The Select Board will be meeting this evening at 7:00pm in the Select Board meeting room at Town Hall and remotely on Zoom. After Select Board Liaison and Town Manager Reports, the board will close the Warrant for the November 5th State Election. Other than the candidates for office, the ballot will contain the following 5 questions:
- Question 1: Should the auditor oversee the legislature?
- Question 2: Eliminating the MCAS graduation requirement
- Question 3: A union for rideshare drivers
- Question 4: Legalizing psychedelic drugs
- Question 5: The minimum wage for tipped workers
Afterwards, the board will hold a public hearing on a New Liquor License: Farmer Series Pouring Permit
(Distillery) for New England Barrel Company at One General Way, Unit 40. James Saunders is the founder of the New England Barrel Company whose seeking an on-premises pouring permit for primarily small batch whiskey. Below is a drawing of the proposed layout of their new space over near Market Basket:
Next, the board will discuss the multi-unit tiered water rates. This topic will focus on the board addressing the instructional motion previously approved at Town Meeting but was also recommended by multiple board members. The board will seek a resolution to the “inequity problem” with multi-unit dwellings having 1 water meter for a building which in-turn, typically charges the entire building at Tier 4 water rates regardless of individual unit usage.
At their previous meeting, the board approved an exploration of a pilot program for outside irrigation users aimed at around 400 households. The board will discuss the terms of that program at their October 29th meeting but it was noted around 154 existing units have two water meters for outside irrigation purposes and “should be included first”.
Lastly, the board will have a Recreation and Reading Pickleball Players Association (RPPA) Presentation and Discussion on Symonds Way Land for Pickleball. There is no information beyond the graphic in the packet which includes 8 pickleball courts, 91 parking spaces and a proposed Community Center with a gymnasium.
The complete agenda is listed below.
- 7:00 Overview of Meeting
- 7:05 Public Comment
- 7:15 Select Board Liaison and Town Manager Reports
- 7:30 Close Warrant for State Election
- 7:45 New Liquor License: Farmer Series Pouring Permit (Distillery) for New England Barrel Company at One General Way, Unit 40
- 8:00 Town Accountant Quarterly report
- 8:20 Discuss multi-unit tiered water rates
- 9:00 Update on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds and potential reallocation vote
- 9:10 Recreation and Reading Pickleball Players Association (RPPA) Presentation and Discussion on Symonds Way Land for Pickleball
- 9:20 Update on Downtown Parking Kiosk Rollout
- 9:30 Ad Hoc Commemorative Establishment Committee (ACE): Discuss Select Board Designee Appointment
- 9:40 Future Meeting Agendas
- 9:50 Approve Meeting Minutes
The 7:00PM meeting will take place in the Select Board Room and Zoom. The public can attend virtually or watch via several options: via a broadcast on RCTV’s YouTube channel at this link or on the RCTV Government Channel (Xfinity ch 22, Verizon ch 33). The Zoom link for this meeting is: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kd6DsjAEOs
