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Home My WebLink About2009-01-13 Board of Selectmen Minutes BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES JANUARY 13, 2009 CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Rosemary Connelly Smedile called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at Town Hall Meeting Room. PLEDGE OF ALLIGIANCE ATTENDANCE: The following were present: Rosemary Connelly Smedile, Chairman; Mark J.T. Caggiano Clerk; Richard A. Nardella, Licensing Chairman; Daniel P. Lanen; Tracy M. Watson; Mark Rees, Town Manager; Ray Santilli, Assistant Town Manager. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to move into Executive Session to discuss Collective Bargaining and Real Estate Matters. Vote approved 5-0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, to approve the minutes of December 15, 2009, Open Minutes as written and Executive Minutes as written. Vote approved 5-0. COMMUNICATIONS,ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND PUBLIC COMMENT: Certificate of Appreciation The Board of Selectmen and Fire Chief William Martineau presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Danielle Vissering for her quick thinking and actions in notifying the Fire Department of a neighborhood house that was on fire. Appointments The Selectmen's appointment subcommittee recommended Janice Williams, Philip Pelletier and Liz Fennessy be appointed to the Machine Shop Village Neighborhood Conservation District Committee. Daniel Lanen made a MOTION, seconded by Mark Caggiano, to appoint Janice Williams, Philip Pelletier and Liz Fennessy to the Machine Shop Village Neighborhood Conservation District Committee. Vote approved 5-0. Public Comment Officer Daniel Crevier, president of the Police Union came before the Selectmen on behalf of the unions to ask why the Police and Fire Departments were not included to receive the day off after Christmas as a holiday like other town employees. The Town Manager said that there is a big distinction between safety officers and other town department employees and that they are compensated differently. It is mandatory for Police and Fire personnel to work holidays and if they were to take off a holiday, the town would incur overtime costs. This decision and the public safety distinctions was made by federal and state governments to close public municipal buildings in order to save on energy costs over the long weekend. Janice Williams of 88 Elm Street a member of the Neighborhood Conservation District Committee requested the Board to enter into negotiations with Cell Tower company to put up a new pole at the Stevens Estate. The Town Manager said that the Town has not been approached by the company and cannot interfere with a contract with another entity. Board of Selectmen Minutes January 13, 2009 2 Donald Stewart of 62 Prospect Street asked what type of maintenance program there is on Town owned vehicles such as Fire Trucks in light of the tragic accident in Boston causing a fatality due to malfunctioning brakes. Fire Chief Martineau says the firefighters do a daily maintenance checklist of all fire trucks and once every three months the vehicles are inspected by certified mechanic. Note: Daniel Lanen recused CONSENT ITEMS: Acceptance of Donation: Schneider Electric Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to accept a donation of$500 from Schneider Electric to the police department in support of their Student Police Academy and Youth programs. Vote approved 4-0. Note: Daniel Lanen returned Permission to Fill Vacancy: Fire Department Richard Nardella made a MOTION, seconded by Mark Caggiano, to approve the request to fill the position of Deputy Chief given that this is a critical public safety position. Vote approved 5-0. Permission to use Town Common The Festival Committee requested to use the Town Common for the annual Sheep Sheering Festival on May 17, 2009 plus the closing of Mass Avenue from Osgood Street to Academy Road. Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, to approve the request to the Festival Committee to use the Town Common for the annual Sheep Sheering Festival on May 17, 2009 plus the closing of Mass Avenue from Osgood Street to Academy Road. Vote approved 5-0. LICENSING: Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to move into Licensing. Vote approved 5-0. Merrimack College Liquor License Request Town Counsel advised the Board to amend the current liquor license held by Merrimack College by adding the Blue Line Club as an additional building to the current license. Rosemary Smedile made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, to amend the existing license for Merrimack College to include the Blue Line Club Room at the Volpe Center for the hockey season, and Merrimack College should send a yearly request by October with dates and times of the scheduled events to be approved by the chair of the licensing board. Vote approved 5-0 St. Gregory's Church One-Day Liquor License Request St. Gregory's Church requested a one-day liquor license on Saturday, January 24, 2009, between 7:00— 10:00 p.m. at Jaffarian Hall, 158 Main Street for an "Evening of Jazz"fundraiser. Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, to approve the request for a one-day liquor license and waive the $100 fee for Saturday, January 24, 2009, between 7:00— 10:00 p.m. at Jaffarian Hall, 158 Main Street for an "Evening of Jazz"fundraiser. Vote approved 5-0. Rosemary Smedile made a MOTION, seconded by Mark Caggiano, to move out of licensing. Vote approved 5-0. Board of Selectmen Minutes January 13, 2009 3 OLD BUSINESS: Transportation Improvement Projects Director of Community Development Curt Bellavance presented a priority list of transportation projects to be considered for funding through the State's Transportation Improvement Plan. The Board was asked to adopt the priority list and forward to regional and state transportation organizations to secure funding for North Andover. Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to adopt the recommended priority list of Transportation Improvement Projects. Vote approved 5-0. NEW BUSINESS: Five-Year Financial Forecast The Town Manager presented a five-year financial projection of the Town's general fund. FY10-14 Capital Improvement Plan The Town Manager presented the Capital Improvement Plan FY10-14 (CIP)for the General Fund and the Water Enterprise Fund for the Board's consideration. Over$30 million dollars for 43 capital projects were submitted for consideration to be included in the CIP plan. No projects were recommended for funding in FY10. A one-year moratorium on capital projects is made necessary due to the uncertainty in the economy and other factors. In the following four fiscal years, 26 projects costing $8 million dollars were recommended for funding. The Board was asked to approve this and forward to the Finance Committee for review. Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to approve the CIP and to forward to the Finance Committee for review. Vote approved 5-0. Ambulance Rates, 2009 Fire Chief William Martineau recommended not raising the rates but keeping the same as the current year rates due to the economic conditions. Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, to approve the recommended Ambulance Rates for 2009. Vote approved 5-0. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT: Community Development Director Curt Bellavance has informed the Town Manger that because the Town has met its goals for affordable housing under our state approved Affordable Housing Plan, for the next year, the Town will be in position to deny additional 40B projects if it does not believe that they are in the Towns best interest. The Town will be issuing a Request for Proposals to lease the Stevens Estate to a private party. To help market the RFP and to assist in the selection of a qualified lessee, the Town has engaged the services of the Boston Restaurant Group, Inc. The School Department has informed the Board that it has relinquished control of the Bradstreet School to the Board of Selectmen. Director of Purchasing Joe Lydick recently negotiated an electrical contract that is projected to save the town $58,753 annually. The Town Manager will be a speaker at the annual Chamber of Commerce Mayors and Manager's Breakfast to be held on Friday, January 16,2009. Chief of Police Richard Stanley, Officers Whittaker, Crevier, Hillner and Cronin, members of the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) will participate in the Presidential Inaugural Board of Selectmen Minutes January 13, 2009 4 with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. There will be over four thousand additional police officers from around the country to work at this historical event. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) notified the town that Middlesex and Essex County were not included in the Presidential Disaster declaration to receive disaster relief for the December 2008 ice storm. The Governor is working with FEMA to identify other options for funding and inclusion of certain areas of Middlesex and Essex to the current Presidential Disaster declaration. Town officials and National Grid met and took a tour of the trees in town that are schedule for removal. These particular trees need to be taken down because of disease. ADJOURNMENT: Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, to adjourn the meeting at 9:03 PM. Vote approved 5-0. Adele J. Johnson Administrative Secretary Mark Caggiano, Clerk of the Board