October 12th ARPA (RAAC) Meeting Preview

The Reading ARPA Advisory Committee (RAAC) has a full agenda for tonight’s potential final meeting. Included is an update from the Town Manager and Town Engineer on pending list of water and sewer infrastructure projects and discussion on water/sewer funding. An update on premium pay approaches and subsequent vote on recommendations to allocate pandemic relief premium pay to town employees. Also included are the private funding requests from Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce, Reading Rotary, Reading Garden Club, and First Congregational Church, and finally, the RAAC will finalize and vote on all recommendations to be presented to the Select Board. 

7:00-7:05 Call to Order 

7:05-7:10 Public Comment 

7:10-7:25 PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION

Update from Town Manager and Town Engineer on pending list of water and sewer infrastructure projects out to 2025 and updated request.

7:25-8:45 CONTINUED PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION/VOTE

RAAC members Shawn Brandt and Thomas Wise to further update premium pay approaches in view of additional personnel information; RAAC members to select model and allocations and vote on recommendations, if any for ARPA allocations towards premium pay, to Select Board.

8:45-9:15 CONTINUED ALLOCATION DISCUSSION/VOTE

RAAC members to continue discussion on water/sewer funding, settle on possible final allocation, and vote on recommendations, if any, for ARPA allocations towards town water/sewer/water infrastructure costs, to Select Board.

9:15-9:45 CONTINUED ALLOCATION DISCUSSION/VOTE

RAAC members to continue overall discussion on remaining private requests received and vote on any recommended allocations, if any, to each private submission, for recommendation to the Select Board, including votes relating to requests received from: –Reading/North Reading Chamber of Commerce –Reading Rotary; –Reading Garden Club –First Congregational Church.

9:45-10:00 CONTINUED ALLOCATION DISCUSSION/POSSIBLE VOTE

RAAC members to finalize and vote on any remaining recommendations to select board and any possible additional individual member recommendations, any additional allocations to previously approved allocations; clean up and finalize any remaining RAAC tasks.

10:00-10:15 Review and approve summary report for Town Meeting

Review and approve summary report for Town Meeting on RAAC activities (will include filling in blanks in a table on allocation recommendations, if any, made earlier during tonight’s meeting). 

10:15-10:20 Review/Approve minutes from 9/6/2022 meeting 

10:20-10:30- Discuss and close out/end the ad hoc RAAC committee

Discuss and close out/end the ad hoc RAAC committee – if necessary, discuss if any additional meetings needed and plan for same.

10:30 Adjourn

The meeting will take place in the Select Board meeting room at Town Hall at 7pm. The public can attend in person or watch via several options:  via a broadcast on RCTV’s YouTube channel at this or on the RCTV Government Channel (Xfinity ch 22, Verizon ch 33). The Zoom link for this meeting is: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83453179058

The complete agenda is provided below and we’ll have a complete recap of the meeting posted afterwards.