Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting date:
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Board of Selectmen
January 3, 2008
Present:
Panny Gerken
Curt Plante
Kenneth F. Troup
The Board of Selectmen met at the Town Hall at 7:00 p.m.
Present: Advisory Committee chairman David Lindsay
POLE HEARING – WATTAQUADOCK HILL ROAD
Present: Steve Trychon, Manager - Right of Way for Verizon; Iris Price, Supervisor, Distribution Design for Massachusetts Electric Company; Mark Caisse, Tree Warden.
The Board of Selectmen held a public hearing at 7:00 p.m. on the Petition of Verizon New England, Inc. and Massachusetts Electric Company to relocate one JO pole on Wattaquadock Hill Road. The request is to relocate the Pole No. 67 approximately 10 feet forward toward the street to allow the developer the room so that it does not infringe on the project. The relocation of the pole is in line with the rest of the poles. On a motion made by Plante and seconded by Troup, the Board of Selectmen approved the relocation of the pole. (Gerken – yes, Plante – yes, Troup – yes) Mr. Caisse stated that he believes the pole number is incorrect and should be Pole No. 68. Mr. Caisse will work with Mr. Trychon to determine the correct pole number. Mr. Caisse confirmed that the pole is before the conservation area and is not in the historic district.
POLE HEARING – MAIN STREET
Present: Steve Trychon, Manager - Right of Way for Verizon; Iris Price, Supervisor, Distribution Design for Massachusetts Electric Company; Mark Caisse, Tree Warden.
The Board of Selectmen held a public hearing at 7:10 p.m. on the Petition of Verizon New England, Inc. and Massachusetts Electric Company to place Pole No. 60S 80 feet northwest of the existing Pole No. 60. Ms. Remington was satisfied with the proposed plan. She did state that she would rather have the pole behind the fence rather than in front of the fence. It is the understanding of Verizon that the pole, fence and support brace are all on town property. Service will not be interrupted to replace this pole.
On a motion made by Plante and seconded by Troup, the Board of Selectmen voted to approve the proposed installation of Pole No. 60S and that if an easement was required one would be provided before the pole is placed. (Gerken – yes, Plante – yes, Troup – yes).
If any guying is necessary on Ms. Remington’s property she will be contacted directly by Verizon.
Ms. Remington recommended that when the dead tree is cut down that a 10 foot stump be left. Ms. Price stated that the tree is on town property. Therefore, National Grid will remove the guy wire and the town would be responsible for the tree. Mr. Caisse confirmed that the tree is dead and regardless of if it is on town property or Ms. Remington’s property he would remove the tree as it imposes a safety hazard. He is willing to leave the stump as Ms. Remington requested.
SIGN REQUEST – 556 MAIN STREET
Mr. Randy Caviness met with the Board of Selectmen to request approval to install a permanent sign at 556 Main Street. Mr. Caviness stated that the sign would be installed in the same location as the present sign. The Board of Selectmen reviewed a letter dated December 28, 2007 from Mr. Krysa, Building Inspector that stated the proposed sign meets the requirements of the sign bylaw. Mr. Krysa noted that the sign must be at least 20 feet from the public way and that a building permit was required for the installation of the sign. Mr. Caviness was not sure that the existing sign met the 20 foot requirement. The Board of Selectmen stated that they did not have a problem with the distance of the sign being a little less than the required 20 feet. Mr. Caviness was provided with a copy of Mr. Krysa’s letter.
On a motion made by Troup and seconded by Plante, the Board of Selectmen approved the sign request. (Gerken – yes, Plante – yes, Troup – yes).
REVERSE 911 / WORCESTER REGION ALERTING SYSTEM
Present: Police Chief Alfano, Margy Diaz, and Dina Rich
Mr. Thomas Ashe, from the office of Sheriff Glodis met with the Board of Selectmen and public safety officials to discuss the emergency Reserve 911 system which is available to the town of Bolton. The system provides Geo-Cast and NXT which provides public notification for emergency situations via land lines. They are working to develop software for cell phones also. Sheriff Glodis’ office will provide the training. The training program is funded through a grant. A grant extension has been requested and Mr. Ashe feels confident that it will be awarded. In the event that it is not awarded the cost for training is approximately $200 annually for a town like Bolton.
Chief Alfano stated that this system is similar to the one used by the school system to notify parents of various situations. We could not afford to install this system on our own because of the cost. It is a fabulous benefit to the town at minimal cost to the town.
On a motion made by Gerken and seconded by Plante, the Board of Selectmen voted to approve implementation of the Reverse 911 system with Chief Alfano being the commanding officer for the town of Bolton. (Gerken – yes, Plante – yes, Troup – yes)
SELECTMEN’S MEETING SCHEDULE
The Selectmen set the following meeting dates for 2008:
January 17 & 31, 2008
February 7 & 21, 2008
March 6 & 20, 2008
April 3 & 17, 2008
May 1 & 15, 2008
The Board of Selectmen will also be posted for the Library Construction Committee meeting on January 7, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.
HAROLD BROWN, DPW DIRECTOR – SIDEWALK
Mr. Brown met with the Board of Selectmen to discuss snow issues:
Snowstorms: Mr. Brown discussed the snowstorms and impact on his budget. Mr. Brown stated that for the most part his trucks are all working. He has had to do repairs such as electrical, hydraulic, and a transmission replacement in the 1-ton truck. They have had good communication with the police department and also responded to one fire call and two ambulance calls to assist the emergency departments.
He has not had a problem with the lack of salt because he planned ahead. Salt prices have gone up 20%. The mix ratio is 3 sand to 1 salt. He thinks the trucks are going out more which means more material is being put out. It is really hard to judge because we have had many ice storms.
Mr. Brown is not aware of anything he could do differently to make improvements.
Mr. Plante complimented Mr. Brown on taking care of the roads.
Ms. Shnitzler, Bolton Common Reporter asked for the Board’s explanation as to why they were going through this exercise with Mr. Brown related to snow removal. The Selectmen explained that they are better analyzing the expenses to determine the most cost effective approach.
Mr. Brown stated that his truck drivers have expressed concern with the number of walkers and joggers that are out on the roads in the middle of a snowstorm. He encouraged the people to stay off the roads and to have a flashlight and reflectors with them if they are out on the roads.
Chief Alfano stated that the snowstorms we have experienced over the past several months have occurred during rush hour. His department has been overwhelmed, and in one case he kept a shift over to help deal with the accidents. He cautioned people not to go out if it is treacherous.
Mr. Brown stated that he witnessed one of the sanders sliding on the road. Trucks are no safer than a car during these snowstorms.
Chief Alfano stated that he feels they have a good system in place for notifying the DPW. The officers based their decision on their driving experience during the storm and the accident volume.
Ms. Ross stated that Mr. Brown has spent approximately $106,000 out of the $180,000 budgeted for FY08. If the storms continue he could overspend.
Mr. Brown provided the Board of Selectmen with information regarding research he did on snow blowers to clear the sidewalks. The equipment they have is of residential grade and not designed to get through the snow banks that have been plowed in by private contractors. Mr. Brown proposed a Bobcat, Vermeer or a Toro Dingo. Mr. Brown stated he has talked with representatives and has received quotes that range from $24,000 to $32,000. The machines could be equipped with different attachments to be used for other work done by the DPW although it was not necessary. Mr. Brown will visit the town of Uxbridge that has a Bobcat. Mr. Senie stated that the town of Acton also has a Bobcat. Chief Alfano offered to visit the Bobcat distributor with Mr. Brown.
Mr. Plante stated that the purchase of a Bobcat seemed like the right approach but he was concerned with how it would fit into the DPW budget.
Mr. Giunta of Fox Run Road stated that he is not opposed to clearing the sidewalks in Bolton but it has to be addressed uniformly. Everyone that has a sidewalk snow blows or shovels themselves. He feels the issue on Main Street is a homeowner issue and not town expense.
Ms. Gerken stated that during the review of the DPW’s budget for FY09 the costs associated with the clearing of sidewalks will be discussed.
Mailboxes: Mr. Plante provided a sketch of the proposed mailbox installation for Main Street residents. If the Board was favorable to the proposal Mr. Plante would work with Mr. Brown to obtain more information on the installation and costs associated with the installation. Mr. Troup stated the implementation was more important than the design. The Board of Selectmen agreed that Mr. Plante should proceed with obtaining more information.
MAIN STREET TRAFFIC SPEED REVIEW
Present: Chief Alfano and Sgt. Bagdonas
Sgt. Bagdonas provided the Board of Selectmen with speed survey results conducted by the Police Department a couple of years ago for the area of Main Street starting at 746 Main Street (near the Library) to 800 Main Street (St. Francis Church). Sgt. Bagdonas stated that the purpose of this survey was to get a possible speed reduction in this area. This area was previously posted at 30 MPH without Mass Highway approval. The 30 MPH sign was removed and the appropriate speed of 45 MPH was reposted along with a caution sign. Sgt. Bagdonas was prepared to forward this survey to Mass Highway for further review but Mass Highway required a letter from the Board of Selectmen requesting the review.
The Board of Selectmen executed a letter to be sent to Thomas Waruzila, District Highway of Mass Highway requesting their assistance in review of this section of Main Street.
ACCEPTANCE TO LAYOUT OAK TRAIL
Present: Brian Lynch, IGC Manager; Attorney John Altomare; Jenny Atwood Burney, Town Planner; and Larry Delaney, Chairman of the Planning Board; Harold Brown, DPW Director
Mr. Lynch and Attorney John Altomare met with the Board of Selectmen to request the acceptance to layout Oak Trail. The Board reviewed an approved plan, dated 2001 and a revised plan, dated 2002. Mr. Delaney stated that there are a couple of outstanding items to be addressed but that he is confident the applicant will resolve the outstanding issues and therefore felt it was appropriate to place an article on the annual town meeting warrant for May. Mr. Brown had no comment regarding the request for acceptance to layout Oak Trail.
Mr. Plante questioned what the surety is if the road were accepted at town meeting and the work had not been completed. Ms. Ross stated that the article will be passed over at town meeting if the work is not completed.
On a motion made by Troup and seconded by Gerken, the Board of Selectmen voted their intent to layout Oak Trail as an accepted public way. (Gerken – yes, Plante – yes, Troup – yes)
The applicant would be the sponsor of the article.
TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REPORT
Invitation to Bid: Ms. Ross reported that the Invitation for Bid for the new 2008 ambulance is available and the deadline for submission is January 24, 2008 at 1:00 p.m.
Request for Proposal: Ms. Ross reported that the Request for Proposal for the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) Services for the Construction of the Bolton Public Safety Center will be available January 8, 2008 and the deadline for submission is February 4, 2008 at 11:00 a.m.
Personnel Bylaws: Ms. Ross reported she has requested the Personnel Committee provide a copy of proposed revisions to the personnel bylaw for review by the Board of Selectmen. A meeting will be scheduled for the Board of Selectmen to meet with the Personnel Committee to review the proposed revisions to the bylaw, and the organizational study which is due to be completed soon. It was noted that it is important to expedite the review of the organizational study sooner rather than later so that any budget implications can be addressed.
DISSOLVE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING TASK FORCE
On a motion made by Plante and seconded by Troup, the Board of Selectmen voted to dissolve the Public Safety Building Task Force. (Gerken – yes, Plante – yes, Troup – yes)
Mr. Giunta informed the Board of Selectmen that he was appointed chairman of the Public Safety Center Construction Committee and Susan Mason was appointed as vice chairman. Secretarial duties will be rotated with the other members of the committee.
REPLACEMENT FOR EXPLORER
Chief Alfano informed the Board of Selectmen that the Explorer that was hit by a town sander has been totaled by the insurance company. The accident occurred when the Explorer was stopped at the scene of another accident and the sander slid into the back of the Explorer. The Police Department is presently without a 4-wheel drive vehicle and this vehicle was not scheduled for replacement until 2010. The town will be issued a check in the amount of approximately $10,450 towards the replacement of the vehicle. The purchase of a 2008 Ford Expedition would cost between $37,000 to $39,000. A 3 year lease would cost $16,000 per year for 2 years with the $10,450 being used for the 1st year’s payment. A 4 year lease would cost $11,000 per year for 3 years with the $10,450 being used for the 1st year’s payment. At the end of the lease the vehicle would be owned by the town.
Based on Mr. Lindsay’s calculations he did not feel that there is much of a financial difference to lease or purchase the vehicle. A transfer from the Advisory Committee reserve fund would be required if the decision was to purchase the vehicle.
On a motion made by Troup and seconded by Gerken, the Board of Selectmen approved leasing a vehicle until town meeting when we would borrow for the purchase of a vehicle if it made sense financially. Ms. Ross will research the details of leasing the vehicle.
(Gerken – yes, Plante – yes, Troup – yes)
Ms. Ross also suggested that chains be purchased for DPW vehicles.
Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Linda L. Day