The Raynham Channel

Raynham Select Board 11/17/2025

• Raynham

Share episode

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

Tight timelines don’t have to mean thin decisions. We convened on a rare Monday to clear critical items before the Fall Town Meeting and ended up advancing public safety, fiscal discipline, and transparency in one swift session. From the fire chief’s October snapshot to new holiday giving drives, the human side of town service took center stage—complete with a recent house fire where no residents were hurt and even a few pets were rescued.

We also finalized two important labor agreements. The three-year contract with the patrolmen’s union includes 2 percent annual increases, a new step seven, and a stipend aligned with POST requirements while avoiding the costs and uncertainty of binding arbitration. Structural gains like a 70–30 health split for new hires and potential bi-weekly payroll streamline operations and protect budgets. For our 9-1-1 signal operators, a targeted one-year agreement delivers compensation updates and secures bi-weekly payroll and health care terms, setting a clean base for future years. These negotiated outcomes balance fair pay, recruitment, and long-term financial health.

Transparency was more than a talking point. We reviewed and authorized a broad release of executive session minutes, partial release where appropriate, and continued withholding where confidentiality still applies. This response to a records request provides clarity on past negotiations and reinforces open government. We also scheduled a public hearing for a joint utility pole request on Pine Street to keep infrastructure changes visible and accountable. With Town Meeting on deck, the administrator flagged three article amendments tied to the newly settled contracts and an increase to Raynham’s community media funding thanks to additional cable revenues.

Want the full picture in minutes, not hours? Catch this concise briefing, bring a toy for Secret Santa during the Santa ride or Stuff a Truck events, and join us at Town Meeting. If this kind of practical, people-first local governance matters to you, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review to help more neighbors find it.

Support the show

https://www.raynhaminfo.com/
Copyright RAYCAM INC. 2025

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, I'm going to call the meeting to order of the Rainham Select Board on Monday, November 17th, 2025, here at uh Veterans Memorial Town Hall at 558 South Main Street in Rainham. Call the meeting to order at 6 o'clock and announce that this meeting is open to the public. It is also being broadcast live on the Rainham Channel, on Comcast Channel 98, and Verizon Channel 34. It is also being recorded by Rakeham for replay on the Rainham Channel. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

SPEAKER_00:

One nation, we're liberty and justice for all.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you, and just want to um announce that we are meeting on a um and not the usual night here on Monday night instead of in place of our Tuesday night meeting, because we had a couple of items that we needed to act on prior to the special fall town meeting, which will take place at 7 o'clock this evening. And if any of you out there are available and you're a registered voter, we'd love to see you at our Fall Town meeting at 7 o'clock over at the Renham Middle School. So our next order of business is the acceptance of the minutes. We have the regular session of November 4th, 2025, and the executive session minutes of November 4th, 2025, with the executive session minutes withheld from public release. Do we have a motion to accept as printed? So moved. Second. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Any opposed? So voted. Uh next we had department head reports, and we have our fire chief, Chief Brian Lesivita. Welcome, Chief. Good evening.

SPEAKER_01:

It's the report for the fire department for the month of October. We had 90 fire incident calls, 229 medicals, and 94 uh inspectional service calls. Um I will say December 6th and 7th, we are having our annual Santa ride through the town. Uh people can uh drop off unwrapped new toys for uh kids if they want to give it to us on that day, or those two days. Uh, we are also gonna be at uh Walmart on Paramount Drive with the police department on November 29th and down on Broadway on 1213 uh from 10 to 2 doing a stuff a truck with the police and fire department. Um and if anybody does want to give for uh Secret Santa that helps uh Rainham residents out during the holiday season, new unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the fire station. Uh any of the guys will take them for you at the side door if anybody wants to donate.

SPEAKER_03:

And if anybody wants to make a monetary donation, they could drop that off at the station.

SPEAKER_01:

There is uh I believe it goes to the professional firefighters of Rainham. Um but if you email Deputy Chief Barrett Johnson or Jason Carnes, who run that, they'll be able to tell you that. But I'm pretty confident that's who that goes to to help uh defray some costs or buy uh a lot more gifts for some uh families that use.

SPEAKER_03:

A lot of families.

SPEAKER_01:

I believe it was 108 last year or 108 kids last year.

SPEAKER_03:

Each year it's more.

SPEAKER_01:

It's a little bit more every time. Yep.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you, Chief. Mr. Pacheco, questions, promise? Mr. Collins? And I understand, Chief, that you had quite a firefighting effort over the past.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh we did, and a couple weeks ago. Um we had a fire down on Broadway. Um, luckily no uh people are injured. And uh they did lose one cat, but we managed to find a few more cats and a rabbit and a couple other things that we were able to help them out with.

SPEAKER_03:

So thank you, Chief. As always, thank you for everything you and the members of your department do to keep us safe.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03:

Appreciate it. Next, we have appointment. We have a constable reappointment for Lawrence Cabasaris. This is a reappointment.

SPEAKER_02:

Motion to approve.

SPEAKER_03:

Um motion has been made and seconded. Any discussion, it is has the signature of the police chief. All in favor? Any opposed? It is so voted. Um, next, we have no public hearing scheduled for this evening. Completion of older continuing business. Do you have anything, Mr. Bachico? Mr. Collins?

unknown:

No.

SPEAKER_03:

Under new business, we have ratification of the memorandum of agreement with the Rainham Patrolman's Union. This is covering the fiscal year 2025 through fiscal year 2027 contract period. It is, as mentioned, it is a three-year contract with a um 2% salary increase each year. Um, there is also a step seven um which is added, and um there is also a stipend for in in keeping with the post um requirements. Um do we have Mr. P Mr. Con Mr. Right. Mr. Barnes, anything you wish to add?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh nope, uh we uh uh other than um we were headed toward binding arbitration and uh this uh avoided the cost, expense, and potential uh negative effects of binding arbitration.

SPEAKER_03:

And there were some advantages, benefits for the town over the long run?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, so for example, uh all new employees 70-30 health. Um they will agree to bi-weekly payroll if all all unions agree to it. Um and there were a number of other uh items as well.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you. Um Mr. Kito, any questions, comments, motion to approve? Um all in favor?

SPEAKER_02:

Aye.

SPEAKER_03:

Any opposed? It is approved. Unanimous vote. It has already been ratified by the patrolmen's union. And next we have ratification of the memorandum of agreement with the um Ranium Patrolman's Union 9-11 signal operators unit covering the fiscal year 2025 contract period. So this is a one-year contract, correct, Mr. Barnes?

SPEAKER_00:

That is correct. Uh we settled for 25. It will have budgetary impacts in future years because it it increases the base, but basically it's uh 2% plus step seven. And and we got uh a number of uh we got uh in this case uh the uh biweekly payroll in the health care for this one year.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, all right, very good. Um, Mr. Keiko, questions, comments? And a second, any further discussion? All in favor, any opposed? So voted, unanimous vote. And next we have TMLP in Verizon, New England request for one new joint poll location and six poll relocations on Pine Street from Sydney Drive. We need to set a hearing date. Motion is made and seconded to set the hearing date for Tuesday, December 2nd. Any further discussion? Hearing on all in favor? Any opposed? It is so voted. Next we have vote to release executive session minutes or portions thereof which have been determined have which have been determined to be reasonable due to the purpose of confidentiality having expired, and just to read the list, vote to authorize public release of the following executive session minutes, August 6, 2024, September 24th, 2024, November 12th, 2024, December 10th, 2024, December 17th, 2024, January 7th, 2025, January 21, 2025, February 25th, 2025, July 22, 2025, September 16, 2025, September 30th, 2025, and October 28, 2025. Vote to authorize partial release to the public of the following November 14th, 2023, January 16th, 2024, March 12, 2024, April 2nd, 2024, August 20th, 2024, September 17, 2024, December 3rd, 2024, April 1st, 2025, August 5th, 2025, September 23rd, 2025, and October 7th, 2025, and vote to continue to withhold from public release for reasons of confidentiality. The following September 10th, 2024, October 22nd, 2024, October 29th, 2024, December 23rd, 2024, February 4th, 2025, March 11th, 2025, April 22nd, 2025, May 6th, 2025, May 13th, 2025, June 10, 2025, August 19th, 2025, and no, there is the back page. There was some on the back page that didn't get copied. Oh, here it is. Also September 2nd, 2025, October 14th, 2025, October 21st, 2025, and November 20, November 4th, 2025. That's the complete list. And do we have a second? Any further discussion? Just to mention that we did receive a request for release. Um, and so we are um abiding by that regulation, but it needs to be released or with or stated withheld at the next meeting, and this is after an extensive review of all of those minutes. All in favor? Any opposed, so voted. And now, of course, I've lost my agenda. Ah, here we are. Okay, so then that brings us any additional new business, Mr. Chamber. Mr. Collins, uh, town administrators report, Mr. Barnes.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, just noting there are three amendments to the articles at town meeting. Two of them are directly related to coming to uh agreement with the police and the uh dispatchers. The last one has to do with the fact we did receive uh an additional uh check from for for cable, and as uh result uh we can increase the amount we give to Ray Camp.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you, Mr. Barnes. Any questions from Mr. Barnes? Okay, select boards report, Mr. Pacheco.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, just uh we won't meet again before Thanksgiving, so wishing everybody at home an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, our next meeting will actually be Tuesday, December 2nd. Yes, Mr. Collins. Do we have a football game coming up? Some important games for uh Bridgewater Rain and Trojans?

SPEAKER_02:

We do, yeah. The boys born last week, uh on the final floor slightly uh Friday night and can't be able to do that.

SPEAKER_03:

And uh I'll have nothing else to report other than hopefully if you're listening to this, head over to our fall town meeting at seven o'clock at um the ring number school, and I can also give it a better nope for presentation, Mr. Collins, uh Mr. Bollins, any emergency business?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh no, there is not.

SPEAKER_03:

No evening, performance of administrative duties. Um, just to uh mention that I will review the warrants will be dated with tomorrow's date, November 18th. So um, in accordance with the previous vote of this board to authorize me to do so, I will review them and uh sign them after um after making sure everything is in order. And um with that, I believe we are looking for a motion to adjourn. And all in favor of adjourning at 6 12 p.m. Any opposed? We are adjourned. Thank you so much for joining us.