Rochester Selectmen Woody Hartley and Brad Morse were in fundamental disagreement during Monday’s public meeting whether negotiations with the First Congregational Church of Rochester over two acres of land between the church building and Town Hall should be kept under the wraps of executive session or be brought out into the open.
“This isn’t the right place to debate this,” said Morse.
“It is the right place to debate this,” said Hartley.
Citing a $10,000 negotiating gap that could cost the Town Hall an opportunity to “almost triple” the size of its land footprint, Hartley expressed his frustration in open session on Zoom.
“I want to know what’s going on here. We didn’t have an executive session tonight. I think it’s time we talk about this stuff in public session,” he said. “That’s unhealthy, not the process we should be using. We’re basically mandated to buy that property.”
Hartley was alluding to a Town Meeting vote on June 22 that authorized Rochester to spend up to $160,000 for the land, a purchase that would in turn enable the church to make needed upgrades to its building.
“We haven’t had a formal response to our offer except in the press… I guess it’s over… It should still be in closed session, but they’ve opened the door,” said Morse, referencing the church’s comments in a recent newspaper report.
Richard Cutler, attending the Zoom meeting on behalf of the church, said, “The last offer presented to the church through me was through email; the response to that email is another email.”
Chairman Paul Ciaburri assured Cutler that Rochester can make its offer formal on paper.
Morse insisted that the matter should remain in executive session, but when pressed said he offered the church $150,000 for the land because Rochester had received a written appraisal of $125,000 and the church had received an appraisal for $160,000.
Hartley said that the original appraisal between $155,000 and $162,000 in April was established before the selectmen voted to bring the matter to Town Meeting, “and that was really the basis of moving forward. It’s what it’s worth to us for the future.
“One more time: The ($150,000) offer we made most recently was the exact same offer that was a month ago rejected. We asked the seller to provide additional information to prove it’s a buildable lot, yet we offer the same price. That’s why I was opposed to it… When the townspeople supported it overwhelmingly – nary a question – I just don’t understand why we’re holding this up for $10,000… we may never get this chance again.”
Ciaburri countered, “You could argue that the other way, that the church is (the party holding up the negotiations).”
Morse still considered the offer generous considering the appraisal Rochester obtained at $125,000. “(Regardless)… based on where our appraisal came in, we didn’t even split the difference.”
Town Counsel Blair Bailey was away and not in attendance at the meeting.
The board did agree to set a Special Town Meeting for November 16 at 7:00 pm at Rochester Memorial School.
In her Town Administrator’s Report, Suzanne Szyndlar said the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has allotted Rochester $301,662, approximately $300 less than last year. “At least we’re getting some Chapter 90 allotment,” she said.
Szyndlar reported having completed a Chapter 40 update to the state Department of Housing and Community Development for the Cranberry Highway Overlay District. She said the town will not receive $350,000 in zoning payments unless six conditions are met, including pedestrian improvements and connecting the district to each of the two nearest bus stops. “The developer will take care of it,” she said.
Ciaburri reported on his trip last week to Franklin and announced that Rochester was given 12,400 N95 facemasks, 600 face shields and 80 sets of goggles through Mass Emergency Management and FEMA.
In the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, Ciaburri said that “people should shelter in place” and that the Council on Aging building will only be used as an emergency shelter as a last resort in the event such as a direct hit of a hurricane. “If we have to (use the Senior Center) we will, but we prefer you shelter with your family and friends. But, if need be, we will do what we have to do for the citizens of the town,” he said.
Hartley asked about holding meetings at the Senior Center, similarly to how Marion has begun holding meetings at its Music Hall. “The technology has been a challenge at every one of our meetings. I think they’re having a lot of luck,” said Hartley.
Szyndlar explained that phone service has been an ongoing problem with hybrid meetings at Town Hall that was not a problem at Rochester Memorial School. “Comcast doesn’t have the bandwidth we need; I’m starting to look into moving over to (Verizon) Fios,” she said.
Bailey’s ongoing efforts to research and improve the remote-access audio for meetings held at Town Hall will yield new equipment.
In other business, the selectmen unanimously voted to sign the 2020 State Primary Election warrant.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, September 7, at 6:00 pm.
Rochester Board of Selectmen
By Mick Colageo