MINUTES

BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

6:15 p.m.

 

The meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at 7:00 pm in the Sharon Town Hall with Chairman Richard A. Powell and Selectman William A. Heitin,

 

CANDIDATE FOR REAPPOINTMENT TO THE HISTORIC COMMISSION: SUSAN JO RICH

 

Ms. Rich said she currently serves as Chair of the Historic Commission.  She said the Commission has finished the second half of the historic homes survey.  She said she would like to see the Commission extend the historic district. 

 

CANDIDATE FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE: LINDA CALLAN

 

Ms. Callan said she is currently the coordinator for Recreation basketball. In addition she has attended the meetings of the Recreation Advisory Committee for the past four years.  She added that she served on the School Committee for six years as well.  She believes that having two children who take part in the Recreation programs has increased her knowledge of the programs.   She believes that the community center can be further utilized for functions and that the Town should streamline the process for renting the building. She said she was in the catering business for 25 years.

 

Selectman Walter Joe Roach and Town Administrator Benjamin Puritz joined the meeting.

 

CANDIDATE FOR REAPPOINTMENT TO THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION: PEG ARGUIMBAU

 

Peg Arguimbau said she is a long-term Town resident and is a retired Sharon teacher.  She said that she has been Chair of the Commission for 27 years and would like to continue on the Commission.  She spoke about some of the most recent Conservation Commission accomplishments including the Cedar Swamp project.  She also spoke about the possibility of siting telecommunications towers on Conservation land.  She said a lot of information would need to be gathered before a definite yes or no could be given. 

 

JANET PENN: YOUTHLEAD

 

Ms. Penn spoke about the progress of YouthLead.  She said that chapters of YouthLead are being established throughout the country.  She spoke about the following accomplishments: she will be writing a blog on CNN; students have been featured on a program by Linda Ellerbee; YouthLead was featured in a story in Boston Globe South; students will be leading the Intergenerational Thanksgiving.  The Selectmen said that they would be happy to sign a letter of support for YouthLead’s grant.

 

DECLARE AMBULANCE AS SURPLUS

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to declare the 2002 ambulance as surplus

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to sell the 2002 ambulance to Portsmouth, RI for $12,000 who was the high bidder.

 

POSITION ON REMAINING WARRANT ARTICLES FOR NOVEMBERT 14, 2011 TOWN MEETING

 

Chairman Roach said he would like to hold on Article 7 and Article 8 until the traffic study presentation by
Tom Houston.  Article 9 creates a fine for tree removal or stone wall removal on a scenic road.  The Planning Board unanimously supported the article, the Finance Committee supported the article and the Tree Warden supports the article.

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to support Article 9

 

FY’ 2013 BUDGET: COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES

 

The review of this budget will take place on November 15, 2011

 

FY’ 2013 BUDGET: SHARON PUBLIC LIBRARY

 

Sharon Public Library Director Barbra Nadler said her budget is built upon the requirements of the state in order for the library to be state certified which allows patrons to borrow from all libraries in the state.   The three budget scenarios include: Primary budget: $860,978 - Option 1 budget: $878,764 - Option 2 budget: $891,885.  She reported on the status of the existing capital projects and stated that there are no capital projects for this year. She said the 2012 One Town One Book is Kavalier Klay.

 

APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT AND NOTICE TO PROCEED FOR THE BILLINGS STREET CULVERT LINING PROJECT

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Powell) Voted unanimously to accept the “Agreement” and “Notice to Proceed” for the Billings Street C Culvert Lining Project to Kenefick Corporation of Quincy, MA for $45,860.

 

WATER MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE REQUEST FOR JOINT MEETING

 

 Two of the Selectman are unable to meet on November 17th because of the Capital Outlay Meeting and have asked that another night be selected.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the Regular Session and Executive Session Minutes of October 4, 2011 and October 18, 2011

 

APPROVED AND PROHIBITED USES FOR OAKLAND ROAD

 

DPW Superintendent said that for this site he will follow the allowed uses in the water protection district.  He said that the site is locked and chained shut.  Town Administrator Puritz will contact Mr. Vitali regarding Superintendent Hooper’s recommendation.  

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to accept DPW Superintendent Hooper’s recommendation for the use of the Oakland Road site as outlined in his October 22, 2011 memo.

 

TRAFFIC STUDY POST OFFICE SQUARE: TOM HOUSTON PSC

 

Mr. Houston said he was engaged by the Economic Development Committee to study traffic in Post Office Square.  The key intersection includes N. Main, S. Main, and Billings St.  They looked at various scenarios including the 2015 No-Build Traffic Volume and 2015 Build Traffic Volume. The Build Traffic Volume analysis includes potential projects such as Sharon Hills and Sharon Commons, DeLapa redevelopment, New Office-Retail, and Sharon Library expansion. If all this development occurs it would add approximately 5000 trips per day.  This is a significant increase.  He said he has come up with fairly low impact recommendations to include optimized signal timing with no exclusive pedestrian phase but a concurrent pedestrian phase.  Selectman Roach expressed concern about pedestrian safety.  He also spoke about lane use capacity -changing Billings Street to two lanes of traffic.  This would result in the removal of two parking spaces.  Mr. Houston then reviewed the Traffic Operations Summary for Post Office Square. Planning Board member Eli Hauser explained that the Planning Board reviewed the various scenarios and Mr. Houston is presenting the scenarios that were felt to be best and would simplify the problem. Selectman Roach suggested changing the timing of the lights so that the Billings Street light is longer in the morning towards the railroad station and then the opposite as people return home.  He would like to do make this change prior to creating a second lane.  Chief Bernstein said he believes that the Selectmen should mover ahead with these “soft” recommendations.  Selectman Heitin said he would like to see a list of recommendations – Selectman Roach said he would like to move ahead tonight.  Chairman Roach said he would agree to taking the two parking spots and creating two lanes to allow people to go straight through.

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Powell)  Voted unanimously to move forward with two lanes from Billings to Depot and optimize the signalization at PO Square, East Chestnut and South Main Street including removing the two spaces in front of the Unitarian Church  

 

Selectman Heitin asked for a follow-up report.

 

APPROVAL OF CONTRACT FOR MID-LEVEL PROFESSIONALS (MP)

 

Town Administrator Puritz said that this is a 2 three year contract contract contains a 2% increase for FY ’12,
wage reopener in FY ’13 and FY ’14 and $50 increase in work boots and $1 increase in meals.

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/ Voted unanimously to approve the contract for the mid-level professionals as discussed

 

APPROVAL OF TOWN ADMINISTRATOR CONTRACT

 

Selectman Heitin said that Town Administrator Puritz would receive 3% for FY’12 and no more than 2% for the remainder of his contract ending in FY ’15.  In addition he can carry over an additional 5 days vacation phasing out in FY ’13.   

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the contract for Town Administrator Puritz as discussed

 

APPROVAL OF COTTAGE STREET PTSO BANNER REQUEST

 

VOTED:  (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the Cottage School PTSO banner request from Monday March 19, 2012 – March 26, 2012 (1st position) for the Annual “Fund Fair”

 

OTHER

 

Selectman Roach announced the new Halloween schedule.

 

Town Administrator reported that 6,300 homes had power and 776 residences without power which is 12% of the households. . 

 

EXECUTIVE SESSION

 

   VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to move into Executive Session to discuss Collective Bargaining:

AFSCME updates, Health Insurance negotiation strategy, Pending Litigation re Glassman, Real Property negotiations re South Main Street eminent domain, and at the conclusion of Executive Session to adjourn for the evening. The discussion of these items in open session would be detrimental to the position of the Town.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:40p.m.

 

Powell:  Aye

Roach:   Aye

Heitin:   Aye