Board of Selectmen
Community Notes Monday April 23, 2018 @ 7pm O’Brien Meeting Room, Town Hall Board members in attendance: Dennis Teehan, Dennis Guilfoyle, Jim MacDonald, Brendan Keogh, Mike Butler Agenda
Public Comment Dan O’Neil announced 2 events for his Fun Run and asked for BOS approval of the 2 dates. A motion was made and unanimously approved. Discuss & Vote Recommendation for Article 19 (Proposed Study of Rail Trail Corridor) Selectmen Teehan gave an overview of the agenda item. A feasibility study had been done but did not provide enough information to make decisions on the project. This year a group of citizens proposed a $400k article to fund a design study. The Board has heard a call for leadership on this issue, as it has been controversial. Primary concerns are impact to abutters and traffic circulation impacts. Selectman Butler has proposed a mediation process to engage stakeholders. This is a town owned piece of land and there should be clarity to know what can and cannot be done there. BOS will ask the Finance Committee to take on a new article to ask for a consensus building study and a circulation study to create a report to be brought to Town Meeting in the fall of 2018 and the spring of 2019. Selectman Butler recounted his thinking and listening over the past few months. The Board has been urged to both take a position and not take a position. Various other ideas for use of the 10 acres of land have been proposed as well. Selectman MacDonald explained that Article 19 was proposed by a group of citizens. This is the first time in Selectman MacDonald’s tenure that the Finance Committee has asked for the BOS opinion before making their recommendation. To date there hasn’t been a process to come up with a plan and a determination regarding whether or not there’s support for the process. This collaboration step will accomplish that. Selectman MacDonald does not think the traffic study is appropriate at this time. Ultimately Town Meeting will decide the outcome of Article 19. Jim Kern explained that the motion that will be voted on tonight is a recommendation to the Finance Committee. Kern note that collaboration is different than mediation since it is a process where opponents, proponents, and other stakeholders who are affected go to focus groups, get more information, and present recommendation(s) back to the Board of Selectmen. Margaret Matthew (P6 Town Meeting member) passed out some information about the proposed rail trail representing conversations that have taken place over the past few years. She thanked the BOS for proposing the collaboration. Susan Butler (P6 Town Meeting member) had a question about the over 10 acres mentioned. Does it include the land that School Committee has care, custody, and control over? Yes, it does. Ms. Butler said that there has not been a process that has engaged the abutters in the past few years, and is glad that one is being proposed. There are parts of the proposal that concern the opponents of the rail trail. They recommend that the only motion going forward should be the hiring of the Collaborator. Then go back to the BOS and determine whether a circulation study is the next step and whether a committee should be put into place. The opponents do not agree that a committee should be put in place. Also, if there is a circulation study, they believe it should be managed by the School Committee. Clarissa Robyn (P6 Town Meeting member and direct abutter) relayed that she has gotten lots of feedback that Dedham residents want more open space and that the land is town owned and that therefore it should benefit all residents. She also thinks the traffic study is overdue. Robert Falvey (P6 abutter) feels that the traffic study should follow a recommendation of what to do with the land and also feels that there is no middle ground that can be found. Mr. Falvey said the Collaborator won’t help and the only way to resolve the issue is to bring the Friends’ article to a Town Meeting vote. Paul Reynolds (P6 Town Meeting member) agreed that there are many unanswered questions because there hasn’t been a process in place and he thinks the Collaborator/overseer is a good idea because the issue has been contentious. Mark Whalen (P6 abutter) thinks we should take the process one step at a time and thinks the Collaboration piece is a good idea. Mr. Whalen would like to know what the School Committee’s opinion is on the traffic study because if they support it then he would also support it. Steve Bilafer (VP of School Committee) said that the School Committee is meeting on 4/24. School Committee will take the proposed traffic study under consideration as Old Business. Selectman Butler read the proposed Article. Selectman MacDonald suggested that the circulation study should be proposed by the School Committee. Motion was made to approve the language related to the Collaborator in the article amendment and the verbiage related to presenting the report from the BOS at fall and spring Town Meeting. Selectman Teehan pointed out that the Friends of the Heritage Rail Trail might not agree to pull their original motion if the new motion doesn’t include the traffic study. Selectman Guilfoyle wants the School Committee to decide on whether the traffic study should go forward or not. Selectman Butler proposed that the Selectmen could approve the motion with the traffic study included if the School Committee approves it on 4/24. Selectman Teehan supports the original motion and would like the BOS to take a vote on that. Teehan feels that it was the result of good compromise that gives something to both the proponents and opponents. Mayanne Briggs (School Committee Chairwoman) clarified that the School Committee will NOT be taking a position on the traffic study on 4/24. The soonest their vote would happen is May 1st. Selectman Teehan emphasized that he feels that the Selectmen have the opportunity to take ownership of this issue and will not be doing that with the motion as proposed by Selectman MacDonald. Selectman MacDonald’s motion (just the Collaborator, no traffic study) passed 4 to 1 with Selectman Teehan being the dissenting vote. Discussion & Vote Re: Ames Project Progress Review The Project Manager gave an update on the progress of the project and meetings with the surety company. The last completion date given has passed and there is not a revised completion date. Selectman Guilfoyle toured the sight and agrees that the project is not close to completion. Selectman Keogh is not confident that the project can be completed with the current contractor. Selectman MacDonald asked Town Counsel to review the options they have before them. One option is to communicate intent to break the contract with the current contractor. A motion was made to terminate the contract with CTA construction and direct the Town Manager to notify CTA of the intent to cancel. The motion was unanimously passed. Discussion & Vote Re: Jack & Eric’s 2018 Pirate Lemonade Stand This year’s recipient of 100% of proceeds from the sales this year will go to Bella’s food bank of Boston. Selectman MacDonald offered to sponsor the product this year. Motion was made to grant the necessary license to Jack & Eric’s 2018 Pirate Lemonade Stand. It was unanimously passed. Discussion & Vote Re: James Joyce Ramble (4/29/18) Martin Hanley described this year’s race. Expects a good turnout of runners. Motion was made to approve the race and unanimously passed. Discussion & Vote Re: Request for Common Victualer License, Boston Bread LLC (Panera), 687 Providence Highway Motion was made to approve the license and unanimously approved. Discussion & Vote w/ Town Engineer Jason Mammone Argyle Road – Public Way Layout Petition Traffic Regulations Update – 70 Milton Street Dedham Traffic Calming Policy Revisions Motion was made to accept the petition/layout for Argyle Road to become a public way. It was unanimously approved. Motion was made to accept the full cost of the road to the town of Dedham. It was unanimously approved. Motion was made to accept a no parking zone restriction on Milton Street as recommended by Mr. Mammone. It was unanimously approved. Motion was made to accept the traffic calming policies as recommended. Unanimously passed. Discussion & Vote Re: Execution of Memorandums of Agreement w/ Dedham Police Patrolman’s Association and Dedham Police Association (Lts. & Sgts.) Jim Kern summarized the agreement that was reached. A motion was made to approve the MOU between the town and the Patrolman’s association. It was unanimously approved. Discussion & Vote Re: Execution of Town Manager’s Contract Renewal Selectman Teehan explained that the Town Manager has been working without a contract for some time and it was important to Selectman Teehan to renew his contract during his term as Chairman. Motion was made to accept the 3 year contract as proposed. It was unanimously approved. Reorganization of Board Jim MacDonald was unanimously elected Chairman of the Board. Brendan Keogh was elected unanimously to be Vice Chair of the Board. Frank Mullen, Board President, Dedham School of Music Motion was made to accept advertising and parking plan for the annual Dedham School of Music yard sale. It was unanimously approved. Town Manager Report New Town Planner will be starting next week. Gifts were reported by Nancy Baker and unanimously approved. Drain layer licenses were unanimously approved. Temporary liquor licenses were unanimously approved. Constable was unanimously approved. Sign at Endicott rotary advertising Needham Open Studios was unanimously approved. Dedham Country Day Fun Run was unanimously approved. Minutes from the Feb 15th and March 27th meetings were unanimously approved. Old/New Business Reminder about the new speed limit was given by Selectman Keough. Dolores the Tank restoration party will be happening this weekend. MEETING ADJOURNED at 9:24 p.m. Notes taken by Heather Springer Notes reviewed by Allison Staton Keywords: Rail Trail, Article 19, Traffic Study, Collaborator, Substitute Motion, Fun Run, Lemonade Stand, James Joyce Ramble Community Notes are not official minutes or transcriptions of a meeting. They are intended to provide summaries of discussion and actions taken at meetings. For official meeting minutes, visit the Town of Dedham’s website or contact the Town Clerk. THANK YOU for helping with Transparent Dedham Community Notes Project! Please submit your notes to editorialteam@transparentdedham.org Comments are closed.
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