The Select Board will be meeting tonight at 7pm in the Select Board meeting room at Town Hall. The board will be receiving a presentation by the Community Preservation Coalition regarding the Community Preservation Act (CPA). As part of their presentation, it’s noted that cities and towns vote to adopt the CPA and a surcharge of not more than 3% of the tax levy against real property. The State will provide a matching distribution from the Community Preservation Trust Fund which is administered by the Department of Revenue (DOR). For a more in depth analysis on this topic, please check out our prior article here: https://www.readingrecap.com/2023/09/25/%f0%9f%92%b0-community-preservation-act-cpa-presentation/
The Reading Cultural Council will be providing an update to the board regarding the $12,200 of grant money from the Massachusetts Cultural Council as well as:
- Additional funding of $8,000 was provided by the Town of Reading.
- $4,213 came from interest and funds rolled over from unclaimed grants in FY 2022.
- The total was $24,413, which the Cultural Council granted to 26 cultural events in Reading.
The Select Board will also be voting to close the warrant for November Town Meeting. At their last meeting on September 12th, the Select Board received only a preview of the warrant articles. Noticeably absent from this packet, that was in their last, is the Snow Removal Bylaw. No reasoning was provided in the packet for it’s removal but the Bylaw Committee voted earlier in the month to not take it up at Town Meeting.
Added to the packet is a new Article 12 regarding the addition of pickleball courts to Symonds Way. At the Select Boards last meeting, Eileen Manning from the Reading Pickleball Players Association (RPPA) gave a presentation on the potential new courts behind Symonds Way. In the days following their meeting, 38 residents signed a Citizen’s Petition to add new courts to the November Warrant. This will require a 2/3rd’s vote to pass at Town Meeting.
• Subrtracted • ARTICLE 11 To see if the Town will vote to adopt a new Snow Removal Bylaw by:
(1) Inserting a new Section 8.15 into the General Bylaws, as follows: Clearing of Public Sidewalks Removal Requirement: The owner or manager of any property abutting a sidewalk of a public way in the Downtown Smart Growth Overlay District, as shown on the Town’s Zoning Map, shall cause the portion of said sidewalk abutting their property to be maintained in a nonslippery condition, suitable for pedestrian travel, by clearing any slush, loose, granular, or packed snow, and ice for the portion of the paved sidewalk abutting their property.
• Added • ARTICLE 12 – To see if the Town will vote to transfer from the Reading Ice Arena Funds
Account 4715 a sum or sums of money not to exceed $200,000 to pay to build eight (8) temporary,
outdoor pickleball courts on the land adjacent to the Burbank Ice Arena off Symonds way, subject
to successful negotiations of lease with the Burbank Ice Arena Authority and obtaining any
required permits, or take any other action with respect thereto.
The complete agenda is below:
- 7:00 Overview of Meeting
- 7:05 Public Comment
- 7:15 SB Liaison & Town Manager Reports
- 7:30 HEARING – Change of Manager – Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza
- 7:45 Discuss Community Preservation Act and Presentation from Community Preservation Coalition
- 8:00 Update from Cultural Council
- 8:15 Discussion and Vote on Food Pantry Request for Additional ARPA Funds
- 8:45 Discuss Request from Recreation Administrator, Jim Sullivan, to hold a second position with the Town; State Ethics Law Section 20(b) exemption
- 9:00 Vote to Close Warrant for November Town Meeting
- 9:30 Designate Town Manager as Town Representative on Designer Selection Panel for the MSBA, Killam School
- 9:45 Discuss Future Agendas
- 10:00 Approve Meeting Minutes
The 7PM meeting will take place in the Select Board meeting room at Town Hall. The public can attend in person 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/j/87613046917
