Category Archives: Uncategorized

This afternoon Brother’s Market celebrated its first year in town by giving away hotdogs, hamburgers, drinks, having a dunk tank, and a blueberry pie eating contest for their employees. Going on right now. Pie contest winner was the woman on the left.

Tuesday August 4, 2015 @ 7:00 PM
AGENDA (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

7:30 PM  Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee, Stephen Nolan Chairman Update on activities / survey

OLD BUSINESS
Town Counsel Mark Cerel I continue discussion from July 21st meeting regarding OPEB Trust Vote to approve July 21, 2015 meeting minutes

Selectmen calendar update

NEW BUSINESS
Discuss Special Election to replace Elissa Franco on Planning Board (Stephen Browne Planning Board member will be present for the discussion)

Review annual appointments

Medfield Youth Basketball Association requests permission to post signs advertising registration for the 2&¥4–2015 basketball season

Other business that may arise

This from Kristine Trierweiler just now –

We have just been notified that due to the weather concerns for this evening, the MEMO concert has been cancelled.
—

Kristine Trierweiler

My monthly office hours are tomorrow at The Center, from 9-10am, as the COA facility was closed last Friday on the usual first Friday of the month.

No appointments are necessary.

Mike Sullivan explained the recent OEPB actuarial study at the selectmen meeting last night, that shed new light on my prior understanding.

The town has been paying what the consultant calls the “pay as you go” OPEB cost each year, as part of the town’s insurance budget. Previously I had not realized that we were paying for those expenses each year, so I saw the OPEB deficit increasing each year.  What we pay are the actual costs incurred each year for retiree health costs.  Mike cited those last night as being $1.2m. this year, but the consultant report uses the figure of $1.5m. for its 1/1/2013 valuation.

Additionally, the town paid $400,000 last year in to a fund to use to pay future OPEB costs.  So instead of getting further behind each year, as I had thought we were doing, we are instead slowly paying off the future OPEB debt.  Last night Mike quoted the OPEB future debt as $48m., but the actuarial study uses $43m. as of 1/1/2013.

Lastly, the actuarial study says that to fully fund the OPEB debt, we would have to pay $3.5m/ year for 26 years.  By contrast, we apparently paid $1.9m. last year, between paying for the actual costs ($1.5m.) and adding some extra ($400,000).

I thought I had already posted this video of Joe Ryan, former Fire Chief and current official Town Greeter (yes he is appointed every year by the selectmen), as the man in motion while he was listening to the MHS band perform its medley of patriotic songs at the end of the Memorial Day ceremonies at Baxter Park two plus months ago. Such a happy dance!

I asked and Joe even gave me permission to post the video when we shared the post parade lunch at the Legion.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMB_hOio_jDVm_QBALBnM8Yj08lWJW-WFLBzLtc

My first Friday office hours this month will take place 9-10am on July 10 at The Center, because The Center is closed tomorrow.

Per Kris –

As a reminder, the Town House will close at 4:30 on Thursday, July 2nd and will be closed on Friday July 3rd for the holiday. The Medfield Transfer Station will be CLOSED on Saturday, July 4th.

Anyone want to start work on a July 4th parade for next year?

Mrs. Mann retires tomorrow after serving the town for 54 years as a crossing guard.  Be sure to give her a toot of the horn and a thank you on her last day!

Town employee longevity of service seems to be one of Medfield’s fortunate hallmarks.

June 19, 2015

MassDOT Completes Framingham Secondary Rail Line Acquisition

MassDOT announced acquisition is complete of the Framingham Secondary Rail Line, a 21-mile segment of rail that connects Framingham and Mansfield. The line was purchased from CSX Corporation for $23 million.

Purchase of the Framingham Secondary is a strategic investment that links the Framingham/Worcester, Needham, Franklin, and the Attleboro/Northeast Corridor commuter rail lines together. The Framingham Secondary Line is also a major rail corridor for the shipment of freight between several key points in eastern Massachusetts, including Readville, Milford, Franklin, Fall River, and New Bedford, as well as Worcester. The line is also used for passenger service to and from Patriots home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. For the purposes of planning for long-term infrastructure needs, purchase of the line provides added rail capacity that allows for passenger service to travel on alternative routes in cases where capital projects may disrupt normal service.

“After careful consideration of the agreement to purchase the Framingham Secondary Rail Line from CSX, MassDOT concluded that acquiring this rail asset supports our goals of increasing use of freight rail, which takes trucks off our highways and reduces greenhouse gases by consolidating the movement of freight,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “Additionally, purchase of the line establishes the interconnectivity of four of our major commuter rail lines, which allows us to plan for future rail upgrades in a way that will minimize disruptions by creating options for trains to continue providing passenger service by bypassing sections of rail on any of the four lines that would be under construction.”

Purchase of the line will also guarantee that game-day passenger service to Gillette Stadium for Patriots games will continue. The rail line’s current condition is only slightly above standards required for passenger service. MassDOT’s ownership of the line, coupled with infrastructure upgrades, will allow for the continuation of the successful game-day service. During the 2014-2015 season, 17,128 riders took the train to Foxborough; 6,015 more riders came from Providence, through Mansfield along the southerly end of the Framingham Secondary.

“Beyond the short-term value of supporting the shipment of freight, in the long term, the line has the potential to support future economic development,” said MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Astrid Glynn. “The communities to the southwest of Boston are experiencing strong regional growth. Should that trend continue, we would look engage the surrounding communities in a conversation about the potential for a pilot program of additional passenger rail service.”

Prior to enhanced service, the line would require significant upgrades to track, signals, and switches, to accommodate regular passenger trains. With preliminary upgrades set to begin next spring, any pilot of service would not begin before calendar year 2017.