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Home My WebLink AboutMinutes - AC - 04/08/2015 ., Town of Cohasset Massachusetts MEETING MINUTES Town of Cohasset Advisory Committee TIME: April 8, 2015 7:00 pm - 9:04 pm PLACE: Cohasset Town Hall, BOS Room ATTENDEES: Advisory Committee Presenters • Peter Pescatore, Chair • Lenora Jenkins • Bob Benson • Shaun Selha • George Chamillard • John Chapman Town Manager • Richard Fitzpatrick Present • Lynda Mooney • Nan Roth Selectmen • Tanya Bodell • Leland Jenkins 1. Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Peter Pescatore, Chair of the Advisory Committee. 2. Water Rates There was a brief discussion of the rate study and proposed article amending water rates, both previously discussed at the March 30 meeting that followed the Water Commission's forum on the rate study. Bob Benson moved to recommend approval of the proposed rates; Lynda Mooney seconded, the motion was approved 9-0. 3. Water Commission Budget John Chapman asked for future budgets to include supporting detail showing the build-up from projected usage applied to rates, with collection assumptions made explicit. Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Town of April 8, 2015 Cohasset Page 2 :; Massachusetts Peter asked what happens if rates are not approved. The plan is to have available a motion to amend the operating budget to make the necessary reductions. George Chamillard moved recommendation of the Water Commission's proposed FY 2016 operating budget; Bob Benson seconded; the motion was approved 8-1. 4. Alternative Energy Committee Shaun Selha presented three Town Meeting articles (18-20)being recommended by the Alternative Energy Committee. All are supportive of the AEC's pursuit of Green Community certification. Shaun used a Powerpoint presentation previously distributed to the Committee. Two of five criteria for Green Community certification are not now met by Cohasset: (1) adopting the stretch energy code, and(2) adopting as-of-right siting for renewable and alternative energy generation. Articles 18 and 20 address these criteria and will support the AEC's intended application for Green Community certification. Article 18: This will have Cohasset adopt the state's stretch energy code. Other than enabling the Green Community certification, this will have minimal effect because since the stretch code was written the state has adopted new statewide building codes that are as strict or stricter. Lee Jenkins moved to recommend approval of article 18, Lynda Mooney seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. Article 19: This will support the lease of town property(the old dump at the transfer facility) for a solar facility. The Town has a signed contract for a lease, with right to buy-back the electricity that is generated at 8.8cents/kwh for 20-years. The facility is expected to provide approximately 25% of the electricity used by the Town. While the contract has been signed, the developer's engineering analysis identified that the area at the transfer facility that is covered by the contract involves three distinct parcels, but the previous town meeting approval applied only to one of these parcels. The purpose of this article is to extend that approval to all three parcels that are intended to be used for the solar facility. Nan Roth moved to recommend approval of Article 19; Tanya Bodell seconded; the motion was approved 9-0 Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Town of April 8, 2015 Cohasset Page 3 :; Massachusetts Article 20: This article will apply the as-of-right siting designation to the three parcels at the old landfill that are being used for the solar facility that is the subject of article 19. The Planning Board has approved Article 20. Tanya Bodell moved to recommend approval of Article 20, Lee Jenkins seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 5. Capital Stabilization -- Bus Lease The second installment of the bus lease approved last year($75,000)was missing from the schedule of capital items approved at the last meeting (Mar. 31). Nan moves to add this item to the list recommended for approval last week; Lynda Mooney seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 6. Warrant The Committee reviewed the draft warrant(as of 4/8), with consideration of each article to not previously considered. 1 —Annual Town Report Does not need a vote. 2—Reports of Committees Does not need a vote. 3 —Water Rate restructuring This was addressed earlier in this meeting (see item 2 above). 4—Operating Budget Components of the budget have been voted on over the course of the last several meeting. Nan Roth moved to recommend approval of the budget as a whole; Bob Benson seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 5 —Unpaid Bills from Previous Years George Chamillard moved to recommend approval;Nan Roth seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 6— Supplemental Appropriations for FY 2015 Advisory Committee Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Town of April 8, 2015 Cohasset Page 4 :; Massachusetts The $266,000 requested for snow and ice removal is approximately half of the total overage. State law approves amortization over three years. There's money available to pay it all, but the Town Manager recommends waiting until applications for Federal emergency money that may cover a substantial portion of it are processed. George Chamillard moved to recommend approval; Lee Jenkins seconded; the motion was approved 9-0 7— Stabilization Funds Nan Roth moved to recommend approval; Lynda Mooney seconded; the motion was approved 9-0 8—Capital Improvements Budget This article was approved 7-0 at the March 31 meeting, with amendment earlier this meeting (see item 5 above). 9—Establishment of and/or Annual Renewal of Revolving Funds Lynda Mooney moved to recommend approval; Lee Jenkins seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 10—Funds for Road Repair and Maintenance. Lee Jenkins moved to recommend approval; Tanya Bodell seconded; the motion was approved 9-0 11- Funds for Facilities Projects. Lee Jenkins moved to recommend approval; Nan Roth seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 12—Allocation of Funds for One Time Cost. Lynda Mooney moved to recommend approval; George Chamillard seconded; the motion was approved 9-0 13 —MGL C91 liability. Lee Jenkins moved to recommend approval; John Chapman seconded; the motion was approved 9-0 14—Additional Real Estate Exemptions. Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Town of April 8, 2015 Cohasset Page 5 ~r`' Massachusetts These are long-standing exemptions that must be renewed each year. Lynda Mooney moved to recommend approval; Nan Roth seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 15 —Community Preservation Committee This article addresses both the allocation of available CPC money to its sub-accounts, the projects recommended by the Committee for funding, each of which was voted on by the Committee at its March 30 meeting. 16—Cohasset Elder Affairs—Lease or Acquisition of a Senior Center Facility. A vote on this article was deferred pending receipt of proposals in response to the currently open RFP on this matter. 17—Creation of a Steering Committee of the 250th Anniversary of Cohasset. George Chamillard moved to recommend approval; Lee Jenkins seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. 18—Adoption of Stretch Energy Code. The Committee voted 9-0 earlier this meeting to approve this article (see item 4 above). 19—Lease of Town Property for Siting of Solar Power Electric Generation. The Committee voted 9-0 earlier this meeting to approve this article (see item 4 above). 20—Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Installations Overlay District. The Committee voted 9-0 earlier this meeting to approve this article (see item 4 above). 21 — Special Permits in the Village Business District. A vote on this article was deferred pending a presentation by the Planning Board, which Peter will try to have on the next agenda. 7. Minutes of previous meetings March 25 —A revision was suggested to clarify paragraph 3 of item 2 regarding the Sewer Commission's planning study. Bob Benson moved to approve the March 25 minutes as amended; George Chamillard seconded; the motion was approved 9-0 Advisory Committee Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes f. Town of April 8, 2015 = Cohasset Page 6 Massachusetts March 30 - -Lee Jenkins moved to approve the March 30 minutes as submitted; Tanya Bodell seconded; the motion was approved 6-0-3. 8. Adjournment at 9:04 pm Tanya Bodell moved to adjourn; Lee Jenkins seconded; the motion was approved 9-0. Respectfully submitted,e John Chapman, Secretary Advisory Committee