Webster Town Administrator Rick LaFond has announced that the town is the winner of this year’s Massachusetts Municipal Association’s (MMA) Website Award for town populations of its size. The Webster website scored the highest in categories that evaluated navigation and organization of material, convenience of information, functionality, and overall experience. The town was applauded for its efforts in making its website an effective tool for residents.

Brian Road, located off McGovern Lane near the town’s UMass/Harrington Hospital Campus, is being monitored closely by town officials as there is a dispute between a Connecticut housing development site owned by Dr. Ishwara Sharma, a retired cardiologist, and Webster. The housing development site located in the town of Thompson, Connecticut does not have its own access road in Connecticut but seeks to use Brian Avenue of Webster. Brian Avenue is a short and well-worn road, as is McGovern Lane, that would be inevitably reduced to rubble and, therefore, require new paving and restoration if heavy construction vehicles, dump trucks, and the like were allowed to traverse its pavement in addition to anticipated new homeowner access. Local taxpayers would have to pay for a new access road for future Thompson residents who, obviously, would not be taxed as Webster residents are who live along Brian Avenue and McGovern Lane.  

When Webster initially learned of the housing development project and the fact that there is no access to the site except through its streets, concrete barriers were placed at the end of Brian Avenue to prevent construction from proceeding before a court decision had been rendered. It appears that a simple remedy would be for Sharma to seek Connecticut roadway easements through Thompson Road in Connecticut. The current project is not in compliance with Webster’s zoning laws. The town is very much concerned about the negative impact to McGovern Lane and Brian Avenue. Heavy construction vehicles on the fragile asphalt would turn into a nightmare for Webster taxpayers who would have to foot the bill for new repaving without the benefit of tax funding. All Webster taxpayers would be burdened with paying for new road construction most likely necessitating a tax increase for all Webster taxpayers. The additional tax load would pay for maintaining the roadways leading to a private investor’s housing construction project.

Pavement damage increases rapidly with higher truck axle loads and actually increases faster than the loads increase. A 9-ton axle construction truck causes about 10 times more damage than a 5-ton axle load according to the International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology. With this type of heavy tonnage on Brian Avenue and McGovern Lane, the roads would most likely be reduced to rubble in a very short period of time necessitating new paving paid for by all Webster taxpayers for the benefit of the private investor as well as a real estate tax benefit to the town of Thompson. LaFond was scheduled to meet with Thompson’s selectboard to discuss the matter. The slow pace of the process appears to be based upon the town of Thompson’s limited ability to pay legal fees to defend the actions of its Planning and Zoning Commission. The selectboard appears to be bearing the burden of funding the opposition to Webster’s appeal rather than strategizing to have the proponent bear the financial burden for doing so. 

Additionally, the town’s oversight in monitoring the property located at 4 Bartlett Street to ensure compliance with zoning bylaws continues. Recently, notice was given to property owner, Nathan LeBaron, for an occupant residing illegally in a trailer on his property. Compliance was achieved but illegal occupancy was also a previous violation addressed by the town Building Commissioner and Health Director with the assistance of Superior Court. There has been an ongoing pattern of violations at the address. 

Both Dudley-Charlton and Spencer-East Brookfield school districts have now joined Webster in executing a Joint Purchase Agreement for health insurance. According to LaFond, “the most important factor is, unlike Massachusetts Strategic Health Group, the State Group Insurance Commission’s health insurance program (GIC), and Massachusetts Municipal Association’s insurance program, the school district group is in a position to be selective of potential members with a favorable claims history.” LaFond looks forward to be on a course of stability in perhaps a most unstable time in town history. 

Progress is being made on the town administrator’s office being relocated to the town clerk’s offices. LaFond states that “minor construction work has begun to modify the TA offices for use by the town clerk.” The work is expected to take about one month during which time the TA and selectboard’s offices will be temporarily housed in the auditorium.