Select Board Sets Policy for Accepting Gifts

July 17, 2021

The Select Board last week accepted the gift of a memorial bench and established some stipulations regarding perpetual care of all such gifts.

The donation is from Judith McCabe, whose son Shane Little died unexpectedly a year ago at age 38. He was a varsity basketball standout a Bedford High School from which he graduated in 2000. The bench will be in the area of the outdoor basketball courts near the school.

David Manugian, director of the Department of Public Works, explained his process for accepting tangible donations. The town now has a form that describes the item being donated and the expected period of maintenance. A gift account is established to accept funds. “We ask the donor to purchase the asset. The town takes on the cost of maintenance.”

“We have the ability to specify the materials and method of installation,” he says. “It allows us to be consistent and set a reasonable expectation of maintenance over time.” All boards and committees with jurisdiction over the land would sign off before acceptance.

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“By codifying this process, David is pointing out that the DPW will not necessarily be replacing the bench at that location,” noted Town Manager Sarah Stanton.

In answer to a question from Select Board member William Moonan, Manugian acknowledged that a bench is a “relatively straightforward” item. “We already have a number of them and we have found that they will substantially stand up” to wear and tear. “What we see as typical is making sure it stays bolted to its concrete base. It’s a relatively small-dollar effort that can be fixed relatively quickly.”

Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763

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