The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMinutes - AC - 03/29/2018 COHASSET ADVISORY COMMITTEE Regular Meeting Thursday, zg March 2oi8 Cohasset Town Hall John Chapman,Chair, called the Cohasset Advisory Committee meeting to order at 7:15 PM Attending: Tanya Bodell,Paul Carlson,John Chapman,Michael Dick,Richard Fitzpatrick,Leland Jenkins,Nancy A Roth,Ralph Tulio Not Present: Helene Lieb DISCUSSION OF WARRANT ARTICLES,ANNUAL TOWN MEETING,2018 Article 1 - Annual Town Report,no need to vote,no vote Article 2- Reports of Committees,no need to vote,no vote Article 4- Unpaid Bills from Previous Years,no unpaid bills,no discussion,no vote Article 5 - Supplemental Appropriation of$7,582 for Fiscal Year 2018 Recommended approval 8-0 Discussion: $7,582 in Workers Compensation accrued between end of FY 2017 and calendar year 2017.John Chapman pointed out that the Town could allocate an estimated adjustment of$7,000 at Special Town Meeting each Fall. Fitzpatrick moved to recommend approval and Carlson seconded,passed 8-0 Article 7- Town Hall Renovation,no vote, discussion and concerns: 1) Need for a vetted review of a Town 10 year capital plan and an approved list of future projects,ranked by priority 2) Need for a dedicated maintenance fund for the Town Hall 3) Need for a plan to fix the Annex should Article 7 fail to pass Annual Town Meeting approval vote or not prevail on a debt-exclusion override vote 4) Need for cost-benefit data to support demolition of the current Town Hall Annex and replacement with a newly built Annex Chris Senior,Town Manager,will bring the Advisory Committee's concerns to the Town Hall Building Committee Article 8- Capital Improvements Budget Advisory Committee may want to reconsider the 8-0 approval recommendation vote taken on Tuesday,27 March 2018. Ralph Tulio raised concerns that the Electronic Document Management line item could allow a no-bid contract for only one option proposed by only one vendor. Ralph believes that the Town would be overspending on the only proposed solution and might spend less on other solutions and vendors.John Chapman will bring these concerns to the Capital Budget Committee. Article 10- Departmental Revolving Funds No vote taken,this Article may not be on the final warrant and needs clarification from the Town Manager. Article 12- Allocation of Funds for One Time Cost,$100,000,recommended approval 8-0 Funding for a regional sewer study coordinated by the Commonwealth and in partnership with the Towns of Hull and Scituate Moved by Tanya Bodell and seconded by Leland Jenkins Notes by Michael Dick zg March 2o18 Page 1 of 4 COHASSET ADVISORY COMMITTEE Regular Meeting Thursday, 29 March 2018 Cohasset Town Hall Article 13- Mass.General Laws Chapter 91 Liability,recommended approval 8-0 The Town will assume liability and bond indemnity for damages incurred by DEP for work on behalf of the Town on tidal and non-tidal rivers, streams, great ponds,harbors,tidewaters,foreshores,and shores along a public beach Leland Jenkins moved and Rich Fitzpatrick seconded Article 14- Additional Real Estate Exemptions,recommended approval 8-0 For qualified elderly,veterans and legally blind taxpayers Rich Fitzpatrick moved and Tanya Bodell seconded Article 15- POW Excise Exemption,recommended approval 8-0 For former prisoner of war or surviving spouse Rich Fitzpatrick moved and Paul Carlson seconded Article 16- Community Preservation Committee,recommended approval for a) Historical Society,HVAC upgrade for HQ bldg-up to$30,000,8-0 b) Trustees of Reservations,Nike Missile bldg. roof-up to$10,000,8-0 c) Sohier,Beechwood St,upgrades,up to$61,000,8-0 d) DHS,JOS playgrounds ADA upgrades,up to$39,000,8-0 e) Cohasset Little League,4 dugouts and bleachers,up to$45,000,5-3 Nan Roth moved and Paul Carlson seconded the motion to approve these five expenditures f) Cohasset Town Hall renovation, discussion,no vote Article 17- Amendments to the South Shore Vocational School District Agreement Recommended approval 8-0 Tanya Bodell moved and Leland Jenkins seconded Article 18- Acceptance of Chapter 90, s.17 of the General Laws to provide Town control of local speed limits,recommended approval 8-0 Ralph Tulio moved and Mike Dick seconded Article 19- Recodification of the Cohasset General Bylaws AND Article 20- Recodification of the Cohasset Zoning Bylaws,recommended approval for both, Moved by Rich Fitzpatrick and seconded by Mike Dick Article 21 - Zoning Bylaw Amendment-Large Home Review Process Although the Advisory Committee approved this Article on Thursday,22 March 2018 by a vote of 8-0,the Committee opened more discussion over concerns with unclear language in Section 5.e. 5.e. re: powers to approve or approve with conditions -does the Article give Planning Board greater powers?Advisory Committee thinks YES. Is there an appeals process?Advisory Committee can't tell and thinks this language needs to be explicit. Should RGFA calculation apply only to above grade floor areas? Advisory Committee thinks YES. Article 22- General Bylaw Amendment Article for Prohibition of Marijuana Establishments Article 23- Zoning Bylaw Amendment Article for Prohibition of Marijuana Establishments Notes by Michael Dick 29 March 2018 Page 2 of 4 COHASSET ADVISORY COMMITTEE Regular Meeting Thursday, 29 March 2018 Cohasset Town Hall Article 24- Zoning Bylaw Amendment Article to Extend Temporary Moratorium(on marijuana establishments) Members agreed that retail sales should be prohibited but some expressed concern that the article is too broad and that some industrial/commercial businesses ought to be allowed; e.g. testing, grading, growing, or packaging Article 22 moved by Lee Jenkins and seconded by Tanya Bodell Article 22 did not get an approval by a vote of 3 yea,5 nays Yeas: Bodell,Tulio,Jenkins Nays: Roth, Chapman,Dick,Fitzpatrick,Carlson Following the vote on Article 22, some members expressed confusion on the meaning of voting for or against the Article 22.John Chapman will ask for clarification from Town Counsel. Mike Dick moved to reconsider the votes and vote again after Town Counsel provides clarification. Reconsideration vote passed 8-0 and the Advisory Committee deferred votes on Articles 22,23, and 24. Article 25- Citizens' Petition: Harbor Committee Membership,recommend approval, 7-0-1. To add Cohasset Maritime Institute and Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research to the definition of the Harbor Committee in the Bylaw. Paul Carlson is a trustee of CSCR,one of the proposed new members, and abstained from voting. Mike Dick informed the Advisory Committee that the petitions proponent,Lisa Hewitt Dick,is his wife and asked for the Committee's opinion on his eligibility to vote. The Committee agreed that Mike Dick can vote. Nan Roth moved,Ralph Tulio seconded. Article 26- Citizens' Petition: Plastic Bag Reduction Bylaw To ban the use of single use plastic bags by Cohasset retailers Concern with unclear and inconsistent language in the proposed Bylaw regarding how and where the description of single use plastic bag is used. Vote was tabled with recommendation for improved language. Article 9- Sewer Dep't/Mass. Clean Water Trust,to appropriate$350,000,recommend approval 8-0 $100,000 to pay for infiltration and inflow remediation and$250,000 to update the Town's Wastewater Management Plan Chris Senior explained the spending and the appropriation breakdown. Next meeting; Thursday,5 April 2018,Article 7,Town Hall Renovation Monday,9 April 2018,MOTION TO ADJOURN: Passed,8-0, at 10:30 PM SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE VOTES TAKEN ON THE WARRANT ARTICLES PRIOR TO 29 MARCH 2O18 Other votes taken by the Advisory Committee prior to Annual Town Meeting, 2018 Article 3- Operating Budget,recommended approval 8-0,after a brief discussion Notes by Michael Dick 29 March 2018 Page 3 of 4 COHASSET ADVISORY COMMITTEE Regular Meeting Thursday, 29 March 2018 Cohasset Town Hall Article 6 - Stabilization and other Special Funds, On 26 March 2018 Advisory Committee recommended approval 8-0 $50,000 from Geri 1 Revenues transfer to General Stabilization Fund $100,000 from Geri 1 Revenues transfer to OPEB Trust Fund $1,125,697 from Geri 1 Revenues transfer to Capital Stabilization Fund $171,470 from Sewer Geri 1 Revenuses transfer to Sewer Capital Stabilization Fund Article 11 - Funds for Road Repair and Maintenance,$220,000,recommended approval 8-0 Moved by Nan Roth, seconded by Paul Carlson Article 21 - Zoning Bylaw Amendment-Large Home Review Process,recommend approval,8-0,on 22 March 2018. Moved by Tanya Bodell and seconded by Helene Lieb Article 8 - Voted 6-0 to approve an urgent transfer from Capital Stabilization Fund to reimburse reserve fund for CFD Ladder 1 Corrosion and Collision Damage repairs,$44,000 Moved by Leland Jenkins, seconded by Nan Roth, Notes by Michael Dick 29 March 2018 Page 4 of 4