Published in the October 26, 2016 edition

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

LYNNFIELD —The town is continuing its search for a new Director of Public Works after the Board of Selectmen learned recently that their top choice for the position had opted to remain in his current post.

Anthony Furnari, who has served as the Director of Public Services in the city of Newburyport for the past six years and has over 30 years of experience in the public works field, was the unanimous choice by Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford and Selectmen Chris Barrett and Dick Dalton on Oct. 3 after each selectman had individually interviewed Furnari and two other candidates.

The board instructed Town Administrator Jim Boudreau to enter contract negotiations with Furnari and return to the board with the terms of the agreement for their final vote on his appointment, but instead they were faced with continuing the interviewing process. The town will keep the position open until it is filled.

Last week, Boudreau put forward another candidate for each selectman to interview. The board members conducted their interviews of this candidate on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Late Monday afternoon, Oct. 24, the selectmen posted a meeting notice for Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. Among the three agenda items listed is “discussion/appointment of Director of Public Works.” The meeting will be held at Town Hall in the Selectmen’s meeting room.

Also included on Wednesday night’s agenda is the revised historic restriction for Centre Farm property at 567 Main St. following a review of the town’s proposed restrictions by the state, and the appointment of Lynnfield Water District (LWD) and Lynnfield Center Water District (LCWD) commissioners and employees as special town employees.

BAN sale

At a brief meeting held on Tuesday, Oct. 11, the selectmen approved the sale of $1,405,903 in general obligation taxable bond anticipation notes (BAN) Series A; and the sale of $1,182,068 in general obligation bond anticipation notes (BAN) Series B. The vote was 3-0 for both.

Plaques on benches

The selectmen supported an idea proposed by the town’s Tricentennial Committee to raise funds that would seed the town’s Quadcentennial celebration by selling sponsorship plaques on the park benches that surround the town common.

Tricentennial Committee member Jason Kimball told the board recently that when he and Bob MacKendrick were discussing ways this could be accomplished they came up with this idea based on the sponsorship plaques affixed to benches at Rotary Park on Pillings Pond.

The yearlong celebrations of the tricentennial of the Meeting House and the town’s bicentennial in 2014 benefited from the foresight of townspeople back in 1976 who set aside leftover funds raised from the country’s Bicentennial celebrations to be used for future centennial milestones.

Kimball suggested that sponsors could donate $500 for a plaque and also pledge to pay for the installation of the plaque and for its perpetual maintenance. If a sponsor eventually decided not to perpetually maintain the plaque, and a letter had been sent to the sponsor by the committee reminding them of that obligation, that bench would become available for another person to sponsor.

Kimball offered to draft a policy to be reviewed by town counsel. With six benches currently on the common, Kimball said the town could potentially have $3,000 to invest and accrue interest over time.

Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford asked if he had a design in mind. Kimball suggested keeping it a simple brass plaque, like those at Rotary Park, about postcard size, with the sponsor’s name followed by “in remembrance of the Tricentennial,” or a similar message.

“I think it’s a great idea for Lynnfield,” said Selectman Chris Barrett.

Selectman Dick Dalton thanked Kimball and MacKendrick for bringing the idea forward.