Selectmen Selections
October 2021-Edition 39
Introduction
You connect with us on Facebook at Town of Shrewsbury and Twitter @ShrewsburyMAGov.
Stay tuned for monthly updates!
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
Town Hall has reopened to the public, without the need for an appointment.
An advisory from the MA Department of Public Health (MDPH) has been issued for non-vaccinated and fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.
Shrewsbury, Worcester County is now categorized as “high” level of community transmission. Therefore, all employees and visitors in all municipal buildings are required to wear a face mask.*
*Exemptions from the Mask Requirement: Those with medical and other eligible conditions.
Email: Health@worcesterma.gov
Website: shrewsburyma.gov/coronavirus
Phone: 508-799-1019
Departmental Update #2: Shrewsbury Fire Department
The Departmental Update begins HERE in the recording of the October 26, 2021 Board of Selectmen Meeting.
Chief Vuona introduced the mission statement of the Shrewsbury Fire Department, which is to, "Protect Life, Property and the Environment through Public Education, Fire Prevention and Emergency Response. Be helpful, courteous and professional." He explained their three different buildings; Fire Headquarters on Church Road, Station 2 on Harrington Ave, and Station 3 on Centech Boulevard. He also reviewed the equipment the department has, the staffing break down for each station, and training facilities available to them.
Chief Vuona outlined their staffing and personnel, which include 43 Full-Time Personnel. He has been working alongside the Town Manager to increase staffing of the Department. In 2021, they applied for a Federal SAFER Grant to add 4 additional personnel, but they did not receive the grant. Only 23% of applicants received that grant in 2021.
Chief Vuona broke down the calls they receive as well. Fires are only 5% of the calls they receive, medical calls make up 65 to 70% of the calls they receive. In 2021, calls for service are up 10% from the previous year. They project to do 4,400 to 4,500 calls this year; the most calls they have ever done as a department.
The Fire Department also plays a role in Commercial Projects and Developments in Town as they do inspections of buildings before they are open to the public.
Public Education is another part of the Fire Department's Mission and Firefighter Brendan Palumbo was named runner-up at the Massachusetts Public Education Conference on Fire and Life Safety, as Fire and Life Safety Educators of the year by the Department of Fire Services. His video can be found here. The Fire Department also receives a grant for free Smoke Detector installation. More information on this program can be found here. The Fire Department has received over $700,000 in grants since 2018. They have continued to stay up to date on technology for the department and utilize Lexipol for policies, procedures, and training.
Chief Vuona's full presentation can be viewed HERE.
October 2021 Board of Selectmen Meeting Highlights
Meeting recordings for October 12, 2021, October 18, 2021, October 19, 2021, and October 26, 2021 can be found below.
DPW Snow and Ice Route Optimization Project
At their October 26, 2021 meeting, Mr. Jeff Howland, DPW Director, and Mr. Nick Repekta, Highway Division Manager, presented on the Snow and Ice Route Optimization Project they had been working on since December 2020. The DPW worked with Quetica Consulting & Engineering based in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The objective of the study was to evaluate our existing routes and either validate or modify the current routes to optimize the snow and ice program across the town and all facilities including parking lots, parks, and cemetery. Currently there are 33 plow routes utilizing 54 pieces of equipment.
There are different types of routes; Spreader Routes (road surface salt treatment), Plow Routes, and Sidewalk Routes. The optimized routes are all more balanced in workload and will utilize turn-by-turn instructions to assist drivers in route navigation.
The navigation instructions will (1) reduce deadhead miles and improve route efficiency since they are created based on the best routing strategies, (2) help drivers (especially new drivers) navigate the routes easily and (3) improve the balance of workload. The route navigation will require the Town to purchase devices or require contractors to supply their own.
Mr. Howland noted that they will be able to begin implementation of the sidewalk route optimization this year, and that the salt routes should be ready as well to begin. They will be looking to purchase 7 additional tablets for the vehicles. The plowing routes would be implemented next year and they will need to further discuss tablets/devices for the contractors.
The presentation can be viewed HERE and the memo can be viewed HERE as well.
Shrewsbury 2020 Re-precincting Plan
At their October 12, 2021 meeting, Ms. Kristen Las, Assistant Town Manager, and Ms. Sharyn Thomas, Town Clerk, presented their initial recommended draft map, Draft Map 2B, to the Board which would change 4 of the 10 precincts. They received feedback from the Board and returned to present to them at the October 26, 2021 meeting.
At the October 26, 2021 meeting, Ms. Thomas returned along with Mr. Dan McCullen, GIS Coordinator, to present their updated proposed map, Draft Map 2B, which will change 9 of the 10 precincts. The Board members thanked them for their hard work on this difficult process. The Board unanimously voted to to approve Map 2B for the 2020 Re-Precincting Plan for the Town of Shrewsbury.
The memo from the Town Clerk can be found HERE and the draft map can be found HERE.
Strategic Plan Update
At their October 26, 2021 meeting the Board of Selectmen authorized the Town Manager to enter into a contract with Raftelis for the Shrewsbury Strategic Plan Project. The Town is eager to start the project and asks residents to be on the lookout for more information on the Town’s website and social media on how to access and participate in this process!
Special Town Meeting October 18, 2021
Board of Selectmen Meeting
Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021, 07:00 PM
Richard D. Carney Municipal Office Building (Town Hall), Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
Board of Selectmen Meeting
Tuesday, Nov 23, 2021, 07:00 PM
100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
About Us
Email: selectmen@shrewsburyma.gov
Website: https://shrewsburyma.gov/535/Board-of-Selectmen
Location: 100 Maple Ave, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
Phone: 508-841-8504
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShrewsburyMassachusetts
Twitter: @ShrewsburyMAGov