Town Council - Ordinance & Rules Committee

Meredith Boericke Charles B. Ryan President Vice President District 5 At Large Shannon L. Hume - Joseph Reynolds At Large District 2 David M. Ringius, Jr Elizabeth Maglio At Large District 3 .Julia C. Flaherty Stephen C. O’Brien District 1 District 4 OFFICE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL Lawrence C. Mackin, Jr. District 6 Tuesday, June 21, 2022 MINUTES A meeting of the Town Council, was held in the Cahill Auditorium, Braintree Town Hall, on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, beginning at 7:30p.m. Council President Boericke was in the chair. President Boericke asked for a moment of silence for our first responders and all those serving our military home and abroad. Clerk of the Council, Susan M. Cimino conducted the roll call. Present: Meredith Boericke, President Charles Ryan, Vice President Shannon Hume David M. Ringius, Jr. Julia Flaherty Stephen C. O’Brien (Remote) Joseph Reynolds Elizabeth Maglio Not Present: Lawrence C. Mackin, Jr. Others: Charles C. Kokoros, Mayor Nicole Taub, Chief of Staff Ed Spellman, Director of Finance Crystal Huff, Assistant Town Solicitor Helen Gordon, Sr. Project Mgr, Environmental Partners James Arsenault, DPW Director Lou Dutton, Water & Sewer Superintendent Jim Lee, Superintendent of Schools School Committee members June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting 1 of 7 ANNOUNCEMENTS • 034 22 Council President: Recognition Certificates - Youth Art President Boericke stated we are here to recognize the Art Students this evening. President Boericke thanked Art Director Julie Campisano and her staff who helped make this possible. Art enriches our lives and having the art in the chambers has truly inspired our community. We’ve gotten so many compliments. We will continue this in the Fall. • 036 22 Council President: Recognition Certificates - 7th Grade Girls Travel Basketball A Team - Massachusetts State Champions Councilor Ringius stated I love these meeting because I get to wear two hats – that of a Councilor and that of a Coach. You have a group of 7th Grade Girls Travel Basketball A Team - Massachusetts State Champions before you. I am very proud of the effort they put in and their achievements in doing this. Congratulations also to Coach Jeff Burrell and Bill Clougher. Master Plan Steering Committee - REMINDER: next meeting will be Thursday, June 24, 2022 at 7pm in Cahill Auditorium. Consultants will review the Draft of the Existing Conditions Report. Residents are encouraged to attend and ask questions. APPROVAL OF MINUTES • None COMMUNICATIONS • 037 22 Council President: Debt Exclusion Funding Update: BHS Feasibility Study, School Roofs, School Security, New South Middle School Superintendent Jim Lee stated the BHS Feasibility Study is for Braintree High School. We will not do this feasibility study until we are invited in by the MSBA. So at this point we have not accessed that money. School Roofs had $5 million dollars allocated to replace roofs in the elementary schools in the district. Liberty and Highlands are close to construction. This is a MSBA partnership which means there are a lot of procedural steps we need to go by. We anticipate construction next summer. Flaherty and Hollis are then next two in line for new roofs. Security - $1 million dollars were allocated through the debt exclusion for security. The Schools also received a Department of Justice grant for $600,000. We are in the process of acquiring communication systems in collaboration with Police/Fire Departments. We spent $50,000 on an audit of every single one of our facilities. It came back with a 600 page document with a host of recommendations in terms of how to improve security throughout the school district. There is currently a committee of 15 looking at those recommendations and to help prioritize the list. South Middle School allocation was about $56 million dollars. Go to Peach Street and you will see steel being erected. They are under budget and on time. We still anticipate a July 2023 of the new South Middle School. June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting 2 of 7 OLD BUSINESS • 22 032 Mayor: Acceptance of Donations or take up any action relative thereto Council President Boericke referred to Councilor Reynolds, Chairman for Committee of Ways & Means for a recommendation. Councilor Reynolds stated the Committee of Ways & Means met and voted unanimously for a favorable recommendation to the full Council on Order 22 032. Council President Boericke asked if anyone from the Mayor’s office would like to speak on Order 22 032? Nicole Taub stated a resident, who would prefer to remain anonymous, would like to donate two basketball hoops to the Town and install them at the basketball court at Highlands School. He is a contractor and his company does many recreational courts all around Boston and the surrounding area. The approximate value of the basketball hoops and installation is $5,000. Council President Boericke asked if any member of the Council would like to speak on Order 22 032? Councilor Ryan read the Motion for Order 22 032: MOTION: That the Town of Braintree be and hereby is authorized, in accordance with Section 53A of Chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws to accept the following gift upon the conditions attached and herein set forth: DONOR GIFT PURPOSE Anonymous Basketball Hoops Highlands School (and installation) Motion: by Councilor Ryan to Approve Order 22 032 Second: by Councilor Hume Vote: For (8 – Boericke, Flaherty, Hume, Maglio, O’Brien, Reynolds, Ringius, Ryan), Against (0), Absent (1 - Mackin), Abstain (0) June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting 3 of 7 • 22 034 Mayor: Authorization to enter into Tri Town Water District Joint Powers Agreement or take up any action relative thereto (Public Hearing) Council President Boericke asked for a Motion to Open the Public Hearing on Order 22 034. Motion by Councilor Ryan to Open Public Hearing for Order 22 034 Motion: by Councilor Ryan to Open the Public Hearing for Order 22 034 Second: by Councilor Hume Vote: For (8 – Boericke, Flaherty, Hume, Maglio, O’Brien, Reynolds, Ringius, Ryan), Against (0), Absent (1 - Mackin), Abstain (0) Council President Boericke referred to Councilor Reynolds, Chairman for Committee of Ways & Means for a recommendation. Councilor Reynolds stated the Committee of Ways & Means met and voted unanimously for a favorable recommendation to the full Council on Order 22 034. Council President Boericke asked if anyone from the Mayor’s office would like to speak on Order 22 034? Mayor Kokoros stated this is quite a historic moment here in Braintree. About 20 years ago we got a non- binding resolution passed to build a regional treatment plant passed. We have been working through that and voted into law in 2020. We will be working together and sharing a regional treatment plant with Randolph and Holbrook. Originally there was no compensation for the strains that would be put on our public safety. In this agreement we will add 2 firefighters and 1 police officer in addition to what we have today. This is an important document that has been vetted through and puts Braintree in a great position of sharing the cost of building a treatment plant. The water will meet the standards of the DEP. Braintree will initially run the treatment plant. This will allow us to go to bid on our new treatment plant. Council President Boericke asked if any member of the Council or General Public want to speak on Order 22 034? Councilor Ryan stated Mayor Kokoros has been working on this since they were on the Water & Sewer Commission together in the 1990’s. Congratulations. This is good government, sharing a treatment plant and costs. I fully support this, and I am very proud to vote on this tonight. Jim Arsenault, DPW Director and Lou Dutton, Superintendent of Water & Sewer stated they are excited for this new Treatment Plant. Helen Gordon, Sr. Project Mgr, Environmental Partners stated there are multiple buildings. One houses all the chemicals, filters and space for operations, a laboratory. There is another building that is joined by a tunnel that houses the clear well where the finished water goes to be treated for disinfection and then the finished water pumps. There is dedicated finished water pumps that go to the Town of Braintree and finished water pumps that go to Randolph and Holbrook through dual transmission main that goes across the pond. In terms of capacity it is 12.5 MGD (Million Gallons per Day). June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting 4 of 7 President Boericke asked when could we anticipate groundbreaking? Helen Gordon stated we would begin the bidding process once we received all the paperwork and we need the signed contract by September 30th. We then have a contractor and a designer who needs to get designs approved. Then order materials, that in todays economy I can’t predict. In my years of consulting I have never seen it this bad in terms of supply chain and impact on projects. There could be clearing of the sights in late fall potentially. We can give a schedule once we get it. We will also give monthly updates to the towns. We will have information and pictures that can be put on the website. Councilor Ryan stated at some point could we have a presentation on some design plans like the rendering of the facility. It might help answer some of the questions. Helen Gordon stated we can do that and have a schedule of events at the same time. Council President Boericke asked if any member of the General Public want to speak on Order 22 034? Hearing none. Is there a motion to close the public hearing. Motion by Councilor Ryan to Close Public Hearing for Order 22 034 Motion: by Councilor Ryan to Close the Public Hearing for Order 22 034 Second: by Councilor Hume Vote: For (8 – Boericke, Flaherty, Hume, Maglio, O’Brien, Reynolds, Ringius, Ryan), Against (0), Absent (1 - Mackin), Abstain (0) Councilor Ryan read the Motion for Order 22 034: MOTION: To approve the Tri Town Water District Joint Powers Agreement between the Towns of Braintree, Holbrook and Randolph as submitted under Council Order 22 034. Motion: by Councilor Ryan to Approve Order 22 034 Second: by Councilor Hume Vote: For (8 – Boericke, Flaherty, Hume, Maglio, O’Brien, Reynolds, Ringius, Ryan), Against (0), Absent (1 - Mackin), Abstain (0) June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting 5 of 7 RESOLUTIONS/PROCLAMATIONS • 038 22 Councilor Maglio: Pride Month, June 2022 Councilor Maglio said I stated at the last Town Council meeting on June 7, 2022 I attended with other Councilors, the raising of the flag for Pride Month. I would like to take a moment and read the Proclamation I read at that event: PRIDE MONTH PROCLAMATION WH EREAS, the rainbow flag is widely recognized as a symbol of pride, inclusion, and support for social movements that advocate for LGBTQ+ people in society; and WH EREAS, the Town of Braintree is committed to supporting visibility, dignity, and equity for all LGBTQ+ members in our diverse community; and WH EREAS, celebrating Pride Month influences awareness and provides support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ members of Braintree’s community; and WH EREAS, it is essential to acknowledge the LGBTQ+ community’s immeasurable impact to the cultural, civic and economic successes of our community. NOW, TH EREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that for the first time in our town’s history the rainbow flag raised at Town Hall on this day, June 5, 2022, recognizes all LGBTQ+ residents whose influential and lasting contributions to our neighborhoods make Braintree a vibrant community in which to live, work and visit. BE IT FURTH ER RESOLVED that every member of the community has dignity and worth, and the symbolism of this flag is a reminder to all of us to embrace the principal of justice for everyone, and for each of us to eliminate prejudice wherever it exists. Happy Pride Everyone! NEW BUSINESS • 22 035 Town Clerk: Call of the State Primary Election (placeholder for vote on 7/12/22) • 22 036 Town Clerk: Designation of Early Voting (placeholder for vote on 7/12/22) Councilor Ryan read the following referral to Committee: Refer to the Committee on the Department of Public Works • 22 039 National Grid Petition: Standish Avenue or take up any action relative thereto Motion: by Councilor Ryan to refer Order 22 039 to the Committee on the Department of Public Works Second: by Councilor Hume Vote: For (8 – Boericke, Flaherty, Hume, Maglio, O’Brien, Reynolds, Ringius, Ryan), Against (0), Absent (1 - Mackin), Abstain (0) June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting 6 of 7  Topics the Chair does not reasonably anticipate will be discussed UPCOMING MEETINGS: Next Council Meeting is scheduled on: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 @7:30PM ADJOURNMENT It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 9:10p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan M. Cimino Clerk of the Council Recording of meeting found at: https://www.youtube.com/bcamtv June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting 7 of 7