TA Blog: 2008-11-17 BOS
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Below is the TA's summary of what transpired at the Board of Selectmen's meeting of November 17, 2008. Questions or comments? Contact the Town Administrator. Official meeting minutes will be posted when approved by the Board. | November 17, 2008 Board of Selectmen Meeting Summary 1. Read Mail/Sign Warrant - submit a Letter of Interest to the Boston Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) under its Suburban Mobility Program by the 12/4/08 deadline.
- Selectman Joseph Knox submitted a letter of recusal in the matter of the Fletcher property; remaining Board members to schedule a future agenda item regarding that property.
2. Meet the New Legislative Delegation: State Senator-elect Jamie Eldridge and State Representative-elect Jim Arciero - The Town's new state legislators, elected at the 11/4/08 state election (who take office in January 2009) made their first joint appearance since the election at tonight's Selectmen's meeting. 3. Public Hearing: Pole Location for Banner - 224 Great Road (Assessors Map 1107, Parcel 29) at east entrance of Donelan’s - vote to approve the request of the Littleton Electric Light Department to install a banner on a pole at 224 Great Road (Assessors Map 1107 Parcel 29) by the east entrance of Donelans directly across from a pole at the corner of Bank's Automotive parking lot, as shown in a sketch plan on file in the Selectmen’s office. 4. Public Input - 5A. 20 Foster Street Septic System - Establish Subcommittee to formulate plan for May 2009 Town Meeting - vote to establish a subcommittee to be charged with formulating a single recommended plan to bring to the May 2009 Town Meeting for a septic system or sewer hook-up to serve the Town-owned properties at 20 Foster Street and 4 Rogers Street, with the subcommittee to be comprised of representatives from the Board of Selectmen, Board of Health, Permanent Municipal Building Committee, LELWD, and the Town Public Buildings Department, to bring a recommendation back to the Board of Selectmen by the end of February 2009. 5B. Code of Conduct and Ethics Proposal – vote to adopt, as policy of the Board of Selectmen, the Code of Conduct and Ethics as amended, subject to approval as to form by Town Counsel [5-0]. - distribute the policy as adopted to all appointees of the Board of Selectmen
- invite all other Littleton elected boards-- School Committee, Planning Board, Board of Health, Light & Water Board of Commissioners, Cemetery Commissioners, Park & Recreation Commissioners, Board of Assessors, Commissioners of Trust Funds, Library Trustees, and Housing Authority-- to sign onto this policy document.
6A. New Police Station – update - Debt exclusion ballot question (#4) for new police station construction approved by voters at the 11/4/08 state election ballot by a vote of 2,889 to 2,021. - Groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2008 at 10 AM at the 500 Great Road building site.
6B. Community Preservation Grant Applications - vote to authorize the Town Administrator to submit to the Community Preservation Committee an application for eligibility for a request for $215,000 in CPA historic resources funds for replacement of the slate roof on the Town-owned Houghton Memorial Building [5-0]. 6C. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) update - IBM approved – Curtiss-Wright request - the State's Economic Assistance Coordinating Council voted on 10/29/08 to approve the 20-year TIF agreement with IBM for 550 King Street; expression of interest received from Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing relative to 30 Porter Road, 151 Taylor Street. - schedule a TIF discussion at a future meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
- have the TIF Subcommittee be mindful of the Selectmen's FY 2009 goal "to promote economic development that is consistent with community character by focusing development and redevelopment efforts on properties that are already zoned for business or industrial uses, including consideration of expanded uses for those lands; while preserving open space and agricultural lands. . . ."
6D. Goldsmith Street reconstruction - MassHighway bid opening results for Goldsmith Street reconstruction contract came in $800,000 below estimate. Town to pursue with State whether such cost savings will benefit the State (which approved $4.2-million in TIP funds) or the Town (which committed $1-million in borrowing authority). 7. Public Hearing: FY 2009 Property Tax Rate Classification - vote, pursuant to MGL C.40,§56, as follows relative to the FY 2009 property tax: to establish a Residential Factor of "0.8948"; not to adopt a "residential exemption"; not to adopt a "small business exemption"; and to identify $2,381.92 in unused property tax levy capacity. - the policy option chosen by the Board of Selectmen is expected to produce a 2.94% increase in the tax bill for an average residential property assessed at $383,736; and a 10.65% increase in the tax bill for a commercial/industrial property assessed at $491,000.
UPDATE: DOR approves FY 2009 tax rates of $13.85 per thousand of assessed value for Residential property, and $22.76 per thousand for Commercial/Industrial/Personal property 8A1. Indian Hill Music: One-day Beer/Wine License: December 19, 2008 - vote, pursuant to MGL C.138,§14 to issue special one-day beer and wine licenses to Indian Hill Music, 36 King Street, Littleton, for an event to be held on Friday, December 19, 2008 from 4 to 8 PM, with issuance subject to the applicant’s first obtaining host liquor liability insurance coverage. 8B. Minutes Approval - vote to approve the meeting minutes of October 27, 2008. 9. Proposed Executive Session - MGL C.39,§23B clause 3. - vote, pursuant to MGL C.39,§23B clause 3 to go into executive session for the purpose of conducting strategy for contract negotiations with non-union personnel, and not to convene in open session thereafter [Roll call vote:4-0]
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