Notes from the Westford Selectmen’s Meeting

Below are notes from the May 23 selectmen’s meeting. Subscribe to our free, online newsletter for all your local news.

1. Selectmen recognized Town Clerk Kaari Mai Tari, on May 23, for her 15 years of service as Town Clerk. Tari has accepted the position of Town Clerk in Concord and departs this week.
2. The board members voted 5 to 0 to seek approval from state Legislators to transfer an alcohol package store license from BUSA Wine and Spirits of Westford, Inc., to Pro Wine, Inc., doing business as Julio’s Liquors, 160 Littleton Road.
3. Christine Collins, Tax Collector and Treasurer, was given approval to sign bond anticipation notes of $200,000 for windows at the Norman E. Day School and the Col John Robinson School, and bond anticipation notes of $485,725 for a sidewalk on Plain Road.
4. In a vote of 9 to 2, Alicia Mallon was appointed to a one-year seat on the School Committee. Mallon had run for one of two seats in the May 2 election but lost to Gloria Miller and Megan Eckroth. Her appointment was decided by a joint vote of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee. She was selected over Betsy Alvarez, Harry Manuel, Kenneth Teal, and Mingquan Zheng.
5. Two engineering projects were approved by unanimous votes. Town Engineer Paul Starratt got approval to amend the Stormwater Management Master Plan contract with Tighe & Bond “in the amount of $72,000 to include developing an equitable rate structure, calculating rates, and establishing a billing mechanism for a stormwater utility,” according to the Town Manager’s notice. In the second vote, selectmen approved an order of taking for easements to build the Plain Road sidewalk and Concord Road sidewalk.

1. Starratt’s conceptual plans for a traffic light at Dunstable and Groton Roads prompted selectmen to request accident data for the past five years, and information on alternatives to a stop light at the intersection.
2. The design services agreement with Mills Whitaker Architects for the Roudenbush Rehabilitation Project was approved unanimously, allowing for an additional $225,000 to cover additional services: management during the bidding phase, designer services during construction, record drawings, reports, and calculations.
3. Selectmen postponed a vote to award the Boston Road fire station construction project to Castagna Construction while the Permanent Town Building Committee evaluates the $8,767,000 proposal.
4. Selectmen unanimously approved the formation of a Roudenbush Community Center/Mill Works/Recreation Department task force to help coordinate each entity’s mission and avoid redundancy of programs. Nine full members and three alternates were approved.

Find the entire selectmen’s meeting at westfordcat.org.