Cheshire Master Plan Committee Created
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday to approve the creation of a Master Plan Committee.
The Planning Board submitted a list of 12 residents who have agreed to serve on the committee. Among the dozen names business owners, attorneys, farmers and educators.
"It's a good round broad committee," Chairwoman Carol Francesconi said.
Selectman Robert Ciskowski, attorney Shannon Plumb, Planner Peter Traub, yoga and mediation teacher Eileen Quinn, business owner Brian Bedard, farmer and business owner Eric Whitney, business owner Deborah Dunlap, attorney Edmund St. John IV, farmer and nature educator Atalanta Sunguroff, business owner Jim Reynolds, business owner Ed Bassi, and educator John Bianchi will serve on the committee.
Ciskowksi said the large committee would bring in more ideas than would a smaller one.
"Originally we talked about five, but I think more is going to be better for diversity of ideas and if someone can't make a meeting we won't be hamstrung," he said. "I think the idea of this number is good."
The Planning Board has had its eyes on a master plan for the past few years but had been unable to find funding to pay the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to draft the $10,000 plan.
By having a committee, the town can apply for grant money and the committee can start the process of creating the long-term plan for the town.
The Selectmen agreed to "unleash" the BRPC Kinder Morgan working group's attorney so he can begin "host community" agreement negotiations with Kinder Morgan.
The working group provides counsel and aid to 12 towns in Berkshire County that will be affected by proposed natural gas pipeline.
Town Administrator Mark Webber said the host community negotiations, which allows towns to ask Kinder Morgan to fund a town project or purchase, does not mean the town agrees with the pipeline.
"It is not a commitment or granting approval for the pipeline, he said. "It is just getting yourself in the position for what may or may not come."
Webber said the town could "ask for the moon" if it wanted.
"We have to think big, real big," Francesconi said. "I won't get too excited, but we will start a wish list just in case."
Ciskowski asked what the Water Department planned to do if special town meeting does not allow the purchase of a new $40,000 truck with a plow for the superintendent. He said it is unlikely that the superintendent will want to continue using his own vehicle.
Francesconi said she anticipates contention from water users because the department is asking for town meeting to transfer the money from the its surplus account, which has nearly $220,000. She added that this funding should be used to defray the cost for water users.
Ciskowski added that the town will own the truck because departments can't own anything.
"So the users are going to foot the bill but it will not be their truck; it will be in their care," he said. "They are asking non-water users to vote to buy a truck with water-user money."
He added if the Water Department was a district, it could own a truck.
The special town meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 7 at the Community Center.
The town has been receiving applications for the vacant police officer position. The deadline for applicants is Dec. 29.
"I am glad we got some interest, but it is just a shame our salary is lower in the ballpark," Selectman Paul Astorino said. "But we will see what we get if we get."
Tags: gas pipeline, master plan, special town meeting, trucks, water department,
