City Council

City of<Taunton 9'.unicipa{Council9'.eetine 9'.inutes City 1fa{[, 15 Summer Street, <Taunton, ~ In tli.e Cli.ester~ 9'.artin 9dunicipa{CouncifCliam6ers 9'.inutes, Septem6er 3, 2024 at 7:36 O'cCoctft-.9'.. ~o/JSP,(]) (]!(etliJe of}lfk9iance (}l.§9ufar !Meetina !Mayor Sliaunna £. O'Connellpresidina (prayer was offerea 6y tne !Mayor !Mayor O'Connell offerea a moment of sifence for Larry !Newman, wli.o recently passea away. Jfe was a CifeCona 'Taunton resitfent tliat tfevotea 34 years to tne 'Taunton Cl'otice (J)epartment as a (J)etective anti fona standina mem6er of tne (}'a~, Cemeteries anti fllu6tic qrountfs Commission. (present at rollcallwere: Councilors QJor9es, !Martin, Q!linta~ Cl'ostell, (J)uarte anti(J)ooner Councilors !McCa~ Cl'ottier antiSantfers were a6sent. Record of August 27, 2024 meeting was read by title and approved. So Voted. Opportunity for input by the general public. Maureen Mosher, 245 Powderhorn Drive, Taunton, read a petlt10n stating that the residents are opposed to the sale of 745 John Hancock Road. She discussed that this parcel serves as a buffer between the Industrial Park and the nearby homes. She discussed the negative impacts of development on this parcel, including noise, odor and disruptions to wildlife. She requested that the Council oppose the sale of the parcel and preserve it as open space. Ms. Mosher submitted the petition and map of the property to the City Clerk. Hearing: NONE. Communications (rom the Mayor: Mayor O' Connell stated that there is a list of upcoming community events in the agenda packet. Appointments: Reappointment of Tracy Heger, 35 Pilgrim Village Road, Unit #802, Taunton to serve as the Mayor's Designee on the Board of Directors for Citizens for Citizens, Inc. for a term of one (1) year expiring June 30, 2025. Motion was made to approve. So Voted.  2 Communications from City Officers: Councilor Borges read an extra communication regarding Map 67, Lot 104, which includes 5.8 acres of land. She requested that they pause any plans to sell the surplus of Williams Street, Map 67, Lot 104, totaling 5.8 acres of land, until further research is conducted by the Law Department. Councilor Borges motioned to make this communication a part of the record, refer this to the agenda for next week and refer it to the Committee on Zoning. So Voted. Councilor Borges read an extra communication regarding her concern on the decision made by the Committee on Public Property to surplus and sell 745 John Hancock Road. She stated that this property, which was previously listed on MLS and subsequently cancelled on August 24, 2024, was purchased on February 3, 2009 for $2,800,000 by the City of Taunton. She urged the Council to reconsider and stop the sale of this property. Councilor Borges motioned to refer this to the agenda for next week and to refer it the Committee on Zoning. So Voted. Communications from Citizens: NONE. Petitions: Second Hand Article License - NEW 1. Nova Constructs, LLC -dba- Nova Constructs located at 18 Broadway, Ste. 205, Taunton submitted by Nathaniel Myers, 49 Summer St., Apt. 3, Taunton. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief. So Voted. Hours of Operation License - RENEWAL 1. CVS Pharmacy, Inc. -dba- CVS Pharmacy #41 located at 284 Winthrop St., Taunton. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief. So Voted. Committee Reports: Motion was made for Committee Reports to be read by title and approved. So Voted. Recommendations adopted to reflect the votes as recorded in Committee Reports. So Voted. Unfinished Business: NONE. Orders, Ordinances and Resolutions: Ordinance for a second reading to be passed to a third reading AN ORDINANCE REPEALING THE ORDINANCE REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT IMPACT REVIEW BOARD Chapter 10, Article X, Section 10-40 through 10-42 DEVELOPMENT IMPACT REVIEW BOARD  3 Be it ordained by the Municipal Council of the City of Taunton and by authority of the same as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 10, Article X, §10-40 through 10-42 of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Taunton, as amended, are hereby repealed. SECTION 2. All ordinances or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. This Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon passage. Motion was made to pass to a third reading. So Voted. New Business: Councilor McCaul requested to refer to the Committee on Police and License for a meeting on October 8, 2024 to discuss the issues with parking behind City Hall and invite Colleen Simmons and the Parking Commission. Councilor Postell motioned to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief and will check on the availability for October 8, 2024. So Voted. Councilor Borges motioned to temporarily stop the auction for September 14, 2024 at 12:00 PM of 745 John Hancock Road. On discussion, Mayor O'Connell stated that the Council, by the advice of the City Solicitor, may want to have a discussion on this matter before voting on it as it was not on the agenda. Councilor Borges stated that last week, the Council took a vote, with the direction of the Assistant City Solicitor, saying that they were able to stop something on another piece of property without it going back to the Committee on Public Property. She stated that given the timeframe and not having time to place it on the agenda for next week, she would recommend that they put a pause on this auction on September 14, 2024. She stated that once this goes forward it will be too late and there will not be an opportunity for a discussion. Mayor 0' Connell stated that there is time to place it on the agenda for September 10, 2024. Councilor Borges stated that her concern is that there will be no time for a discussion on the matter. Councilor Dooner asked if there are any legal repercussions that they should be aware of from the Law Department regarding the halt of the auction. Attorney Costa stated that he does not have any information regarding the agreements with the auctioneer. He stated that without any notice, he is not in a position to weigh in on that. He suggested that this matter could be placed on the agenda for September 10, 2024, because under the Open Meeting Law, there was no notice given to the Council nor the community that this would be discussed this morning. Councilor Duarte stated that he was not aware that this would be brought up as a motion this morning and would like a legal opinion from the City Solicitor regarding the City Council's authority to withdraw a property from auction once it has been surplused and turned over to the Administration. Councilor Borges withdrew her motion. She asked that the Law Department provide more information prior to next Tuesday's meeting. Councilor Postell stated that he will be absent next Tuesday. List of Documents and Other Exhibits: • Agenda • Mayor's List of Upcoming Community Events- September 3, 2024 • Petition and map submitted by Maureen Mosher during Public Input • 2 Letters read by Councilor Borges  4 Meeting adjourned at 7:52 A.M. A true copy: Attest: ~t~ f'~~~i!~f~. Leger City Clerk JLL/MAT  5 City of Taunton Municipal Council August 27, 2024 The Committee of the Whole The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton, MA 02780 in the Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Councilors Present: Council President David Pottier, Chairman Councilor John McCaul Councilor Estele Borges Councilor Scott Martin ,.._, :~) Councilor Barry Sanders i'3 -~··~ ...t:= ·-< ......i Councilor Lawrence Quintal -··~ J:.1> (/') Pl ...·-.. i '. Councilor Phillip Duarte '•··- -o ., i .:x: I '•. :~:' ':··1-. -·i Councilor Kelly Dooner --.. -·' -•=I ~ ..... ..0 . :--L: ...,,,.,. '- 1" " Councilor Absent: Councilor Jeffrey Postell ·- ,- :.?.: (~) :r;"I'" ' u ~·· ··n 0 . ·!~ -ri ry ......... n =""· w c~ Also Present: Ryan Souls, Greystar er Will Harned, Greystar Erin Corcoran, Greystar Jay Pateakos, OECD Executive Director Patrick Dello Russo, CFO Jim Howland, OECD Assistant Director The meeting was called to order at 7 :45 PM. I. Remarks from the Chair. No remarks 2. Approve minutes from August 20, 2024. No action taken. 3. Meet for a discussion and vote on a TIE agreement with Greystar for the redevelopment of the property known as Whittenton Mills located at 437 Whittenton Street.  6 Mr. Pateakos stated that this site is 36 acres of dilapidated mill buildings. This started as a 700 apartment proposal but now they are looking at 390 apartments, some commercial space, and a walking path. They expect 62% to be one bedroom. Mr. Della Russo stated that this site has not paid taxes in over 12 years to the City and currently there is $1.5 Million in tax liens on the property. Mr. Souls gave a presentation including an overview of Greystar who does all types of housing. He touched on a similar project in Everett and noted that they are familiar with cleaning up sites. He showed a high level conceptual plan of 390 units. They will be before the Council for the Special Permit and Planning Board for Site Plan Review. Mr. Souls stated that they are trying to preserve the smokestack and noted that they are looking to have some open space including a perimeter walking trail. They are looking to subdivide a portion to bring in one or more retail locations. He discussed the existing conditions and noted that they anticipate the cleanup to be approximately $10 Million including abatement of hazardous materials and demo. Mr. Souls covered the details of the TIE proposal. The goal is to deliver attainable housing. Mr. Pottier stated that ideally this proposal will have limited impact on the school system and stressed that housing is needed throughout the spectrum and he hopes that this will act as a major revitalization effort to the area. Ms. Borges stated that there is a need for housing and she has no issue with the TIE agreement. Ms. Borges made the letter from Jay Pateakos part of the record. Mr. McCaul stated that there is a need for help with affordable housing, veterans housing, and senior housing. He said that he is happy to see life coming back to that area. Mr. Sanders asked for more details on the affordable aspect of the project. Mr. Souls stated that this is more of a market rate delivery for attainable housing designed to target renters in the 80-100% AMI range. There will be no income restriction. Mr. Sanders asked what the rent will be and Mr. Harned stated that they anticipate a one bedroom baseline would start at $1950. The blended, weighted average would be $2400. Mr. Sanders asked about the rent increase restriction and Mr. Souls explained that yearly increases would be capped at the greater of 3% or the CPI increase. Mr. Sanders asked how long that is good for and Mr. Souls stated that it would be for as long as Greystar owns the project. Mr. Sanders stated that he struggles with granting tax relief to a billion dollar company. Mr. Quintal stated that while Mr. Sanders makes sense, he believes they will really be helping the City of Taunton. He thinks the City will be benefitting more than Greystar. Mr. Duarte asked how legal issues were being resolved and Mr. Della Russo stated that, if conveyed, the liens would be satisfied at closing. The City would be made whole at that time. Mr. Duarte asked ifthere is any data from other projects as to how many apartments ended up in the 80-100% AMI bracket and Mr. Souls stated that most of their projects are Committee of the Whole August 27, 2024 Page 2 of3  7 luxury apartments. This would be a case study and first template. Jvlr. Duarte asked about the total cost of the project and Jvlr. Souls stated that they anticipate around the $150 Million range. Jvlr. Duarte asked how long the Everett project took and Jvlr. Souls stated that projects of this magnitude typically last about 18-24 months but here he expects an 18-20 month schedule. Jvlr. Duarte asked about section (B) of the TIE agreement and noted that roadway improvements might be needed to accommodate the amount of traffic. Ms. Corcoran stated that they have already engaged a traffic engineer and are looking at a traffic study. Jvlr. Duarte asked if the amenities on site would be public or just for residents and Jvlr. Souls stated that they are intended to be publicly available. Ms. Dooner stated that $1950 is virtually unaffordable for a good portion of residents in Taunton. She noted that she is weighing the pros and cons of this anangement but thinks that the pros do outweigh the cons. She is hopeful that people moving into these units might free up more affordable units. Jvlr. Martin asked if there would be any handicapped accessible units and Jvlr. Souls stated that federal housing guidelines govern housing and that 5% must be handicapped accessible day one and all units must be able to be converted. Motion by Mr. Duarte and seconded by Ms. Dooner to approve the Tax Increment Exemption for Greystar as presented On a roll call, all councilors present voted yes. So voted. Motion by Mr. Duarte and seconded by Ms. Dooner to adopt the Order authorizing an HDIP Tax Increment Exemption as presented So voted. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Duarte to excuse the parties and adjourn at 8:25 PM Sovoted. List of Documents and Other Exhibits Used: Committee of Whole meeting minutes of 8/20/24 V'L~tter from Jay Pateakos dated 8/8/24 v15rder Authorizing a Housing Development Incentive Program Tax Increment Exemption (TIE) Agreement Pursuant to MGL c. 40V for Premises at 437 Whittenton Street C:TY OF TAUNTON Respectfully submitted, SEP 0 3 2024 IN 'MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Maggie E. Clarke Clerk of Council Committees REPORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. Jl::;;iz. fl::; CITY CLERK Committee of the Whole August 27, 2024 Page 3 of3  8 City of Taunton Municipal Council September 3, 2024 The Committee on Finance and Salaries The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton, MA 02780 in the Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Members Present: Councilor Phillip Duarte, Chairman I' 2:l C-) I ~ _, Councilor Estele Borges Councilor Scott Martin I i I --1 )~ c::: :;1-.: ...,., (/) '"'O -·< ·~~ ·, ~·::;7 :-··: ;·1· i ·..-.··' -··I I ;-:1,-, ·-·-1 .. ...._..D_ -D ·~:~: ,~·1 -- ' -· :.n < The meeting was called to order at 7:30 AM. C) r- _,_ -~ u "-., r'l 1. Review the weekly vouchers and payroll for City departments. - r.,..., ~·~•. l x ):> I';'? w -~o -,., () r-r1 CT' Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to approve the payroll warrant in absentia. So voted. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to approve the accounts payable warrant in the amount of $2, 407, 095. 79. So voted. 2. Approve minutes from August 27, 2024. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to approve. So voted. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to adjourn at 7:32 AM So voted. List ofDocuments and Other Exhibits Used: The Committee on Finance and Salaries Meeting Minutes from 8/27/24 Payroll Absentia Letter from Ian Fortes dated 9/3/24 Bill Invoice Warrant #36 List of items over $100,000 CITY OF TAUNTON Respectfully submitted, .'SEP ff'S 2024 ~t_.~ IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Maggie E. Clarke Clerk of Council Committees ORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. ~~'lif.R~·L.l~ ITYCLERK