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Robert
MacDonald named to Planning Board
By Mike Berger
Citizen Staff
In a clear
majority vote, selectmen and Planning Board members endorsed the
appointment of former Planning Board member Robert MacDonald to
fill the unexpired term of Jill Hayes, who resigned from the
board in mid-June.
MacDonald
will serve until the town’s next annual election in April of
2009. Members of both boards urged the other two applicants,
Eric Zine and Attorney Kristin Mirliani, to run at that time for
a five-year term, and were encouraged that three applicants had
submitted letters of interest in a short amount of time.
The official
vote, taken at Tuesday night’s selectmen’s meeting, was 7-0-2
with the abstentions coming from Planning Board Chairman Jeremy
Comeau and Planning Board member George Jenkins.
The
consensus of both boards was that experience was most needed at
this time, especially with the undetermined fate of the former
Plymouth Rubber property.
MacDonald
had served ten years on the Planning Board and has two years of
experience as a member of the Conservation Commission.
Ponkapoag Golf Gourse
In other
news, Town Administrator Bill Friel reported that the state
legislature and Governor Deval Patrick are ready to approve
special legislation inviting requests for proposals (RFP) for
the purchase of the Ponkapoag Golf Course. Canton would be given
the right of first refusal or privileged status to buy the golf
course from the state. The town could then lease the operation
of the property.
Selectmen
Chairman John Connolly said he is considering requesting a ‘blue
ribbon’ panel of town officials and residents to weigh the
merits of the proposal. In either case, he said, it could mean
more tax money for the town.
“I think we
have the responsibility to at least look at it,” Connolly said.
Selectmen
will also consider asking officials at the five public and
private golf courses in Canton for advice on town ownership and
operation.
Friel warned
that if the town were to purchase the property, it may require
an additional investment of $15 to $30 million to upgrade the
golf course and bring it up to acceptable golfing standards. The
state would also need the eventual buyer to commit to a 25-year
ownership of the property.
The governor
is expected to sign the legislation next week and a 120-day
period would then commence for the town to make a decision
before an official RFP is opened to commercial applicants.
Selectmen praised the work of state Senator Brian Joyce for
including Canton in the special legislation. (See related
article on this page.)
Westwood Station negotiations
In other
news, Selectman Bob Burr announced that he and Selectman Victor
Del Vecchio are involved in private negotiations with developer
Cabot, Cabot & Forbes to come to some resolution on the planned
development of Westwood Station. Burr reported that a lawsuit
against CC&F could still proceed in the fall if progress is not
made in the current talks.
Burr said
selectmen are open to hear ideas and are not opposed to the
project, but remain steadfast that there will not be any
negative impact to Canton traffic. Selectmen also want a better
phase-in of the construction and more infrastructure support
from the developer. Burr said one negotiation session has
occurred and another is set for this week.
In other
action:
• Town
Administrator Bill Friel gave an update of Route 138
construction work at the intersections of Washington and
Randolph streets. Friel said he is hopeful that the utility work
will be finished by July 11 and that the state will finish
landscaping, paving and line painting in the next four to six
weeks. Temporary paving from Randolph Street to Dan Road will be
done at night, beginning in the late summer or September.
• The town
has begun charging residents a $10 annual fee at its yard waste
facility; however, those who have a current $1sticker will not
be charged for the remainder of the year. The town received two
bids from operators for a new contract and Friel reported that
the current operator did a significant amount of cleanup in the
last 30 days.
• Canton
received a Certificate of Achievement of Excellence in Financial
Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of
the United States for its comprehensive annual financial report.
This is the highest form of recognition in the area of
government accounting and financial reports. Selectmen singled
out the work of Finance Director Jim Murgia and Town Accountant
Paul Gargano.
• Police
Chief Ken Berkowitz introduced three new patrol officers to
selectmen: CHS graduates Kevin Foley, Enslie Cotard and Sean
Good. All three will be working at some point on bike patrol,
giving more police visibility to the downtown area and the
streetscape project.
Foley
started his police career on the MBTA police force, has
completed two Army tours in Iraq, and is pursuing a degree at
Bridgewater State College. Good, a graduate of the University of
New Hampshire, spent several years in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Cotard graduated from Bridgewater State College with a degree in
criminal justice.
• Jillian
Hayes was appointed to the Permit Advisory Committee.
• Selectmen
recognized the hard work, diligence, and sense of humor of Judy
Nelson, who worked as administrative secretary to the Board of
Selectmen and Friel for five years. Nelson, who recently
accepted a position in the North Attleboro school
superintendent’s office, has been replaced in the interim by
Jennifer Andrews.
July 10, 2008
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