Board of Selectmen’s Meeting
March 27, 2006
A meeting of the Board of
Selectmen was called to order by Chairman Russell Collins at 7:00 PM,
Northbridge Town Hall, 7 Main Street, Whitinsville, MA. Present: Messrs. Ampagoomian, Davis, Audette, and
Montecalvo.
Also present: Michael J. Coughlin, Jr., Town Manager.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those present.
Approval of Minutes.
Selectman Davis asked the Board to amend the minutes
as follows: Page 2, Line 37, delete the words “the Finance Committee” and
insert the words “Mr. Latour”. The Board
of Selectmen voted to approve the minutes as amended for March 13, 2006. A motion/Mr. Ampagoomian, seconded/Mr. Davis
to approve the March 13, 2006 minutes as amended. Vote yes/Unanimous.
A motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Ampagoomian to
approve the March 14, 2006 minutes as presented with the readings omitted. Vote
yes/Unanimous.
Request by Town Manager Coughlin to release all
Executive Session Minutes 1/04 to 5/05. Town Manager
Coughlin requested the Board of Selectmen to release all Executive Session
minutes and, as such, challenged all other Boards to do the same. A motion/Mr. Montecalvo, seconded/Mr.
Ampagoomian to release all Executive Session Minutes from January 2004 through
May 2005. Vote yes/Messrs. Montecalvo,
Ampagoomian & Montecalvo.
Abstain/Messrs. Davis and Audette.
Request
by Town Manager Coughlin to release all Executive Session Minutes 6/05 to
2/06. A motion/ Mr. Collins, seconded/Mr. Davis to release all the Executive
Session minutes from June 2005 through February 2006. Selectman Davis offered the following
amendments: 1) requested that the July 25, 2005 Executive Session minutes be
amended by deleting the words “West Street” and keeping the words “future
school must be considered” and he also asked for clarification with respect to the
last paragraph and suggested that it be deleted. The Board agreed with those revisions. 2)
Selectman Davis requested that the August 22, 2005 Executive Session minutes be
amended by mentioning the 2 fire stations, a DPW Facility, a new Middle School,
and two roof replacements as part of the Board's discussion during that meeting.
3) informed the Board that during
the September 26, 2005 meeting, Mr. Davis excused himself from the Board and
left the room during the St. Patrick’s discussion and requested that the record
reflect that he did so. The Board
concurred. 4) inquired about JMJ Realty Trust and whether the Board voted on
the reimbursement of taxes during the October 24, 2005 and/or the November 7,
2005 meetings. Town Manager Coughlin remarked
that there was no formal vote made that night.
Vote on the above motion and amendments:
Vote yes/Unanimous.
Public
Hearing. Class II License/Worcester
County Trikes, Inc., 33 Providence Lane, Linwood, MA 01525 [Gerald J. Ouillette, Jr.]. Chairman Collins read the public hearing notice
aloud. A motion/Mr. Audette,
seconded/Mr. Montecalvo to open the public hearing. Vote yes/Unanimous. Mr. Ouillette explained that the reason he
applied for a Class II License was so that he could buy/sell used motorcycles
and accessories as well as to convert 2-wheeled motorcycles to 3-wheeled trikes
using conversion kits. There were no comments
from those present. A motion/Mr.
Audette, seconded/Mr. Davis to close the public hearing. Vote yes/Unanimous. A motion /Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Ampagoomian
to grant a Class II License to Worcester County Trikes, Inc. with the
stipulation that the hours of operation be:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays: 8AM – 5PM; Thursdays: 8AM – 8PM; Saturdays:
8AM – Noon; and Closed on Sundays [per Special Permit 30-SP-05 granted by the
ZBA 9/15/05]. Vote yes/Unanimous.
Appointments/Announcement by the Town Manager. Town Manager Coughlin announced that Lt.
Walter J. Warchol would be the new Chief of Police of Northbridge. The Town Manager then discussed the process
for selecting a new Chief of Police and noted that Lt. Walter Warchol was the
only individual who passed the exam, scoring an 88. He underwent through a thorough interview
process with Captain Thomas Greene of the Worcester County District Attorney’s
Office, Shrewsbury Police Chief Wayne Samspon, and Southbridge Police Chief
Daniel Charette. Mr. Coughlin stated
that the official appointment would go before the Board on April 10th
for affirmation. Lt. Warchol thanked
everyone for their support and stated that he was aware of the challenges that
lie ahead and the responsibilities would not be taken lightly. He also pointed out that Lt. Timothy Labrie
would be assisting him in his responsibilities as Chief of Police. The Board of Selectmen congratulated Lt.
Walter Warchol on his promotion and wished both him and Lt. Labrie good luck.
Request by Planning Board to hold workshop April 25,
2006 @ 7 P.M. on rezoning. A motion/Mr. Ampagoomian,
seconded/Mr. Audette to co-sponsor a zoning workshop with the Planning Board on
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 7 P.M. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room. Vote yes/Unanimous.
Spring Annual Town Meeting Warrant [May 2, 2006]/Vote
to sign. A motion/Mr. Ampagoomian,
seconded/Mr. Audette to sign the Spring Annual Town Meeting Warrant [May 2,
2006]. Vote yes/Unanimous. Chairman Collins questioned Articles 15 &
16 and some of the verbiage. Town
Manager Coughlin explained that a multi-member board voted to put those
articles on the Spring Annual Town meeting and that Ken Taylor met with him
last Friday to discuss those articles.
Verizon [Cell Tower]/Vote to issue building
permit. Selectman Davis questioned
the taxes owed by the property owner.
Town Manager Coughlin requested the Board of Selectmen support this
matter and to issue the building permit.
Selectman Montecalvo voiced his concerns and questioned why the Board
would want to vote now to issue the permit prior to knowing all the details
about the issue. Town Manager Coughlin
mentioned that the Building Inspector brought this matter to his attention
because it was his policy not to issue building permits to entities that owed
taxes. However, Mr. Coughlin noted that
this was a case whereby the property owner owed the taxes and not the lessee
(Verizon). A motion/Mr. Davis,
seconded/Mr. Audette to issue a building permit for Verizon. Vote yes/Unanimous.
Safety Committee Minutes
(March 15, 2006)/Vote to approve. A motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Audette to
approve the March 15, 2006 minutes as presented with the readings omitted. Vote yes/Unanimous.
Safety Committee Minutes
–Site Visits [March 22, 2006]/Vote to approve. A motion/Mr. Davis,
seconded/ Mr. Audette to approve the March 22, 2006 minutes as presented with
the readings omitted. Vote yes/
Unanimous.
Playground & Recreation/Request to use the
Whitinsville Town Common from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Thursday evenings (7/13,
7/20, 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, and 8/17) for their Summer Concert Series. A
motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Ampagoomian to approve the above request subject
to the safety requirements of the Police Department. Vote yes/Unanimous. Chairman Collins inquired about the parking. Town Manager Coughlin mentioned that users
would have to abide by the new town common policy.
DPW Budget, Labor
Management Agreement, Present/Future Facility. Mr. Richard
Sasseville, DPW Director, prepared and presented a PowerPoint presentation on
the FY 2007 DPW Budget, Labor Agreement, and the proposed location for a future
DPW Highway Division facility. He
indicated that the proposed location of the facility would be adjacent to the
Wastewater Treatment Plant [Providence Road] on property formerly known as
Youngsma’s Farm. At the conclusion of Mr. Sasseville's presentation, the Board
made the following motions: A motion/Mr.
Ampagoomian, seconded/Mr. Audette to accept the labor agreement for the Department
of Public Works union employees. Vote
yes/Unanimous. A motion/Mr. Ampagoomian,
seconded/Mr. Audette to support the FY 2007 DPW budget as presented. Vote yes/Unanimous. With respect to the proposed future location
of a new DPW facility, Selectman Montecalvo questioned the motion to survey the
land as he felt they should hold off on voting until they had time to review
all relevant information. Selectman
Davis suggested getting the Building, Planning & Construction Committee
[BPCC] involved. Selectman Audette then asked
at what point would the Building, Planning and Construction Committee would get
involved. Chairman Collins informed them
that the BPCC would not get involved until the Town had first acquired the
land. A motion/Mr. Audette, seconded/Mr.
Ampagoomian to explore the property adjacent to the Wastewater Treatment Plant
as a potential future site for a Public Works Facility. Vote yes/Messrs. Ampagoomian, Collins,
Audette. Vote no/Messrs. Davis and
Montecalvo.
FY 07 Budget; Guidance on Use of One-Time Revenues;
Annual Town Meeting; Present: Paul
Soojian, Superintendent of Schools & Michael J. Coughlin, Jr., Town
Manager. Town
Manager Coughlin briefly discussed the FY ‘07 Budget, the guidance on use of
one-time revenues and the importance of going forward with the Annual Town
Meeting in May. Superintendent Paul
Soojian briefly talked about the School Department's budget and concurred with
the Town Manager to move forward with the annual town meeting in May. Superintendent Soojian was concerned about
the impact it would create if the budget were not approved on time. He noted that the deadline for the School
District to notify non-professional status teachers of non-renewal was June 15th. Thus, the School District would be forced to
issue layoff notices, which would make these individuals eligible for
unemployment over the summer.
Superintendent Soojian further indicated that this would be a great
waste of funds if they were to rehire those individuals back in the Fall. He also mentioned the ramifications of not
having a decision on the budget and/or any potential override prior to the end
of June. Should the meeting be held in
May, he further advised that the School District would be able to act
accordingly by making cost effective decisions, preparing for either the impact
of reductions or completing the hiring process and obtaining the best
candidates to work with our students, should the budget request prevail. Mr.
Carroll Paine, School Committee Chairman, concurred with the Superintendent’s
comments. Selectman Montecalvo asked the
Superintendent if the $840,000 was enough to maintain the status quo. Mr.
Soojian stated that the $840,000 was the shortage. Selectman Audette inquired
about the 2½ levy limit and the override, and what would happen in FY 2008. Selectman Davis wanted to know if the school
was projecting another override next year.
He then recommended that the budget be projected out more than one
year. Superintendent Soojian stated that
it was almost impossible to project budgets for ensuing years and whether the
School District would need more funds. Regarding
an override, Town Manager Coughlin advised that only the Board of Selectmen had
the authority to place an override on the ballot. He discussed the Stabilization Fund and the
required two-thirds votes needed for an override along with the effect it would
have on the town’s people. Continuing,
Town Manager Coughlin mentioned that a joint meeting between the Finance
Committee and the Board of Selectmen would be held on April 10th to
discuss guidance on one-time use of revenues.
Mary Frances Powers, Finance Committee Chair, spoke briefly about an
override and how it would be permanent until rescinded. She also mentioned how the Finance Committee
was looking for a plan they could look at for the next 3 years. Selectman Montecalvo asked the Town Manager
if he knew what the total budgeted dollars needed for the Town and School
were. Town Manager Coughlin responded
that he would have to get that figure to him.
In addition, he pointed out that the Town would have to utilize their
own resources first because voters would not support an override if the Town
had a lot of money in the bank.
Selectman Montecalvo commented that the Town could only plan one year at
a time because of not knowing what the State was going to give the Town for aid
each year. Town Manager Coughlin
proposed to have a joint meeting on April 12th with the School
Committee, Finance Committee & Board of Selectmen in order to get a global
picture on the entire budget.
Citizen’s Comments/Input. Sharron Ampagoomian briefly mentioned that the
cable contract was coming up soon and that all complaints must be documented;
that if residents were having problems with their cable service to please
contact the Town Manager’s office so that it could be documented.
Mr. Mark Lamontagne, Wastewater Treatment Plant
Operator, thanked the management team for their support and for settling the
DPW union contract fairly.
Selectmen’s Concerns.
Selectman Ampagoomian 1) Announced that the Board of Health would be conducting a Rabies Clinic
for cats and dogs at the Northbridge Fire Station on April 1, 2006. Cats will be tested from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00
A.M. and must be in a carrier. Dogs will
be tested from 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and must be on a leash. The cost is $10.00 [cash only]. 2) Announced that the Whitinsville Community Center would be conducting a
child identification program on April 8th--a joint venture between
Beginning Bridges and the Massachusetts Free Masons—this free program will
allow your child to be video taped, voice taped, and fingerprinted. DNA samples and Dental impressions would also
be done. 3) Received a concern from a citizen regarding
the cable show “3 on 11”. The citizen
was offended by a comment that was made by one of the individuals who appeared
on that show. Selectman
Davis 1) Wanted to know if a vote
for the debt exclusion [on the 2 roofs] would be on the ballot. Chairman Collins commented that there was not
enough time to place it on the ballot for the upcoming election. Town Manager Coughlin suggested that a Special
Election be held for that purpose. 2) Inquired about the status
of the $90,000.00. Town Manager Coughlin
responded that Powers and Sullivan made an inquiry into that matter and
recommended that a journal entry be made to correct it. He also noted that it would not affect the
current free cash. 3) Inquired about the ruling
from the Attorney General and whether the Town had a Health Agent on board
yet. Town Manager Coughlin informed
everyone that a scheduled meeting between Mr. Mascoop and him did not take
place; however, Steve Garabedian would be filling in on an acting basis as
Health Agent.
Town Manager’s Report. The Town Manager thanked the Superintendent
and his staff along with the Chief of Police for the Internet Safety session
that was recently held at the High School.
He said it was excellent and that the 2 police officers gave excellent
presentations. He also mentioned two
important dates: 1) Student Government Day would be held on April 11,
2006, and 2) Saturday, April 1, 2006, the Playground and Recreation will
be cleaning up the Vail and Linwood Fields [8 A.M. until Noon].
Mass Highway
– Town Manager Coughlin mentioned that Selectman Montecalvo and Selectman
Ampagoomian attended a meeting with Mass Highway. He also stated that on Friday, March 31, 2006
at 10 A.M., a working session would be held with Mr. Richard Sasseville and Mr.
Arthur Magowan on 2 important projects--1)
Plummer’s Corner design and 2)
Sutton Street Reconstruction. The Town
Manager informed the Board that Mass Highway has also approved aid for two
bridge projects—The Ross Rajotte Bridge over the Blackstone River - approved at
$1.5 million dollars and the Douglas Road Bridge over Mumford River.
FEMA/MEMA –
Town Manager Coughlin reported that some money from FEMA/MEMA came in to the
Town for the flood that occurred in October.
He also mentioned the actions taken by FEMA/MEMA on claims submitted by
Northbridge residents--that FEMA/MEMA had denied several claims from residents. Mr. Coughlin then suggested that the Board
meet with the Town of Millbury and the Town of Northbridge’s attorneys and
possibly file suit against the City of Worcester. Selectman Montecalvo mentioned to the Board
that he spoke with Congressman Neal in Washington regarding FEMA and how they
were not living up to their expectations.
In addition, he indicated that a letter/memo would be forthcoming from
the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
regarding a meeting, which would
take place in May at the Cocke ‘N Kettle for all the Southern Worcester County
towns.
A motion/Mr. Audette,
seconded/Mr.Ampagoomian to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully
submitted,
John
A. Davis, Clerk
dg/