001[Music] Good evening and welcome to the Milford Select Board meeting of April 14, 2025 in room three of town hall. Our f first ender end agenda item, excuse me, I'm sorry, is the reorganization of the select board. May I have a nomination, please? I have a nomination, Mr. Chairman, but I want to make a little statement first. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the job that you have done as our um chairman for the past year. Um you you've guided us during some um important discussion matters. Uh and and we stayed focus and we're uh uh we maintain respectful uh productive um dialogue um and we thank you for your uh uh chairmanship and and the leadership you gave us as well. And I'd also like to nominate uh select board member Thomas
002Olaflin uh for the position of chair for the Milford select board. Uh selectman Laughlin has a clear vision and commitment of our town. And he proved that by his experience as not only a police officer but as our police chief for numerous years um and also his uh um almost finished his second term as a select board member uh as well and and his chairman is is one. So I I am definitely confident that we can uh collectively as a with his leadership and collectively as our u as a select board continue to maintain the uh progress that we're making on meeting the needs of our residency effectively. So I definitely nominate um uh uh Thomas J. Olaflin as our chairman and I would gladly second that and and make that unanimous. Thank you. I
003gave yours Mr. No, I appreciate the conferences. Paul, thank you very much for your kind words. Um, I echo your comments as they regard uh Michael uh clearly did a great job this past year and um taking over from Michael at least for the first month. It's going to be pretty easy because he has everything in order. Um the first agenda item is the signing of the warrant. Do I have a motion? Uh motion to sign the warrant, Mr. Chairman. I would second that. And that's unanimous. Um approval of the regular session minutes of April 1st, 2025. Motion, Mr. Chair, to approve the regular session minutes of April 1st, 2025. And I would second that. That is unanimous. Uh the next item uh is public hearings. Uh I don't we don't have any public hearings
004on the agenda. I don't believe anyone's here for to move on. Schedule appointments. Likewise, there are none on the agenda. Town administrators report. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Congratulations. And two items tonight. One, if you remember, National Grid is now going to uh reschedule their electrical outage. It'll be in the Deer Street area in Milford. Has the potential to interrupt maybe 100 or more customers. Uh it's required to upgrade the electric system that serves the area and to support a customer request. Uh it's important to maintaining their system reliability. Uh this will just be a 2-hour u outage. It'll be on April 23rd from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Anybody has any questions, they can certainly call me and I can relay any issues. Uh second item is um I was informed by Mark Nelson,
005fire chief. The town has been awarded two grants. uh one for $7,199.90 for the student awareness of fire education or safe program and $2,59944 the senior safe program. Uh this program, as you know, has provided immeasurable benefits to the Commonwealth since it inception, educating and protecting our most vulnerable populations. In addition, I've been informed by Chief Nelson there was a second round of grant funding. They received an additional $5,99253. This is going to be earmarked for the thermal imaging cameras. This grant award combined with a prior grant received in round one of 25,000 will allow the chief to purchase six cameras and accessories. These cameras, as you know, are vital for search and rescue operations and fire suppression. So, thank you, Mark, and uh the deputy chief for their work in securing this grant funding.
006Thank you. That's all I have tonight. Mr. Thank you. Excellent. Those cameras are excellent. I saw a news uh item probably in the past two weeks, another town where they went into the home and they found the person using the thermal imaging. It's pretty impressive. Mhm. Um old business. Um Rick, the annual Tom Being warrant. Yeah. In front of you is a revised warrant. If you look at the warrant, there are two additional articles. Uh, one is article, I believe it's 29, which is from the school department. Unfortunately, the elevator at the Stacy Middle School uh has failed and they want to try to effectuate repairs to the elevator now, otherwise it would be out of service for a great um time frame. The second is article 30 right behind it. This is something I
007think the board is familiar with in that you had talked about uh supplying all fire department personnel with PAS uh gear which would be coats uh pants and accessories. Um so where we had to amend the warrant to add the elevator article. Zach and I discussed this and we thought we'd present this to the board since the idea for the PAS gear came from the board itself. So, we'd be asking you to look at the warrant again, approve this amended or revised warrant to go forward and we'd have you sign again. Um, there's still plenty of time. I've conferred with uh town council and we have time to do this. Remember, it's a select board warrant and you can add articles if you so choose. M uh I've talked with the town clerk and there's
008plenty of time for her to do what she needs to do which is post in I think it's 10 places around town and then send the town meeting members I think within 7 days prior to the town meeting. So if the board is so inclined that's what that's in front of you right now. Is that isn't it PAS free that it doesn't have the PAS in it what we're talking I'm sorry. Yeah PAS gear so that they can it combats that. Yes. Right. Right. So that because then it it causes cancer. Correct. And we've had a number of firefighters who have Yeah. Typically, you could wait, but it makes no sense. Yeah. And talking with the chief just to order the gear is going to take time because obviously each firefighter is is has to
009be fitted. So it's going to take time just to get this gear. So we thought do it now in May. We'd spend the money anyway in October. So but but also, Mr. Chair, too. Okay. Um, as of uh 2024, Governor Healey did sign into a law, I believe, uh, that uh, to phase out PAS um, firefighters uh, uh, gear. And I guess that's going to take effect on uh, 2025. Manufacturers must know notify u the, the person buying it that it it is PAS-free and also uh that um, uh, it's going to be banned as of 2027. So, we're more or less stepping in the right direction to protect our firefighters from uh you know, health and safety. You're correct. It's going to be mandatory. We're going to need to It's going to be mandatory
010very soon. It just makes good sense. Obviously, we had originally discussed new hires coming on and then we decided to step up and do the right thing and start them off already. Yeah. to discussion with the fire chief and I just I mean as I indicated we've had a number of firefighters who have suffered as a result of the PAS right um they and their families Mhm. the community and uh you know it's just morally the right thing to do. Sure it is. Um for the firefighters that are still serving uh this community. Thanks Rick for that information. Uh and I just need a motion to approve the amend. Motion to approve the amended warrant. A motion to approve the amended warranty. Mr. Chairman Michael, I would second that, Mr. Chairman. That's unanimous. New business,
011uh town administrator, the school building committee study enrollment certification. Yes, we have a a form that's in front of you. It is that just that the student enrollment certification form uh it listing the approved enrollment numbers for the design of the new high school. Um the board would need to vote to authorize the town authorize me to sign the study enrollment certification form. I have spoken with members of the school committee. I've spoken with the chair Jonathan Bruce. We all concur that the numbers that presented there are very favorable. Uh there was a lot of discussion at prior couple of meetings as you know and uh we all agree that those numbers are favorable. This is the last requirement to get that into the MSBA to further the process. Uh it's due the 28th of
012this month. I was going to say time time would be of the essence as well. Well, it's why we want to put it on tonight. Um and they will get it tomorrow and they'll put the whole packet together. And this is very important too where the enrollment is actually agreed upon because it more or less would go to u the future not only present but future enrollments. So when they design the building, it's designed to meet future needs as well as well as you know capacity uh what equipment you need, how many staff you need and whatnot. So it's very important that that's that is the first step to be you know [Music] taken. I make a motion too, Mr. Chair, if you want uh to have Rick uh uh sign uh the um uh
013enrollment certification. I would second that, Mr. Chairman. That's unanimous. town engineer. Yeah, Liz. Uhhuh. This is going to discuss roadway improvements to lot 32C, Camp Street. So, um, so there's one lot. So, everybody knows where Camp Street is. We're talking on um the one camp street was extended previously. It was from Reservoir. Yeah. It was extended twice. Currently ends in a culde-sac, but that's not the end of the right of way. So, the camp street that the town owns runs all the way to the town line where there's an old bridge that I wouldn't walk across, but some people might. Um, and there's uh to the right if you're traveling towards the town line on the right hand side is all uh town owned property constru um conservation restriction. Uh on the left hand side,
014uh there's some abuing properties that actually um front on Leah Lane and then there's one property left before the town line that's privately owned. So that it's called improved frontage. So the um the lot currently has frontage on the right of way, but it doesn't have improved frontage. So, it's not safe and adequate access to that frontage. Uh, in order to get a building permit for that lot, um, the the safe and adequate access needs to be extended. Now, because this is only one lot and there's no other um and actually it's Upton Town Forest on the other side, so it there's there's no way that there'll be an additional um there'll be additional buildings uh building lots on there, right? Um if if there were then we might consider um a full extension of
015the road as we've seen in the the previous two ending in a culde-sac. But that's just unnecessary and it's actually burdensome to the um to the town if we were to do that because that's a whole lot more pavement uh storm water all those things that we we'd have to take into considerate that we'd we'd be responsible for. So, the proposal in front of you is just to um extend to leave the culdesac where it is and for all intents and purposes, it's going to look like a driveway. It's going to be a little wider than a typical driveway just because the fire chief um wanted to make sure that there was access. Um instead of having a culde-sac at the end of the pavement, there'll be what's called a hammerhead. Again, that's just to
016facilitate um the fire truck turning around. Uh there is a storm water basin proposed uh on the lot that'll be in an easement. Um so all of the uh storm water from this increase in pavement is going to be treated in um in accordance with the regulations. Um I think that covers everything. So I um the applicant's looking for from you is uh approval to do the work within the um within the right ofway. Once he's completed the work, then he will go to the planning board and the planning board will um decide whether or not safe and adequate um access has been provided and if they believe that it has, which we fully expect that they will um then he'll be able to get a building permit. Sure. And just a one question I
017have is the when you mentioned the water runoff, is that going is the town sewer up there? No, that'll that'll be uh on a septic system. Okay. Okay. And you're doing in a well and they're actually going to do I'm sorry. Let me rephrase that. The the water drain from the street catch basins. A catch bas. It's Yeah, it'll go to a catch basin uh at the end and then into this detention basin. All right. Okay. Thank you. Yeah, this is I mean we don't have sore and I'm up in that area, but we do have the c I have the catch basin my backyard. Oh, okay. You know that Scotty's people come and check but yeah I don't I mean this is more or less a driveway so I don't expect that it's going
018to be a it's not going to receive a whole lot but but it's needed to meet the requirements. Sure. Not a bad thing that way. And it's making use out of some vacant land you can put a house on and whatnot too. Exactly. Sure. Yeah. And I just note that the fire chief uh was not opposed and right said that it would meet uh the needs of the fire department. Have a motion. I have a motion, Mr. Chair, to um approve the um uh have Mr. David Claro uh seek he's seeking authorization from the select board to make the necessary improvements but then the Camp Street public right of way uh access to lot 32C for the construction of a single family home. So anything he needs to do that's approved by our town engineer
019and planning board. I I would make a motion that we uh give him the okay to do that. I would gladly second that and that's unanimous. Thank you very much as always. Always. Thank you. Good job. Nice to see you. Take care. Have a good night. Thanks, guys. The next item is uh St. Mary's of the Assumption Parish, a one-day beer and wine license. Um I'll just the three items. Um a one-day entertainment license and a permit to obstruct uh as far as um a religious parade, for lack of a better term. We have to take them one at a time. Okay. if we could. Oh, sure. Uh, Mr. Chair, I'd make a motion that we um approve the one-day liquor license from an event that's at Paris Center Hall known as um uh Fesa
020Dosa Senhor Defatima uh to be held Saturday uh May 10th, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. I would second that. Mr. Chairman, if we could just add uh an amendment to that. Uh from 5:30 to 11:30. 5:30 to 11:30 to give them time to uh Sure. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Set up and to clear out. Yep. I appreciate it. And that's unanimous. Second motion would be uh the uh one-day entertainment license for the event of the parish hall uh known as uh Fesa Deosaur Defata to be held Saturday 10th, 2025 from um 5:30 to 10:30, which would be the entertainment license. again. Do we want to change the We don't have to because it's it's just a liquor license. Okay. Clearing things up. Second that. And that's unanimous. And also the U third one,
021the third uh motion would be uh to uh permit to obstruct um for a candle light procession in honor of our lady of Fatima uh following uh mass on Sunday um May 11th, 2025 um at uh 6:30 p.m. I would second that, Mr. Chairman. And that is unanimous. Uh invitation to speak. There's no one in the audience. No one online, sir. No one on the line. Chris, thank you very much. Paul, do you have anything you want to say? No, I do not. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Correspondence uh Citizens for Milford, the annual beautifification day. Um Rick, basically we received notification from uh Citizens for Milford that they will be once again sponsoring the uh annual beautifification day on Saturday, April 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Rain or shine. This is the 10th
022year. And they'd like to invite members of the board um Mr. Valani and members of the community uh to come and assist in uh cleaning various areas of the community uh to help uh remedy people where they dump trash and things of that nature and to make things um more beautiful. Yes, they really do a good job. Mr. Chairman, Lions Club will be there also providing a little food and refreshments around 11:00. So after the most of the work is done. And we usually do water street. Water street. Water street. Own water street. That's it. I was going to say if you're looking for the these guys will be looking for any of us. Maybe that's not a good fit. Along with the state representative he'll be in the right. He'll be there too. He'll
023be there. Correct. He in the brook. No, it's it's it's jumped in the brook one year. You know, it's it's a good event. It's a part of positive impact on our town and it brings people together, you know, and it gives us the spirit of community. You see a lot of people maybe haven't seen in a little while. Exactly. Yeah. Absolutely. It's it's really You pick up quite a bit. We sure do. Yeah. So, you should know, Tom, you're one of the fellows driving around picking up the bags. We do not have an executive session this evening. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? Motion to adjurnn, Mr. Chairman, and congratulations and the best to you. All right. And I would second that and echo that compliment. Congratulations and look forward to working with you
024this year and that is unanimous as well. I look forward to working with both of you. Good evening and uh thank you very much for those who tuned in or will tune in later on video. Um we appreciate your involvement. Good. Have a good evening. We already had a motion, right? Yeah.