Finance
Committee Meeting
Minutes
– August 16, 2004
Town
Hall – 7:30 p.m.
Members
Present: Brian Fitzgerald, Kenneth
Goldberg, Charles Goodman, David
Hearne, Jonathan Hitter, Paul Pietal,
Gloria Rose (Hamilton)
1. Conservation Commission
presentation for Fall Town Meeting on Article 7 on the status of Rattlesnake
Hill by Peg Arguimbau.
2. Not a priority by the State
to spend money on this land. The
Conservation Commission then needed to broaden the Article for other groups to
come up with money. Some discussion
because of wording if money didn’t go to the Park. Land not tied to go to Borderland Park and
does not need to annex to Park. Town can
keep land—trying to protect property.
3. It was approved that 6
million would be borrowed, 1 ½ million by Water Department, equaling 7 ½
million and the State would come up with the other money. The present administration will not spend
half of that money. The Commission met
with Sen. Joyce, et al. Not a positive
meeting. Contacted the owners and they
are still interested in selling to Town.
4. In 1983-85 the Con. Comm.
first started to contact owners to buy property for the Town for 3 million
dollars. Town couldn’t afford it. The Commission has been trying for a long time
to acquire this land.
5. Arguimbau: Option to buy part of the property. If someone can help with purchase. May have to buy some parcels. 80% for Town, but not 20%. Rewording of this Article allows 20% to be
parceled and nothing from State. Annex
to our own existing conservation land, not Borderland Park. Money would be going for the same
purpose—preserve land. Trying to get
whole parcel.
6. Rose: Other investors will buy part and develop for
houses or will they keep as conservation
land?
7. Arguimbau: Other alternatives for purchase of the land
might provide 10 acre lots, ¾ acre for house, 9 acres restricted for
conservation. Other areas such as Dover
and Needham do this commonly. Other
opportunity to get outside funding to accomplish this.
8. Rose: Is anyone interested?
9. Arguimbau: Trustees of Reservations are showing most
interest.
10. Rose: Are the owners of this land receptive?
11. Arguimbau: Stephen Striar has
been contacted that the Town is still interested. He hasn’t said don’t do it.
12. Fitzgerald: Are owners holding price at 15 million?
13. Arguimbau: They may go up, but are holding right now at
15 million.
14. Goldberg: The Article states a portion of the
property. The way it is worded, if the
Town wanted to buy 30% and spend 7 ½ million for that, instead of having the
whole property for 7 ½ million. Should
state no less than 80%. Worth 7 ½
million for whole property.
15. Arguimbau: In order to do the sale, the Town needs to
come up with 15 million. We won’t buy
30% to preserve entire property.
16. Hitter: Striar won’t split
property?
17. Arguimbau: They haven’t indicated they will break up the
property. We may only end up controlling
a portion of it.
18. Goldberg: Substantially negative easements for preserving
property.
19. Arguimbau: Wording is open to interpretation.
20. Goldberg: Have you talked to Nature Conservation?
21. Arguimbau: In February or March. Haven’t talked to them recently. They are concentrating on this much open
contiguous space this close to Boston.
Not best area to focus money on.
Hard to make argument to these groups for large area.
22. Hitter: When may the sellers not accept?
23. Arguimbau: They may want an answer in October or
November.
24. Goodman: Is Striar doing
anything with that property?
25. Arguimbau: Septic testing. Not much activity.
26. Agimbau: We hope Reservation may be available to help
us. Under the Conservation Act, 10% of
money goes to conservation. We may be
able to get 80% of that money. We may be
able to borrow more money. We have to
wait until November for an answer. The
owners may take money over time—7 ½ million, then the rest over small period of
time. Funds would accrue to access at a
later date. A complicated closure.
27. Hitter: Can this be sold without a guarantee again? Come back here, it’s again here’s 7 ½
million, need another 7 ½ million.
28. Arguimbau: Every effort is being made to do what they
want. State didn’t come through with
money. Commission is trying to pursue
outside sources for money.
29. Hitter: Between now and Town Meeting, no funds
available? No money before.
30. Arguimbau: If tied to State, not going to happen. Twice before at Town Meeting to preserve
property and once at vote. Every effort
to preserve. Poor excuse not having
right wording not to try on this Article again.
Must have support from Finance Committee. Crucial to how far we’ve gotten so far. Will change wording again if needed for
clarification.
31. Grasfield: A time less than two years ago when new State
Senator was in for 12 million. Administration opted not to release
money. Try to get it moving again. If Town put up half, we will see what can be
done. The flawed Article was being too
specific or we can’t proceed. This one
too loose, pursue more flexibility with different parties.
32. Alice Cheyer: State provided half and Town half. Portions of property doesn’t need to be in
there.
33. Goldberg: In that approach, the Town wouldn’t end up
with 100%.
34. Pietal: It was unanimous for this Article in
2003. We saw an impact of purchasing the
entire lot. Portion piece would not be
good. Spend 7 ½ million could buy half
and have 200 homes on other half.
35. Arguimbau: Will try to get Article written as clearly as
possible about the portion issue.
36. Pietal: Can we have 80%?
37. Arguimbau: Why make a change now? Indicates to owners and Town that we are
interested to do as much as possible.
Under the Article, go to State.
Need to keep options in Article.
We want other financing. 7 ½
million only there if going to the Park.
People would question, “How come it’s not going to Borderland Park?”
38. Pietal: Overwhelming support in October. Even if money available, wouldn’t the Striars wait until May?
39. Goldberg: Too narrow and too restrictive to proceed,
and Town doesn’t take property with pertinent negative easements. Wording was changed to and/or.
40. Arguimbau: Whole thing or part of it. Deleted whole. Kept open for whole just removing
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
41. Grasfield: If you wait until Spring Meeting, ZBA could
have rendered decision in court. It
could be too late in Spring if owners get their decision.
42. Arguimbau: They could be free to start developing land.
43. Pietal: Would they not develop if they get purchase
price of 15 million?
44. Arguimbau: Willing to wait until a certain point in
time.
45. Goodman: Will they take 15 million if you come up with
it? Town could have gotten it for 3
million?
46. Arguimbau: Town said it was too expensive.
47. Goodman: Any support for it?
48. Arguimbau: Conservation Commission.
49. Hearne: Regarding estates of Borderland Park and
40B? Considered at one point golf course
and very large estate-like homes. Is Striar interested in developing as part of golf
course? Is there a reason to buy by
Town?
50. Arguimbau: Water and Fire Departments, wetlands. Could not build on part. It is targeted for open space.
51. Hearne: Is there reason enough to buy a portion? If there was, even with 15 million, plan
wouldn’t purchase whole of everything?
52. Arguimbau: Two acres.
53. Hearne: No value in buying less than 100% of land?
54. Arguimbau: Would like to buy Hill. It is beautiful. There isn’t a purpose for that.
55. Framed by Article for
intent. No splitting by Striar?
56. Fitzgerald: What if you can’t raise 15 million? What plan could you have for downsizing?
57. Arguimbau: Owners know how they’re going to use
property. They will go ahead with their
plans if not purchased from Striars for 15 million.
58. Rose: Either whole or nothing?
59. Arguimbau: They will not sell for 7 ½ million for half
of the land. If purchase is done for 15
million, there may be estate planning or matching grant since State reneged.
60. Pietal: Same intent as 2003 financial analysis passed
on 7 ½ million. What the impact would be
without wording tied up, the financial information will fall apart. Another 7 ½ million being looked for. Nothing would change what we recommended in
December meeting. Key is size of
purchase. To purchase no less than substantially
all of the property.
61. Goldberg: Provided that no less than 90% of the parcel
purchased of restricted covenanted land, no less than 90% would be 9 acres
restricted.
62. Goodman: If you say Town has to purchase 80 or 90%,
Town would have to come up with 15 million.
63. Arguimbau: Other groups would come up with money. Spend 7 ½ million with some other group. Striar will sell
100% of property for 15 million. Ten
percent to building restricted housing.
Ability to buy many properties.
Gave leeway how much Town will spend and other groups and as long as
100% of property is purchased.
64. Did Town put into so much to
be conservation?
65. Arguimbau: Conservation might. Who would come in to help with
financing? Need flexibility as to not
being tied to State. Town Counsel to
word so that majority of property protected.
66. Pietal: It is tough selling hypotheses to Town Meeting. Does not need another election.
67. Arguimbau: Same purpose.
68. Hearne: Change terms of borrowing. How did this Article come about?
69. Arguimbau: Came out of Gelerman’s
office. Discussion between myself and Gelerman. When State
wasn’t going to come up with money, then we tried to get other people to come
up with money. If State was written in
wording, going to take out State word.
70. Rose: By the Commonwealth and other third party?
71. Arguimbau: We will have another meeting with Town
Counsel Gelerman.
72. OTHER BUSINESS
73. Discussion regarding the
June 21 minutes.
74. MOVED
and SECONDED to approve the minutes
of June 21, 2004.
75. VOTED: 6-0-1.
76. Pietal: The Planning Board and the Selectmen have
been meeting about the South Walpole Street property.
77. Grasfield: One of responsibility is Water
Commission. Gobi no longer owned
it. Intoccia
owned. On 100 acre parcel. Some area for proposed rezoning at last Town
Meeting. Met with Intoccia,
et al. Scheduled open hearing month
ago. Neighborhood notified and other Selectmen. Raised concerns and questions. Selected 3 representatives. Meeting with two developers and owners. Last meeting developer would have plans
within 30 days. Scheduled for early
September. Default is 40 days. Indicated that they express willingness to
work with Town in manner beneficial to Town.
Flexible on many Town needs.
Affordable senior housing, some commercial development.
78. Pietal: Next meeting on August 23, Historical
Commission and Planning Board. All
Warrant Articles finished. Recommendations
written on 30th. On potential
move to High School Library. The
earliest would be some time mid to late September. Paul Linehan,
Chairman, Capital Outlay, mentioned ideas to share with Capital Outlay. Open to new ideas, structural changes.
79. Fitzgerald: Do we have to have a recommendation on all of
these Articles? How can we do this all
before September.
80. Much discussion on COA
Article regarding Sr. Center.
81. Pietal: Recap Articles: ARTICLE
1:
Transfer sum of money up to $550,000.
Where to have it go—Stabilization Fund?
ARTICLE 2: Monies for remodeling and repair of Community
Center. May be same as amount in Article
1. ARTICLE
3: COA. ARTICLE
4: Wilber School feasibility design
type money. Waiting for firmer
numbers. Is $65,000 enough to do
feasibility study? Transfer to single
account, $52,602.03. ARTICLE 5: Regional Dispatch on hold. Could be January ’06. Move for indefinite postponement. ARTICLE
6: Transfer of money to Recreation
Department for use of Teen Center. ARTICLE 7: Conservation Commission. ARTICLE
8: Historical Commission. Next week.
ARTICLE 9: Gordon Gladstone has several items for
Finance Committee to prepare before Town Meeting. Do we have to do By-law change to put action
in place? It was in Warrant, not
mandated. ARTICLE 10: Discharge
Detection & Elimination and ARTICLE
11: Storm Water Discharges. Some questions still to be answered by Peter O’Cain. ARTICLE 12: Planning Board. ARTICLE
13: Planning Board. ARTICLE
14: Zoning By-laws. ARTICLE
15: Board of Health. Chapter 7 penalties of septic problems. Fine without court approval—fines were larger
than allowed. ARTICLE 16: Transfer of
money from Community Septic Management Program to the Septic System Improvement
Loan Program Account. ARTICLE 17: Bramble Lane acceptance.
82. MOVED
and SECONDED to adjourn.
83. VOTED: 7-0-0.
84. Adjourned at 9:10 p.m.