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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-07-10 Board of Selectmen Minutes BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES JULY 10, 1995 CALL TO ORDER: John Leeman, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. ATTENDANCE: The following were present: John Leeman, Chairman; Kenneth C. Crouch; Kevin Foley; John Savastano; Donald Stewart; James P. Gordon, Town Manager; Kevin Mahoney, Director of Finance & Administration. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Interview Town Manager Candidate: The Board of Selectmen met in Executive Session to interview a candidate for the position of Town Manager. REGULAR SESSION: John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, for the Board of Selectmen to move back into regular session;vote approved 5-0. COMMUNICATIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS: The communications were discussed with the Board and no action was taken. PUBLIC COMMENT: Jack Carr, Channel 46, discussed with the Board that he wishes to video tape a Selectmen's meeting to air on Channel 46. Bill McEvoy, Recreation Director, stated that the 4th of July Committee will have a report at the next Selectmen's meeting. The Chairman will issue commendations to Officers Driscoll and Cronin for their admirable work done during a domestic violence issue on July 3, 1995. PERSONNEL: Planning& Community Services -Administrative Assistant-Kenneth Mahony recommended the continuance of the position of Administrative Assistant (5-14) in the Division of Planning and Community Services. Kenneth Crouch made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to approve the continuance of the position of Administrative Assistant(5-14)in the Division of Planning&Community Services;vote approved 5-0. Water Treatment Plant-Upgrade of Water Analyst to Senior Water Analyst-Kenneth Crouch made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to approve the upgrade of Kelly Long in the position of Water Analyst(5-15) to the position of Senior Water Analyst(5-18);vote approved 5-0. REQUEST FROM NORTH ANDOVER CHEERLEADERS TO HOLD A CAR WASH AT THE MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT IN THE NORTH ANDOVER CENTER FOR A FUND-RAISER: John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to approve the request of the North Andover Cheerleaders to hold a car wash at the Municipal Parking Lot on August 26, 1995; vote approved 5-0. George Perna, Director, Division of Public Works, requested that the Cheerleaders use some form of shut-off on the water hoses while the water is not being used. STOP SIGN REQUEST - JARED PLACE: A stop sign was requested at the intersection of Jerad Place and Candlestick Road. Planning and Community Services recommended the placement of this sign and the Police Department recommended that this sign be placed on Jerad Place at Candlestick Road. George Perna, Director, Division of Public Works, discussed with the Board that the Technical Review Committee addresses safety concerns, when a development is proposed. At that time, a Stop Sign may have been required to be placed by the Developer. After some discussion, Kenneth Crouch made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to request that George Perna, Director, Division of Public Works, and Kenneth Mahony, Director Planning & Community Services, investigate who is responsible for installing this sign. If it is the responsibility of the developer, then the developer must place the sign. If it is not the responsibility of the Developer, then the Town will place the sign, as recommended;vote approved 5-0. Board of Selectmen Minutes July 10, 1995 Page 2. TOWN SONG - JACK CARR: Jack Carr presented the song "We Are the People of North Andover" to the Board of Selectmen requesting that it be adopted by the Board, as the North Andover Town Song. John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Kenneth Crouch, to approve the adoption of "We Are the People of North Andover", as the North Andover Town Song;vote approved 5-0. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT - ERIC PETROW: John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to approve the Settlement Agreement between the Town of North Andover and Eric Petrow; vote approved 5-0. This agreement states that the Town agrees to appoint Mr. Petrow to the second available reserve police officer vacancy provided that he passes the routine tests and exams administered in connection with the hiring process. As part of this same agreement, Mr. Petrow agrees to withdraw his 2(b) bypass appeal pending before the Civil Service Commission. CONSERVATION EASEMENT - LONG PASTURE SUBDIVISION: The Board of Selectmen requested information as to how that Conservation Easement would affect the taxes on the property. Kenneth Crouch made a MOTION, seconded by John Savastano,to defer action on this item until the next meeting and requested that Planning Staff be present to discuss this item;vote approved 5-0. FISCAL YEAR 1996 STATE AID CERTIFICATION: The State Aid Certification figures have come in and the Town Manager recommends appropriating some of the remaining monies to the underfunded budgets. This appropriation must be approved at a Special Town Meeting. ESTABLISHMENT OF DATE FOR MEETING ON GREAT POND ROAD BETTERMENT ASSESSMENT POLICY: The Board of Selectmen have discussed with the Town Manager various ways of calculating the Betterment Assessments for the impacted properties tying into the sewer system. The Town has a proposed betterment which is approximately $ 4,800 with no tie-in fee. The Town Manager does not recommend adopting a method of calculating the betterments"that is not to the letter of the law". John Leeman requested an analysis examining the impact on the sewer rate if the town was to shift costs identified as specific betterment and transferred to general betterment. The analysis should identify by dollar increments the impact on the sewer rate. FISCAL YEAR 1996 BUDGET ISSUES: The Town Manager discussed the following FY 96 Budget Issues with the Board: School Department- Town Meeting appropriated $300,000 for the School Department for FY 96 in excess of net school spending requirements. The Town has been advised that, as a result of the revised Chapter 70 allocation,it may be required to fund additional monies to meet the requirements of the Department of Education. The Town Manager recommends funding these needs with the additional monies being allocated by the State on the revised Chapter 70 allocation. Greater Lawrence Technical School-The Town was notified in April that the Greater Lawrence Technical School assessment for Fiscal Year 1996 is $255,384 (145% increase over Fiscal Year 1995). The Town has had discussions with the Vo Tech over that increased assessment, which relates primarily to those students who are attending Whittier. The Town Manager does not agree with Vo Tech in the handling of those tuition students. Town Meeting budgeted FY `96 at$ 52,000 less than the assessment. Greater Lawrence Sanitary District-The Town's assessment for Fiscal Year 1996 is$ 1,286,709. That assessment amount was apportioned on North Andover flow data for calendar year 1994, which the Town Manager believes to be erroneous. Town Meeting appropriated $ 975,786, which is approximately $311,000 less than the Sanitary District Assessment. The Sanitary District Executive Director has indicated that he believes that the assessment was based on erroneous data, however,the District Commissioners have failed to address that issue. Board of Selectmen Minutes July 10, 1995 Page 3. John Savastano made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to not pay more than $ 975,786 to the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District for the Fiscal Year 1996 assessment;vote approved 5-0. General Government - The General Government budgets were reduced by $ 177,000 from the Town Manager's recommended basic budget. Those General Government Budget reductions was necessitated, as a result of allocating an additional $300,000 to the School Department, as well as providing for an increase in the Vo Tech budget and a reduction in estimated State Aid at the time of Town Meeting. As a result of State Aid having been increased for Fiscal Year 96, the Town Manager recommends that the Board consider restoring $ 177,000 to municipal budgets on a priority basis. The Town Manager stated that he believes, the add back of that$ 177,000 to municipal budgets is of extreme importance because without those additional funds, there will certainly be a reduction in the delivery of municipal services. He recommends increasing the hours of operation at the Library and increasing the overtime budgets of the Police Department and Public Works-Building Maintenance and Parks and Playgrounds. This action needs to be approved at the Special Town Meeting. FY `96 Capital Improvement Plan - Town Meeting adopted the Board of Selectmen's recommended Fiscal Year `96 Capital Improvement Plan. This action approved the items that were to be bonded, as well as appropriated $256,000 for the purpose of acquiring some equipment and improvements to be paid for out of current appropriations. The $256,000 was subject to a 2 1/2 override which the voters did not approve. The Town Manager recommends that the Board bring back to the Special Town Meeting a recommendation to move forward, without an override, those Capital Improvement Items that would normally be bonded and that the Board defer moving forward with those items to be paid for with the current appropriation($256,000). FISCAL YEAR 1995 OPERATING BUDGET: The Town Manager discussed with the Board the need to transfer funds from various line items in order to close out Fiscal Year 1995. These transfers will need to be approved at the Special Town Meeting. The Town Manager forecasts that the year will close with a net surplus after the transfers are approved. MANAGEMENT STUDY - POLICE DEPARTMENT: The Town Manager discussed with the Board the review and discussion of the scope of service proposals for the Management Study of the Police Department. The Board needs to define a scope of work and the Town must go out to bid(Request For Proposals)for this study. The Town Manager also discussed that if the Board wants to pursue the investigation of the allegations by the Police Association, they need to move forward with a different avenue. Some draft proposals were provided to the Board for their review. John Leeman indicated concern that many items listed in the proposals were not needed. He also discussed his opinion that the Board should find out what the underlying problems are; he stated that the Board has a box of allegations, and they need to look into those specific allegations. The Town Manager stated that he believes that the proposed Joint Labor Management Committee could be utilized to look into the allegations. The Board took no action on this item. ADJOURNMENT: Kevin Foley made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to adjourn this meeting at 9:45 PM; vote approved 5-0. Melissa Powers, Admin. Secretary Clerk