Board of Selectmen Minutes

Board of Selectmen                              Present:        Stanley Wysocki

September 9, 2010                                               Curtis Plante

                                                                             David Lindsay

                                                                               Don Lowe, Town Administrator

                                                                               Linda L. Day, Town Secretary

The Board of Selectmen met at the Town Hall at 7:00 p.m.

 

STORMWATER RUNOFF AND FLOODING IN THE AREA OF NASHAWAY ROAD AND VAUGHN HILL ROAD

Present:  Mr. Evans, Mr. & Mrs. Bedard, Mr. Dill

Mr. Amenta, Regional Program Manager for Comprehensive Environmental, Inc. (CEI) provided a summary of the final report regarding the storm water runoff and flooding in the area of Nashaway Road and Vaughn Hill Road.  Mr. Amenta will finalize the report after receiving any input as a result of this meeting.

 

At a previous meeting it was estimated that it would cost approximately $397,000 for a 10-year design storm.  Mr. Amenta agreed to look at increasing the system capacity to accommodate a 25-year storm design and estimated it would cost an additional $200,000 not including land acquisition.

A Massachusetts Emergency Management Association (MEMA) grant program is available that could fund 75% of the project, with the grant application deadline being November 1, 2010.  Mr. Amenta stated that the grant application requires a letter of commitment stating that the matching funds would be contingent on a Town Meeting vote.  

There is a grant available through the Department of Environmental Protection grant program that could pay 75% for the detention basin, and this application would be due in the spring of 2011.

Mr. Lindsay stated that any town matched funds would likely require an override and that he would not support any commitment until there was a town meeting vote.  He recommended that the Board vote this evening to schedule a special town meeting.   Mr. Lowe stated that it was not necessary to have a special town meeting to pre-approve the town’s funds before moving forward with the grant application process and also noted that there was not enough time to call a special town meeting before the grant deadline.  Mr. Lindsay disputed the assertion that there was not sufficient time to schedule a special town meeting.

Mr. Wysocki felt it was likely that the town would vote in favor of the funds if the grant was in hand.  

Mr. Evans has communicated with the residents that were impacted by the flooding, but he has not had the opportunity to talk with the resident of 101 Nashaway Road about the possibility of an easement on her property.   Mr. Plante was concerned that there had not been any communication with the property owner of 101 Nashaway Road, but was willing to move forward with the grant application provided Mr. Lowe talk with the property owner of 101 Nashaway Road.  

 

Mr. Amenta estimated it would cost from $3,000 to $4,000 for his company to prepare and submit the grant application and approximately the same amount to do an engineering analysis for the detention basin which he felt would make the grant application that much stronger.  

The Board of Selectmen agreed to discuss the Nashaway flooding situation again at their Thursday, September 30, 2010 meeting, and in the meantime Mr. Lowe, Town Administrator, will contact the property owner of 101 Nashaway Road to discuss the situation and options and report back to the Board on September 30, 2010.

INCREASE THE FEES FOR DOG LICENSES IN 2011

Present:  Rosemary and Matthew Bosselait, residents

The Board of Selectmen held a public meeting at 7:30 p.m. to allow residents the opportunity to be heard regarding the Town Clerk’s proposal to increase dog licenses in 2011.  The fees have not been increased since 1998.  The proposal is as follows:

Spayed or neutered dog be increased from $6.00 to $10.00

Unneutered or unspayed dog be increased from $10.00 to $15.00

Kennel license for 4 to 6 dogs will be $35.00

Kennel license for 7 to 10 dogs will be $60.00

Kennel License for 11+ dogs will be $100.00

On a motion made by Lindsay and seconded by Plante, the Board of Selectmen voted to implement the new fee schedule effective for calendar year 2011.  (Wysocki – yes, Plante – yes, Lindsay – yes)  

NOTICE OF CHAPTER 61A – LORD PROPERTY, ANNIE MOORE ROAD

The Board of Selectmen reviewed the request of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lord to remove 2.5 acres on Annie Moore Road from Chapter 61A to be sold as a house lot.  The Board received notification from the Planning Board stating that they were not interested in the Town purchasing the land unless there was some strategic reason that they were not aware of.  The Board also heard from the Conservation Commission stating that although they were not interested in buying the lot, they were interested in meeting with the Lord Family to discuss the future of their orchards.

On a motion made by Lindsay and seconded Plante, the Board of Selectmen voted not to exercise its right to purchase 2.5 acres on Annie Moore owned by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lord.   (Wysocki – yes, Plante – yes, Lindsay – yes)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

Present:  Doug Storey, member of the Affordable Housing Partnership and Kevin O’Brien, member of both the Affordable Housing Partnership and Housing Authority

Mr. Storey stated that the Affordable Housing Partnership is recommending that the Partnership disband because of the overlap in responsibilities between the Affordable Housing Partnership and the Housing Authority.   It is their recommendation that the Housing Authority take the lead on affordable housing issues with involvement from the Planning Board.  

There is also a Housing Trust Fund Board that has been inactive.  The Board consists of the three Selectmen and three other members.   The Board’s responsibility is to make decisions on how to allocate funds which are received from developers.  The present balance of the fund is approximately $50,000.  Mr. Storey stated that Jenny Atwood-Burney, Town Planner, would manage and administer the paperwork related to the developers and funds received.

Mr. Storey recommended that he be re-appointed to the Housing Trust Fund Board along with Mark Duggan and Kevin O’Brien.  

The revised Housing Plan will be submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development.

They have also had discussions with Habitat for Humanity about building a one or two unit home on land donated by the developers of the Houghton Farms development.  This would require a Local Initiative Program (LIP) and the Board of Selectmen to endorse the concept.  Mr. Plante is concerned with losing control of the property if the responsibility of development was given to Habitat for Humanity.  The other option is for the Housing Authority to put an affordable housing project on the property out to bid.  

Mr. Plante also questioned if the town would lose standing with the state if the Affordable Housing Partnership were to disband.  

On a motion made by Lindsay and seconded by Plante, the Board of Selectmen voted to disband the Affordable Housing Partnership, contingent on Town Administrator Don Lowe receiving confirmation from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that disbanding the Affordable Housing Partnership does not jeopardize the Town’s standing with the Department of Housing and Community Development.  (Wysocki – yes, Plante – yes, Lindsay – yes)

A meeting will be scheduled to discuss how the donated land will be developed.

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REPORT

Donation:  On a motion made by Lindsay and seconded by Plante, the Board of Selectmen voted to accept a donation in the amount of $932 from Linda Caless, to fund one of the flag poles at the new public safety building in memory of her husband Andrew Caless.  (Wysocki –yes, Plante –yes, Lindsay – yes)

EEE/WNV Update:  The Board of Selectmen received a summary from Tim Deschamps, Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) regarding the mosquito spraying that took place in Bolton on Monday, August 30, 2010 as a result of the detected EEE and WNV.   There were 14 no spray exclusion properties, with 10 residents asking that their property be sprayed.  There was a a consensus among members of the Board that, all in all, the CMMCP did honor the Town’s requests, accommodated our concerns and were very flexible in working with the town.

Signs:  Mr. Lowe reported that Town Planner Jenny Atwood Burney will be applying for a way-finding grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development to help with the appearance of directional signs located at various intersections in town including the intersections of Route 117 and Wattaquadock Hill Road, and Route 117 and Route 495.

Mr. Lindsay noted that the Roadhouse did place their sign at the intersection of Route 117 and Wattaquadock Hill Road, and he reiterated his wish that the appearance of these signs be improved.

BOARD OF SELECTMEN BUSINESS

Great Brook Farms – Beer and Wine Licenses:  The Board of Selectmen executed a beer and wine license for an event to be held on September 18 and October 10 from 12 to 8 p.m. at Great Brook Farms, 356 Main Street that was previously approved at their meeting on May 6, 2010.

Budget Transfer Recommendations Form:  On a motion made by Lindsay and seconded by Plante, the Board of Selectmen voted to execute the “revised” budget transfer recommendations from Town Accountant Julie Costello which totaled $84,947.99.  The Board of Selectmen previously voted to execute an earlier version of this document on July 8, 2010.  

Eagle Scout Achievement:  The Board of Selectmen executed a letter of congratulations to Alexander Aghjayan for earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America.  

EXECUTIVE SESSION

On a motion made by Plante and seconded by Lindsay, the Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 by roll call (Wysocki – yes, Plante – yes, Lindsay - yes) to enter into executive session under the authority of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 39B, Section 23B (3) at 8:45 p.m. to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining.  The Board announced it would reconvene to open session.

POLICE UNION CONTRACT

On a motion made by Plante and seconded by Lindsay, the Board of Selectmen voted to reconvene from executive session to open session at 9:00 p.m.   (Wysocki – yes, Plante – yes, Lindsay – yes)  

On a motion made by Plante and seconded by Lindsay, the Board of Selectmen voted to execute the police union contract agreement between the Town of Bolton and the Bolton Police Union, Local 286, Massachusetts Coalition of Police, IUPA, AFL-CIO dated July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011.   (Wysocki – yes, Plante – yes, Lindsay – yes)

The contract includes a 1% cost of living adjustment which is retroactive.

 

On a motion made by Plante and seconded by Lindsay, the Board of Selectmen voted to adjourn at 9:10 p.m.  (Wysocki – yes, Plante – yes, Lindsay – yes)

Respectfully submitted by Linda L. Day