January 27, 2004
The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at 7:30 P.M. in the Sharon Town Offices with Chair Norman Katz, Selectmen Walter Joe Roach and David I. Grasfield and Town Administrator Benjamin E. Puritz.
The meeting was called to order at 7:32 P.M.
Minutes
VOTED: (Roach/Grasfield) Voted unanimously to approve the Executive Session minutes of January 20, 2004, the regular session minutes of January 22, with corrections in Executive Session to the January 22nd Executive Session minutes and the regular minutes of January 20, 2004 with the following corrections:
Under: FY’05 Proposed Budget Recommendations
Third Paragraph: Selectman Grasfield suggested that increasing property taxes to the full 2 ½ % be a topic of policy discussion at some future time.
Delete: “at some future time.”
Under: Executive Session:
Change: VOTED: (Roach/Grasfield)
To: VOTED: (Grasfield/Roach)
Structure of the Standing Building Committee
Joel Wolk, Gordon Gladstone, Deborah Benjamin and Bill Croteau were present on behalf of the Standing Building Committee and Anne Carney was present on behalf of the Government Study Committee. Chair Katz referenced an earlier appointment with the filing of a petition by neighbors to the Cottage Street project raising concerns about the Standing Building Committee and the written reply as sent by the Standing Building Committee.
Joel Wolk, Chair of the Standing Building Committee (SBC), stated that he was here for the purpose of discussing with members of the Government Study Committee the restructuring of the Standing Building Committee, and that the letter he wrote in reply to a petition filed with the Board stands by itself, all the facts were answered and they have nothing else to say. Mr. Wolk further stated that the members of the Standing Building Committee feel that the Standing Building Committee has worked well in over six years and listed the number of projects that they have been involved in. He emphasized that they are an independent committee made up of dedicated and well- experienced professionals. Other items discussed included:
STB members have tried to be as responsive to the Community and to include people in the community in all decisions;
STB reports only to Town Meeting;
STB makes decisions solely on the merit of the decisions–the values that it brings to the Town;
STB members prefer the current structure of the Committee;
Difficulties in recruiting new members;
Advisable that monies left at the conclusion of a reimbursable project be looked at for future investment in the capital;
Having a neighborhood representative on the Committee as a voting member;
A neighborhood representative would act as the contact person for the neighborhood;
STB Committee feels they have made all the right decisions, work well together and respect each other.
Selectman Roach stated that there are three things bothering him:
Need for a voting member of the neighborhood on the project;
Need for additional members on the Committee; and,
Need for a project contact person on STB.
Mr. Wolk responded that the Committee has addressed everything that came before the Committee with meetings with the abutters. Some requests were funded, but other items may be addressed if there is any money left over at the end of the project. Mr. Wolk reminded the Board that this Committee has come before the Selectmen for advice concerning design of the senior center and intends to continue to seek advice. In answer to the question from Selectman Roach as to how to resolve a complaint, Mr. Wolk stated that the contact person is the Administrative Assistant Maureen Doherty at 781-784-1542 or EMail Maureen will put any complaints on the agenda before the STB.
Anne Carney, Government Study Committee, stated that to get a representative of the neighborhood to serve as a committee member, would need a bylaw change at Town Meeting. Selectman Roach asked if the neighborhood representative would represent a particular project, and Mr. Wolk responded that “you could structure it that way.’ Questions were raised as to how one would define the neighborhood. Mr. Wolk reminded the Board that the Committee meets every two weeks and that a neighborhood rep would need to meet also with the neighborhood.
Vice Chair of the STB Debbie Benjamin stated that what she has noticed is that abutters come to the meetings when they are angry about something. She suggested that a neighborhood designee sit on the Committee and serve as someone to hear the complaints of the neighborhood. Mr. Wolk thought it would be a good idea for a neighborhood rep to be someone who champions the neighborhood.
Questions of whether a neighborhood rep would just vote on that neighborhood project were discussed. Ways of increasing neighborhood participation from the beginning of a project were also discussed. Ms. Carney recommended that the community person act as a liaison between the Committee and the neighborhood, but not serve as a voting member. Selectman Grasfield underscored the opinion of SBC Member Bill Croteau that we need to do more to reach out to the community during the early phases of a project.
Mr. Wolk stated that they are still learning and intend to do more neighborhood out reach work on the pending Wilber School Project and the proposed Middle School project. The vacancies on this Committee will be advertised on Cable TV - listing preferred expertise in Construction Management or Programming, Project Management, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, or Law.
Change in Ambulance Fees - Public Hearing
Chief Mann was present to discuss changes in the ambulance fees as included as attachments to his Letter to the Board, dated December 16, 2003. As required by Town Bylaw, this hearing was advertised on Cable TV. Chief Mann explained that the restructuring of ambulance rates, nationwide by the Health Care and Finance Administration prompted the rate changes. Chief Mann is recommending that the Town set its rates as 30% above the Medicare Rates (Medicare rates have decreased since 2001, the last time the Town of Sharon increased the Ambulance rates). He further stated that the net effect of this increase will be minimal to Sharon residents that have insurance. The rate will be higher for those individuals that don’t have insurance, but there are procedures to deal with
financial hardships.
Chief Mann also reviewed a Memo, dated January 26, 04 re: Ambulance Revenue, Interim Report. He discussed the reasons for an estimated $77,000 shortfall in the Ambulance Reserve Account, including the 37% decrease in Medicare rates. He stated that main reasons for the revenue decrease are a decrease in Ambulance Collection Rates and decrease in the number of transports.
Ways of improving Ambulance Collection Rates were discussed, and Chief Mann has already put into place improved methods of obtaining information from out-of-town residents. Selectman Grasfield asked how are rates compared to surrounding Towns and whether other out-sourcing companies can be looked at for collection services. Chief Mann will provide comparisons for the next meeting. The matter of this shortfall will be discussed at the Priorities Committee next Thursday.
The proposed new rates will generate income to offset the increased costs of supplying Paramedic services to the Town.
VOTED: (Roach/Grasfield) Voted unanimously to approve the new ambulance rates.
03 BLENDED RATE Medicare Sharon's 04 BLENDED RATE
40% of Medicare Rates Rates 60% of Medicare
60% of Sharon 2004 2004 40% of Sharon
BLS Emergency $308.77 $ 328.79 $ 427.43 $368.25
ALS 1 Emergency $366.67 $ 390.43 $ 507.56 $437.28
ALS 2 Emergency $530.70 $ 565.09 $ 734.62 $632.90
SCT $ 667.83 $ 868.18 $747.97
Oxygen $44.53 $ 46.09 $ 59.92 $51.62
Airways $108.15 $ 111.94 $ 145.52 $125.37
MAST $63.61 $ 65.84 $ 85.59 $73.74
IV Therapy / IV Drugs $95.41 $ 98.75 $ 128.38 $110.60
Cardiac Monitoring * $133.59 $ 138.28 $ 179.76 $154.87
Defibrillation $95.41 $ 98.75 $ 128.38 $110.60
Single Mileage Rate $9.39 $ 5.65 $ 16.24 $5.65
Immobilization $36.00 $ 60.00
3rd EMT $72.00 $ 120.00
Bad Checks - Rob Uyttebroek, Treasurer/Collector
Rob Uyttebroek, Treasurer/Collector was present to discuss the process used to collect bad checks given to the Town. The Board was provided with a copy of the Treasurer’s November 2003 Activity Report in which he reported the posting of bad checks on the Town’s website, as well as samples of letters sent to those who gave dishonored checks to the Town with penalties included. A copy of the recent article in the Boston Globe, entitled, Town uses website list to shame scofflaws. Mr. Uyttebroek discussed the following:
The Bank of Canton (Town’s bank) will try to cash a check two times with a 5-6 day interval;
the check then is returned to the Town with Do Not Redeposit marked thereon;
a letter is sent to the check writer given them 10 days to make restitution;
the Town has tried other efforts of collection including making phone calls with the Police Chief;
Other methods available to the Treasurer include posting a bad check warrant on people’s doors, putting a tax lien on one’s property, and the sending of a registered letter filing a criminal complaint and taking the matter to court;
putting it on the web was a stop gap method before making a criminal complaint;
letters are sent to other Departments with list of bad checks to keep those individuals from being able to give the Town another check; and,
in the future, the Town could send another registered letter 10 days after the first, with a warning about the posting on the website.
Selectman Roach apologized to anyone that he may have said that he had no knowledge that this was posted on the website. He noted that the Board was notified of this new procedure last November within the Treasurer’s Activity Board, and he suggested that in the future, when there is a change in procedures, that the change be placed on the Selectmen’s agenda so that it will not be missed. He further suggested that the warning about bad checks being posted to the website be included in Bold Print within the letter sent to those individuals. He announced that in hardship cases, individuals should contact Mr. R. Uyttebroek to work something out.
Mr. Uyttebroek stated that it was the Town Auditor that insisted that something be done about the collection of bad checks or they would need to be charged back to the appropriate departments. Selectman Roach stated that he would like letters send registered mail “return receipt requested” so that we would have proof that individuals were notified before posting the names on the website.
Selectman Grasfield stated that he had three issues: (1) that we not have policy changes without a public hearing, (2) that the policy of charging the penalty is the same whether the check is for $2 or for a much larger amount seems to be wrong; and (3) that the policy itself should be discussed as to how much effort the Town should put forth to collect an amount of less than $11,000.
Mr. Uyttebroek stated that if the person does not claim a hardship, then the Town needs to change the appropriation or collect it.
Resident Bonnie Klane was present and expressed disappointment that comments were made by the Treasurer in the media about “shaming” people into paying. She stated that people of Sharon are owned an apology. Mr. Uyttebroek stated that he didn’t actually say that, his words were taken out of context, but that he does apologize.
FY’05 Proposed Budget Recommendations
Ben Puritz again presented an extensive overview of the draft FY’05 Selectmen’s budgets seeking the Board’s recommendation to forward the budgets to the Finance Committee for its review. The single consolidated budgets for the Selectmen’s sector total $7,266,221 and represent a +5% increase, the same percentage increase for the other sectors, School and Finance Committee. The budget does not provide for filling existing vacancies of approximately four full-time positions. He summarized the increases in local aid, motor vehicle excise tax, new growth, and reductions in the MBTA assessments that allows for the projected 5% increase in budgets.
Mr. Puritz discussed going to the Priorities Committee and seeking additional funds for the ambulance account. He expanded upon the 3% budget figure for cost-of-living increases and the salary freeze for the current year. He mentioned the two other items that may have a significant impact on the budgets: assessments to SE Vocational School and an anticipated increase in Norfolk County Retirement Assessments. He held up the many pages that had been prepared and given to the Board during this budget review process with three budget options for each department and that now has been reduced to a single budget. Both Selectman Roach and Chair Katz stated that they were comfortable in taking a vote to forward the budget to the Finance Committee for its review.
Selectman Grasfield stated that he had several issues. He discussed as a “macro” issue the Town’s utilizing its full 2 1/2% levy limit and the “micro” issue of the Board’s being able to “prioritize” within the Selectmen’s sector. He discussed the need for an increase in public safety staff and either a Town Engineer or Town Planner (perhaps shared with another town) and the need for money in reserve. He discussed the fact that some departments have made an issue of its employees having salaries below parity and that other departments may have the same situation, but have not made it clear. He stated the need for additional police officers and firefighters could be presented before Town Meeting. He also suggested that the Board try to fund a
portion of those items within the Selectmen’s budgets before taking them before Priorities Committee.
MOTION: (Roach/Katz) to accept the budgets as recommended....
Selectman Grasfield asked for a discussion on the motion. He continued the discussion as to how the Board should decide on what to actually levy and what to prioritize within the 7 million dollar budget. He stated that the Board has not discussed the available +5% , and, if it is possible to shift funds within the Selectmen’s departments, where to allocate the funds.
Selectman Roach stated that the way to bring one group up to parity would be to utilize the “step system.” He stated that there are a lot of (employees) that are also out of parity and that one shouldn’t pit one group against another by reducing the C.O.L. for all to bring up one department.
He recommended that a step process be started for the group that is not at parity. Selectman Grasfield stated that he does not want to pit one department against another, but feels that if there is a department at least at parity, or a department is higher than parity, it should not get the same increase as a department that is significantly below parity, but should try to meet the needs of all departments equitably. He further added that he would like to move with the parity for the firefighters and take this to Priorities. A discussion was held as to present both the need for additional firefighters and the need for parity to the Priorities Committee.. Ben Puritz stated that it is doubtful that any department is higher than parity due to the salary freeze, that the Selectmen’s budgets have
no capacity to address the magnitude of needs, and this should be put forward to Priorities Committee.
Selectman Grasfield agreed that solutions can have a multi-year approach, and that this should include hiring a town planner, and that he believes there are things we could do within the seven million selectmen’s sector budget. Ben Puritz stated that that opportunity has passed, that the budgets have gone through two years of negative budgets, and that it is not reasonable to expect that one can reallocate from the budgets that have been so culled. Town Administrator Puritz further suggested that there is very little time left to participate in this type of exercise, but that it would be a valid exercise for the next fiscal year’s budget.
VOTED: (Roach/Katz) Voted 2-1 (Grasfield opposed) to accept the budgets as recommended and to forward to Finance Committee.
Award Bid for the Delivery of the 2003 Annual Town Report
The Board reviewed correspondence from F. Randy Vogenberg, Boy Scout Troop 95, the sole bidder for the delivery of the Annual Town Report for a price of $1,100.00. Boy Scout Troop has provided this service to the Town for over 16 years.
VOTED: (Roach/Grasfield) Voted unanimously to award the contract for the delivery of the 2003 Annual Town Report to Boy Scout Troop 95 in the amount of $1,100.
Police Station Rehabilitation and Expansion - Award bid
The Board reviewed correspondence from Eric R. Hooper, Superintendent of Public Works, dated January 15, 2004 recommending that the Board sign the attached agreement with the Robinson Green Beretta Corporation, Providence, RI, that includes an architectural design for the extension of the second floor loft in the Police Station, which will create a complete second floor and two new offices and. The agreement will include preparation of the bid package for construction services. Two bid packages were reviewed by the Designer Selection Committee. Selectman Roach approved of a clause for a penalty of $500 per day for any overrun. Selectman Grasfield questioned where the original construction estimate came from, and Town Administrator Puritz replied that it was provided from the Town
Engineer’s Office with the assistance of architectural services from the Designer Selection Committee.
VOTED: (Roach/Grasfield) Voted unanimously to award the bid for the Police Station Rehabilitation and Expansion to Robinson Green Beretta (RGB), Providence, R.I., for a fee of $28,000.
Residences at Old Post Road
The Board reviewed a draft letter addressed to the Zoning Board of Appeals concurring with conclusions reached by Eric R. Hooper, Superintendent of Public Works re the Comprehensive Permit Application. It was the conclusion of Mr. Hooper that the project was too dense and Mr. Hooper requested that additional information be provided for its technical evaluation. The letter ends with:
Notwithstanding the above reservations, the Board of Selectmen favors creation of age qualified affordable housing units with design configuration and density appropriate to particular site characteristics and size. The Board of Appeals consideration of the Board of Selectmen's input relative to this matter of significance to the Town is greatly appreciated.
Selectman Grasfield suggested that the draft be rewritten to delete the reference to the 50% reduction as that is the call of the Zoning Board, and emphasize support of Mr. Hooper’s request for additional information.
Ben Puritz will rewrite the letter for next week’s agenda.
Office Hours - Senator Brian A. Joyce
The Board announced office hours for Senator Brian A. Joyce on February 20 from 11:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room.
Planning Board Meeting
Selectman Grasfield read the agenda for the Planning Board meeting of January 28 to be held at the Sharon High School Library, and included EO 410 discussion re Affordable and Alternative Housing and a Cell Tower Update.
Massachusetts Department of Business and Technology
Selectman Grasfield referenced Letter from the Massachusetts Department of Business and Technology, dated January 15, 2004 re the formation of six Regional Competitiveness Councils. He requested that a copy of the briefing document for the January 23rd meeting be requested.
Historical Commission
Selectman Grasfield made note of a letter from Shirley A. Schofield, Historical Commission, dated January 20, 04 requesting space on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant for three articles:
1. Historic District III
2. Change to the Planning Board Rules & Regulations re naming of streets
3. Naming of Buildings or Land
Self-Help Incorporated
Selectman Grasfield referenced correspondence from Self-Help, Inc., requesting that the towns of Sharon, Mansfield, and Easton jointly select one individual to represent all three towns on the Self Help, Inc., Board of Directors. He requested that anyone interested in serving on this Board should let the Selectmen know.
Beech Tree Park
Selectman Roach announced the Spring Fling a Fundraiser for Beech Tree Park to be held on March 14 at Saphire Manor.
Well Testing
Selectman Grasfield requested that Eric R. Hooper, Superintendent of Public Works update the Board re exploratory well testing. Ben Puritz stated that Mr. Hooper will be on the agenda next week and plans to discuss this as well as continue the hearing for Disposal of White Goods.
Forum on Town Meeting
Selectmen Grasfield asked that the Board schedule an Open Forum on ways to improve the current Town Meeting procedures.
Media and Bad Checks
The Board discussed the role in the media in the story of the bad checks. Chair Katz apologized if anyone was “shamed.”
Executive Session
VOTED: (Roach/Grasfield) Voted unanimously to enter into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing matters of Collective Bargaining and Pending Litigation, and at the conclusion thereof, to adjourn for the day.
The Board entered into Executive Session at 10:12 P.M.
Grasfield, aye, Roach, aye; Katz, aye.
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