Monthly Archives: February 2021

Office hours 9-10 AM Friday

Selectman Office Hours this Friday

My monthly select board office hours are the first Friday of every month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.

Residents are welcome to call me at 508-359-9190 from 9-10 AM to talk about any town matters. If you prefer a Zoom call, let me know.

MMA’s The Beacon

Hello Members!   Here’s the February 2021 issue of The Beacon – packed with the latest budget and COVID-related news, complete coverage of the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show, information about local and state pandemic response efforts, an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, and details about MMA member group virtual meetings.   Link to the February 2021 issue of The Beacon (no login required)   By publishing The Beacon as a PDF, we can ensure that we get you the very latest information that you need ASAP. (If you did not receive this email directly, please share your email address with us – along with name, title and city/town – at database@mma.org.)   Best wishes to all of you during this challenging time.   John Ouellette Manager of Publications and Digital Communications   Jennifer Kavanaugh Associate Editor   Meredith Gabrilska Digital Communications Coordinator   Meredith Gabrilska Digital Communications Coordinator

Vaccines

From today’s Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce newsletter –

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How to know when you’re eligible

Use this tool to determine if you currently qualify for a vaccine and for a map of locations state wide.

The state is now offering two ways to search for a vaccine site near you: By this map or by zip code. You can also download a list here. As of Jan. 29, only 390,000 Massachusetts residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Only one percent of all eligible residents have been fully vaccinated. The Globe has created this tool that illustrates how far we have to go. And to see how those numbers break down by age group, profession, race and ethnicity, and more, check these charts.

Holistic Wellness Center becomes First “Civic Founder” of Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund


Photo credit – Jenny Moloney Photography

Holistic Wellness Center becomes First “Civic Founder” of Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund

The Medfield Foundation (MFi) is pleased to announce that Holistic Wellness Center, LLC (HWC) of Medfield has become the MFi’s first Civic Founder of the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund. Holistic Wellness Center is owned and operated by Darrah March O’Connor and Sarah Schochet Henken. HWC is an independent wellness center that offers the best in holistic healing treatments that include (but not limited to) Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, Reflexology & Energy Work. HWC has been operating since 2010! In addition, HWC offers the best in Holistic, Metaphysical and Fair Trade goods hand selected from around the world. Historically, HWC has offered many related workshops which they plan to resume when it is appropriate and safe to do so again. Holistic Wellness Center is located in the Medfield Crossing Shopping Plaza on route 27 – right here in Medfield!

The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund is an endowed fund of the Medfield Foundation, that seeks to raise an initial endowment of $1 million to support non-profit and community initiatives in town. By supporting these initiatives now and in the future, the Legacy Fund seeks to assure that Medfield will be able to do more of the special things in the future that make Medfield the great community that it has been for so many people and their families, and provide financial resiliency to meet future community needs. The endowment is being raised through “Founders,” who commit to contributing at least $5,000 over five years.

Sarah Henken said “We are delighted to join with the Medfield Foundation to help Medfield by means of the Legacy Fund, and we hope other businesses will consider participating as well. HWC is honored to be the first Civic Founder.” The Civic Founders are businesses who contribute at the Founder level.

If you too appreciate your Medfield community and would like to leave more of your mark on Medfield’s future, please consider becoming a Founder of the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund. See more about the Legacy Fund at http://medfieldfoundation.org/legacy-fund/.

Lou Fellini

Louis Fellini (Lou) passed away this week, and the town is poorer for it. Lou served the Town of Medfield on many boards and in many forms, but most of all for the Council on Aging. Lou chaired the Council on Aging for many years during the planning for The Center, getting the town financing of The Center approved by the annual town meeting (ATM), and then helping to oversee the actual construction of The Center. The function hall at The Center is properly named in Lou’s honor.

Lou was also a long time member of the town’s Permanent Planning and Building Committee, which vets new town buildings.

Four years ago Lou was honored at the 1/3/2017 Select Board meeting, and my material on that honoring can be found here.

The Medfield TV video of Lou being honored at that 1/3/2017 Select Board meeting can be found here.

Lou was a consummate wood carver, and taught classes at The Center to share the pleasure he derived from his wood carving. See a great photo of Lou wood carving at my blog article.

More recently I frequently saw Lou and Joan at The Center when I was there for my first Friday of the month office hours, and Lou often engaged me during those office hours on many Medfield town government topics.

Local Rapid Recovery Planning – grant

Assistant Town Administrator, Nick Milano and Town Planner, Sarah Raposa, obtained a technical assistance grant from the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative’s (MDI) Local Rapid Recovery Planning program.

This is the email to Town Administrator Kristine Trierweiler announcing the grant –

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From: Hahn, Elizabeth (OCD)
Date: Sat, Jan 30, 2021 at 2:02 PM
Subject: LRRP TA Notification

Dear Local Rapid Recovery Program Applicant- 

Please see the attached letter that officially notifies you that your City or Town will be receiving LRRP technical assistance.  In the coming weeks I will be introducing the Plan Facilitator that will be assigned to your community.  The staff of the LRRP program are looking forward to working with you and your community to strategically address the impacts of COVID-19 on your downtown and commercial areas.  

Best- Emmy Hahn

Emmy Hahn / MDI/LRRP Program Coordinator 

Massachusetts Downtown Initiative (MDI) | Mass.gov 

Department of Housing and Community Development 

100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA  02114 

Eversource snowstorm email

Email from Eversource about its preparatons for the snowstorm –

From: communityupdates
Date: Sun, Jan 31, 2021 at 1:44 PM
Subject: Eversource Storm Update – January 31, 2021
To:

Good Afternoon, 

As you know, Eversource is preparing to respond to a significant storm expected to impact Massachusetts on Monday afternoon. Forecasts are calling for rain, snow and heavy winds across our entire service territory. These are damaging winds that down trees and poles, block roads and cause significant power outages.  

Based on the latest forecast, Eversource will be declaring a Level 4 Emergency Response Plan (ERP) on Monday, Feb. 1.  The first liaison shift will begin at 6pm, and schedules will be provided tomorrow. 

As a result, we are preparing for: 

·                     Up to 1,800 damage locations. 

·                     As many as 70,000 customers experiencing an outage.

·                     A multi-day event, with restoration activities taking 1 to 2 days after the storm passes. 

·                     This storm will have a regional affect, impacting the availability of some contract and mutual aid crews. 

When and where it is safe for our crews to work, we will be addressing the priorities embedded in our ERP:  

·                     The first 24 hours our focus will be on FPS1 Life Safety police and fire calls, E-911 calls, life-threatening situations and damage assessment.  

·                     Our top priorities are critical facilities, particularly hospitals and healthcare facilities; blocked roads; and circuit backbones and lateral feeders enabling us to restore the largest number of customers first. 

As a reminder, our liaison organization will be functioning remotely during this pandemic and will be available on their mobile phones and by email. We have proactively communicated with all our community liaisons and armed each with the tools they need to successfully stay in touch with you.  

We remain committed to providing you with the latest information to ensure you have constant communication with our team throughout the duration of the event. Your dedicated liaison will be contacting you to exchange their contact information with you.  

Thank you for all you do for our communities.    

Sincerely,    

Your Eversource MA Liaison Organization 

ATM warrant articles

These are the draft warrant article, to date, for the annual town meeting (ATM)

DRAFT 02/01/2021
TOWN OF MEDFIELD
WARRANT FOR THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
2021
Article Issue Submitted By:
1 Accept Annual Reports Board of Selectmen
2 Perpetual Care Cemetery Commissioners
3 Revolving Funds Board of Selectmen
4 PEG Access and Cable Related Funds Board of Selectmen
5 Elected Official Compensation Board of Selectmen
6 Personnel Administration Plan Board of Selectmen
7 Appropriate funds for FY21 School Budget Covid-19
Deficit
8 Operating Budget Board of Selectmen
9 Municipal Building Capital Stabilization Fund Capital Budget Committee
10 Transfer MSBA Dale Street Reimbursement to
Building Capital Stabilization Fund Board of Selectmen
11 Creation of Capital and Debt Stabilization Capital Budget Committee
12 Capital and Debt Stabilization Appropriation Capital Budget Committee
13 Authorize Vehicle Lease Purchase Capital Budget Committee
14 Water Treatment Plant Bond Authorization Water and Sewer
15 Water/Sewer Enterprise Fund Budgets Water and Sewer/DPW
16 Medfield State Hospital Maintenance Appropriation Board of Selectmen
17 Transfer of DOT Ride Sharing Funds Board of Selectmen
18 Economic Vitality Fund Board of Selectmen
19 Sewer Betterments Paid in Advance Town Administrator
20 Authorize name change for Board of Selectmen Board of Selectmen
21 Personnel Plan Amendments Personnel Board/BOS
22 Disposition of Lot 1, Icehouse Road Board of Selectmen
23 Landfill Lease for Solar Board of Selectmen
24 Town Garage Lease for Solar Board of Selectmen
25 Approval of Town Garage Solar PILOT Board of Selectmen
26 Authorize the BOS to enter into Solar PPA Board of Selectmen
27 Approval of Kingsbury Club PILOT Board of Selectmen
28 Hinkley South Property Affordable Housing Trust
29 Hinkley North Property Affordable Housing Trust
30 Community Choice Electricity Aggregation Medfield Energy Committee
31 Climate Goals/Resolution Medfield Energy Committee
32 Rezone Parcel Janes Avenue BI to B Planning Board
33 Table of Use Regulations: Adult only tobacco store Planning Board
34 Food Trucks/Mobile Food Vendors Planning Board
35 Table of Use Regulations Height and Bulk Planning Board
36 Table of Use Regulations Height and Bulk (sheds) Planning Board
37 Solar Photovoltaic Facilities Overlay District Planning Board
DRAFT 02/01/2021
38 Authorize $20,000 for Zoning Diagnostic Planning Board
39 Creation of new Main Street Historic District Historic District
Commission
40 Warrant Committee to post all materials within 48
hours of receipt Citizen Petition
41 Citizen Petition
42 Authorize lease of town property to Medfield Food
Cupboard
43 Update Stormwater Regulations Bylaw Board of Selectmen
Free Cash Board of Assessors

Select Board 2/2/2021 – packet

The agenda packet for the Select Board meeting tomorrow evening is available here