February 5, 2007
Present was James C. Lehan, Jonathan P. Smith, Ramesh H. Advani, and Jack Hathaway, Town Administrator.
Jim Lehan called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Jack Hathaway read the agenda contents.
ZONING BYLAW STUDY COMMITTEE INTERVIEWS
Katherine Doyle of Chicatabut Avenue was present. Katherine is an attorney with Kopelman and Paige. She moved to Norfolk about a year ago to Chicatabut Avenue. She would like to serve her own community. Jim thanked her for volunteering and suggested she keep an open mind for other committees if not this one. Ramesh discussed the EDC. She may be interested, but if not, her husband may be interested who is a businessman, not an attorney.
Mike Kulesza. Mike lives on Creek Drive and told the Board he is interested because he feels this committee has had some poor attendance in the past. He feels this committee can make some positive changes for the town. Mike said he knows what works and doesn’t work in the town as he’s been on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He said there are some Affordable housing initiatives if we can tweak some of our bylaws.
Marie Chiofolo, Town Clerk. Marie said she previously worked for zoning and land use boards for another town. As Town Clerk, she takes zoning amendments and sends them to the attorney general. Marie said she has knowledge of the zoning bylaws and has a good idea of where this committee needs to be.
The Board considered the candidates. Ramesh felt strongly about Katherine and Mike. He said Marie will be there playing her role anyway and can be involved without being a member. Jonathan said the primary issue is to have people that will make the other boards appoint people and have them show up. They need to respect the board and not ignore it. Jonathan said that he felt that we need to have the committee exist. He feels that the two people would be Mike and Katherine because of the need of the board. Jonathan said he agrees with Marie’s point. Jim said he feels they are all in agreement with Mike. He said the silo in town government needs to be broken down. Marie could do that. Jim feels Katherine is good, too. Jim felt that culture is very important. Jim
chose Marie and Mike.
Ramesh Advani moved to appoint Katherine Doyle and Mike Kulesza to the Zoning Bylaw Study Committee, terms expiring 12/31/07. Jonathan Smith seconded, and it was so voted.
PLANNING BOARD – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Thomas Burke and Art Spruch of the Planning Board were present.
The Board discussed the roles and responsibilities of the Economic Development Committee (EDC). This is a committee jointly appointed by Board of Selectmen and Planning Board.
Ramesh Advani said they are focused on the B1 district and there is a meeting for Wednesday. He would like to kick off a formal committee, and would like to appropriate commercial development in the C6 district. Art Spruch said you need connection with the business community. They need to be an active aggressive arm for the community and identify opportunities and give feedback back to the Planning Board and Zoning Bylaw Study Committee (ZBSC). Jonathan Smith said that EDC’s come and go in this community, and what will be different about this committee? Art said that some of the projects to base this committee on are in place now. He is hoping the EDC can create a database. They would be a research arm and give knowledge of things they don’t have any background on. What would be
the right things to attract to the different areas? Jim Lehan said this committee could be a conduit between the Planning Board, Selectmen, ZBSC, and other boards. It would have to have good contact with the boards, businesses, etc.
Jim said this should be a selection process as opposed to interviews. Art agreed. Ramesh would like to put together a list of what the objectives should be for short term and long term. Everyone can review it. Jim will give some recommendations to the Planning Board and they can review it and also give the Board of Selectmen their candidate names. Jack will work with them.
TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REPORT
Jack gave his biweekly calendar.
OLD/NEW BUSINESS
Jack reported on Call and Wait. They did meet their deadline for 25% by December 31st. Jack talked with Atty. Hannington. Jack said that Bob Bullock had skepticism but felt they met it, but not by any large margin. Jack said since they took aerial photos, they have something to compare by.
Buckley & Mann – George detailed the process and said to survey the land and come up with a plan for demolishing the buildings and clean up the site. It is a public safety hazard. They said they can’t do that because the corporation is out of money. We will do it and lien their property and charge them.
He discussed capital budgets, which is not finalized yet. Operating budgets are still being reviewed.
Affordable Housing Trust Committee. Jack talked with Sarah and she will have recommendations for warrant articles for spring town meeting.
Jack discussed the Fire Department. Mark Amiot is the newest member. He is at the Massachusetts Fire Academy and received a special commendation because a student collapsed and Mark intervened and resuscitated him.
Caritas is going out of business doing ALS service as of this week. Ramesh said that this is one area where level funded budgets need to be looked at.
PATRIOTS PLACE
Present was Bill Early – Patriots Place committee and water/sewer committee of Foxboro, and State Rep. Richard Ross.
Jim said that our Town Administrator, Planning Board members and other officials have attended most of the meetings. Fire mutual aid is a concern. Fire Chief said we have mitigated that by actions Foxboro has taken.
We have expressed our concerns to various boards. We need to send letters to legislators. We have met with development traffic consultants. Jack said we have done our own traffic study and sent letters about traffic impact. Today we received a letter that the Foxboro Planning Board has closed their hearing which has surprised us. They don’t reference any of the issues we have brought to their attention. We have brought this to the attention of our town counsel who is looking into this.
Jack discussed Site Plan Approval. It is 30 days from when the building permit is pulled. It was pulled last week. The first building is the Bass fishing building. Thirty days would be March 30th. Not only has the hearing been closed, but the decision has been issued.
Jack read the Patriot Place update that he gave to the board.
Rep. Ross said he and Sen. Brown are trying to get the TIP project back on track because of this project going ahead. He said he is glad to hear that the bridge abutment is coming down. Rep. Ross said that there isn’t a lot of funding being released to help us with these problems. The Senator and he are trying. He said the fact that Vanasse said it isn’t going to impact our traffic doesn’t help. He said he can try to get a couple hundred thousand here and there. He said he has to look at this project more quickly. He isn’t that familiar with it.
Art Spruch said he has been involved with this from the beginning. He said he was surprised they ignored the local roads, in Foxboro as well as Norfolk. There was no involvement and they pretty much excused everything and disregarded everything we said. They ignored how the adjacent towns aren’t going to use the major routes, and will use the cut roads. Art said the developer wasn’t working well with the communities. By filing through the MEPA process, they don’t have to hold a public hearing. They got around the process and it will affect Norfolk. Art said he’s been working with Butch and Jack but doesn’t have any real answers right now. He’s trying to figure out what will be impacted now, especially with development going on. He isn’t sure how the
developer is working with Foxboro, but he sure hasn’t worked with us.
Art said Foxboro hired CE Maguire and Parson Brinkhoff and they came up with 6 pages of questions, and evidently the developer ignored them. He said it was a very strange process and after a very hot meeting, they didn’t want any input because it got nasty.
Jim said there are things we can do, and things we can’t do. He said the indifference to their own hosting community doesn’t say much. Richard said that there are legislatively some things that can be done. He said they will need a liquor license at the state level. He said Senator Timilty will be moving the bill and promised to talk to area towns. Richard will stay on top of this.
Art said that maybe the public hearings held on Route 115 could be a bargaining chip for us and we can have an impact on any decisions. They will have to go in Pine Street. Because it’s a state highway, they have to go through the whole process. They can’t circumvent it. Mass Highway will be involved, and this may be a way we can have input.
Our one wish would be to move the 115 project ahead. Art said there isn’t much we can do. This is a fast train moving. Ramesh said we should work with Senator Timilty because South Walpole is going to be affected worse than we are. We need to figure out outlining what we can proactively do and that would help.
Richard said that we have his help and Senator Brown’s. This is something we have to do. Jim said the timeframe is a very narrow window.
Richard Connors, an abutter from Everett Street said it was a simple phone call. He is interested in Route 115 and Everett Street. Everett St. cannot handle anymore traffic.
Dave Moran, Pine Street. He is here with his wife, Donna. Dave Moran stressed the heavy traffic now. He picks up trash from his front yard. He cannot get mail because he is worried about getting run down. He said the project would help. He could not believe that it was cancelled. He would ask Rep. Ross to bring this back because someone is going to be killed, and it needs to be addressed.
Nancy Connors, an abutter of Everett Street is very concerned that the hearing is closed. Thought we should have had a notice that they were going to close it. Is there an appeal? Art said yes, and we are looking into it. He said it can be all built and up and running, because it could take years for it to go to court. Nancy said she is concerned that our board didn’t stay on top of this sooner and took more action.
Jim asked where we go. Jack said that he has given some correspondence and documents that were given to him by a resident.
Jonathan said in reading through the site plan approval, their attitude was “well, if there are traffic issues we will deal with them when they happen.” The only traffic concern is only during construction. They don’t even mention after the project is complete.
Art said he is not sure the Planning Board in Foxboro is open to anything. They have created this district and the area towns don’t get anything out of it except traffic. Art said he has not worked with the Foxboro Selectmen at all. One avenue would be through Mass Highway and work with the legislators. They are going to start with the biggest store, 165,000 square feet and they already have all the heavy equipment down there. They are going to advance and they don’t have to stop for anything. Art said we need to focus on Mass Highway and try to get the TIP program there. We need to appeal to Mr. Kraft. We need people who have influence.
Jim said if the Selectmen in Foxboro have had so much difficulty, maybe they would like an ally. Perhaps we could involve the Walpole Selectmen and the three towns could get together. Jim asked for the help of Rep. Ross and Senator Brown.
Jack said that he has gotten help from Senator Brown, Rep. Ross, MPO and SWAP. He said the project was back and we want that project to pass and we can beat on the right doors. Jim stipulated that it was not cancelled but pushed back.
A resident asked about negative publicity. Nancy Connors said she heard that something was resolved about Chief Bushnell and the Fire Chief in Foxboro. What about the impact on the ambulance? Foxboro was given four additional firefighters. We only heard this news today, and we don’t know how it will affect the ambulance. Jack said mutual aid sometimes means that we would not have to do that in this case. What if there was ALS. Jim said that he had a higher level of comfort that this was resolved and was significantly more comfortable. Nancy said she doesn’t want us to need our ambulance, and have it be in another town.
Jack was asked about the layoff of two police officers and the increased traffic. Jack said most of the increased traffic will be taken care of if we get the 115 project. It will not mean Everett Street. Art said sidewalks would be a big plus and they will be going into the project.
Jim said the level funded budget for the police department would mean two layoffs. We are committed to not making that happen. We were hoping to add a police officer. We agree that the increased traffic means we will need the officers.
Richard said Walpole has not attended and we tried to get them involved and they did not want to. Ramesh said we should bring this up to our MAPC rep because it is right in that corridor.
Jim wants to agree on some steps. We should talk with the Walpole and Foxboro Boards of Selectmen. Richard Ross discussed that Norfolk needs to liaison with Walpole. Ask our Board of Public Works to lay out what we could do ourselves and put costs in there. If anyone knows how to reach out to the Kraft family, we should do that. Keep the residents involved. Jonathan said the focus is for the Bass building. The rest of the project isn’t a priority with the developer. Make effort to meet with Mr. Hickey and the subcommittee and work on an informal basis.
REGIONALIZATION COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
Jim explained what this Committee was. He asked Ramesh to review it. Ramesh explained the objective of this committee.
Ramesh would like a candidate to have no current membership in any town election or appointed or be a town employee.
They would like to call it the Re-engineering Committee rather than Regionalization. People are encouraged to submit their name at the Selectmen’s office.
BOS GOALS UPDATE
Jack reviewed the board’s goals and gave updates on what the Board has done. The Board made good progress on the goals.
TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REPORT - Continued
Jack reported a staffing issue on the Fire Department. We have three Firefighters out; one at the Fire Academy and two out injured. They are monitoring the salary budget and covering for the two out injured.
NEW BUSINESS
Jim attended the Board of Public Work’s meeting and heard their presentation on the water rate study.
Jonathan said he would like two potential articles: One is to hire counsel for negotiating the cable contract. Can we use town counsel’s budget?
Second is to form an agricultural commission. Raise the awareness that we have agriculture in Norfolk and establish avenues to find ways to deal with agricultural properties that are in distress that may be currently under the 61 or 61A and have a planned process with saving our properties instead of being reactive.
Ramesh discussed the 12% increase in the budget that the KP schools are asking for. He does not support it.
Ramesh would like to discuss the information that he got at the MMA Workshop on the 20th.
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
Ramesh Advani moved to accept the minutes of January 8, 2007; January 11, 2007 – Special Meeting; January 22, 2007 – Regular and Executive Session. Jonathan Smith seconded, and it was so voted.
Being no further business, at 10:30 p.m., Ramesh Advani moved to adjourn the meeting. Jonathan Smith seconded, and it was so voted.
This is a true and accurate report of the Selectmen’s Meeting of February 5, 2007.
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Jonathan P. Smith, Clerk
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