City Council has development on the agenda
By Doug Grindle Community Reporter

Marlborough - The Marlborough City Council looked ahead to the end of the year at its Nov. 19 meeting, tidying up business before the year changes. Fasttrack economic development in the city was also on the agenda.

Councilors are concentrating on clearing up old business rather than introducing new propos- als, said At-Large Councilor Steven Levy, in part because of new rules under which old council business expires two years after being taken up.

The council held a public hearing on a proposal by NSTAR to install 250 feet of a 2-inch plastic gas main on South Street.

The routine hearing took on a slightly more urgent note, as John Riordan, executive director of the Marlborough 2010, a group that promotes economic development in the city, reminded councilors the development on South Street needs to go forward quickly as part of the state's streamlined eff ort to attract new businesses.

The city voted earlier this year to join a state program, called Chapter 43D, to fast track new businesses coming into the city by streamlining the permit process. Four sites in the city were selected as showcase fast track sites, with one being on South Street. "This is one of our priority development sites," Riordan said.

The fast track allows the state to guarantee companies looking at relocating to Massachusetts that their move will not be mired in red tape. The fast track will help the state compete with other states such as Texas and North Carolina, Riordan said. And it would help Marlborough compete with other Massachusetts towns in attracting those companies.

Riordan told reporters that progress on the NSTAR gas main plans would help reassure state officials that Marlborough is committed to its fast track responsibilities. The city has received $150,000 in state funds for technical assistance to help change the way it handles permit paperwork.

The public hearing was closed without comment from councilors.

The council then moved to push forward the renovation of the DesignPak building on Maple Street and considered changes to electrical poles proposed by National Grid.

The council voted to order a public hearing on the pole changes for Monday Dec. 17, to notify abutters of the changes, and also direct the city department of public works to submit comments to councilors on the changes to help expedite a vote.

In other business, the mayor submitted a request for $56,450 to help pay for the new firefighters' labor contract. The request was sent to the finance committee.

The council also formally accepted a letter from Ward 5 Councilor Maura Navin Webster resigning her post, eff ective Jan. 6, 2008. Webster was re-elected earlier this month.

Webster asked the council to issue a call for a special election, to be held on Tuesday Feb. 5, the day of the presidential primary. The date would reduce the expense of a special election, she said.

Ward 4 Councilor Peter Juaire rose and made a motion to accept the letter and place it on file, and also "wish Councilor Webster the best of luck." The motion passed.

Webster said she was pleased with the gesture. "It's been a great two terms on the City Council," she said, "and I'm going to miss working with my colleagues."