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Home My WebLink About2012-02-27 Board of Selectmen Minutes BOARD C>FSELECTMEN MINUTES FEBRUARY 27, 2012 CALL TO � Chairman Tracy Watson called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at Town Hall Meeting Room, ATTENDANCE: The following were present: Tracy Watson, Chairman;William F. Gordon, Clerk-, Rosemary Smodi|e, Licensing Chaimnan� Donald Stewart, Ray 8an0|i. Assistant Town Manager-, and Andrew K8ay|or, Town Manager, EXECUTIVE SESSION: William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to move into Executive Session for the purpose nf discussing strategy regarding collective bargaining and tV discuss the possible release of Executive Session minutes, the discussion of either of which in open session may have a detrimental impact om the town's position iu the collective bargaining process: Roll Call vote: William Gordon yes, Donald Stewart yes. Rosemary SmedUe yen, and Tracy Watson yes. Vote approved 4'0. PLEDGE OFALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF MINUTES: William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary GmedUe. hz approve the Open Session Minutes of February 8' 2012' uswritten. Vote approved 3'O-1. Tracy Watson abstained. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to approve the Executive Session Minutes of February G. 2O12, as written, Vote approved 3-0'1. Tracy Watson abstained. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary SmedDe. tu approve the Open Session Minutes of February 14, 2O12. aswritten, Vote approved 4-0. Rosemary Snmedi|emade a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to approve the Open Session Minutes of February 22. 2O12, auwritten, Vote approved 3-1'O,William Gordon abstained, William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Rosemary Smedile, to release certain executive session minutes which are no longer considered exempt from public request under the open meeting law or the Freedom of Information Act, Vote approved 4-O. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT: Taken out of Order: Proposal of Possible Changes to Municipal Office Hours Human Resources Director Cathy Darby and the Town Manager Andrew Maylor proposed a possible change of hours bo Town offices to serve the public. /\survey was done with surrounding cities and hzvvns about their off|ma hours to serve the public. yWm. Darby presented her proposal of staying open one night aweek to serve residents and close early on Fridays. This was aetorting point and would be evaluated and tweaked with a possible pilot program for o couple ofmonths. Selectmen discussed various scenarios and options hz changing hours ho better serve the public. The Town Manager would take all into consideration and work out an alternative solution and bring it back to the staff and the Selectmen before going forth with a pilot program. COMMENT:COMMUNICATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND PUBLIC Election Update Town Clerk Joyce Bradshaw gave the Selectmen anupdate on the upcoming primary election oDMarch G, 2O12 and the town election mn March 27' 2O12, Residents are being notified of the change ofpolling location at the Middle School by mai|, vvebsihs and various signs posted in town. K8a. Bradshaw also recommended using the reverse 911 system to notify residents, Absentee voting requests are available until noon nn Monday, March 5. 2O12. Anyone needing assistance can contact the Town Clerk's office. ' Board of Selectmen Minutes February 27, 2012 2 MBTA— Proposed Fare Increases The Town Manager Andrew May|or informed the Board of the proposed MBTA commuter rail fare increases and possible service reductions. The proposed fare increases could ba anywhere from 48% or 3596. Ridership would beimpacted bya reduction in service and eliminating commuter rail service after 1O:OOp.nn. and weekend services. The Town Manager urged residents bo attend informational public workshops. CONSENT ITEMS: Appointments Poet Laureate—Karen Kline—effective July 1. 2O13—June 3O. 2O14 Rosemary Snnedi|e made a MOTION, seconded by William Gordon, tnapprove the appointment ofKaren Kline of 55 Cricket Lane, North Andover, to the position of Poet Laureate effective July 1, 2012, said term will end on June 3O. 2O14. Vote approved 4-1. Selectmen Smedile thanked Gayle Heney for her tenure in this role for the past few years. LICENSING COMMISSIONERS: William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to move into Licensing. Vote approved 4-O. Merrimack College requests a One-Day all alcohol license for event held on March 9, 2012 William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, acting as Licensing Commissioners, hereby grants a One Day All Alcohol License per m.G.L. cluo, section l4zo Glenn Hofmann, Merrimack College, 315Turnpike Street, North Andover, for use atan event ho benefit the Merrimack College Hockey Team to be held at the Volpe Center, located at Merrimack College, on March 9, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p,m. Vote approved 4-O. Consideration of granting the Licensing Chairman authorization to approve One Day Liquor Licenses In cases where requests for one day liquor licenses cannot be met in a timely manner as part of the normal meeting schedule cf the Board cf Selectmen, granting the Chairman oTthe Licensing Commission the authority tm approve said license would eliminate the need tn call special meetings. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Tracy Watson, to authorize the Chairman of the Licensing Commissioners to approve one day liquor ficense requests when such requests cannot be acted ooby the Board of Selectmen ina timely manner ata regular scheduled meeting. Vote approved 4-O. Tracy Watson made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to move out ofLicensing. Vote approved 4-O. BUSINESS:OLD request for school technology me different manner. School officials submitted an alternative prioritization Amendments to FY1 3-17 General Fund Capital Improvement Plan from what was originally submitted. This does not change the total amount recommended for school technology nor does it impact the goal of lower debt service as a percentage of budgeted expenditures over the next five years. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to accept the Town Manager's recommended modifications to the FY1 3-17 General Fund Capital Improvement Plan. Vote approved 4-0. Amendments to FYI 3-17 Sewer Enterprise Fund Capital Improvement Plan The Town Manager recommended modifying his original FY2013 Sewer Enterprise Fund Capital Improvement Plan to add funding for the 25% design of the Route 125 sewer project. Experience has been that 25% design is necessary to seek outside (state and federal) sources of funding and to estimate a more accurate cost. Since the Waverly Road sewer project came in below the amount previously borrowed, he recommended under this modified plan that those proceeds be used to fully fund the FY1 3 � Board uf Selectmen Minutes February 27. 2O12 3 sewer capital requests, This means that if the modified plan is approved there will beooborrowing necessary tn pay for the projects naqumnhad. William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to accept the Town Manager's recommended modifications to the FY1 3-17 Sewer Enterprise Fund Capital Improvement Plan. Vote approved 3-1, Rosemary Smedi|nopposed. TOWN MANAGER:IS REPORT: FY13 Budget Update Division and Department heads submitted their Fiscal 2O13 budget requests approximately two weeks ago. The Town Manager has been meeting with them since that time to fully understand their requests before developing the Fiscal 2013 budget document that he will submit to the Board by March 12, 2012. The Town's Insurance consultants are working on their analysis of possible health insurance benefit design changes. The evaluation of town buildings regarding recommending improvements to reduce energy consumption should ba completed with the next several weeks, Within the next several weeks town hall should have vvifiaccess. The Town Manager will follow-up with the Facilities Master Building Committee for their report William Gordon made a MOTION, seconded by Donald Stewart, to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 p.m. Vote approved 4-0. Adele J. Johnson Administrative Secretary w� William Gordon, Clerk of the Board