May 23, 2006
Regular Session 7:32 PM
Mr. Edmundson, Mr. Riley
Aquarion Water Update
Mr. Bingaman informed the Board that McQuarrie Bank, an owner of diversified assets around the world is purchasing Aquarion. He advised that local management and employees of Aquarion would remain in place. The company has met with public utilities officials in the four states where they do business but has not yet filed the application for approval. McQuarrie, one of the larger entities in Australia, has $24 billion in assets around the world. These investments include airports, parking lots, gas utilities, water utilities, etc. The company has offices in 20 countries worldwide, including sixteen offices in the United States. McQuarrie will be filing for regulatory approval within the next few weeks and this should be completed by the end of the year. Things should continue smoothly during and after the acquisition period. The water company is looking at options for additional supply - drilling another well in a different part of town, opening the Free Street well or revitalizing some old wells. The application to open Well #4 is currently in a holding pattern. It was denied last year because of possible impact on the Weir River watershed. A new engineering firm has been retained and over the past several months they have been looking at projected demand. Mr. Bingaman said various options on how to meet that demand are being investigated. These options include the possibility of interconnecting with one of the local towns, hooking up with the MWRA, or a desalination plant. Aquarion has been operating by mixing a small amount of Cohasset water with the Hingham supply on a daily basis since November 2005. Mr. Riley noted that water rates have declined slightly recently and asked if it was the company's plan to continue that trend. Mr. Bingaman explained the decrease is due to restructuring some debt but the current interest rate environment does not look as if any further decrease will be done soon. If the Free Street well were to be brought on line the company would continue to evaluate other sources of supply for emergency backup.
Public Hearings on the petitions of Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant and Verizon New England, Inc.
Mr. Tokadjian advised the Board that two of the petitions before the Board are necessary because of the Greenbush project. The first petition concerns Eldridge Court. In order to allow construction of the Greenbush line it is required that the pole be moved out of the right of way.
Voted - to approve the Grant of Location request on the joint petition of the Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant and Verizon New England Inc. to relocate Pole #61/1 on Eldridge Court approximately 15 feet in a northerly direction towards the Greenbush Line Tracks as shown on plan marked HMLP No. 3-4-10-2006, dated 4-10-2006.
Mr. Tokadjian told the Board that there are some surface improvements planned for Water Street that require widening the road slightly. Three poles are being moved to accommodate the Greenbush project. Mr. Riley questioned the moving of the pole into the sewer easement as shown on the map provided the Board. Mr. Tokadjian said on the detailed plans from Greenbush show the pole being slightly outside the easement.
Voted - to approve the Grant of Location request on the joint petition of the Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant and Verizon New England Inc. to relocate the following three poles on Water Street:
Pole #10 approximately 10 feet in a southwesterly direction, towards the cemetery.
Pole #11 approximately 18 feet in a northwesterly direction towards the Station Street parking lot.
Pole #11A approximately 6 feet in a westerly direction towards the Station Street parking lot.
The above three poles are shown on plan marked HMLP, No. 2-4-20-2006, dated 4-10-2006.
Mr. Tokadjian said the final request was for a new pole on Ward Street. Presently there is a contractor putting in conduits on Ward and French Streets. New circuits are necessary and the underground system stops at corner of Old Ward and Ward Streets. In order to make the transition there needs to be a new clean pole with nothing on it to connect the underground system to the overhead. Mr. Tokadjian explained that it is very difficult to transition from underground to overhead if there is existing infrastructure. There will be six conduits two to the pole and four capped for future expansion.
Voted - to approve the Grant of Location request on the petition of the Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant to locate one new pole #19/1, on Ward Street, approximately one hundred and twenty five feet in a westerly direction towards High Street, from existing Pole #20 Ward Street, and forty feet in the northerly direction from existing Pole #19 Ward Street, as shown on plan marked HMLP, No. 05-06-1, dated May 5, 2006.
The Board was advised that custodial rates set under the Rules and Regulations for Sanborn Auditorium had not been adjusted since the building became the town hall in 1998. The recommended change will raise the hourly rate for a custodian to an amount that would cover current salary overtime levels.
Voted - to amend the Rules and Regulations for Sanborn Auditorium to set the hourly rate at $34.00 for a custodian staffing events held in the auditorium.
Voted - to grant Request for Counsel as submitted by the Board of Health.
Voted - to grant a one-day liquor license to Lauren Enos for a 25th Anniversary Party on June 3 at Broad Cove Ballroom.
Voted - to grant a one-day liquor license to Norman McCulloch for customer appreciation evening on May 29 at Broad Cove Ballroom.
Logan Airport Community Action Council
Mr. Boland explained that traffic into Logan would increase by 50% in the next 7 - 8 years. Boston Overflight Noise Study has been studying flight-related noise since 1978. Quincy initiated this program and the addition of runway 14/32 brought things to a head. There was a provision in the court case that money be set aside to study the noise issue. Hingham is particularly affected in the winter. Since airplanes have reached the limit of noise technology for the next several years, phase one of the noise study was to identify alternatives for air traffic. The committee has looked at comparable airports and what is acceptable for background noise as well as the acute noise when it passes over. With new systems you can define exactly where an aircraft will fly. There is only good news for Hingham insofar as the aircraft will be much higher than those currently passing overhead. In the future flights will be directed out further. This is a big win for Hingham and the South Shore in general. Most towns are winning the difference is the extent of the win. There is a lot of debate about keeping the aircraft off the tip of Hull but most of the town will be better off.
Mr. Edmundson noted that some months ago a letter was sent to the Light Board as a result of the recommendation of the Long Range Strategic Planning Committee for the Hingham Light Plant. There were three particular questions addressed to the Light Board in January. Since that letter there has been some informal discussion but no formal response from the Board. In the past few of days Mr. Foskett indicated that the Light Board would take up the matter in early June and respond. Mr. Edmundson noted that this is an opportunity for cost savings and equity.
Voted - to appoint the following Associates on the Zoning Board of Appeals for a one-year term:
Robert R. Bersani
James Broderick
Steven David
Joseph Fisher
Joseph Freeman
William M. Koplovsky
L. Bruce Rabuffo
Jamey Tesler
Voted - to appoint the following in the Building Department for a one-year term:
Deputy Building Commissioners
Robert M. Egan
Michael Simpson
Richard Wakem
Mark Grylls
Plumbing Inspectors
Brian McPherson
Francis J. Yetman
George Rittershaus, Jr., Deputy Inspector
Wire Inspectors
Patrick F. Cannon
Russell McLoud
John A. Stoddard, Jr., Deputy Inspector
Kevin J. Bulman, Deputy Inspector
Voted - to appoint the following to the Fourth of July Parade Committee for a one-year term:
Blackmur, Mary Ann Nicholson, Shanna
Bridges, Mary E. Potter, Ruth
Buhr, Megan Power, Mary
Carpenter, Alden, MD Ramsey, William
Denegri, Jenni Scotton, Lewis
Gauthier, Eric Spannagel, Virginia
Hagstrom, Susan Tonucci, Cynthia
Hertzburg, Philip
McCann, Dorris
Voted - to appoint the following Assistant Harbormasters for a one-year term:
Robert Jenks
Michael Murray
Michael Hickey
Daniel Galvin
Robert Blazuk
Voted - to appoint the following to the Memorial Bell tower Committee for a one-year term:
Kenneth W. Drescher Michael Shilhan
John McKendry Shirley Newsom
Nancy Stimson Joan Getto
Dorcas Wagner Justine L. W. Thurston
Eugene Shaw Elizabeth Shaw
Voted - to appoint Virginia B. Gray as Registrar for a three-year term expiring in 2009.
Voted - to reappoint Philip Resca to the Traffic Committee for a three-year term expiring in 2009.
Voted - to appoint the following to the Veterans Council for a one-year term:
Michael Cunningham Scott McMillan
Robert Fournier James Claypoole
William Ramsey Robert Beal, Jr.
Stephen Kelsch Edward Barr
Richard Corcoran Michelle Meade
Keith Jermyn Robert Haviland
Lewis Scotten John Overbagh
Joseph Willard Theodore Evangelides
Voted - to appoint Harold Tuttle and Charles Alexson as Deputy Weights and Measures Inspectors for a one-year term.
Voted - to reappoint the following to the Housing Partnership Committee for a three-year term expiring in 2009:
Gretchen Condon
James O'Brien
Robert Bone
Selectmen/Town Administrator Reports
Mr. Riley represented the Board at the swearing in ceremony for recently appointed police sergeant David Horte and at the Citizens Police Academy graduation. Informal comments on the piece in the journal regarding big picture thoughts and ideas for goals and objectives for the coming year. Mr. Cristello plans to attend a meeting in Taunton on Friday on pandemic planning. The Board reviewed details for the Memorial Day observance.
Meeting adjourned 9:00 pm.
Betty Foley, Clerk
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