The Easton Board of Selectmen’s first regular meeting of the month was on October 6th.
First Selectman David Bindelglass provided an update on the contamination concerns at the Easton Village Store property. While the environmental consultant submitted its report to the state, Bindelglass says the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has not yet released its assessment or recommendations for further action. He says work has started on monitoring wells, and results from tests of the Fire Department and EMS wells are pending.
The meeting included a review of proposed changes to the town’s Ethics Ordinance. Many of the changes are technical, correcting typos or clarifying the use of certain words. The terms for members of the Board of Ethics will also need to corrected to reflect the length of members’ initial terms. Any changes to the Ethics Ordinance must be voted on by the Town Meeting. The selectmen agree the changes should be considered at the Town Meeting which will be held before the end of the year.
The board discussed a recent announcement from the governor’s office about Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grants. The grants released by the governor’s office include $244,000 for Easton for tennis and pickleball courts. The town applied for the grant earlier this year. It will be used to resurface the tennis courts along Sport Hill Rd and reline them with both tennis and pickleball lines. The town must contribute $61,000 to the project, which has already been included in prior budgets. The grant is reimbursable, which means the Town Meeting will need to approve the entire cost of the project in order for it to move forward.
The selectman voted to award a bid for road milling and reclaiming projects to Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming as the primary contractor and A & J Construction as the secondary contractor, as recommend by the director of Public Works.
The selectmen discussed the timing of the Town Meeting and referendum to consider the conservation easement for the South Park Avenue property. Some people expressed concern about the dates being so close to Thanksgiving. The board will look at availability in early December for both the Town Meeting and referendum. Discussions continue about the lease terms for the New England Prayer Center.
The Board appointed Jessica DiPietro to serve as an alternate on the Commission for Aging.
The next regular Board of Selectmen meeting is on Thursday, October 20th at 7:30pm in the Town Hall conference room and available on Zoom.
