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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-03-04 Board of Selectmen Minutes BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES MARCH 4, 1996 CALL TO ORDER: John Leeman, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. ATTENDANCE: The following were present: John Leeman, Chairman; Kenneth Crouch; Kevin Foley; John Savastano; Donald Stewart; Robert Halpin, Town Manager; and Kevin Mahoney, Director of Finance &Administration. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 5 and February 20, 1996 - Kevin Foley made a MOTION, seconded by Kenneth Crouch, to approve the minutes of February 5 and February 20, 1996, and to incorporate the changes to the February 5, 1996, minutes, as recommended by Kevin Foley; vote approved 5-0. COMMUNICATIONS: The Town Manager discussed the Communications with the Board of Selectmen. No action was taken. ANNOUNCEMENTS: John Leeman presented a certificate of congratulations to Officer Tracy Castiglione, North Andover Police Department, for being named the 1996 North Andover Officer of the Year. A letter of certificate of appreciation was presented to Chief Stanley from the National Defense Department by US Navy Chief Donna Savastano in recognition of Chief Stanley's support of the US Military Reserves Forces. LICENSING COMMISSIONERS: John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley, for the Board to move into licensing; vote approved 5-0. Application for a Common Victualler's Restaurant Wine & Malt Beverages License from John Valentino d/b/a Val's Sandwich Shop - 58 Peters Street - John Leeman made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley, to approve the granting of a Common Victualler's Restaurant Wine & Malt Beverages License to John Valentino d/b/a Val's Sandwich Shop at 58 Peters Street; vote approved 5-0. John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley, for the Licensing Commissioners to move back into regular session; vote approved 5-0. APPOINTMENT OF NORTHEAST SOLID WASTE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT J. HALPIN: John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley, to appoint Robert J. Halpin, Town Manager, as the town's representative to the Northeast Solid Waste Committee; vote approved 5-0. PUBLIC COMMENT: Kevin Foley discussed a Request for Proposal for a Comprehensive Facilities Plan, which was advertised in the local newspapers this past week by the Town of Wilmington. Mr. Foley provided the Town Manager a copy of the RFP to review and requested that the issue be discussed at the next Selectmen's meeting in light of the fact that monies have already been appropriated to the School Committee and the Fire Department to study their facilities needs. Mr. Foley asked if funds were remaining could they be expended to study the needs of the remaining Town facilities. Kevin Foley discussed changing the format of the recording of Selectmen's minutes to include points of discussion. Kevin Foley made a MOTION to return to the previous format of minutes to include some discussion points in them;the motion failed to be seconded. Board of Selectmen Minutes March 4, 1996 Page 2. Jack Carr of Lacy Street asked about the availability of Selectmen packages before the meetings. Mr. Carr also asked if the Selectmen's agenda would be previewed on Channel 47. The Town Manager and the Director of Finance agreed that it is possible to preview the Board of Selectmen agenda on Channel 47 and the Police Department could data enter selected items to be shown. The Board of Selectmen took no vote on this matter. TOWN MASTER PLAN: Kathleen Bradley-Colwell, Town Planner, discussed with the Board of Selectmen the Planning Department's request to update the Town's Master Plan. Ms. Colwell provided copies of the Town of Westford's Master Plan. The update of the Balanced Growth Plan from 1987 would cost approximately $ 16,000. The completion of the Master Plan would encompass the update of the Balanced Growth Plan. UPDATE OF WATERSHED STUDY: Ms. Colwell discussed with the Board of Selectmen the Planning Department's request to update the Watershed Study. The estimated cost to update the Watershed Study is approximately$ 25,000. MASTER PLAN STUDY COMMITTEE: John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley, to create a Master Plan Study Committee as proposed by Selectman Leeman in his February 20, 1996 memorandum to the Board of Selectmen; vote approved 5-0. FINANCE COMMITTEE PRESENTATION: William Whittaker, Chairman of the Finance Committee, presented to the Board of Selectmen the town's financial problems. This presentation included: 1. The net revenue available at $ 2.3 million with the known additional fiscal year 1997 commitments of$2.1 million; 2. The symptoms the town is suffering due to these problems, including the town and school facilities needing to be updated; difficult budget negotiations each year; a poor bond rating of the town; restricted capacity to borrow for future capital needs; and short-term borrowing 3. The causes of these problems are a low tax rate; unfunded mandate compliance; rapidly increasing school enrollment;technology costs and the short useful life of the technology; and the debt service. Gina Ferrante, Brentwood Circle, requested that the Board consider additional ways of raising revenue to address educational issues particularly class size. Ms. Ferrante said no surrounding communities have class sizes that reach 30 students as we do in North Andover. Ms. Ferrante suggested that the Town should consider taking items currently funded under the tax levy and use those funds for education. She specifically suggested that the Selectmen could institute trash fees and further that 70% of the cities and towns in the Commonwealth have instituted trash fees. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING DISCUSSION: Adult Entertainment District - Robert Halpin, Town Manager, discussed the proposed Adult Entertainment District warrant article being submitted to control and regulate these districts within the town. The Holt Road area has been the area identified for this zoning district. The Town Manager will be contacting the landowners of the Holt Road area to discuss this proposal. Growth Management Bylaw - John Leeman presented the Board of Selectmen with a proposed Growth Management Bylaw. The Board discussed moving forward with the public hearing process for this bylaw. Board of Selectmen Minutes March 4, 1996 Page 3. John Savastano made a MOTION,to start to move forward with the steps to get this discussed and to bring this bylaw back before the board after the public hearing;this motion was restated. John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley, that the Board of Selectmen request that the Planning Board set a date for a public hearing on the Growth Management Bylaw and to then have the bylaw come back to the Board of Selectmen for a final recommendation. Mr. Halpin explained the process needed to move forward with discussing a Zoning Bylaw under the provisions Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A. The motion was restated as follows: John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley, to receive the report of the Growth Management Bylaw; vote approved 5-0. Kenneth Crouch made a MOTION, seconded by Kevin Foley; to issue this Growth Management Bylaw as a proposed warrant article drafted on behalf of the Board of Selectmen and to ask that the Planning Board conduct a public hearing on the Growth Management Bylaw and to request that the Planning Board present a report back to the Board of Selectmen with the results of this public hearing; vote approved 5-0. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Kevin Foley made a MOTION, seconded by John Savastano, for the Board of Selectmen to move into Executive Session for the purposes of discussing an update of all Collective Bargaining Units; the Board was individually polled and voted unanimously to move into Executive Session. Police Lieutenant's Contract-Kenneth Crouch made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart,to approve the Police Lieutenant's contract; vote approved 5-0. Although the Board of Selectmen disagrees that the language regarding "personal days"and"assigned vehicles"belongs in the contract they voted to approve it anyway to avoid the incurring any unnecessary expenses to the Town that would potentially arise as a result of defending against the filing unfair labor practice by the union. The Board requested that the preceding explanation be commemorated in the minutes to alert both management and the union that these issues are subject to renegotiation during the next contract sessions. Division of Public Works - Kevin Foley made a Motion, seconded by Kenneth Crouch, to approve the Division of Public Works contract contingent upon amending the language protecting Division of Public Works union workers against layoffs if municipal services are privatized to include only existing personnel and exempt any subsequent hires to this provision; vote approved 5-0. The Board vote approves all other aspects of the contract and "grandfathers" current workers from the elimination of the protections against layoff if services are privatized in the future. Melissa Powers, Admin. Secretary Kevin Foley