Selectmen Approve Bear Hill Proposal, Talk Trash Fee

Stoneham voters got the opportunity for their voice to be heard on Tuesday, and on Wednesday night it was a chance for the Selectmen to reply.

In what was at times a contentious meeting, the topic of a looming for Stoneham residents was once again in the forefront as voters resoundingly rejected a by a more than .

The override’s $1.9 million in additional appropriations would have been accompanied by various cuts in town services to bridge the town’s expected budget gap for fiscal 2012, brought about by the loss of revenue in state and federal aid as well as accounting for one-time revenue sources used in fiscal 2011.

In Article 15 of the Budget Agreement approved by all three boards of the Stoneham Tri-Board, the town would revert to a $1.6 million trash fee approved in January if the override failed, but once Town Administrator David Ragucci began to broach the issue in his regular report, a debate commenced as to whether it was still appropriate to keep the trash fee after voters overwhelming defeated the override proposal.

After being tabled until the end of the meeting, the debate recommenced and several issues arose on the trash fee topic from various members of the board.

Selectman Robert Sweeney was concerned over confusion on previous discussions with the trash fee, particularly in regards to its status in relation to the budget agreement since it was approved before talk of the agreement and override began, and whether the message from the voters also was strongly opposed to the trash fee as well.

“What I was told was that if the override failed, the trash fee would be implemented, and then my next statement was ‘what a choice you’re giving the voters,’” said Sweeney during the meeting on Wednesday night. “It’s kind of like choosing between a firing squad and lethal injection.”

Confusion escalated on what the exact dollar amount for the trash fee would be for every resident (chairperson Paul Rotondi estimated it at $252), whether it would be done as a flat rate or by a “pay as you throw” system, and whether larger items would be treated differently under the new system.

Selectmen Frank Vallarelli and John DePinto also made comments in opposition to a trash fee, and at one point a motion to readdress the issue was on the table, although having such a motion unexpectedly was also met with criticism by DePinto, who thought voters should be given the opportunity to know the trash fee would be discussed so they could testify on it.

“If you want to do this, you should put it on the agenda for Tuesday so if people want to come to the meeting and tell us not to have a trash fee, they can come,” DePinto said. “I wasn’t prepared to deal with this tonight and the residents of the town obviously, all one of them, (weren’t either).”

When the potential reaffirmation was being discussed, selectman Richard Gregorio said he would once again support the trash fee unless other methods could be found to replace the trash fee with something that would not adversely affect staffing of the Department of Public Works, Stoneham Public Library or the Stoneham Senior Center.

The issue will be discusses again at the Selectmen's session on April 12.

Planning Board/Selectmen Approve Deck For Bear Hill Golf Club

A joint session of the Stoneham Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen commenced earlier in the evening to discuss a proposed 32-by-28 foot deck outside the Bear Hill Golf Club.

The proposed addition was brought about by the need for enclosed space to charge new electric-powered golf carts, which would be housed underneath the deck area, according to Michael Santinelli, a member of the Bear Hill Board of Governors.

Neighbors such as Lawndale Road resident Mary Ellen Dee said that in the past Bear Hill has caused noise problems in the area and building a new deck would exacerbate those problems.

“I too have been affected by events at Bear Hill that have been really noisy, several of the neighbors have called the police,” Dee said.

The plan was approved, 4-1, with an addendum that no alcoholic beverages would be served and it would be open from the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Planning Board member Thomas O’Grady abstained due to his membership with the club.