by Frank Schroth

If you are inclined to go paddling about the Neponset you may want to wear an orange vest. According to the Chief of Police there are duck hunters out on the water and they are not the only ones looking to bag wildlife. Evidently, Milton is home to some of the largest bucks in the state. Professional bow hunters are roaming large tracts of private land in the search of prize deer.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think hunting would be an issue in Milton,” Chief Wells told the selectmen at their meeting last Tuesday. And it is an issue “that is not going to go away.” There are a range of bylaws on carrying loaded weapons. The town does not allow hunting on town land but hunting is allowed on private property with the permission of the owner. Chief Wells said there is at least one property off of Unquity that allows this. While no specific recommendations were made it is the Chief’s belief that the issue will need to be addressed going forward. The board has been approached by bow hunters in the past seeking permission to hunt on town land. Deer populations are increasing and hunters have advocated for permission in decreasing the size and also addressing threat of lyme disease (deer ticks can carry lyme disease). The duck hunters are also a concern as they come up the Neponset. Efforts would need to be coordinated with the environmental police.

The chief’s notes on this were part of a quarterly report to the selectmen. Chief Wells also noted:

• A dramatic increase in requests for licenses to carry a concealed firearm. He said these come from all demographic groups (e.g. housewives, college students, etc). He said the process and vetting was a rigorous one. Residents need to complete a gun safety program and then are interviewed and evaluated by an officer of the MPD. The chief was asked how many applicants were denied permits. He did not have that as the only applicants he sees are the ones that have been approved.
• The MPD has been working in coordination with the Milton Schools on enhanced security measures. These include critical response and training. He gave a shout out to Leroy Walker of the School Committee and Sgt. Richmond for their contribution and work on this. He also noted in response to a question that lock down drills are done with all public and private schools in town.
• The department has a couple vacancies. One of their recruits resigned and they have a vacant dispatch position. The chief said they would be going outside the department to advertise the position shortly
• The two crimes of greatest concern, house and car breaks, are on the decrease. He said there was one in November and 4 in December. He also cited the cooperation and assistance of the community as critical in dealing with this type of crime. The department is also involved in two investigations. He also reported that charges are going to be made regarding a traffic fatality on Highland Street last year. He did not give additional details.

Member Conlon asked about the status of addressing traffic issues on Lodge Street and Governor’s Road. Wells said he had not prepared for traffic commission issues (Chief is the chair of the Traffic Commission). He did say that the DPW work was almost complete on Governors. In discussing the issue with the Selectmen he advocated for a comprehensive plan that factored in traffic flow and parking throughout the East Milton area. He specifically mentioned the traffic timing of the light at Adams and Granite Avenue as a possible contributor to the heavy cut through traffic on Governors. The timing favors keeping the traffic moving on Adams with the result that northbound Granite traffic backs up. A driver coming north will take one and “decide at Common Market” to take alternate route said the chief. He also cited GPS devices as a factor in contributing to the problem. “I don’t want to give you band aids that don’t work anymore,” he said. It was in the course of discussing East Milton that the option of installing parking stations came up. The chief and especially Member Hurley support the idea. The chief said they are used widely in other towns. He specifically mentioned Dedham’s implementation of them and their ease of use. “They make turnover, congestion, and enforcement so much easier.” There was also brief discussion of how revenue from parking pay stations would be used. Hurley suggested it might be applied to further improvements in the square.

Town Planner Bill Clark also appeared before the board to discuss a MassWorks for $1 million that will be used for streetscape improvements that tie Milton Village and the Central and Eliot area together. There will be period lighting installed that uses LED lights. Sidewalks will be improved and the intersection at Central and Elio will be reformed. One of the two clocks donated by the 350th committee will also be installed during this work which Mr. Clark expects to be by June of 2015.

The selectmen deferred some of the items on their agenda including approval of the signage at 502 Granite Ave because there had not been sufficient time to review materials. The snow storm delayed their receiving their materials. For the same reason, they granted a request from the Planning Board to extend the closing of the warrant to January 10th. The Planning Board cancelled their meeting of last Thursday due to weather. They will be meeting tomorrow night (1/9).