OPEN SESSION
CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING
Administration Building
One School Street
Sharon, MA 02067
Present: Peg Arguimbau, Allen Garf, Paul Izzo (via conference call), Abigail Marsters, Andrew Nebenzahl, Suzi Peck, Paul Pietel and Colleen Tuck
Absent: Sam Liao,
Mr. Nebenzahl called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m.
ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
Approve Minutes
There were no minutes to approve at this time.
Acknowledge Correspondence
There was no correspondence to come before the Commission at this time.
Meeting with Eric Hooper, DPW Director
Mr. Nebenzahl thanked Mr. Hooper for taking the time to meet with the Commission and explained that the mission of the Commission is to take a holistic view of the town’s government and make recommendations on how to organize and structure Sharon’s government going forward. Mr. Nebenzahl asked Mr. Hooper what, in his opinion, works well, what could be improved and what areas should the Commission concentrate on. Before beginning the discussion, Mr. Hooper gave a brief overview of his service to Sharon. Mr. Hooper has been the DPW Director for the past 6 years and has been an employee of the Town for 11 years.
Mr. Hooper spoke specifically to DPW issues. Areas of discussion:
• The “piece-meal” approach to maintaining the town’s infrastructure and the “piece meal” approach to the long-term vision for the town.
• The DPW is responsible for the maintenance of some of the town buildings but not all.
• The DPW is responsible for maintaining the school department’s school grounds. A portion of the school department’s budget goes to the DPW for grounds maintenance.
• Additional responsibilities have been assumed by the DPW such as the maintenance of the new Community Center and the Horizons for Youth property. The need for implementing preventative maintenance for town structures, the need for a tracking mechanism for maintenance requests and the need for the town to commit to funding was also discussed.
• The need for a Town Planner was discussed.
• Proposed town building projects meet engineering requirements but the impact on town resources is not always addressed/vetted.
• The pros and cons of consolidating the school’s and town’s maintenance/custodial departments was discussed. Currently the school department’s electrician and plumber perform work for the DPW on an as-needed basis.
• Budget constraints were discussed and how the lack of funds has adversely affected maintenance of side and development roads in the town.
• DPW has open, collaborative communication with the Board of Selectmen and the Town Administrator as well as all town/school boards and committees.
• There was a discussion on the “weak” vs. “strong” administrator concept. Mr. Hooper is responsible for the hiring and firing of all DPW personnel with the exception of the town engineer, who is considered executive staff. Mr. Hooper reports to the Town Administrator.
• The procedure for resolving water related issues (pipes, conservation, septic systems, etc.) in the town was discussed.
• How a building department would work within the structure of the town was discussed.
• Areas, in the opinion of Mr. Hooper, the Charter Commission should discuss: Increasing the tax base and equitable distribution of revenue for infrastructure maintenance, water issues, etc.
There was a Q&A on key points of Mr. Hooper’s presentation. There was a brief discussion with Mr. Hooper on pros and cons of Open Town Meeting vs. Representative Form of Town Meeting.
Mr. Nebenzahl, on behalf of the Charter Commission members, thanked Mr. Hopper for an informative discourse. Mr. Hooper left the meeting at 8:40 p.m. There was a two-minute recess. Open Session was reconvened at 8:41 p.m.
Talking Points
There was a discussion on the talking points and the most direct and efficient way to discuss/vet each of the 3 key questions. It was the consensus of the members that Suzi Peck would consolidate the responses; that due to the lateness of the hour and the complexity of discussion, the talking points would be an agenda item for the April 13th meeting. The need to adhere to the established time-line was expressed by the members.
OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Nebenzahl stated that Police Chief Joseph Bernstein has been scheduled for April 13th. It was noted that the established time-line for presentations would be adhered to.
There will be no meeting on April 20th, Patriot’s Day.
A representative from Andover is scheduled to meet with the Commission on May 18th.
There being no further business to come before the Commission at this time, Mr. Nebenzahl asked for a motion to adjourn.
MOTION: (Garf/Arguimbau) Moved to adjourn. Vote was seven in the affirmative. Mr. Izzo did not vote.
Open Session was adjourned at 9:08 p.m.
Submitted on behalf of the Charter Committee by: Helen Campanario, Recording Secretary to the Charter Commission