Selectmen's Minutes

October 17, 2006

Bourne Veterans' Memorial Community Center

239 Main Street

Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

 

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Attendance:

Town Administrator

Thomas M. Guerino

 

Board of Selectmen:

Linda M. Zuern, Chairman

Stephen F. Mealy, Vice-Chairman

Jamie J. Sloniecki

Judith W. Conron

John J. Harrington - not present

 

Call the Meeting to Order

Meeting was reconvened from Executive Session at 7 :00 P.M.

 

Moment of Silence

Salute the Flag

 

Approval of Minutes - None

 

Public Comment - Non-Agenda Items

George Seaver had two questions on the procedures of the Town Meeting Override vote and were they legal and/or ethical?

 

Correspondence

Selectman Sloniecki reviewed the correspondence. Correspondence is on file in the TA office for review.

 

Selectmen Conron and Mealy will attend a training session for the Local Licensing Authorities from 12:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. at the Yarmouth Town Hall.

 

TA Guerino referenced a letter from Mr. Lafarge regarding a resident running an illegal business on County Road. The letter was forwarded to Town Counsel and is being reviewed by the Building Inspector.

 

Donald Jacobs/Donald Ellis - licenses

Don Jacobs spoke on the process involved in placing 4 historic buildings in Bourne on the National Register - Town Hall, Bournedale School House, Coady School and the Historic Society Building. They felt they needed the Selectmen's approval before starting the long application process. It will cost approximately $5,000 to register each and funding will come out of CPA funds. By being on the National Register it helps the Town in obtaining grants. If placed on the National Register, the buildings continue as they are now.

 

Selectman Conron made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Sloniecki to accept their request to make application for the 4 buildings to be considered for the National Register - Town Hall, Historic Society

Building, Bournedale School House and Coady School. UNANIMOUS

VOTE

 

Selectman Zuern thank both Mr. Ellis and Mr. Jacobs for all of the work

they do for the town.

 

Licenses/Permits:

a. Aptucxet Post VFW - Change in Manager

 

Kevin Lynch and Tony Manfredi spoke on behalf of the organization

 

An application for a transfer in Manager only from Anthony Manfredi to Edward W. Cygan.

 

The CORI was submitted, but has not been returned. T A Guerino addressed the requirement for the installation of a sprinkler system. They are aware of the situation and will comply as required.

 

Don Jacobs, Charter Member of the Post, spoke in support of the transfer.

 

Selectman Sloniecki made MOTION, SECONDED by Selectmen Mealy to approve as requested pending the CORl return. UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

b. Change of hours for Sagamore Inn

Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Mealy to approve the change in hours of operation to Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

County Commissioners

Mary LeClair and Bruce Lambros

Mr. Lambros reviewed the list of services provided by the County to the Town of Bourne in 2006.

Cape Cod Commission.

·       GIS Program

·       Affordable Housing Programs

·       Marine Resources Program

·       Planning and Regulatory Programs

·       Transportation Program

·       Water Resources Program

·       Cape Cod Cooperative Extension

·       Cape Light Compact

·       Health & Environment

 

Mary LeClair provided a brief summary of what they offer. This can be viewed on line at www.barnstablecountv.org.

Regional services provided:

·       Registry of Deeds on line

·       Economic Development Council

·       Children's Cove

·       Fire Training Academy

·       Resource Development.

·       Purchasing

·       Wellness & Professional Development

 

Selectman Conron asked how the Pocasset Assisted Living facility was doing and were they a part of that?

 

The County put the land up and the Commissioners helped secure the funding through the State for the project.

 

Affordable Housing as relates to CanalSide

Representatives of the Housing Partnership Committee Sue Ross and Mary- Ellen Wilczynski and Bourne Housing Action Plan Committee were present.

 

Ms. Ross spoke on the Housing Action Plan and the need to expand affordable housing in Bourne in an environmentally conscientious way and ways good for the Town.

 

She explained how the action plan fits into the whole CanalSide.

 

Mary-Ellen Wilczynski said the plan was a culmination of two years work. They received a grant from the Cape Cod Commission to hire a consultant.

 

The average medium income is $45,000.00 in which a person could purchase $160,000 mortgage. The medium price of a house in Bourne last year was $320,000 with the need of an average income of $90,000.00 and only 15% have made that income.

 

When looking at the affordable housing inventory Bourne has the 2nd highest on the Cape. Bourne would need to add another 258 units to the stock in order to achieve the 10%.

 

The plan in place is called a "planned production" and has been certified by the State. Under the plan the Town would need to ad 58 units a year or 117 every 2 years.

 

Highlights of the plan were:

·       make town property available for affordable housing, convert existing properties to affordability, promote adaptive reuse of existing structures, construct affordable living options for seniors and continue to work with developers on fine tuning comprehensive permit projects.

 

Preservation would be providing loans to current homeowners with assistance, reducing the cost of homelessness and marketing affordability of existing stock.

 

She went on further to say this was just touching on the points on the in-depth plans. They are using the CPA Funds to hire an affordable housing specialist.

 

There was a lengthy dialog with questions and answers regarding how CanalSide would fit into the Housing Action Plan.

 

Sign Warrant for November Election

The Board of Selectmen signed the Warrant for State General Election.

 

Town Administrator Report

T A Guerino announced that the fee structures for the liquor licenses and Board of Appeals will be reviewed at the next meeting.

 

A draft protocol for the Reverse 911 is being sent to Boards and Committees.

 

The Budget letter to departments went out today, with a budget due on November 22. He asked the Board to make a determination on where they want the budgets to come in and their priorities witl1in the next 6-8 weeks.

 

Selectman Conron asked that the T A give his professional opinion as to what they should be considering.

 

Selectman Mealy said at the STM on Monday, a man asked for an overview for not just this year, but where is the town going, how will they go for an additional $13 million override, its effect on the budget and town and what else is coming. He felt that it needed to be addressed and asked if it could be done within the next several weeks for the upcoming ballot question?

 

T A Guerino said they were putting the 5-10 year inventory together. From the facilities aspect, they know some of what needs to be addressed. The Capital Working Group is back to work and will have an answer to the gentlemen's question.

 

There was a discussion on priorities and what to expect in the future for other departments, infrastructure needs, possible additional overrides and the budget process.

 

Other Selectmen Business

Selectman Zuern recused herself from the vote on the School Ballot Question in light of a possible conflict of interest.

 

Selectman Conron said she was disappointed that the vote on the School was not deferred to another meeting. She was happy to see the turnout and would have been ecstatic if everyone had been notified properly. She said that she still has not heard a good discussion between the citizens of the pros and cons of the school.

 

Selectman Sloniecki said it might not have been handled in the way that they would do it again. The Chair presented a motion and it did not go the way they thought it would, but they had every intention on recessing until November 1. They can't change the vote and now need to decide the next step.

 

Selectman Conron said if they were going to schedule another election for this question, she would make it contingent on the fact that people with absentee ballots are notified of the election.

 

Selectman Mealy asked if they could provide an information sheet at all of the polling places?

 

Selectman Conron made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Sloniecki to set a new election date for November 29, 2006 for the purpose of overriding proposition 2 1/2 - Ballot question read by Selectman Sloniecki.

SO VOTED

 

Selectman Conron said she would ask for a revote if they cannot do the absentee ballot notification.

 

Joan Delapp, Jim Mulvey and Trude Sparks expressed their opinions on the school issue.

 

Selectmen Mealy explained why they chose the next election date.

 

He also said he felt there was an amply amount of confusion on the last ballot vote on whether they had to vote because town meeting had not voted He has wrestled with the question and felt this is the right thing to do.

 

Selectman Mealy tried to explain the confusion evolving around the school Issue.

 

Each of the Selectmen expressed their opinions on the ballot questions.

 

Selectmen's Reports

 

Selectman Sloniecki - passed

 

Selectmen Mealy and Sloniecki attended the Massachusetts Municipal Association's fall conference for Selectmen with three elements to the conference: small municipal government management, land use reform, and crisis management and dealing with the media. He also spoke of the Fire Station open house in Sagamore.

 

Selectmen Conron and Zuern attended the Cape Cod Selectmen and Councilor's meeting with various speakers. One speaker spoke on restoring the marshes and fish runs. She then said they needed to write a letter in support. T A Guerino said the letter was sent.

 

She spoke on the National Flood Insurance Rating Systems where if certain things are done within the Community you could receive a 5-10% discount on flood insurance and thought that would be something they should look into.

 

Selectman Zuern said she learned a lot about mosquitoes at the meeting. She spoke on the Nye Grant Report with over 40 programs funded by the Nye Grant this year.

 

She also spoke on the ribbon cutting on October 20 at 3:30 p.m. for the Sagamore Rotary; the open house at the new fire station and attended the base tour.

 

She expressed her concern with the Special Town Meeting on Monday and the need of having a communication system. She had hoped that it would be recessed, but if it weren't that they would have dialog and discussion and was disappointed that it did not happen.

 

The Town Administrator asked if the Board of Selectmen would entertain the sponsorship as a Board of a forum relative to the school? TA Guerino said that he would try to have presenters on both sides of the school issue.

 

TA Guerino said they had scheduled November 7 as a public hearing on the goals and that is the same date as the State Election. The public meeting

will be held on November 21 rather than on the date of the State Election.

 

Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Mealy to adjourn. UNANIMOUS VOTE