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Board of Selectmen present: Jamie Toale, Chairman; Damon McQuaid, Vice Chairman;
Phyllis Luck, Clerk; Katey Adams, Member
Others present: Heather Lemieux, Town Manager, Adam Burney, Land Use Director; Jim
Marino, Police Chief; John Londa, Facilities Director; Steve Malandrinos, IT Director; Patrick
Sullivan, Fire Chief; Jo McLaughlin, PACC Coordinator; Ellen Griffin, Asst. Town Clerk;
Nancy Forest, Payroll & Benefits Coordinator; Kathy Herrick, Town Clerk; Myleen Mallari,
Treasurer/Collector; Sally Deming, Asst. Treasurer/Collector; Louise Paquette, Administrative
Assessor; Sheila Craigen, Principal Assessing Clerk; Jack Rodriquenz, DPW Director; Kit
Walker, Facilities Technician; Elaine Peterson, Executive Asst.; Marjorie Boggio, Planning
Board Administrative Asst.; Lisa Normandin, Building Admin. Asst.; Samantha Tucker, DPW
Admin. Asst.; Debbie Lincoln, Susanna Jewell
PACC Members: Pete Lincoln, Steve Walker, Steve Archambault
Mr. Toale called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. and stated the main purpose today was to meet
with the Public Access Cable Committee and town employees to discuss town facilities and the
action plan to consolidate town offices at the T.C. Passios Building (TCP). He reported they had
already met with other groups such as the Architectural Preservation District Committee, the
Lunenburg Historical Society, Historical Commission members, the School Committee, Parks
Commission, ad hoc Open Space Committee and Conservation Commission. They are also
scheduling one more focus group meeting with "abutters," (Library, Senior Center, Teen Center)
to the property.
He requested feedback from those present today and offered to answer any questions. Articles
will be on the Annual Town meeting to request approval to conduct a detailed study of what
costs will be involved in consolidating the offices, PACC studio space and school administration
at the TCP.
Ms. Lemieux asked for some of the challenges that are involved with working in Town Hall and
the Ritter Building that could be improved upon, if provided.
Ms. Mallari stated we need more storage space for filing and storage. She stated she felt bad for
elderly people who have to use the chair lift during early voting; they don't know how to use it
and sometimes get stuck. She stated the temperatures are always changing in the building due to
poor circulation in the building. She noted that every time she comes into Town Hall she begins
to sneeze. She stated the cleaners don't really clean thoroughly so her assistant vacuums. Is there
mold in the building? Is the air healthy? She added that sometimes people have to go between
different buildings to get their permits approved and get frustrated.
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it will continue to function. In four years, I have had five birds in my office. You never know
when they are going to pop in. People come upstairs all the time looking for the Building
Department and I have to send them across the street. They are funneled around and it is not
good customer service. There is no place in the lobby to fill out forms. It's not conducive to a
professional office atmosphere.
Ms. Boggio asked what is the plan for file storage. We have to go up a pull-down ladder in Ms.
Normandin's office to go up into the Ritter attic. Ms. Lemieux stated the conceptual design for
TCP incorporates long-term file storage for all departments based on space needs. Ms. Deming
stated along with the heat issue, it would be nice to have warm water to wash your hands in the
bathroom. Ms. Craigen stated the Assessors are out of storage space in their office.
Ms. Paquette stated she believes this building is sick, she is constantly coughing in the office; it
never goes away. She would rather have the windows open to get fresh air rather than AC on
because she can't breathe. She stated she doesn't cough at home. She believes the Assessors'
office needs to be near the Treasurer/Collector office so people don't have to walk all over the
place.
Ms. Normandin likes her office but the kitchen facilities in the building are nasty; debris falls
from the ceiling. She has no air conditioning in her office but she considered that a tradeoff for
privacy. She noted the lack of storage as well. The attic is freezing, she postpones going up there
unless absolutely necessary. When someone else has to go up there, it's disruptive. Also, if
everyone was in the same spot, it would also be good for accountability because some people
just come and go.
Kit Walker stated his concerns would be what the renovation would look like and what would be
involved with the new building as far as getting rid of the old material in the building so it
doesn't have to be dealt with again. Heating and cooling is inconsistent in this building (Town
Hall). It is a constant type of a call; you get calls for different things. In the winter, it's too cold
and in the summer time, it's too cold. In the Ritter it's different, you have an old building and it's
not set up for that type of system. Electrical systems; we have ghost power failures in some of
the offices, circuit breakers going off. It's happening every day. A new central location would
improve a lot but like anything else, what is the foundation like, what are the beginning stages of
reconditioning a building and making sure the HVAC is laid out right. You need plenty of power
in each office to operate whatever equipment you have.
Storage; we started taking files over to TCP and we have already filled up one classroom.
Space is going to be very important for keeping permanent files in one spot. It would be nice to
go to one place to fix everything. What is going to happen to Town Hall and the Ritter when/if
we move out? Are they still going to have to be maintained to a certain point?
Mr. Londa stated on the school side, the TCP has many needs. The Tappe study addressed many
things, but there are holes in that study like roof replacement and such. He believed the $4
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adequate parking for visitors and staff somewhere near the entryway. You also need exterior
lighting for the parking and whatever roadways are being used to access the building.
Ms. McLaughlin stated power is an issue in TCP right now. There are three plugs in the PAC
studio and there is no backup power.
Ms. Herrick echoed the Town Hall issues and asked about the vault. Can she take the rolling
shelving down to the TCP? The Board of Registrars needs twice as much space as they currently
have.
Ms. Peterson stated the interior walls are not sound proof so there is no confidentiality. You can
hear conversations going on in the adjacent rooms. If there is an activity in the meeting room and
we are trying to work, it is very disruptive. Everything echoes and is amplified, and makes it
very hard to concentrate.
Ms. Mallari noted the lack of adequate parking for the building. We are parking in the private
parking lot in the back. Townspeople complain that there is nowhere to park.
Mr. Toale asked as we design the space, what features would you consider important to better
serve the public.
• tables and chairs for people to fill out permit applications and other documents.
• a place to sit while people are waiting for an appointment
• a space for confidential conversations.
• one level building
• a central delivery place
• easy access to stored records
• break room for employees (Ritter)
• greeter or receptionist to direct residents
• wireless phones
• central mailbox and copier (Ritter)
• secure separate entrance to the building (PACC) to return equipment etc.
• two egresses for offices
Ms. Adams stated all these needs are essential but did not know if the only option was taking one
building with many problems for another building that we know has many problems. She would
rather see a new building being built where the old Primary school is.
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feedback.
Mr. Lincoln stated by the 2020 census, 30% of our town population will be aged 60 years or
older. The senior population is increasing. This building is a tremendous hardship for those
people. There is no place to park and they can't get to the second story without difficulty. From
our perspective, TCP is ideal. Please consider the seniors when you do your planning.
Ms. Herrick stated she has been an advocate of the old Primary School location for a new town
Hall; it has plenty of area for parking and the Historical Society. But she will go wherever she
needs to go
Ms. McLaughlin stated TCP is one level and it has lots of renovation needs, but once renovated
it, she believed it was the best option.
Ms. Luck stated we need to be fiscally responsible and conservative while getting the job done.
We need to take the most practical approach or people won't vote for it. She thought renovating
TCP and having one level as the most practical approach. We need to meet the needs of the
seniors.
Steve Walker asked about making a real studio and have the ability to cover more meetings with
better technology. We have been talking about this ever since I have been here. Meeting rooms
will be nearby. We are ready. Please join us at TCP. Please get rid of the asbestos so we can drill
holes in the walls and put cable through to connect everything up. He would like to install a
kitchen studio and need access to gas. It would be very popular. We can do a much better iob if
you let us.
Mr. Toale thanked everyone for coming and asked for more feedback if it comes up.
Motion: D. McQuaid
2nd. K. Adams
To adjourn the meeting
Vote: all in Favor
The meeting adjourned at 2:01 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Claire M. Peterson
Elaine M. Peterson
Executive to the Town Manager
RECEIVED & FILED
MAY 15 2019
LUNENBURG TOWN
CLERK OFFICE