At the 9/14 session of the Board of Selectmen a proclamation was read acknowledging Linda Kippenberger’s years of service to the town, Ray Czwakiel was appointed to an interim seat on the Library Board of Trustees, and efforts to address safety at the intersection of Brush Hill Road and Truman Parkway were discussed not once, but twice.

In a warmly worded proclamation, Chairman Bob Sweeney paid tribute to Linda Kippenberger, stating that she demonstrated a “work ethic hard to emulate” and was special in her ability to “win the respect and affection of those around you.” Ms. Kippenberger accepted the proclamation to applause from all in attendance at the meeting.

The Selectmen also met jointly with the Library Board of Trustees to vote on the selection of a trustee to fill a vacancy when Ingrid Shaffer resigned. Brendan McLaughlin, Chairman of the Library Board of Trustees, spoke of behalf of the board, outlining the process, deliberations the board went through and submitted Ray Czwakiel as the board’s recommendation to fill the seat. Other individuals considered were Paul Yovino and Tom Martinson. The strengths of all three individuals were acknowledged by McLaughlin and the Selectmen. A vote was taken and unanimous in support of Czwakiel. He will serve out the term and then run for election should he wish to retain the seat. (Note: I am a member of the Library Board of Trustees).

The issue that received the most attention was ongoing effort to address the traffic situation at Brush Hill Road and Truman Parkway. It is an issue that has been around for over 10 years. The topic came up during Citizens Speak and again in the Town Administrators report.

Three members of the Brush Hill Neighborhood Association spoke; Paul Pasquerella, Tim Kernan, and Roxanne Musto. Mr. Pasquerella read a letter that he said in advance was “critical.” He took issue with a meeting conducted by Town Administrator Mearn at Fuller Village. the purpose of the meeting as Mearn explained later during his report was to provide residents an opportunity to express their views on the situation. It was a public meeting not a pubic hearing. Pasquerella stated a number of concerns that included a lack of signature on engineering plans. Shields eventually said, “You make no sense Paul.” Mr. Shields felt the criticsims misrepresented the meeting and implied that “something sinister” was going on. Ms. Musto and Mr. Kernan were not as critical but did express concerns that they (the Brush Hill Neighborhood Association) had not been sufficiently involved in the process and that the town was moving too quickly toward a change that Musto said might have adverse effects on safety.

During his report Mr. Mearn briefly summarized the history. he noted his familiarity with the problem as he was Police Chief and in charge of the traffic commission for 12 years. The problem was exacerbated by construction of Fuller Village and growth of Curry College. he said the issue was fundamentally a simple on. By correcting street alignment the town could improve sight alignment and diminish probability of an accident. The suggestion on the table is to square off the intersection,. Mearn noted this had been done in other parts of town, notably Randolph Ave and Pleasant St. with good results (ie. no accidents). He also stated that the Brush Hill Neighborhood Association had stopped coming to meetings on the issue. The members who spoke earlier did not express a specific concern with the solution, only that it was happening too quickly. Others in town might disagree. The recent focus on the issue is in part the result of Town Meeting Member Betsy Buchbinder raising the issue at a town meeting and asking why after years of study nothing had been done. In the course of last night’s discussion the selectmen identified funding challenges and the complexity of jurisdiction as two factors that have slowed progress. The DCR, City of Boston, and DOT all have some level of authority over the roadways in that area.

Chairman Sweeney said the DCR should not be let off the hook for dealing with the issue. Selectman Hurley wanted to receive confirmation that Ms. Musto’s concerns about safety were addressed. Specific next steps were not defined but all acknowledged that the Brush Hill Association should be involved and that the safety had to be addressed. “We are only one accident away from a disaster,” commented Shields.

Other business included but was not restricted to:

• Establishing a committee to review the waste hauling contract. This came at recommendation of Joe Lynch who noted it is a multi-million dollar contract and, as such, warrants close examination. The selectmen agreed.
• Town Meeting Member from Precinct 2, Mike Joyce, appeared to request an article to form a committee to examine town government and opportunities for efficiency be put on the warrant for special town meeting. Given he has obtained the 100 signatures required the article will appear on warrant. It does not require action from the Board of Selectmen. Later in the meeting member Hurley raised issue of the selectmen appointing a committee on the issue. He presented a motion to form a 5 person group. Shields requested that they table the motion until their next meeting. He wants to contact Town Moderator Brian Walsh and get his input.
• A date for Special Town Meeting has yet to be set. It will not take place in November. It will likely be end of January or early February.