New vehicle gets the green light
The selectmen voted unanimously to approve the purchase of a new Ford Explorer for the Fire Department. Fire Chief Bob Mignard estimates that the cost of the new vehicle will be $29,000 to $30,000. Mignard also requested that the Fire Department be allowed to retain use of the current vehicle, a 2001 Chevy Tahoe, instead of trading it in. The selectmen approved continued use of the Tahoe for duty officers.
Haunted house approved
The selectmen approved the request of Debbie Noyes of East Bare Hill Road for the Harvard Ecumenical Youth Group to host a haunted house “spook walk” at the old library for children aged 10 and older. Noyes reported that the group will be arranging the event as a fundraiser to benefit Loaves and Fishes; the current plan is to charge a modest admission or invite attendees to bring canned goods to benefit the food pantry. Selectman Lucy Wallace expressed some concern that a haunted house in the center of town on Halloween would make the already congested town center even more of a “crazy scene” and suggested that Noyes consider holding the spook walk on Saturday, Nov. 1 instead. Noyes will be working with the police and fire departments to determine the best option for the haunted house.
H.E.A.T. applications available online
Town Administrator Tim Bragan announced that applications are now available for Harvard Energy Assistance. The Harvard Energy Assistance Team (HEAT) provides grants to help cover the cost of heating bills for low-income households. Bragan said that with current high energy costs, he anticipates there will be more need than in the past, and he added that the fund will welcome donations.
Board appointments
The selectmen voted unanimously to appoint several local residents to town committees: Barbara Brady to the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, John Martin as an alternate member of the Harvard Historical Commission, Steve Rowse to the Fiscal Impact Analysis Team, and Jack Spero to the Board of Health to replace Sean Doocey, who recently resigned from the BOH.
Andrew Perry, John McClure, and Justin Warren react after Justin was named as one of the new ambulance squad appointees. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Ambulance squad appointments
Thirty Harvard residents were unanimously appointed to the Harvard Ambulance Service. Selectman Peter Warren noted that the list included 20 active members and 10 members on a leave of absence; he added that five of the appointees were new to the squad, among them his grandson, Justin Warren.
The appointees are: Steve Beckman, Alex Burnett, Barbara Chaffin, Sarah Cochrane, Alex Dill, Sean Doocey, Will Gunner, Bizzy Herbolsheimer, Derrin Jarvis, Derek Jordan, Lynne Kennefick, Alison Lierhaus, Anni Lierhaus, Adam Mara, John McClure, JP Messina, Caitlin Nygren, Andrew Perry, Jeff Perry, Ramae Philippou, Tom Philippou, Harry Powell, Steve Powell, Justin Seger, Casey Silver, Michelle Swearengen, Keeon Tabrizi, Justin Warren, Rob Williams, Jesse Wolff, and Dave Durrant.
Finance Committee, School Committee provide success criteria input
In discussion following input from the Finance Committee and the School Committee, selectmen agreed that the current Devens Disposition Success Criteria document covers items brought forward by those boards. No new criteria were proposed by those boards and only small amendments were made to the current document. The selectmen agreed to bring the current criteria document (still in draft form) to the Joint Boards of Selectmen (JBOS) Thursday, Sept. 18. This version of the document will be used at the public forum to be held Saturday, Sept. 27, at 9 a.m. in the Bromfield cafeteria.
The Finance Committee’s input raised questions such as whether there would be an overlap of municipal service districts (fire, water, and sewer, for example) between Harvard and Devens. Chairman Leo Blair suggested that this item was about “what would districts look like and what would boundaries be,” which is covered in the category “administrative/transitional” in the current criteria document. Blair said that he believes the public will be asking similar questions.
Willie Wickman, a member of the School Committee, also urged the selectmen to provide MRPC (Montachusett Regional Planning Commission), the agency facilitating the public forum on Sept. 27, with basic information coming into the meeting. She said she believes that MRPC should have answers ready on topics like the current number of children per household at Devens, which would address questions around the issue of cost-per-pupil in Harvard’s school system. Wickman also urged the selectmen to address the question of “what are the fears that people have” about Devens, and to provide that information to MRPC before going into the Sept. 27 forum.
Both Stu Sklar, chairman of the School Committee, and Wickman pointed out that the School Committee cannot forecast expenses until they “get the number of houses” projected for Devens. The number of houses times the number of children per household determines the number of children the committee would use to calculate a school budget. The selectmen agreed with Sklar that the number of houses on Devens is a critical factor.
Forum on Devens disposition success criteria
Seletman Peter Warren told the board that MRPC has announced the format of the Sept. 27 meeting. Wednesday Bob Biaggi, one of MRPC’s facilitators for this event, told the Press that MRPC planned to begin at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and registration, followed at 9 a.m. by statements summarizing the success criteria. The attendees would then join breakout sessions, he said, which will be self-organizing based on the five categories that frame the criteria. Each group would discuss its section of the criteria document, provide their comments and requirements, and bring that input back to the larger group for discussion.
The objective of the forum is to gather input from Harvard citizens on their requirements relating to Devens disposition. Requirements gathered at this forum will be incorporated into the selectmen’s Success Criteria document.
