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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976-10-12-BOS-min 216 SELECTMEN'S MEETING October 12, 1976 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Select- men's Meeting Room, Town Office Building, on Tuesday, October 12, 1976, at 7 30 p m. Chairman Kassler, Mr Bailey, Mr Busa, Mrs Miley; Mr Perry, Acting Town Manager; Mr Cohen, Town Counsel; Miss Casey, Princi- pal Clerk were present Cary Hall Chairman Kassler read a letter from The Mystic Valley Area Task Mystic Force on Alcoholism requesting the use of Cary Hall at no cost to con- Valley duct a forum to discuss the issue of "Can the Alcoholic Drink Again?" Task Force They hope to raise funds by charging admission and plan to use the money to cover the cost of the speakers, as well as to provide a base of funds to cover the cost of committee mailings for the year Mr Bailey stated that he had no objection to their use of the hall if everyone is free to go in without paying an admission charge, but felt that the Board should not be put in the position of subsidizing them. They should pay the nominal charge for custodial services as is the usual custom. He felt that, perhaps they could "pass the hat" and thereby ob- tain funds Mr Busa agrees and felt that if the custodial charges were waived for this group, a precedent would be established It was agbesd to vote the use of the hall with the stipulation that no admission be charged Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to grant permission to The Mystic Valley Area Task Force on Alcoholism for the use of Cary Hall on November 16, 1976, without charge, with the stipulation that no admission be charge One-day Chairman Kassler read a request from the RAEDACC Association of Liquor W R. Grace & Co for a one-day liquor license for October 18 for a party License for employees that were being transferred W R.Grace Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to grant permission to the RAEDACC Association of W R. Grace & Co for a one-day liquor li- cense for October 18, 1976 Conserve- The Conservation Commission met with the Board and Mrs Frick intro- tion duced Frank Fields and Shirley Stoltz, two new members of the Commission Commission Mrs Frick reported to the Board that they were working on Town Meeting actions of many years past She explained that it usually takes at least a year to complete the work on the acquisition of apiece of property She explained that they were very busy with wetland hearings in between the land acquisition and that they sometimes feel like the central clear- ing house for all land use problems as people are beginning to see the conservation lesson The many telephone calls and other communications are taking up a great deal of Mrs Green's and Cliff's time Dr Kassler stated that he assumed that Mr Prentiss was working closely with the Planning Director and following up on costs He stated that one of the reasons for relocating the Conservation offices was to 111have them in close proximity with the Planning Board and that it seem to be working well 217 1 Al Selectmen's Meeting October 12, 1976 III Mrs Frick stated that they were three weeks behind on the Hobbs Brook salt problem and she was disturbed that a letter had not been sent to the Norumbega Association Dr Kessler said that it was being worked on and Mr Martin of the Engineering Department would report to Mr Barnes of the Norumbega Associa- tion this week. Mrs Frick stated that the Estabrook drain at the Estabrook School is badly in need of attention and that an erosion problem never gets better Dr Kessler pointed out that since Town Meeting had voted $10,000 for the project, the town has one million dollars less than we had counted on The Engineering Department is on top of the problem and we have to estab- lish priorities The Engineering Department is also looking at alternative ways of solving the problem. A report is expected in a couple of weeks Mrs Miley pointed out that, as she remembered it, safety items would be left in the budget and the Public Works were asked if they could do the job for less than the $10,000 that was appropriated Dr Kassler said that he felt that it was important to finally get moving on something that has been talked about for a great length of time, and that is the use of conservation land He felt that the acquisition program had come a long way and the town of Lexington is facing a recreational program problem He stated that we have resources that should be utilized There is land that is usable and should be used by the citi- zens and enjoyed III Mrs Frick informed the Board that the Battins and the Fricks had walked the Whipple Hill area on the week-end enjoying its beauties Mr Smith stated that there is a portion of that area that is under general town ownership and not conservation land. He felt that, ideally, it should be consolidated Dr Kas ler requested that it be worked up for presentation to Town Meeting in the spring Mrs Williams reported that Cliff Prentiss is working on maps of con- servation land marking trails and noting vegetation coverage, which will be available soon These will be included in a booklet so that citizens can add items to it It will show access, trails, contours and vegetation Mrs Frick reported that they had met with the Grey Nuns and things were progressing The land that the town is interested in is the open land and not that on which there are buildings. Mrs Miley told Mrs Frick that she appreciated her communication on tax title land recommending that fair market value be asked if it was going to be built upon She felt that this method was a more regimented basis than in the past Mr Busa interjected that nothing is sold for less than the fair market value The Conservation Commission retired from the meeting Dr Kessler informed the Board that he and Mr Perry had met with a Fuel local firm and read a statement that the Selectmen were considering the Conservation question of fuel conservation. t1S SELECTMEN CONSIDERING ENERGY COST REDUCTION In their continuing effort to reduce the town operating budgets, the Selectmen have asked an energy conservation consulting firm to meet with them to explore ways in which the town can reduce its energy costs A consulting firm located in Lexington, will make a general presentation to the Selectmen, Town Manager and Appropriation Committee outlining those areas in which utility and energy costs can be cut without affecting the operation of the various town departments or interfering with public safety The company is an association of professional engineers and economists with considerable experience in building design, HVAC and electrical sys- tems, and their relation to energy loss The firm has worked in a variety of industrial, commercial and public settings in many parts of the country Its recommendations have produced savings ranging from 18-40% of annual energy costs They are currently under contract to the Federal Energy Administration to develop energy cost reduction programs for seven industries typified by small business operating units In preliminary conversation with the firm, it was learned that, based on their experience, it is estimated that up to half of the energy savings can be achieved without significant investment or initial expense It appears that many opportunities exist for substantial energy cost savings in all town buildings and motor vehicle use Lexington's total annual energy bill for the year ending June 30, 1976 was in excess of $950,000 a 19% increase over the previous fiscal year Mr Busa stated that he didn't believe he was at the meeting when this had been discussed. He felt that the Board should consider it, but that the Board should be consulted' before the Chairman issued any state- ments Mr Bailey stated that he felt that the Chairman should take the Board into his confidence before issuing any statements Dr Kessler said that he had met with the Acting Town Manager and members of this firm because he had heard of their work and they wanted to make a proposition to the Selectmen The Acting Town Manager agreed that it was valid and that he found the idea of a professional firm based in Lexington who had done work of this nature and had been retained by the Government very exciting He stated that perhaps he should have is- sued the statement by way of the Acting Town Manager and himself and as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen it was his prerogative to do so He stated that he has tried, however, to do things in a way to make them act as a Board rather than he, as an individual He stated that he felt that "when you talk about motherhood, God and the flag, you don't expect people to object " He stated that he would continue to do things in the best interest of the Town but that he was serving at the pleasure of the members of the Board If they were unhappy with him, they could take a vote and he would turn over the chairmanship Mr Busa stated that the item was not on the agenda and that it was the usual procedure to put things on the agenda if they were going to be discussed. Mr Bailey stated that the avenues that Dr Kessler and Mr Busa were taking were not going to help. He said that he felt that it should be es- tablished right away what qualifications this firm has and what other firms 219 Selectmen's Meeting October 12, 1976 that are qualified they should be listening to He felt that it was clearly in the realm of the Manager and his responsibility to make recommendations to the Board Mr Perry asked if the Board wanted to hear the group The Board all agreed that they wanted to have a meeting with the firm and Mr Perry is to set up an appointment for them to come at a later Selectmen's Meeting Mr Dan Busa, Chairman of the Recreation Committee reported to the Recreation Board that they were working on a five-year program and had met with the Committee Planning Board and Conservation Commission to develop a capital budget program for the five-year period He stated that the first priority would be the center pool $11,000 had been allocated for this project and a meeting had been set up with the Permanent Building Committee He stated that High priority had been given to this project because the townspeople had so indicated on a questionnaire that had been circulated He stated that possibly $50,000 should be allowed for the engineering and initial studies of the project. He stated that there was a definite need, through the master plan survey, for walking trails in the town and that $5,000 would be allotted for this Tennis courts and a backboard were to be con- sidered for Diamond Junior High School Mr Busa stated that there were 30 ball fields in the town and that upgrading of these fields is long over- due He felt that they would like to average three fields each year spend- ing about $15,000 a year for five years He noted that the work done at Harrington School field was excellent His next priority was bicycle paths, a program started about five or six years ago He had a copy of the master plan which is 300 pages long, and stated that the Committee was proposing a $135,000 capital budget Dr Kessler stated that his concept of what he would like to see done as a result of the study was a list of the recreational needs of the town listed in priority and what they hoped to do He felt that the town should have a concept for at least five years and let Town Meeting decide what the amount would be allotted Paul MacKenzie, Chairman of the Planning Board, stated that the plan had been submitted to the State as a reference document so that as the Town approaches a particular project it could apply for State and Federal funds and say "part 'A' of our master plan " He stated that they had received acknowledgement of and was complimented on the plan Mr Furash of the Appropriation Committee stated that they expect the presentation from the Recreation Committee, after approval of the Board of Selectmen, of a five-year plan with priorities, the justification of the priorities in terms of how facilities serve each group in town, the cost of operation including problems of maintenance etc and a price tag on these He stated that, in a year when the town has suffered a high increase in its tax rate, the existing budget of the Recreation Committee should not be considered frozen or sacrosanct, but as a "zero" budget He stated that it was a long while since they have had this from the Recreation Committee and they should work under the direction of the Town Manager Dr Kassler asked if the Planning Board had accepted the plan and was it ever presented to the Board of Selectmen? 22() Selectmen's Meeting October 12, 1976 Mr Busa stated that they had submitted a letter to the Planning Board Dr Kassler said that the draft, with all its data, is not very readable because of its size He would prefer a one-page summary of priorities Judy Uhrig pointed out that such a summary exists within the draft on two pages Kenneth Briggs, Planning Director told him that a fifteen-page sum- mary is in the first draft and is expected to be distributed by December Mr MacKenzie stated that it was his understanding that the study was undertaken under the direction of Town Meeting Dr Kassler stated that in order for it to be implemented, it must have the approval of the Selectmen. Mr Bailey stated that he hoped that when they have another meeting, the charge to the Committee should be explained to them. Dr Clarke stated that it is too bulky for discussion that the report is to provide the back-up that the Appropriation Committee wants and that a summary was a good idea Dr Kassler stated that it was the Board's responsibility to get to- gether with both groups so that when the plan is presented to Town Meeting it will be a group plan. He stated that the Board was not aware that it was going to be presented in this manner He stated that the Board had not discussed the five-year plan and would like to as they were the ones that were responsible Mr Furash asked if there had been any feed-back from the public Mr Briggs stated that the plan had been written and reviewed but that it had not been typed It will be open to public comments and that they were looking to the Selectmen for the five-year price Dr Clarke asked if the Selectmen wanted the plan open to the public before or after its approval Dr Kassler stated that when they get it they will open it to public discussion before making any decision He thanked the Committee for their report and they retired from the meeting John Carroll Mr Busa asked the Chairman what the time schedule for implementing the Board of Appeals regulations was on the Carroll question Dr Kassler reported that he had taken the initiative of talking to both groups and it was his understanding that some of the questions were going to be resolved without argument He stated that it was his hope that the question could be resolved amicably MSA Legisla- Chairman Kassler informed the Board that Mrs Battin had requested tive Program Item 5 "MSA Legislative Committee/Legislative Lobbying Program" to be on the agenda, and as she had not, as yet, arrived at the meeting he proposed that it be tabled to a subsequent meeting Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to table Article 5 to a subsequent meeting. 221 Selectmen's Meeting October 12, 1976 Upon motion duly ly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0, by roll call Executive vote to go into Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to Session collective bargaining or litigation and to discuss the reputation and character of an individual, 8 58 p m. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn at 10 10 p m. A true record, Attest 00.-ter_ Principal Clerk