Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Wednesday,
June 19, 2013
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Quick
Article Index . . .
Board
of Selectmen Regular Meeting Agenda Monday - June 17, 2013.
Westport Rivers Vineyard Sunset Music Series kicks off
this Friday June 21st.
Young People's Art Classes at the Westport Grange start Thursday, June
27th.
Paddle the Region’s Most
Scenic Waterways this summer with The Trustees of Reservations.
FWCOA sends out annual appeal for membership.
Board of
Selectmen Regular Meeting Agenda
Monday - June 17, 2013 Selectmen’s meet tonight, with executive session
to follow. FY 2014 annual appointments will be made tonight starting at 8:30
p.m. during the public meeting. EverythingWestport.com Monday,
June 17, 2013 Board of
Selectmen Regular Meeting Agenda
Monday - June 17, 2013 6:00 PM Eagle Scout Award - Benjamin C.
Brayton. 6:00 PM
Public Hearing - RE: An
application request of Westport Rivers, Inc., 417 Hix
Bridge Road, Westport, MA – Robert Russell, Manager for an All Alcohol
Pouring Permit License. 6:15 PM
Public Hearing – RE: An application request of Buzzards Bay Brewing,
218 Horseneck
Road, Westport, MA – Robert Russell, Manager for an Alcohol Pouring
Permit License. 6:30 PM
Public Hearing – RE: An application request of Edward and Robin
Hart,108 Snyder Road, Somerset, MA for the transfer of a six-month seasonal
trailer permit for recreational
purposes to locate a trailer on 42 West Beach Road. The property is known on Assessor’s Map
76A, Lot 142. 6:45 PM Affordable Housing Trust – RE: Noquochoke Village P&S and LDA; and Amendment to the
Mass Development Loan for the Quinn Property. 7:00 PM Planning Board – RE: Appointment of
Recording Clerk, Joan Steadman &
Town Planner II, Lucy Tabit. 7:15 PM Chris Gonsalves,
Highway Department – RE: Request to lift hiring freeze and appointment of new hire, Paul Lourenco. 7:30 PM Council on Aging – RE: COA Director Interviews and Appointment. 7:45 PM Discussion – RE: Visit to Freetown for related water treatment
for Fall River water and Westport’s interest in water quality (THM count)
coming into Westport. 7:50 PM Discussion – RE: Status of Public
Water Supply Contract with Fall River. 7:55 PM Discussion – RE: South Watuppa Pond water levels. 8:00 PM Discussion – RE: Approval of Sam Tripp Brook Stormwater Remediation Proposal Grant application. 8:15 PM Steve Lombard, Business Manager –
RE: Update on Purchase Orders and Computer System Update and consider
appointment of IT Committee. 8:30 PM
Annual Appointments Action
Items 1.
Request for authorization for Fire Department surplus equipment swap
with Town of Dartmouth. 2.
Retain / Return – Articles. 3.
Approval of End of the Year Transfers. 4.
Approval of One Day Liquor Licenses for Westport Rivers Vineyard &
Winery, Buzzards
Bay Brewing, Coastal Wine Group and Westport Land Conservation Trust, Inc 5.
Requests to carry over vacation time – Sharon Potter and Kathy DeNadal, Assessors’
Office and Ralph Souza, Building Dept. 6. Approval
of DoD Firefighting Program Cooperative Agreement
and Federal Excess
Personal Property Cooperative Agreement. 7.
Discussion regarding Human Resources responsibilities for Non-Union
positions. 8.
Approval of Forest Stewardship reimbursement application. 9.
Approval of agreements for Operator Services for the Town Hall, Town
Hall Annex and Town of Westport Public Water Supply –
Linda Correia. 10. Discussion – Marker placement in Beech
Grove Veterans’ section for Leo St. Onge. 11. Approval of a Common Victualler License for Main Street Cafe &
Bakery. Minutes - Approval of Special Meeting
Minutes of April 4 & 22, 2013 and Regular Meeting Minutes of May 13,
2013. Question
and Answer Period Town
Administrator’s Report Sam Tripp Brook Stormwater
Management Project. Tony, Richard and I met with Joe Costa and his staff at
BBNEP and a CZM and WRWA staff member to evaluate five engineering proposals
to develop plans to treat stormwater runoff from
Drift Road Sam Tripp Brook. The Town
received a $20,000.00 grant for this purpose.
The evaluation process was very interesting and resulted in the choice
of Polaris Engineering for the project.
Tony, Richard and I believe that a
successful project depends on securing an easement to utilize land of private owners abutting the property, and I
have been given the task of following up with landowners to see if we can
find one or more that would be willing to donate land for this purpose. The Board should consider a vote to move
forward with the project. Once
completed, other grant funds
will be sought to construct the project. The Town share (for example, 25% of a 319 Stormwater Grants secured) could be in-kind services,
such as the Highway Department men and machines, my time and WRWA time. Attached is a plan of the area involved. Highway
Department Staffing The 7:15 PM Agenda
Item deals with Highway Department Staffing, and I have submitted a separate
memo to you on this. Fall River
Water Contract / Visit to Freetown A visit was conducted to view the Treatment
System and discuss Trihalomethane treatment
issues. Tony Vieira, Jim Walsh and I
met with Mike Pillarella, Chairman of the Freetown
Water Commission and Kevin Desmarais, the Water
Mechanic. Freetown has been dealing with Trihalomethanes issues for five years and spent a lot of
money over that time period doing so.
They have about 400 billed customers in Assonet Village, using Fall
River water, and 200 customers in E. Freetown using New Bedford water. (New
Bedford uses ammonia in their treatment process and has no Trihalomethane problem as a result). They suggested that we explore aeration
rather than activated carbon as treatment system. They also suggested we
speak with Ryan Trahan of Environmental Partners and consider them as our
water engineers. I’ve called Ryan and
left a message for him to call. We
need to report to the DEP by the end of the month, and I am off from June
20th to July 7th. I have arranged to
meet with Ryan Trahan of Environmental Partners on Tuesday, June 18th at 8:30
AM. We may, depending on that
interview, ask him to send us a proposed agreement to serve as the Town’s Water
Engineer. We can then report to the
DEP on our actions to date as well as the test results (see attached) when Linda Correia
submits her report at the end of the month. Annual
Report on Health Insurance Costs George Foster has prepared the attached
report required under 801 C MR52.07 and requests the Board’s
approval to submit it. Please
review it and be prepared to vote to authorize it to be submitted by the
Treasurer. Massachusetts
Development Loan Agreement Amendment You may recall that, as part of the cleanup
of the Perry and Quinn properties, the Town entered into a Loan Agreement with
Massachusetts Development for $200,000.
to pay for the cleanup of the site. We are in the final phase of the
cleanup and need another $6,500. to complete the
work prior to the sale of the land to the Community Builders (TCB) who will
construct the Noquochoke Village (see agenda item
at 6:45 PM). Under the
terms of the loan, the loan is payable if the Town sells the property. Under the Purchase and Sales Agreement with
TCB, TCB will pay the loan off at the closing, in the full amount, including
the Amendment of $ 206,500. Because we
have not submitted the
Amendment to you earlier, you may want it to be put back on for the June 24th
meeting for you to sign at that time. East Beach
Road Update Attached you will find a memo from TEC’s Susan
Spratt on East Beach Road. “Modified Reclaimed Pavement Borrow” is a
material that, if disturbed, could be re-worked and replaced, as opposed to
asphalt pavement which cannot. Please vote to authorize the Engineer to put
the job out to bid so that we can move forward with the project this Fall. In a related matter, Brian Beaulieu, at my
request, has contacted Mr. Carmichael and he has agreed to extend the
deadline for FEMA funding. I have
attached a copy of the application for extension for your information and
review. End of Report.
Correspondence
– Action Required A request was received from SRTA for a representative
to the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board. A request was received from the Westport
Holy Ghost Club for the refund or future application of the One-Day Liquor
License fee due to the venue being moved. A request was received from the Republican
Town Committee for appointment of Permanent Poll Workers. A request was received from the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society for their Bike MS 150-Mile Charity bike ride. Police recommendation attached. A request was received from Buzzards Bay
Coalition to replace old signs at waterfront locations around Town regarding
the water quality at no cost to the Town. Board Members suggestion of items for
future agenda discussion/action.
Executive
session. Executive Session pursuant to Massachusetts
General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 21 to hear a grievance – Council on Aging;
to discuss/consider Agreement for Drinking Water services with City of Fall
River; update on School Labor Contract Negotiations; and to approve Executive
Session Minutes of May 6, 13 & 16, 2013. Westport Rivers Vineyard Sunset
Music Series kicks off this Friday June 21st. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Admission is $10 per carload and beer, wine
and SoCo local food will be served for a fee. No Alcohol May Be Brought To The Event.
The early weather forecast for our kickoff
show looks great but Sunset is weather permitting. We typically make a
decision at 2pm day of show. The entertainment schedule for the summer
is as follows:
Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery, 417
Hix Bridge Road Westport MA. For more information please call 508.636.3423
Extension 2. It's always best to email any questions to: vip@westportrivers.com.
There will be activities and events
for all ages both on and off the water. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday, June 19, 2013 Click here to view the
hi-resolution photo album from River Day 2012 Need Adobe Flash? Click
here! YouTube video of River Day 2012. Click here to read
article and photos from River day 2012!
Kicking off the day on-stage will be the
Westport High School Jazz/Rock Ensemble. At 11 a.m., a live raptor show will
take place, followed by poster awards at noon. The Spindle
Rock River Rats bluegrass band will perform, followed by The Basics,
six musicians playing rock n’ roll from the 60′s, 70′s, and 80′s. Ongoing activities include fish t-shirt printing, face painting, small
boat building, mural painting, stilt building, and food. Of special interest will be Native American
storytelling, a touch tank of living river creatures, a working river skiff,
and walking tours of the Head of Westport neighborhood. Those who wish to paddle to River Day the
3.5 miles from the Hix Bridge Landing must register
with WRWA. Paddlers receive a free tee shirt and free lunch. Pre-registration
is available online at www.westportwatershed.org
or by calling the office at 508.636.3016. For an additional late fee,
paddlers can register the morning of the paddle beginning at 9 a.m. Joining the festivities will be many
exhibitors: Mass. Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, Buzzards
Bay Coalition, The Trustees for Reservations, the Westport Land Conservation
Trust, Westport Fishermen’s Association, Westport Art Group, Westport Historical Society, The Lloyd Center, South
Coast Energy Challenge, Westport
education Foundation, Refried Tees, the Worm Ladies, Healthtrax
Fitness and Wellness, Green Fortress Building, and more.
Above left: Donna Mitchell, on-stage with Native American Spoken Word using
poetry and story. Right: Roger and Gail Greene of Little Compton
dance to the music of the Spindle Rock River Rats. WRWA is grateful to the over 60 business
sponsors and the Westport and the Westport Cultural Council grant from the
Helen Ellis Trust who make River Day possible. River Day will be held rain or shine. For
more information visit www.westportwatershed.org. Young People's Art Classes at the Westport Grange start
Thursday, June 27th. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, June 20, 2013 Art educator Gail Denardo
will teach a 4 week session starting Thursday, June 27 for ages 6 and up on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 12 Noon at the Grange hall, 941 Main
Road Westport. Gail graduated from SMU with a degree in
fine arts, and worked in the field of interior design for many years. For
questions and to register call 508.636.6874. All supplies are included in the
$175 fee. Students will work with a variety of
mediums and techniques to explore their creativity and be introduced to the
elements of design. The lessons will also include studying the works of
artists such as Monet and Van Gogh; allowing the artists' works to inspire
the child's individual style. Projects will be based on drawing, painting
and sculpture allowing the students to have the opportunity to create work in
realistic and expressionist styles. Paddle
the Region’s Most Scenic Waterways with The Trustees of Reservations. This
summer The Trustees of Reservations will offer guided kayak trips on some of
the South Coast’s most scenic waterways. EverythingWestport.com Friday, June 21,
2013 This summer The Trustees of Reservations
will offer monthly, guided kayak trips on some of the South Coast’s most
scenic waterways. These trips will introduce novice and
experienced paddlers alike to the beauty of our local rivers and bays while,
at the same time, exploring some of our region’s most spectacular protected
open space. Each month a different kayak trip will be offered to a waterfront
property of The Trustees of Reservations. The cost of the trips is $30 for Trustees’
members and $40 for nonmembers. Kayaks, paddles, and lifejackets are
provided. Space is limited so pre-registration is required. To sign-up visit
“Things to Do” at www.thetrustees.org,
call 508.636.4693 ext. 103, or email lharrington@ttor.org. Below is the
complete kayak schedule for 2013. Trustees of
Reservations Kayak Tours 2013 Kayak Little River, Saturday, June 29 |
9am–12noon Paddle through the hidden creeks and
marshes along Dartmouth’s Little River that connect to the Trustees’ Cornell
Farm and Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust’s Little River Reserve. Kayak the West Branch, Saturday, July 13 | 9am–12noon Experience the quiet side of the Westport
River as we paddle the West Branch between Westport Harbor and Adamsville,
stopping to tour Great Island, the largest island in the West Branch, and
enjoy the more than 3 miles of shoreline protected by the Westport Land
Conservation Trust and The Trustees of Reservations. Kayak the East Branch, Saturday, August 3 | 9am–12noon Join The Trustees and the Westport Land
Conservation Trust to paddle the East Branch and get a water view of the many
protected parcels along the river including scenic Westport Town Farm. Kayak Buttermilk Bay, Saturday, August 24 |
12noon–2pm Explore the Lyman Reserve in Buzzards Bay
and the mouth of Red Brook from the water on a kayak tour of Buttermilk Bay. Kayak Slocum’s River, Saturday, September 7
| 9am–12noon From its headwaters at the millpond in
Russell’s Mills Village, to its mouth at Demarest-Lloyd State Park, Slocum’s
River in Dartmouth provides outstanding opportunities for exploring the
natural history and ecology of the region. Join us for a relaxing paddle
through the marshes and meadows, past the Slocum’s River Reserve to the
beach. Kayak Leonards
Pond and the Sippican River, Saturday, October 12 |
10am–12pm As the leaves begin to turn get out on the
water and experience the scenic landscape and cranberry bogs around East Over
Reservation on Leonards Pond and the upper Sippican River in Rochester. FWCOA sends out annual appeal for membership. EverythingWestport.com Friday, June 21, 2013 The Friends of the Westport Council on
Aging have mailed their annual appeal brochure to all Westport residents. The Friends support the town's Senior
Center by providing equipment, furnishings, computers and scholarships for
the Senior Day program and workshops for Outreach workers and staff. Each summer the FWCOA funds the August
Annual Picnic for seniors and the Magnolia Concert for all members of the
community. “Thank you for your support.” Friends
of the Council on Aging The FWCOA seeks members of all ages to
support its program for the Center. Individual dues are $10, family dues are
$25, supporting $50-99, patron dues $100, benefactor $500 or more. The
Friends hope that when the yellow brochure arrives in town mailboxes that Wesporters will read about all that the Friends have
contributed to the Senior Center and will return the enclosed envelope with
their dues. Westport
Woman’s Club announces Scholarship Recipients. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, June 23, 2013 The Westport Woman’s Club would like to
announce their 2013 scholarship recipients. Congratulations to all! The following Westport High School students
were awarded scholarships: Sean Silva, who received the Alice Baer
Memorial Scholarship, Rachel Amorin, Robert Haines
III, Tayla Rapoza, and
Melanie Smeaton. Cameron Olivier of Bishop Stang High school also received a scholarship, as did
Susan Thurston, who received a scholarship to continue her studies. Westport Woman’s Club wishes to thank Lees
Market and Partners Village Store for allowing us to use their facilities to
raise money for the scholarship program. They are indeed Partners in Education. Thank you. © 2013 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |