HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-05-03 Board of Selectmen Minutes Board of Selectmen Meeting
May 3,2010
The meeting convened at 6:20 p.m. in the School Superintendent's conference Room, 62
Oakland Road, Reading, Massachusetts. Present were Chairman Ben Tafoya,Vice Chairman
James Bonazoli, Secretary Camille'Anthony, Selectman Richard Schubert, Town Manager
Peter Hechenbleikner, Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director Bob LeLacheur, Fire Chief
Greg Bums, Police Chief Jim Cormier, Health Administrator Larry Raindin, Superintendent of
Schools John Doherty, Facilities Director Joe Huggins, School Committee Chairman Chuck
Robinson, Director of Human Resources and Finance Mary DeLai, RCTV Director Phil
Rushworth and a photographer from Channel 7.
Discussion/Action Items
Water Emergenc, - This was an emergency meeting of the Board of Selectmen. The notice was
given to the Chronicle, Advocate, RCTV and the Boston'Globe on Sunday, May 2nd at
approximately 12:00 p.m., was posted at approximately 8:30 a.m. on May 3rd, and does meet the
requirements of posting an emergency meeting under the. Open Public Meeting Law.
The sole purpose of tonight's meeting is to give the Board of Selectmen a report and update on
the water emergency that began at 4:08 p.m. on Saturday evening. At that time, the Town was
noticed that the,Town of Reading and 29 other communities in the eastern Massachusetts area
were placed under "boil water" orders by the Governor because of a major pipeline break in the
MWRA water supply line in Weston,Massachusetts.
The Town Manager reviewed the steps that were taken through today in informing the
community, providing a water distribution process, and dealing with all other matters relating to
the emergency. He distributed a memo dated May 3, 2010, an updated memo dated May 3, 2010
outlining emergency notes, a copy of the emergency water distribution information to date, a
copy of the notification by the .MWRA at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, May I st regarding an
emergency water notice, and asking people to stop using the water for the next few hours, and a
notice dated May 1, 2010 at, 4:08 p.m. placing 30 communities on a ."boil water" order and
emergency water use regulations.
The Town Manager noted that we did our best with emergency notification but had some
problems because of our slow Reverse 911 system, and awakening people in the middle of the
night with recorded messages from that system. For the notification on Sunday afternoon
regarding the water distribution starting on Monday, the Town used a contracted Reverse 911
system which notified all of the residents 'within a 3 1/2 hour period.
The Board asked that we have further discussion on improvement in the emergency notification
process.
On motion by Bona roli seconded by Anthony,
the Board of Selectmen voted to adjourn the
meetinI4 of May 3 010 at 7:00 p.m. by a vote of 4-0-0.
Respect:fW4 submitted,
Se re-