Connolly addresses K of C building complaints

Selectman John Connolly refuted two letters to the editor published recently in the Canton Citizen criticizing the board for not properly informing residents at last year’s town meeting about the condition of the Knights of Columbus building on Pleasant Street, the site of a proposed new senior center.

Connolly said at Tuesday night’s selectmen’s meeting that he will take the blame for a water leak inside the building, as he assumed the pipes would have been drained. “I assumed this would have been done but forgot to check myself,” he said. “That’s on me.”

However, he stressed that the selectmen are not forcing the project on the public, and he reiterated his position that if the renovations are too expensive, the site can be put back on the real estate market and the town will continue the search for a new site.

“Everyone knew the building needed lots of work,” he said. “What was important to us was the parking lot and the location.”

“The building became available to the town at a cost below its appraised value,” Connolly added. “The BOS presented the opportunity to town meeting with an understanding the building could be divested if renovation costs were determined to be too expensive or another direction for the town became more desirable. The [Building Renovations Committee] is completing its work on renovation estimates, and the town will have an opportunity to vote on renovating the building for a future senior center at this year’s town meeting.”

Connolly said the building was inspected and appraised prior to the sale. The water leak was cleaned up by the DPW at no additional cost to the town. Since the building was vacant, no personal property was destroyed, and the interior of the building has since been gutted.

In a January meeting, preliminary renovation costs were pegged at $1.5 million, a portion of which had already been set aside by the Council on Aging.

In other news, selectmen interviewed three finalists for the part-time conservation agent position. Thirteen people applied and a search committee consisting of Human Resource Director Jody Middleton, two members of the Conservation Commission, Building Inspector Ed Walsh, and the town engineer recommended three finalists.

Interviewed Tuesday night by selectmen were Mary Guiney of Plymouth, Cynthia O’Connell of Sharon, and Debbie Anderson of Norwood. Selectmen will make the decision at their March 19 meeting with input from the full ConCom. O’Connell is a landscape architect who has worked for civil engineering firms but has knowledge of wetlands. She already has a part-time position as the Dedham conservation agent. Guiney has worked for the state Department of Environmental Protection and is familiar with the former Plymouth Rubber property. She has worked as a conservation agent in Halifax and Hanson. Anderson has worked as a conservation specialist and filled in for conservation agents in Wellesley and Needham.

* Selectmen Chairman Bob Burr said the initial findings from an independent study analyzing the latest zoning proposal from Napleton on the former Plymouth Rubber property are due to a public subcommittee this week. This panel includes Burr, representatives from the Planning Board and School Committee, Town Administrator Bill Friel, and the building inspector. A full report will be presented to selectmen at the March 19 meeting. Burr said the zoning article could potentially be postponed to a special town meeting, enabling public hearings to continue well into April.

* The town has received the first land lease payment from Southern Sky Renewable Energy for the new solar farm at the former town landfill. The check is for $125,000 and covers the period from August 15, 2012, to the end of the year. The town will receive at least $300,000 annually with payments increasing 2.5 percent each year. In addition, the town will save $46,000 this fiscal year in electricity costs.

* Selectmen approved a municipal operating budget of $16.67 million, an increase of roughly $670,000 from last year. Of that amount, $321,000 is for costs associated with new union contracts.

Friel said the budget restores some positions and program cuts from previous years and is a “very sustainable budget going forward.” He said that all of the municipal department budget requests presented to selectmen recently will be approved, including more money for school resource officers and for the library.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=19216

Posted by Mike Berger on Feb 28 2013. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.