Mansfield Selectmen Roundup: Fincom, TM Contract and Comcast Issues

The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to notify town manager William Ross of their intent to reappoint him as town manager for another three –year term. They will be meeting later, either in open session or executive session, depending on the contract, to discuss the reworking of Ross’s contract.

The board discussed the issue of using credit cards for traveling expenses for town employees. The issue will be discussed again in a later meeting.

Ross said that the Finance Committee held its first meeting last week and appointed Walter Wilk as chair and Steven Schoonveld was voted in as vice chair. At the next meeting they are scheduled to talk about the town budget, both current actual numbers and projections as well as looking at historical numbers. At the meeting after that they will look at school budgets in the same fashion.

The Southeastern Regional Planning and Development requested in a letter to the board for candidates to come and sign up for elections. No member of the board expressed interest.

Ross said that the fuel canopy is in place at the DPW building with a fire suppressions system. He added that the project is being paid by the insurance company and not the town.

Selectman George Dentino requested to know why the pavement on West Street near the Erin Center Plaza was having construction work after only six years. Ross said that Department of Public Works director Lee Azinheira said that the work was done to create a contiguous line of pavement along that area of West Street.

Ross said that the issue concerning the hazardous waste liability in the New York dump has been completely resolved and the town is no longer liable for any future issues. The waste had been transferred legally in 1982 and the town followed all the rules, but Ross said that the rules had changed and the town owed $2,000 for cleanup of the materials, regardless of the fact that at the time, all rules regarding the disposal of the waste were followed.

Ross said that seal coating will be starting on Jennifer Drive, Serena Allan Way, Rsoewood Drive and Boundry Road next week. He added that work on Cabot Park and Forbes is continuing and is expected to be completed by June 27.

The committee voted 5-0 to authorize Ross to execute a lease agreement with GATRA Bus Company to allow them to park five small buses where the old Mansfield Animal Shelter used to be.

The committee read and discussed a letter from Edward Roy of Coventry Rhode Island concerning an incident at the 94.5 Summer Jam concert in which his daughter was assaulted by another female party. The board agreed to discuss the issue in their next meeting.

Selectman Jess Aptowitz said that the new parking machines for the Winthrop Street MBTA lot are coming in soon.

Selectman Kevin Moran asked that a discussion happen concerning the submittal of correspondences to the committee. He said that with the advent of modern technology there may not be a need for a letter to come in a full week before the meeting to be accepted.

Selectman Doug Annino handed out his rough draft for the committee’s mission statement.