HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-01-19 Board of Selectmen Minutes BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES JANUARY 19, 2005
CALL TO ORDER: Rosemary Connelly Smedile called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at Town Hall
Meeting Room.
ATTENDANCE: The following were present: Rosemary Smedile, Chairman; Wendy Wakeman; James
Xenakis; Donald B. Stewart; Mark J.T. Caggiano; Mark Rees, Town Manager; Ray Santilli, Assistant
Town Manager.
OLD BUSINESS:
Review School Technology Capital Requests.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Harry Harutunian requested $250,000 for a system wide technology
upgrades, replacement, and expansion of the schools' computer resources to support PreK-12 learning in
accordance with the Mass. Department of Education's Technology Plan.
Selectmen asked Superintendent Harutunian to explain computer use for the various grade levels and to
explain the reimbursement from the government.
Dr. Harutunian said the Federal government reimburses municipalities across the country, libraries and
schools specifically. E-Rate is a reimbursement that the School Department can apply for.
North Andover has about 1,700 computers and over 500 of them were bought in 1997. It is time to do a
long-range plan to upgrade and replace the school's technology system. Last year 900 computers were
bought for the high school. The requested amount of$250,000 is to be divided 2/3 to elementary and 1/3
to the middle school. In a budget line-item request for technology systems can be expected each year to
maintain upgrades.
The Town Manager said that the Town could bond the request of$250,000 for the life of the assets.
NEW BUSINESS:
Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by James Xenakis, to cancel Special Town Meeting on
February 7, 2005 and consider the issue of the Police Station at the regularly schedule Town Meeting in
May 2005. MOTION failed 1-4. Smedile, Stewart, Wakeman and Xenakis opposed.
Mark Caggiano said the Board has done nothing but administrative work, no selling or advertising.
Wendy Wakeman said that this is not an easy thing for the Selectmen to stand-up for even though it is the
right thing to do. The Committee and the Board have been working to make cuts in all areas to reduce
the total cost to $6.5 million. The Town needs a Police Station and this is the right time to bring it to Town
Meeting and to a Town Election.
Bea Fink, 1250 Turnpike Street is troubled because of the proposed cost of the Police Station. She
compared the cost of building a new high school that was 300,000 sq ft at$58 million dollars and a tenth
of that is 30,000 sq ft and the Police Station is less square footage.
The Town Manager said that he is having a brochure mailer designed to inform residents with details of
the new Police Station.
The Town Manager requested the Board to Open the Warrant to add two articles.
Mark Caggiano made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to open the Warrant. Vote approved 5-0.
Wendy Wakeman made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to insert in the Warrant to see if the
Town will vote to transfer the care, custody, management and control of land on Chickering Road (as
described below) from the North Andover School Committee to the Board of Selectmen for purposes of
construction of a police station by January 1, 2008, provided, however, that this transfer shall be null and
void and the land shall revert to the care, custody, management and control of the School Committee (a)
on January 28, 2008, if the construction of the police station on the land has not commenced by such
date or(b) on any earlier date if the Board of Selectmen determines that the police station will not be built
on the land, or take any other action related thereto. Vote approved 5-0.
2
Beginning at a point, on the westerly sideline of Route 125 also known as Chickering Road, at the
intersection with the northerly sideline of Phillips Brook Road;
Thence S88'47'1 5W, along the northerly sideline of said Phillips Brook Road, 280.00 feet, to a point, on
the remaining land owned by the Town of North Andover;
Thence N01'02'1 1"W, along the easterly line of said, land of the Town of North Andover, 173.00 feet, to a
point;
Thence S68°59'45"E, along the southerly line of said, land of the Town of North Andover, 28.00 feet, to a
point;
Thence N20°55'56"E, along the easterly line of said, land of the Town of North Andover, 291.06 feet, to a
point, on the southerly side of Beacon Hill Boulevard, so-called;
Thence N88°47'16"E, along the southerly line of said, Beacon Hill Boulevard, 84.24 feet, to a point;
Thence N84°25'35"E, along the southerly line of said, Beacon Hill Boulevard, 52.57feet, to a point;
Thence N84°14'15"E, along the southerly line of said, Beacon Hill Boulevard, 50.48feet, to a point;
Thence N88'47'1 5E, along the southerly line of said, Beacon Hill Boulevard, 99.36feet, to a point;
Thence Easterly, along the southerly line of said, Beacon Hill Boulevard, along a curve to the right with a
radius of 318.17 feet, and an arc length of 36.43 feet, with an included angle of 6°33'37"to a point, on
westerly sideline of said Route 125, so called;
Thence S21'00'1 5"W, along the said, westerly sideline of said Route 125, 473.03 feet, to the point of
beginning.
Containing 138,708 square feet or 3.1843 acres from the School Committee to the Board of Selectmen
for purposes of construction of a police station by January 1, 2008, or take any other action related
thereto.
Mark Caggiano made a MOTION to close the Warrant. Failed for lack of Second.
Wendy Wakeman made a MOTION to AMEND Article 2, Donald Stewart seconded, to insert that the
Town will raise an appropriate $8,160,000 for constructing, originally equipping, and furnishing a new
police station, including any necessary additional architectural services, construction management
services, demolition and site improvements and $40,000 for the reconstruction and relocation of any
school playground or other school facilities that would be affected by construction of the police station and
to meet these appropriations the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, is authorized to
borrow$8,200,000 under Chapter 44 of the General Laws, provided, however, that no expenditure shall
be made, and no debt may be incurred, unless the town has voted at an election to exempt the principal
and interest costs from the provisions of Proposition 2'h, so called, and furthermore, should the Town sell
all or part of the land and buildings where the current police station is located, that the proceeds from that
sale be used to defray the debt service of the new police station and that these appropriations be
expended under the direction of the Town Manager who shall be authorized to take any other action
necessary to carry out this project; or take any other action relative thereto.
Wendy Wakeman made a MOTION, seconded by Mark Caggiano, to close the Warrant.
Vote approved 5-0.
ADJOURNMENT:
Wendy Wakeman made a MOTION, seconded by Mark Caggiano, to adjourn the meeting at 6:40 PM.
Vote approved 5-0.
Adele J. Johnson
Administrative Secretary
Wendy D. Wakeman, Clerk of the Board