Cheshire Must Vote Again On Increasing Select Board
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Residents must not only vote again at town meeting to see if they will increase the select board from three to five members but a third time through an election ballot.
Town Administrator Mark Webber told the Selectmen on Tuesday that he has a few more questions about the how to move forward with adding members to the board and plans to contact specialized legal counsel.
"All of our legal counsel seem to be on the same page and they spell out a two-step process with town meeting and then an election confirmation," Webber said. "I have one or two things that I am not completely clear on so I want to clear them up."
Last year, through citizen’s petition, town meeting voted to increase the select board's size but town officials have been unclear on the next steps. The three selectmen decided to act in the spirit of the original article even though it was not presented in a way that they could make the change legally.
After collecting information from town counsel, the attorney general's office and special counsel, Webber said the process should not be as complicated as once thought and the town does not have to petition the Legislature for the change because it does not have a charter.
In other business, the town received a letter from the Massachusetts Rural Water Association that said the entire water distribution network in town has been located, traced and marked with the help of Water Superintendent Travis Delratez.
"That is wonderful," Chairman Paul Astorino said. "Travis was right on top of it, and it was a lot of work."
Using global positioning satellite marking and geographic information system mapping, the 210 water services, main valves and hydrants have been marked and a total of 19,178 GPS positions have been taken, corrected and mapped.
This background data was needed to create a source-water protection plan. This plan, once complete, will assist the town in developing an asset management plan.
• Webber said he has collected Department of Public Works' director job descriptions from eight surrounding communities and drafted a new job description for the Selectmen to review. Longtime Director Peter LeFebvre plans to retire in April.
• Local historian Barry Emery said he plans to unveil a new book, "History of Cheshire," on Nov. 15 during one of his historical presentations at the community center.
He said the book is a reprint of sorts to a book that was published in 1885; he has added a chapter as well as photos and maps.
Emery said the book is hard to come by and believes it is the best history book written about Cheshire.
"It has not been published since and a lot of people have copies that are falling apart," he said. "It's an old book and there aren't many around so this way people can get it and read it."
He said he is unsure where it will be sold.
• There will be a public viewing of the painting "The Cheshire Cheese Goes To Washington" by local artist Len Stomski at the Community Center on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 4. Stomski gifted the painting to the town last month.
Tags: cheshire cheese, citizens petition, DPW, Selectmen, water district,
