To agree or not to agree
The selectmen can agree to disagree, but whether they should publicly disagree at Annual Town Meeting is the question.
The issue came up during a discussion about how to improve communications among board members and reduce rancor at their meetings. Citing two issues on which the board is deeply divided—the Town Hall project and the town planner question—Chairwoman Lucy Wallace expressed her view that if the BOS decides to take an official position on those issues at Town Meeting—presumably by a 3-2 vote—individual board members should not get up and express dissenting opinions unless they are asked to do so.
Wallace’s opinion was not shared by her colleague Ron Ricci, who strongly defended his right as a citizen to speak freely at Town Meeting. “I have the right and the responsibility to do that,” he retorted. In the end, the consensus was that officials’ private opinions should be offered from the microphones used by other town residents, if at all, and not from at the front of the auditorium.
As for the board’s communication difficulties, member Tim Clark started the discussion by acknowledging his own responsibility. “I’ve been guilty of stepping on other peoples’ comments when things get heated,” he admitted. Wallace, too, lamented a board tendency to “stop listening and talk over each other” at times, saying that members need to work harder on respecting each other’s opinions.
For his part, Bill Johnson used the continuing controversy over the Town Hall project as an example of an appropriate debate over the “how” of an issue, as opposed to the “what.” Johnson rejected Clark’s contention that the Town Hall issue was settled at Town Meeting last year when voters approved the project and its funding, and that the BOS should now focus on getting the project done.
“There can be consensus on the ‘what’ (restoring Town Hall), but not on the ‘how’ ,” Johnson said. “The ZBA issue is not are we going to do the Town Hall; the debate is on how, and I think that’s appropriate.”
The selectmen will put the communications issue on the agenda for their strategic planning session in June, with a goal of “correcting the impression of acrimony,” in Wallace’s words.
DPW asks for Chapter 90 money for Ayer Road
The Selectmen unanimously approved a request from Director of Public Works Rich Nota to apply for $280,000 from Chapter 90 (state highway funding) for the milling, leveling, and overlaying of Ayer Road from Route 2 to Depot Road. The work will not extend into town center because of ongoing digging for sewer hookups there.
Park Lane residents request action on abandoned house
Town Administrator Tim Bragan read a letter from a group of residents on Park Lane asking that something be done about an abandoned bank-owned house there. They are concerned not only about the unsightliness of the property but also about health and safety issues the property may pose. The Board of Health is aware of the situation, and the Selectmen will leave it to them to take action on the building.
Selectmen choose sewer connection for old library
In discussing the sewer for the old library, Bragan said that before he can proceed, he needs to know where the Selectmen recommend locating the pipe connection. The Selectmen agreed the best choice is to connect the sewer pipe at the same place the current septic connection is located: at the back of the building. The plan is to leave the septic tank in place. Bragan said it will be tricky to work around an old oil tank located in the same area as the septic. The oil tank will be drained before the work starts, which will put it into late April in order to continue to heat the building. The Selectmen also touched on the topic of finding funding sources to convert the old library to gas heat.
Entertainment license policy needs work
Agreeing that the policy on obtaining an entertainment license is unclear, the Selectmen agreed with Chairwoman Lucy Wallace’s suggestion that clarification of the policy be put on the agenda for May or June. Most of the lack of clarity is over whether or not a recurring one-day or short term event needs to have a public hearing every year before a license can be granted. Ron Ricci suggested that it might be easier to start from scratch than to try to reword the existing language. He said the best approach is to “figure out what we want to do and then rewrite the policy.”
Three charity events approved
The Selectmen had received three requests of approval for charitable events and unanimously approved all of them. The Have a Jessie Day 5K will be held on Saturday, May 11. At least one of the routes of the Bicycles Battling Cancer will come through town on Sunday, June 9. The 17th annual Ride to End Alzheimer’s will start and end in Devens, and Harvard is along the proposed route. The event will be held on Saturday, July 13.
The Selectmen wrote a warrant calling for a Town Election on April 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., the same day on which the Massachusetts state primaries are to be held. Bragan said there will be a tear-out reminder in the Town Meeting warrant reminding people that town elections are not being held as usual on the Tuesday after ATM but instead on April 30 to coincide with the state primary.
Planning Board encouraged to seek MRPC funding
An item on the Selectmen’s “radar” is to explore funding from Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) for town projects. Selectman Clark, had written suggestions on three projects brought before the Selectmen at their Feb. 26 meeting by Elaine Lazurus, Chairwoman of the Economic Development Committee, Tim Schmoyer of the Planning Board, and Selectman Bill Johnson.
The board’s decision was to give Clark’s annotated document to Joe Hutchinson, the Planning Board’s liaison to MRPC, and see what feedback he receives from them. The longer-term plan is to compile a summary of town projects that would result in economic growth to the town and to submit that list to MRPC for them to explore what funding sources they might recommend to the town.
The three projects were conceived by Lazurus, Schmoyer, and Selectman Johnson at an ad hoc meeting earlier this month to develop proposals in time for a March 8 MRPC deadline for applications. The proposals were for:
- a plan for commercial development along the regional corridor between Route 2 and the Ayer circle to create permanent jobs through economic expansion that also offers regional services.
- the design and implementation of a road/bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure between Route 2 and Poor Farm Road.
- the design and implementation of a parking and pathway infrastructure for town center to support the economic expansion of the town center.
