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Vol. 3, No. 36 - FREE - www.advocatenews.net Lynnfield@advocatenews.net 978-777-6397 Friday, September 8, 2017
Planning Board backs plans for Perley Burrill property
Pioneers Football Season Open Tonight
By Christopher Roberson
T
Senior Nick Kinnon will be leading Lynnfield High against Newburyport in the Pioneer’s season home opener tonight, kick-off at 7:00 PM. (Advocate file photo)
FIXED RATE
MORTGAGES NO POINTS
3. 3. 333% 038% 3. 4. 15 YEAR
250% RATE
30 YEAR
990RATE %
APR*
APR*
Mortgage Department 617.381.3615 or 617.381.3616 419 Broadway • Everett 771 Salem Street • Lynnfield
For more rates visit our website at everettbank.com **Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is effective September 1, 2017 and is subject to change. All Rates and APR’s are calculated based on a $250,000 loan for an owner occupied single family dwelling with 20% down payment. Rates are also based on Loan to Value and Credit Scores. The monthly principal and interest payment for 15 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage is $7.03 per $1,000 borrowed. Monthly principal and interest payment for 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage is $4.77 per $1,000 borrowed. These payments do not include taxes and insurance. Your payment may be greater if the loan is secured by a first lien. Loans subject to credit approval. NMLS #443050
own Administrator James Boudreau and Town Engineer Charles Richter recently went before the Planning Board to ask for support in redeveloping the property at 906 Salem St., the former site of Perley Burrill Fuel Oil. During the board’s Aug. 30 meeting, Boudreau said the town had foreclosed on the property after owner Joseph Pedoto allowed it to fall into disrepair. “The owner was making no attempt to clean it up,” he said, adding that Pedoto owes the town $260,000 in back taxes. Boudreau said the cleaning process alone will cost approximately $400,000. Therefore, the property will be put on the market for at least $660,000. “We have to get our money back,”said Boudreau. He also said the town has no interest in holding onto the parcel any longer than what is nec-
essary.“We want to get this property off our hands,” said Boudreau. “It is the town’s intent to put that piece of property up for sale and get rid of it.” However, Boudreau said Pedoto still has time to reclaim the parcel. “He has the right to take the property back; he has until the end of September to do that,” said Boudreau. If Pedoto does not act, Boudreau said, the property will be put on the market in early October. The board voted to approve the three variance requests made by Richter. The first was for no street lighting, the second was for no natural gas and the final variance was for a shared driveway 300 feet long with a 60foot turnaround area. “I generally don’t like to grant waivers, but I think there are other considerations to take into account,” said Planning Board CoChairman John Faria, adding that
PLANNING | SEE PAGE 4
Amended personnel bylaws to go before selectmen By Christopher Roberson
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he Personnel Board met recently to discuss nine bylaw changes that will be presented to the Board of Selectmen on Sept. 13. During the Personnel Board’s Sept. 5 meeting, Chairman Michael Griffin recommended the addition of a Domestic Violence Leave Policy. “This is a leave benefit that an employee has if they are in a domestic violence situation,” he said. The policy would allow employees to take 15 unpaid days off from work each year. The policy also states that employees must use that time for things such as counseling, getting medical attention, securing housing, obtaining a restraining order and attending to other legal proceedings. Griffin also recommended that the town adopt a Whistleblower Protection Retaliation Policy. “It’s fairly straightforward, there’s a Massachusetts State Statute on this,” he said. He also said a clean version should be presented to the selectmen rather than the“red line” version that shows the various revisions. “It opens up a can of worms,” said Griffin.
However, the board later agreed that the “latest red line version” would be given to the selectmen. In addition, board members agreed that employee files should only be accessed by the selectmen and the Personnel Board in the event of a disciplinary proceeding. There was also discussion regarding a transgender employee policy. “Cambridge, Boston, Amherst and Northampton all have human rights bylaws,” said Member Gail Marcus. Member Kip Sanford asked about the degree of detail needed in such a policy. “I wonder if this thing needs to be that dynamic,” he said. Because of the high level of sensitivity that would be involved, the board ultimately agreed that Town Counsel Thomas Mullen be consulted before doing anything further. “We have to kick this to Tom Mullen,” said Griffin. Griffin shared a social media policy that he obtained last year from “another town” and said that Lynnfield should adopt one of its own. But he said a so-
SELECTMEN | SEE PAGE 7