Board of Selectmen 1/7/2025

(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)

Kickstart your year by tuning into our first Board of Selectmen meeting of 2025, where we welcome Police Chief Dave LaPlante for a comprehensive update. Discover how our local heroes managed an uptick in emergency calls, celebrated community events like the Santa ride, tackled unexpected power outages, and responded valiantly to a tragic motor vehicle accident. Chief LaPlante also honors the retirement of Patrolman Edward Riley after two decades of commendable service and shares good news on alcohol compliance checks across Raynham. This episode is a tribute to those who tirelessly work to keep our community safe.

Switching gears to public service matters, we bring you a critical discussion on solid waste management for our public safety building. The Board examines a promising contract as well as options to save the town money amidst rising vendor costs. We reflect on how such strategic decisions embody our commitment to fiscal responsibility and efficient operations in the year ahead. Join us to stay informed about the essential updates and decisions that will shape our community in 2025.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:03

I call the meeting to order at 7 pm. Inform the public, we are being both broadcast live and recorded by the. Rainham Channel and welcome to the first meeting of the Board of Selectmen in 2025. We hope everybody had a nice holiday. I'd ask those with us to join us in the pledge, please.

Speaker 3 0:22

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United.

Speaker 1 0:24

States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Next up is acceptance of the regular session and executive session minutes, which will be withheld from December 23rd. What is the board's pleasure?

Speaker 3 0:42

Motion to accept the minutes as printed. Second All in favor? Aye, it's approved unanimously.

Speaker 1 0:47

Department head. We have one, our police chief, Dave LaPlante, Chief Good evening.

Speaker 2 0:56

Happy New Year to everybody. So for the month of December we had a total of 2,066 calls. 528 of those were emergency 911 calls and of those, 98 were for emergency medical dispatch. There were 10 arrests and several criminal summonses. The total calls for 2024 were 24,813. It was up slightly from the previous year, which was 22,977.

Speaker 2 1:37

On December 7th and 8th, several department members volunteered for the annual Santa ride with the fire department throughout town. I want to thank all those who participated. It's a good event for the toy drive. We had a few significant events last month. On December 10th there was an incident where we assisted the fire department at the Rainham Center water pumping station on Titticut Road. As a result of that incident, power in the area was lost for a period of time. When the power was restored, a power surge caused two lighting ballasts at the middle school to overheat, causing smoke throughout the building. It was kind of a chaotic scene but it was pretty controlled. I was very impressed with the faculty at the school. They did a great job and I just want to thank everybody who was involved and anybody who came in for that, everybody that came in for extra coverage. And then the next day we had that storm that came through Rainham and the south side of town lost a lot of limbs and downed power wires and I want to commend those officers and the communications clerk who were working and also those who stayed late for extra coverage and those who came in to help out extra coverage and those who came in to help out.

Speaker 2 3:08

On December 30th the Rainham police and fire responded to a motor vehicle crash on East Batania Street that resulted in two deaths. I thank all those who responded to the crash. I also commend those who came in for extra coverage that night. Those guys did a great job the fire department and the police department and I commend them. So the detective unit conducted alcohol compliance checks at all the liquor establishments in Rainham and I'm happy to say that there were no violations. Lastly, on December 31st Patrolman Edward Riley retired from the police department after more than 20 years of service. He left last Friday and he moved to Florida. So I wish him and his family the best, and currently we have one officer that's on IOD, that's all.

Speaker 1 4:03

I have. Thank you, chief, ms Riley questions. Comments no questions.

Speaker 3 4:07

But thank you, chief and the members of the department, for all the good work and for everything you do to keep us safe. Appreciate it.

Speaker 1 4:13

Thank you no questions. Thank you, Chief.

Speaker 2 4:15

Thank you.

Speaker 1 4:16

No questions here either, and I did have a chance to look at your new website from the last time you came in. It looks very good. So thanks for putting excellent. Yeah, thank you. Thank you have a good one. All right appointments. No appointments. No public hearings. Old business, miss Riley. Okay, mr Collins. Oh sir, all right. New business we have discussion and vote to award a contract with Kearney environmental for solid waste removal and disposal services of the public safety building on Orchard Street. The the contract's in front of us, greg. Any input from you on this?

Speaker 4 4:49

It saves the town money. The current vendor is raising their prices quite significantly. So this is the recommendation of the police and fire department.

Speaker 1 5:02

What's the vote's pleasure?

Speaker 3 5:03

A motion to approve based on the recommendations.

Speaker 1 5:06

Second All in favor.

Speaker 3 5:07

Aye.

Speaker 1 5:07

Approved unanimously. No other new business, ms Riley, any new business I have none. Okay, mr Collins, I do not have any new business. All right Time to administrate his report.

Speaker 4 5:18

Mr Barnes, yes, first of all I just want to reinforce that we will be having a town meeting next week at the middle school. It's at 7 pm. One has to do with flood hazard protective overlay district. The second one has to do with accessory dwelling units and the third one has to do with special permit authority. Even though it is only a three-article warrant, it is very important that people do try to attend the meeting. I want to state that the accessory dwelling unit by law in particular has a great deal of relevancy to the community in terms the state has changed the law for the whole state such that accessory dwellings are now by right, not by special permit. So anyone who is interested in getting a copy of the warrant may go to the town address. It is right on the town address. They may also come to the town hall, library or coa, which all should have copies. So I strongly encourage people to check out the articles on the, check out the articles on the town website and come to the meeting. We will provide extra copies of the warrant at the meeting.

Speaker 4 7:14

On that note, because we're having town meeting next week, the plan is to have a select board meeting at the middle school in the cafeteria. The number I have spoken to the chair with is 6 15 pm, so will I don't expect it will be a overloaded session of items. We're just going to do the basics because our number one priority is obviously town meeting. Finally, in May we, town meeting, had petitioned the legislature to allow for police special officers and I'm happy to report there were a hundred. And I'm happy to report there were a hundred pieces of legislation that were passed the last day of the formal session, which was, I believe, december 31st or, and that got sent to the governor's desk and on January 1st the governor did sign it. So we now have special legislation allowing for police special officers.

Speaker 1 8:32

Thank you. Any questions for Craig? No questions.

Speaker 4 8:35

And we obviously thank Senator Pacheco and our other legislative team for all their efforts in getting that through the legislature.

Speaker 1 8:46

All right. Select committee report Ms Riley.

Speaker 3 8:48

Just a couple things. First, following up on what the town administrator said relative to the town meeting, he and I attended the planning board meeting last Thursday evening. They held public hearings on those three articles that will be going before the voters and they voted to approve all three of them. Just a word about the second one one, which is the one of great concern with the accessory dwelling units. I think there's still a lot of confusion. It's not something we can say we don't want the ad use, it's a state law and this is just an attempt on the part of the town to put some guidelines and some regulations on it. Just want to point out that it had been mentioned earlier a concern that we had, as far as that the property owner would have to reside in either the primary unit or the accessory unit and that is not included because it is not allowed specifically by the state and obviously we can't mandate something that the state is um is is saying that we can't do so and that third article it requires that all site plans require a special permit or special permits and the Planning Board will be this Special permit granting authority for all site plans. This is something the Planning Board is recommending to streamline and better accomplish their efforts.

Speaker 3 10:05

Next, last night I in the town administrator attended the Economic and Business Development Commission meeting out here. A special town meeting was discussed, particularly with respect to the state's mandated accessory dwelling, unit law and how the town is trying to provide those guidelines. The unfortunate news that two more of our large buildings will soon be vacant in town, with the announcement that Big Lots and Party City are going to be closing their doors, that was discussed. That obviously compounds the situation with the closing back in November of the large stop and shop building, as that company closed its doors. On a positive note, however, the commission is planning its community pride awards for 2025, which will be announced at a later date and presented in April.

Speaker 3 10:55

I would also like to commend the Rainham Channel, especially Margo Fortier as the videographer and editor and Reverend James Tilby as the tour host, on the recent walkthrough and historical insight into the First Congregational Church, which, of course, is intertwined with the early history of the town of Rainham. It was exceptionally well done, very informative and if you have not seen it yet I would recommend that you do. Lastly, just an announcement that the Colonial Roadrunners are holding Sunday fun runs from 10 to 11 am on Sundays, obviously beginning at the Lions Club at 2234 King Phillip Street. Registration will take place inside the Lions Club at 9.30, and the registration cost is only $2 per session. The course for the run is four miles and that's all I have. Thank you, ms Riley.

Speaker 1 11:44

Mr Collins, I have nothing to report, just to echo your sentiments, ms Riley, about the commercial commercial outlook. I read earlier today Nordstrom is closing a few locations, including the Braintree location, so I think the concerns all of us have had over the past couple months continue to come more into the picture. Unfortunately, we all, I think, would have preferred to be wrong on that one, but certainly something we have to continue to monitor. So thank you correspondence. We do not have any press time, non emergency business, miss Riley.

Speaker 3 12:16

I have none, mr Collins okay, citizen, the community put. Performance of the administrative duties, miss Riley just to report that I have reviewed and signed the payroll, the invoice and payroll warrants for December 24th, which is actually after our last meeting last week's December 31st and this week's January 7th.

Speaker 1 12:38

Thank you, ms Riley, and at this time I'll entertain a motion to go into executive session Master General Laws, chapter 38, section 21A2, to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel. What a conduct. Collective bargaining session to contract negotiations with non-union personnel, that's for non-union employees. We will reconvene in public session for the sole purposes of adjournment, with no other business to be conducted thereafter. What is the board's pleasure?

Speaker 1 13:07

I will make that motion. Second roll call miss roll call. Ms Riley Aye, Mr Collins Aye and the chair votes aye. Thank you and have a great evening.