. Since taking office, the Commission has held several public hearings and has taken the following actions: Subsequent Town Meeting November 10, 1986 j d3 1. Reviewed and conditionally approved site plans for improvements to three properties and tabled action on a fourth property. 2. Disapproved a preliminary subdivision on one property; disapproved a definitive subdivision filing on another and conditionally approved a definitive filing on a third. 3. Approved a bond reduction request after requiring specific progress on roadway construction. 4. Offered to assist the Board of Selectmen in their negotiations with Homart Development Company. This offer has been accepted by the Selectmen. To obtain insight into the issues facing the Town, the Commission invited various Town officers and officials to attend Commission meetings. To date, the Commission has had the benefit of learning the concerns of and receiving recommendations from the Town Manager, Conservation Administrator, the Building Inspector and members of the Historical Commission, the Conservation Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the former Planning Board and the former Board of Survey. The Commission appreciates the input it received and wishes to thank all who participated. While- the taking of actions on specific matters before the Commission and having substantive discussions with knowledgeable Town officials and officers has not been an exhaustive process, it has provided the Commission with sufficient insight so as to offer the following tentative conclusions and recommendations for consideration: 1 The Master Plan developed in 1961 has become outdated. Although there is only a limited amount of land now available for development, the decisions facing the Town over the next few years will be difficult ones and must be made wisely. An updated Master Plan is essential in this regard. The Commission has selected south Main Street and the central business district as the area of initial focus. 2. The Zoning By-Laws need to be completely reorganized. The process of periodic amendments has resulted in these important documents being incomplete, out of date, confusing to users and in need of considerable clarification. 3. The Site Plan Review process adopted at the 1985 Town Meeting is an excellent concept which has been adopted by many progressive communities. However, the three separate site plan ordinances presently in force need to be consolidated, streamlined and better integrated with the Zoning By-Laws. Also, performance standards should be better defined. 4. The fees and charges for site plan review and subdivison filings should be increased to allow the review process to operate on an enterprise basis. 5. The subdivision rules and regulations, while in need of some housekeeping-type revisions, are essentially in good condition. To affirm, to modify, to better define and to implement these conclusions and recommendations require two essential ingredients: first, professional assistance, and second, substantial community involvment. Let us briefly discuss each of these. During the first several months of its existence, the Commission has received extensive support from the Department of Public Works, especially from Tony Fletcher, Bill Redford and Cindy Keenan. The cooperation and professionalism of the Department and these individuals can only be characterized as outstanding, both in substance and in spirit. However, to help the Commission address the future needs of the Town, a professional, dedicated and trained in the planning and development field, will be required. The planner, if approved by Town Meeting, would report to the Town Manager. In addition to assisting the Commission, the Planner would provide staff support to the Zoning Board of Appeals as well as coordinate the development application and review process in the Town. The Commission, with the advice of the Town Manager, has written a job description for this position and has applied for State funds to defray a substantial portion of the cost. The Commission is also sensitive to the concerns of previous Town Meetings regarding this issue. We hope we have adequately addressed those concerns and ask your support of an instructional motion to be made under Article 2. To successfully implement any such program, it will require substantial community involvment. The Commission certainly does not intend to act in isolation. Instead, it plans to involve many interested groups and individuals in defining the program previously discussed while keeping in mind the fiscal realities facing the Town. In its first venture of this type, members of the Reading Business Community met with Commission members last Thursday morning and discussed their ideas and comments concerning the future direction of Subsequent Town Meeting Special Town Meeting November 10, 1986 Reading. In the next week or so, the Commission will send out a questionnaire to determine what Reading residents like and don't like about their Community. We hope that Town Meeting members and other Townspeople will respond to this questionnaire; will attend public hearings that will be scheduled and will volunteer to participate in advisory subcommittees that will be formed to address specific issues of the program. Thank you for your support. Respectfully submitted, COMMUNITY PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT COMM. Richard D. Howard, Chairman David Goodemote, Secretary Daniel A. Ensminger William J. Griset, Jr. Molly B. Jenks ARTICLE 1. On motion of Paul E. Landers it was voted to lay Article 1 on the table. ARTICLE 2. The following motion was presented by Daniel A. Ensminger. That the Community Planning & Development Commission, acting through the offices of the Town Manager and with the full support of the Board of Selectmen, is hereby instructed to continue to seek a state EOCD Grant to partially fund a Town Planner for calendar years 1987, 1988, and 1989, with the understanding that the Town's entire share of matching funds required for FY87, shall be taken from the CPDC's FY87 budget and that matching funds for subsequent years shall be sought as an operating budget line item at the Annual Town Meeting in 1987 and thereafter, but that approval of this motion shall not obligate the Town to fund this position beyond calendar year 1987. ARTICLE 2. On motion of Mary S. Ziegler it was voted to lay Article 2 on the table. On motion of Paul E. Landers it was voted that this meeting stand adjourned until after Special Town Meeting. Meeting adjourned at 8:50 P.M. 129 Town Meeting members were present. A true copy. Attest: Lawrence Drew Town Clerk SPECIAL TOWN MEETING W. S. Parker Middle School November 10, 1986 The' meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Stephen J. O'Leary, at 8:50 P.M. ARTICLE 1. On motion of Carl H. Amon, Jr. it was voted to indefinitely postpone Article 1. ARTICLE 2. On motion of Carl H. Amon, Jr. it was voted to indefinitely postpone Article 2. ARTICLE 3. On motion of Russell T. Graham it was voted that the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Reading to petition and/or approve the filing of a petition to the General Court for a special act authorizing that pursuant to Articles 3 and 4 of the Reading Home Rule Charter, the School Committee shall consist of six members; the Board of Library Trustees shall consist of six members; the Cemetery Trustees shall consist of six members; and the Council on Aging shall consist of ten members; notwithstanding the provisions of General Laws Chapter 43B, Section 20(c); General Laws Chapter 41, Section 1; General Laws Chapter 78, Section 10; General Laws Chapter 114, Section 22; General Laws Chapter 40, Section 8B; or any other general law, special act or Town of Reading By-Law to the contrary, or take any other action with respect thereto. 97 voted in the affirmative 3 voted in the negative Subsequent Town Meeting November 10, 1986 75 On motion of Paul E. Landers it was voted that this meeting stand adjourned sine die. Meeting adjourned at 8:55 P.M. 129 Town Meeting members were present. A true copy. Attest: Subsequent Town Meeting resumed at 8:51 P. M. Lawrence Drew Town Clerk SUBSEQUENT TOWN MEETING W. S. Parker Middle School table. November 10, 1986 ARTICLE 2. On motion of Paul E. Landers it was voted to take Article 2 from the ARTICLE 2. On motion of William C. Brown it was voted that the Board of Selectmen give a report of progress on the sale of the Community Center before the end of this Town Meeting. Mr. Paul E. Landers presented a verbal report on the above motion. ARTICLE 2. On motion of Mary S. Ziegler it was voted to lay Article 2 on the table. ARTICLE 3. On motion of Mary S. Ziegler it was voted to indefinitely postpone Article 3. ARTICLE 4. On motion of Elizabeth W. Klepeis it was voted that the Town appropriate from certified free cash to medicare expense, the sum of $20,000 to fund the Town's matching share of employee medicare deductions for new employees hired after March 31, 1986. ARTICLE 5. On motion of Russell T. Graham it was voted that the Town appropriate from certified free cash to traffic signal design, the amount of $2,115 to supplement funds previously appropriated for the purpose of hiring consulting engineers to make the required studies and design work and whatever else is necessary for the implementation of a traffic light system at the intersection of south Main Street and Summer Avenue. ARTICLE 6. On motion of Paul E. Landers it was voted that the Town appropriate from certified free cash to the Board of Selectmen expenses, the sum of $8,000 for the purpose of funding expenses related to expenses for the Town Manager. ARTICLE 7. On motion of Russell T. Graham it was voted that the Town appropriate from certified free cash to animal control expenses, the sum of $3,000 to provide for continuation of services for the remainder of FY87. ARTICLE 8. On motion of James L. O'Leary it was voted that the Town adopt the Capital Outlay Plan for FY87 through FY92 as presented. CAPITAL OUTLAY PLAN 1987 - 1992 IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PROJECTS FUNDED BY TAX LEVY FY 1987 FY 1988 FY 1989 FY 1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 COMPUTER Lease 53.5 53.5 50 50 50 50 BUILDING MAINTENANCE Town Hall Renovation 115 1,885 COA Facility 120 120 ANIMAL CONTROL Replace Vehicle 8.0 f7u6; Subsequent Town Meeting November 10, 1986 PROJECTS FUNDED BY TAX LEVY FY 1987 FY 1988 FY 1989 FY 1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 FIRE DEPARTMENT Jaws of Life 10 New Fire Station 100 1,400 Replace Car 13 Replace Pick-up Truck 13 Replace Ladder Truck 300 Replace Foam Bank 6 Replace Fire Alarm Truck 60 Ambulance 65 POLICE DEPARTMENT Traffic Lights 200 225 Telephone Recording Equip. 19 Radar Equipment 3 3 PUBLIC WORKS Storm Drain Construction 97.7 160 160 160 160 160 Roadway Overlay 65.64 60.9 64 67.2 70.5 74.0 Roadway Reconstruction 180 240 240 240 240 240 Equipment Replacement 123 240 210 95 129 150 Sewer System Reconstruction 42.8 50 Sidewalk Construction 15 Parks/Playgrounds 11.5 55 32 60 Street Betterments (Acceptance) 2.0 40 20 20 20 20 CEMETERY Cemetery Improvements 30 30 30 30 30 30 Equipment Replacement 13 7.64 3 3.2 3.2 28.2 LIBRARY Roof & Gutters 80 RECREATION Pool 50 100 ASSESSORS Revaluation 275 SCHOOL DEPARTMENT School Computer/W.P. Equipment 35 35 35 35 20 Roof Replacement 90 160 230 160 150 60 Space Remodeling - Elementary 20 20 Chapter 504-Lifts-Toilet Remodeling 12 28 12 Central Office Relocation 100 Energy Related Projects 12 15 15 15 15 Vehicle Replacement 14 12 10 12 15 Remodeling for Declining Enrollment 60 60 Separate Comp.Lab from Media Center 20 Replace Stair Tiles-Treads and = Landings 10 Replace Floor Tiles-RMHS-Birch Meadow School-Coolidge Middle School 7.5 10 Replace Ceiling Tile-Basement Corr. 19 Install Suspended Ceiling-Coolidge Middle School 20 Replace Windows-Eaton School-Parker Middle School 25 150 Refurbish Kitchen-Parker Middle School 50 Replace Bleachers 10 Install Gas Fired Water Heater 11.5 15 10 12 10 20 Replace Classroom Furniture (Program) 15 15 15 15 15 Sump Pump Replacement 5 5 5 5 Gate Valve & Zone Valves 10 15 Clock Replacement - RMHS 7.5 Exhaust Fan Replacement - Eaton School 6 Rebuild Smokestack - Parker Middle School 8 Paint Exterior - Parker Middle School 13 Transformer Maintenance (8 at RMHS) 20 A/C Principal's Office - RMHS 6 Subsequent Town Meeting November 10, 1986 7-7; PROJECTS FUNDED BY TAX LEVY FY 1987 FY 1988 FY 1989 FY 1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 SCHOOL DEPARTMENT (Cont'd.) Replace Field House Lighting 20 TOTAL PROJECTS 1,242.64 5,103-54 1,563.5 1,631.4 1,077.7 1,159.2 PRIOR YEARS PROJECTS FUNDED BY BORROWING 1,043.40 1,343.94 1,272.20 1,693.10 1,313.74 1,006.37 TOTAL 2,286.04 6,447.48 2,835.70 3,324.50 2,391.44 2,165.57 ~ INCOM E Sale of Cemetery Lots 30 30 30 30 30 30 School Construction - State Aid 198.1 172.2 168.1 116.9 57.4 57.4 Offset f rom Real Estate Sales 115 TOTAL TO BE RAISED BY TAXATION 1,942.94 6,242.28 2,637.6 3,177.6 21304.04 2,078.17 TOTAL TAX VALUATION 1,292 1,312 1,332 1,342 1,352 1,362 EFFECT ON TAX RATE 1.50 4.76 1.98 2.37 1.70 1.53 PROJECTS FUNDED BY PUBLIC ENTERPRISE FUND WATER Development of Wells 100 0 100 100 Water Dept. Prior Borrowing 263.2 246.0 228.8 211.6 194.4 177.2 MUNICIPAL LIGHT DEPARTMENT 1970 Enlargement - Light Plant 38.1 36.3 34.5 32.7 30.9 New Power Feed Station 118.2 113.0 107.8 102.6 ARTICLE 9. On motion of James L. O'Leary it was voted to indefinitely postpone Article 9. ARTICLE 1. On motion of John H. Russell it was voted to take Article 1 from the table. ARTICLE 1. The following report of the DPW Garage Relocation and John Street Development Report was presented by John H. Russell DPW GARAGE RELOCATION AND JOHN STREET DEVELOPMENT Since last. June's Special Town Meeting the major effort has been toward obtaining appraisals and negotiating the purchase of the access road strip from TASC and the purchase of the 6.6 acre new DPW site from Davis Development Company. The negotiating team included: Jack Russell, Russ Graham, Bob Nordstrand, Ted Cohen, Ron Kusinski, Tony Fletcher, and after his arrival, Peter Hechenbleikner. THE ACCESS ROAD A Purchase and Sale Agreement has been signed for the purchase of the 50 foot wide strip from TASC for the access road. The purchase price was $285,000 which was the amount appropriated at last June's Special Town Meeting. In order to stay within the appropriated amount (in view of appraisals varying between $300,000 - $900,000 and averaging around $600,000) we agree to the following provisions: a long term parking easement on 20 feet of the 50 foot right-of-way with a call back, at no cost to the Town, of 3 feet of the 20 feet if, in the future, a sidewalk is needed for public safety; granite curbing; underground utilities; shared light poles serving both the roadway and the edge of the TASC parking lot; inclusion in 1987 Annual Town Meeting and Selectmen's support of Articles to: a) reduce the parking space size in industrial, office and R&D areas from 9x20to8%ix18; b) reduction in the number of parking spaces required from 3.3/1000 ft. 2 to 3/100 ft. 2; - Selectmen support to use the long term easement area in calculating the parking and dimensional restrictions for TASC's second building; removal of the salt storage shed and small storage building by the Town; betterment established at $9,013. The access road is now under construction by Town forces. Final pavement will be done in the Spring by contract. This phase is well ahead of schedule. When the Warrant for this Town Meeting was closed back in September, agreement had not yet been reached with TASC so Article 10 was placed on the Warrant in case additional funds were needed. Since we have settled within the appropriated amount, no new funds are required and we will indefinitely postpone Article 10. THE DPW SITE A Purchase and Sales Agreement has also been signed for the 6.6 acres of industrial land for the new DPW site from Davis Development Corp. for a price of $825,000. This is $125,000 under the $950,000 appropriated for this property. Also included in the agreement are provisions which: a) assure closure of the Ash Street entrance to the remaining Davis property when access is provided from John Street; b) temporary access to the Town for construction; c) betterment established at $18,000. Power easement down the tracks has been obtained from the MBTA and other utility easements from Ash Street have been obtained. The site has been cleared of trees and loam stripping and removal is now underway. Final plans for the facility are in the final steps at C. E. Maguire, Inc. and will be completed by the 18th of November. The project is on schedule for awarding the construction contract by the end of January, breaking ground mid-March and becoming operational in November, 1987. THE GRADE CROSSING The grade crossing has been the most frustrating aspect of the project. Recently, through the diligent efforts of Tony and Geoff Beckwith, we have finally got the attention of the MBTA. One unexpected problem is the fact that the 4 sets of tracks in the area of the crossing are all at different elevations. This problem, if all 4 tracks remain active, could be very expensive to correct. However, we have petitioned to have the spurtrack abandoned or relocated and are negotiating with the MBTA to pick up the cost of realigning the center "stacking" track. Another complication was the recent decision by the MBTA to change from the B&M to AMTRAK as the operators of the rail system. We had planned to have the B&M Engineering Division design our crossing, but they lost interest after the Amtrak decision was made. We have retained the firm of T. K. Dwyer, the only firm currently approved by the MBTA, to proceed with the design of the grade crossing. This is expected to be completed early in January, which could lead to completion of construction by the end of September, 1987. Subsequent Town Meeting November 10, 1986 f'79 Some GOOD NEWS? While not completely firm yet, it is a high probability that there will be no charge for the right-of-way crossing. We had appropriated $100,000 for this easement. LANDFILL DEVELOPMENT - HOMART Homart Corporation has completed their 21E Hazardous Waste investigation at the dump site with no significant problems identified. They are currently hiring local architectural and planning staff. The Selectmen and a subcommittee of the Community Planning and Development Commission are meeting this coming Wednesday night to start the process of defining the broad aspects of what the Town wants to include in the development plan. It is anticipated that negotiations of the development plan with Homart will begin within the next month and continue throughout the winter. IN SUMMARY - We are on track on both sides of the tracks, almost on track crossing the tracks where we hope to have at least one less track to cross and about to get on the fast track on the other side of John Street where, thankfully, there are no tracks. On motion of Paul E. Landers the above report was accepted as a report of progress. ARTICLE 1. On motion of John H. Russell it was voted to lay Article 1 on the table. ARTICLE 10. On motion of John H. Russell it was voted to indefinitely postpone Article 10. ARTICLE 11. On motion of Nils L. Nordberg it was voted that the sum of One Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($115,000) be transferred from the Sale of Real Estate Funds and appropriated to the Municipal Space Building Committee for acquiring architectural and engineering services for the purpose of developing plans and specifications for satisfying the Town's municipal space needs; said funds to be expended under the direction of the Municipal Space Building Committee, and that the Municipal Space Building Committee be and it hereby is authorized to enter into any and all contracts necessary therefore and incidental thereto and to do all other acts and things necessary or proper for carrying out the purposes of this vote. ARTICLE 12. On motion of Paul E. Landers it was voted to place Article 12 on the table. On motion of Paul E. Landers it was voted that this meeting stand adjourned to meet at 7:30 P. M. on Thursday, November 13th, 1986, at the W. S. Parker Middle School auditorium. Meeting adjourned at 10:55 P. M. 129 Town Meeting members were present. A true copy. Attest: Lawrence Drew Town Clerk