Politics & Government

Meeting Notes: Selectmen Discuss 40B, Review Budgets and Close Warrant for Town Meeting

The Medfield Board of Selectmen met Tuesday to discuss the following town business.

Medfield town officials discussed affordable housing concerns with nearly 30 residents in attendance for over 50 minutes at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

Selectmen scheduled an informational meeting on 40B legislation, requirements and procedures with Medfield Town Counsel Mark Cerel tentatively for Tuesday, Feb. 28. The selectmen will request to hold the meeting in the Lowell Mason Auditorium of . A time for the meeting is to be determined. Check Medfield Patch for more information on the scheduled meeting as it becomes available.

As for the 50-plus minute discussion on 40B that took place at Tuesday’s meeting, Cerel explained to the crowd of concerned and interested residents that the town has very few options in terms of alternatives to affordable housing until it reaches its 10 percent affordable housing requirement in town.

Find out what's happening in Medfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I’m not happy with it, but it is what it is,” Cerel told the crowd.

Log on to Medfield Patch Wednesday for more on Tuesday’s 40B discussion.

Find out what's happening in Medfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

South Shore Habitat for Humanity Discusses Building Homes in Medfield

Members of the South Shore Habitat for Humanity met with the Board of Selectmen Tuesday to discuss an affordable housing option that may be more beneficial to the Medfield community than other 40B solutions.

Martine Taylor, executive director of South Shore Habitat for Humanity, explained what the organization is, what it is not and how it can build homes in town to benefit Medfield. Here’s some of what Taylor shared:

  • South Shore Habitat for Humanity was founded 25 years ago.
  • Mission is to provide simple, decent affordable homes for families in need.
  • Provides service to 35 cities and towns south and southwest of Boston, including Medfield.
  • Benefits of South Shore Habitat: Solution to affordable housing issue to community; Looks to build on donated land; Homeowners pay taxes; Cheapest form of development because the community builds the house through volunteers, local businesses and individuals in town.
  • Setting the record straight: Does not house individuals who are poor and does not give housing away; Housing is actually purchased; Families that move into these homes are in need of adequate shelter, must give 250 to 500 hours of community service building the home; Families do pay mortgages to South Shore Habitat and taxes to the town.
  • Homes are sold with a 20-year, no interest mortgage.
  • Just recently closed on its 51st home.
  • Multiple versions of the houses built to fit the community and fit the make of the town.
  • Homes are three bedrooms, 1.5 baths and an average of 1,300 square feet.
  • Homes are energy efficient and low maintenance to homeowner.
  • Over 70 volunteers from Medfield helped build a South Shore Habitat home in Medway.
  • 500 to 800 people work on the home being built.
  • Local Partnership Committee meets in Medfield to discuss its next project throughout the 35 communities and actively look for available land. Committee fundraises and holds events.

“We are coming in and building a house the way you would want the homes to be built,” Taylor said. “We can come and give you an opportunity to build while we are talking about some of these bigger projects because there are multiple solutions to the affordable need.”

For more information, visit www.sshabitat.org.

DPW Budget Review

Superintendent of Public Works Ken Feeney met with the selectmen to go over his budget proposals for the DPW in FY13:

  • Proposed budget is a 2 percent increase over last year.
  • Water budget’s major item is a new generator for well three (at the Wheelock soccer fields), which controls a little less than half the town’s water supply.
  • Sewer budget sees a half percent increase – $50,000 for infiltration program to remove any groundwater infiltration from town’s water system.
  • Highway Department will increase by $2,750.
  • Snow and ice budget will increase by 3 percent.
  • Sidewalks will increase by 12 percent or $2,000.

Selectmen Review Preliminary Warrant Articles for 2012 Town Meeting

Sullivan reviewed and discussed the preliminary warrant articles for the 2012 Annual Town Meeting. There were 30 articles reviewed before the selectmen voted to close the Warrant, which can be reopened by vote of the selectmen before the Warrant Hearing takes place in March.

SHERC Provides Update on Medfield State Hospital Status

John Thompson, Medfield’s State Hospital Environmental Review Committee chairman, brought three issues before the selectmen:

  1. A set of comments SHERC has put together regarding the Human Health Risk Assessment for exposure from the Demolition and Construction area (C&D).
  2. A draft of the policy statement for the town that would be delivered to DCAM that discusses the town’s position as far as whether the cleanup would be a temporary solution – a capping of the landfill or full removal. SHERC has recommended this waste be removed to the fullest extent to restore the area. Draft policy statement will be reviewed by selectmen and discussed at its next meeting.
  3. At the Feb. 2 SHERC meeting, the committee made the following motion, which was accepted, to recommend to the selectmen to seek legal review through counsel and other legal counsel for strategy going forward. This motion came about as a result from SHERC’s interactions with DCAM, where it now has a strong sense that DCAM, according to Thompson, plans to cap rather than remove the waste. The options left are either a legal or political strategy with the state to remove the hazardous material. SHERC leaves it to the selectmen to determine whether or not it makes sense to seek legal review and strategy.

A public meeting with DCAM is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday on the second floor of Town Hall to discuss the Human Health Risk Assessment and ideas on how the area would be capped.

Medfield Selectmen Took Action on the Following Items:

  • Voted to tentatively schedule a Feb. 28 informational meeting at Medfield High School’s auditorium on 40B and the West Street apartment complex proposal.
  • Voted to close the Warrant for the 2012 Annual Town Meeting. The Warrant can be reopened by vote of the selectmen to adjust warrant articles until after the Warrant Hearing in mid March.
  • Approved the following licenses and permits: Winter Carnival Committee’s request to post signs advertising the annual Winter Carnival to be held on March 10; New ‘N Towne Club’s request to post signs promoting its Ice Cream Social event on March 3 at the Wheelock School.
  • Medfield Green’s request to post signs promoting a presentation “Simple Steps to a Healthy Lawn” on March 8 at the Center at Medfield.
  • Medfield Coalition for Public Education’s (MCPE) request to post signs promoting two events: spelling bee for grades 3 to 8 on March 21; fundraiser “spring fling” on April 27.

Miscellaneous News and Notes:

  • Medfield selectmen reviewed town budgets with Town Administrator Michael Sullivan, who announced every department has submitted its proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 and the town’s operating budget is proposed to increase by 0.45 percent or $226,311.
  • Selectmen signed letter from SHERC addressed to DCAM.
  • Tuesday’s meeting began at 7 p.m. and was adjourned at 9:54 p.m.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here