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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-10-28-HATS-min HATS Committee minutes October 28, 2010 In attendance. Michael Rosenberg, Chair and Bedford Selectmen, Elise Woodward, Concord Selectmen; Deb Mauger, Lexington Selectmen; Lisa Mustapich, Bedford Planning Board; Richard Canale, Lexington Planning Board; Bob Dominitz, Lincoln Planning Board; Dorothy Steele, Massport. The meeting was called to order at 7:39pm. Colonel Stacy Yike, Commander, 66th Air Base Group, Hanscom Air Force Base, and James Corcoran were in attendance and invited to the table. Colonel Yike was welcomed as the new as base commander. Everyone was thankful for the opportunity to get acquainted. Colonel Yike introduced herself and went through some of her background. This is the first time she has been stationed in the Northeast. She had been in acquisition on the satellite side for 10 years, building and developing weapons systems for the military She has been stationed overseas, been in command of a training squadron and attended Air War College Most recently she was at the Pentagon Her undergraduate degree is in mechanical engineering and she has her masters in aero engineering. There was a discussion regarding how Hanscom is a unique base because in other areas of the country the military is the odd one out and not the base force of the local community, in the local area where the military began. Colonel Yike appreciates the history of the area and the integration with the community. Ms Woodward asked what Colonel Yike's goals are while at Hanscom Colonel Yike said the first three months have been a learning curve. She expects to be here for two years and there are a few budgetary issues this year that will be addressed, as a goal is to be efficient with taxpayer dollars. The housing development is on even footing now and construction should be completed in August 2011. She is interested in expanding community relations. She believes the community strongly supports the base but wants to educate the community as to the ESC mission to develop technology systems for warfighters She explained that military systems face the same problem civilians do, for example, when computers work at home and not in the car, even though our phone can access Internet in the car. General Ted Bowlds will be retiring,possibly in January, and he will be missed tremendously. He will be replaced by General C.R. Davis, from Eglin. In September, there will be a call on Congressmen to explain base happenings A handout was distributed indicating the economic impact of the base as well as in what towns the base population lives Colonel Yike has attended her first pre-snow and ice meeting and announced the Heroes Homecoming on Dec. 10 to welcome recently deployed troops. Ms. Mauger was thankful for the Hartwell Gate closure process as there were no issues this time. Base staff want to do this right every time but there were some issues because of the $20 million of federal stimulus money that was being used Mr Corcoran said a big part of the success of this gate closure was cooperation from the towns. Colonel Yike was asked what the base could receive from the local towns that would help her to do her job better. She responded that any information on traffic studies, town management, technical expertise and experience with current issues would be helpful along with keeping an ongoing open dialogue. Ms Woodward indicated the importance of expanding and strengthening community relations and Interfacing regarding issues such as the park as vistas are being improved and work is being done on the scenic byway. Colonel Yike met with Superintendent Nancy Nelson from Minute Man National Park a few times already to discuss some of the current issues in order to avoid future problems and went on to discuss issues being addressed. The Vandenberg Gate needs to meet force protection standards. This will be resolved in the future with community support and proper traffic flow development. Transportation is being reviewed as a whole to include access for the disabled. The National Guard project broke ground in July and should take one year. AFRL is leaving the area and moving to Kirtland and Wright Patterson. There will be building renovations in the AFRL buildings, offices and labs, funded for 2015 Colonel Yike was asked if there are additional missions or activity expansion The Acquisition Reform Act that Congress passed is being implemented by DoD It involves expanding the work force to conduct the same mission with the right kinds of expertise. 200 people were hired in the last two years and another few hundred will be hired. Mr. Canale discussed work along Hartwell Avenue in Lexington. There was a public meeting to develop a transportation plan and allocation of funding for preliminary pre-construction design work to include the replacement of lights at Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue This would include 17 desired improvements to assist traffic flow in and out of the base. It is important for those involved in this process to understand what Hanscom's future needs are for upgrades or changes, have input as designs are developed, and receive support letters for funding. Mr. Perkins, engineer, is retiring, and will be replaced by Thomas Schluckebier, a former base commander who previously worked in the civil engineering department The following topics for future HATS meetings were suggested and discussed. 1. Town Governments use of electronic, social networking, broadcast media: There was a discussion of what media are used and that a range of format, from print to electronic, is important. However, there has been a decline in printer newspaper as a form of communication Discussion will continue after the upcoming MMA conference and will include costs associated with access A website is fine for communication in regards to the open meeting laws and 24/7 access to information. 2. Aging of local populations -resources, demands on services, trends: This would include provision of a bus for seniors, engaging the Councils on Aging and senior citizen center tracking. Concord has performed a study that suggests in a recession the need for services does not decrease. In Lexington, there was a significant increase in the need for services because of parental unemployment 3 New demands on public safety, connect police and youth or provide services to youth Bedford has a youth resource officer to provide a consistent presence in the schools. This is funded through federal grants as well as local funding. Would include the Board of Health, Recreation Department and Police Department in this discussion. Concord has a half-time youth coordinator. Lexington has a liaison between schools, social workers and police. 4 Environmental issues and health Keeping up with EPA guidelines is a budget challenge for Lexington right now in the schools There are also issues with the quality of air and how far off in future air quality could cause problems. Ambulance costs are also an issue along with deciding if there is the ability to have a regional EMT. There is an inter-municipal agreement among nine towns to focus on advanced life support. However, Bedford goes with a private carrier. 5 Noise bylaws and urbanization. Review bylaws and impact on environmental health concerns 6 Commercial development How this impacts community philosophy 7. Managing water. How to manage stormwater, INI, and resources, including how price increases cause an impact. Lexington uses MWRA water; Bedford uses a combination to include local wells; Concord gets their water from Acton and the Quabbin. 8. Sustainable energy: To include planning for solar arrays as a renewable energy resource. Lexington is certified under the Green Communities Program and Concord not eligible but has its own municipal light company 9 Accessibility This includes trails, conservation land, sign language interpretation, closed captioning, and MBTA access (which was covered last year but can be discussed again). The conversation around agricultural has been very positive. 10. Realistic prospects for regionalization: There is already regional focus for advanced life support. Regionalization is not always reasonable and needs large participation across the board MAPC gave out 55 awards out of 101 to towns in the consortium The Greater Boston area received $40 million in grant money for three years. This will be supplemented by other programs. The Finance Committee is planning to visit at the next meeting. The results on Question 3 will be an indication of whether or not this year will be a challenge. A drastic reduction in funding would impact MBTA and citizens in a very dramatic way Future Meeting Dates. The next meeting will combine November and December and to be held on Wednesday, Dec. 8, to include the Finance Committee representatives. This will be the last meeting for the calendar year. The January meeting will be on the 27th with energy as the main topic. The new chair will be elected at the December meeting to begin in January. Transportation updates There is a concern about proposed Bedford Street improvements, especially from Winter Street residents in Lexington. The Planning Board in Bedford selected someone to participate in resolving the best place to put roundabouts. A discussion would include the essential things to be done if roundabouts are chosen as an option, deciding where they are appropriate and determining the correct design. Mr. Rosenberg mentioned he recently flew out of Logan after taking the express bus from Woburn, which is subsidized by Massport He stated the experience was inexpensive and overall very good HFAC Report: Air traffic is up slightly, which could be a measure of economic recovery. Ms. Arnold is retiring the end of January. Efforts are being made to fill the Hanscom Field Advisory Committee slate with a full complement of legislated members again. Ms. Steele gave project report updates. There is an order of conditions for the perimeter fence and construction will be completed in the next few weeks The taxiway overlay has been completed as well as ramp reconstruction There is an issue with beaver dams and Jordan Conservation Area flooding overlapping into the airport. Bedford Conservation Commission approved requested adjustments to leveling pipes to keep water levels down, but the work has been postponed at the request of the Bedford ConCom. There is a notice of intent to remove trees as part of supplemental vegetation program. The next HFAC meeting will be Nov 16 On Nov. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. there will be a meeting on the Battle Road Scenic Byway in Lexington in order to obtain feedback. The selectmen appointed a working group for tourism, land use and roadways. There are 342 potential project opportunities along Battle Road to be completed by next spring A goal is to resolve the corridor management plan through federal funding The Minuteman Bikeway should be discussed along with parking along Battle Road as these would bring increased tourism and traffic. Minutes: Minutes to be approved at the next meeting. Discussed difficulty in having a quorum to approve minutes as well as responsibilities to post agendas and minutes in each town. Ms Mauger moved to adjourn and Ms Woodward seconded the motion Approved 3-0-0 The meeting adjourned at 9.12 p.m.