Back to Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes
Special Meeting
June 11, 2008 @ 10:00 AM
Mr. Riley, Ms. Burns, Mr. Rabuffo
Mr. Riley announced that the purpose of this meeting is to set the Selectmen’s goals for the coming year. The Department Heads were invited to join this meeting to get a sense of this brainstorming process and to offer their input.
The Board reviewed the Selectmen’s goals for 2007-2008.
Property Tax Relief: Ms. Burns reported on the following issues: The 2008 Annual Town Meeting voted to raise limits on elderly maximum provisions. The Selectmen’s Newsletter went out with the first tax bill. The residential tax levy proposal was very unpopular and the Selectmen will be going back to drawing board on tax property relief.
Public Safety Communications: Ms. Tully had made a lot of progress towards obtaining an Agreement with Aquarion Water Company to locate a communications support building on Turkey Hill improving internal operations with respect to public safety. Chief Duff pointed out there is still more to do regarding Homeland Security but is pleased the way it is going and would like this issue left on the list.
Redesign of the Rotary and Derby Street at Route 3: Route 3A at the Hingham Rotary is the most accident prone location along with Exit 15 off Route 3 – both these locations are under the jurisdiction of the State, so are taking longer, but the town has recently been contacted by Mass Highway and funding is underway.
Televise more meetings from Town Hall: Considerable progress has been made relative to have meetings televised. Planning Board had one meeting televised on trial. Betty Foley, Interim Town Manager advised there is money in the Capital Outlay budget to purchase equipment for the downstairs meeting rooms. The Verizon license agreement requires that in so many years, every room in Town Hall would be able to broadcast meetings live. Also we will be renegotiating with Comcast and hope to receive funding from them. It is unclear what Verizon will choose to pick up after both companies develop their own public access studio with funds from license fees.
Chief Duff is interested in being able to broadcast live emergency announcements from the Central Fire Station.
Coordinate activities in the Bare Cove Park Corridor: Mr. Burns also reported she had some very successful meeting and great issues were brought out and attended to from the Bare Cove Park Corridor Meetings.
Create plan for putting utilites underground:
Mr. Riley reported that the utility poles and overhead wires on the north side of Route 3A, along the shipyard have been removed. He will continue to seek ways to develop funding to remove overhead wires, from North Street/ Station Street to the Harbor area and hopefully provide balance in linkage to the harbor by the summer of 2010. Mr. Riley created a Harbor Parking Task Force and he is continuing to work on parking concerns. He suggested requesting further funding from CPC and Town Meeting approval to make downtown more attractive.
Attention on shade trees: The Shade Tree Policy was placed on hold.
Discussion of new Selectmen’s goals: Mr. Rabuffo would like to focus on revenue enhancement and economic development to increase the business base. He felt his prior experience on the Development and Industrial Commission would be very helpful in this area. Customer Service, benchmarking, civic engagement, and tax relief are also his goals. Mr. Rabuffo also suggested that a grant writer be hired.
Input from Department Heads:
Joe Stigliani, DPW Superintendent would like his Department to be considered for zero budgeting to set a more realistic budget to eliminate the need for sizable transfers.
DPW is piloting a small program keeping tract of how many calls they receive, how long it takes for response based on collected data tracked on 6 months to the present. Expansion to improve other departments from this program is the goal that is trying to be achieved.
Andrea Young Administrator for the Historical Commision and Historic District Commission felt that the Town didn’t make good use of the Master Plan and feels it is important that the Town follow a Master Plan.
Lane Partridge, Director of Assessors’ would like to be more involved and informed in the joint Advisory/Committee Selectmen’s budget process. He asked the Board to consider a four-day working week to conserve heat and air conditioning costs.
Dennis Corcoran, Library Director would also like to become more involved in the budget process. He requested ongoing support for technical advances to use technology to create means to contact the public
Cliff Prentis, Conservation Officer, expressed his concerns regarding the Water Supply and drought as the gauging station for the Weir River on Leavitt Street in 2006 was measuring 214 cubic ft per second, 14 cubic feet in 2007, and this month it measured only 4 cubic feet.
Barbara Farnsworth, Dept of Elder Services was advising that by the year 2020, 25% more seniors would need affordable housing.
Mr. Riley suggested that Ted Alexiades, work with the Department Heads at the Department Heads meetings to understand their thinking and communicate back to the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. Rabuffo announced that if anyone needs assistance a liaison list is available in the Selectmen’s Office.
Voted - to adopt the following Goals for 2008:
1. Tax Relief – exemptions and education
2. Revenue enhancement
a. increase the business tax by identifying desirable businesses and
recruiting them
b. hire a part-time grant writer
c. investigate energy savings through performance contracting.
3. Implement zero-based budget policy on a rotating basis among departments
4. Begin the process of renewing and revamping the Master Plan
5. Investigate water supply conditions
Voted to approve the sale of a $6,100,000 2.50 percent Bond Anticipation Note of the Town dated June 18, 2008, and payable June 18, 2009 (the “Note”), to DEPFA First Albany Securities LLC at par and accrued interest plus a premium of $43,740.00.
Further that in connection with the marketing and sale of the Note, the preparation Voted: distribution of a Notice of Sale and Preliminary Official Statement dated
June 4, 2008, and a final Official Statement dated June 10, 2008, each in such form as approved by the Town Treasurer, be and hereby are ratified, confirmed, approve and adopted.
Further
Voted: that the Town Treasurer and the Board of Selectmen be, and hereby are, authorized to execute and deliver a material events disclosure undertaking in compliance with SEC Rule 15c2-12 in such form as may be approved and adopted by bond counsel to the Town, which undertaking shall be incorporated by reference in the Note, as applicable, for the benefit of the holders of the Note from time to time.
Further
Voted: that each member of the Board of Selectmen, the Town Clerk and the Town Treasurer be and hereby are, authorized to take any and all such actions, and execute and deliver such certificates, receipts or other documents as may be determined by them, or any of them, to be necessary or convenient to carry into effect the provisions of the foregoing votes.
Adjourned: 11:25 AM Clerk pro tem
Marilyn Harrington