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Date: 9/25/2019
WILBRAHAM – Greg Lockhart, better known by some in Wilbraham as Mr. Peach, received a commendation for his years of volunteering and community service from the select board at their Sept. 22 meeting.
Lockhart told stories from his past as a barber in town, including one about a painting that he had had made of the downtown buildings. In yet another instance of his dedication to Wilbraham, he told the Select Board that he wanted to donate that painting to the town.
Karen Demers of the Wilbraham Public Library requested a $700 transfer from the reserve fund. Due to an accounting error the municipal appropriation requirement (MAR), which represents an average of the last three years operating budgets with the addition of 2.5 percent, was short. An accurate MAR is needed to be eligible for state aid. The select board recommended the transfer but it still must go through the finance committee.
The recycling facility at 120 Old Boston Rd. is seeking a permit to expand capacity. Town Attorney Stephen M. Reilly Jr. and Town Administrator Nick Breault are creating a committee that will likely be composed of relevant department heads, to the explore the expansion proposal and the necessary red tape, said Breault.
Reilly said the state Department of Environmental Protection will have a 60-day period to review the proposal, then the town will have 30 days for a public comment period.
Selectmen Robert Boilard and Robert Russell both expressed concerns over traffic and suggested the company would have to police their customers in terms of obeying the traffic rules, including not parking trucks on the public road and making left turns when leaving the facility.
A vacant position on the finance committee saw two candidates come before the select board. Kevin Hanks, a Wilbraham native, has a professional background that he feels suited to the job and spoke of the “breadth of experience I feel I can bring to the town.”
Nick Devansky has lived in the town since 2009. He was a finance major in college and currently works in corporate banking.
“The finance committee lines up with my background and I want to get more involved,” Devansky said, adding that he, “just want[s] to see how the sausage is made, so to speak.”
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has a proposed project to redo Boston Road in 2022, Breault said in response to a question at the meeting. Board Chair Susan Bunnell said the town would like sidewalks to be added to the street and paid for by the state as part of the plans. Another resident asked if the sightline could be improved at the intersection of Main Street and Boston Road. Breault said he would look into it.
During Breault’s Town Administrator Report, he brought up the municipal vulnerability preparedness (MVP) program which provides funds to cities and towns to develop plans to strengthen its resilience to climate-related disasters.
“I just want to make sure we’re not reinventing the wheel,” said Boilard. Bunnell said that the state was aware that towns have programs already in place and allows the funds to be used to update and improve their existing plans.
Adam Field, the owner of Fieldcrest Brewing, requested an annual entertainment license to enable him to play live, recorded, and amplified music and host trivia events at his brewery at 2343 Boston Rd. Fieldcrest Brewing is currently open Thursday through Sunday and, while he said he had no plans to extend the days of operation, if he did in the future he said, “it would be good to have an entertainment license.”
The addition of music would not require a business license change.
Resident Kathleen Blair asked if the speakers would be inside or out and if he would be having “rock bands” play. He stated the speakers would be inside only, entertainment would likely be acoustic duos and trios.
Selectman Robert Russell reminded the neighbor that the Brewery would have to abide by the town’s noise ordinance. The request was approved.