Board of Selectmen |
November 30, 2009 |
Regular Meeting |
Selectmen’s Hearing Room, Town Hall |
Present: |
Robert P. MacKendrick, Chairman |
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Arthur J. Bourque III, Selectman |
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Al Merritt, Selectman |
Chairman MacKendrick called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Consultant’s report on Fire Department
Austin Sennett, president of Emergency Response Systems of Kingston, MA, gave a presentation of his report, “Review of the Organization, Operations and Management Structure of the Town of Lynnfield Fire Department,” a copy of which is on file at the Board of Selectmen office, Town Hall.
Mr. Sennett acknowledged the information and help he received from Acting Chief Francis Lennon, Captain Michael Feinberg, former chief Paul Romano, and Town Administrator William Gustus.
He noted two items in the report that needed correction. On pages 4 and 12, the description of the ambulance fleet should mention one front-line ambulance and two second-due ambulances.
Mr. Sennett examined the organization, operations and management structure of the department from the top down. He noted the current full-time force has vacancies at the deputy chief level and the firefighter level. Career and call members of the department are equally qualified at each rank level. This is not an easy task to accomplish, he said.
While the department responds to about 1500 calls annually, including two medical aid calls a day, it averages only one building fire per month and one or two working structure fires annually.
Selectman Merritt noted that the department also responds to mutual aid calls in other communities. Mr. Sennett said this provides the department with valuable experience.
Mr. Sennett said that the hybrid career-call department is highly cost-effective, and its success depends on maintaining an effective call force, which he said will be a challenge. He said that maintaining this effective system over the years is a tribute to the department and community. Converting to an all-career department would be more costly and reduce service, as fewer firefighters would be available to respond.
Mr. Sennett said compensating career and call firefighters at a comparable rate is a good move and one reason the Town has been able to maintain its call force. Providing opportunity for additional scheduled hours to call firefighters has also been effective. He credited former chief Romano with knowing how to keep people working together.
Mr. Sennett said the top challenges facing the department are the recruiting and retention of call firefighters and replacing experienced firefighters who will be retiring from active service. These issues will have an impact on who the Town will appoint as its next chief. Members of the department have expressed concern about the replacing of several members in leadership positions in a short period of time. He warned against losing the coaching and leadership abilities of many members at once. He suggested the department recruit four to six new call members annually and maintain a call force of 30 to 35 firefighters. Officer training opportunities should be offered to members seeking to advance in rank.
The immediate challenge before the department is the selection of a new chief, which will not be an easy task due to the unique and successful organization that exists, which has created a certain culture over a long period of time. Many hybrid career-call departments do not work well, he said.
Recommended principles include continuing the following practices:
- Ensure that all members recognize and respect the equality of career and call members within the organization;
- Ensure that all members are held to the same expectations, including training, performance standards and discipline;
- Provide equal respect and recognition for all members, with respect to rank, operational authority, responsibilities and promotional opportunities;
- Provide equal opportunities for career and call personnel to participate in training and other activities, including overtime and paid details;
- Provide appropriate compensation, benefits, recognition and rewards for all members, based on their value and contributions to the organizational mission.
Mr. Sennett reviewed alternate command structures, including retaining a career deputy chief, installing a call deputy chief, or eliminating that position. He recommended that job descriptions and qualification requirements for all officer positions be drafted and that these positions be filled before the hiring of a new chief. He also recommended instituting a formal selection and promotion process.
While the department’s equipment and fleet are in good condition, the two fire stations will require major renovation or replacement in the next five to ten years.
Mr. Sennett said that while his firm has been retained to assist with the selection of a new chief, the Town decided to first pursue an overall review of the department. He said this is the first time his firm has been asked to do both tasks, and said it was very beneficial.
Mr. Sennett also submitted a list of desired experience, skills and characteristics of the new chief and a competency model, along with a draft job posting and expectations and criteria. He is recommending that the Town hire someone who is a leader and a team player with oral and written communication skills, management and supervisory experience with a hybrid career-call department, and experience in records and reports, budgeting and finance. The new chief should also be able to plan, bring in revenue, be familiar with grant-writing and fire and communications technology, as well as fire and emergency medical operations, codes and standards and laws and regulations.
He asked for feedback from the Board on this portion of the document, which will be provided by December 22, after the final meeting of the Board for 2009.
Mr. Sennett said that he will provide a detailed schedule of the chief selection process, and said that while the Town could have a new chief in place before June 1, he suggests that the Town not hire a new Chief prior to June 1.
Chairman MacKendrick said that the greatest strength of the department has long been that a firefighter is viewed as a firefighter, whether career or call. He said that while he may be biased, he believes Lynnfield’s department is one of the best in the state, and that it is important to build on what we have. He is glad to have an independent view confirming many of the ideas those in Town have held, and agreed it is rare to have a hybrid career-call department where all work together well.
Selectman Bourque said he was surprised to see fire and emergency medical operations ranked ninth and tenth in the list of competencies. Mr. Sennett said that other than leadership and communications, which he ranked first and second, he could not prioritize the other factors.
Chief Lennon said that the department was very appreciative of the work of Mr. Sennett and his organization and added that he thinks tonight’s presentation was fair and accurate.
Capt. Feinberg said that the report did not mention whether a strong or weak chief model is recommended. Mr. Sennett said that the report assumes that the strong chief system would stay in place. He said the requirements of the chief could be put in the contract.
Chairman MacKendrick said he would be against changing to model to a weak chief, which he said is not conducive to the operation of a fire department.
Mr. Sennett said he is looking forward to working with the Town on the next phase of the project.
Council on Aging appointment
The Board conducted a brief interview with Jack Bittner of 1 Rourke Lane for a vacant position on the Council on Aging. Mr. Bittner is a retired engineer and sales manager with a degree from Manhattan College and has spent five years volunteering at the Senior Center as a computer instructor and performing other tasks as the needs arise. Council on Aging member Betty Hayter said that group is in support of Mr. Bittner’s application.
On the motion of Selectman Merritt, seconded by Selectman Bourque, the Board voted to appoint Jack Bittner to a term on the Council on Aging that will expire on June 30, 2011.
Donation of hitching post
The Board received a letter from Donald Harriss, president of the Lynnfield Historical Society, in which he proposed that the Society accept as a gift from Reed Bros. of Lynnfield a 200-year-old granite hitching post, which the Society plans to place near the East Door of the Meeting House on the common.
On the motion of Selectman Merritt, seconded by Selectman Bourque, the Board voted to approve the plan.
Tax classification hearing
Chairman MacKendrick declared the annual hearing on property tax classification, scheduled from 7:30 p.m. and duly advertised in the November 12 edition of the Lynnfield Villager.
Ronald Patton made the presentation for the Board of Assessors. He said that residential values are down by 4.3 percent, with single-family homes down by 5.6 percent. Commercial values are up by 0.6 percent, although when it is adjusted for new growth, the value decreased by 3.3 percent. The average single-family home value decreased from Fiscal Year 2009 to Fiscal Year 2010 from $571,401 to $536,578. Commercial, industrial and personal property values are in the aggregate down as well. All values are based on the date of January 1, 2009, and sales figures from the previous year are used to determine that value. This can be confusing, as values can reflect sales that occurred nearly two years before this date, he said.
The percentage of overall values made up by commercial, industrial and personal property was nine percent in 2001 and is now about 7.5 percent. In recent years, residential values have appreciated more quickly than those in the CIP classes, although the trend changed in the past year. If a single tax rate is adopted, residential taxpayers would pay more and CIP taxpayers would pay less. A single tax rate would result in a rate of $12.91 per $1,000 in valuation. The Board of Assessors over the years has recommended adoption of a single rate.
Mr. Gustus performed the analysis for the adoption of a split rate. He said in recent years, the Board of Selectmen has adopted a methodology that results in an equalized percentage increase for all property classes regardless of the relative overall appreciation or depreciation of properties in those classes. To arrive at this result, the Board adopts a shift that will offset the annual change in the relative appreciation or depreciation of residential and CIP properties. This year, for the first time in recent memory, CIP values fared better, relatively, than residential values, so the shift factor would be reduced. The proposed shift of 1.063 would be slightly higher than the 1.060 shift adopted in FY 2004, but lower than those adopted in the intervening years.
Mr. Gustus explained that the tax levy is going up 7.9 percent this fiscal year, due to the full impact of the Proposition 2-1/2 override passed in 2006. In previous years, $6 million in funds accumulated in the school building reserve fund and their return to the taxpayer offset the impact of the override. That fund has been exhausted. Last year, the average tax bill went up 8.3 percent, as the building fund was diminished; this year, the fund is depleted and the average tax bill will go up 7.9 percent. Next fiscal year, with no overrides or debt exclusions contemplated, the tax rate will go up about 2.5 percent.
If a single rate were adopted, residential taxpayers would see an 8.1 percent increase in their tax bills, and those in the CIP category would see a 3.5 percent reduction.
Mr. Gustus recommended the adoption of a residential shift factor of 1.063, which will result in an average residential taxpayer paying $502 more in taxes annually, and the average commercial property owner paying $1336 more (since the average commercial property has a higher value than the average residential property).
Selectman Merritt commented that the residential taxpayer benefitted from the larger shift when residential properties appreciated at a greater rate than did commercial properties, and now the time has come to lower the shift as that trend has reversed.
Chairman MacKendrick asked if there was any comment from the public. There was none.
Board of Assessors member David Nelson gave a brief presentation on the residential and small commercial exemptions. He explained that the residential exemption is often adopted by communities with large amounts of rental units or summer homes. This method exempts from taxation a portion of the value of owner-occupied residential properties. That portion is equal to a percentage of the value of the average residential property. The remainder of the value is taxed at an adjusted residential rate to capture the full amount of aggregate residential taxation.
In communities such as Lynnfield, with little rental housing or summer homes, the effect of this measure is to shift the tax burden among owner-occupied homes from homes with valuations less than the mean, and to homes with values above the mean. Mr. Nelson gave an illustration of the impact of the measure at a 10 percent exemption and at a 20 percent exemption, for homes valued at $200,000 and $2 million.
Mr. Nelson also discussed the small commercial exemption, which can be applied to commercial properties valued at less than $1 million that are occupied only by businesses employing fewer than ten people. The intention is to reduce the tax burden on small businesses. Weaknesses are that small businesses housed in the same buildings as larger businesses, and small businesses housed in complexes worth more than $1 million, do not benefit from this exemption. In addition, businesses renting space do not receive the benefit, as it is given to the property owner.
Selectman Bourque commented that the residential exemption is a “Robin Hood” measure that benefits those in lower-valued homes at the expense of those in more highly valued homes.
Chairman MacKendrick asked if the Board needed to take action on the residential and commercial exemption options. Mr. Gustus said it need take a vote only if it wished to adopt either or both.
No member of the public wished to speak on these measures.
On a motion by Selectman Bourque, seconded by Selectman Merritt, the Board voted to adopt a split tax rate with a residential shift factor of 1.063. Chairman MacKendrick declared that the motion passed unanimously.
Approval of minutes
On the motion of Selectman Bourque, seconded by Selectman Merritt, the Board voted to approve as received the minutes of the meetings of September 28 (regular), Sept. 28 (executive), Oct. 5, Oct. 19, and Nov. 2.
Approval of state primary warrant
On the motion of Selectman Bourque, seconded by Selectman Merritt, the Board approved the warrant for the special primary for U.S. Senator, to be held on December 8, 2009 (see attached exhibit).
Recycling Center hours
Mr. Gustus said that Public Works Director Dennis Roy asked him to inquire of the Board how long the Recycling center should remain open. The center usually closes after Thanksgiving. There has yet to be a snow cover. Mr. Roy is prepared to keep the Center open on Saturdays for a period and wants to know if the Board wishes it to remain open on Sundays as well.
Selectman Bourque commented that the center had remained open on Sundays for additional weeks and that residents should have their yards cleaned up by this time. Chairman MacKendrick said it would be beneficial to residents if the center were is kept open for the next two Saturdays or until the first snow cover, whichever comes first.
On the motion of Selectman Merritt, seconded by Selectman Bourque, the Board approved keeping the Recycling Center open for the next two Saturdays (December 5 and 12) or until the first snow cover, whichever comes first.
On the motion of Selectman Bourque, seconded by Selectman Merritt, the Board voted to adjourn at 8:09 p.m.
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