2016 Annual Town Report Harvard, Massachusetts TOWN OF HARVARD WORCESTER COUNTY DATE OF INCORPORATION: 1732 FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Town Meeting POPULATION: 5,778 – as of January 1, 2016 AREA: 16,500 acres ELEVATION: 608 feet above sea level on Oak Hill MINIMUM BUILDING LOT SIZE: 1.5 acres Building, Electrical, Plumbing Codes and Health Regulations require permits for new buildings and alterations, obtainable at the Selectmen’s Office in Town Hall. TOWN HALL OFFICE HOURS: 8:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. Monday - Thursday 8:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M. second Tuesday of the month SENATORS IN CONGRESS: Elizabeth Warren, Edward Markey REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, 3rd District: Nicola Tsongas STATE SENATOR, Middlesex and Worcester District: James Eldridge STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 37th Middlesex District: Jennifer Benson QUALIFICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION AS VOTERS: Must be 18 years of age, and a U.S. citizen. Registration at Town Clerk’s Office in Town Hall, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M., and the second Tuesday of the month until 7:00 P.M. Special voter registration sessions before all town meetings and elections. Absentee voting for all elections. TOWN OF HARVARD FOUNDED JUNE 29, 1732 Set off from Groton, Lancaster, Stow, by petitions to the General Court. Incorporators: Simon Stone, Groton, Thomas Wheeler Stow and Hezekiah Willard, Lancaster. The name Harvard was inserted in the engrossed bill in the handwriting of Josiah Willard, the Secretary of State. This was the custom when neither the Governor nor petitioners had suggested a name for the new town. SPECIAL THANKS – 2016 ANNUAL TOWN REPORT All photos in the report are courtesy of the Harvard Press. Cover picture (Willard Lane on Stow Road) – Lisa Aciukewicz. The 2016 Town Report has been compiled, formatted and edited by Julie Doucet, Executive Assistant to the Town Administrator and Board of Selectmen. 2016 Annual Reports of the Town Officers of the Town of Harvard For the year ending December 31, 2016 2016 Citizen of Note Constance (Connie) Larrabee It seems Connie has been a part of the fabric of this town and has had her finger on its pulse since she arrived in 1972. The variety of jobs (both paid and volunteer) she has held since her arrival tells a story of Harvard itself, as well as Connie’s incredible interest in being part of it. For instance, her early years here were spent volunteering at the Elementary School and also working at the Westward Orchards packing plant. Educating kids and apples: Harvard’s main industries. She soon became – and for many years was - the night dispatcher, working the 11 PM to 7 AM shift. It is rumored she took her sleeping bag to the police station – nights in Harvard can be slow. Being a dispatcher, perhaps, gave her an edge in her next, multi- decades job: the local press. It began with delivering The Harvard Post in the late 1970’s. In 1982 she became a reporter and in the following years covered Finance Committee and Conservation Commission, served as feature editor, associate editor, news editor and contributing editor. Today she keeps her hand in the goings-on by serving as a copy editor for The Harvard Press. Driving the MART van from 2003-2007 introduced Connie to the needs of our senior population. She was soon appointed to the Council on Aging in 2008 and during her tenure has served as Co-Chair and Secretary. When she reached her term limit in 2014, rather than stepping away (as most would do) she continued volunteering as the COA’s recording secretary. In 2016, when an alternate member of the COA was created, she was quickly appointed to that position. But her greatest accomplishment – and the one that we can never, ever fully thank her for – is her quiet persistence and advocacy for the Renovation and Expansion of the Hildreth House. Connie was appointed as the COA representative to the Hildreth House Improvement Committee when it was formed in 2012. However, when initial estimates for the work were higher than originally expected, Connie was able to accept, understand and advocate to her fellow Committee and COA members that the project would only advance through our local political process if split into two phases. The first phase, just recently completed, addressed the parking safety and full accessibility challenges of the site and building. Through multiple iterations and changes in plans and costs, Connie has kept her “eyes on the prize” kept the project moving forward. She patiently attended multiple Capital Planning and CPC meetings, pursuing all available funding options to see the project completed. She patiently revised applications, paying attention to filing deadlines and providing complete answers to endless questions. When setbacks occurred, she found a way to work with the outcomes. And all this with a smile or a slight sigh when frustration might have led others to quit. Connie thinks she is finished now with the Hildreth House, but we all know Phase 2, the addition, remains to be done. And, frankly, we cannot quite imagine how that will happen without Connie’s steady hand at the helm. For these reasons, and more, the Board of Selectmen are very proud – and grateful – to name Connie Larrabee the 2016 Citizen of Note! TABLE OF CONTENTS TOWN OFFICERS Elected and appointed …………………………………………………………………. 1 GENERAL GOVERNMENT ……………………………………………………… 6 Board of Selectmen, Board of Assessors, Broadband Committee, Charter Commission, Community Cable Access Committee, Community Preservation Committee, Devens Enterprise Commission, Energy Advisory Committee, Hildreth House Improvement Committee, Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, Old Library Accessibility sub-committee, Planning Board, Town Hall & Hildreth House Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals PROTECTION OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY ……………………..……. 31 Ambulance Squad, Fire Department, Police Department EDUCATION …………………………………………………………………….…….. 43 School Superintendent, School Administrators, School Committee, Pupil Services, Community Education, School Nurse, Monty Tech LIBRARY AND THE ARTS ………………………………………………….……. 78 Librarian, Library Trustees, Cultural Council HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ……………………………………….….. 83 Board of Health, Nashoba Associated Boards of Health, Council on Aging, Elderly & Disabled Taxation Aid Committee PUBLIC WORKS …………………………………………………………….………… 93 Public Works Director, Cemetery Commission ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ………………………………………....... 96 Bare Hill Pond Watershed Management Committee, Conservation Commission, Historical Commission, Park & Recreation Commission TOWN MEETINGS AND ELECTION RESULTS ………………….….…… 107 TOWN RECORDS…………………………………………………………... 191 Office of the Town Clerk (Births, Marriages, Deaths, Fees, Licenses) Inspectional Services (Building, Plumbing, Gas, Electrical) FINANCIAL REPORTS…………………………………………………………….. 195 Accountant’s Cash Recap, Receipts, Payments, Balance Sheets, School Financial Statements, Treasurer Trust Funds Report, Employee Earnings ELECTED OFFICIALS BOARD OF SELECTMEN (3 years) (5) LIBRARY TRUSTEES (3 years) (6) KENNETH SWANTON, Chair 2017 MARY ABIGAIL COOLIDGE, Chair 2017 ALICE VON LOESECKE 2019 CHARLES F. REDINGER 2017 RONALD V. RICCI 2017 DAVIDA J. BAGATELLE 2018 LUCY B. WALLACE 2018 MARTHA GREEN 2019 STUART SKLAR 2019 STACIE CASSAT GREEN 2019 CHRISTOPHER FRECHETTE 2018 CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS (3 years) (3) JOHN J. SPERO, Chair 2017 THEODORE MAXANT 2018 MODERATOR (1 year) BRUCE R. DOLIMOUNT 2019 ROBERT EUBANK 2017 CHARTER COMMISSION (3 years) (9) PARK & RECREATION COMM. (3 years) (5) PAUL COHEN, Chair 2019 WYONA LYNCH MCWHITE, Chair 2017 RICHARD MAIORE 2019 STEVEN VICTORSON 2017 SHARON MCCARTHY 2019 DOUGLAS THORNTON 2018 GEORGE MCKENNA 2019 FRANK CULMOME 2019 STEPHANIE OPALKA 2019 EDWARD FRACKIEWICZ* 2017 C. RON OSTBERG 2019 CHARLES F. REDDINGER 2019 PLANNING BOARD (3 years) (5) CINDY RUSSO 2019 KARA MINAR, Chair 2019 PETER WARREN 2019 MICHELLE CATALINA 2018 ERIN MCBEE 2017 COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE FRANCES NICKERSON 2018 DIDI CHADRAN, Chair 2019 DON N. GRAHAM 2017 ELIZABETH WILLIAMS 2017 RICH MAIORE, Associate yearly DEBORAH THOMSON 2018 JOHN LEE 2017 SCHOOL COMMITTEE (3 years) (5) MICHELLE CATALINA, appt. Planning Board yearly SUSANMARY REDINGER, Chair 2017 JOANNE WARD, appt. Conservation Comm yearly PATRICIA WENGER 2017 VACANT, appt. Park & Rec yearly JONATHAN K. GREEN 2019 PAM MARSTON, appt. Historical Commission yearly NANCY LANCELLOTI 2018 RON RICCI, appt. MAHT (affordable housing trust) yearly MARY FRANCES TRAPHAGEN 2018 CONSTABLE (3 years) GREGORY NEWMAN 2017 TREE WARDEN (1 year) CHRISTIAN BILODEAU 2017 HARVARD BOARD OF HEALTH (3 years) (3) SHARON MCCARTHY, Chair 2018 WARNER FREE LECTURE SOC. (3 years) (6) LIBBY LEVISON 2019 LISA FOLEY, Chair 2017 THOMAS C. PHILIPPOU 2017 MARY MAXWELL 2017 TIMOTHY CLARK 2018 THOMAS ACIUKEWICZ 2018 SHEILA SIMOLLARDES 2019 PATRICIA JENNINGS 2019 *Appointed through the 2017 election 1 APPOINTED OFFICIALS ACCESS TO SERVICES LIAISON (yearly) AMBULANCE cont. DEBBIE KELLER CHRIS MITCHELL JUDY MITCHELL AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (3 years) (5) KAT OGLESBY PETER BASILE, Chair 2017 JAMES O'SHEA PAM BROWNING 2017 BILL SPACCIAPOLI FRANKLYN CARLSON 2018 JENNIFER SPECHT CANDACE FRAZER 2018 BETH WALKER ROBERT TRAVER 2019 KATHY WAUGH vacant, alternate (yearly) LUKE WHARTON vacant, alternate (yearly) KATHLEEN WILLIAMS vacant, alternate (yearly) DRIVERS AMBULANCE SERVICE (Volunteer Service) HESTON CHIPMAN Full Members CHRIS CONNERS STEVEN BECKMAN, Co- Director AMY GORTHORPE JASON COTTING, Co-Director ERIKA HOLZMANN OLIVIA ALFANO HARRY JACOBSON LILY ALFANO PREETI MOSTELLO MADELINE BECKMAN WILL STEVENSON