All committee votes will be taken up by the entire City Council on April 5, 2022, for final approval. The process begins with committee approval.
My highlights of the evening: (all the business listed will need final approval of the entire City Council at the next meeting, April 5, 2022).
City Property & Claims Committee: Sara Lynn Renolds, Chair.
- Motion to accept the donation of 25 t-shirts from Max Crawford to the Attleboro Youth Commission. Vote passed 3-0.
- Motion to fund $499 for a new desk for the Personnel Director. Vote passed: 3-0.
- Motion to appropriate $37,488 to replace two ornamental lights on Pleasant Street that were damaged in car accidents. The city is waiting for insurance reimbursement on these lights but wants to fix the lights ASAP. Vote passed: 3-0. The Public Works budget could not afford these lights this late in the fiscal year but determined it was important to fix them now.
Additional business before the City Property Committee:
- In 2019 the mayor requested that the facade restriction be lifted on the old high school building at 135 county street. The City Council voted on May 14, 2019, to put a facade restriction on the sale of that building. The building has been up for sale since 2019 with no serious buyers.
- The mayor also asked the City Council to remove the facade restriction on February 4, 2020. The City Council struck the request from the docket and no vote was taken at that time.
- Only one offer has been made to buy the old high school since it was put on the market in 2019. The city rejected that offer because the potential buyer wanted the city to finance a one million dollar offer, to be paid back over time.
- Based on feedback from developers, the city administration currently believes the facade restriction prevents the sale of the old high school building.
- Tonight, the chair of the City Property Committee, Sara Lynn Reynolds, did not call for a committee vote to remove the facade restriction. Therefore, facade restriction was not discussed and remains in committee as old business. It may or may not be discussed and voted upon.
Personnel, Veterans, And Human Services Committee: Michael Angelo, Chair
- Approved a $94,182 state award for the formula grant with the council on aging. Passed: 3-0. (This grant will be awarded by the state of Massachusetts for the next ten years as part of the state budget for Attleboro’s COA programs, activities, and helping with clerical salaries).
- Approved a shine grant for $74,746.98 from the executive office of elder affairs. Passed: 3-0. (This is a MA state grant to help with Attleboro COA’s MassHealth, Medicare counseling).
- Approved Marian Wrightington, Brian Ludwig, Rachel Killion, & Diane Mangiarattig (alternate) to the Historical Commission.
- Approved Ian Daley as a constable and Domenic Cotoia, James Jones and Ed Stanton to the cable commission.
- Approved Don Smyth for a 3-year term on the Board Of Assessors.
Public Safety Committee: Peter Blais, Chair
- Approved expending funds for the FY2023 Student Awareness of Fire Education (Safe) Grant and The Senior Safe Grant of $9,530. This grant educates seniors and children about the dangers of fire. There is no matching requirement for the grant.
Ordinances, Elections and Legislative Matters Committee: Cathleen DeSimone, Chair
- A public hearing will be held on April 5, 2011, regarding an ordinance change to raise zoo admission fees and the membership fee structure. The Superintendent of Parks & Forestry, Derek Corsi, notified the city council of the sharp rise in food, bedding and animal care costs at the zoo. Supt. Corsi informed the City Council that zoo membership and admission fees are insufficient to cover zoo operating expenses and necessary improvements to the zoo’s infrastructure.
Please tune in at 7pm for the next city council meeting, April 5th at 7 pm, for the public hearing re: the Capron Park Zoo.
License Committee: Ty Waterman, Chair.
- Approved a class 2 license submitted the Papantoniadis Automotive Goup, at 676 Pleasant Street. The new dual name will be Pleasant Street Auto/Toy Karz. The business will continue to repair cars and expand into selling used cars.
7. Public Works Committee: Laura Dolan, Chair
- Approved Attleboro’s chapter 90 state aid – $1,206,095 from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
- Approved request from Superintendent of Public Works, Mike Tyler, of $25,775 to fund the DPW gasoline fund due to an increase in consumption and the sharp increase in gas.
- Approved DPW request of $55,508 for increase in consumption and pricing of diesel fuel.
- Approved $30,250 for to replace two lime slaker grit remover assemblies at the wastewater dept. The lime shakers are 16 years old and replacement parts are no longer available. Both grit removers are failing and require retrofitting to the new assembly style. The Attleboro staff will do much of the work to save city expenses. I want to thank the wastewater staff for their work.
- Approved $25,600 to help DPW cover unanticipated costs to replace the Pitas Avenue Bridge in South Attleboro. This project was entirely funded by Chapter 90 funds to date.
- Approved $34, 285 to help DPW cover environmental work, survey and roadway re-design, Chapter 91 dredge permitting at the Peckham Street Culvert. This project was entirely grant funded to date.
- The Attleboro Health Department has been awarded a $48,000 grant by the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection. The DPW committee approved expending these funds. This Sustainable Materials Recovery municipal grant will help Attleboro improve our Recycling and Waste Reduction program. Attleboro participates in this annual grant program.
8. Finance committee: Richard Conti, Chair
- Approved a motion to appropriate $100,000 to hire a consulting firm for the preparation of a comprehensive master plan for Capron Park Zoo.
- After discussion, the Finance Committee approved going forward with a zoo master plan 3 to 0.
The next City Council meeting is set for April 5th at 7 pm at City Hall.
Cheers.
-Ty
Ty Waterman 