Selectmen Peter Warren and Tim Clark at Annual Town Meeting. (File photo)
Selectmen met on Sept. 30 with representatives of the Finance Committee, School Committee, and Planning Board, to review the selectmen’s goals for this fiscal year. The discussion took a “brainstorming” format, with individual selectmen leading discussions of goals topics: use of municipal buildings and town center, partnership activities with Devens and the Joint Boards of Selectmen (JBOS), commercial development, fiscal and personnel issues, communications, and housing in Harvard. Other board members and the public in attendance were invited to provide feedback. The goals were not prioritized and there were no votes taken on any agenda items.
Municipal buildings and town center
Selectman Lucy Wallace suggested that “with the planned construction of the sewer system, we have a good opportunity to look at other infrastructure improvements around town center: fixing parking, fixing the flow of traffic around the general store and the Congregational Church, and improving the pedestrian ways so we can actually walk around and feel safe.” Wallace urged the selectmen to use the opportunity presented by the construction of the new sewer to address other town center problems: improvement of pathways, construction of bikeways, and ease of pedestrian access throughout the town center.
Wallace then emphasized the need for efficient use of municipal offices. She pointed out that facilities at Town Hall do not provide adequate space for town committee and board meetings, community space for larger town functions, or for other town uses such as “after-school programs or theatre groups.” The old library (also referred to as the Hapgood or Goddard library) has been little-used and standing vacant since April 2007, when the new library on Pond Road opened. Wallace said “Both buildings [Town Hall and the old library] need improvement and upgrades for ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliance and elevators.”
Selectman Peter Warren reinforced Wallace’s points saying, “Both of these buildings are in need of capital infusion,” and suggesting that “the old library could be converted to municipal office space.”
Wallace proposed that “by Town Meeting in May we have a plan with an architect to look at the designs of the buildings to determine the costs involved in upgrades.”
Old Littleton Road resident Steve Rowse suggested that the selectmen “reach out to the Historical Commission for CPC [Community Preservation Committee] funds to do upgrades.”
Wallace also looked to future needs of Harvard, suggesting that “we look at the town center as a whole” and proposing that the town look at properties within the town center district so that when properties become available, “we can address future needs of the town.”
Working with Devens and JBOS
Referring to sharing services such as dispatch, Department of Public Works (DPW), and other departments in order to relieve the property tax burden, Chairman Ron Ricci discussed opportunities at Devens and work with the Joint Boards of Selectmen (JBOS). He said that JBOS is developing a “working economic model of revenues and expenses relative to managing Devens and impact on and opportunities for Harvard.” Ricci also referenced the “opportunity presented by MassDevelopment for their new public safety building for regional communication services.” (See Dispatch, page 1)
Selectman Tim Clark suggested that there is an opportunity for working toward independent municipal power, pointing out that Devens, Littleton, and Groton have their own power companies. Clark said “Devens is a leader in any of these areas and working with them represents an opportunity.”
Wallace proposed that Harvard “look to our neighbors for models; not limit ourselves to Devens but also look to Littleton, Boxborough, and Bolton, and perhaps share a town planner—that’s something that we’ve needed for 20 years,” to which Warren replied “also a grant writer!” Finance Committee member Marie Sobalvarro commented that “Ayer has a grant writer” and that that kind of role is “something we could share with another town.”
Commercial development
Wallace opened discussion about the Economic Development Analysis Team (EDAT), by pointing out that the town’s current tax system “is not sustainable.” She also said the predecessor to EDAT, FIAT (the Financial Impact Analysis Team), which reported on town finances at the 2009 Town Meeting, “was formed to figure out how to expand our revenues base; the vote at town meeting was very broad, not limited to Ayer Road,” meaning that the team should also look at economic development opportunities at Devens and in town center as well as in the Ayer Road C-District.
EDAT Chairman Bill Johnson presented slides with an overview of the progress the EDAT team had made and asked for feedback from the town. Johnson said that the team would “engage at arm’s length,” meaning that the team wanted “to make sure that the process is driven with objectivity.” He also said “we believe the charter we got at the 2009 Town Meeting was to identify and do an analysis of the development opportunities in the Ayer Road commercial district.” He emphasized that the current effort is a feasibility study, not an implementation plan.
Reiterating points made earlier by selectmen, Johnson said that investment in administrative infrastructure and a “formal town planner would allow the town to do brokering around land deals with developers and protect adjacent residential areas.”
Johnson said that EDAT intends to deliver to Town Meeting “a very specific vision, so that the town can then say ‘we can decide now; we know what this looks like.’”
He said the team is planning to talk to commercial developers, do market evaluations, and work with the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission. They also plan to interview land owners to see “where people are on the personal side and whether they want to participate in development or not.” The team is currently working on a neighborhood survey and will report on progress in January.
Fiscal and personnel issues
On the topic of fiscal and personnel issues, Ricci reported that “next week, the selectmen are meeting with Lorraine Leonard, Marie Sobalvarro, and Tim Bragan and we’ll make recommendations on insurance,” referring to the upcoming decision on the insurance plan for town employees and whether Harvard will stay with its current provider or move to the state’s Group Insurance Commission.
On another fiscal/personnel issue, Wallace pointed out that “we currently don’t have the ability to understand total cost for an employee, for example, health insurance cost as well as salary cost.” Bragan replied “We’re looking to do fully loaded costs by Town Meeting time.”
Communications
Wallace stated that the board needs to work on communication skills “amongst ourselves and with other town boards.” She also said that the board needs to work on “how we communicate to the town” and suggested a town forum as a part of the Ayer Road commercial district work being done by EDAT.
Planning Board Chairman Joe Sudol commented that “communications between the boards is difficult,” and suggested that all boards meet quarterly or every six months “to get a summary and cross-understanding of where we all are.”
Proposal for a Harvard Development Authority
Wallace began the discussion on housing, stating that “the Harvard Housing Authority does not have a full membership, the Harvard Housing Partnership does not have anybody on it, so the only group in town working on housing is the Harvard Municipal Housing Trust.”
Ricci suggested that, because there are multiple housing-focused entities in town and because there has been little progress on housing goals, such as more affordable units and a more diverse housing stock, the town should establish a Harvard Development Authority and eliminate the HHA and other housing entities. Wallace advised that “before we go creating another group, we need to have a commitment to address housing as a town, get more people involved in this conversation on what kind of housing Harvard wants, particularly the School Committee. I look at my demographic and we’re sitting in a house that’s too big for us—we have to have a serious conversation. I would like to hear from the School Committee, Finance Committee, and Planning Board on this.”
