By Jeffrey Epstein
In addition to welcoming Sarah Stanton, Bedford’s incoming Town Manager, at their August 20 meeting the Selectmen notified the GSA of the Town’s interest in the Navy hangar property off Hartwell Road, approved a special permit for a company on Wiggins Avenue, and heard a suggestion from Bedford TV about changing the name of the Cable Committee, made a pair of board appointments, and approved the warrant for the September 4 Massachusetts primary election.
At the request of the federal General Services Administration, the Selectman signed a letter formally notifying the government of its interest in the Navy hanger property. Neither the town nor any other party has made a bid in the currently open government auction for the 16-acre parcel.
The Selectmen unanimously approved an Aquifer Protection Special Permit to allow the private firm Homology Medicines Inc. to install an emergency generator with a 2000 gallon diesel fuel tank at 1 Patriot Place (40-44 Wiggins Avenue). Under questioning, company officials told the Selectmen that they intend to have an emergency plan in place to handle any fuel spill or leakage that might occur.
A business owner asked the Selectman for a license to operate a small auto rental business out of a commercial unit, but the building involved apparently does not have a required Certificate of Occupancy. The Selectmen granted the license subject to that matter being cleared up by the property owner. Only three cars are allowed to be stored on the property.
As the Selectmen handled several other scheduled agenda items at its August 20 meeting, one of them led to a rare expression of anger at the board.
The Selectmen briefly discussed the future of municipal video, and that did not sit well with members of the Cable TV board, who say they were taken by surprise by the agenda item and its documentation. Bedford TV’s recordings of town meetings are seen not only by cable subscribers but also by the general public via Bedford TV’sYouTube channel. With cable subscribers generally declining, the question of whether the current cable-only governance policy should cover other means of video dissemination in the future. “Changing the name of the Cable Committee is coming out of left field,” Cable Committee board member Ralph Hammond told the Selectmen, claiming that he and other members were surprised to learn of the agenda item only a few days before, and still had not seen the document the Selectmen were looking at. Later in the meeting, Steven Kerwin, a member of the Cable Committee, shared similar concerns.”I apologize if you weren’t given enough notification,” said Chair William Moonan, who is the liaison to the Cable Committee. No action was taken.
Due to summer vacation schedules, Moonan led a four-member quorum including Margot Fleischman, Michael Rosenberg, and Edward Pierce.
The Selectmen appointed Deb Edinger to the Arbor Resources Committee for a term ending June 30, 2019. They also appointed Dori Pulizzi Marge Heckman to the Youth & Family Services Committee for terms ending June 30, 2021.
The board approved the September 4 state primary election warrant.
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