HomeMy Public PortalAbout20231010 - Select Board - Meeting MinutesTOWN OF HOPKINTON
SELECT BOARD
Meeting Minutes -October 10,2023
18 Main St,Hopkinton,MA -Room 215/216 6:00 PM
Select Board Members Present:Muriel Kramer,Chair,Shahidul Mannan,Vice Chair,Mary Jo
LaFreniere,Amy Ritterbusch
Select Board Members Absent:Irfan Nasrullah
Officials Present:Town Manager Norman Khumalo,Assistant Town Manager Elaine Lazarus
CALL TO ORDER:Muriel Kramer called the public meeting to order at 6:01 PM in the Town
Hall.She stated that the public has the option of attending the meeting in person or via Zoom,
and the meeting is being recorded.
Ms.Kramer requested a motion to enter executive session pursuant to M.G.L.c.30A,§21(a)
(purpose 3)to consider strategy with respect to litigation in Cassarino v.Morrissey,Middlesex
Superior Court action No.2381cv01299,because an open meeting may have a detrimental effect
on the litigating position of the Board;pursuant to M.G.L.c.30A,§21(a)(purpose 3)to consider
strategy with respect to negotiations with the Fire union;pursuant to M.G.L.c.30A,§21(a)
(purpose 6)to consider the purchase,lease,sale or value of real estate in relation to properties in
the vicinity of Town Hall and South Street,and parcels owned by Umina off Chestnut Street,
because an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Board;
Approval of Executive Session Minutes,to allow Norman Khumalo and Elaine Lazarus to
participate in the executive session,and to reconvene in Open Session at the conclusion of
Executive Session.MOVED by Mr.Mannan and SECONDED by Ms.Ritterbusch.ROLL
CALL:Mary Jo LaFreniere-Yes;Amy Ritterbusch-Yes;Shahidul Mannan-Yes;Muriel
Kramer-Yes.Vote to Approve:Yes-4,No-0.
CALL TO ORDER:Muriel Kramer called the open session to order at 6:33 PM in the Town
Hall.Board members recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
PUBLIC FORUM:Mary Jo LaFreniere expressed her condolences for Phyllis Smith who had
passed away recently and was a former Town employee.
Muriel Kramer expressed her concerns about the current situation in the Middle East.
DPW Director Kerry Reed informed the Board and the community that the Department is aware
of the water discoloration issue in Town,they are trying to respond to everyone,and have issued
regular updates providing information about the situation.She stated the Water Dept.is working
diligently on the short term issues and a long term solution.Kerry Reed stated that the probable
cause could be sediments in the pipe which were coming through the supply,and the power
outage at the Ashland treatment plant could also be a contributor.She stated the water is safe,
people should flush their pipes,should not use it for washing clothes if it is discolored,and
should contact the DPW if there are problems.She stated they are continuing to flush pipes and
might need to wait until spring to do a more comprehensive program.
Page 1
CONSENT AGENDA:Members requested a separate vote on item d of the Consent Agenda.
MOVED by Shahidul Mannan and SECONDED by Amy Ritterbusch to approve the Consent
Agenda,consisting of the following:1)approving the Minutes of the September 19,2023 and
October 3,2023 meetings;2)accepting a gift of $375 from the children of Legacy Farms raised
via a lemonade stand,to be used for the children’s department at the Hopkinton Public Library;
4)approving two Marathon Fund Committee fund requests as follows:a)$9,000 towards six
scholarships to Hopkinton residents graduating from High School in the spring of 2024,valued
at $1,500 each;and b)$15,500 towards a project to update the lighting in the main auditorium at
the Hopkinton Cultural Arts Center.Vote to Approve:Yes-4,No-0.
APPOINTMENTS -BOARD AND COMMITTEES:The Select Board reviewed applications
submitted for vacancies on the Youth Commission,Commission on Disability and the Veterans
Celebration Committee.Thomas Pan expressed their interest in joining the Youth Commission to
bring more awareness and inclusion across various nationalities and cultures existing in town.No
other applicants were present.
MOVED by Shahidul Mannan and SECONDED by Amy Ritterbusch to appoint Praveen
Harihan to the Commission on Disability,to a term expiring June 30,2024.Vote to Approve:
Yes-4,No-0.
MOVED by Shahidul Mannan and SECONDED by Amy Ritterbusch to appoint Qingxu
(Thomas)Pan to the Youth Commission,to a term expiring in June 30 2026.Vote to Approve:
Yes-4,No-0.
MOVED by Shahidul Mannan and SECONDED by Amy Ritterbusch to appoint John Cardillo
to the Veterans Celebration Committee,to a term expiring June 30,2026.Vote to Approve:
Yes-4,No-0.
TOWN EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT:Mr.Khumalo requested that the Board confirm the
appointment of Lauren Delello as a full time Grant Coordinator in the Youth &Family Services
Department.He stated that she successfully worked on the MassCALL3 part A grant,and will be
working on the MassCALL3,Part B Grant,which is to prevent first substance use (e.g.,alcohol,
nicotine,cannabis)among youth.Members of the Select Board welcomed Ms.Delello and
wished her success in the new role.MOVED by Shahidul Mannan and SECONDED by Amy
Ritterbusch to confirm the Town Manager ’s appointment of Lauren Delello as a full time Grant
Coordinator in the Youth &Family Services Dept.Vote to Approve:Yes-4,No-0.
BOARD OF REGISTRARS VACANCIES:Connor Degan,Town Clerk,informed the Board
that Town Counsel and the Elections Division has confirmed that a previous nominee to the
Board of Registrars,although not a Republican,can still be considered valid,but the Board still
needs one Republican in the remaining seat.He stated that the Hopkinton Republican Town
Committee (RTC)still must provide nominees for the other open position.It was determined that
the Board will send a letter to the RTC requesting nominations,and they have 45 days to
respond..
Page 2
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING:Mr.Khumalo stated he has been working with Town Counsel
and the Elementary School Building Committee 2 to determine who the sponsor of the Elmwood
Elementary School article will be.He noted that going by the Marathon School replacement
project,the Building Committee had been the proponent.He stated that at the present time there
have been two additional articles submitted,one from the Sustainable Green Committee to adopt
the enhanced stretch energy code,and the second one a citizen’s petition to eliminate the partisan
electoral process in the town.
TOWN MANAGER FY 24 GOALS:The Board reviewed three proposed FY24 goals
suggested by Mr.Khumalo:
●Ensure the FY 25 Budget Development delivers results for all residents through an
equitable,inclusive and accountable budget process;
●In collaboration with Select Board,define,develop and implement a bottom-up strategic
plan process for the town;
●Collaborate with Human Resources in empowering and rebuilding our workforce through
training and enhanced benefits;
Mr.Khumalo stated that the proposed goals recognize alignment with the goals that the Select
Board set for FY24 and bring consistency and alignment with the senior leadership who has been
requested to align at least one if not more of their goals to the Select Board goals.He stated the
goals also are intended to align with the softer side of people management,process,equity,and
accountability,to empower the Town workforce.
Mr.Mannan asked if ensuring a high quality of services and quality of life for Town residents
could be tied to the Town Manager ’s goals.Mr.Khumalo stated it is tied in by way of the budget
process for FY25 which would maintain high quality of services for the future.He stated that
measuring the quality of services will also be included.MOVED by Shahidul Mannan and
SECONDED by Amy Ritterbusch to approve the Town Manager ’s FY24 goals as discussed.
Vote to Approve:Yes-4,No-0.
POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATE:The Select Board received an update from the Police
Chief via an email the Town Manager as follows:
a.School Resource Officer -The Police Department,Youth and Family Services
Department and the School Department had met and are in agreement on the School
Resource Officer (SRO)position and role and would appear before the Board at a future
meeting.
b.Departmental Review -Chief Moore has been working toward getting a vendor for the
project.Given the tight timeline it has been difficult,so the recommendation is to
consider one of the two entities that Chief Moore had been asked to look into.Norman
Khumalo asked the Board for its thoughts and suggestions on the scope of services.Amy
Ritterbusch stated she would like to look into ways to improve staff retention.Mary Jo
LaFreniere stated appointments need to be made to key leadership positions.Muriel
Kramer suggested readiness,leadership and succession planning,team cohesion and
development,community feedback and priorities and employee feedback.She suggested
Page 3
the Police Department’s commitment to town training on diversity,equity,inclusion and
belonging,and insight on promotional and hiring policies used in similar towns;
recruitment and retention;transparency in policy implementation.She stated the Board
should consider an interim position on hiring and promotions pending completion of the
departmental review,and suggested that the Board discuss this at a future meeting.She
suggested that the Board consider having a meeting with candidates for an interview
along with the Chief,a Human Resources Dept.representative,and the Town Manager,
followed by a Select Board meeting to formalize the ceremony if the individual will be
promoted/hired.Ms.Ritterbusch and Mr.Mannan agreed this would be a good idea.
FY 2025 BUDGET MESSAGE -JOINT MEETING WITH SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND
APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE:School Committee members present:Nancy
Richards-Cavanaugh,Chair,Amanda Fargiano,Susan Stephenson,Adam Munroe.
Appropriation Committee members present:Michael Manning,Chair (participating remotely),
Jean Bertschmann,Caroline Lu,Bill Flannery.School Committee and Appropriation Committee
meetings were called to Order.
Norman Khumalo stated this is the financial starting point for the FY 2025 budget cycle.He
stated that the discussion paper distributed with the budget message starts with preliminary
projections for sources of funding that may be available,but these are estimates that are likely to
be revised during the process.He stated the discussion paper indicates that the Town will be
challenged to sustain current service levels with the revenue estimated to be available,with a
current projected shortfall of $1,700,000.He stated that because of this,he recommends a freeze
on service level enhancements in the FY25 budget.He stated that solving this challenge will
require discipline in looking at spending priorities,continued work on evaluating revenue
estimates,consideration of where the Town might assume levels of risk to sustain services,and
perhaps consideration of a Proposition 2 ½override.
Mr.Khumalo stated that the Town uses a purposeful resource management approach which
includes strategic planning that flows into programming for operations and through to budgeting.
He stated it ensures that the budget process is guided by priorities.He stated that themes like
transparency,diversity,equity,inclusion and belonging will be highlighted in the budget process
along with traditional areas of focus like economy,efficiency,and tax impact.He referred to
areas of concern highlighted in the budget message:1)budget will focus on capital needs to
sustain and renew infrastructure which supports town services.2)long term financial health will
be supported by increasing the OPEB contribution and matching last year ’s contribution to the
stabilization reserves to meet financial management policy objectives.He stated that another
core budget priority is to sustain service delivery to the community,and improve it where
possible.
Mr.Khumalo highlighted the following items included in the issue paper:
●New Growth in the tax base is trending better than budgeted in FY24,driven by new
residential construction and valuation at the Hopkinton LNG plant;
●It is estimated that Local Aid will increase 5%over FY24;
●Local Receipts are protected to increase 5%.
Page 4
He stated that on the expenditure side,debt for some town projects that already have been
authorized will be coming onto the books,and will need to be covered by available resources.
Second,the Town’s insurance consultant is advising the Town to budget for a 13%increase in
health care costs for existing employees,which is a $1,600,000 cost to be covered.He stated that
because of these costs,about 3.7 million dollars in new recurring revenue remains available to
meet new recurring needs,including negotiated pay raises and contractual obligations,which
equates into about 4.4%of the current department operating budgets.
He suggested that as a proposed solution to the upcoming budget shortfall,managing cost
growth,identifying additional revenue sources,considering deviations from financial policy on
recurring funding,and considering an override of the of Proposition 2.5%are options.He stated
that the materials presented do not foresee an override at this time,and without one,the
anticipated tax impact for the FY25 budget is the same 2.3%tax impact that begets have called
for from existing taxpayers over the last several years.He requested that the Board concur with
guidance that calls for budget submissions within 4.4%of FY24 levels,and that requests for new
starts of expanded services be withheld from budget requests.
Shahidul Mannan stated the Town has fallen behind in infrastructure investments and needs to
get caught up,and there should be a review of the Town’s management of risks and the level of
risk carried forward.Muriel Kramer asked about improving the process of commuting changes to
the projections.She asked about the realistic picture regarding capital projects.Mr.Khumalo
stated that capital project proposals have not been submitted yet.It was stated that school
projects in the pipeline indicated last year have been modified,resulting in a reduction for the
number proposed in FY25.It was stated that capital projects have been voted as excluded debt in
the last several years,so do not affect the Proposition 2 ½calculation if that continues.It was
stated that 75%or more of the Town’s budget is people who provide services now.Nancy
Richards-Cavanaugh stated the School Dept.will continue its zero based budgeting approach,
and referred to unknowns including Chapter 70 funding and new services needed to meet student
needs.Caroline Liu asked about changes to school fees to increase revenue and restructuring of
services.Carol Cavanaugh,School Superintendent,referred to existing fees,and noted that at
some point there is concern about how much families can afford.She referred to per pupil
expenditure data statewide,noting that Hopkinton is very low on the list which illustrates that
students are receiving a high quality education at a relatively low cost.Jean Bertschmann asked
if the Town is able to repurpose some funds in the overlay account.It was stated that the status of
pending and anticipated appeals is being monitored.
MOVED by Amy Ritterbusch and SECONDED by Shahidul Mannan to adopt the budget
message as outlined in the Town Manager ’s memo dated 10/5/2023.Vote to Approve:Yes-4,
No-0.The School Committee and Appropriation Committee meetings were adjourned.
POLICY ON REDACTION OF PUBLIC SURVEY COMMENTS:Amy Ritterbusch
reviewed a need to redact personal information and personal attacks that people provide in public
surveys,in the open comment sections.She stated it could be helpful to set guidelines or adopt a
policy in this regard.Board members discussed the issues,noting it wanted to continue to allow
Page 5
open ended comments,and concerns about editorial privilege and limiting free speech were
expressed.Mary Jo LaFreniere stated that if portions are redacted,they will be available via a
public records request unless it meets one of the Public Records Law exemptions.Mr.Khumalo
stated if it is a public record,the Town should not be actively trying to make it not a public
record.
The Board discussed proposed language to insert into surveys for future discussion and review
by Town Counsel,as follows:
Please note that the results of this survey including the open response comments are a
public record and will be shared publicly,subject to the Public Records Law.Please stay
on topic,use common courtesy and be respectful of others.
STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK:Shahidul Mannan reviewed how goals should be
outcome driven,and the Board decided to continue discussion on streamlining the structure and
process to make its goals SMART,actionable and measurable.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT:
●Main Street Corridor Project -Mr.Khumalo stated the project was winding down for the
winter and stated there have been some items brought to the Town’s attention via the
public.He referred to the attachment to his memo that provides answers to those
questions and comments.
●Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)treatment project -Mr.Khumalo reported
that excavation for the filtration system foundation is underway;expected completion of
the project is January 2024.
●Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)Southborough Interconnection
project -Mr.Khumalo reported that there is a scheduled meeting with Southboro to
reinitiate the IMA discussions.
●Town Employee Benefit Enhancements -Mr.Khumalo described a list of potential
employee benefit enhancements,thanks to the Human Resources Department which has
initiated this conversation.He stated that enhancing employee benefits would lead to
better service delivery and employee retention.He listed the following items:Increase
initial vacation accruals from two to three weeks;provide domestic partner insurance
coverage;create a sick leave bank for non-union employees;provide paid parental leave;
revise the working remote policy to include the introductory period;health insurance opt
out stipend for employees not on the Town’s health insurance;increase the MIIA AllOne
Health EAP Mental Health Visit increase from 3 to 6;add retiree Medicare Supplemental
Eye Exam coverage;and corporate card access.
Mr.Mannan asked about communication with the public regarding problems with the Town’s
water.Mr.Khumalo referred to the ongoing problem with discolored water,and stated the Town
is looking for a long term plan and are soliciting proposals form engineers.
LIAISON REPORTS/BOARD INVITES:Mary Jo LaFreniere stated that the Cemetery
Commission increased the rates last year and the Town is on par with other communities,so it
does not want to raise the rates again.It was stated that this time will be removed from the future
Page 6
agenda item list.Ms.LaFreniere stated that the Tax Relief Committee is running low on its
funds.She stated the source of funding is donations.Amy Ritterbusch stated that the Sustainable
Green Committee is having a drop in event on Oct.11;the Cultural Council has unveiled new
mural panels at the EMC Park;Art on the Trail will be opening this week;the Board has
received an invite to a Diwali event -Mr.Mannan will attend.Shahidul Mannan stated a new
ceramic studio is open at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts;the South Asian Circle of Hopkinton
is hosting its annual event called Rhythms and Ragas;the ESBC-2 has a updoming public
forums on the Elmwood Elementary School project.
FUTURE BOARD AGENDA ITEMS
1.For Oct 17 Strategic Planning Framework -proposed additions/modifications -Mannan
(requested Sep 2023)
2.For Oct 17:PD,Youth &Family Services,SD -Overview of SRO Program including
supervision and oversight measures
3.For Oct 17:PD Organizational Review Components and Process
4.For Oct.17:Town Clean Water/PFAS Remediation Advisory Council Framework
Mannan (requested Sep 2023)
MOVED by Shahidul Mannan and SECONDED by Mary Jo LaFreniere to adjourn the meeting.
Vote to Approve:Yes-4,No-0.
Adjourned:9:19 PM
Approved:October 26,2023
Documents used at the meeting:
●Marathon Fund Applications dated 9/12/2023
●Applications and resumes submitted by Praveen Hariharan (dated 9/4/23),Qingxu (Thomas)Pan
(dated 9/8/23),John Cardillo (dated 9/21/23)
●Lauren Delello application and cover letter
●Special Town Meeting Timeline,November 13,2023 Special Town Meeting
●Memo to Select Board from Norman Khumalo dated 10/5/2023,re:Fiscal Year 2025 Budget
Development
●2024 Annual Town Meeting Timeline &FY 25 Budget Calendar
●Town of Hopkinton,Fiscal Year 2025 Budget,Initial Discussion Issue Paper,October 5,2023
●Presentation entitled “Town of Hopkinton,FY 2025 Budget Discussion,October 10,2023”
●Town Manager ’s FY24 Stretch Goals and Objectives Summary
●Presentation entitled “Select Board Policy Proposal,Redaction of Survey Comments,10/10/23
Meeting”
●Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law
●Email from Shahidul Mannan dated 09/05/2023:Strategic Planning Framework -proposed
additions/modifications
●Memo to Select Board from Norman Khumalo dated 10/12/23,Re:Staff Report -Select Board
October 17,2023 Meeting,with attachments
Page 7
●FY 24 Liaison Assignments
●New List Future Board Agenda Items
●Script and Motions for Hybrid Meeting,Select Board 10/10/23
Page 8