MINUTES

     BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING

    Tuesday August 19, 2008

      7:00 p.m.

 

The meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at 7:00 pm in the Sharon Town Offices with Selectman William A. Heitin and Selectman Walter “Joe” Roach and Town Administrator Ben Puritz.

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m.

 

APPOINTMENT OF POLICE OFFICERS

 

Chief Bernstein came before the Board to recommend the appointment of three police officers.  Chief Bernstein explained that two of the three positions are being funded by the mitigation monies from the Brickstone project.  The third opening has come about as Officer Hawking has been appointed the School Resource Officer.  Chief Bernstein said he is recommending Phil McEnany be appointed as a Police Officer.  Phil does not need to attend the academy as he is a retired police officer who at one point worked in Sharon then transferred to another department. He has been a Special Police Officer in Sharon and now wishes to resume his career in law enforcement on a full-time basis. Mr. McEnany came before the Board and explained his desire to return to Sharon as a Police Officer.    

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to offer a conditional offer of employment to Philip McEnany based on the Chief and Lieutenant’s recommendation

 

Chief Bernstein then introduced the second candidate Molly Davis.  Chief Bernstein is recommending her appointment pending the successful completion of psychological, medical and fitness tests as well her successful completion at the Police Academy.  Ms. Davis has a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University, worked at the Massachusetts State Police Lab and is a long-time Sharon resident. 

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to offer a conditional offer of employment to Molly Davis based on the Chief and Lieutenant’s recommendation

 

Chief Bernstein recommended that Andrew Pacino be appointed as a Sharon Police Officer pending the successful completion of psychological, medical and fitness tests as well as his successful completion at the Police Academy.  Mr. Pacino has a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Seton Hall University and is currently doing loss prevention work.  The Chief said that Mr. Pacino and Ms. Davis are scheduled to start the Academy on September 8, 2008. 

 

The Selectmen said that they were very pleased that both Mr. Pacino and Ms. Davis are Sharon natives.   Selectmen Heitin pointed out that the Selectmen received detailed background checks in their packets about all three candidates.

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to offer a conditional offer of employment to Andrew Pacino based on the Chief and Lieutenant’s recommendation

 

 

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the Regular Session Minutes of June 24, 2008, July 22, 2008 and August 5, 2008 and Executive Session Minutes of July 22, 2008

 

BANNER REQUEST

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the banner request for the Council on Aging Art Gallery for Sept. 2, 2008 – Sept. 8, 2008 (1st position)

 

APPOINTMENT TO METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL AND THE SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHSUETTS COMMUTER RAIL TASK FORCE

 

Based on Mr. Bailey’s recommendation Chairman Powell asked that an alternate designee be appointed as well.

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to appoint George Bailey as Sharon Representative to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Sharon Representative to the Southeastern Massachusetts Commuter Rail Task Force for a three year term

 

LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

 

Selectmen Heitin explained that the Wilber School project had received partial tax credits thus enabling the developer to break ground this fall.  The developers are resubmitting their application for the remainder of the tax credits and the letter the Selectmen are going to sign to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development reaffirms the Board’s support of the project.

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to sign a letter to the Department of Housing and Community Development regarding the Wilber School tax credits


LETTER TO GOVERNOR PATRICK REGARDING BAY ROAD

 

Chairman Powell explained that the Selectmen were working with Stoughton to obtain funding from the State to fix Bay Road.  The funds are in the Transportation Bond Bill that the Governor signed and the next step is for the administration to release the funds

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to sign the letter to Governor Patrick asking that he release the funds for the Bay Road construction project in Stoughton

 

SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the request of Debbie Milley for the closing of Woodland Road on Sunday September 9, 2008 for a block party.

 

It was pointed out that September 7, 2008 was a Tuesday this year and that Debbie Milley had inadvertently requested the wrong date.

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the request of Debbie Milley for the closing of Woodland Road on September 7, 2008 for a block party.

 

 

CONSERVATION RESTRICTION

 

Conservation Committee Chair Peg Arguimbau explained that the lot being discussed was the back portion of a lot on High Plain Street which is primarily wet and cannot be built on. 

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to accept the Conservation Restriction on High Plain consisting of 1.0557 acres as requested and approved by the Conservation Commission

 

CONSIDER APPROVAL OF LAYOUT FOR JOHNSON DRIVE

 

Engineer Richard Merriken representing the applicant and Town Engineer Peter O’Cain were in attendance.

 

 Mr. Merriken explained that his client Gino Chitvanni is the owner of a parcel of land located at the Corner of High Plain Street, Johnson Drive, and Route 95 near the Walpole Town Line. He would like to create a parcel that will be large enough for a commercial building and the associated parking.  Mr. Merriken said this would benefit the Town in two ways.  The Town will sell an unused parcel and it will increase the tax revenue from the parcel from $250 per year to $50,000 per year.  Mr. Merriken said that in order to create the parcel several steps need to take place:

 

1 – The County will abandon the old county layout from Route 95 to Johnson Drive.  One-half of the road will be given to the Town and one-half will be given to his client

2 – The County would like the Selectmen to write a letter stating that the Southeastern boundary of the parcel is satisfactory

3 – Abandon the parcel and declare it surplus.  Following that action sell it to Mr. Chitvanni to create the parcel for the office building.  The parcel would consist of 61,000 square feet.

 

Mr. Merriken provided a list of articles that need to be presented at Town Meeting to accomplish the aforementioned.  Town Engineer Peter O’Cain said that the County will wait to abandon the road until after the Town establishes the new right-of-way.  He also said that the width for the right-of-way meets the standards and provides ample room on both sides of the road.  Mr. Merriken said that the property lends itself to commercial use.

 

The Selectmen said that they would like to walk the property and asked that a meeting be scheduled next week to provide them the opportunity to do so.  In addition, they asked that this item be placed on the September 2, 2008 agenda and that a letter be drafted for their approval. 

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

Chairman Powell said that the public meeting to discuss the Brickstone project scheduled for September 4, 2008 was going to be postponed until the Selectmen receive responses to inquiries from the Town’s consultants.

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Chairman Powell also spoke about a Letter to the Editor by a Board of Health appointee who had received an anonymous letter which was sent to the individual’s residence.  He said that the Board doesn’t condone this type of behavior and that while we often disagree,  anonymous letters sent to the home are not the appropriate method of expressing disagreement. Selectman Heitin spoke about the level of traffic near the train station.  He said that the Selectmen are looking at ways to mitigate the traffic including signalization changes.  Selectman Roach spoke about the Bay Road/Chessman Drive/Castle Drive issue and the theft of sop signs.

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to enter into  Executive Session for the purpose of discussing real property acquisition, collective bargaining, bargaining with non-represented employees and at the end thereof adjourn for the evening

 

The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 8:08 P.M.

 

Powell: Aye

Heitin: Aye

Roach: Aye