Board of Selectmen
January 11, 2010
A meeting of the Board of
Selectmen was called to order by Chairman Joseph Montecalvo at 6:15 PM, Northbridge Town Hall, 7 Main Street, Whitinsville,
MA. Present: Messrs. Ampagoomian, Nolan, Marzec and Melia. Also Present:
Theodore D. Kozak, Town Manager.
Executive Session.
A motion/Mr. Ampagoomian, seconded/Mr.
Marzec to go into Executive Session under M.G.L. Chapter 39 S. 23B #3 (Negotiations)
to reconvene in open session. Roll Call
Vote: Mr. Marzec/Yes, Mr. Montecalvo/Yes, Mr. Melia/Yes, Mr. Ampagoomian/Yes,
Mr. Nolan/Yes.
Open Session Adjourned: 6:17
P.M.
Executive Session Convened: 6:18
P.M.
Executive Session Adjourned: 6:57
P.M.
Open Session Reconvened: 7:00
P.M.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those present.
Approval of Minutes.
November 09, 2009 - A motion/Mr. Ampagoomian, seconded/Mr. Nolan to approve the November 9,
2009 minutes as presented with the readings omitted. Vote yes/Messrs. Melia, Ampagoomian, Nolan and Montecalvo. Abstain/Mr. Marzec
November 23, 2009 - A motion/Mr. Marzec, seconded/Mr. Melia to approve the November 23,
2009 minutes as presented with the readings omitted. Vote yes/Unanimous.
November 28, 2009 [Executive Session] - A motion/Mr. Marzec, seconded/Mr. Melia to approve but
not release the November 28, 2009 Executive Session minutes as presented with
the readings omitted. Vote yes/Unanimous.
Public
Hearing/7:05 PM – FY 2010 Community Development Block Grant Application. Present:
Gary Bechtholdt, Town Planner and Tim Hansen, Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission. Selectman
Montecalvo read the hearing notice and upon motion duly made and seconded the
Board of Selectmen opened the public hearing for the FY2010 Community
Development Block Grant application. Mr.
Bechtholdt reviewed the proceedings undertaken when the town first began to
update the Community Development Strategy, noting it is a requirement of the
grant program on an annual basis. As
part of this year’s efforts a number of public workshops and meetings were
held, resulting in the expansion of the existing New Village
target area (Whitinsville) and the addition of two new target areas; Linwood
and Rockdale. Additionally, the action
items in the Community Development Strategy [CD Strategy] were updated and
prioritized. Mr. Bechtholdt noted
proposed CDBG program activities need to be in the target areas. The target areas of Linwood and Rockdale are
included in this year’s CD Strategy and in subsequent years will explore
possible eligible actives within these new target areas. Mr. Hansen briefly reviewed eligible projects
and stated they must satisfy one of the three national objectives; (a) benefit low-and moderate-incomes; (b)
prevent or eliminate conditions of slums or blight; or (c) address an urgent or
critical community need.
Mr.
Bechtholdt explained in addition to target areas the updated CD Strategy
includes a priority list of activities for the town. Those include improve/expand municipal
buildings, infrastructure projects and a number of state and local initiatives
such as Sustainable Development Principles and Expedited Permitting. Mr. Bechtholdt noted the town’s ongoing
efforts to relocate a number of permitting offices within one building (Aldrich
School building), where currently the Planning, Conservation, Building, and
Zoning Board offices are all located off Providence Road and not within the
Town Hall. After the Community
Development Strategy was updated, Mr. Bechtholdt reported the town hosted a
number of public workshop meetings and a CDBG Advisory committee was
formed. The CDBG Advisory committee held
two meetings most recently last Monday, January 04, 2010. Through those discussions participants talked
about prioritizing activities for this year’s grant. Mr. Bechtholdt explained looking at the
requirements of the CDBG program and understanding what is needed to submit a
competitive application that the committee considered a number of possible
projects and ruled out a few based upon availability of certain documentation. For instance a construction project would
need design plans with cost estimates in order to submit and request funding
would need supportive documentation. Mr.
Bechtholdt recommended the town submit an application for two activities (1.)
improvements to the Aldrich School building (municipal annex) for accessibility
to the second floor (a lift) and handicapped accessible bathroom (2nd
floor), citing CDBG funding would help supplement those municipal funds already
spent and needed to improve the building and (2.) seek additional funding for
infrastructure improvements within the Whitinsville Target Area (formerly new
village target area) specifically C Street and D Street. Mr. Bechtholdt acknowledged that the town has
preliminary drawings and cost estimates for C Street and D Street and noted the
area has been designated Slum and Blight and funding would help address that
issue.
Continuing,
Mr. Bechtholdt advised that the Selectmen similar to last year need to make a
determination/decision on submitting the CDBG application under CDF I or CDF
II. Mr. Bechtholdt’s recommendation is
to submit an application under the CDF II based upon the town’s need
score. Mr. Hansen stated that the town
held a number of workshops and meetings to solicit activities and agrees with
Mr. Bechtholdt on the two activities and submission under CDF II.
Chairman
Montecalvo sought comments from the Board of Selectmen and residents in the
audience. Selectman Ampagoomian asked if
the town should look to expand the improvements to the third floor of the Aldrich School.
Mr. Kozak explained that the town received a waiver from the State for
the installation of a lift and noted concerns of the overall cost to improve
the third floor. Mr. Bechtholdt added an
important part of the CDBG application is to show and demonstrate a need, which
we are confident that we can show that need for utilizing the first and second
floors but perhaps not the third floor.
Selectman Ampagoomian also inquired about CDF I and CDF II. Mr. Hansen
provided a general overview of the Community Development Fund’s I & II and
explained Community Need scoring.
Selectman
Melia asked about the timing of awards and when the work may be done. Mr. Hansen and Mr. Bechtholdt explained that historically
the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has awarded the
grants in July. Mr. Hansen suggested
depending on the project activity this could push construction projects out a
year, however offered the proposed building improvements are interior and could
be performed during the winter. Starting
roadway infrastructure improvements would depend on how quickly a town can put
together the other programmatic stuff before construction. Mr. Bechtholdt noted that DHCD has recognized
this concern and as such next year’s CDBG (FY2011) deadline will be December
2010 (rather than February) to allow for the awarding of grants more in line
with the construction season.
Selectman
Nolan noted that the CD Strategy includes three target areas however none of
the recommendations for CDBG funding are within the Linwood or Rockdale
areas. Mr. Bechtholdt explained the need
to income qualify the Slum and Blight is within the Whitinsville target area,
adding that as part of the next step and would look to explore possible
eligible actives within these target areas as well in subsequent years.
Adam
Burney of 123 Border Street,
Whitinsville, voiced his support in submitting an application for
infrastructure improvements to C
Street and D Street.
Mr. Burney noted that both C Street and D Street are approaching
deplorable conditions, the sidewalks along C Street are more or less
non-existent and the sidewalk and curbing along D Street are crumbling, adding
that roadway is cracking and pavement in the roadways are deteriorating. There are a lot of children in the area [roughly
thirty to forty kids] that walk each day to school or to the bus stop on North Main Street
near Village Pizza. Reconstruction will
aid in making the neighborhood safer for walking and for vehicles using the
streets.
After
seeking additional comments from the Selectmen and residents in the audience,
the Board of Selectmen, upon motion duly made and seconded closed the public
hearing and voted 5-0 (unanimous) to submit the FY2010 CDBG application under
CDF II for the two activities as discussed.
Citizens’
Comments/Input. None.
Spring Annual
Town Meeting [May 4, 2010]/Vote
to close the warrant on Friday, March 19, 2010 at Noon. A motion/Mr. Nolan,
seconded/Mr. Marzec to close the May 4, 2010 Spring Annual Town Meeting Warrant
on Friday, March 19, 2010 at Noon. Vote
yes/Unanimous.
Linda
Usher/Request permission to hold the 22nd Annual “Whitin Five Mile
Road Race” and Two-mile Healthwalk on Thursday, November 25, 2010 (Thanksgiving
Day). A motion/Mr.
Ampagoomian, seconded/Mr. Marzec to grant permission to Linda Usher to hold the
22nd Annual “Whitin Five Mile Road Race” and Two-mile Healthwalk on
Thursday, November 25, 2010, subject to the safety requirements of the Police
Department. Vote yes/Unanimous.
Susan
Gorky, Superintendent of Schools/Presentation.
Also Present: Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nancy Spitulnik. Ms. Gorky presented a PowerPoint
presentation on the Northbridge
Public Schools and
District Improvement Plans. Superintendent
Gorky mentioned that each school in the district has a vision statement:
Northbridge Elementary School - “Promoting a Life Long Love of Learning”, W.
Edward Balmer School -“A Community of Learners”, Northbridge Middle School – “Believe and
Achieve”, Northbridge High School – “Together We Can”. She stated that development teams, mission
statements, improvement plans and district goals have all been put in place for
the 2009-2010 school year. With that
said, the Superintendent noted that a 3-ring binder of the School's improvement
plans have been provided to the Town Manager and Selectmen for their review. Continuing, Ms. Gorky briefly discussed her
plans for the school district and mentioned that their goal is to build a high
quality school district that inspires students, staff, parents, and the community
to stretch and grow and make the world a better place. Superintendent Gorky introduced several
members of the leadership team so that if the Selectmen had questions they
could be answered by someone on the team.
Selectman Marzec asked the following questions: 1) Were new math books
purchased and are they being used?
Superintendent Gorky responded that the math books are being used. 2) Do you have any suggestions and/or ideas
for measuring behavioral situations? Ms.
Gorky replied that they use the Responsive Classrooms approach [strengthens
teaching and optimizes learning], Open Circle Programs [increases social and
emotional development and decreases violence and problem behaviors] and the
IPass grading system, which allows them to run discipline reports. 3) Has the
Northbridge School System been tracking grades through cohorts? Superintendent Gorky mentioned they haven’t
yet but will be in the future. 4) Can
you explain the Link Program – High School Principal Michael Gauthier advised
that the Link Program is a transition program for students going from Grade 8
[Middle School] to Grade 9 [High School] to ease the transition process. Selectman Melia thanked the School
Department for their presentation and for inviting the Selectmen to their
quarterly meetings. Selectman Nolan
asked: 1) How often would these documents/presentation be updated?
Superintendent Gorky responded the documents would be updated periodically and
presented yearly to the Selectmen. 2)
Has the school been productive with the initiative of bringing students back to
the district? Superintendent Gorky advised that are still more students going
out of district but the number of students coming back in this year has
increased by roughly 20 students. Selectman
Ampagoomian thanked the school department for their presentation. 1) He asked the Superintendent to explain
what a zero-based budget is. Superintendent Gorky explained that the Leadership
Team built the budget from the ground up and can justify every penny. The budget is level-funded and each line item
can be explained in detail. 2) He asked the Superintendent to explain the
phrase “improve home-school-community communication”. She advised that communication occurs through
a website and will notify parents when something is posted on their
website. 3) Have you ever considered
taking a survey with students completing their first year of college to see how
well the Northbridge School System has prepared them? Ms. Gorky mentioned that she has received 6
to 7 surveys regarding this matter and that she is in the process of compiling
a survey for graduates of Northbridge
High School to take in the
near future. Chairman Montecalvo
asked about global education.
Superintendent Gorky stated that they see it as 24th century
learning and their goal is to ramp up the technology and put the technology in
the hands of the teachers and students so they can educate the students for the
21st century. High School
Principal Michael Gauthier mentioned a program called “Virtual High School”
which provides students with accelerated programs, advanced placement courses,
and courses that the high school doesn’t currently offer that can be done
online and are quite rigorous. They are
also looking to expand this program to the Middle School.
Lasell
Field [Artificial Turf]/Present: Friends of Lasell Field. Committee Members: Ken Lachapelle, 244 Mendon Street, Uxbridge, Fred
Beauregard, 75 Kennedy Circle, Northbridge, Robert Knapik, 15 Heritage Drive,
Whitinsville. Mr.
Beauregard mentioned that Lasell Field is the hub of Northbridge and is used
for many sports such as: football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and Pop
Warner Football as well as athletes of all ages. The field is degenerating and becoming unsafe
for athletes to use. The increase of field usage has taken its toll and the
natural turf surface can no longer withstand the effect of so much use. It is time to install an artificial surface
on Lasell Field. An artificial field
will significantly improve playing conditions and will provide our young
athletes with a safe and reliable facility.
That said, he mentioned that the Friends of Lasell Field Inc. was formed
as a MA Non-Profit Corporation, with the main purpose and goal of raising the
funds necessary to install an artificial surface on Lasell Field. They intend to achieve their goal by
generating broad-based support from the community, including residents, school
department and town government. The
Friends of Lasell Field, Inc. intend to raise funds from a variety of sources
including: private funding, corporate sponsorship, grants and individual
support. Friends of Lasell Field will be
applying for tax exempt status, under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code. That said, he mentioned the
purpose for his committee coming to tonight’s meeting was to 1) inform the
selectmen and the public of the project; 2) to solicit recommendations from the
Board that may assist the Friends of Lasell Field in achieving its goal; 3) to
solicit the support of the Board and of the public particularly in regards to securing
a community development grant. Mr.
Beauregard mentioned a major contributor in helping cities and towns throughout
the country convert their overused and outdated athletic fields to synthetic
turf has been the acquisition of funds from community development grants. In closing, he asked if the town would
consider setting aside a portion of grant money to help in the revitalization
of Lasell Field. Chairman Montecalvo
asked if they met with the School Committee.
Mr. Beauregard advised the Selectmen that they would be meeting with
them on the 28th of January. He
also asked if they have a figure on how much it will cost. Mr. Beauregard replied that his committee has
met with 3 out of 4 turf companies and the cost ranges around $950,000 dollars. Chairman Montecalvo suggested that Mr.
Beauregard and his committee meet with Town Planner Gary Bechtholdt regarding
the grant process. Selectman Melia expressed
his support of the field being renovated and wished them well in raising funds.
Bylaw
Review Process. Chairman
Montecalvo advised the Selectmen that they need to start the process of appointing
a Bylaw Review Committee.
Green
Committee Composition. Chairman
Montecalvo advised the Selectmen that one of the at-large appointed members has
not been attending the Green Committee meetings and we are waiting to
see if this person will resign. Town
Manager Kozak advised the Board that Selectman Marzec would like to change the composition
of the committee. This matter will
be discussed at a future Board of Selectmen’s meeting.
Town Manager’s Report. 1) Chamber of Commerce Meeting Update
Attended meeting regarding the Quinsigamond
Community College
proposal. The group is investigating the
possibility of a full-scale campus in the Blackstone Valley
area. They are currently looking at
costs and potential revenue sources to fund the project. 2) Sewer Issues - A) Sutton
Street Project – Sewer pipe testing had to be rescheduled due to illness of
the consultant so it has been rescheduled to this week some time. B) Overview of Sewer Expense – The DPW
Director is working with the consultant to try and find ways to contain costs
in the operation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant. A chart was provided
showing the FY08 and FY 09 Operating Expenses.
The cost for electricity went from $163,373.24 to $202,318.25, sludge
disposal $171,773.09 to $188,109.46 and chemicals $172,174.79 to
$213,184.76. The overall increased cost
went up $96,291.35. 3) Aldrich School – An overview report will be provided on
work completed to-date for Aldrich
School. Town Manager
Kozak provided a report on the following work completed at the Aldrich School
and some work that is still in progress: Lead Paint – inspection $2,145, Abatement
$8,760, Plumbing – Handicapped bathroom plus 3 additional bathrooms $8,965, repair
of heat pipe $650, Electrical – 2 exterior lights and handicapped bathrooms
$1,318, additional outlets & outside lighting $3,910 (work in progress),
Carpentry – Handicapped bathroom, trimming doors & bathroom fixtures
$4,999, Trimming of hall doors to accommodate new flooring $980, office
partitions & misc. carpentry $4,230, installation of safety gate $690 (work
in progress), Architect – lift plans $4,506; Misc. – paint and food (Sheriff’s Office)
$7,769, Flooring – two bathrooms $975, installation of carpet in 2 offices and
hall, installation of tile in entryway and janitor’s closet $7,000, Door
Hardware – replace door passage hardware for first floor - $3,169. Total Work Completed -$55,466 and Total Work
in Progress -$4,600. He anticipates that the Annex building will be open in the
spring. 4) Green Communities Program
– This is a reminder notice that a consultant from the state will be
conducting a workshop at 6:30 PM on February 1st regarding the new
building regulations required for the program. 5) Swine Flu Clinic – The Swine Flu Clinic took place on Saturday,
January 9, 2010 from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Northbridge High School.
A total of 366 people attended and there are a number of doses left. 6) Burger King Fire – Due to the quick
action by Sergeant Stephen Zollin, the fire at Burger King was quickly
extinguished before extensive damage occurred at the establishment.
Selectmen’s Concerns. Selectman Nolan/ 1) Suggested
soliciting interest for the Bylaw Review Committee. Selectman
Ampagoomian/ 1) Asked if Mass
Highway has done the survey at Plummer’s Corner. Town Manager Kozak replied “no” but will
contact them to see when they are coming. 2)
Stated before the completion of the Aldrich
School, provide a list of
who’s moving in and a floor plan to the Selectmen. Town Manager Kozak replied “yes”. Selectman
Melia/ 1) He asked if Town Manager Kozak sent out any instructions for the
budget process. Town Manager Kozak
mentioned that he sent out his instructions to his Department Heads back in
October and told them no increases. Selectman Marzec/ 1) Asked if the work
being done for Aldrich
School is being done properly.
2) Correspondence from Jack Davis –
he would like to discuss his letter at a future meeting. Chairman Montecalvo
advised that an update would be provided at a future meeting. 3)
During a Green Committee Meeting it was mentioned that we are paying the MBTA
money from our town when we don’t have any transportation system in Northbridge
– why is that. 4) Thanked the Northbridge Fire and Police Departments for
responding to a recent personal issue that took place last week.
A motion/Mr. Melia, seconded/Mr.
Marzec to adjourn the meeting. Vote
yes/Unanimous.
Meeting Adjourned: 8:47 P.M.
Respectfully
submitted,
Charles
Ampagoomian, Jr., Clerk
/dg