TA Blog: 2009-12-07 BOS

Below is the TA's summary of what transpired at the Board of Selectmen's meeting of December 7, 2009. Questions or comments? Contact the Town Administrator. Official meeting minutes will be posted when approved by the Board.

December 7, 2009 Board of Selectmen Meeting Summary 

1. Executive Session – Litigation Strategy - vote, pursuant to MGL C.39,§23B clause 3 to go into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation and to convene in open session thereafter [Roll call vote: 4-0]

2. Read Mail/Sign Warrant

• H1N1 vaccination clinic for Littleton is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2009 from 4 to 8 PM at Littleton High School..Read updated information. Read more information from the Board of Health.
• Board of Selectmen voted to accept the recommendation of the Littleton Cable Advisory Committee (LCAC) to activate Littleton Community Television’s government-access channel. Per the existing licenses [Comcast under §6.7(b) of their license, and Verizon under §5.1.2 of their license] the Board of Selectmen will send a letter to the licensees formally requesting activation. - BOS so voted [4-0]
• Cable Advisory Committee is seeking to establish a video archive of Board of Selectmen's meetings - BOS asked to get a budget estimate from the CAC about this for an agenda item on 12/14/09.
• Aggregate Industries announcing Littleton Quarry Plant Relocation Open House for Saturday, December 12, 2009 from 10 AM to noon. BOS to schedule a future agenda item on this matter. 

3. Public Input

4. Taylor Street Post Office – Harwood Station - A petition was received from Friends of Harwood Station, concerned about service cutbacks and potential closing of the Harwood Station post office.

• The Board of Selectmen voted [3-0] to send a letter to the United States Postal Service (copy to Congresswoman Tsongas) requesting that the Harwood Station Post Office be kept open, its hours of operations not reduced, and that three rural routes recently moved to the LIttleton Common Post Office be moved back to Harwood. The Board's letter will also request that the USPS address regulatory compliance issues at the Littleton Common Post Office site. 

5. Public Hearing: FY 2010 Property Tax Rate Classification - The Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to MGL C.40,§56, as follows relative to the FY 2010 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 $15,324.98 in unused property tax levy capacity [4-0]

• The selected policy option is expected to produce a 1.39% increase in the tax bill for an average residential property assessed at $368,309; and a 1.58% increase in the tax bill for a commercial property assessed at $491,000.
• UPDATE: 12/16/09 The Department of Revenue approved FY 2010 property tax rates of $14.63 per thousand of assessed value for residential and $23.11 for commercial/industrial/personal property.

6. Public Hearing: Earth Removal Application: 215 Harwood Avenue - The Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to its Regulations on Earth Removal adopted March 1983, to continue the hearing until Monday, January 11, 2010 at 7:30 PM the application of Joseph Pittorino, 215 Harwood Avenue.   Outstanding issues include . . .

• The Conservation Commission's December 4, 2009 cease and desist order under the Wetlands Protection Act has not been lifted
• The Building Commissioner's November 2, 2009 zoning enforcement order prohibiting the sale of wholesale and retail mercantile soil product from 215 Harwood Avenue.
• The Middlesex Conservation District's recommendations relative to soils.
• What the proposed route for trucks accessing the property would be. 

7. Police Station Gift Naming Request - The Selectmen voted, pursuant to its Policy on Naming Town Facilities adopted on February 9, 2009, to approve the request of Chief of Police John M. Kelly to accept the donation by the family of the late Charles Forbes Kaye of two park benches for the front portico of the new Littleton Police Headquarters Building at 500 Great Road to be named in honor of Mr. Kaye

8A. Policy on Applications for Appointments - The Selectmen voted to table until the meeting of December 14, 2009 the matter of clarifying that the requirement for a completed application under the revised policy and procedure relative to Town Board appointments approved on January 28, 2008 and February 11, 2008 shall not apply to appointees representatives of town boards and departments as their designees. 

9 Minutes Approval - The Selectmen voted to approve the minutes of November 16, 2009.

10. Collective Bargaining Strategy - vote, pursuant to MGL C.39,§23B clause 3 to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing strategy with respect to collective bargaining, and not to convene in open session thereafter [Roll call vote: 4-0]