MINUTES

BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

7:00 p.m.

 

The meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at 7:05 pm in the Sharon Town Hall with Selectman William A. Heitin, Selectman Walter Joe Roach and Town Administrator Benjamin Puritz.

 

Candidate for reappointment to the Sharon Cultural Council: Gloria Rose

 

Ms. Rose said that she has been on the Sharon Cultural Council for the past 4 years.  She discussed the selection process and distribution process for state funds available to the Sharon Cultural Council.  She said the grants range from $150 - $300 – but the Council does the best they can and spreads the funds to as many groups as possible.  She also reviewed the submission process and deadlines.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to approve the Regular Session and Executive Session Minutes of Novembet 1, 2011

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted to approve the Regular Session and Executive Session Minutes of November 14, 2011

 

BANNER REQUEST APPROVAL

 

VOTED: (Roach/Heitin) Voted to approve the banner request by the Lakeside Gallery for December 5th – December 12th with a waiver of the banner fee (1st position)

 

VOTED: (Roach)/Heitin Voted to approve the banner request by Temple Sinai from Jan. 9 – Jan. 16, 2012 ((1st position)

 

VOTED: (Roach/Heitin) Voted to approve the banner request for Temple Israel from Jan. 22 – Jan. 30, 2012 (2nd position)

 

BUDGET REVIEW: COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES chair jEFF JACOBSON

 

Chairman Jacobson explained that the revenue for violation of handicapped parking tickets has dropped 75% from $4,000 to $1,000.  He spoke about the scholarship program. 

 

Candidates for reappointment to the Sharon housing affordable trust: andrew goldberg

 

Mr. Goldberg said that when the Sharon Housing Affordable Trust started there was no land or money.  He said the Trust does not meet often.  Goldberg asked if the Selectmen could assist in identifying parcels that could be utilized by the Trust.

 

candidates for reappointment to the zoning board of appeals: kevin mccarville and lee wernick

 

Mr. McCarville spoke about the AT&T cell tower hearing.  He said he believes the abutters have had an appropriate amount of time to express their concerns and provide input.  He also believes that he has offered the Town officials and Boards the opportunity to ask questions of the applicant. He also said he has included input from Town Counsel. He would like to continue to tap into the Town’s resources.  He also spoke about the senior housing development proposed on Old Post Road and the old Metal Bellows site on Route 1.  Mr. Wernick spoke about the Zoning Board process and the fact that the Board tries to make clear to the applicants why they make the decisions that they do. They also spoke about the need for additional funds for staff and mailing.

 

CANDIDATE FOR REAPPOINTMENT TO THE WATER MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE: LEONARD SEKULER

 

Mr. Sekuler works for an environmental engineering firm.  He said he has been on the Committee for five or six years. He said that the Committee has worked on further prioritizing the projects recommended in the Master Plan.  Most recently the Committee has been looking at the water rate structure and tweaking the rate structure.  Selectman Heitin said that the Board of Selectman would like to have a joint meeting with the Water Management Advisory Committee.   

 

BUDGET REVIeW: recreation director chair brett macgowan

 

Recreation Director MacGowan said the majority of the budget is salaries for the three full-time staff members.  The Primary Budget is $198,750 and the Option 1 budget is $202,239.  The one capital request is to renovate the bathrooms at Memorial Park Beach.  He said in the last few years we have improved the outside of the bathrooms and nothing has been done on the interior since the 1980s.  He said he obtained an estimate of $70,000 for both bathrooms including the electric, fixtures, painting and tile replacement. Included also are sink replacement in the concession and the guard house. He also said the new bandstand looks terrific.  He said that the Recreation Department is now offering a LEGO program. Mr. MacGowan also said according to the research he has done the Committee should only have five people – but they have eight. The change to eight members could be made at the May 2012 Town Meeting.  Recreation Committee member Gary Bluestein raised the issue of opening the Community Center on the weekend so that the community can take advantage of the Recreation programs seven days per week.  Selectman Heitin asked Mr. MacGowan and Mr. Bluestein to prepare a proposal for the additional costs and programs for weekend opening. He also brought up the topic of increasing the number of rentals at the Sharon Community Center.

 

budget review: town accountant cindy doherty

 

Ms. Doherty said the Primary Budget includes contractual obligations. The Primary Budget results in a cut of 246 staff hours.  The Primary Budget is $224,832 and the Option 1 budget is $231,222.  She said the phone budgets have been moved to the Information Technology budget.

 

budget review: information technology don hillegass

 

Mr. Hillegass said the Primary Budget is $253,496 and the Option 1 budget is $254,839.  He said his capital requests is for “virtualization” which will combine 5 servers into 1 server  - it will save electricity and will free up staff time as the updates will be very quick and easy.  .A maintenance contract is part of a three year contract.

 

budget review assessor: finance director bill fowler

 

The Assessors have submitted only a Primary Budget in the amount of $241,672.  The budget is less than it was in the prior year because of the fact that the next revaluation is in 2014 which will be four years since the previous valuation. The funding for the revaluation is now spread over four years rather than three years hence the decrease in the budget. .

 

budget review treasurer: finance director bill fowler

 

Mr. Fowler said that the Primary Budget is $417,361 and the Option 1 Budget is $422,125.  He discussed the outsourcing of payroll. 

 

Hearing to increase fee for Municipal Lien Certificate.

 

VOTED: (Roach/Heitin) Voted to open the hearing to increase the fee for Municipal Lien Certificates

 

Mr. Fowler said that a survey was done of the ten comparable towns.  The average is $43.75 and the average for a commercial Municipal Lien is $75.00.  Most banks are charging customers $50 so the banks are making $25 if we keep the rate at $25.  He said this is the first increase that he is aware of.

 

VOTED: (Roach/Heitin) Voted to close the hearing to increase the fee for Municipal Lien Certificates

 

VOTED: (Roach/Heitin) Voted to increase the fee for Municipal Lien Certificates from $25 to $50.

 

budget review: fire chief jim wright

 

Chief Wright reviewed the various budget options.  He said about 80% of the calls that the Fire Department fields are Emergency Medical Services (EMS).  He said that because for the most part these are not that serious it is important that the skills of the respondents be maintained. He said the same is true regarding fire fighting.  The way to maintain the skill set necessary to fight a structure fire is through training.  He said it is important that the personnel is good at the things that they don’t do often. He spoke about working with other Towns to combine trainings. Chief Wright reviewed his Capital Requests which include: a study for the creation of a Public Safety building in conjunction with the Police; radio interface units for the self contained breathing apparatus masks; 2nd electronically operated ambulance stretcher; 2nd CPR Chest Compression System; 2 additional thermal imagers which can see through the dark; a new ladder truck (he does not expect to get this item funded this year).  He also presented two items in emergency management.  He is proposing a designated shelter location at the Sharon Community Center but some electronic reconfiguration is necessary.  In addition he requested a generator for the Hixson Farm club house.  He believes this would be a good location because of the number of people who utilize nebulizers, oxygen, as well as heat for residents and others. Selectman Roach asked as Hixson Farm is technically a state facility if there would be grant funding available.  Chief Wright said that he had made many capital request and he realizes that there are budgetary constraints but it is his job to make the Selectmen aware of the requests that he believes are necessary.  

 

budget review: police chief joseph bernstein

 

Chief Bernstein reviewed the Primary Budget and Option 1 Budget.  The Primary Budget requires that the contractual increases are absorbed by the budget while the Option 1 Budget provides the funds for contractual salary obligations. He discussed the impact of Sharon Commons on his budget which will be $250,000 for additional staffing.  He said it will take one year to gear up for the opening of Sharon Commons. Chief Bernstein said he has no capital requests this year.  He said he has been purchasing vehicles out of the operating budget or through grants. He said he supported Chief Wright’s recommendations for emergency management as well as a joint public safety building.

 

budget review council on aging: director norma simons fitzgerald


Council on Aging Director Norma Simons Fitzgerald spoke about the type of people that the Council on Aging helps. She reviewed the Primary Budget which is $257,842 and the Option 1 Budget which is $259,786.  She said the formula grants from the state are increasing because the senior population in Sharon is increasing. She also presented a third option that has an associated cost of a non-benefit 19 hour position.  Initially the position would be funded by the Friends of the Council on Aging. She said that she has no capital requests.

 

VOTED: (Heitin/Roach) Voted unanimously to move into Executive Session to discuss Collective Bargaining: AFSCME and Fire Department negotiations, Health Insurance negotiation strategy, Pending Litigation re Glassman, Real Property negotiations re South Main Street eminent domain.  Discussion of these items in open session would be detrimental to the Town.  At the end of Executive Session the Board will adjourn for the evening.  

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:10p.m.

 

Roach:   Aye

Heitin:   Aye