HomeMy Public PortalAbout20211006 - Upper Charles Trail Committee - Meeting Minutes1
UPPER CHARLES TRAIL COMMITTEE
Wednesday October 6, 2021 5:00 PM
Select Board Meeting Room, Town Hall, 18 Main St., Hopkinton, MA
MINUTES
Members present: Bob Snyder, Jane Moran, Eli Post, Eric Sonnett, Barry Rosenbloom, Cynthia
Esthimer, Ken Parker, Jim Ciriello
Members absent: Irfan Nasrullah
Town officials present: Dave Daltorio – Town Engineer
VHB staff present: Matthew Chase, Christine Champeau
1. Process for managing on-call contracts: As a result of conversations with the Finance
Department, Dave submitted that we no longer call projects ‘phases’. The new term will
be “on-call contracts”. There will also be a new process for contracting the “on-call
contracts”. See “On-Call Contracting Process” below for the itemization of this process
(which was approved by all members.) Regarding the FY 23 Committee budget
submission; a 3.25 % increase is allowable for the next fiscal year. Barry proposed a
$54,000 budget and Eric moved to submit the FY 23 expense budget set at $54,000 as
itemized for 3 On-Call contracts at $45,000, $7500 for communications and $1500 for
other expenses. The On-call estimates are supported with engineering projects already
identified by VHB. Eli seconded his motion. The motion passed unanimously. See Matt
Chase’s 10/6 meeting notes for the specific projects to which these funds are directed.
2. De-brief from Planning Board Meeting 9/13/21: During the Planning Board meeting with the
school committee in 2017 there was much discussion of the multiuse trail traveling
through the Irvine/Todaro property. It was also established that a multiuse trail is an
allowable use in the buffer zone and this language was written into those minutes. Jane
asked the current Planning Board to support HUCTC’s desire to apply for a grant that
would provide engineering study monies for a trail to be designed around the current
Marathon School and the unbuilt part of the Irvine/Todaro property. The Planning Board
neither supported nor denied the application for the grant money. The Planning Board
asked HUCTC to present the concept at a public meeting, then come back to them.
3. VHB Update:
1) Matt reviewed where we left off at our last meeting. We had planned to draft an
Environmental Notification Form (ENF), and to make decisions about Segments 5 and 6
at this meeting. Because of the new alignments that were suggested by town citizens, he
stopped work on the ENF.
2) Matt pointed out the differences between the Mass DOT and the “non-Mass DOT’
processes for trail funding. The former process takes multiple years to fully complete a
project; the latter process can potentially finish in two years or less. We have already
voted to seek a $140K Mass Trails Grant. This approach employs the “non-Mass DOT”
process.
3) Dave will continue to look for other municipal funding sources for trails.
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4) Barry and Matt will work together to create a Segment 5/6 financial report to be utilized
for the CPC funding application.
4. Liaison Reports:
5) Town Manager – Eric reported that the town manager supports the alignment that was
presented previously and is not interested in deviating from that alignment.
6) Planning Board – Jane reported that they are up to speed on our current plans.
7) Parks and Rec – Cynthia will bring them up-to-date on our current plans.
8) School Committee – Jane will bring them up-to-date at tomorrow night’s meeting.
5. Draft minutes of the 8/24/21 meeting: Approved unanimously.
6. Next Meeting: 11/3/21 in a Town Hall room to be determined. VHB update and CPC update
will be on the agenda, as well as Liaison Reports.
On-Call Contracting Process:
1) UCTC votes to assign a task to VHB under the On-Call contract following the meeting
during which it is discussed. The vote will give authorization to one or more Committee
members (Jane as the Chair and/or someone else) to finalize a scope of work and fee and
sign VHB up. Dave Daltorio will coordinate with Jane or the authorized designee in order
to begin negotiating with VHB on scope and fee.
2) Dave Daltorio will coordinate with VHB to develop a scope of work and fee and make a
recommendation to Jane or whomever the Committee gave authorization to approve the
scope and fee received from VHB..
3) Once the final approval was provided by Jane or the designee Dave Daltorio will
coordinate with the Town Manager's Office to sign the Notice to Proceed, final scope and
fee would be attached.
4) VHB will send Dave Daltorio the invoices direct, and he will review/comment on them,
and make a final recommendation to Jane, Barry, and Ben to process for payment.
5) UCTC treasurer would actually submit the invoice for payment and track the budget for
the particular task within the overall Project’s On-Call contract budget.
The public meeting was adjourned at 6:50PM.
Submitted by Bob Snyder
Approved: November 17, 2021
Documents used at the meeting:
Meeting agenda
(VHB drafted) UCTC Meeting Notes