By BOB TUROSZ
NORTH READING — After a lengthy discussion last Monday night, the Selectmen reached a general agreement on a new policy to establish an Economic Development Committee, to be appointed jointly with the Community Planing Commission. After a two hour debate, the Selectmen and CPC voted unanimously to dissolve the current Economic Development Sub Committee effective Feb. 15 and to give first reading approval to the charge of the EDC.
Second reading approval of the charge for the new EDC – the point at which it becomes official – was put off until Feb. 23.
Both bodies hope the newly formed EDC will take the lead and be out front on economic development issues, such as finding a developer for the still–vacant J.T. Berry site and the Postal Service facility on Main St., if that becomes available.
It was, however, a long and rocky road for the Selectmen, in particular to reach that point. Board members Stephen O’Leary and Michael Prisco clashed early and often in the debate over the appointment process.
Prisco began by giving a presentation outlining that the EDC would advise the Selectmen and CPC and town administrator on current and future economic development in town. He said the EDC would be administratively controlled by the CPC. He was proposing to make it a seven member committee, with the members appointed only by the Selectmen.
Prisco said he had spoken to all the members of the CPC except one and they favored this structure.
O’Leary said there was no previous discussion about the dissolution of the present subcommittee and he was not in favor of eliminating the CPC as an equal partner in the policy. “The word dissolution was never mentioned,” he said. “(Tonight), we were going to discuss whether the charge was still viable or not. My memory is not gone.”
Prisco remembered differently, saying he asked for this to be on the meeting agenda. Nothing was unilaterally decided and nothing went on behind the scenes, he said
O’Leary sent an email to all the board members back on Jan. 25 that as far as he could see there had never been any prior discussion of dissolving the current subcommittee. The last he recalled, the board was supposed to discuss the charge in hopes of stimulating discussion and more interest. O’Leary also said in the email that at that time he was not in favor of dissolving the current subcommittee or eliminating the CPC as an equal partner in the process. O’Leary also said he wasn’t in favor of proceeding without full disclosure and discussion.
The Transcript was cc’d a copy of the email, a fact that irked Prisco so much he mentioned it twice.
“The interesting part,” according to O’Leary, is that Prisco had a discussion with most of the CPC and gotten a consensus out of them, without consulting the other Selectmen. O’Leary said he objected to Prisco communicating with CPC members about dissolving the subcommittee before the Selectmen decided that was their position, also.
“That’s what this meeting is about,” Prisco replied. The motivation in having it on the agenda was to have this discussion, he said. “Every time I put effort into anything around this town you try to find the negative in it.”
Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto said the motion to dissolve the came from discussions among the town hall staff that changes in the current subcommittee were under consideration and likely to happen.
CPC Chairman Dan Mills said his board, at a recent meeting, discussed that there would be no need for the present subcommittee if a new EDC is appointed.
Chairman Robert Mauceri generally maintained control of the exchanges between the two members and moved the discussion along.
The purpose of the charge of the EDC would be to develop an economic development strategy consistent with the town’s goals and Master Plan:
• Develop a plan for the reuse of the JT Berry.
• Develop an economic development strategy consistent with the town’s community development.
• Develop a local tax incentive program to stimulate redevelopment of under utilized or abandoned properties.
• Obtain state and federal economic development grants.
• Establish an aesthetics beautification program for the CPC and Selectmen.
• Provide an advisory role on economic development matters.
• Establish a dialogue with business owners and major commercial property owners.
• Present funding options and ideas on economic development activities and meet with state legislators to identify available economic development funds.
Mauceri commented that in the past they’ve always used joint appointments for these kind of things. Mills said the CPC was not opposed to participating as a joint board on the appointments, they just want to streamline the process to actually get something accomplished.
“If it’s the board’s preference to have us as part of the appointing authority, we’d be more than happy to be a part of it.”
This resulted in a general agreement on joint appointments made by the Selectmen and CPC. The Selectmen will review the policy again at their next meeting, Feb. 23 and appointments to the EDC could come as soon as March 3, which would be a joint meeting with the CPC.
