BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Natick Town Hall
July 30, 2001
7:00 p.m.
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman Charles M. Hughes at 7:00 p.m.
PRESENT: Charles M. Hughes, Paul R. McKinley, Jay H. Ball, John Ciccariello. Absent: Jeffrey A. Stern
ALSO PRESENT: Donna Challis, Secretary
WARRANTS: Payroll warrants were signed by the Board of Selectmen on July 30, 2001 in the amount of $463,505.20. This figure was included in total warrants signed by the Board of Selectmen of $13,246,675.40.
TREASURER ROBERT PALMER: BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES
Mr. Palmer recommended that the Board vote to accept the low bid for $4,660,000 in bond anticipation notes submitted by Fleet Bank at a net interest cost of 2.59%. This consists of $4,450,000 in renewal notes and $210,000 in new notes for the following projects:
Golf Course $2,975,000
School Planning (Wilson) 1,300,000
High School Fire Alarm 175,000
Sewer Construction 210,000 (new)
Mr. Palmer advised that the notes will be due in May. Some time in September he anticipated going out for permanent to take advantage of the low rates.
Mr. McKinley moved to accept the bid of Fleet Bank for bond anticipation notes in the amount of $4,660,000. Seconded by Mr. Ciccariello and unanimously voted. Mr. McKinley expressed the Board’s gratitude to Mr. Palmer for the low interest rate and the high rating by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.
Mr. Hughes noted that the Clerk of the Board needs to sign the bond anticipation notes. As Mr. Stern was not present, Mr. Hughes proposed that for this evening Mr. McKinley be nominated and voted as Acting Clerk. Mr. Hughes so moved. Seconded by Mr. Ball. The motion passed on a 3-0-1 vote. Mr. Hughes, Mr. Ball, Mr. Ciccariello voted in favor of the motion. Mr. McKinley abstained.
TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLES
Mr. Hughes referenced a memo from Town Administrator Frederick Conley on anticipated articles for the Fall Town Meeting warrant. Mr. Hughes noted that the Charter and By-Law Review Committee was submitting a proposed article for the appointment of the Town Administrator that was essentially what was in the provisional portion of the charter. There was a screening committee with designated members and that screening committee has the authority to pick the Town Administrator in the event the Board of Selectmen doesn’t in a period of time.
Mr. Hughes noted that he floated a draft proposal of an article for the appointment of the Town Administrator and moved that the Board support that article. Seconded by Mr. Ball and unanimously voted.
In discussion of the article, Mr. Ball questioned if there will be two competing articles at Town Meeting. Mr. Hughes responded that the warrant will contain two different articles. Whether they compete at Town Meeting was yet to be decided by the Finance Committee and the Charter Review. The Charter Review Committee received the Board’s draft proposal, but did not have enough time to consider it. The warrant closes Friday.
Asked if he had addressed the By-Law Review Committee, Mr. Hughes stated that he didn’t, but expected to.
Mr. McKinley referred to the School Committee’s article seeking design funds for the high school renovation, but Mr. Hughes preferred to wait
TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLES (contd)
until the warrant closed before discussing it. It was his (Mr. Hughes) understanding that it was about $2.1 million.
SELECTMEN’S CONCERNS
Dead Bird Policy
Mr. Ball noted that he had received a call this afternoon from someone who had discovered a dead bird in his yard. The person called the Board of Health and was told that he should call the state Department of Health, get a number, bag the bird, and bring it to the Board of Health. The individual was disturbed that the Board of Health would not come get the bird and ended up burying the bird in his backyard.
Mr. Ball proposed that the Selectmen might inquire of the Board of Health what its functions were with respect to the dead bird West Nile virus. It struck him that the citizen was right to assume the Board of Health would come out and pickup the corpse.
Mr. Hughes requested that Board of Health Director Roger Wade attend the next meeting to explain the policy.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
_____________________________
Paul R. McKinley, Acting Clerk
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