October 2, 20117 minutes

Chairman Barrett called the meeting to order at 8:03 p.m. He announced that the meeting was being recorded for transmission by cable television. He led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Proclamations

Chairman Barrett said that proclamations have been prepared for the Lynnfield Multicultural Celebration and the Lynnfield High School Field Hockey Play4TheCure events.

Chairman Barrett read the proclamation that the Board declare October 14, 2017 “LYNNFIELD MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION DAY.” He said Lynnfield for Love has done much to celebrate diversity.

Chairman Barrett read the proclamation that the Board declare October 5, 2017 “PLAY 4 THE CURE DAY.” Captains for the Lynnfield High School field hockey team have held various fundraisers for this effort.

Appointments to Senior Citizen Advisory Committee

The Board named members to the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee at its Sept. 13 and Sept. 25 meetings. Some applicants were unable to attend.

The Board interviewed Marge Generazzo, who has lived in Town over 40 years and who serves for six years on the Open Space and Recreation Committee.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board expand the number of at-large members of the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee to seven. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board appoint Marge Generazzo as an at-large member of the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee. Vote was unanimous.

Appointment to the Finance Committee

The Board has interviewed four candidates for a single open position on the Finance Committee at previous meetings. They are Daniel Curran, David Delory, Gail Marcus, and Nancy Piotrowski Alexander.

MOTION by Selectman Crawford, duly seconded by Selectman Dalton: I move that the Board appoint Nancy Piotrowski Alexander to the Finance Committee for a term to expire on June 30, 2020. Vote was unanimous.

Discussion of King Rail clubhouse and storage building project

Architect John Savasta of CSS Architects reviewed price estimates and plans for this project. He said he worked on this project for 16 months and that he last appeared before the Board about a year ago. He said he had planned a building with a basement but to reduce costs he looked at eliminating the basement reducing the building size and not using nine feet of fill at the site. He found the soil would not support the building and had a soils engineer dig test puts. Soil removal and replacement would add to the cost of the project. The base bid for a golf equipment storage building would include alternatives for a clubhouse and an exterior canopy. The base cost for the building and parking area was $960,500, with site work of $954,600 in site work. The clubhouse would add $940,00 for the building and $80,000 in site work. The canopy would add $60,000. The total cost would be $2,995,100.

The additional costs were due to the need to replace 9 feet and six inches of soil under the buildings, which added $400,000 to the cost, plus four percent inflation. Bids could be prepared for the spring of 2018. The buildings would be maintenance free and aesthetically pleasing.

Chairman Barrett thanked Mr. Savasta for the work on the project and said there is certainly a need. He asked if any assistance from the state could be expected on permitting issues. Town Administrator James Boudreau said an Order of Conditions from the local Conservation Commission can be appealed to the state, but the governor cannot waive state requirements. The local order is reasonable and is the result of the nature of the site.

Selectman Dalton said he was disappointed the cost estimate has gone up despite efforts to reduce the scope of the project. He said the Board cannot go to the voters and seek $3 million for this project for a nine-hole golf course. He said the best course would be recommending indefinite postponement of the warrant article that would fund this project.

Selectman Crawford said this project has been in the works for almost two years. He appreciated the work of Mr. Savasta to reduce the building to one story and appreciates the challenges posed by the site. He said there is no need to go forward at the fall town meeting, and recommended looking at including a funding article for the project at the annual town meeting in the spring.  Chairman Barrett agreed that additional time is needed to consider the cost estimates received today.

Mr. Boudreau said that the Sale of Real Estate fund has $1,980,000, which would allow for this funding of the first phase of the project. The Golf Enterprise budget could bear $500,000 in borrowing, which would leave a gap of $500,000 in funding for the entire project. He said debt is coming off the budget in future years, but the Middle School field project debt will replace that debt.

Mr. Boudreau said the library project would solve the storage issue at the gold course, but is years away. Golf Director Donald Lyons said that if the clubhouse is not built and the parking lot issues not addressed, the course will lose business. Women object to the portable bathrooms. He suggested a scaled-down project with bathrooms, a check-in area and storage for equipment. He said an interim approach would be upgrading the trailer to provide better bathrooms. He said with a better trailer, they could sell packaged foods, beer and wine. A vendor is interested in providing food and beverage service.

Board members thanked Mr. Lyons and Golf Course Superintendent Michael Johnson for their input.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move the Board recommend indefinite postponement of Article 3 on the fall town meeting warrant. Vote was unanimous.

Sal Yerardi of the LIFE, Inc. Board of Directors and a Colonial Village resident said he first heard of these plans in June and recently saw design drawings. He objected to the proximity of the trash container to the Colonial Village property, and asked it be placed in the equipment building. He also said he would like the size of the building reduced to restore the view. He asked for full cutoff fixtures on the parking lot lights. He said that because the cart path must be stone dust due to proximity to the wetlands, it will create dusty conditions.

Mr. Boudreau said he heard similar concerns form H. Joseph Maney of the LIFE, Inc. Board of Directors. The trash container can be moved, but if the building is expanded to accommodate it, costs will increase. He said a storage building is needed so that costly maintenance equipment is not exposed to the elements. He said paving the cart path cannot be done economically due to the proximity of the wetlands.

Town meeting electronic voting and check-in procedures

Town Clerk Trudy Reid reviewed electronic sign-in and electronic voting to be tested at the fall town meeting. She said she and Town Meeting Study Committee members Arthur Bourque and Gary Hathaway saw this equipment being used at a Rockport town meeting they attended. She also observed electronic check-in at the North Reading town meeting earlier in the evening. She believes it will speed up the process. The system can be audited to be sure every vote was counted. Election workers will be provided with training on the new equipment. The system will be tested with a trial vote at the outset of the meeting.

Selectman Crawford said that any time-saving measures will be welcomed.

Recommendation on Town Meeting Warrant Articles

The Board can vote to recommend certain town meeting warrant articles, and may defer others to its meeting just prior to town meeting on October 16.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to defer recommendation on Articles 1 and 2. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to recommend approval of Article 4. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to recommend approval of Article 5. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to defer recommendation on Article 6. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to defer recommendation on Articles 7, 8 and 9. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to recommend approval of Article 10. Vote was unanimous.

Chairman Barrett recused himself during the following matter as he owns property in the area of the parcel in question.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to recommend approval of Article 11. Vote was 2-0. (Chairman Barrett not participating). . The minimum bid for the sale of the Witham Street lot will be set at $10,700.

The Board discussed Article 12, which would petition the Legislature to increase the number of licenses available under the Town’s quota for on-premises all-alcohol establishments and for all-alcohol package stores. Selectman Dalton said he would like to see the number of licenses limited to allow existing business to protect their investments. There was some discussion of whether the license held by Donovan’s Liquors will be sold due to that property being purchased.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to recommend approval of Article 12 for five additional on-premises and one additional off-premise licenses to be added to the Town’s quota. Vote was unanimous.

There was discussion on the article that would sell the former South Library building to the American legion for $1. Mr. Boudreau said any planned use of that site would be subject to site plan review by the Board of Appeals. He said it would not be large enough for a bar of function facility.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move to recommend approval of Article 13. Vote was unanimous.

Article 14 was presented by petition from a former Planning Board members concerned that changes in the proposed recodified zoning bylaws did not carry forward certain provisions in the telecommunications structure portion of the old bylaw. Planning Board members assured the Board that these issues have been addressed.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move not to recommend approval of Article 14. Vote was unanimous.

Personnel Board proposed social media, workplace violence and whistleblower policies

In preparation for Town Meeting, the Personnel Board has been working on a revised Personnel Bylaw and has, with Town Administrator Boudreau, drafted new policies and reviewed existing policies.

Mr. Boudreau reviewed the new proposed policies for Social Media Use, Whistleblower, and Workplace Violence. Town Counsel Thomas Mullen has also reviewed these policies.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board approve the Social Media Use policy as submitted. Vote was unanimous,

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board approve the Whistleblower policy as submitted. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board approve the Workplace Violence policy as submitted. Vote was unanimous.

Proposed creation of a gift account under MGL Ch. 44, Sec. 53A-12 for “A Healthy Lynnfield”

A gift account must be established for the Town to receive donations to assist the efforts of the “A Healthy Lynnfield” initiative. Town Accountant Julie McCarthy has recommended that the gift account be administrated by this Board and the town administrator.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board vote to establish a gift account, to be administrated by the Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator, under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44, Section 53A-1/2, for the A Healthy Lynnfield initiative for the purpose of raising awareness of and addressing substance abuse issues in the Lynnfield community. Vote was unanimous.

Selectmen Update:

Senior Citizen Advisory Committee (Chairman Barrett): The new committee will hold its first meeting in the near future.

Town Administrator Update:

Mr. Boudreau gave brief updates about the financial transparency program on the Town website. Selectman Dalton asked if the Town had a Technology Committee. Mr. Boudreau said town meeting will be asked to provide funds to hire a firm to oversee the Town’s information technology systems.

Public Comment

There was no public comment.

Use of Town facilities

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move the Board permit the use of Town streets for the annual Rotary Turkey Trot on November 19, 2017 with a route as proposed, and a banner to be hung above the common for a week before the event. Vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move the Board adjourn. Vote was unanimous.

The Board adjourned at 9:16 p.m.