By K.B. Sherman, Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – The Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen unanimously agreed at its Jan. 8 meeting to approve a measure that would allow its members to remotely participate in its regularly scheduled meetings.
Mass. state law 940 CMR 29.10 allows for remote participation when all obligations noted by that law are met. The law states that there must still be a physical quorum met at the original location (i.e., Town Hall) and that all participants must be clearly audible to each other. Votes by all members, at the physical and remote locations, are considered valid.
Several board members discussed the difficulty of making every selectmen's meeting in light of their business and family obligations. The law allows for officials to participate remotely if they qualify for the following reasons: personal illness, personal disability, emergency, military service or geographic distance.
In other business, the selectmen voted to allow Knight's Limousine Service, 390 Hartford Turnpike, to install an 18,000-gallon propane tank for fueling operations for its 55-vehicle fleet. Manager Michael Hogan explained that the company is switching to propane-powered vehicles to save money and extend the lives of the vehicles” engines. The tank would be limited, by law, to holding less than 14,000 gallons of propane.
Selectman Henry Fitzgerald questioned Hogan about comparative engine efficiencies, required fuel system pressures, and the physical size of the proposed tank (which would be approximately 40 by 10 feet, and not visible from the road).
Hogan noted that most of Knight's vehicles cover the same local roads and that the tank would serve the fleet well. It would not be available to fuel any other vehicles.
Selectmen Chair Maurice DePalo noted such an installation would first have to be accepted by the state fire marshal. The board then accepted the plan by unanimous vote.