Board of Selectmen

Meeting of November 28, 2006

Bourne Veterans’ Memorial Community Center

239 Main Street

Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

7:00 p.m.

 

Town Administrator:

Thomas M. Guerino

 

Board of Selectmen

Linda M. Zuern, Chairman

Stephen F. Mealy, Vice Chairman

Jamie J. Sloniecki, Clerk

Judith W. Conron

John J. Harrington

 

Call to Order

 

A Moment of Silence for our Troops

Salute the Flag

 

Approval of Minutes

Selectman Conron made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Sloniecki to approve the Executive Session Minutes of September 12, 2006 as presented. UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

Selectman Conron made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Harrington to approve the Minutes of September 26, 2006 as presented. UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

Selectman Conron made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Sloniecki to approve the Executive Session Minutes of November 14, 2006 as presented. UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

Selectman Harrington made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Conron to approve the Minutes of November 14, 2006 as presented. UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Conron to approve the Minutes of November 21, 2006 with changes. UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

Public Comment – Non Agenda Items

Charlie Miller – CPA Funds.  Mr. Miller suggested that the Selectmen revisit the proportionate thinking of the CPA Funds and thought the percentages could be changed. 

 

Correspondence

Keno License application for the Parrot Bar & Grille.  If the Town objects to the issuance of the Keno license, they must notify the Commission within 21 days of receipt of the notice.

 

The Parrot Bar & Grille will be asked to come before the Selectmen at their December  5th meeting for review of their application.

 

A letter from Pan-Massachusetts Challenge requesting permanent signage will be placed on the December 5 agenda.

 

A request for permission to hold the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Sunday, December 10 at the Cataumet Post Office from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. the Selectmen and Town employees were invited to attend.

 

Selectman Mealy made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Harrington to approve the request.  UNANIMOUS VOTE 

 

7:15 – 7:30 p.m. Cape Cod Aggregates

Attorney Troy spoke on the Settlement Agreement with Cape Cod Aggregates Corp. dating back to 2002.  The Board of Selectmen did not want to medal in zoning issues and recognized it was the expertise of the Board of Appeals.  He thanked the members of the Board of Appeals for their time and expertise. The Board of Appeals unanimously endorsed the agreement and he recommended that the Board of Selectmen execute the Agreement as being in the best interests of the Town.   The Agreement encompasses 10 pages and exhibits and is on file in the Office of the Town Administrator. 

 

At the completion of the presentation, questions and answers, Selectman Harrington made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Mealy to approve the execution of the Agreement between Cape Cod Aggregates and the Board of Appeals.  UNANIMOUS VOTE.

 

Cape Cod Commission:  Greg Smith – Solid Waste

Mr. Smith made a power point presentation to discuss regional solid waste management and disposal.  He has been to other cape towns and discussing the existing long-term solid waste contract with SEMASS that are due to expire in 2015.  He said that the towns should now be considering some kind of a planning exercise and start looking at the long-term viable options. 

 

The power point presentation discussed some of the general solid waste issues that face Bourne and the other 14 Cape communities.  It also addressed long-term alternatives to the existing contracts.

 

The power point presentation is on file in the Town Administrator’s Office.

 

 

 

Bourne currently pays $88.70 tipping fees those fees do not include rail transportation or reflect change in law costs and is extremely low by market standards. 

 

Future disposal fees will be significantly higher wherever it goes. 

 

Bourne generated 6,474 tons of MSW in 2005 – 3,945 tons were sent to Landfill and 2,529 tons to SEMASS.

 

14 of the 15 towns on the Cape have existing 30 year contracts with SEMASS that are due to expire in 9 years.

 

He presented options for consideration:

●          Do nothing

●            Evaluate other viable options independently

●            Evaluate identified options collectively

 

Some recommendations that Mr. Smith is making to other towns are:

 

●            Establish a Contract Committee consisting of either a Town Manager or Selectman to sit on the Board and to review viable options for waste disposal.

 

●          Options to include:

-         Bourne ISWMF and SEMASS WTE

-         out-of-state disposal

-         alternative technologies (co-composting, bio-mass)

 

●          Other issues in particular for Bourne

-         Waste Management Working Group

-         Will ISWMF be viable option for Cape’s solid waste?

 

He suggested that the Board of Selectmen appoint a designee to the Committee.

 

TA Guerino asked if the Board of Selectmen chose to participate in a Capewide Working Group on future disposal options for the region, would they not have a potential conflict sitting on the committee and possibly being a bidder or player later in the process?

 

Selectman Conron said they are looking at the future of the landfill and that it is critical that they are apprised of their options. 

 

TA Guerino thought it was important to be in the planning stages and stay out of the contractual areas.

 

Selectman Harrington said one element in planning forward is securing a future waste stream and 2015 is not far away.

 

Chm. Zuern commented on alternative technologies and asked how it was different from waste to energy? 

 

Mr. Smith said it was very difficult to address at this forum.  He said he would meet with her individually or appear before them again and have a more elaborate discussion.

 

Cape Cod Commission:  Update – Margo Fenn, Carol Tinkham and

John Lipman

 

Ms. Fenn said the CCC regulates large projects as well as planning and technical assistance to the towns on the Cape.

 

She then ran through highlights of what’s been going on in Bourne.  A grant was awarded to Bourne for development within a flood plain (Buzzards Bay); involvement in planning for the military reservation in both cleanup and management of the reserve; conducted training seminars for the Board of Appeals on writing decisions; involved in affordable housing, loans made directly to households for down payments into first homes, homeowner repairs, housing needs study; assistance to the Bourne Housing Authority; provided some technical support to the ZBA; GIS office has done a lot of mapping work for the Town and digitized all parcel data; traffic safety studies for MassHighway on Cape Cod; traffic counts on regional roadways; water resources; and work at looking at fresh water ponds; wastewater planning, regulatory reviews, DIR mitigation benefits and open space.

 

John Lipman spoke on his work on Main Street, Buzzards Bay in planning.  He attended a Bourne Financial Development Corporation meeting and looked at planning.  They put together a paper called “Bringing  Back Buzzards Bay” that outlined their steps in outlining a master plan for Buzzards Bay and funding sources.

 

They have $250,000 earmarked in FY07 state budget;  $25,000 from the County’s Local Comprehensive Plan implementation grant program; $30,000 from the Smart Growth Grant; and another $15,000 from the Smart Growth Grant.  The Bourne Financial Development Corporation is funding the Transportation study.  Mr. Lipman offered the services of his staff in the redevelopment of Buzzards Bay.

 

There were questions and suggestions posed to Mr. Lipman by the Board and residents.

 

Selectman Conron said in their plan, one of their major goals is to fix the Bourne Rotary and their priority is to replace the Bourne Bridge Rotary with a conventional highway interchange.  This has been discussed in relation to CanalSide and asked if the CCC could assist them? 

 

Chm. Zuern said the Commission needs to work with the Towns more and regulate less.

 

Ms. Tinkham said in reviewing the plan she found the bypass road mirrored the 1995 state plan with the elimination of the rotary and a bypass road.

 

Selectman Mealy said that Ms. Tinkham was the first person that has said that this particular roadway melded with a plan from the State Highway Department.  His biggest concern was that they work with the developer on this project.

 

Town Planner, Coreen Moore noted that some of the roadway network in Mr. Cubellis plan goes through MassHighway property and he is required to get permission from MassHighway to construct the road. 

 

Licenses and Permits:

a.      2007 Liquor License Renewals

 

All the Year Round Liquor License holders are in compliance with the new regulations regarding sprinkler systems as of this date.  Both the Building Inspector and Fire concur and have signed the appropriate Certificate of Inspection needed for each license renewal.

 

Selectman Harrington said he would recuse himself from any discussion and vote as he has professional relationships with some of the license holders.

 

Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Conron to approve the renewal of the year round liquor licenses as presented.  UNANIMOUS VOTE (Selectman Harrington did not participate)

 

Discussion related to priorities for Transportation Committee 

To be placed on a future agenda. 

Selectmen Conron and Mealy questioned whether the current members still wanted to remain active on the Committee.

 

CanalSide – Further discussion on retaining outside professional assistance

TA Guerino said that at last meeting Mr. Mealy that we have a map of the proposed area at CanalSide. 

 

Coreen Moore referenced a map delineating the different areas and their proposed uses.

 

Selectman Conron questioned whether there were rentals on the proposed 40B?

 

Selectman Sloniecki said part of that was to count for affordable housing because the apartments are connected. 

 

Chm. Zuern said that Mr. LaFarge came before the Board and asked that a question be put on the ballot to see if the Town wanted to acquire the land or not.  She said she was still willing to consider that to see what the consensus was from the town. 

 

Selectman Conron questioned whether they wanted to sponsor that.

 

There was further discussion on whether it was the intent to put a question on the ballot or not.

 

Selectman Harrington suggested listing it as a future agenda item and Selectman Mealy suggested inviting the Task Force back also.

 

Selectman Sloniecki asked if there was a cost figure available, if someone were to be  brought in.  

 

TA Guerino said one option is to come up with a list with some of the people who have been working on this and other venues, have an initial consult on what you want to do and then put together a specification and forward to the Board.  The Board has to determine, based on the town resolution, how much you want the firm to do and what the scope is.   The Board needs to either brainstorm or hold a workshop and dedicate hours to what they want the consultant to pursue. 

 

Selectman Conron said they want professional consultation on whether they should buy all or a part of this property.  The Board is struggling with the ideas of what it is they want to talk to the developer about and coming to a consensus on the part of the Town.

 

Chm. Zuern said there was not money available.  Selectman Mealy said they don’t know what the cost will be.

 

There was further discussion on whether it should be put on as a ballot vote. 

 

Selectman Harrington said the Mr. Cubellis acted as a bit of a consultant last week and said the property is not for sale in its totality and started talking about the town as a proponent of development.  He said further that a Consultant in that field would know what types of questions to ask before the Town goes to a ballot vote.

 

TA Guerino said his understanding is that the Board’s consensus is to try and find a couple of groups to come in for initial consults on what they think is possible after listing to Board, reviewing town meeting votes, and to see what they can propose to the Board for assistance.

 

Town Administrator Report  

TA Guerino referenced the changes and adjustments in the Procedures that were handed out this evening.

 

The Budgets are in and he is meeting with departments daily for the initial review.  The staffing plans are coming in.  The Budget will be presented on the 15th of December.  There is a proposal for a free structure that will go before the Board with the Sealer of Weights & Measures.

 

Other Selectmen Business

Request from Effie’s Pizza, 91 Main Street, Buzzards Bay to close her establishment from December 4, 2006 through January 31, 2007 for surgery.  Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Harrington to approve the closure as requested.  UNANIMOUS VOTE

 

TA Administrator announced the Bourne Bridge will be closed to north bound traffic from 7:00 p.m to 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 29, 2006.  There will be one lane open going south (on Cape) for paving by MassHighway.  The bridge will be closed for paving, with emergency vehicles being allowed to traverse the bridge in both directions.

 

The Reverse 911 computerized software program was launched on Monday.  There was a problem with only 2 of the 8 lines working.  It was determined that there was probably a software glitch and a patch would be sent.  The calls that were hoped to have been made on Monday regarding the ballot questions are being made now and will go through 8:00 p.m. tonight and will start Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. and will run through 6:00 -7:00 p.m. Wednesday night.  They estimate that out of 14,000 phone lines, 10,000 – 10,500 will be reached.

 

Selectmen’s Reports 

Selectman Harrington missed his office hours on Wednesday do to the closure at noon of the Town Hall for Thanksgiving.  He will be back on schedule tomorrow.

 

Selectman Sloniecki - passed

 

Selectman Mealy – passed.

 

Selectman Conron referenced a letter from Mike Sorenti and others on the recreation fields.  She said she is getting more concerned about the fields and would like to settle the questions that keep coming up.  She thought maybe they should have a policy discussion on this.

 

TA Guerino said the Recreation Committee is reviewing this on their next agenda.  The last time this came up the Board said that they should let the Recreation Committee discuss it and bring recommendations to the Board.

 

She asked if the Selectmen were intending to meet the day after Christmas, December 26 and the day after New Year’s, January 2.

 

TA Guerino said they don’t normally meet the week between Christmas and New Years.

The Board will meet on January 2.

 

Selectman Conron wanted to review the topics for next week’s agenda and asked for an explanation of some of the topics.

 

Wind Turbine and Waste Energy Facility – item was on a previous agenda and was deferred to December 5th.  Chm. Zuern will forward information via email to Selectman Conron.

 

 Adoption of Goals - Hearing was held on adoption of goals, but not formally adopted.    

 

Discussion of Goals  - Discussion of Capital and Long-Term Planning.

 

Process on Bourne Rotary Elimination is a request of Dr. Harrington – not needed now.

 

Selectman Conron is considering doing office hours on Thursdays from 12-2 and will announce the starting date at another time.

 

Chm. Zuern attended the LEPC on Monday night.  A presentation was made on amateur radio emergency; Cindy Coffin announced the Pandemic Emergency Plan is finished; KI pills are in and will be given to the schools first; ICE on cell phones for emergency notification.  She urged everyone to go and vote on Wednesday.  She announced the Historical, Archive and Historic Commission festivities and the Buzzards Bay Village Association Festival of Trees on Saturday and the MMA from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.  Ticket are $15.00.

 

Adjourn

Selectman Sloniecki made a MOTION, SECONDED by Selectman Mealy to adjourn at 10:05 p.m.  UNANIMOUS VOTE