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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - BoS - 09/13/2010 Minutes—Board of Selectmen September 13, 2010 Selectmen Present: Karen Quigley, Chairman Edwin G. Carr Frederick Koed Paul Carlson Lee Jenkins Others Present: William R. Griffin,Town Manager Jennifer Oram, Selectmen's Clerk Chairman Karen Quigley called the meeting to order at 7:0013M. Town Manager's Report—Town Manager, William Griffin, presented the Board with a request from Geoffrey Chapin of 55 Stockbridge Street. Mr. Chapin is requesting permission to do landscaping and build a wall on Town property. Department of Public Works Superintendant, Carl Sestito, has reviewed the plan and is supportive provided any future repairs to the retaining wall, if damaged,would be the responsibility of the property owner. Mr. Griffin added that the work is also subject to Conservation Commission approval. Selectman Edwin Carr moved to approve the work subject to Mr. Sestito's condition that any damages are Mr. Chapin's responsibility and that they receive Conservation Commission approval for the work. Selectmen Leland Jenkins seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous(5-0). Mr. Griffin also announced that the funds for the water/sewer audit have been approved by Advisory and are slated to begin within the week. Selectmen Comment Period Selectman Jenkins asked what the audits would cost. Mr. Griffin stated that it was estimated that the water audit would be approximately$35,000 and the Sewer Commission audit would be approximately $30,000. Selectman Carr said that he had read the article in the Cohasset Mariner about Town Manager, Mr. Griffin, retiring and going to work in the private sector. He congratulated Mr. Griffin and wished him well. Selectman Carlson stated that the 9/11 ceremony was a lovely service. Chairman Quigley congratulated the Economic Development Committee and the Chamber of Commerce for another successful Cohasset Day. Chairman Quigley then thanked the audit proposal review committee for their hard work and quick turnaround time. It is her hope to have the information from the audit will be ready by the Special Town Meeting. Chairman Quigley then wished Mr. Griffin well and stated his new job is a great opportunity. Police Chief Mark DeLuca—Six Month Update and Review—Chief DeLuca addressed the Board. He stated that he began on January 25, 2010 and has had a great time. He said he is fortunate to be surrounded by so many great men and women in the Department. He stated that there are a total of forty-nine (49)total Police Officers with the addition of twenty-two (22) special police officers. He said the special officers do a lot of the summer work, covering the beach and allowing for the Department to always having officers on the street. He stated that they average about 28 hours a week. Chairman Selectmen—9.13.10-JBO 1 Minutes—Board of Selectmen September 13, 2010 Quigley asked if the special officers would be seasonal, he said they would work all year round. The Chief then reviewed the fleet of vehicles that serve the department. He said they presently have a high cost in repairs to the vehicles. It is their plan to work with the Capital Budget Committee to replace cruisers on a schedule that will reduce the repair costs in the long run. The Chief then reviewed the department's presence in Town,traffic enforcement and police officers leaving the Department. The Chief said that in the last six years, six police officers have left to go to other police departments so their careers could grow. The Chief plans on putting together a five year strategy for the Department to see where it can grow as well. The Chief then explained the accreditation process and why the department is seeking it. He stated that accreditation is simply a set of standards that acts as a blueprint in which to operate. Twenty eight (28) towns have been accredited in the State of Massachusetts. To date, the Town has spent$6,800 on the process and has Special Officer, Sasha Geddes working as the Accreditation Officer. Officer Geddes reviews the policies and procedures that are in place now and looks at how they need to change to achieve the standards that are required. The Federal Standards require 155 Standards in order to receive certification; right now they have 88 so they are in good standing. They are hoping to have their first review in November and to be accredited by November of 2011. The Chief stated that overall, accreditation increase professionalism, efficiency and it makes the Department accountable. He said that accreditation improves the level of service to the residents in Town and that generally Towns see a 16%decrease in lawsuits, there is a modest reduction in insurance costs and it makes the Department more eligible for grants. The Chief then reviewed additional training some members of the Department have been doing, how he has been addressing overtime and following up on delinquent payments to the Department for police details. The Chief also reviewed the many outreach programs the Department is involved in with students and senior citizens. The Chief also alerted the Board and community of the newly formed Community Liaison Board. This Board allows the community to keep the lines of communication open between the community and the Department. The Chief worked with resident Melissa Browne to coordinate the Board. The Chief then had Sergeant Jeffrey Treanor review the many grants he has applied for on behalf of the Department; he reviewed both the grants they have received and those that are pending a decision. The Chief then reviewed various programs they are looking in to the future, including a canine unit. Selectman Jenkins then asked about the two lieutenants who take home their vehicles. The Chief stated that this is a contractual issue and that all cities and towns do this with their Lieutenants as they are called to work at all hours of the day and night. The Chief also asked to address an issue where he acquired a car from the City of Quincy. He apologized for taking the car without first obtaining permission from the Town Manager, but he said the car was a great deal and explained how it will save the Town money. Chairman Quigley asked how the Chief would like to address the difficulty of when he started the job and those people who still have concerns. The Chief stated that any time there is change there are issues and that he is not a slow roller and that can upset people. He stated there are many police officers and he feels there are only about 33%who are still unhappy with the change and that he has been working with them. Chairman Quigley said that she appreciates the hard work that he has done and that she knows it is difficult to implement change. Selectman Carr said that the Chief has a great team and they have all made an excellent effort. Chairman Quigley opened up the discussion to public comment. Mary Snow of 317 North Main Street asked the Chief where the crossing guards have been. The Chief stated that one has had foot surgery, but that Tom Wigmore has been filling in. Ms. Snow asked why the Department services their vehicles at two shops; one in Town and one out of Town. Selectmen—9.13.10-JBO 2 Minutes—Board of Selectmen September 13, 2010 She stated that she likes to keep the tax payers money in Town. The Chief explained that they cannot be without a vehicle and that they use the out of Town shop if they can't get the vehicle fixed locally quickly. Chairman Quigley stated that the costs for vehicle maintenance are being discussed by the Budget Planning Group. The Board thanked the Chief for his update. Finance Director Michael Buckley—FY10 Fiscal Summary—Mr. Buckley addressed the Board and reviewed the documents provided to the Board in their packets. Mr. Buckley stated that FY10 was not a good year with free cash ending up below$200,000. Back in 2007,the Town had close to one million dollars in free cash. Mr. Buckley also reviewed other sources of revenue including returned appropriations and local receipts. The Town has been hit hard with a reduction in the payment of property and excise tax revenue. He stated that people are just not buying new cars; holding on to their cars and letting them age thus the value decreasing in the car. Mr. Buckley also pointed out that the reason the free cash is at $200,000 is because the Avalon building permit payment came in. Had that not happened,there may not have been any free cash. Another source of revenue the Town relies on is the surplus on property tax. In 2004 this was in the positive in 2010, it was in the negative. He said that this figure is cyclical and in three or four years when owed property taxes come in,the Town will see another positive amount. There was then a lengthy conversation about expenses, including legal fees and police overtime and revenues such as the ambulance fees that brought in $400,000 to the Town in FY10. After a bit more discussion about the retirement fund,the Board thanked Mr. Buckley for his update. Bill Burnett—Cohasset Triathlon Review—Mr. Burnett addressed the Board. He stated that it was his hope this evening to receive approval from the Board to set the 2011 Triathlon for Sunday,June 26, 2011. Mr. Burnett stated that they held a post event meeting with all involved in the race to address concerns. He said that he felt the trash removal at the beach could have been better but that overall he felt the teamwork was pretty. He said the most difficult thing is to balance the needs of everyone. Mr. Burnett stated that the previous week he met with the church leaders. They suggested moving the race to Saturday, but he would be concerned about the traffic impact on that day. He feels the race should be held on a Sunday at 8AM. Selectman Carlson said that he had received numerous complaints about people being trapped on their streets and unable to leave their homes. He is also concerned about the churches having to change their schedules to accommodate the race. Selectman Carlson suggested that they have a 7AM start so they(the racers) can be out of the way even quicker. Selectman Carr added that he cannot back out of his driveway at his home on South Main Street for 40-45 minutes during the race. Selectman Carlson said that it's a long time to expect people not to come and go from their homes. He asked if the race could be phased. Mr. Burnett stated that it could be. Selectman Carr said that people had difficulty leaving Mass from St.Anthony's due to the bike traffic. Lt. Quigley stated that the race start time was moved ahead this year and they did run into difficulty with people leaving Mass. They did send additional officers down to help, but he said it was still pretty hairy. He suggests they move race back to its original start time of 8AM. Selectman Carlson thinks that 7AM would be better. Fire Chief Robert Silvia then addressed the Board. He said that he would love it if they could start earlier but the start time always depends on the weather. He suggests that if they are going to start earlier, on a falling tide, they should hear from Harbormaster Lorri Gibbons. Chairman Quigley stated that she shared Selectman Carlson's concerns and thinks that if the race could start earlier it would be great. She added that she saw on the website that the number of participants was up to 950. She thinks it would make a difference to drop it back to the original number of 750-800 participants. She stated that she thinks 1,000 cyclists is part of the issue with getting the race through town quickly. Chief Silvia stated that it is the swimming portion of the Triathlon that drives the timing of the race. Until they feel it is safe to start the swim,they hold off. They are going to try and make that portion to faster next year Selectmen—9.13.10-JBO 3 Minutes—Board of Selectmen September 13, 2010 with more kayaks and more safety personnel. Chairman Quigley asked Mr. Burnett to show the difference between 7i50 v. 850 participants. Selectman Jenkins stated that the race has run for five years and this year there was a swell of complaints. He feels the start time should go back to 8AM. Selectman Carlson also suggests they look to have an end time for the race. Chairman Quigley feels there is a disconnect and that the race has to work well for the Town and its residents. She also made mention of the directions sprayed in spray paint on the newly paved roads which have still not come off. She asks that next year signage be used instead. Mr. Burnett stated that he would like to leave this evening with the confirmed date of Sunday,June 26, 2011 to help facilitate his planning. Selectman Jenkins moved to approve the date of Sunday June 26, 2011. Selectman Carr seconded the motion. Selectman Carlson stated that he did not feel comfortable granting the date until many of the concerns raised this evening are pinned down. Chairman Quigley asked if Mr. Burnett could come back on October 4th to address the issues raised. He stated that he could and that he would show that the race works with 850 participants. After hearing no more discussion,the vote was 3-2, Chairman Quigley and Selectman Carlson against. The date is approved. Old Colony Square Regulatory Agreement Approval—Mr. Griffin reviewed the changes made by Town Counsel to the agreement and then asked the Board to sign the three duplicate originals. Selectman Koed moved to approve and sign the LIP Regulatory Agreement for Old Colony Square Development. Selectman Carr seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous(5-0). Schedule Fall Special Town Meeting— Mr. Griffin reviewed his proposed time frame for opening and closing the warrant, as well as the date of Town meeting, article review and the print schedule for the warrant. Selectman Carr moved to schedule the Special Town Meeting for Monday, November 15, 2010 at 7PM and to adopt the schedule outlined in the memo dated September 8, 2010. Selectman Koed seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous (5-0). Bond Anticipation Notes Approval— Mr. Griffin asked the Board to approve and sign the documents to approve temporary bonding of these notes until they can be made permanent in December. The amounts are for$989,914 for Water Improvements and $1,200,000 for Sewer improvements. Chairman Quigley asked how the Town keeps track of the bonding. Mr. Griffin stated that the Town has a bond advisor and that they have approved this sale. Selectman Carr moved to approve the bond anticipation note at a rate of 2.00%and a net interest cost of.6784%on bonds in the total amount of$2,189,914. Selectman Jenkins seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous(5-0). Selectman Carr moved to adjourn the meeting. Selectman Carlson seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous(5-0). Meeting adjourned at 9:20PM. Respectfully submitted, Karen Quigley Chairman Selectmen—9.13.10-JBO 4