Information for Meeting of Board of Selectmen
Monday January 09, 2023 6:00 PM EST

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Town:Essex, MA 
Board:Board of Selectmen
Time:Monday January 09, 2023 6:00 PM EST
Location:Town Hall - Auditorium (3rd Floor)
30 Martin Street, Essex, MA 01929
Agenda:
Selectmen’s Meeting								January 9, 2022
Town Hall, 3rd Floor Auditorium, 30 Martin Street

This meeting will be conducted in-person, with the public welcome, but will also be made available to the public via remote participation to the greatest extent possible. Members of the public who wish to listen to and/or view the meeting may do so via two-way Video Call (with the option to show yourself on video or not and with the option to use a phone to call in, for two-way audio-only). Please note that while an option for remote attendance and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hearing will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast or its quality, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person versus virtual attendance accordingly.  

The link to the video conference is:  https://join.freeconferencecall.com/bzubricki, and, if prompted, the on-line meeting ID is bzubricki.  Depending on your device and software installed, you may be able to join directly, by web browser, or, you may have to download the application directly (you will be shown that choice when you go to the above link).  You should be joined in mute mode.  However, if that is not the case, please click on the audio icon to mute your microphone.  You can choose to activate your camera to show yourself, or not.  The camera should be off, by default, when you join.

If you do not have a digital device to join via the link above, you can also dial a telephone number and be directly connected to the meeting, via two-way audio only.  The call-in-only number is: (425) 436-6352 and the access code is 1729820. 

Further, it is likely that this meeting will be broadcast by 1623 Studios over the local cable television network.  Please check your cable listings for details if you are a Comcast cable television subscriber. 


AGENDA – OPEN SESSION

6:00 p.m.	Call to Order. 

6:30 p.m.	Finance Committee Chair Ben Buttrick and Town Accountant Jeff Soulard to discuss fiscal year 2024 and future Regional School District budgets.

7:00 p.m.	Public Hearing to consider whether the Town will exercise the Town’s right of first refusal pursuant to G.L.c.61A s.14 to purchase the  property known as 30 Apple Street, Assessors’ Map 142, Lot 8, and possibly to execute any and all documents necessary or convenient in connection with the acquisition of said property, including, but not limited to, a Notice of Exercise and Purchase and Sale Agreement.

Brendhan Zubricki:  Presentation of his Town Administrator’s Report for the period December 10, 2022 through January 6, 2023, regarding the following:  
•	Solid Waste and Recycling Services Contract Pricing Update
•	Process for the Sale of Town-owned Lots on Gregory Island
•	Response to Public and Planning Board Input, Apple Street Project
•	Proposal for Long-Term Lease of Centennial Grove Cottage
•	Town Hall Damage in Recent Windstorm
•	Manchester Essex Regional School Dist. Tentative FY24 Budget Hearing
•	School Budget Collaboration Group Meeting Summary
•	Selectmen’s Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget Request
•	Selectmen’s Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Budget Request
•	Continued Review of Annual Town Meeting Topics
•	Community Planning Grant Kickoff
•	Massachusetts Downtown Inititative (MDI) Placemaking Grant Kickoff
•	Urban Agenda Grant Kickoff
•	Possible Grant for Centennial Grove Improvements vs. Other Grants
•	Award of Gap III Grant for Drinking Water/Wastewater Facilities
•	Consideration of State-mandated Mosquito Spraying Opt-out for

OTHER BUSINESS:
•	Approve the weekly warrant in the amount of $.
•	Vote to exempt from Section 20 of Chapter 268A of the General Laws, the contracts and amounts for the individuals listed below contained within the 12/15/2022 warrant pursuant to subsection (d) of said Section.
NAME	VENDOR	DATE	AMOUNT	DEPT’S BILL
Jim McNeilly	McNeilly EMS	11/29/2022	$ 2,189.00	Ambulance
Jim McNeilly	McNeilly EMS	12/01/2022	$      58.00	Ambulance
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	11/22/2022	$    109.00	Fire
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	11/17/2022	$      44.00	Fire
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s.	11/08/2022	$      60.00	Fire
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	11/04/2022	$      53.63	Fire
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	10/31/2022	$    213.90	Fire
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s.	10/27/2022	$      65.80	Fire
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	10/25/2022	$    115.90	Fire

•	Vote to exempt from Section 20 of Chapter 268A of the General Laws, the contracts and amounts for the individuals listed below contained within the 12/22/2022 warrant pursuant to subsection (d) of said Section.
NAME	VENDOR	DATE	AMOUNT	DEPT’S BILL
Ernie Nieberle	Nieberle’s	11/24/2022	$    206.00	Highway

•	Approve the minutes for the Selectmen’s December 12, 2022, Open Meeting and Executive Session.
•	Vote to accept a gift in the amount of $250.00 to the Town Property Gift Fund from Urvee Corporation.
•	Vote to accept a donation to the Police Department Gift Account in the amount of $300.00 from Ed and Pat Marchetti.
•	Ratify the Chairman’s signature on the contract amendment to the FY22 Firefighters Safety Equipment Grant in the amount of $9,225.21.
•	Ratify the Chairman’s signature on the paperwork for the FY23 Firefighters Safety Equipment Grant in the amount of $12,492.00.
•	Vote to appoint Keith Carter as an alternate to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a 2-year term, commencing 2/1/2023 upon the expiration of his second 3-year term on the Board.
•	Consider a request from Open Space Committee Chair Julie Scofield to appoint Rebecca Davis to one of the vacant positions on the Open Space Committee for a partial 1-year term, ending 6/30/2023.
•	Consider the use of a fund appropriated in 2016 by the Annual Town Meeting to board the dwellings and fence off the garage building at the Allen properties on Southern Avenue.
•	Preliminary consideration of whether the Town should exercise a right of first refusal for the purchase of 31 Apple Street, Assessors’ Map 142, Lot 014.
•	Ratify the Chairman’s signature on the nomination of Annie Cameron as the Essex representative to the Action, Inc. Board of Directors. 
•	Consider the approval of a contract for the provision of both tax collection software and accounting software to replace the products now in use in those departments.
•	Review and discuss a letter from the Essex Police Association regarding the Association’s opinion on the level of academy training for part-time police officers.
•	Consider extent of cost of living allowance for retirees receiving pensions as a member of the Essex Regional Retirement District.
•	Items that could not be reasonably anticipated by the Open Meeting Law posting deadline.

PERSONNEL BOARD:
•	See request from the Town Clerk to consider increasing the Town Clerk Salary Range, starting in fiscal year 2024.

LICENSING Ratify the signatures of the Board:
	Antiques License (New):
•	Janelle Bannon, Diamonds & Rust, 1 Southern Avenue
Antiques License Renewal:
•	Katrina Haskell, The Essex Exchange, 101 John Wise Avenue
Common Victualler License Renewal:
•	Renato Inacio, Essex Pizza & Restaurant, 235 Western Avenue

REMINDERS:
•	The next regular Board of Selectmen’s meeting will take place on Monday, January 23, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the 3rd floor auditorium of the Town Hall, 30 Martin Street.
•	The Board of Selectmen will meet jointly with the Planning Board on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the 3rd floor auditorium of the Town Hall, 30 Martin Street.

PUBLIC COMMENT.

AGENDA - EXECUTIVE SESSION

•	Discussion regarding ongoing dispute with regard to the defects in the roof at the new Public Safety Facility and strategy for potential litigation with respect thereto. Executive Session expected pursuant to G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(3).
Scheduled By:Pam Witham
Posted At:Jan 05, 2023 12:02 PM EST
Last Modified:Jan 09, 2024 7:06 AM EST
Minutes:Minutes are not on record with the Town Clerk's office
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Minutes and Associated Documents

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2023-01-09 EXEC REL.pdf  (download) 203 Kb Jan 09, 2024 7:06 AM EST
2023-01-09 SM.pdf  (download) 389 Kb Jan 24, 2023 10:21 AM EST