Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator

TOWN OF KINGSTON

Memorandum

Office of the

Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator

TO: The Honorable Board of Selectmen

FR: Robert Fennessy, Town Administrator

DT: July 28, 2015

RE: Report to the Board

PERSONNEL

·  Welcome to Dina DiTullio, who is being presented to the Board for employment in the Town Planner’s office. Dina, a Kingston resident, has been filling in on a temporary basis in the Planning Office and will now be in the permanent position. We all look forward to working with Dina for many years to come.

·  After many interviews by Laurie Zivkovich and me, we have finalized the candidates for the I.T., Facilities, and Human Resource Directors, and we are currently doing a background check. The final candidates will be presented to the BOS at the next Board meeting.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS/QUALIFICATIONS

AWARD OF BIDS THIS PAST MONTH:

·  Kingston Elementary School HVAC project to McRitchie Engineering Inc. A contract is being negotiated;

·  Kingston Water Dept. treatment chemicals to Univar, Inc.;

·  Kingston Water Dept. pickup truck to Liberty Chevrolet;

·  Kingston Wastewater Dept., two pumps and equipment to Hayes Pump, Inc.;

·  Kingston Highway Dept. fuel dispenser and equipment to Fuel Management Services, Inc.;

·  Kingston Highway Dept. chipper to Schmidt Equipment;

·  Kingston Harbormaster docks and fingers to Clancy Welding, Inc.;

·  Kingston Planning Dept. GIS Assessment to Applied Geographics, Inc.;

·  Kingston Library design services to Vertex Corp.;

·  Kingston Police design services to The Carell Group;

·  Kingston Public Safety – emergency medical dispatch service agreement to Brewster Ambulance.

OTHER CURENT PROCUREMENT ISSUES

·  Town Counsel Lisa Mead continues to negotiate with Rayo Bhumgara of Sustained Strategies 2050 LLC through the Board of Assessors. She reports that they have incorporated the changes which the Assessor’s would like in a draft agreement, and that the proponent is putting together more material on their construction costs so the Assessors can verify the base value. Further, the proponent is considering a number of changes regarding upgrades and new values in the future.

·  Security Systems: there is a delay in the installation due to contractual issues relating to municipal contracts. We are working diligently to develop a tiered plan of action to install security prior to the opening of school.

·  The bid opening on the Opachinski basketball courts “Invitation for Bids” for standards, acrylic surfacing, and striping project resulted in no submittals. The recreation department will review for a possible new RFP to be developed.

TRAINING
The fire department hosted a MIIA Insurance sponsored seminar of workplace discrimination which was attended by several other department heads.

The Town Administrator’s office will sponsor an Ethics and Open Meeting seminar, tentatively scheduled for two sessions on September 9, 2015. This will be a mandatory training for employees, and will be presented by members of our Town Counsel. We are in discussions as to a date and time to offer the program to elected and appointed officials.

BUILDING AND GROUNDS

Auction: I have a meeting with a representative of GovDeals.com, an online auction company for municipalities. Their availability is mid-August to host our auction of vehicles, etc. I am also working with two other auction companies to garner the best deal for the town.

Maple St. fire station: Testing revealed that there is lead paint on the building, which must be removed or sealed properly prior to painting. Paul Armstrong is looking into solutions, which may be training or contracting out the work.

KIS playground handicap ramp: The pre-work and first pour of concrete have been completed for the final stage of the revamped playground. This will give handicap access to the playground from the parking area in the back of the school. It should be completed soon.

RECYCLING

You will notice new stainless steel recycling receptacles on the first floor at the entrance of the town house, and one on the second floor. The cost of these triple stream receptacles was offset by a $1000 recycling grant!

DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS

Wastewater Department Head Report

June 2015

The Wastewater Treatment Facility processed 9,132,984 gallons of wastewater during the month of June. This resulted in the production of 87,000 gallons (20.28 dry tons) of sludge. There were no violations of our groundwater discharge permit. All test parameters were well below the limits allowed in our discharge permit.

Also during the month of June:

• Performed daily inspections of the 15 pump stations.

• Performed preventive maintenance on the equipment at the treatment plant and pump stations;

• Cut grass, trimmed shrubs, mulched and painted at the Treatment Facility and Pump Stations as needed.

• Responded to requests for Dig Safe mark outs throughout Town.

• Responded to grinder pump problems at 12 Hillcrest and 22 Atwood. Replaced both pumps.

• Responded to a grinder pump problem at 24 Atwood Street. Found no problem with the pump or control panel. Found no water getting to the pump chamber. Advised the tenant to have the property owner to call a plumber to clear a blockage in the house plumbing.

• Received a call from the tenant at 133 Summer Street regarding a failed grinder pump. Explained that the Department had not received an easement from the property owner and therefore could not, due to liability issues, enter the property to address the problem. Also explained this to the property owner. Advised the owner to call F.R. Mahoney to deal with the problem. Told the owner that the Department would reimburse him for F.R. Mahoney’s service call once we received the recorded easements. He was also told we would be able to respond to any future pump problems once we received the easements.

• Pulled pumps at North and Shore Drive pump stations to clear rags from the pumps.

• Installed a VFD on pump #2 at the Jones River Pump Station The water hammer in the force main has been eliminated. Both pumps are back in normal operation. The VFDs will also allow the pumps to operate more efficiently.

• Weekly influent and effluent wastewater samples were collected at the Treatment Facility. Groundwater samples were collected from the monitoring wells around the effluent discharge area. These samples were sent to the lab for analysis and the results were incorporated into our monthly Discharge Monitoring Reports to DEP as required by our Groundwater Discharge Permit.

• Responded to a call from Paul Basler concerning a sink hole on Howland’s Lane. Determined the sinkhole was caused by an abandoned empty 6 inch pvc pipe extending 14 feet below the road surface. It is thought to have been used to dewater the trench during the installation of the sewer manhole a few feet away. The Highway Department assisted in filling the pipe with gravel and patching the pavement.

• Met with CDM to discuss the possibility of the Treatment Facility upgrade.

Kingston Police Department

Report to the Town Administrator

June 1, 2015 thru June 30, 2015

• Members of the SEMLEC Search and Rescue Team responded to the Town of Plympton to search for a suicidal party who fled his residence and ran into the surrounding heavily wooded area. The subject was located. He was transported to the Beth Israel Hospital in Plymouth for medical evaluation.

• Sergeants attended an ABCC training seminar held at the Hanson Police Department. The training focused on common alcohol issues and enforcement measures that supervisors should be familiar with in the course of their duties.

• Sergeant Bateman completed the Basic Sergeant Training course at the Randolph Police Academy. This is an eighty hour course that is required for all newly appointed sergeants.

• All members of the department received a much appreciated “thank you kit” from Mrs. Courtney Kelley-Viveiros’ Grade Three Class from the Kingston Intermediate School.

Crime Status Report

June 1, 2015 thru June 30, 2015

Calls for Service logged by Dispatchers 940

Arrests/Custody 11

Protective Custody 1

Applications for Warrants 12

Investigated Motor Vehicle Crashes 20

Verbal Warnings – Motor Vehicle 6

Written Warnings/Citations Issued - MV 7

Citation Arrest 2

Citation Civil Charges 2

Citation Criminal Complaints 1

Incident Reports filed by Officers 90

Robbery 1

Simple Assault 3

Aggravated Assault 1

Intimidation 2

Burglary/Breaking & Entering 2

Shoplifting 2

Theft from Building 1

Trespass Real Property 2

Impersonation 1

False Pretenses/Swindle 1

All other Larceny 6

Destruction/Damage/Vandalism 6

All other Offenses 2

Traffic Town By-law Offenses 3

Library Director’s report for activities in June 2015

Library Collections, Programs, and Services

• We continued to offer drop-in and scheduled one-on-one assistance for library patrons using the Library's electronic resources.

• Many new ebooks, audiobooks, and video titles are available through the new Commonwealth eBook Collection program, via a link in the Library catalog, supplementing our Overdrive EBook offerings with both popular and research materials.

• Children’s Librarian Stephanie Legg continued to offer story and craft programs, including grant-funded math and science programs for pre-schoolers. With grant funds, we are continuing to add more learning materials for that age group.

• Ms. Legg visited the Kingston schools to promote this year’s Summer Reading Program. Sign-up began in June and exceeded 100 participants by the end of June.

• Reference Librarian Susan Oslin worked with the Old Colony Library Network E- Resources Selection Committee, choosing electronic books and digital audiobooks for the shared network collection.

• Plans are complete to bring Anita Diamant, internationally-known author of The Boston Girl, to the Duxbury Performing Arts Center for a reading on August 5th: Three Towns, One Boston Girl. Tickets are available at the Library.

• Sia Stewart worked with the Council on Aging Director Tammy Murray and others to collaborate on shared programs that will be held at the Senior Center beginning in September 2015.

• Archivist Susan Aprill continued working with the Boston Public Library to digitize items from our collection, and worked with the Old Colony Library Network on network support for digitization efforts.

• Susan Aprill installed a new exhibit about Summertime in Kingston.

• Library Assistant Maryanne Driscoll worked with the Art Committee to hang an exhibit of work by local artist Patricia Lindros-Kruskall.

• We sent out monthly subject newsletters for readers interested in hearing about new titles in six separate categories, Fiction, Nonfiction, Audio, Teen, and Children’s, and DVD. Anyone interested in receiving these newsletters by email can sign up at kingstonpubliclibrary.org or by emailing . The newsletters themselves can also be seen via a link in the upper right corner of our homepage.

• As always, the library staff worked with the public to answer reference questions and local history requests, provide homework help, and offer a full schedule of programs for children, teens, and adults.

Planning

• The Library Building Study Committee worked with the Town Administrator’s office to hire an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM). The recently completed Building Program was approved by the Board of Library Trustees and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The Committee worked with the OPM and the Town Administrator’s office to issue a Request for Qualifications for an Architect to create schematic designs and cost estimates, which will be presented to the Town in the spring of 2016.

• Sia Stewart worked with the Kingston Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Kingston Public Library on various projects to support the Library.

• Most members of the library staff participated in Old Colony Library Network committee work. These committees shape the Network’s services to Kingston residents.

Building and IT infrastructure

• Malfunctioning hardware at the front entrance and two emergency exit doors that are difficult to open are being replaced.

• Library gardens were refurbished and carpets and chairs were cleaned.

• Staff are working to organize data on the server in preparation for migrating to a new server in the fall of 2015.

• In the absence of town-supported professional IT support and maintenance, library staff continued to troubleshoot computer issues and maintain the library’s machines, calling in a contractor when the issues were beyond our skills.

Special events in June included:

• Story and craft programs for young children, including a puppet program

• Gardening programs for children

• A math program for children

• A meeting of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC)

• A meeting of the Library's book group for adults

• Meetings of our knitting group

• An exhibit of paintings by Patricia Lindros-Kruskall

• Topical entries on the Local History Room Pique of the Week blog

• An exhibit about Summertime in Kingston

KINGSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT and EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Report to the Town Administrator

Covering the month of June 2015

1.  During the month of June, the Kingston Fire Department responded to a total of 195 emergency incidents. This was an average of 6.5 per day. Breakdown is as follows: Fire – 28, EMS – 154, Motor Vehicle Accidents – 8 and Service Calls – 5.

2.  The reimbursement process for the winter storms of 2015 is ongoing. The first project worksheet or round of reimbursement for the Town has been submitted for approval. I am currently working on 2 additional project worksheets with FEMA for additional reimbursement.

3.  All Department apparatus, equipment and facilities are in good shape at this time. It should be noted that Boat 2, the 21 foot Zodiac Fire/Rescue Boat, is in service for the summer months at the Town Landing.

4.  During the month of June, Kingston Firefighters, as part of the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team, responded to 2 rescue calls.

The first was in the Town of Plympton for a man that had fallen into a Septic System. This incident resulted in a successful rescue of the individual that was trapped inside a underground septic tank.

The second was for a confined space rescue in Plymouth. This incident was the result of a large sand bank collapsing onto a bucket loader, trapping the operator. This was a very labor intensive and dangerous situation that unfortunately resulted in the tragic death of the operator of the loader.

The members of the Kingston Fire Department have participated in Technical Rescue Techniques, training and Incident responses since 1997. Kingston was a forerunner in this type of response and service which was instituted when the Commuter Rail was being built through town. The members of the Department train on their own time attend meetings and prepare for incidents without compensation. Our members participate in the disciplines of Confined Space, High and Low Angle Rescue, Animal Rescues, Swift Water Rescue and Underwater Dive Team Operations. They are paid during activations for actual incidents. This Team is extremely valuable and is a huge asset to the resources of the Kingston Fire Department.