This month, the Select Board followed up on changes the state approved to the legislation that created Southborough’s Department of Public Works. But the board has apparently side stepped the other piece of the multi-step process presented to Town Meeting voters last spring.
The Public Works Planning Board is dissolved but no Public Works Advisory Committee is being formed. And the board appears to be leaning against creating a Cemetery Commission as requested by the DPW Superintendent.
At the advice of a consultant, and facing difficulty filling vacancies on existing Town committees, the Select Board has been trying to “streamline” the number of committees. (In last week’s meeting, Member Al Hamilton even advocated that for every committee they form, they should get rid of two.)
That colored the Select Board’s discussion last week about the Cemetery Commission, and seems to be the reason for inaction on creating a PWAC.
At their last meeting, the board was happy to followed up on new language that allowed them to make their designated Tree Warden the actual Tree Warden.
(In recent years, the Select Board was advised that the board was legally the Tree Warden. They could designate someone to handle some functions, but not the holding of public hearings for the removal of public shade trees. Now they have again delegated all of their Tree Warden responsibilities to DPW employee Chris Leroy.)
Cemetery Commission
Select Board members referred to a memo from DPW’s Bill Cundiff that wasn’t in the posted meeting packet. In it, he apparently projected that the cemetery would run out of space for new graves in about 10 years. Finding land for a future cemetery is one of the tasks he asked for help with.
Select Board members suggested that would be an ad hoc committee. But apparently Cundiff had requested a standing committee that would also help with other issues. Member Marguerite Landry, who had spoken with Cundiff about it, believed that it related to creating the right chain of command for issues related to maintaining the cemetery. But she wasn’t able to answer all of the board’s questions.
Member Sam Stivers said he was on the fence, while other members expressed resistance to the idea. They decided to have Cundiff come in to talk about it at a future meeting.
During the discussion, they referred to the fact that they had gotten rid of the Public Works Planning Board. No mention was made of the PWAC that had been proposed last spring.
Public Works Planning Board abolished without a replacement
At last year’s Annual Town Meeting in March. voters approved Article 33, asking the state to change the Special Act of 1991 that combined Southborough’s tree, roads, and water departments into the DPW and formed the PWPB to replace the separate boards advising it.
In recent years there had been public controversy over the inactive role the PWPB was taking under the chairmanship of Bill Boland. Critics wanted the PWPB to take a more active role in advising the DPW and holding public hearings. Boland opined the board had largely outlived its use and should only be called on when the DPW head asked for its help.
Members of the Select Board agreed with suggestions that the wording of the charge and the split appointing authority between the moderator and Planning Board were part of the problem. With help from volunteer Timothe Litt, they drafted a bylaw to create a replacement committee — the PWAC.
An FAQ for voters explained that once the PWPB was dissolved, as long as the Attorney General’s office approved Article 34, the PWAC would be formed.
Voters passed Article 33. But when it came time to vote on Article 34, Town Clerk Jim Hegarty criticized language in the Article and suggested it needed more work. He also questioned the need for it. And former Advisory Committee member John Butler questioned why it would be any more successful than the PWPB.
There was some back and forth on the floor*, including Litt explaining some of the questioned clauses. In the end, there were multiple suggestions that a revised version be brought to voters at the Special Town Meeting planned for the fall.
In the Select Board’s recap of the ATM on April 2nd, Andrew Dennington (who was Chair) said they should hold a more fulsome discussion at a future meeting but questioned whether they should add the committee. Members agreed it made sense to get Cundiff’s feedback (and can’t find record of) any subsequent public discussion on the topic.
*Full disclosure — I was one of the commenters at Town Meeting. I responded to remarks that made it sound like having a dedicated committee was unusual by pointing out that most departments actually do have a dedicated committee or board to advise or oversee them.
