By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — A full agenda awaits the Town Council tonight when they convene for their first meeting of 2022.
Possibly the stickiest item on tonight’s agenda is the appeal of a Cease and Desist Order issued by the Building Inspector for 383 Water Street. On Nov. 3, 2021, Building Inspector Benjamin DeChristoforo issued the Cease-and-Desist Order under Section 154-8 of the town code to property owner Stephen Ulwick related to the storage of “abandoned, dismantled, inoperative, wrecked, junked and/or unregistered motor vehicles on a lot for more than 10 days.”
Ulwick has exercised his right to appeal the Building Inspector’s order to the Town Council, and that appeal will be considered at tonight’s meeting.
Also tonight, the Town Council is expected to appoint an attorney as a “Special Municipal Employee” for the purpose of representing the town before the Zoning Board of Appeals with respect to the Public Safety Building expansion and renovation.
The move is necessary because on the rare occasion when the town files an application with the ZBA, Town Counsel Thomas Mullen cannot represent both the applicant and the Zoning Board. In such cases, the Town Council has to appoint a special counsel to represent the town before the ZBA.
Local attorney Brian McGrail has filed an application with the Town Council to be appointed as that Special Municipal Employee to represent the town pro-bono (at no charge) before the ZBA regarding the Public Safety Building.
Tonight, the Town Council will also consider a Pledge of License Amendment Application related to the sale of Greenie’s Discount Liquors, Inc. d/b/a Greenwood Wine & Spirits at 969 Main St.
The board will deal with various license renewal requests including common victuallers, entertainment license renewals, Class II (used car dealer) license renewals and automated device Licenses.
Tonight’s agenda also includes a request for one-day Liquor License for Friends of Wakefield Hockey for fundraiser at Subaru of Wakefield on Feb. 11, 2022 from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.
The council will tonight consider adoption of the Vision 2030 Mission Statement.
Tonight marks the beginning of the FY 2023 budget process, as the Town Council will review the proposed budgets of the Accounting Department, the Legal Department, the Tax Collector, the Assessing Department, the Town Clerk, the Finance Committee, the Conservation Commission, The Planning Board, the Board of Appeals, the Council on Aging and the Election & Registration and Election Expense budgets.
The board will consider a Traffic Advisory Committee recommendation that a “No Parking” restriction be approved for the westerly side of Hopkins Street from the Reading town line to the corner of South Street.
Tonight, the Town Council is expected to set a date of Jan. 24, 2022 at 7:05 p.m. for public hearing for JWR Family Co. located at 109 Water St. for an All-Alcohol Liquor License. They will also set the date of February 14, 2022 at 7:05 p.m. for Public Hearing for CMRG, LLC d/b/a Tonno Wakefield located at 175 North Ave. for alteration of premises.
Also listed on tonight’s agenda is a “vote in support of the Vocational School election on January 25, 2022.”
The Town Council will be asked to refer to the Planning Board for a public hearing a request to repeal Zoning Bylaw 190-31H, related to building within 50 feet of the embankment of any open stream, as defined by the Conservation Commission. The reason for the repeal request is that the current bylaw forces citizens to seek duplicate relief from both Conservation Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Tonight’s agenda also includes a request from Beebe Library to accept and expend a gift or gifts to the library in the amount of $499.64 from various donors and a request to accept a donation to the Human Rights Commission in the amount of $48.00 from Kayla Rush.
The Town Council meeting gets underway at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Consistent with the Governor’s orders extending certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, every effort will be made to allow the public to view and/or listen to the meeting in real time. Persons who wish to do so are invited to click on the following link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89074239824. If you do not have a camera or microphone on your computer, you may use the following dial in phone number: 1-301-715-8592 Meeting ID 890 7423 9824.
Tonight’s meeting will also be televised by Wakefield Community Access Television on its cable channels and can be viewed live on WCAT’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/WCATWakefield.
