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Raynham Select Board 09/02/2025
(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)
The Raynham Board of Selectmen meeting of September 2, 2025, reveals the inner workings of small-town governance and the careful balance required to address community needs with limited resources.
The meeting begins with a sobering report from Police Chief David LaPlante, who details two tragic incidents from August – a fatal incident on Elm Street West and a deadly crash on South Street West. Amid these challenges, the chief receives recognition for completing his second year of leadership with remarkable accomplishments in departmental culture, policy development, and community engagement. His team-based approach has transformed the department through a new mission statement, improved organizational structure, and the implementation of over 90 policies aligned with best practices in policing.
Highway Superintendent Norm Sturtevant delivers encouraging news about infrastructure projects and maintenance efforts. The Mill Street project is progressing through October, while the Highway Department building is now complete. Residents receive timely reminders about the brush pile remaining open until late November and the upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Day on September 20th. For those following the Old Colony East South Street Bridge saga, repairs have reached the halfway point, though permanent fixes requiring a full closure loom in the future.
The meeting takes a concerning turn with the Selectmen's report on the Bridgewater-Raynham School District. Despite a clean audit, the elimination of 34 teaching positions, one guidance counselor, and 40 high school electives paints a troubling picture of educational resources. With kindergarteners starting school tomorrow and older students already returning to classrooms, the community faces the challenge of maintaining educational quality despite significant cuts.
On a brighter note, the board announces the upcoming Raynham Community Day celebration on September 28th, featuring vendor tables, live entertainment, activities for children, and a pie baking contest – a reminder that even amid budget concerns and infrastructure challenges, community spirit remains at the heart of Raynham's identity.
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And good evening everybody, and thank you for joining us. I call the meeting to order of the Rainham Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, september 2nd 2025 at 7 o'clock pm here in the Donald McKinnon Municipal Meeting Room at Veterans Memorial Town Hall located at 558 South Main Street in Rainham. This meeting is open to the public and it is also live on the Rainham Channel, on Comcast Channel 98 or Verizon channel 34. It is also being recorded by RayCamp for replay on the Rainium channel. Please join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag and the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Our first action item is the acceptance of the minutes. The regular session of August 19, 2025, and executive sessions of August 5, 2025 and I was 19 2025 to the executive session minutes withheld from public release at this time. Do I have a motion to accept? The minutes is printed, which is the main, and seconded in a discussion hearing that. All in favor, any opposed. It is so voted. Now we have our department head reports and this evening we have Police Chief David LaPlante and Highway Superintendent Norm Sturdivant. With your monthly reports, chief LaPlante.
Speaker 2:Beep, beep. So August we had 2,249 calls. 475 were emergency 911 calls. Ninety-three of those were emergency medical dispatch calls. We had 13 arrests and several criminal summons. We had a couple of significant events.
Speaker 2:On August 15th, members of the Rainham Police Department fire department responded to a tragic incident on Elm Street West which resulted in the death of two people. I want to acknowledge the efforts of the responding officers, firefighters and all those who came to assist. I'd also like to recognize Health Inspector Paula. She came out and retrieved two dogs from the residence.
Speaker 2:Later that evening, on August 24th, rainham Police and Fire responded to a fatal crash. We received a 911 call regarding a driver that was operating radically in the area of South Street West. Shortly after that, the department received reports that a motor vehicle had struck a tree on South Street West. The driver, a 31-year-old male, was pronounced dead on the scene and the passenger, a 33-year-old female, was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. The cause of the crash still remains under investigation by the Rainham Police Act, which sent a reconstruction team, detectives and the assistance of the massachusetts state police assigned to the bristol county district attorney's office.
Speaker 2:Again I want to thank everybody who was at the scene and who came in to assist our community service on august 4th through the 8th sro lane, august 4th through the 8th SI Row Lane and Sergeant Frank Pacheco held the annual Greenham Police Department's JOC scan. They both did a great job and it was a success. It was their first time doing it by themselves. I'd also like to thank members of the police department and fire department who stopped by and helped out. I just want to thank Frank, sergeant Pacheco and patrolwoman Carrie Mello. They walked the dogs that were being held at the Animal patrol building. Each one of them spent numerous hours walking the dogs in their own time and I thank them for that. I believe they've gone now. We have one person still on the line.
Speaker 1:Chief. If I could, I want to add a little to your report. Congratulations, first of all, on completing your second year as a police chief and now beginning your third. I understand that you and your team have been able to make some significant and noteworthy accomplishments as part of the evaluation process and Chief LaPlante's contract. I asked him to provide a list of some of those accomplishments and I think they should be shared with the Board and with the public, because we love to hear of accomplishments.
Speaker 1:So, if I could, upon becoming chief, chief of Plan has worked to improve the culture of the department by promoting teamwork and more inclusive decision-making process, which has resulted in the creation of a new mission statement, the creation of a set of core values, a revised organizational chart, job descriptions for every member of the department, the creation and implementation of a rewards program, a restructuring of the department's training program and the creation of a wellness committee.
Speaker 1:As a team and you stressed, as a team they have created a library within the department, making available leadership, management and self-help books and made significant advances in becoming an accredited police department by creating and implementing over 90 policies and procedures to meet the standards which follow the best practices in policing. Chief LaPlaine and his team have also promoted a culture of continuous dedication to the community through volunteering, and we hear about that every month. They also developed and launched a new website website enhancing their social media platform to keep the community stakeholders informed. Chief, I think any one of these accomplishments would be commendable, but together they are impressive. So thank you thank you comments, questions thank you.
Speaker 3:Comments no questions. Do you want to make one comment and appreciation to the chief and reach out to him a couple of the officers on the documentary that was released today on YouTube.
Speaker 3:In it speaks about a visit that they responded to, but more importantly, I think it's the focus on the mental health and what they did to better themselves and to take care of themselves during and after that incident. How they did it together, collaboratively, as the chief said at the team, and their strength and their courage to do that. They come out publicly and speak about it openly, not only help other police officers but, I think, other people in their community, so it's just a really good.
Speaker 2:I haven't had a chance to see it yet.
Speaker 3:It's on the trailer I think I released today at four, but I'm just busy looking forward to going home and seeing it today and I encourage anybody else to see it. Um again, I have a ton of respect for the officers that did what they did, but also to come up and go and speak so openly about the importance of the mental health, so it's like a big appreciation to them. Thank you, thank you, chief, thanks.
Speaker 4:Okay, next we have Norm Sturdivant our Highway Superintendent Good evening we're going to get some updates from the Highway Department for the month of August. The road crew has been busy with continued roadside cutting, catch basin and sinkhole repairs around town, patching holes, and they cleaned up, believe it or not, from a couple of the thundershowers that we had. We had more damage than people would imagine from that, so we did some cleanup with that. Also, they've been assisting with the Bell Street project that's currently going. Now. Parks and Grounds is busy getting all the schools ready. I want to report that we have an acting foreman that's taken the lead role, showing some interest in that. He's doing a great job and because our staffing level is up a little bit, we're able to save almost $10,000 in getting one of the schools ready that we were pulling from an article over the last few years and that will stretch that article up even longer, so I was happy to see that they. We also get the last fertilization all the areas around town that's the last one for this season and all the other schools. A lot of liberty, merrill. Everything's been mulched and pruned. It looks really good. They also get all the fields ready and mulch beds around fields ready before the league started for the season Solid waste, not too much to report there.
Speaker 4:The brush pile I just want to give a reminder is open for the next two months. That will close at the last Saturday of November. So folks have brushed there, still have about eight weeks to go. Sorry, 12 weeks to go. Another reminder for the Rainham residents we have a hazardous waste day. Another reminder for the Rainham residents we have a hazardous waste day coming up on two weeks from this Saturday on 9-20. It is from 8-12 and that's at the highway department at 1555 Kingfeller Street.
Speaker 4:Projects around town, mill Street, I'm sure everybody has seen is fully underway. Finally, we had some delays that we got by. That's scheduled to go through probably the third or fourth week of October. Elm Street East, phase two, that would be from Hickory Drive to 104. That's a mill and overlay and after talking to the contractor today, it looks like it will be sometime next month. Just waiting to hear a date there for you have to come in time.
Speaker 4:Johnson's Pawn had a second treatment, two of two for the 2025 season and that's to treat invasive weeds that don't belong in the pond. Our RHD Rainham Highway Department building is now complete, including punchless. Very happy the way that building came out and we got a very good price, so that worked out very well. We're just waiting on a new sign. So right now we're flying undercover. We don't have anything posted yet. We're waiting on the sign prices. Also good news to report the two hires that I had mentioned last month, last report. They're doing very well, getting acclimated and doing very well and we're just happy that we're almost fully staffed. It's great Knock on wood and that's all I got.
Speaker 1:It's always very busy About the household hazardous waste day. People go on the website to explain exactly what you're accepting and what they can bring and not.
Speaker 4:Yes, and.
Speaker 1:I understand also in your little flyer there, that people need to know that if they're bringing recyclables, don't leave them in a plastic bag. We don't want plastic bags.
Speaker 4:Correct. Yes, yes, exactly. If they're in a tote, you dump them out and we don't want in a bag. Also, I just wanted to mention it's very simple. Anybody that's not been in hazardous waste. They do a really good job. All you do is pop your trunk or open your tailgate and they take it from there. It's very quick, it's fantastic.
Speaker 1:And it really helps residents obviously get rid of these, otherwise you don't know how to get rid of some of those.
Speaker 5:Exactly Good. Excellent, mr Machiko. No, nothing to add, just looking forward to the hazardous waste day. And I agree, I think since we added that second one a few years ago, it's really helped because they used to have a line the line.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, all the way down. Thank you, thank you okay, continuing.
Speaker 1:We have no appointments this evening. We have no public hearings this evening. Completion of older continuing business. Mr Collins, mr Barnes, do you have any older continuing business to bring up? That's not on the agenda. No, we do not. All right, so then, continuing, we move on to new business, and first we have discussion and vote to set the date of the fall town meeting. Mr Barnes, what do you have for us? Lawrence?
Speaker 6:what do you have for us? Yes, we are suggesting either November 17th or November 18th. The advantage of November 18th is you would be able to have both a board meeting and the town meeting in the same night. That would be a Tuesday, obviously. I'm also suggesting that for the warrant article deadline it be Friday, october 10th.
Speaker 1:Okay, I leave it up to my colleagues, but I usually would prefer the two separate nights, especially, I think, since the following week is Thanksgiving week, so we may not. We meet that week as a selectman, so it always seems kind of we're rushing the agenda when we meet before our time meeting.
Speaker 5:But I'll leave it up to the board no, I'm fine with that, madam Chair, especially Mary. As you said, the 25th we haven't in the past, and then August, october 10th, for the warren deadline any discussion.
Speaker 1:I do want to mention that I'm going to be proposing two articles for the board to consider sponsoring one to follow up on the annual town meeting article that changed the name of the board from the board of selectmen to the select board and the general bylaws. We need to also make that change on the zoning bylaws as well. People who may wonder why we're still referring to us as the board of selectmen, but we're waiting for a final approval from the Attorney General to approve the bylaw changes that we voted on at the annual town meeting. And the other article would actually that I'm going to propose see if the board would sponsor would be to change the planning board associate member to an elected position instead of an appointed position.
Speaker 1:Obviously, the recent actions sparked a bit of controversy. I think you and I, mr Pachinko, felt that we had to follow what the town meeting had approved regarding how the appointment should take place. But being responsible government officials means proposinga change if and whenever a change is warranted or at least should be considered. So I had proposed a policy that would address certain problems, but you brought up the possibility of making an elected position, which I would favor. I never really liked the idea of having an appointed position to a board that's normally elected. So I will draft that. I'm not sure if legally we can do that, but I'll draft it, bring it in and we can report it to our town councilor, town administrator, to look into that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so all in favor of the fall town meeting date. Aye, so voting Okay. So all in favor of the fall town meeting date. Aye, so voting Okay. Next we have discussion and vote. To allow staff of Bristol County Savings Bank to utilize Gilmore Hall parking lot during construction of a new branch in Rainham and accept and expend donation of $1,000 for Gilmore Hall purposes. Mr Barnes, you received notification of this.
Speaker 6:Yes, this was something Joe and I worked on, so we would be allowing Bristol County Savings to use the parking lot during the construction of their branch. They will be providing us $1,000 which we will use specifically for Gilmore all purposes as a donation. It we will be requiring full insurance. They will have to sign a whole harmless clause and also list us as additionally insured.
Speaker 1:I'm thinking it's different in the system. No, I motion to approve Any questions on the second item, the only thing it refers to a new branch there. Actually is a branch yes, is it just renovating or is it an actual new?
Speaker 5:It's a complete renovation going down to the studs oh wow, so it vaguely goes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay all in favor, aye, any opposed. So voted. Next we have discussion and vote of memorandum of agreement with OPEIU local union regarding seasonal employees. This item was initially discussed and approved in executive session on August 5th and we are looking for a vote to confirm that action in open meeting and authorize signature. It is basically a negotiated agreement between the town and OPI you, which is our powerful Union, in which it was agreed that the town owed a cemetery department worker $1,500 in back pay for his work and it was agreed that the terminology in the OPEIU contract describing seasonal employees of the town would be changed from who work more than three months per year to read all seasonal employees of the town who work more than 700 hours per 12-month period. So moved. Second Motion is made and seconded Any discussion Hearing none. All in favor, aye, any opposed. So voting. And that brings us to town administrators. You go, mr Barnes. Yes Three things.
Speaker 6:First of all, I want to reinforce what's already been mentioned. There is information on the website about householdhold Hazardous Waste Day on September 20th. Everyone is encouraged to go to our website to get all the details. Secondly, as you are aware, we're working on two recruitments. One is health inspector. There have been several interviews conducted on that. That is in the advanced stages. Also, for the executive assistant to the Board of Selectmen and town administrator, we will be doing a number of interviews this week. Joe is a member of the selection committee, so those are ongoing and we're moving forward on those.
Speaker 6:Finally, in terms of the old colony, east South Street East Bridge, the taunton side of the bridge for the temporary repairs has now been completed, so they'll be starting on the rain hand side, which basically means that half of the work needed is now done. So we're at the halfway point of getting the bridge back online. Again, these are temporary repairs. I want the public to be well aware that in a number of years from now we will be having to shut down the bridge Permanently for the permanent repairs, and that would be a year, year and a half. All right, and that is it. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Any questions for Mr Barnes?
Speaker 5:Any questions, so let Mr Gachico Just one quick item, madam Chair, similar to you I'll bring it next week I'll be proposing at a town meeting, warren Audable to establish a donation account to offset taxes for folks who meet minimum income criteria and who are in need. A few other communities in Massachusetts have done it recently. It's purely optional. It's managed by the town. It's essentially what they used to call a need fund or what the board of overseers used to handle. So I have the language. I will bring that forward to the board for consideration next week. But I think, as we continue to see, in my opinion it was a good economy that's stagnated mr Collins, do you have anything for us so?
Speaker 3:I wasn't sure if this is going to go under old business or new business, and I don't know if it's something you can probably agenda next week might be too soon, but maybe two weeks out and have like a more thorough discussion. But me personally, I bought that property on keyfield through mr barnes, the public safety building. I really think we need to consider looking at alternative sites. Um, again, I know it's a loaded topic. I wouldn't expect you guys to respond right away, but maybe think about it in two weeks out or a week from now, have another discussion, maybe more in-depth discussion. But, um, I just see so many problems over there and it's been nearly five years and I think with other options.
Speaker 1:I think next week we're going to be meeting an executive session with the project to discuss real estate negotiations.
Speaker 1:Real estate negotiations which are relevant to that property. Right exactly, so maybe in two weeks, thank you, okay, and so edmund's report. On wednesday, august 20th, I had the opportunity to attend the bridgewater ring school committees regular monthly meeting held at the high school. A representative, the independent auditing firm of CBS CPAs, gave a summary report of the audited the meeting after giving an in-depth review at a subcommittee meeting held just prior to the meeting. In summary, she stated we have audited the financial statements of the governmental activities, each major fund and the aggregate remaining fund information of the bridgewater rain original school district as of and for the year ended june 30th 2024 and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise the district's basic financial statements as listed. In our opinion that the accompanying financial statements referred to present fairly in all material respects the respective financial position of the governmental activities, each major fund, to the aggregate remaining fund information of the district as of June 30th 2024 and the respective changes in financial position for the year then ended, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted the United States. When asked if there were any areas that warranted a deeper investigation or forensic audit, she replied there were none. I do have a copy of the complete 72-page document. If anyone wishes to read through that, I would not recommend you do so if you're asleep.
Speaker 1:At the meeting, superintendent Ryan Powers also reported on staffing and class sizes. As we previously mentioned, a total of 34 teaching positions plus one guidance position. I'm sorry. 34 teaching positions were eliminated Five in Bridgewater came through eight, nine in Rainham came through eight, and 20 teaching positions plus one guidance position at the high school and Merrill School. Principal Deb Westell is now also La Liberty Principal, with assistance from the district's coordinator of teaching and learning, christine Richards, who has moved her office to La Liberty. Also, greatly concerning, a total of 40 electives were eliminated at high school. I believe that includes all, or at least most of the business classes, among others. Today is the first back-to to school day for the students and we certainly wish each and every one of them, as well as I be, our teachers, support staff and administrators, our best wishes, as in all of our area schools, for a great school year, in spite of the challenges they are facing. I also had the opportunity to attend on August 22nd and school naming ceremony for the original regional high school, which for a time was Mitchell in the middle school in the middle and more recently, the Bridgewater Middle School, which is now officially the Edward J O'Donoghue middle school, to honor mr O'Donoghue, who was the superintendent headmaster of the BR high school prior to fully regionalization and then became the first superintendent of the fully regionalized district in 1994 and has been credited with bringing Bridgewater K-8, radium K-8 and the high school together to form what we know today as the regional school district.
Speaker 1:Speaking of back to school, our RAVE volunteer coordinator, becky George, has been very busy recruiting all the volunteers that are needed for RAVE's first program of the new school year and, coincidentally, rave's oldest program, its kindergarten reception program, which involves having volunteers ride each of the buses carrying kindergarten children to and from school for the first four days of school. For the kindergarten children, which starts tomorrow, they start tomorrow. The kindergarten children, which starts tomorrow, they start tomorrow. The kindergarten children. As always, our volunteers, including some of our junior volunteers who are be our high school students, have stepped up to fill the 100 volunteer slots that are necessary to have a rider on each of those 12 school buses.
Speaker 1:And speaking of rave, planning, efforts and meetings continue for the annual Raham community day celebration, which will take place on Sunday, september 28, from 12 to 4 at the gazebo park in the board and colony complex, at the senior center and on the area between the two. The planning committee will meet again next Monday, september 8th, beginning at 7 o'clock pm here in the municipal meeting room at town hall. The family-friendly event organized by RAVE for the town will feature vendor tables and exhibits, demonstrations and displays, live entertainment, professional band concert featuring the Bridgewater Antiphonal Brass Society, a kids zone with face painting and lawn games, open house at the senior center, our first responders, police, fire inserts, a rave bake sale and pie baking contest. For more information, contact Becky George at Rave, volunteer Coordinator at gmailcom or come to the meeting next Monday. Speaking of meetings, conservation Commission meets tomorrow evening at 5 30 pm and the Business and Economic Development Commission will hold its September meeting next Monday, september 8, at 5 pm, and both of those meetings take place here at Town Hall. Lastly, there is an opening on the Cable TV Advisory Committee.
Speaker 1:Anyone who is interested should send a letter of interest and resume to the Office of the Board of Selectmen.
Speaker 1:You can do that by emailing gbarnes at townrayhamnaus. That is my Selectmen's report. Emailing gbarnes at townrayhamnaus. That is my select answer Correspondence. We have an invitation to a joint meeting with the Bridgewater-Reynham School Committee to be held September 17th 2025. The letter states in addition to our commitment to meet regularly with the Joint Budget Working Group, the Bridgewater-Reynham Regional School Committee would like to invite you to attend a joint meeting on September 17th 2025 in the library of the Rainham Middle School at 7 o'clock pm. The purpose of the joint meeting is to discuss the Bridgewater Rainham Regional School District's budget concerns the school committee and I look forward to meeting with all of you to review the budget and perhaps begin to find ways to improve the budget situation in which we all find ourselves, and we, by working collaboratively, will be ensure the students of Bridgewater rain can receive the education our community should expect and our students deserve, and that comes from Rachel King, chairman. So we will need to schedule that as a special meeting of our board, a joint meeting with the school.
Speaker 1:So if you could take care of that, we also have a correspondence concerning an annual walk for survivor, safety and community cultural affair fair. This is an event taking place the Bridgewater middle school now the Edward O'Donoghue middle school on October 25th and that's the school at 166 Mount Bessar Street in Bridgewater. It is a family and community resources event to the annual walk for survivor, safety and community cultural fair. Obviously, everyone's invited to attend. This year they are welcoming district attorney Timothy Cruz as the honorary chair and you can go online to find more information about that or contact Dina Miller at dinamiller at fcr-maorg. And that's just informational Press time. I did not think we had anyone here from the press. Emergency business Mr Bacigal businesses, mr Collins, mr Barnes, any emergency business for us?
Speaker 1:very good citizen community in points we have none our performance of administrative duties.
Speaker 1:Just report that I have reviewed and signed the town of random invoice and payroll warrants dated August 26 for last week and dated September 2nd for this week. And before we adjourn, we would like a motion to go into executive session in accordance with Mass General Laws, Chapter 38, Section 21A2 and 3, to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel and to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if in open meeting they have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares fire union and non-union positions and we will return to open session for the sole purpose of adjourning, meaning no additional business to be done. So moved. Roll call vote. Mr Michiko Aye. Mr Collins, Chair votes aye and at 7.28 pm we are going into executive session. Thank you for chairing this meeting.