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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20110831 - Select Board - Meeting Minutes Hopkinton Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes August 31, 2011 1 TOWN OF HOPKINTON Board of Selectmen MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING RE: EXPANDED GAMING August 31, 2011 A special meeting of the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen was held on Tuesday, August 31, 2011 at Town Hall, 18 Main Street, Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Selectmen present: Todd Cestari, Benjamin L. Palleiko, Michelle Gates, John Mosher and Brian Herr. Officials present; Town Manager Norman Khumalo, Operations Assistant Geri Holland, Fire Chief Ken Clark, Police Chief Rick Flannery, and State Representative Carolyn Dykema. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Cestari called the meeting to order in Room 211 at 6:30PM with the Pledge of Allegiance. STORM EMERGENCY RESPONSE RECAP: Fire Chief Ken Clark acknowledged the efforts of Hopkinton’s Emergency Management Team, saying that good decisions were made using the information available. He reported that many people on Hopkinton’s east side are still without power. Showers at the Middle School were made available to residents without power. Chief Clark thanked the School Department and the citizens for their patience and cooperation. Mr. Khumalo reported that the Emergency Management Team will continue to meet every morning at 10:00AM until all issues associated with the August 28 storm are resolved. He offered his sincere gratitude to Chief Clark, Police Chief Rick Flannery, Highway Department Director Mike Mansir, State Senator Karen Spilka and State Representative Carolyn Dykema for their support. He said residents have displayed remarkable patience. In response to Mr. Mosher, Chief Clark said NSTAR has to be called before downed wires can be addressed. Mr. Mosher said NSTAR has not been very visible around Town. Chief Clark responded that he doesn’t know what NSTAR’s deployment procedure is. Mr. Khumalo explained that circuit boards, the sewer treatment plant, elderly housing and critical care patients with power problems are NSTAR’s first priority. He said a debriefing will take place once the clean-up is complete. Mrs. Gates thanked emergency responders for their efforts. Mr. Palleiko called the response by the Town superb, noting that the streets were already cleared of debris. He suggested that NSTAR be pressured to get the power back on and asked what the Town’s options are in terms of retribution, as there had been plenty of warning about the storm. Chief Clark said he is constantly giving NSTAR feedback. He said he toured the Town after the storm with DPW Director John Westerling and two supervisors from NSTAR and suggested the operations people at NSTAR may not be getting feedback from management. Chairman Cestari said he is concerned that the number of people without power has not been reduced over two days. He encouraged people to reach out to neighbors in need. He advised that water is available at the Grove Street tanks. Mr. Khumalo said the Wood Street disposal facility is open for branch and leaf disposal. Rep. Dykema said Hopkinton will continue to receive advocacy at the state level with regard to NSTAR. Hopkinton Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes August 31, 2011 2 GAMING LEGISLATION: Rep. Dykema reported that the Governor, Senate President and Speaker of the House are in lock-step in passing legislation to allow casino gambling in Massachusetts. She said it’s important that elected officials hear from the Board and the citizens who oppose the plan. Mr. Palleiko said gambling will not enhance revenue in the Commonwealth or provide decent jobs and will have profound negative social implications. He said that spending continues to be cut at the local level and that Massachusetts citizens would be better served if the state did the same. Mr. Palleiko said the mitigation provisions in the bill are weak, provide little time for negotiation and do not address the social consequences. He urged Rep. Dykema and Sen. Spilka to vote against the bill. Mrs. Gates agreed that casino gambling takes revenue out of the economy as the money generated goes back into the casino. Mr. Mosher concurred, saying it does not provide a sustainable economic model and does not include sufficient protection for Hopkinton and other communities. Rep. Dykema said the current version of the bill has additional clauses recognizing surrounding communities, but stronger provisions are needed. The bill will allow three casinos with resort hotels to be built in Massachusetts. One license will be issued to each of three regions; the Boston area (which includes MetroWest), western Massachusetts and the south coast. Slot machines at race tracks will be in addition to the casinos. Rep. Dykema said she agrees with Board members that the provisions are not adequate and revenue projections are unrealistic. Passage of the bill will require 81 votes in the House. Rep. Dykema said her focus, should the bill pass, will be on addressing concerns about insufficient mitigation at the licensing board level. She said she will file an amendment to the bill providing that any community within a certain radius of a casino be considered a “surrounding community”. Comments from the public: RJ Dourney of 18 Hearthstone Road said it is important for people to understand the magnitude of the social impact, saying Hopkinton will deal with all of the downside of a casino in Milford. The impact on infrastructure, such as public safety and the roads will be staggering and civic pride would be eroded, not enhanced. Mr. Dourney said he is prepared to organize businesses in Metrowest against gaming. Nancy Barron of 29 Tammer Lane said she will leave Hopkinton if a casino is allowed in Milford. She said she will fight against it and many people feel the same way. John Coutino of 1 David Joseph Road said the issue has to be considered in the long term, adding that communities can’t survive with the low-paying jobs associated with casinos. He said the infrastructure can’t take the abuse, especially the roads. Mr. Coutino cited the blight that gaming has caused in and around Buffalo, New York. Doug Miller of 20 Alprilla Farm Road said he is adamantly opposed to gaming and asked if the Legacy Farms development is a factor for a casino to locate in Milford. Chairman Cestari responded that accessibility is the primary driver. Mr. Herr said the issue never came up in his discussions with the Legacy Farms developer, but that it is a point that should be explored. Chairman Cestari observed that a casino in Milford would impact property values. Hopkinton Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes August 31, 2011 3 Mary Murphy of 31 Elizabeth Road said she is distressed that passage of the gaming bill is a foregone conclusion. She said a casino would bring no value to Massachusetts, adding that people wishing to gamble can go to a number of neighboring states to do so. Ms. Murphy noted Nevada’s 54% budget shortfall. Rep. Dykema advised people to mobilize and contact the House and Senate leadership. She said many of her House colleagues are not hearing opposition from their constituents. Bob Caty of 24 Grove Street said he is vehemently opposed to casinos and asked Rep. Dykema about the timeline of the process going forward. Rep. Dykema responded that the vote in the House will happen in the next couple of weeks. Upon passage, the legislature will establish a licensing board which will have a lot of authority. Board members will be appointed. Amy Ritterbusch of 54 Grove Street added her opposition to casinos. She cited Massachusetts’ low unemployment rate as an indication that the state doesn’t need casinos to bring employment. Ken Weismantel of 145 Ash Street said traffic and crime problems will spill over into Hopkinton from Milford and that the Selectmen will have to fight development with the licensing board. Mr. Weismantel said he would prefer not to fight with neighboring Milford, but said Milford doesn’t share Hopkinton’s priorities. Linda Katz of 7 Benson Road said she is opposed to gaming and the Town should act to stop it coming to Milford. Ben Paharik of 6 Pike Street said gaming will be devastating to the area and observed that the area has the best schools, colleges and corporations which could coordinate an effective opposition. Chairman Cestari closed the meeting by stating that gaming amounts to another tax on the low income population with no positive social impact. Mr. Herr noted that the bill is riddled with negative language (cheating, swindling, etc.) that suggests negative implications and outcomes. He applauded Rep. Dykema for going against her colleagues in the House in her opposition to the bill. ADJOURN: MOTION by Mr. Palleiko to adjourn SECONDED by Mr. Herr. VOTE to Approve: Unanimous Meeting adjourned at 7:55PM. Respectfully Submitted, Elizabeth Aghababian Recording Secretary Date approved: 10/11/11