Board of Selectmen’s Meeting

September 11, 2006

 

A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was called to order by Chairman Charles Ampagoomian at 7:00 PM, Northbridge Town Hall, 7 Main Street, Whitinsville, MA.  Present:  Messrs. Audette, Davis, Montecalvo, and Marzec.

 

Moment of Silence – 5th Anniversary September 11, 2001 – As it was the 5th Anniversary of September 11th, Fire Chief Gary Nestor and Police Chief Walter Warchol read a prepared speech about the events that took place on September 11, 2001 [with respect to the terrorist attacks in the sky, on the World Trade Center and Pentagon].  Both Chief Nestor and Chief Warchol asked for a moment of silence in honor of the 5th Anniversary of September 11th.

 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those present.

 

Approval of Minutes.

 

August 21, 2006

Selectman Davis requested that the August 21, 2006 minutes be amended as follows:  Under the section titled VFW Hall, Line 6, strike the word “approve” and insert the word “discuss”.  Under the section titled Selectmen’s Concerns, Line 13, strike the word “got” and insert the word “gave them”.  A motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Marzec to approve the August 21, 2006 minutes as amended.  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 

       August 21, 2006 [Executive Session 1]

       At this time, Selectman Davis made a motion to amend the Executive Session 1 minutes, however, Town

       Manager Michael J. Coughlin, Jr. informed Selectman Davis that the Executive Session 1 minutes could only

       be amended during an Executive Session.  Therefore, a motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Marzec to hold the

       Executive Session minutes until the Board of Selectmen can amend them at the next Executive Session.  Vote

       yes/Unanimous.

 

       August 21, 2006 [Executive Session 2]

       At this time, Selectman Davis made a motion to amend the Executive Session 2 minutes, however, Town

       Manager Michael J. Coughlin, Jr. informed Selectman Davis that the Executive Session 2 minutes could only

       be amended during an Executive Session.  Therefore, a motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Marzec to hold the

       Executive Session minutes until the Board of Selectmen can amend them at the next Executive Session.  Vote

       yes/Unanimous.

 

Before the meeting began, Chairman Ampagoomian mentioned a phone call he received from the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Mary Frances Powers.  She requested to be placed on tonight’s agenda, however, her request was denied because the topic was too lengthy due to an already full agenda.  A special meeting between the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee will be held on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, in the new Conference Room located on the ground floor of Town Hall.

 

Appointments/By the Town Manager:  Mark Kuras, Sewer Superintendent.  Town Manager, Michael J.  Coughlin, Jr. spoke briefly about the length of service [25 years] Mark Kuras has already dedicated to the Town of Northbridge.  He also mentioned that Mr. Kuras is a hard worker and holds all the licenses needed to be the next Sewer Superintendent.   Richard Sasseville, DPW Director, indicated that Mark is very qualified and has endured all the difficulties and challenges that this position brings.  Mr. Sasseville highly recommended that Mr. Mark Kuras be the next Sewer Superintendent due to his qualifications.  The Board of Selectmen congratulated Mr. Kuras on his promotion as Sewer Superintendent.  A motion/Mr. Montecalvo, seconded/Mr. Audette to affirm the appointment of Mark Kuras as the Sewer Superintendent as recommended by the Town Manager.  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 

Appointments/Board of Selectmen:  Board of Registrars [Temporary Appointment]:  Ms. Doreen Cedrone mentioned that in order to balance the Board of Registrars they need to appoint a Democrat as a registrar.  A motion/Mr. Montecalvo, seconded/Mr. Davis to appoint Mr. Ampagoomian as a Temporary Registrar per M.G. L. Chapter 51, Section 20, as requested by Doreen Cedrone, Town Clerk.  Vote yes/Messrs. Montecalvo, Davis, Audette and Marzec.  Abstain/Mr. Ampagoomian.

 

Town Manager presentation to Doreen Cedrone, Town Clerk – Town Manager Coughlin mentioned that Ms. Cedrone has received her certification on being a Certified Municipal Clerk.  Chairman Ampagoomian presented Ms. Cedrone with a certificate of recognition for completion of her certification course.  Ms. Cedrone thanked the Board of Selectmen.

 

Resignations:  1) Northbridge Republican Town Committee – Todd C. Buckley.  Chairman Ampagoomian asked that a letter be sent to Mr. Todd C. Buckley thanking him for serving and dedicating his time to the Town of Northbridge.  2) Playground & Recreation – Caryn Gagner.  Chairman Ampagoomian mentioned that Caryn Gagner has submitted her resignation and asked that a letter of appreciation be sent to her as well.  A motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Montecalvo to accept the resignation of Caryn Gagner.  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 

Citizens’ Comments/Input.   Mary Frances Powers, Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Finance Committee members mentioned they were at tonight’s meeting to try and determine if the numbers they came up with were on track with the Town.  The Finance Committee passed out a document and asked that Town Manager Michael Coughlin, Jr., Superintendent of Schools Paul Soojian, and the Town Accountant Neil Vaidya, take a few minutes to review the document.  Ms. Thompson reviewed the document and highlighted areas of importance.  She indicated that right now they are looking at facing a deficit of around $3.3 million dollars.  The Finance Committee is concerned that next year they won’t be able to make this deficit up without an override.  Town Manager Coughlin thanked the Finance Committee and mentioned that the numbers were close.  He also passed out some material for the Finance Committee to review, as they were not present at the last Working Group Meeting.   Ms. Powers  requested that an article be placed on the warrant; however, Town Manager Coughlin mentioned that the article in question is the exact verbiage as Article 3 on the present warrant.  Patrick Conlin, 402 Church Street, Whitinsville, filed a complaint about the bus schedule and was referred to the School Committee [Carroll Paine] by Chairman Ampagoomian. 

 

FY 1990 Community Development Block Grant/Subordination of Lien for property located at 23 Haringa Avenue, Whitinsville, MA.   A motion/Mr. Montecalvo , seconded/Mr. Audette to approve the Subordination of Lien for property located at 23 Haringa Avenue, Whitinsville, MA, as recommended by Jennifer Dulmaine, Program Manager, Office of Community Development.  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 

FY 1998 Community Development Block Grant/Request to execute a Discharge of Lien on property located at 2297-2299 Providence Road, Northbridge, MA.  A motion/Mr. Audette, seconded/Mr. Marzec to discharge lien on property located at 2297-2299 Providence Road, Northbridge, MA as received by Jennifer Dulmaine, Program Manager, Office of the Community Development.  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 
Safety Committee Minutes [August 22, 2006]/Vote to accept recommendations.   Selectman Montecalvo briefly updated the Board of Selectmen on what was discussed at the August 22, 2006 Safety Committee meeting.  A motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Audette to accept the recommendations of the Safety Committee as outlined in the minutes of August 22, 2006.  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 

Common Victualler’s License Application:  Northbridge Donuts, Inc. d/b/a/ Dunkin Donuts, 1144 Providence Road, Northbridge [Thomas Denesowicz].   A motion/Mr. Audette, seconded/Mr. Marzec to approve a Common Victualler’s License to Northbridge Donuts, Inc. d/b/a Dunkin Donuts, 1144 Providence Road, Northbridge [Thomas Denesowicz].  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 

Northbridge Association of Churches/Request to hold the annual Blackstone Valley Cropwalk, Saturday, October 14, 2006 @ 9:00 AM.  Present:  Ms. Carolyn Mitchell.   Ms. Mitchell informed the Board of Selectmen that the walk would begin at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Whitinsville and end at the Evangelical Congregational Church in Uxbridge [a total of 3 miles].  A motion/Mr. Montecalvo, seconded/Mr. Marzec to approve the above request subject to the safety requirements of the Police, Fire and Public Works Departments.  Vote yes/Unanimous.
 

Vote to layout the following roads or portions thereof as public ways.  Present:  Gary Bechtholdt.  A motion/ Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Montecalvo, to layout a portion of Samuel Drive (Reservoir Heights) as a public way based upon the recommendations of the Planning Board.  Vote yes/Messrs. Montecalvo, Ampagoomian, Davis, and Audette.  Abstain/Mr. Marzec.  A motion/ Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Audette, to layout the following roads: Kennedy Circle (Presidential Farms), a portion of Lincoln Circle (Presidential Farms), a portion of Brookway Drive (Graystone), Arthur Drive, a portion of Prospect Street (The Hills at Whitinsville), Marston Road (The Hills at Whitinsville), Nathaniel Drive (The Hills at Whitinsville), Hillcrest Road (The Hills at Whitinsville), Morgan Road (The Hills at Whitinsville) or portions thereof as public ways based upon the recommendations of the Planning Board.  Vote yes/Unanimous. 

 

St. Camillus Health Center/Request for One-day Wines and Malt License for a fundraiser event on October 27, 2006 from 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.  Present:  Bonnie Dryden.  A motion/Mr. Montecalvo, seconded/Mr. Davis to approve the above one-day license request on October 27, 2006 from 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.  Vote yes/Messrs. Montecalvo, Davis, Audette, and Marzec.  Abstain/Mr. Ampagoomian.

 

FY 2005 Management Letter/Present:  James Powers/Powers & Sullivan, Neil Vaidya, Town Accountant, Deborah Kristoff, Treasurer/Collector, Robert Fitzgerald, Principal Assessor, and Robert Thayer, Systems Administrator.  Mr. James Powers of Powers & Sullivan provided the Board of Selectmen with an overview on the results of the audit his Company performed for the Town of Northbridge. Mr. Powers briefly went through each of the following areas:  1) Role of the Town Accountant; 2) Reconciliation of Treasurer/Collector’s Cash and Receivables to the General Ledger; 3) Student Activity Accounts; 4) Chapter 90; 5) Reconciliation of the Detail Receivable ledgers to the Collector’s Control Accounts; 6) General Journal Entries; 7) Automation of Treasurer’s Office; 8) Maintenance of a Comprehensive Debt Schedule; 9) Betterment Receivable Maintenance; 10) Treasurer/Collector’s Pursuit of Tax Foreclosures; 11) Oversight of the Whitinsville Water Company; 12) Use of a Lockbox to Process Municipal Payments; 13) Internal Control Policies and Procedures Manual; 14) Budgeted Estimated Revenues; 15) Fixed Asset Account Maintenance; 16) Chart of Accounts; 17) Bank Accounts Using the Town’s Federal I.D. Number; 18) Excess Bank Accounts; 19) Police Special Detail; 20) Tailings; 21) Planning Board Deposits; 22) Withholding Accounts; 23) General Long Term Obligations Account Group; 24) Security of the Town Hall Mailroom; 25) Town Clerk’s Office Pre-Numbered Documents; 26) Statement No. 45 of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board; 27) Health Claims Trust Funds; 28) Disaster Recovery Plan.  The complete Management Letter can be found on file in the Town Manager’s Office.  * Selectman Davis asked Mr. James Powers, of the firm Powers & Sullivan to explain what an independent auditor is.  Mr. Power’s response, “they are licensed certified public accountants that come into an organization who issue their own financial statements in accordance with the general accounting principals and issue an opinion on the town’s financial statements.  Selectman Davis asked Mr. Powers if he considered himself to be part of the Town’s staff.  Mr. Powers responded, no.  Selectman Davis mentioned that he sent a letter and called Mr. Powers back in March 2006, but that  Mr. Powers never responded to him and he was concerned about that.  Selectman Davis then mentioned that he received a notice from the Town Manager indicating that Mr. Powers was a member of the Town Manager’s staff and that is wasn’t ethical for Selectman Davis to approach Powers and Sullivan with questions.  Mr. Powers apologized for the fact that no one from his firm responded to Selectman Davis’s requests and then mentioned that his firm reports to Mr. Coughlin as the audit liaison [coordinate the audit through the Town Manager’s office] and mentioned that he works for the Board of Selectmen. 

 

Selectmen’s Concerns.    Selectman Audette 1) mentioned that he had a proclamation from President George W. Bush that designates September 15, 2006 as National POW MIA Recognition Day.  The Blackstone Valley Vietnam Veterans will have a POW MIA vigil on Friday and ending Sunday morning on Hill Street.  At 6:00 P.M. there will be a flag burning ceremony and anyone who has an old flag may drop them off and they will hold a special ceremony to burn the old flags.  Selectman Marzec 1) discussed bringing new businesses into the Town for additional revenue.  Selectman Davis 1) disappointed that there is no Executive Session since they have 3 major issues to discuss: a) Morin, b) Northbridge Redevelopment Corporation, and the High School fields.  2) letter from Mrs. Gumbell requesting verification on 40B; 3) have the applications for the roofs been submitted; 4)  December 19, 2005 the Board of Selectmen authorized the Manager to submit an application to the USDA for a Fire Station *roof, has this been submitted?  5) JA Taylor/Kopelman and Paige – Land Court – Chairman Ampagoomian informed Mr. Davis this packet was for the Board’s review only; 6) Toll Booth Policy; 7) Next Town Meeting – can the Field House be used?

 

Town Manager’s Report – 1) With respect to the Northbridge Redevelopment Corporation landfill, last Wednesday evening the Board of Health met.  A letter from the Board of Health to John Regan never was submitted because the Town’s attorney needed to review first. 2) Town Manager Coughlin passed out some correspondence that he and the Department of Public Works Director Richard Sasseville presented to the Building Committee relevant to the next steps to take on the site design and analysis for the future site of the DPW.  The DPW Director  and Town Manager met with Mr. Dwyer in respect to giving the Town permission to work on the future DPW site.  3) On September 21, 2006, there will be a rate hearing in the Board of Selectmen’s room at 7:00 P.M. on the Whitinsville Water Company rate increases.  4) Town Manager Coughlin presented the Selectmen with a letter that was written by the DPW Director addressing Mr. Couture’s concerns.  Mr. Sasseville is now awaiting a response from Mr. Couture. 5) Town Manager Coughlin gave the Board of Selectmen a draft copy of the hydrological study that was done for the Union Street drainage problem.  The Town Manager also gave the Board of Selectmen a copy of a letter the DPW Director sent to the Conservation Commission for work to be done on Union Street.

 

Open Session Adjourned:  10:10 P.M.

 

A motion/Mr. Davis, seconded/Mr. Audette to adjourn the meeting.  Vote yes/Unanimous.

 

 

                                                                                Respectfully submitted,

 

 

                                                                                James Marzec, Clerk

 

 

dg/

 

* At their October 2, 2006 meeting, the Board of Selectmen voted to amend the September 11, 2006 minutes as follows:  In the section titled FY 2005 Management Letter, Selectmen Davis asked that the entire discussion between Selectman Davis and Mr. Powers of the firm Powers and Sullivan be inserted.

 

* At their October 23, 2006 meeting, the Board of Selectmen voted to amend the amended September 11, 2006 minutes as follows:  Under Selectmen’s Concerns, Line 10, strike the word “roof”.