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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-07-12 Board of Selectmen Minutes BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES July 12, 2010 CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Daniel Lanen called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM at Town Hall Meeting Room. ATTENDANCE: The following were present: Daniel Lanen, Chairman; Richard Nardella, Vice Chairman; William F. Gordon, Clerk; Mark Rees, Town Manager; Ray Santilli, Assistant Town Manager. Note: Tracy Watson and Rosemary Smedile were absent William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to move into Executive Session to discuss Collective Bargaining. Roll Call vote: William Gordon yes, Richard Nardella yes, Daniel Lanen yes. Vote approved 3-0. Chairman Daniel Lanen declared that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the Selectmen. Note: Rosemary Smedile arrived at 6:30 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Town Manager announced that there were two changes to the Agenda. Under Communications and Announcements V-C, the Flower Box Program would be TABLED and in its place would be the Ratification of two Union Contracts with the Department of Public Works and the Professional Librarians. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to approve the June 21, 2010, Open Session Minutes as written. Vote approved 4-0. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the May 24, 2010, Executive Session Minutes as amended. Vote approved 3-0-1. Daniel Lanen abstained. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the June 7, 2010, Executive Session Minutes as amended. Vote approved 3-0-1. Daniel Lanen abstained. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the June 21, 2010, Executive Session Minutes as written. Vote approved 4-0. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the June 28, 2010, Executive Session Minutes as written. Vote approved 4-0. COMMUNICATIONS,ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND PUBLIC COMMENT: Appointments to Emergency Management Agency Richard Nardella made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the re-appointments of the following to the Emergency Management Agency: Vote approved 4-0. Command Staff: Jeffrey Coco, Director; John Savastano, Deputy Director; Chief Richard Stanley Co-Dep. Dir., Police Dept. Liaison Chief Andrew Melnikas, Co-Dep. Dir., Fire Dept. Liaison Operations Div: Connor Lincoln, Senior Operations Officer; Robert Albrecht, William Dolan, Frank Dushame, Neil Hamel, Carl Langlois, Melynda Renner, Robert Scanlon, Richard Shaughnessy, David Boudreau Communications Div: William Hastings, Timothy McDonald, Steven Tessler Board of Selectmen Minutes 2 Auxiliary/Special Police Div: Lt. Richard Boettcher, Sgt. Gary Laurendeau, Renzo Binaghi, Anthony Rossetti, David Salois. National Night Out: The North Andover Police Department along with the Neighborhood Crime Watch members and the North Andover Business Association will be hosting National Night Out on Tuesday August 3, 2010 from 6:00—8:00 p.m. at Hayes Stadium North Andover Middle School. Ratification of Union Contracts The Town Manager thanked Assistant Town Manager Ray Santilli for his efforts in negotiating these contracts on behalf of the Board of Selectmen and thanked the two unions DPW and Professional Librarians for their flexibility recognizing the Town's difficult financial times and should be commended for their willingness to settle reasonable contracts to avoid layoffs. Selectman Lanen echoed the Manager's comments. The Town announced that the Board of Selectmen ratified Union Contracts with the Public Works Group and the Professional Librarians Group. Both of these Unions settled two contracts consisting of a one-year contract from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 and a three-year contract to be in effect July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2013. The wage schedule is as follows: July 1, 2009, 0%, July 1, 2010, 1.5%, July 1, 2011, 2.0, July 1, 2012, 2.5%. Health Insurance contribution rates are as follows: July 1, 2010, Family 15.0%to 18.3%; Individual 14.0%to 17.6%; July 1, 2011, Family 18.3% to 21.6%, Individual 17.7% to 21.3%; June 30, 2012, Family 21.6% to 25.0%, and Individual 21.3%to 25.0%. CONSENT ITEMS: Resale of Affordable Housing Unit The Town was notified by CHAPA that an affordable housing unit at 4 Harvest Drive, Unit 303 at Oakridge Village was up for sale and it was recommended that the Board not exercise its right of first refusal and authorize CHAPA to find a buyer who meets the appropriate affordable criteria. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, not to exercise its first right of refusal and to authorize CHAPA to find a buyer who meets the appropriate affordable criteria. Vote approved 4-0. OLD BUSINESS: FY11 Water and Sewer Rates The Town Manager provided updated information on proposed rates based on estimated year end receipts and expenditures. After a discussion the Board decided to not raise the rates but to maintain last year's rates, and to monitor the usage quarterly in case the rates need to be adjusted. Rosemary Smedile made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to set the water and sewer rates at the same rate as the previous year and to monitor it quarterly and adjust it as needed. Water 1St Tier$3.80, Sewer 1 st Tier$5.83, for a combined 1 st Tier of$9.63. Water 2nd Tier$5.55, Sewer 2nd Tier$8.22, for a combined 2nd Tier of$13.77. Vote approved 4-0. Fire Department Mutual Aid Agreements Fire Chief Andy Melnikas presented information regarding mutual aid to the city of Lawrence. Due to layoffs in Lawrence, North Andover's Fire Department through the mutual aid agreement would respond directly to a fire in Lawrence on a second alarm. The Board requested the Chief to monitor the number of responses to fires in Lawrence and to report back to the Board if they exceeded the usual amount of the previous year. This would impact the Town financially including overtime, injury liability and wear and tear of equipment. Essex Regional Retirement System Assessment The Town Manager provided additional information regarding interest earnings vs. early payment to the ERRB. If the Town invested money at .5% interest for 5.5 months the gain would be $3,280.56 vs. an early payment savings discount of$59,248.52. Since the Board's last meeting State Legislation made changes to Board of Selectmen Minutes 3 the ERRB as to a new executive director and its' former board members. The Town Manager also provided Selectman Nardella with the legal bills requested. Selectman Nardella said there is about $200,000 worth of legal bills directly related to the executive director speaking to attorneys about his employment and defending himself against fraud and corruption. Nardella urged the Town Manger to work diligently with the staff of the Retirement Board to see if the Town and other member towns could be reimbursed for some of these legal bills. The Town Manager will communicate with the new board that the Town of North Andover has concerns about the prior board and the legal bills associated with them and in recognition that those bills should never have occurred in the first place that the Town should get a reduction in the assessment. The Board agreed to pay the ERRB assessment tomorrow. Information Technology Position Reclassifications The Board was asked to review and approve the recommended reclassification of the Information Technology Director from a grade 16 to a grade 18 and to also classify the Senior Network Engineer to a grade 14. Richard Nardella made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the recommended reclassification of the Information Technology Director to a grade 18 and to also classify the Senior Network Engineer to a grade 14. Vote approved 4-0. Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Combined Sewer Outflow Control Plan The GLSD held a public meeting on June 10, 2010 to present their plans to address EPA mandated requirements to control combined sewer overflows. The Town Manager gave a summary of the meeting and provided the Board with the projected financial impact on North Andover sewer rates if the proposed solution is approved by the EPA. Down Town Bike Route Town Planner July Tymon made a presentation regarding conceptual plans for a Bike Route in North Andover and requested approval from the Board to apply for a grant to the National Parks Service. This grant would provide the town with consulting services to help build community support, to assist in the design of the trail and to assist with future grant applications. The project objectives is to partner with the School Department to build safe bike/walking paths for students and residents, integrate with "Safe Routes to School program". William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the application for a grant to the National Parks Service for consulting services for a Bike Route in North Andover. Vote approved 4-0. Department of Public Works Reorganization DPW Director Bruce Thibodeau developed and recommended a reorganization of the Division of Public Works. Because of many personnel changes past and future there is a need to restructure the day to day operations of the highway department and the water treatment plant. Recommendation was to improve efficiency by combining two positions, Operations and Sewer&Water under one person and to have an assistant manager and create a staff engineer technician. These two positions would need to be reclassified as follows: Division Operations Manager to a grade 15 and the Assistant Division Operations Manager to a grade 12. All of these positions are currently funded and would not increase the budget. Rosemary Smedile made a MOTION, seconded by Richard Nardella, to approve the restructure of the Department of Public Works and the reclassification of the two new positions and authorize the hiring of a staff engineer technician. Vote approved 4-0. Lease or Sale of Town Owned Land adjacent to Chickerinq Plaza and Chestnut Green Bunker Hill Street—Chickerinq Plaza Assistant Town Manager Ray Santilli presented two scenarios regarding the "paper street" portion of Bunker Hill Street. Depending on how the Board wanted to proceed with this parcel of land of whether to lease the land or to sell the land, there is a specific Request for Proposal (RFP) for each request. The Board decided it would be in the best interest of the Town to sell the land rather than a lease. Board of Selectmen Minutes 4 Richard Nardella made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to direct the Town Manager to do an RFP for Sale of subject property on Bunker Hill Street with a deed restriction for the sole purpose of parking. Vote approved 4-0. Note: William Gordon recused Hillside Road at Chestnut Green The owners of Chestnut Green would like to use this parcel of land for employee parking yet there is an abutter who has been against parking near his home. Before proceeding with an RFP for this parcel the Board suggested speaking to the abutters first to get a better idea of the use of the land and how to proceed. Note: William Gordon returned TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT: Police Station Project • Assistant Town Manager Ray Santilli gave an updated report on the new Police Station project. Although the project has incurred some unexpected bumps and additional expenses (primarily with water issue in the basement) it remains on target with the anticipation of completion date of mid September 2010. The Police Department would be able to move during the last couple of weeks in September with a projected operations opening date around the week of October 4, 2010. The primary concern remains the projected budget is in the negative by about$35,000. The project team is reviewing all of these matters in order to ensure that the project will be completed within budget. Cherry Sheet Projection vs. Senate Final • The Town Manager presented a spreadsheet comparing North Andover's state aid and charges as contained in the recently passed state budget and what was assumed when the Town's FY11 budget was approved at the Town Meeting. Board of Health Mosquito Spraying • Due to the recent finding of West Nile Virus within a test sample of mosquitoes within North Andover and as part of an ongoing monitoring program, the Board of Health has approved selective mosquito spraying. Monday, July 12th from 8:30pm-12:30am around Chadwick St, Osgood St, Massachusetts Ave, Greene St, Elm St, and High St. The residents were notified by phone and it is listed on the Town's website. • The Town Manager signed two contracts one for the expansion of modular's for the Kittredge School and one for Water System Improvements. PUBLIC COMMENT: George Barker of Osgood Street said that he was pleased to hear that the Board made no increase in the Water and Sewer rates. ADJOURNMENT: Richard Nardella made a MOTION, seconded by William Gordon, to adjourn the meeting at 9:25 p.m. Vote approved 4-0. Adele J. Johnson Administrative Secretary William F. Gordon, Clerk of the Board