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Others present: Heather Swift, Brian Swift, Melissa Thibodeau, David Passios, Greg Bittner, Aidan Moore,
Jonah Salvatore, Mason Whitcomb, Aidan Swift, Anthony Caiozzo, Griffin Caiozzo, Chris Roy, Katey Adams,
Sergeant Jack Hebert, Dawn Marie Ayles
The meeting opened at 7:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mr. Toale announced the public is invited to the presentation of the Boston Post Cane to Clarence Goguen, 100
years old, on Saturday, March 24th at 2:00 p.m. at Eagle House Community Senior Center. The cane is given to
the oldest recorded resident in town. The tradition of honoring the oldest resident was initiated by the former
Boston Post newspaper in 1909. It was a gold-headed ebony cane with the inscription "Presented by the Boston
Post to the oldest citizen of Lunenburg". It was distributed to many communities in New England, including
Lunenburg, with the town's name engraved on the cane. The first local recipient was Luke Chase, for whom
Chase Road was named. Through the years the cane was passed on to subsequent honorees. For a time, the
Town lost track of the cane's whereabouts but fortunately it was located and the tradition was revived in 1978.
It is now on display in the Senior Center and the recipient is given a pin representing they received the Boston
Post Cane as the oldest citizen. Refreshments will follow the presentation.
PUBLIC COMMENT: there was none at this time
APPOINTMENTS:
Hearing on Liquor License Violation - J & M's Sports Bar, 5 Summer St. #10
Owner/Manager Melissa Thibodeau was present for the hearing. Mr. Toale reviewed the hearing procedure.
Sergeant Hebert and Ms. Thibodeau were sworn in. Sgt. Hebert presented the following report:
On January 10, 2018 at approximately 2:00 a.m. he was on patrol and observed a green 2000 Honda Accord
running in the parking lot with the parking lights on, with no one around. He circled around the building and
could see two people inside. He knocked on the door and owner Melissa Thibodeau opened the door. There was
no alcoholic beverages on the bar but he found an open can of White Claw Hard Cider, 5% alcohol, sitting on
the bar foot rest right where Ms. Thibodeau had been standing. The other person, a man, had a plastic cup of
water in front of him. By the time they had cleared out from the bar it was after 2:00 a.m. and as the owner of
the property she is supposed to off the premises within 60 minutes of closing. After closing there is not
supposed to be any alcohol consumed.
Mr. Toale asked Ms. Thibodeau if she had a response to that. Thibodeau replied that they were just talking and I
told him (Hebert) that can was not mine. He (the other man) was drinking water, he was my ride home that
night and that is why he was there with me. No one was drinking at that time.
Ms. Bertram asked what day of the week is January 10fh
". Thibodeau replied (incorrectly) Monday. Ms. Bertram
stated according to our records your operation hours Monday through Saturday are 8:00 a.m. to 12:45 a.m., not
1:00 a.m. Were you aware of that? Thibodeau replied no. Ms. Bertram stated you have had numerous violations
at this location. There was a violation on August 7' and now this one on January 10, 2018. Ms. Bertram was
very concerned with the continued violations; stating a liquor license is a privilege, not a right. In her opinion,
there were several violations that occurred. The door cannot be locked until the last patron has exited the
===PAGE 2===
Ms. Bertram asked if you were in the bar after closing, who was on duty performing the closeout process?
Thibodeau replied Lisa Boivin did the closeout process. Bertram asked but you were in the bar? Thibodeau
stated yes. Ms. Bertram stated that is a serious violation. There should be no one in the bar after it has been
closed and the manager in charge has left the premises.
Ms. Bertram asked Ms. Lemieux to outline the Board's options. Ms. Lemieux referred the Board to the
sentencing guidelines listed under the violation history. This offense would qualify as the second offense which
ranges from a warning to 21 days suspension.
Ms. Bertram asked if Ms. Thibodeau was the manager. Thibodeau replied she was the owner. Bertram asked if
she read the liquor license regulations. Thibodeau stated when she applied for the license, yes. Bertram stated
section 1.04(b) of the licensing regulations states the rules for employees to be on premises after closing hours
are as follows: owners and employees must be off the premises no later than 60 minutes after the official
closing hour provided however that such owners and employees or other hired personnel may be on the
premises at any time tor the purpose of cleaning, making emergency repairs, providing security tor the
premises, preparing food for the next day's business or opening or closing the business in an orderly manner.
Bertram stated it was her understanding that none of those activities were occurring; you were sitting at the bar.
Thibodeau confirmed at that time, yes.
Motion: P. Bertram
2nd. P. Luck
That the Board of Selectmen finds that a license violation did occur
Vote: All in Favor
Mr. Toale stated the Board has determined a violation had occurred. Is there any recommendation as to a
penalty?
Motion: P. Bertram
2nd. R. Ebersole
To suspend the alcohol license for J & M's Sports Bar for seven days; from Sunday, April 8 to and
including Saturday, April 14, 2018
Vote: All in Favor
Mr. Toale informed Ms. Thibodeau she would receive notification of the suspension in the mail.
7 Grade Genius Hour Project Presentation
Griffin Caiozzo, 1091 Massachusetts Avenue, thanked the Board for the opportunity to present tonight. He and
Aidan Moore, Jonah Salvatore, Mason Whitcomb, Aidan Swift and Chris Roy are seeking to build a skate park
in Lunenburg. Griffin stated they are all new skateboarders with no appropriate place to skate. Genius Hour is a
program in school where a group of students meet one hour a week where they can work on a project. He listed
reasons why they want a skate park:
• Provides a safe place for skaters to recreate
• Skating in parks is much safer than in the streets
• Requires very little maintenance
• Low cost for participation makes it accessible for everyone
• Can serve as an attraction for family outings
• Skate parks draw skateboarders away from less appropriate areas
Skate parks support vibrant, healthy communities, just like other athletic facilities
• Skateboarding is a popular spectator sport
===PAGE 3===
and near the Teen Center. Another choice is located next to the Turf Field.
Mason Whitcomb stated they had to consider material and construction options for the skate park. They looked
at poured concrete, the strongest material, lasting thirty years and requiring minimal repair. The second option
is a prefabricated slab of concrete with concrete ramps. The ramps weather easily and have a lifespan of around
20 years. The third option is an asphalt pad with metal ramps. These metal ramps can dent and have sharp
edges leading to accidents. The asphalt pad is a rough surface and could hurt skaters who fall on it. Lastly is a
concrete pad with wooden ramps, basically what was in Marshall Park and would only last three to five years.
We presented our project to the Parks Commission but many of the location options are on school property and
not under their jurisdiction. Once we get permission and a location we will begin fundraising and begin to build
the skate park. He explained the difference between a skate park (8,000- 12,000 sq. ft./serving ~ 25,000
residents) and skate spot (3,000 - 5,000 sq. ft./serving ~10,000 residents). Their anticipated maximum load per
day would be 30 riders, needing around 7500 sq. ft. for the skate park.
Chris Roy reported they looked at other skate parks in the state. They liked the ones with poured concrete parks
with rails and parks that had options for both new and experienced skaters.
Aidan Moore stated to build from beginning to end would take about two years. They would get town approval
first and then begin fundraising. They are hoping to break ground in early 2019 and complete it by the end of
2019. They have many ideas for fundraising. He stated they had questions for the Board such as where would
you like the skate park located. They would like a tollbooth date. They had questions about insurance and
wondered if anyone knew of any available grant money. He asked if there were any questions from the Board.
Ms. Bertram asked if they had spoken to the School Committee. Aidan Moore stated they were planning to but
the meeting was rescheduled due to bad weather. She asked what the Parks Commissioner's reaction was to the
Marshall Park option. Griffin Caiozzo stated the Parks Commissioners could not give them an answer either
way because they are planning on building a road and parking lot there.
Anthony Caiozzo stated they did meet with the Parks Commissioners and they thought this was a fantastic idea
but they have limited land and resources. There is still some question on where the parking lot will start and end
at Marshall Park. Their preference was next to Kid's Kingdom playground or between Turkey Hill Elementary
and Middle/High School; to construct into the hill there or behind TC Passios. The board believed this was an
excellent idea and told the students that they did good research and gave a thorough presentation. Ms. Luck
requested feedback from Police Chief Marino on what kind of a presence would be required at the skate park.
He preferred the locations the students liked the best for visibility and safety purposes. He recommended
establishing a set of user guidelines for the park. Ms. Bertram asked the group if they had an idea on the cost of
their project goal would be. They stated it would depend on where it was located. Ms. Luck asked if they would
want lighting on site. Griffin Caiozzo stated they would not as it would encourage nighttime use.
Motion: R.Ebersole
2"': P. Bertram
That the Board of Selectmen support the skate park project, location to be determined from the three
preferred sites
Discussion: Ms. Luck stated we need to understand the liability issues going forward with this to protect the
Town. Mr. Toale stated this was an excellent presentation and it covers a lot of the components of the project.
His preference would be once the location is determined that we transfer the responsibility to the Parks
Commission's jurisdiction as it appears to be a Parks issue. As far as fundraising, he would have no objections
to the typical fundraising avenues. As with all our Parks activities, you would want it sponsored through the
Capital Planning Committee. He would like to take it one step further, we will work with them to cooperate and
===PAGE 4===
Chief Marino reported Munroe completed the Municipal Police Training Committee, 315 hour Reserve
Intermittent Police Academy and passed the required physical exam, the Physical Agility Test and an extensive
background check. He is a Lunenburg resident and holds an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Mount
Wachusett Community College. He served as an intern with the department while attending college. He will be
a strong candidate for full time employment in the future.
Motion: R.Ebersole
2": P. Bertram
To ratify the Town Manager appointment of Kamerin Munroe as Reserve Police Officer
Discussion: Mr. Toale stated we continue to be impressed by the Chief's process of building a pipeline of
excellent reserve officers that work their way to be full-time officers.
Vote: All in Favor
Ms. Lemieux noted the full-time police officer appointment listed on tonight's agenda has been moved to the
March 20* agenda.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
Town Facilities:
Property Condition Assessments:
The Property Condition Assessment for Eagle House has been received and circulated to the Board of
Selectmen, Capital Planning Committee and Finance Committee. It will be posted on the town website under
the Public Notices section titled Town Facilities Information. The Property Condition Assessment for Turkey
Hill Elementary School is being finalized and will be available by the end of the week.
Town Hall:
The DPW Director coordinated the cleaning of the duct work for the HVAC system at Town Hall on Friday,
March 2nd. This included removing all the registers, running nylon bristle brushing tools and high pressure
compressed air snakes to sweep and dislodge any debris throughout the entire system that was vacuumed up by
a high powered vacuum truck. This was one of the recommendations in the Air Quality Report issued last
March. The DPW Director has also lined up removal of the remaining records in the Town Hall attic that will
be moved to a designated room at TC Passios on Friday, March 9th, weather permitting. Records that have been
approved by the State for destruction will be put into a dumpster. This has been postponed to March 16 due to
the weather.
Parks Commission Update:
I attended the Parks Commission meeting on Monday, March Sth regarding the following topics:
Wallis Park:
Chris Letarte of the Friends of Wallis Park group came before the Parks Commission to discuss the proposed
equipment to be installed at Wallis Park utilizing the $37,000 town appropriation and the $25,000 in donations
received by the Lions Club. The Parks Commission approved the design and purchase of the equipment after
receipt of two more quotes. I will work with Mr. Letarte to ensure we satisfy state procurement requirements
and can proceed in a timely manner to meet their goal of installing the equipment by April or May. The Lions
san by Api May The Lions
Club and the Wallis Park community group will be looking for volunteers during the installation and other
phases to complete the clean- up of Wallis Park.
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on creating a five year plan that can be included in next year's capital planning process.
Workshop with BOS on Parks Properties:
Related to the Selectmen and Town Manager's goal of creating an infrastructure plan, we discussed a joint
meeting of the Selectmen and Parks Commission. This workshop would be used to discuss the status of the
parks, the maintenance and upkeep plan and any future plans the Parks Commission may have for parks
properties. The timeframe for this meeting could be as early as April or May.
Green Communities Update:
I attended the Green Communities Task Force meeting on Tuesday, February 27" regarding the following
topics:
Competitive Green Communities Grant Application:
The Green Communities Task Force reviewed the finalized list of projects for the Competitive Green
Communities Grant with Montachusett Regional Planning Commission Principal Planner Karen Chapman, who
is preparing the grant application through funds we received as part of a Department of Energy Resources grant.
The results of ditterent energy audits for Turkey Hill Blementary and other town buildings shaped the project
list for this grant application. The grant application will include the following projects:
• An envelope tightening at Turkey Hill Elementary School;
• An interior lighting retrofit at Turkey Hill Elementary School, Town Hall, the Ritter Building, and the
Public Safety Building;
• Installation of a heat pump system at the Ritter Building;
• Installation of condensing boilers at the Ritter Building;
• Pipe and fitting insulation at the Public Safety Building;
• Building retro commissioning and electronically commutated motors at the Public Safety Building;
• Up to 10% of the total grant request for administration services.
Excluding the administration services, the total grant request is approximately $200,000 and will be submitted
by the deadline of March 9th
Conversion of Street Lights to LED:
In light of previous discussions by the Green Communities Task Force inquiring about the cost of converting
the street lights to LED, I invited John DiNapoli, our Municipal and Community Services Manager from Unitil,
to explain the process for requesting them purchase price of the streetlights. The two available options for
converting streetlights to LED are:
1) the Town could purchase the existing street lights at a price determined by Unitil that takes into account
the total asset cost of the lights minus the accumulated depreciation value, go out to bid to have a third
party install new LED lights which after installation, the Town would be responsible to maintain. The
Town would achieve energy savings and no longer pay a luminaire fee to Unitil but would need to pay a
third party for maintenance and replacement of any new fixtures.
2) Unitil could provide the cost of having Unitil install new LED lights that they would maintain. The cost
===PAGE 6===
Montachusett Regional Planning Commission Planning and Development Director John Hume, Principal
Planner Karen Chapman, Land Use Director Adam Burney and I held a meeting on Monday, February 26th to
review the recommendations made by Montachusett Reg. Planning Commission in their report titled
"Formation of a Business/Town Partnership". We discussed the next steps, which include creating a business
brochure that can be circulated online and in hard copy format to promote our local businesses and recreational
resources, as well as creating a permitting guidebook. Discussion included adding an implementation and time
schedule of when each of the recommendations could be accomplished and by whom. I have amended the most
recent request for District Local Technical Assistance to include this be performed by MRPC, in addition to the
brochure and permitting guidebook. Among the attendees were Christy Mylott of Senator Tran's office and
Beth Lindstrom, a candidate for US Senate and is also a business owner in Groton who belongs to the Groton
Business Association. Ms. Lindstrom put me in touch with the Groton Business Association and I have invited
them, as well as the Townsend Business Association to attend the next Business Town Partnership meeting on
Monday, March 19th at 6:30 p.m. in the Library. The first half of this meeting will be amongst the Lunenburg
business owners to discuss forming an association and other ways to promote local businesses, and the second
half will be to begin a discussion on the development of the business brochure, as well as any invited guest
speakers.
Childcare during Annual Town Meeting:
In an effort to increase attendance at the May Annual Town Meeting, I reached out to Superintendent Calmes to
inquire about offering child care during the meeting. In the past, the Extended Day Program and National Honor
Society have lined up childcare for various meetings and we are in discussions about the logistics. I will update
the Board and advertise the availability, if the option is feasible.
Department Updates:
At our monthly department head meeting the following topics and updates were given:
Motor Vehicle Excise Bills:
Over 11,000 bills for 2018 Motor Vehicle Excise Taxes were sent and the last commitment for 2017 out on
February 27th totaling $1,359,899. This is an increase over the previous fiscal year by $42,996.
Tax Title Assignment Auction:
The Town Treasurer/Collector has begun the process to proceed with a Tax Title Assignment Auction.
Currently there are a total of 33 properties that were given a thirty day notification of the Tax Title Auction and
if the Town does not receive payment in full or a tax payment plan is not made with the Treasurer/Collector by
the end of the 30 days, the Town can proceed with auctioning off the tax title. The re-assignment of the tax title
will pay all delinquent taxes and fees owed on the property and will be kept current on any new taxes. The date
of the Tax Title Assignment Auction is April 4th at 10 am in the Joseph Bilotta Meeting Room.
Website Update:
The IT Director and Town Manager have been working on the design elements with QScend and the design
phase for the website is now complete. We are now in the build out phase. Due to some changes to the design,
the timeframe for completion is now the end of March/beginning of April.
===PAGE 7===
management and non-management personnel that will be used in the near future. Implementation of
performance evaluations will have to abide by any collective bargaining provisions and with proper notification.
DPW Union Negotiations:
The DPW Union representatives, Labor Counsel, DPW Director and myself have our first introductory session
on Thursday, March 8th, weather permitting. The first session is for introductions and to review ground rules. I
would like to meet with the Board on March 20th to review proposals to be made at subsequent sessions.
Announcements:
Economic Development Survey: The Economic Development survey will be available to complete both online
and in hard copy format until Monday, March 12th. The results will be posted on the website and the Town
Facebook page after March 12th and will be discussed at the Selectmen's March 20th regular meeting.
Charter Review Committee Surveys: The results from the first survey sent out by the Charter Review
Committee are on the website and Town Facebook page. The second survey is still online until Monday, March
12th and copies are available to be filled out from the Library and Senior Center. The results will be posted on
the website and Town Facebook page after March 12th
Complete Streets Survey: The Complete Streets survey will be online and available at the Town Hall, Library,
Senior Center, and School until March 19th. The results will be posted on the website and Town Facebook page
after March 19th
Open Meeting Law Training: Town Counsel will be conducting an Open Meeting Law training for all
employees, appointed and elected officials on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall. All are
encouraged to attend. This is a mandatory training for all town employees that support an elected/appointed
board/committee/commission.
Replacement of Poles on West Street: Unitil will begin shortly replacing the poles and conductors from West
Street down to Sunnyhill Road on Leominster Road. This will take approximately one month to complete and
the contractor performing the work will be Hi Voltlines Construction.
CURRENT BUSINESS:
1. Request for a Walkability, Parking Study and/or Complete Streets Study by MRPC
Ms. Lemieux reported Ms. Bertram had requested this be placed on the agenda. Ms. Lemieux spoke with Brad
Harris at MRPC and it sounds like the walkability/parking study would be very applicable. We are already in
the Complete Streets process of developing a prioritization plan, so that would be a duplication of that effort.
Ms. Bertram stated at the Montachusett Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting we approved the
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and there are communities that take advantage of that; that have work
done and do studies as part of the funding for that. It's basically different projects in the region that are related
to planning that are funded through various state and federal sources. We haven't really taken advantage of the
UPWP, although we have taken advantage of other grants and she was very pleased to see us doing so. There
has been a lot of talk about the walkability and parking of town center and she believed it made sense to put
forward a request to consider both of those projects or either of those projects. Time is of the essence because
next month MPO will be working on the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) and prior to next month, Brad
Harris is hoping to have a list of projects to incorporate into the UPWP. In order to consider those studies he
needs a letter of support from the Board of Selectmen.
===PAGE 8===
To approve the seasonal alcohol license renewal tor Donald Lyon d/b/a settler's Pub, 994 Northfield
Road
Vote: All in Favor
4. Discussion on Removal of Selectmen Stipend
Mr. Toale stated he had requested this discussion because at the Charter Review Committee they were
discussing another elected position, Town Clerk, and someone had mentioned this was the only elected paid
position. Then it was noted that the Board of Selectmen members get a $100 stipend. Mr. Toale noted it
probably costs more for the Town to administer the stipend with tax withholding, etc. Unless there is reason for
that historically, he was wondering if they could discuss whether this is still appropriate. Discussion ensued
about why this came about; from previous years when the BOS was paid $1000 and was eligible for health
insurance.
Motion: R. Ebersole
2nd: P. Bertram
To eliminate the Selectmen stipend effective with the new budget
Vote: All in Favor
Minutes/ Warrants/ Action File Issues
The Board signed an accounts payable warrant in the amount of $654,095.24; a payroll warrant in the amount of
$727,213.49 and a payroll deductions warrant in the amount of $561,258.53. Minutes of February 20, 2018
were approved.
Ms. Bertram stated she had requested any expenditure related to the Middle/High School uncompleted work
(ceiling tiles, HVAC system) be flagged and did not want those paid.
There were no action items.
Committee Reports:
Ms. Luck reported the School Committee met on February 28"h and requested feedback on what qualities people
wanted to see in a new school superintendent. It was an interesting discussion. The Storm Water Task Force met
on March 1St
". Ed Himlan, DCI consultant, reviewed the progress of the Community Compact award project to
examine and prioritize 27 out of approximately 500 outfalls in town to determine their order of ranking to be
upgraded. An outfall is the discharge point of stormwater that has been collected in a catch basin and is being
released into one of a variety of outlets. The 27 outfalls addressed have risen to the top of the "needs
15 of the "3s permit. The
improvement" list. This work needs to be completed to comply with the requirements of the MS4 permit. The
task force reviewed the priority ranking and changed one from medium to high. Nine of these have been
identified as possible candidates for the Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program. This morning
Adam Burney, Ed Himlan and I attended a DEP presentation on the 319 program. There was also discussion on
record keeping for the current permit and the MS4 permit. Matt Allison reached out to IT Director Malindrinos
regarding technological tasks. Ms. Luck reached out to Brian Doherty at MRPC and we are going to look at
ways that Lunenburg could implement MRPC's data collection cataloguing application. The Task Force meets
again on April 12'"
Ms. Bertram reported MPO met on February 215. The majority of the meeting was a presentation for distinct
projects that are going to be considered for the 2019-2023 TIP. There was an amendment for the current 2018-
2022 TIP which would use all remaining money in fiscal 2018 and one of her concerns was whether or not the
Summer Street project, because it came in under bid, is still considered advanced construction because it was
funded over a two year cycle. Luckily there was someone there who could answer that question and it will not
===PAGE 9===
Corporation (LSIC) gave an update on their management plan and water quality improvements they are doing.
Hickory Hills Landowners Association gave a presentation and sought approval for overtopping work at the
Hickory Hills dam. It was approved and just today they received approval from the state. An article for town
meeting will be forthcoming.
Forester Gary Gouldrup was present to answer questions regarding the small state forest cutting but it was late
and not many people remained. There were some concerns raised including from Ms. Bertram as a resident.
She believed the overall forest plan was great, but in order to make the trails accessible again there is a lot of
cleanup that needs to happen as well as signage and mapping. Hopefully some of the money received from the
cutting will go back into the land. There is a lot of maintenance planning that needs to be done for all the
conservation land in town.
Mr. Ebersole asked if the outfalls can contribute to algae growth. Ms. Bertram stated it depends on what is in
the water coming out of them. Phosphorous and nitrates would contribute to that.
Mr. Ebersole reported the Charter Committee continues to make progress. They will meet on the 14" where
they expect to vote on their draft charter and then they will hold the public hearing. They still have opportunity
to amend the draft up until town meeting.
Mr. Toale reported the Finance Committee continues to review department budgets. Some scheduling was
changed due to bad weather on the meeting nights.
Mr. Toale reviewed the upcoming meeting schedule. March 13 will be an Open Meeting Law Training
workshop with town counsel. This board will resume regular business on March 20th.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Katey Adams, 40 Williams Drive, asked the Board to remind the public about the ROAR presentation on
substance abuse and the opioid crisis this Thursday, March 8* at Lunenburg Middle School Collaborative
Room D132 at 6:30 p.m.
Ms. Bertram noted the Citizens Party Caucus on Monday, March 12th at Turkey Hill Elementary School at 7:00
p.m.
Motion: P. Bertram
To adjourn at 8:40 p.m.
2nd: P. Luck
Vote: All in Favor
Respectfully submitted,
Clairem Peterson
Elaine M. Peterson
Executive Assistant to the Town Manager