January 6, 2014 Status Report

Board of Selectmen/Town Manager Goals FY 2014

Fiscal Goal 1) BOS: Prioritize the allocation of Free Cash 1/6/14 STATUS: 10/3/13 STATUS: ACTION COMPLETED Board of Selectmen will prioritize at its October 7th meeting when it makes its recommendations on Fall Annual Town Meeting Warrant articles.

2) BOS: The BOS will receive a monthly budget update from the Town Manager or Town Accountant 1/6/14 STATUS: Town Accountant provides written monthly budget updates and made a presentation at the December 9 joint budgetary meeting. Town Accountant emails monthly updates and made a presentation at the Boards September 23rd meeting.

10/3/13 STATUS:

3) BOS/TM: Support solar energy and green community initiatives (Solarize Mass., Swain Road landfill solar farm) 1/6/14 STATUS: Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has awarded the Town of Chelmsford a $12,500 grant to fund the services of a consultant to provide technical assistance regarding the feasibility of a solar array at the capped Swain Road landfill. A contract with a consultant will be finalized by the end of February. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has awarded the Town a $22,500 grant towards the acquisition of an electric vehicle and a dual head electric vehicle charging station. 10/3/13 STATUS: Solarize Chelmsford has 48 residents contracted for a total of 312 kW and has reached the highest level of discounts and rebates. The program has been extended until October 31. The Town Manager has submitted an Owners Agent Technical Assistance Grant application to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources for $12,500 to assist with the lease, RFP development, utility interconnection preliminary study, and related work for a 800 kW (DC) solar photovoltaic system at the Swain Road landfill site.

4) BOS: Schedule Financial Management review by DOR/Division of Local Services 1/6/14 STATUS: The DOR has approved the Boards request to conduct a review of the Towns financial operations. The review is expected to take place in March. 10/3/13 STATUS: Action is pending.

Board of Selectmen/Town Manager Goals FY14 January 6, 2014 Status Report

5) TM: Continue to review the operational budgets of the CCA and Chelmsford Community Center on a monthly basis and report to the BOS on a quarterly basis 1/6/14 STATUS: $20,391. 10/3/13 STATUS: $15,979. As of January 2,, the CCA balance is $10,858 and the CCC balance is

As of October 1, the CCA balance is $15,030 and the CCC balance is

Economic Development/Planning 1) TM: TM and Community Development Director will investigate options for working with owners and brokers of commercial and industrial space to reduce the commercial vacancy rate. This may include but is not limited to keeping an inventory of vacant space and tracking lease agreements for upcoming terminations. 1/6/14 STATUS: 10/3/13 STATUS: Action is pending. Options will be explored after the Fall Annual Town Meeting.

2) BOS: Continued support for Affordable Housing initiatives within the town's Housing Production Plan 1/6/14 STATUS: The Board of Appeals is holding a comprehensive permit hearing on an application to construct 120 rental units at 276 Mill Road. Community Development Director Evan Belansky is inquiring as to the status of the project eligibility letter for a group home affordable housing project located at the intersection of Riverneck and Billerica Roads. 10/3/13 STATUS: MassHousing has issued a Project Eligibility letter for an affordable housing project located at 276 Mill Road. This site is contained in the Towns affordable housing master plan. The Board will review the project application if/when it is filed with the Zoning Board of Appeals.

3) BOS/TM: Follow-up Odd Fellows Building/Fiske House usage 1/6/14 STATUS: The Town is awaiting the scheduling of a meeting with Santander officials regarding the future of the Odd Fellows building. 10/3/13 STATUS: The Board has obtained an appraisal for the Odd Fellows building and Fiske House properties. The Board and Town Manager are exploring opportunities to enhance the economic development of the town center by the active use of these buildings and the preservation of the existing center parking lot on the site.

Board of Selectmen/Town Manager Goals FY14 January 6, 2014 Status Report

4) TM: Continue to pursue Preservation/Agricultural Restrictions (Sunny Meadow, Sheehan Farm, Pond Street, Oak Hill 1/6/14 STATUS: The Massachusetts Department of Conservation Resources has informed Town Counsel that the agency was swamped with conservation restrictions that have been filed for approval prior to the year end/tax year. Therefore, no action is expected for several weeks. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources continues its review of the proposed agricultural restriction for Sheehan Farm. 10/3/13 STATUS: The Town has submitted conservation restrictions for the Pond Street and Sunny Meadow Farm site, as well as an agricultural restriction for Sheehan Farm, to the State for approval.

5) BOS: Support Master Plan activities for Central Square and Vinal Square areas 1/6/14 STATUS: The Central Square master plan report is scheduled for presentation to the Board of Selectmen on January 27. The Vinal Square master plan committee has held public input sessions for residents and businesses. A request for additional technical assistance for the Vinal Square master plan will be filed with NMCOG as part of the DLTA VII funding round. 10/3/13 STATUS: The master plan committees for each location continue their progress. A center village master plan public input session was held on September 24th and the Vinal Square residents input session was held on October 3rd.

6) TM: Redevelopment or sale of Katrina Road site 1/6/14: STATUS: The pilot remediation program at the Katrina Road site is underway. Results are expected by the end of January. Evan Belansky and I are working with MassDevelopment officials to develop a marketing analysis for the property by February. 10/3/13 STATUS: The Town has submitted an application to MassDevelopment to apply $18K of the Chapter 43D expedited permitting grant monies for the Katrina Road brownfields site towards a market analysis and disposition strategy. The options include a potential solar farm.

7) TM: Work with the towns utility companies to study the feasibility of future phases of the underground utility project in Chelmsford Center 1/6/14 STATUS: The future phase of the underground utility project through the center along Boston Road towards Summer Street awaits a $2.5M funding source to finance the cost for Verizons portion of the project. 10/3/13 STATUS: There are a few poles remaining to be removed as part of the initial phase of the underground utility project. Once the initial phase is completed, the Town will request a joint meeting with National Grid and Verizon to review the status of the accounts and to explore a path towards completing a second phase of underground utility work through Central Square along Boston Road.

Board of Selectmen/Town Manager Goals FY14 January 6, 2014 Status Report

Community Outreach/Communication 1) BOS: Schedule at least 2 Public Input Sessions annually 1/6/14 STATUS: 10/3/13 STATUS: Action is pending. Action is pending.

2) BOS: Strengthen relationships with Legislative delegation and state/regional agencies: BOS will invite State Legislators to a meeting periodically to give updates on the status of the state budget or other important pieces of legislation. The BOS will also continue to send letters of correspondence to the town's legislative delegation on legislation deeded significant to the town 1/6/14 STATUS: Action is pending.

10/3/13 STATUS: The Board is seeking the assistance of the legislative delegation to raze the abandoned buildings at the UMass Lowell West Campus.

3) BOS: Conduct chairmens meeting (other boards and committees) 1/6/14: STATUS: 10/3/13 STATUS: Action is pending. Action is pending.

4) BOS: Resident survey- Selectman Wojtas to bring potential survey ideas to BOS for consideration before April 2014. 1/6/14 STATUS: 10/3/13 STATUS: Survey issued with the annual town census mailing. Action is pending.

5) BOS/TM: BOS to work with Sewer Fairness Alliance to see if a resolution can be established between the SFA and the Town regarding the maintenance and replacement of residential grinder pumps. 1/6/14 STATUS: The Board of Selectmen has appointed a sewer grinder pump study committee in accordance with the vote at the 2013 Fall Annual Town Meeting. The study committee is meeting weekly. Selectmen Dixon attends the meetings as the Boards liaison. 10/3/13 STATUS: The Board is awaiting Town Meeting action on the Sewer Fairness Alliances citizen petition warrant article.

Board of Selectmen/Town Manager Goals FY14 January 6, 2014 Status Report

6) TM/BOS: Monitor/manage capital projects- TM to report to the BOS on a regular basis regarding status of capital projects. Including but not limited to: Fire Headquarters Country Club Function Room Turf Fields Energy Services Contract 1/6/14 STATUS: The Fire Headquarters facility has completed the foundation. The steel frame of the building will be erected over the next several weeks. The project remains in budget. The Chelmsford Country Club Function Room foundation has been poured and the frame constructed. This project remains on scheduled for completed by April 1 within the budget. The Turf Fields project is substantially complete and within budget. The implementation of the Energy Services Contract continues. Transformers were replaced in the schools during the Christmas/New Years Day holiday break. 10/3/13 STATUS: Due to the unfavorable bid climate, an additional $500K appropriation for the Fire Station project will be requested at the Fall Annual Town Meeting. The bids for the Chelmsford Country Club clubhouse facility are due in three weeks. The synthetic turf fields project is scheduled to be substantially complete within a few weeks. This project is on time and on budget. The energy services performance contract is underway. A status report will be provided at the Fall Annual Town Meeting.

Operational 1) Website content and process modifications- Process for allowing feedback and implementation. 1/6/14 STATUS: The Towns online permitting system has commenced. Town officials are meeting with representatives of the Chelmsford Business Association to promote a Shop Chelmsford program as part of the Chelmsfordnow website. A mobile application is scheduled to be launched within the next several weeks. 10/3/13 STATUS: The Town is developing a mobile application for the website. An online permitting system is scheduled to become operational within a month. A community/business website is under development.

2) Digitize Town HistoryTM: Clerks records BOS, TM & town's IT staff: Telemedia materials- BOS and or BOS subcommittee to meet with stakeholders and bring recommendations to the full board. TM: Explore grant opportunities 1/6/14 STATUS: Efforts continue with Chelmsford Telemedia staff to explore a solution to the digital archiving of Board of Selectmen meetings. 10/3/13 STATUS: Chelmsford Telemedia is investigating alternatives for archiving Board of Selectmen meetings and Town Meetings. Digitizing of Town records will be considered as part of the Towns FY15 capital, operating, and community preservation budgets.

Board of Selectmen/Town Manager Goals FY14 January 6, 2014 Status Report

Additional 1) TM: Schedule Town Counsel to conduct Public Hearing process workshop. 1/6/14 STATUS: ACTION COMPLETED. Town Counsel conducted a Public Hearing workshop on December 12, 2013. 10/3/13 STATUS: A public hearing workshop will be held in November.

2) BOS: Policy for Mixed-use Package Store License- BOS subcommittee to meet and bring first draft recommendation to the full board by the end of September. 1/6/14 STATUS: Action is pending.

10/3/13 STATUS: The Board discussed modifications to its liquor policies at its September 23rd meeting. The Boards subcommittee will continue to develop a recommended policy.

3) TM: Initiate Comcast license renewal. 1/6/14 STATUS: An ascertainment public hearing will be held by the end of February.

10/3/13 STATUS: The Town will proceed with an informal license renewal process with Comcast. An ascertainment public hearing will be scheduled within a few months.

4) TM: Monitor and/or review the performance appraisal process and salary schedule for potential changes and report back to the BOS. 1/6/14 STATUS: ACTION COMPLETED. The Personnel Board approved a FY15 salary schedule that provide a 2% adjustment to the pay scale, while reducing the number of steps from 15 to 10 for non-union employees. The Personnel Board did not recommend any changes to the performance appraisal process for FY14.

10/3/13: STATUS: The Personnel Board met on October 2nd to begin its review of the salary schedule and performance appraisal process.