Select Board Plans for Annual Town Meeting

The weekly Select Board meeting began at 7:01 pm, called to order by Chair John Cronin.  Emergency Management Director, Fire Chief Michael Cassidy was invited up to provide the COVID update.

Chief Cassidy reported the following:

• It has been one month since the last new case of COVID was reported in Holliston
• It has been two weeks since the last case recovered.
• Recommended that the COVID case count on the Town website will move to once / week rather than daily.  The Board supported the recommendation with the condition that if circumstances warrant, the daily update could be reinstated.
• The plan for next Monday’s Annual Town Meeting at the Placentino/Miller schools has been worked out as follows:
  • Doors will open at 7:00 for a 7:30 start
  • Citizens enter through the Placentino main entrance
  • Turn right from the lobby to the check-in desk
  • 125 audience seats will be available in the cafetorium
  • 115 overflow seats (with 2-way AV connection) will be available in the gym
  • Portable A/C units will be rented to cool both areas (the Board approved $6,035 or less to be covered by CARES Act funds) – wear layers if the cool air might be an issue.
  • Arrows will direct the foot traffic pattern
  • Once seated (except for restroom breaks) stay seated
  • HCAT will have boom microphones and will go to audience members rather than passing a mike
  • A stationary microphone will be set up at the cafetorium door for people from the overflow room can address the meeting
  • The meeting will be broadcast on HCAT
  • Hand sanitizer will be available
  • Face coverings are required
  • A more formal announcement will be forthcoming from Chief Cassidy and a Blackboard Connect alert will be sent
  • The safety officials, Select Board, Town Clerk, and Moderator are recommending a ‘consent agenda’ which combines seven administrative articles into one vote.
• Click here to see the Town Meeting Warrant and Finance Committee report-> https://www.townofholliston.us/home/news/july-20-2020-annual-town-meeting-warrant-and-information

Warrants:  Board Clerk, Ben Sparrell, read the week’s warrants.  The Board approved the warrants:  $1,896,923.17 and $438,322.04

Public Comment: (the meeting audience is seen above)

• Mr. Sparrell – None
• Mrs. Hein -Reported that two water main breaks occurred in the past week – Dorsett and Church.  The costs will be presented at a future meeting to make everyone aware of the cost of our aging water infrastructure.
• Mr. Cronin – Received a note from Jackie Dellicker about the value of public service.  Cronin encouraged Hollistonians to consider serving on an elected or volunteer board/committee.
• Public – None

Town Meeting Motions:  The Board trued up the language of the motions for next week’s Town Meeting including what articles to include in the consent agenda motion – currently they are: 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and maybe 14.

Board Business:

• The Board delayed the appointment of Mr. Cronin to the MWRTA (Metro West Regional Transit Authority
• No donations
• The Board Chair along with the Chairs of the Finance and School Committees will sign a letter outlining Holliston’s needs related to the pandemic to be sent to our State and Federal legislators
• No transfers this week
• The Board voted to confirm the current language of Town Meeting Warrant article 19 that accepts roads from prior years
• August 25, 2020 was set as the date for the meeting about the Lowland Industrial Park truck traffic

Other Business:

• Mrs. Hein reported that the tall grass on the Marshall Street site of the new solar array needs mowing so the DEP inspectors can do their work.  3 – 4 acres of land needs attention and the Town’s heavy-duty mower needs a part before it can do the job.  Mr. Sparrell will liaise with DPW Director to see if s neighboring town will help.
• Mark Frank, Parks and Recreation Director, alerted the Board to a CPC funding request that does not appear in the current CPC Town Meeting article.  Mr. Frank will follow up tomorrow (today) with the CPC Chair.

The meeting adjourned at 7:54 pm