TOWN OF PROVINCETOWN - BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

  REGULAR MEETING - MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2007

 

   JUDGE WELSH HEARING ROOM


Chairman Mary-Jo Avellar convened the meeting at 6:08 PM noting the following Board of Selectmen attending: Mary-Jo Avellar, Michele Couture, Austin Knight, Pam Parmakian, Lynne Davies

 

Other attendees: Town Manager Sharon Lynn, Asst. Town Manager David Gardner, Municipal Finance Director Alix Heilala, Town Counsel John Giorgio, DPW Director David Guertin, Grant Administrator Michelle Jarusiewicz

 

Recorder: Vernon G. Porter 

 

The following are meeting minutes, in brief. 

 

Pam Parmakian recused herself due to possible future or potential financial interest.

 

1A       90 SHANKPAINTER ROAD RFP

            Approval of Draft RFP Language for Affordable Rental Housing Development

 

Attendees: Town Counsel John Giorgio, Environmental Partners Principal Mark White, DPW Director David Guertin

 

Open discussion ensued.  In accordance with State Laws the Town is required to go through RFP process.

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to insert the following paragraph into the draft RFP language on page 3: 

 

“The Project is also legally subject to the requirements and restrictions of the Deed from Cumberland Farms Inc. to the Town (Attachment 4), and the Town Meeting vote approving the acquisition of the property with Community Preservation Act funds reflected in the Quitclaim Deed (Attachment 4). Responses to this RFP should reflect all such requirements.”

 

            Motion by:  Michele Couture        Seconded by: Lynne Davies      Yea  4    Nay   0 

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to insert the following paragraph into the draft RFP language on page 3: 

 

“This RFP has been issued to solicit proposals for the acquisition and development of this Property.  The preferred development scenario for the Property is approximately 40 rental units to the maximum as allowed by applicable zoning relief as determined by the Town’s regulatory boards.”

 

            Motion by:  Michele Couture          Seconded by:  Lynne Davies         Yea  4    Nay   0 

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to insert the following paragraph into the draft RFP language on page 7: 

“To the greatest extent possible, the successful Proposer will include a mix of bedroom sizes and income levels that closely reflect the community need as identified by the Housing Needs Assessment indicated above.”

 

            Motion by:  Michele Couture       Seconded by:  Austin Knight          Yea  4    Nay  0 

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to insert the following paragraph into the draft RFP language on page 12: 

 

“To the greatest extent possible the successful Proposer should utilize local workforce and labor in the construction and management of the property.”

 

            Motion by:  Lynne Davies            Seconded by:  Michele Couture       Yea  4    Nay  0 

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to insert the following paragraph into the draft RFP language on page 13, under the section regarding Management Plan: 

 

“The successful proposal will clearly describe a well thought-out property management plan including what entity will perform ongoing management of the Property once developed.  The plan will specifically outline an independent, transparent, and fair tenant selection process for both the initial and ongoing tenant selection.”

 

Motion by:  Michele Couture       Seconded by:  Austin Knight           Yea  4     Nay  0 

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to approve the draft language, as amended, of the Request for Proposal for an Affordable Rental Housing Development at 90 Shank Painter Road according to the time schedule stated within the draft.

 

Motion by:  Austin Knight             Seconded by: Michele Couture         Yea  4    Nay  0  

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to approve and execute the release deeds subject to such revisions as, in the opinion of Town Counsel, are necessary, and the conditions of the delivery of the deed to the Tasha’s on Town Counsel’s review and approval.

 

Motion by:  Lynne Davies             Seconded by: Michele Couture            Yea  4    Nay  0  

 

 

1B       PUBLIC HEARING: MASS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT 2008

Community Development Strategy

 

            Chairman Avellar read the Public Hearing Notice into the record. Opening comments by Michelle Jarusiewicz.

 

          Public Comments – None

 

          Board of Selectmen Comments

 

          Grant Administrator Michelle Jarusiewicz gave an extensive presentation on the background for the Town’s strategy for this grant.  She covered Community-Based Planning Requirements, Mandatory MCDBG Thresholds, Timetables, Previous Projects since FY 2001, what this Grant could and could NOT be used for.

 

         She included in her presentation and reviewed Community Development Strategy – FY 2008 for the Town that include: Planning Tools, Annual Town-wide Policy Goals establishing priorities, Affordable Community Housing Plan, Economic Development Planning, Local Comprehensive Plan, EO418 Community Development Plan, Capital Improvement Program, Fiscal Policy Plan, Action Plan, Affordable Housing, Economic Development, Funding and Sustainable Development Principles.  Also included in her packet was the Priority Project & Activities as reflected in the Annual Goals Adopted for FY 2008 by the Board of Selectmen.

 

         Open dialogue ensued.

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to accept the Town of Provincetown's Community Development Strategy under the Massachusetts Community Development Block Grant’s FY 2008 Community Development Fund program.

 

Motion by:  Michele Couture            Seconded by: Austin Knight           Yea  5    Nay  0

 

Mary-Jo Avellar recused herself and left the room as her husband is a town employee whose services are leased to the Provincetown Public Pier Corporation.

 

1C1      BOARD OF SELECTMEN & PROVINCETOWN PUBLIC PIER CORP

            Annual Meeting

           

PPPC Members Present: Lee Ash, Leonard Clingham, George Hitchcock, Kerry Adams, Anthony (Phil)  Tarvers and Pier Manager Rex McKinsey

 

Chairman Clingham gave opening remarks followed by an overview financial report from Treasurer Kerry Adams. 

 

Open discussion ensued.   No motions made.

 

1C2      GRANT APPLICATION: PROVINCETOWN PUBLIC PIER CORPORATION

            Mass DEP Water Quality Program Grant Request

           

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to authorize the submission of a grant application by the Provincetown Public Pier Corporation in the amount of $46,400 to the Massachusetts DEP, Bureau of Resource Protection, Division of Municipal Services, Boston, MA for the continuation of the Estuarine Water Quality Monitoring Project which began with a 604(b) grant last year.

 

Motion by:  Austin Knight             Seconded by: Lynne Davies            Yea  4  Nay  0

 

Mary-Jo Avellar returned.

 

2.         PUBLIC STATEMENTS

 

Mary-Jo Avellar recused herself and left the room as her husband is a town employee whose services are leased to the Provincetown Public Pier Corporation.

 

Candace Nagle – Read statement into the record as a member of the Float Owners of MacMillian Pier complaining that the Pier Corp will not allow float owners to rent their spaces to recreational vessels to raise additional revenues. 

 

Mary-Jo Avellar returned. 

 

Mike Toland & David Quinn of AmeriCorps – currently working with Shellfish Constable in Provincetown and would like do more work within Provincetown.

 

Thanassi Kulopulos – Two wind turbines that were suppose to go to Eastham that have been paid for and available from the State. We can put them at the High School and Wastewater Treatment Plant.  In process of putting together a group and have come up with $20 to $30 Million to possibly put a Wind Farm on the Highway – if the Town is interested, could possibly take the town off the grid. Let me know what you feel.

 

Amy Germain - Love hearing and reading about renewable energy and the Recycling and Renewable Energy Committee is meeting on Thursday, and we are looking for input and need members on our committee.

 

Barbara Rushmore – Glad that you were able to squeeze some money and work out the budget. Maybe town staff should look at the accounting letters from years past that had corrective suggestions in them. We have to pave Commercial Street, and need to get moving on having Public Hearings on this as soon as possible. Also be careful on getting Grants.  Sorry the Town didn’t vote for my article to cut the funds down for the VSB.

 

George Bryant – 1) Suggested that the Board of Selectmen start being a liaison between other boards once again. 2) Start marking Street Drains so people know what they throw in them, and what ends up in the harbor. 3) Surprised that the parking lot at Grace Gouveia was repaved, and questioned the DPW's use of paving as an impermeable surface and not using recyclable materials for the retaining wall. He wants everyone to understand that this was not the "green" thing to do. Who paid for it? What warrant article it came out of? Who authorized it? 

 

Mary-Jo Avellar recused herself and left the room as her husband is a town employee whose services are leased to the Provincetown Public Pier Corporation.

 

Marcene Marcoux - Important that the Pier Corp have a public meeting regarding their courtesy float. 

 

Mary-Jo Avellar returned.

 

Regarding Board meetings – please publish if there is going to be Public Statements.

 

Hope that when you consider the budget for 2009, that there are going to have to be cuts and restructuring. 

 

Clarence Walker

 

Mary-Jo Avellar recused herself and left the room as her husband is a town employee whose services are leased to the Provincetown Public Pier Corporation

 

A thought with regards to the Pier would be potential good news of a possible buyer. 1)  I think the Town and the Pier Corp should be doing some forward thinking now. 2) In anticipation of the meeting next week we have created the Provincetown Association of Concerned Citizens.  We are inviting everyone to come to Fanizzi’s next Sunday between 4 and 5:30 pm so they can intelligently put together their ideas.   

 

Mary-Jo Avellar returned.

 

Cheryl Andrews - First, thank you to all of you for your hard work. I’m here tonight representing the Provincetown Housing Authority.

 

Pam Parmakian recused herself and left the room due to possible future or potential financial interest.

 

Asked for clarification on amount of units the board approved for RFP (40). Was it stricken or did you keep it.?  Answer - We kept it.  Cheryl – That language wasn’t in the RFP when the three housing groups reviewed it.  Frankly, I was rather surprised to see it appear in the RFP on Friday because the RFP came with a cover sheet saying that we all had reviewed the draft.  The issue of density, of course, is a big one and it struck me as really important to make sure that you are clear that we did not vent that issue.  If the language stays, what you are saying to the developers is that you want them to max out the property. Which are you looking for an Ice House – is my question .. and if so, say that in your RFP.  I just want to call that section of the RFP to your attention because it wasn’t something that any of the three housing groups talked about.  I didn’t hear you folks clearly talk about what kind of density you’d like, particularly under 40B where they are going to be looking to you to know what you want in your RFP.  I just wanted you to be aware of that, and if that is what you want, so be it, that is your prerogative. And it was a concern to me because I did sign the original agreement. The Housing Authority did co-sign the application, and it did say approximately 40.  So that seems to be what people are expecting.   I appreciated your comments on tenant selection. I think the Assistant Town Manager did an admirable job, and it may be something to that that your staff didn’t agree with but the reality is that we are not experts. We don’t know what the perfect answer is either, but we came up with one.  I would say for the record there are at least two affordable housing projects in Provincetown where exactly that scenario occurred, and where the selection entity is not the developing entity at all. Maybe that is the answer, maybe it is not, but it is a concern. 

 

Vernon Porter – As you all saw in my office there is a live tree that is lit up.  It was given to me by Pete Denault.  Peter’s other half, was Roger Keene, who did an awful lot for the Historic Commission here in Provincetown passed away a few months ago.  I would like to suggest to have the Board of Selectmen consider making a motion, if they so desire, and to plant the tree on the Ryder Street side lot of Town Hall in memory of Roger Keene after the Holiday Season.  I have also mentioned this to the Beautification Committee, and they are in agreement with this as well.

 

3.         SELECTMEN STATEMENTS

 

Michele Couture

 

                MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to plant the tree donated by Vernon Porter as mentioned during public statements on the Ryder Street side of Town Hall in memory of Roger Keene.

 

Motion by:  Michele Couture             Seconded by: Austin Knight              Yea  5   Nay  0

 

Public Hearings on paving. We need to have a few meetings, and we should start having them as soon as possible.

 

Mr. Bryant mentioned about having liaisons between Boards.  It has come up a couple of times, and I think it is a great idea.  We have a wealth of experience on boards.

 

Ms. Marcoux mentioned about the $70K that we have appropriated for the architecture for Town Hall.  I have to disagree with you. We have been putting this off for quite some time to the detriment of Town Hall.  This is the heartbeat of the Town, and I think that we have done it on the cheap for as long as we possibly can. We need to get more information as to exactly what is required.  There are structural deficiencies in this building that should have never been allowed to have been put off as long as they have been.  I think we need to take a good look at having this done in the appropriate and complete manner.

 

To Thanassi – There is no such thing as a free windmill.  Someone from Congressman Delahunt’s office seduced me with the idea of two free windmills, and I took that to the Town Manager. It turns out it was not so very free after all. It is one of our Board’s policies, and we have had Mass Collaborative here before. We are trying to get them on our agenda the second week in January. 

 

Shuttle Update – There is a meeting next week and we should have something soon.

 

Sidewalk on Conwell Street – Discuss maybe sometime in February before Traffic Hearing.  Maybe make Off-Cemetery Road  one-way. 

 

Pam Parmakian

 

DOR - when are they coming down?  Answer – Still scheduled for January.

 

The VSB 5 Year Plan – when will we do this? Answer – Will schedule for a future meeting as soon as possible.

 

MOTION:  Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to thank all those involved on the Business Summit: EDC, VSB, Staff, Crown & Anchor, Chamber of Commerce & Business Guild .. all the appropriate parties.

 

Motion by:  Pam Parmakian             Seconded by: Austin Knight             Yea  5   Nay  0

 

At the business summit I worked in a group called Infrastructure, and there was an exchange of some good ideas. One of the topics was the ability for our municipalities to accept payments through credit cards.  Two days later we received an email from a company called Point and Pay, (at no cost to us), that works strictly with Government Agencies, and allows taxpayers to pay their property taxes and other fees by credit card or debit card so that they are not going to incur late fees or other charges. Town Manager Comments -  The Town Manager and Finance Director met this morning to start budget discussion.  In that meeting, we did discuss instituting credit card payments, and putting in motion the mechanism in place to have that start as soon as possible.

 

Is it possible on our Town Board Website to add either contact emails, staff contact, or board member contact?

 

 

 

Lynne Davies

 

I want to thank AmeriCorps, and would be interested in looking at the information they provided.

 

I want to extend my thanks to everyone who attended the Business Summit.  We were pleasantly overwhelmed by the number of participants – some first timers, and some second timers. I am very pleased with the results, and am looking forward to the workshops and the next meeting on March 18th.

 

While we have Mr. Guertin here from DPW, can you shed some light on the Alden Street COA paving?  David GuertinI think the selectmen should offer a "Thank You" to the Council on Aging who wrestled with this issue to include one side to remain unpaved. Upon further discussion, the Council on Aging felt that paving both sides would serve the population that uses the building better, and therefore staff and M&E altered the plans at no additional cost. As to the retaining wall, it was in answer to get as much parking as possible, again a request we acted on, and as to that choice of materials - it is easily repaired.  While we are not 100%, it is looking good, and we believe we have followed the COA Boards wishes 100%. The funds came from town meeting Article 1 - Nov.  2006.

 

In answer for 90 Shankpainter – I do not want an Icehouse. 

 

            Austin Knight

 

I attended the Selectmen’s Association Christmas Party last Friday, and the subject came up about generators available from Federal Bases at no cost to municipalities, that are closing throughout the country.  David Guertin – We are already on the list for the surplus equipment from the Newport Navy Base. 

 

Back wall of Grace Gouveia – The COA asked DPW to increase parking and asked for the concrete wall.

 

            MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to send a “Thank You” letter those involved at the Sr. Dinner. 

 

Motion by:  Austin Knight              Seconded by: Michele Couture            Yea  5   Nay  0

           

            MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to send a thank you letter to all Dillon & Shannon Patrick for sending packages to the Soldiers. 

 

Motion by:  Austin Knight              Seconded by: Michele Couture            Yea  5   Nay  0

 

Mary-Jo Avellar – None at this time.

 

 

4A       APPOINTMENT – Zoning Board of Appeals

 

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to reappoint George Stephen Young as a Regular Member of the Licensing Board with a term expiration date of December 31, 2010.

 

Motion by:  Michele Couture            Seconded by: Pam Parmakian            Yea  5   Nay  0

MOTION: Move that the Board of Selectmen vote to appoint Michelle Haynes Lohn as a Member At Large on the Visitor Services Board with a term expiration date of December 31, 2010.

 

Motion by:  Michele Couture            Seconded by: Pam Parmakian            Yea  5   Nay  0

 

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