WILMINGTON, MA — Watch the Wilmington School Committee Meeting from Monday, January 23, courtesy of Wilmington Community Television, below:
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In case you missed them, below are some highlights from the meeting, previously shared on Wilmington Apple:
#1) RIGHTING A WRONG: The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to sponsor an article on the 2017 Annual Town Meeting Warrant to rename the Wilmington High School Gymnasium in memory of Lawrence H. Cushing, Sr., the town’s first Physical Education Director, Recreation Director and Director of Athletics. Selectmen were surprised to learn that when the new high school was built, all the names associated with parts of the previous school building (e.g., Cushing Gymnasium, Barrows Auditorium, etc.) were not transferred over. Selectmen hope the School Committee will also support this measure, which is being brought forward by resident Jack Cushing. Several Selectmen expressed a desire to eventually create a formal process to deal with naming rights and requests as it relates to town-owned buildings.
#2) SAVE THE DATE: Selectwoman Judy O’Connell, Chair of the Yentile Farm Development Committee, announced that the facility will celebrate its Grand Opening on Saturday, May 13, with a rain date of Saturday, May 20. The day’s program is still being planned, but the Wilmington Rotary Club will be playing an important role in making sure the festivities are memorable.
#3) SANCTUARY STATE: Selectman Mike McCoy made a motion for the Board to send a letter to its state legislative delegation encouraging them to oppose a bill from State Senator Jamie Eldrich (“The Trust Act”) that would, essentially, make every city and town in Massachusetts a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants, including those who have committed violent crimes. McCoy called the proposal “ridiculous.” While all of his colleagues agreed with his sentiments, members were divided over whether a letter was really necessary. Selectman Mike Champoux felt the matter did not rise to a level of direct, immediate impact on Wilmington residents, unlike the New England Transrail proposal or Kinder Morgan Pipeline proposal. Selectman Greg Bendel wanted to receive the recommendation of Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis before acting. Selectwoman Judy O’Connell suggested the town’s state legislation was likely to oppose the legislation anyway, and that it would be wise for the town to reach out to Miceli Gordon and Tarr to learn of their positions before determining if a letter was necessary. In the end, McCoy’s motion failed, 2-3, with McCoy and Kevin Caira voting in favor, while Champoux, Bendel and O’Connell voted in opposition. Look for this matter to be revisited at a meeting in the near future, with Selectmen receiving additional requested information prior to another vote.
#4) COMMON PURPOSE: The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to light the Town Common Purple for the Month of May in recognition of the American Cancer Society’s Paint The Town Purple” campaign. The American Cancer Society uses purple to symbolize survivorship. May is also recognized as Skin Cancer Awareness Month and Brain Cancer Awareness Month. The lighting request was submitted by the organizers of the support of Wilmington’s Relay For Life. This will be the third consecutive year that the Common will turn purple in May.
#5) VOLUNTEER STEPS UP: The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 to ratify Town Manager Jeff Hull’s appointment of Megan E. Delehanty Coslick to fill a vacancy on the Wilmington Historical Commission. This group of appointed volunteers, dedicated to preserving the history of Wilmington, meets on the second Monday night of most months, generally at the Wilmington Town Museum.
#6) ONE APPEAL DOWN, ONE TO GO: Against Town Counsel’s advice, Selectmen voted, 3-2, to move forward with its appeal of the school district’s decision not to turn over Executive Session minutes related to former Superintendent Mary DeLai’s departure. Selectmen Mike Champoux and Greg Bendel supported a motion to rescind the board’s previous vote to allow the appeal to move forward, while Selectmen Mike McCoy, Kevin Caira, and Judy O’Connell maintained their support for the appeal. The decision comes on the heels of receiving a slightly less redacted separation agreement after a similar appeal to the Massachusetts State Supervisor of Records, which the Selectmen have decided not to pursue any further. If the appeal for the Executive Session minutes is not successful, Selectmen expect to be able to receive the minutes shortly after June 30, when DeLai’s separation agreement expires. (Selectman Kevin Caira wondered if that timeline could be altered, however, if DeLai were to file for unemployment, at which time Wilmington may be on the hook for a portion of DeLai’s claim, as would the Watertown Public Schools, her current employer.) Selectwoman Judy O’Connell continues to want more information on the rationale behind the School’s Committee decisions, but believes nothing else will be forthcoming as their committee members are bound by the legal parameters of the separation agreement. Selectman Mike McCoy praised the Selectmen’s course of action, noting they are “chipping away” and attaining “small victories” in their pursuit of more transparency on this matter. Selectmen Greg Bendel said the Board has done its due diligence, is likely not to receive any additional information, and should now refocus its energy towards other important issues that will help the town.
#7) SHRED THE PEAK: Selectmen heard a 60-minute presentation from the administration of the Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD). RMLD noted it has the second lowest energy rates of any provider in Massachusetts, behind only Peabody Municipal Light. RMLD heavily promoted its ongoing “Shred The Peak” campaign, requesting that customers reduce their energy use during peak periods on really hot days during the summer. Last summer, the first of the campaign, RMLD alerted residents 12 times of peak usage periods. RMLD saves about $200,000 per megawatt during the peak period. RMLD provided services to 58 new residential buildings and 21 new commercial/industrial buildings in Wilmington in FY16. RMLD is currently looking in the Ballardvale area, near the National Grid transmission lines, for a possible substation. Wilmington, one of four member communities, continues to consume about 60% of RMLD’s and receives a $750,000 payment from RMLD each year. Overall, Selectmen praised RMLD for its low rates, reliable performance, quality customer service, and strong reputation amongst its competitors.
#8) OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT: Selectmen have been slapped with an open meeting law complaint from a Swansea resident over what appear to be very minor issues with the agenda for its December 12th meeting. The complainant – Patrick Higgins – argued there was no official start time to the meeting listed on the agenda, even though the first appointment was listed as beginning at 7pm. (Technically, Roll Call, Pledge of Allegiance, and Approval of Treasury Warrants and Minutes all take place prior to the first appointment, but generally take 2-3 minutes.) The man also suggested the board violated the open meeting law by not listing all of the businesses that had licenses that were being considered for license renewals that night. There were, however, more than 65 licenses up for renewal, and listing them all on the agenda would be impractical, according to Town Manager Hull. Selectmen directed Town Counsel to respond to the complaint. It’s unclear why the Swansea resident has taken such an interest in the Town of Wilmington, as he also filed previous complaints against both the Selectmen and School Committee in the past few months.
#9) SELECTMEN GO TO STATE CONFERENCE: Selectwoman Judy O’Connell and Selectman Mike Champoux, along with Town Manager Jeff Hull and Assistant Town Manager Dee Casey, attended the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s Annual Meeting and Trade Show at the Hynes Convention Center last week. O’Connell recapped her time spent there, noting she attended workshops on such issues as the Opioid Epidemic and Diversifying Your Housing Stock. She noted that officials from other communities were very complimentary of Wilmington and its leadership. O’Connell also noted that the town’s Department of Public Works received an award in Risk Management at the Conference. DPW Director Michael Woods will be coming to a Selectmen’s Meeting in the near future to be recognized and give an update on his department.
#10) WILMINGTON-TEWKSBURY CHAMBER LAUNCHES: Selectwoman Judy O’Connell and Selectman Mike Champoux also both attended the first event of the newly expanded Wilmington-Tewksbury Chamber of Commerce last Thursday night. “[This new partnership] is going to be excellent for both communities,” said O’Connell before praising the Chamber’s Executive Director Nancy Vallee. O’Connell also noted she met two Tewksbury Selectmen at the networking event, and looks forward to exchanging ideas with them on economic development and other issues that both communities confront. Selectman Mike Champoux serves on the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
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