Holliston Select Board Chair Ben Sparrell called the April 10, 2023, meeting to order at 7:01 promising an “action-packed agenda.” 

Holliston High School – Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)

Below (L-R) Assistant Superintendent – Finance and Operations Keith Buday, School Committee Chair Dr. Mary Catherine Savard, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Kutska presented the 2023 Statement of Interest for funding from the MSBA for the Holliston High School.

Below are the slides presented to make the case for the MSBA to select Holliston High during the 2023 review period.

Members of the Board asked questions and offered comments in support and opposition to submitting this fifth SOI.  Some comments were:

• There are more than 1,000 windows in schools that should be replaced.
• Pre-K is likely to be mandated by the Federal Government – increasing our total school population.
• The only way to get access to the MSBA grant funding is through the SOI process.
• Holliston is competing with many other MA communities for MSBA support.
• The School Committee should be building wide-spread (all ages) community support for whatever path is available: MSBA support OR Town-funded renovation / building projects.
• MSBA funding percentage is fluid and determined at the time of building.
• No cost to submit SOI (Due this Friday, April 14, 2023.)
• It would be several (4 – 5+) years before a new building be completed.
• The current High School facility is not at full capacity and its condition does not threaten the upcoming NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation review.

Ultimately, Mr. Sparrell and Mrs. Hein voted in support of authorizing Dr. Kutska to submit the 2023 on behalf of Holliston.  Mr. Cronin opposed the motion noting that this year’s application is not outstanding (using last year’s MSBA award recipients as a benchmark) and that he would rather see a focus on a thorough evaluation of the existing building / resources.

Publisher’s Comment: The MSBA process seems like the Lottery – you can’t win if you don’t play.  Holliston has chosen to play again in 2023. And like the Lottery many people take the chance and just a few win.

Update from Weston & Sampson on Analysis of Sites for Future DPW Facility

Facilities Manager James Keast (above) presented the findings from Weston and Sampson after their site visit to the property at 20 Cross St (aka Axton – Cross).  If the Town is awarded ownership through ongoing Land Court proceedings, the existing concrete cap will need to be replaced and the ground water in the area will need to be contained throughout any construction.  Mr. Keast did not have a specific cost for these “soft costs” but estimated they could be in the “seven figure” range.

Mr. Cronin and Mrs. Hein see the Cross St property as the best option – UNLESS the remediation costs are too much.  Mr. Ahern assured the Board that any action at the upcoming Town Meeting relative to this project would not mean that we couldn’t take an “exit ramp” in the future if needed.  Mr. Sparrell wants to know more specifically what the risks / costs are before supporting the Cross St. plan.

The Board did approve an article for the May Town Meeting that would:

Request a borrowing authorization for $23,000,000 for the DPW project:

• 25% non-excluded $5,750,000 (not above Prop. 2 1/2, balanced within the budget)
• 75% non-excluded $17,250,000 (above Prop. 2 1/2) This would lead to a Ballot question on the May 25, 2023 Town Election.

May 2023 Annual Town Meeting Warrant:

• Final Summary of Articles

The Board reopened the Warrant to remove the two articles in red strikethrough.  The Board then voted to reclose the Warrant and approve it as presented by the Town Administrator.

Public Comment:

• Mrs. Hein:
  • Received complaints from residents related to the recent Auto Show held at Authentic Auto.
  • The Parks & Recreation Department is working on a Scheduling procedure for use of Blair Square (something similar to applying to use the Upper Town Hall)
• Mr. Cronin:
  • South St resident complaints about construction noise at Hopping Brook Industrial Park on Saturdays.  The appropriate Town boards had granted permission to work the hours that were in question.
  • A Woodland St. resident reported seeing six 18-wheelers transiting that street on the way to the Lowland Industrial Park on Friday, April 7^th.  Mr. Cronin asked for heightened HCVE enforcement in this residential neighborhood.
• Mr. Sparrell:
  • Encouraged all residents to be involved in the work of the Envisioning Future Holliston (EFH) Committee (2 ways)
    • Click here to add your input to the Committee https://www.townofholliston.us/home/news/help-envision-future-holliston-and-share-your-ideas
    • Zoom in to the public meetings of EFH – TUESDAY April 11, 2023, https://www.townofholliston.us/envisioning-future-holliston-clrpc/events/142211
• Public:
  • Barbara Peatie, Chair of the EFH Committee, thanked Mr. Sparrell for the promotion of the Committee’s work.
  • Dr. Liz Theiler (Public Comment e-mail read into the record by the Board Clerk)

“I would like to clarify a point which I discovered in reviewing the MRI report. The MRI report states:
Assign a Department Safety Officer that oversees all safety issues within the Department.” IX-23 p 71 That means create from WITHIN the present staff of fire operations.
So there are FOUR auxiliary firemen positions not recommended by MRI that are posted to add to the already 47 firemen on staff.  While for about 30% of the calls there are 47 firemen, and there are only 17 EMT’s to cover the 70% ambulance calls.  47 firemen for 30% of the calls and 17 EMTs for 70% of the calls. Something is askew with the numbers!
How did this happen?  And it obviously continues!” Liz Theiler PhD
Mr. Ahern provided a response to Dr. Theiler’s assertion regarding the four auxiliary positions.

Warrant(s): The Board approved the weekly warrants totaling -> $2,765,450.37.

Comments from the Town Administrator:

• Mayflower Medicinals, a Holliston cannabis cultivator, is consolidating to Fall River.  Work is underway to ensure a secure transition out of their facility in Holliston.

Board Business:  The Board took the following actions:

Above left, Sharon Thornton, and right, Carol Holly, from the Holliston Garden Club were present to answer any questions related to Holliston’s Tree City USA application and Arbor Day 2023.

• Chair Sparrell read the Holliston Arbor Day 2023 Proclamation – Tree City USA Prerequesite

Supporters of the Tree City USA application have posted two articles in the Holliston Reporter providing more details.

https://hollistonreporter.com/2023/02/holliston-a-tree-city-usa-its-up-to-us/https://hollistonreporter.com/2023/04/why-become-a-tree-city-usa-anyway/

• Approved an Event Permit for an Arbor Day Event at Blair Square (April 29, 2023)
• Established a Tree Gift Account, for the promotion of healthy trees in Holliston (Tree City USA prerequisite)
• Established a Community Farm Gift Account (for charitable donations)
• Approved the minutes of the February 27, 2023, meeting.
• Approved the Common Victuallers License for T.C. Scoops, 100 Central Street
• The Board forwarded the request – [All residents on Union St. extension request that no granite curbing be installed during the repaving of that section of Union St.] – to the DPW / Engineering Consultant for implementation of an alternative that will meet specifications. Below, Union St resident Barbara Peatie spoke on behalf of the petitioners citing the narrowness of the road service and no cul-de-sac at the end of the street requiring vehicles to make k-turns that risk hitting granite curbs.

• Moved to the April 18, 2023, SB Agenda:
  • Appointment(s) to the Agricultural Commission – Review letters of interest, Board appointment anticipated.
    • Jeanne Chuslo
    • Andy Reseska
  • One Day Alcoholic Beverage License for Rushford & Sons Brewhouse, LLC from May 12, 2023, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bird and Bear Collective, 736 Washington Street –

Other Business: None

The meeting adjourned at 9:33pm.  Next week’s Select Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.