Select Board Chair Fran Arsenault opened the September 23 Select Board meeting with Board Updates, as there were no residents’ concerns. Ms. Arsenault said that volunteers were needed for several committees, specifically mentioning the Agricultural Commission and the Planning Board. Board member Alissa Nicol added that she and Ms. Arsenault would have volunteer information at the upcoming Oktoberfest. Ms. Nicol also drew attention to the Friends of the Acton libraries fall book sale on October 19 and 20; she added that the Acton Woman’s Club would be holding their bake sale on October 19, and finally, with a week to recover after the bake sale, the October 27 Friends of the Acton libraries Apple Pie contest.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day discussion
Board members Nicol and Jim Syder-Grant described meetings and events over the past year regarding Indigenous Peoples day. A proclamation to that effect was briefly mentioned, but no proclamation text was issued. The Board unanimously voted to declare Monday, October 14, 2024 as Indigenous Peoples Day.
Stormwater management
At the February 5, 2024 Select Board meeting the Board asked the Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) to prioritize stormwater management, among other topics, and at the June 17, 2024 Select Board meeting Department of Public Works Director Corey York presented an Acton Stormwater Asset Management Plan. At the present meeting, WRAC Chair Mr. Joe Robb presented “Stormwater Management in Acton“. Mr. Robb briefly reviewed aspects of Director York’s presentation; a common theme to both Director York’s and Mr. Robb’s presentations was that Acton’s stormwater infrastructure needs improvement, and that the town’s current capital improvement funding is not sufficient either for ongoing maintenance or to make high-priority repairs.
The majority of the WRAC’s presentation dealt with the stormwater infrastructure funding issue. Mr. Robb outlined both the practical benefits and the bureaucratic licensing requirements for stormwater infrastructure. He reviewed how stormwater infrastructure funding is handled in other Massachusetts municipalities, and recommended an additional feasibility study, to be done either by the WRAC or by a consultant. Although not said plainly and succinctly, the implication of the presentation is that the Select Board may consider and bring to Town Meeting an additional levy, tax, or fee, on Acton property owners.
Gas leaf blowers
A proposal to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers has repeatedly been before the Board. At the May 2024 Town Meeting the issue was remanded to the Board for review, and at this present meeting Board member David Martin presented, in effect, a Version 2.0 “DRAFT Leaf Blower Control Bylaw“. The intent of the bylaw, made clear in the text, is to prohibit – rather than control – the use of gas powered leaf blowers. But, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details; and the Board’s discussion once again delved into issues such as who the bylaw would apply to, when it would apply, what the penalties for violation would be, and who would enforce the bylaw. Despite the many assurances of the superiority of battery-powered leaf blowers, Board member Jim Snyder-Grant recounted his interview with a landscaper who reported that with battery leaf blowers “…it took about 50% more time to do the fall cleanup…”. The discussion closed with an agreement to consider yet another revision of the proposal.
Signs and advertising
Board member David Martin conveyed a request from the Economic Development Committee to look into the impact of the current town Signs and Advertising Devices bylaw on businesses. Mr. Martin cited specific examples of how the 2016 bylaw fails to meet the needs of current businesses. The Board noted the proliferation of various types of temporary signs, ‘A-frame’ or ‘sandwich-board signs, tall fabric signs, etc. There was general agreement that the sign bylaws should be updated, and Mr. Martin volunteered to work with the Planning Division towards that end.
Sustainability policy
In introducing an Acton Environmental Sustainability Policy, Board member Jim Synder-Grant reviewed the various persons and groups, including Board members Martin and Snyder-Grant, that comprise the “sustainability working group”. Mr. Snyder-Grant said that the document is meant to replace a 2018 Environmental Policy; that the document is a work-in-progress, and that this version is explicitly meant to be a Select Board policy document. Board members commented positively, and the document will undergo additional editing before it returns to the Board.
Briefly noted
- The Board unanimously approved a Memorandum of Agreement between the Town and the Apartments at Powder Mill, LLC related to waste water handling for the apartments.
- Town Accountant Joanne Norton will retire on December 20, 2024; the Board unanimously approved the Town Manager’s suggested process for recruiting and appointing the next town accountant.
- Hearing: The Board unanimously approved a Livery License for Yallago, LLC. Interesting fact: the applicant was an interpreter for General David Petraeus during the Iraq war.
Tom Beals is the Select Board beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.