Monthly Archives: May 2018

EQV set for state $

Posted on May 31, 2018 | Comments Off on EQV set for state $

The state’s Division of Local Services (DLS) in the DOR emailed today about their having set the Estimated Full Value for the Equalized Valuations (EQVs) for all 351 cities and town.  Medfield is worth $2.8b.  That amount is used to say how much state money we get (a copy of the DLS email appears below).

LA19_Report
Proposed 2018 Equalized Valuations

Today, the Bureau of Local Assessment (BLA) posted the 2018 Equalized Valuations (EQVs) representing the full and fair cash value of all taxable property for each municipality as of January 1, 2018 to the Division of Local Services Gateway website at https://dlsgateway.dor.state.ma.us/gateway/Login. Access can be made directly from the landing page by clicking on the LA19 Equalized Valuation Report.

These EQVs will be used as a basis of comparison among the 351 municipalities within the Commonwealth for certain state and local purposes. Specifically, EQV is used in the allocation of aid to public libraries, in the calculation of Chapter 70 funding, and in the reimbursement rate of school construction projects. Certain Cherry Sheet charges also use EQV: County Tax, Boston Metropolitan Transit District, Mosquito Control Projects and Air Pollution Control Districts. In addition, EQV is used in calculating a community’s debt limit (M.G.L. c.44, § 10).

Informal hearings will be conducted for the convenience of communities who wish to question their proposed EQV. These hearings will be held from June 4th through June 8th. BLA representatives will meet personally with boards of assessors in Boston or conduct telephone conference calls to address concerns and discuss documentation submitted by assessors that support different values.

In addition, a Formal Public Hearing on the proposed 2018 Equalized Valuations will be held in Boston, Massachusetts at the Saltonstall Building, 100 Cambridge Street, 6th floor conference room on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.

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Posted in Budgets, Financial, State

RR crossing at Cottage Street to be replaced ca. 7/4

Posted on May 31, 2018 | Comments Off on RR crossing at Cottage Street to be replaced ca. 7/4

This follow up, to Mo’s earlier list of scheduled road repairs upcoming this summer by the DPW, in the email below from Chief Meaney:

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Good afternoon,

In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is scheduled to replace the railroad crossing on Cottage Street over the Fourth of July, exact dates to be determined. This should have minimal impact on traffic.

 

Chief Bob Meaney

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Posted in DPW, Police Department

DPW update from the Director

Posted on May 31, 2018 | Comments Off on DPW update from the Director

The Director of Public Works, Maurice Goulet, has been really good, right from his start, at keeping the Select Board apprised of what he is doing.  The email below just arrived from him.

DPW sign

Gentlemen,

 

Below is a quick update on current projects for your information:

 

  1. Philip Street Bridge project has been completed. MassDOT has conducted their final inspection of the bridge and has given approval to have it reopened. We are finishing a small paving project nearby and will reopen the bridge this evening.

 

  1. The North Street Roadway Construction Project was delayed from last construction season. The limits of the project is on North Street from Pine Street to the Dover Town Line, including the Harding Street/West Street intersection. This project consists of milling the roadway 1.5” deep and repaving the top surface course with a 1.5” Superpave aggregate mix. There will also be adjustment work for all of the utility structures in that area and completed with traffic markings.   P.J. Keating will be the pavement contractor responsible for the project. (same contractor we had last year doing the center of town paving on Route 109) They had an opening for the week of June 4th to begin construction work. If we did not take this opportunity, we may not be able to get the work done until after school opens in September. The work is scheduled to commence on Wednesday June 6th and continue into the following week for completion.

 

  1. We will be conducting crack sealing operations on many roadways throughout the town intermittently as the contractor has availability.

 

  1. Lorusso Corp. will begin milling and paving large patches on Route 109 from Brook Street towards the Town Line of Dover heading East. These patches are necessary to keep the integrity of the road. If funds allow, we plan to put a preventative pavement surface on top of this section next construction season.

 

  1. During the week of 4th of July, we are tentatively scheduled to put a preventative pavement surfaceon the section of Route 109 from Causeway Street to The Millis Town Line, West towards TRESCA.

 

  1. Also in July we will be looking at one of our subdivisions for a Rubber Chip Seal process. This type of process will lay the stones with the emulsion but would be able to be swept within 20 minutes after the process to eliminate any long term issues residents may have with stone buildup.

 

  1. In coordination with the Medfield Food Cupboard, we will be participating in a food drive to “Fill a Public Works Truck” stationed on June 11th at the Medfield Senior Center parking lot during the election and then through the remainder of the week at the Public Safety building to help collect necessary products.

 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of these projects, please let me know.

 

Thank you

—

Maurice G. Goulet

Director of Public Works

Medfield, Massachusetts

 

Department of Public Works

55 North Meadows Road

Medfield, MA 02052

(508) 359-8597 office

(508) 359-4050 fax

mgoulet@medfield.net

www.town.medfield.net

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Posted in DPW

Office hours this Friday, 9AM

Posted on May 30, 2018 | Comments Off on Office hours this Friday, 9AM

COOA's Center_and_sign

Selectman Office Hours

I will hold my regular monthly office hours at The Center this Friday from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.

Residents are welcome to stop by to talk in person about any town matters. Residents can also have coffee and see the Council on Aging in action (a vibrant organization with lots going on).

I can be reached via cell at 508-359-9190 or my blog about Medfield matters, where any schedule changes will be posted.

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Posted in Select Board matters

North Street paving starts June 6

Posted on May 30, 2018 | Comments Off on North Street paving starts June 6

DPW sign

Maurice Goulet, Director of Public Works, has scheduled the paving of North Street from Pine Street to the Dover line to start June 6 and to finish in about a week.  His memo today to Kristine Trierweiler about it appears below.

MEMORANDUM TO: Kristine Trierweiler, Assistant Town Administrator FROM: Maurice G. Goulet, Director of Public Works DATE: May 30, 2018 SUBJECT: Roadway Construction on North Street The North Street Roadway Construction Project was delayed from last construction season. The limits of the project is on North Street from Pine Street to the Dover Town Line, including the Harding Street/West Street intersection. This project consists of milling the roadway 1.5” deep and repaving the top surface course with a 1.5” Superpave aggregate mix. There will also be adjustment work for all of the utility structures in that area and completed with traffic markings. P.J. Keating will be the pavement contractor responsible for the project. They had an opening for the week of June 4th to begin construction work. If we did not take this opportunity, we may not be able to get the work done until after school opens in September. The work is scheduled to commence on Wednesday June 6th and continue into the following week for completion. TOWN OF MEDFIELD MASSACHUSETTS Department of Public Works MAURICE G. GOULET Director of Public Works 55 North Meadow Road Medfield, MA 02052 (508) 906-3003 Fax (508) 359-4050 mgoulet@medfield.net

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Posted in DPW

Select Board minutes from 12/7/17 special meeting with seniors on housing issues

Posted on May 30, 2018 | Comments Off on Select Board minutes from 12/7/17 special meeting with seniors on housing issues

The Select Board held a special meeting at The Center on December 7, 2017, specifically for seniors to discuss senior housing issues in town and options going forward.  Below are the draft minutes of that meeting:

•.. Board of Selectmen The Center Thursday, December 7, 2017 4:00PM Minutes Present: Selectmen Michael Marcucci, Selectmen Gustave Murby, Selectmen Osler Peterson, Kristine Trierweiler, Mark Cerel Meeting was called to order at 4:00. Chairman Peterson read the meeting objectives and agenda into the record. He disclosed that he is not ethically allowed to discuss matter relating to Lot 3 and Hinkley but can discuss the State Hospital property. Selectman Murby shared his impressions from the Senior Housing forum from earlier this fall and wanted people to know what is proposed for senior housing in the MSH plan. Mr. Centore expressed concern that there has been no representation from MSHMPC at the Senior Housing Study Committee's meetings. Mr. Nolan reviewed the status of the draft MSH master plan and uses for Lot 3, Hinkley, Core Campus and cottages, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC). He noted unit counts and timing concerns. An audience member asked about CCRCs and the ability to amend the draft plan at this stage in the planning process. Mr. Nolan responded that the plan spells out the range of units and locations. There are 16-20 units proposed at Hinkley and 42 on Lot 3. There are a number of dedicated senior units at the Core Campus of the over 200 units proposed at the Core Campus. He was unsure of the number of units for the CCRC. Another audience member asked about the MSHMPC surveys. Mr. Nolan described the mix of uses and types of residential units that are proposed. Chairman Peterson noted that the decision will be up to the residents of the Town at a town meeting, hopefully in March 2018. The audience member is concerned that surrounding towns are building senior units but not Medfield even though they have been paying the same taxes. Not enough work has been done for seniors. Jerry K requests that a special town meeting be scheduled immediately. Chairman Peterson responded that there are a number of complicated steps to do before a meeting may be confirmed. Selectman Marcucci indicated that he would like to see Hinkley go to A TM but there are disposition and legal issues that need to be settled. He believes it is possible to make Hinkley work for at least 16 units of senior housing but the process is heavily regulated. He updated the group on the expansion of Tilden Village. He summarized the work that the Affordable Housing Trust is doing to produce Local Initiative Program units. The 40B process and local preferences were discussed. Mr. Centore stated that the Senior Housing Study Committee (SHSC) survey indicates that the MSHMPC's plan does not include as are needed. He prefers that the Town donate, not sell the land, in order to keep the prices low. Selectman Murby believes that Lot 3 should be commercial and asked how do we drive down the cost of living in Medfield? He discussed topics such as: the diversification of the tax base; the SHSC report says that seniors want to be downtown; affordable housing versus community housing; 40B subsidy versus market rate; equity; and buying versus renting at older ages. Selectman Marcucci asked the seniors to not discount 40B even if they feel like they don't qualify for. We are trying to course direct the market for other types of housing in Medfield. There are differences between developing Town-owned land and private properties. Lee Treadway said that taxes have gone up 30% in the last 5 years. He described the situation where a senior would sell their house but there is no place for them to go because everything in Medfield is so expensive. Chairman Peterson described the town meeting process and the predominance of single-family homes in Medfield and agreed that there aren't many other options for housing types. He would like to see more choices but the Town can't be the developer. Mr. Wolfe asked if there was a better way to validate the need for housing types. Chairman Peterson said that 400 seniors would provide a statistically significant survey for Medfield. Mr. Wolfe thought it could be done for about $20,000. Selectman Murby agreed that the Board needs a survey to more accurately define senior housing needs. He stated that they are in the process of defining goals and overarching priorities for the town and would welcome feedback on them. Mr. Centore spoke about removing Lot 3 from the MSHMPC charge and the need for a new 40S provision. Chairman Peterson clarified that he's not referring to the existing state statute for school children but creating a new "s" for seniors. He further spoke about density being able to reduce costs. He agreed that rentals might be a good option for seniors. Selectmen Marcucci indicated that Lot 3 and Hinkley will be handled sooner than the Campus. Authorization for disposition will need to be secured for Hinkley but it already exists for Lot 3. Mr. Centore asked about funding. Selectman Murby and expressed concern about selling Town land, the price, and having control in the product. Attorney Cerel discussed the submitted petitioned articles and the disposition and legal issues associated with them. Mr. Kazanjian is glad that Lot 3 and Hinkley are being focused on but thinks that we need to get started on the Campus and that the SHSC should issue an RFP for 120 units of senior housing next year. Chairman Peterson said that the process is extremely long. Selectmen Marcucci said that they can petition for what they want but disagrees with the statement that the MSHMPC doesn't have their act together. He says the process is complicated and they are trying their best to come up with a plan for the 12,000 residents of Medfield. There are a lot of people with a lot of different interests in the process. Today's meeting on senior housing is just for one of those interests. Selectman Murby has been to at least % of the MSHMPC meetings and the complexity is not to be disregarded. It is a $500 million real estate project being worked on by dedicated citizens. The infrastructure costs to the Town are in the tens of million dollar range. He recommends that Jerry go to the preferred concept and figure out a way to put definition to the concept and add momentum. Chairman Peterson also appreciates the Committee's work. Lou Fellini believes that the Town is chasing tails on housing. Seniors are asking for recognition. Seniors only get 27 cents on each dollar as 73% goes to the schools. They built this town. Lou asked the Board to stop the tax increases for seniors so seniors can live in this Town for the rest of their lives. Chairman Peterson mentioned the movement in Sudbury to provide relief for seniors but the state constitution requires everyone pay the same taxes. Patricia Treadway applauds the effort to figure out the complicated issue. She agrees that seniors should consider rentals. 67 North Street turned out very nice. She supports more apartments, condos, and assisted living options. Selectmen Marcucci discussed the town budget and the reliance on residential taxes. Chairman Peterson stated that housing can be profitable but it would not be affordable. Mr. Kazanjian stated that the Hospital plan can include commercial to diversity of tax base to offset residential taxes. Chairman Peterson noted that the plan includes too much commercial for the market. Mr. Nolan continued to say that commercial space is Mr. Nolan reviewed the streamlined process of 40R zoning for the campus and Lot 3 and Hinkley to dispose of and develop quickly. Lot 3 and Hinkley can be started before the campus. Same is true of the Cottage Area as it requires less infrastructure and can be developed more swiftly. Mr. Centore would like to see examples of floor plans, price points, and features of the homes to get more seniors excited about it. Selectman Murby responded that the MSHMPC is a planning committee but the one that comes after the MSHMPC next year is a development committee. Brandie Erb described the master plan, zoning, and design guidelines. She discussed the timing and complexity of the plan. Patty Foscaldo asked about building demolition. Brandie Erb discussed the MOU regarding the. She stated that we are nowhere because we don't know which buildings are coming down. She asked when that will be determined despite the length of time the committee has been working on the project. She also asked about nursing homes. Mr. Nolan described the CCRC model which includes the spectrum of independent, assisted, and nursing. He clarified the process that has the committee putting out the preferences and the responses from the development community. The process is slow but there are many disparate objectives (nothing, senior housing, arts, housing for millennials) needs to be distilled into a 2/3 votes at town meeting. There is frustration on all sides. They are trying to finalize the plan and financials. Mr. Wolfe stated that he would like to see the SHSC work with the MSHMPC rather than beat them up in order to create actions. He commends the quality of the work, not the timeframe but he believes they are getting close. He noted that the plan is not only about seniors, it is a balanced view. He also is supporting of an updated survey and action on Lot 3. In closing, Chairman Peterson asked for a show of hands to gauge preferences: • Rental consideration • Detached • Townhomes • Multi-story building with elevator (over 3 stories) • Downtown versus Hospital Rich Ryder asked about the survey that Selectman Murby spoke about. The Board will work on what that survey solicitation will look like for review at their 12/19/17 meeting.20171207_Page_220171207_Page_320171207_Page_4

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Posted in Affordable housing / 40B, Select Board matters, Seniors

Volunteer for search for new police chief

Posted on May 30, 2018 | Comments Off on Volunteer for search for new police chief

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Police Chief Search Committee Openings

There are four slots open for residents to serve on the committee that will conduct the search leading to the hiring of the new police chief.  They will serve along with the five members of the fire chief search committee representing particular boards, who will continue on.

Residents interested in serving on the police chief search committee should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Evelyn Clarke (eclarke@medfield.net) in the select board’s office before June 12.  The committee’s work is expected to be finished by fall.

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Posted in Police Department, Volunteers

Senior housing survey closed

Posted on May 30, 2018 | Comments Off on Senior housing survey closed

survey-2

Barbara Thompson Gips and Dick Scullary put together the survey of Medfield seniors commissioned to get an accurate determination of precisely what types of housing that group really wanted and would be willing to buy.  The survey was mailed to all households in town with a senior in residence (ca. 2,000).  Today Barbara reports that the survey had a great response rate, and that the data should be available soon:

  • 697 Medfield household completed the survey, a response rate of 32%.
  • she should be getting survey data from the town’s consultant next week
  • she should have something for the sub-committee handling the survey within two weeks after that.

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Posted in Affordable housing / 40B, Information, Seniors

Revised agenda for tonight, 5/29/18

Posted on May 29, 2018 | Comments Off on Revised agenda for tonight, 5/29/18

The original plan was to have a joint meeting this evening with the Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee, the Planning Board, and the Warrant Committee, for the MSHMPC to present and discuss its plan, but the MSHMPC had not finalized its plan, so that meeting was re-scheduled to June 12, and we opted to proceed tonight with a shortened agenda of some of the other important pending matters.

Announcement Disclosure of Video Recording Board of Selectmen Agenda May 29, 2018 We want to take a moment of appreciation for our Troops serving in the Middle East and around the world Agenda Items Vote to appoint the School Building Committee Discussion of Police Chief Search Committee Discussion of Town Goals Annual Planning Process Certificate of Appreciation for Brendan McNiff Troop 10 Eagle Scout Certificate Added items Discuss streetlight purchase Facilities Director Jerry McCarty requests the Board vote to accept contract with Bautisa Masonry, Waltham, for the Library Portico Masonry repair project; also vote to authorize Town Administrator Michael Sullivan sign original copy (arriving next day or two)

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Posted in Select Board matters

MEC

Posted on May 29, 2018 | Comments Off on MEC

At the Medfield Energy Committee meeting last week, the MEC recommended that the new LED streetlights be 4,000K (Kelvin) on the main streets and 3,000K on the side streets, with the suggestion that the Medfield Police Department determine which streets are main and which are secondary.  This is the approach recommended by the town’s LED streetlight consultant, George Woodbury.

Westwood has opted to use 4,000K and Millis has used 3,000K.

MEC

4-19-18 DRAFT MEC Meeting Minutes                                                                      19 April 2018

 

 

Marie Nolan, Jerry McCarty, Lee Alinsky, Paul Fechtelkotter

 

March meetings minutes approved as submitted

 

Green Communities

 

  • Approved projects – RISE met with Jerry last Tuesday and he anticipates having contracts ready to be signed by the Board of Selectman by next Tuesday. One contract will be for lighting: replacement of selected existing lighting fixtures with LEDs in the Town Hall parking lot, the library and all schools except Dale. The 2nd will be for engineering work related to retro-commissioning.
  • Future projects – Jerry is looking at replacing the hot water heater at the Middle School as the next priority project to include in the next grant request. We would request funding to partially subsidize the project (to be combined with utility rebates and town funding). Jerry has asked for money to do design work in the FY19 budget. We also plan to resubmit a grant request for retro-commissioning at the High School, which was rejected last year.  The committee will revisit Table 4 in the next couple of months to target additional projects potential submission.

 

DPW solar

  • Jerry continues discussions with Solar Design Associates (SDA) to clarify the elements of the design contract and to get them to provide more detail on the exact scope of services to be provided.

 

Streetlights

  • The committee hasn’t received information from George Woodbury regarding a list of towns near Medfield with 3000K lights. He suggested visiting Newburyport but that is too far to be practical.
  • There has been no response to Lee’s email asking for follow up on the logistics associated with receiving a couple of lamps to physically test in Medfield.
  • The contract with Eversource needs to be updated with small items (e.g. dates) but nothing substantial. These changes must be made prior to moving forward with the town’s purchase of the fixtures.

 

 

Dale Street Replacement and the possibility of making it solar-ready

  • A study is underway to determine the needs for the Dale Street replacement (size, target programs, location, etc). This study should take approximately 8 months to complete. The town will then move into the design phase, where the PBC will solicit public input – making the building solar-ready could be discussed at that point. We are probably at least a year away from this point.

 

 

 

Potential for PV at Middle/High School

  • Jerry said that FY20 would likely be the time to secure funding for design work to begin.
  • Jerry doubted that the Middle School would have the structural capacity for solar. He also believed that the High School would have limited capacity for solar given the amount of space taken up by roof top equipment.

 

 

 

Submitted by Paul Fechtelkotter

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Posted in Energy Committee