September 6, 2018

“MADAME CHAIR, I MOVE TO INCOPORATE INTO THE MINUTES AND APPROVE THE FOLLOWING MEMORANDUM AND GUIDANCE TO THE ADMINISTRATION REGARDING PERMITTING REQUESTED BY NATIONAL GRID The North Reading Board of Selectmen takes the issues of public health/safety and economic development as paramount. At the direction of the Board, the administration reached out to National Grid management. National Grid informed the administration that their company policy is not to discuss the labor dispute in public meetings and declined an invitation to speak with the Board. While the Board respects their position, the effects of their decision and labor negotiation strategies is impacting current development projects and raising significant public safety concerns. While the Board of Selectmen would not normally opine or inject itself into private sector contract issues, this current situation poses legitimate concern for public safety and the delivery of services by National Grid to our community. National Grid's decision to lockout 1,250 of its most experienced, certified, job specifically trained, seasoned professionals has impacted its ability to address emergency, mandated compliance and maintenance work, and non-emergency expansion needs in a timely and cost-effective manner. National Grid is the sole supplier of natural gas to our community, delivering its product and services through pipelines which lie beneath public streets, roadways and lands as well as privately owned residential and business properties. Primary oversight of work performed by National Grid is provided by union inspectors employed by National Grid and periodic visitations from inspectors from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Local permitting only provides oversight from the gas meter to the inside of the building or structure. According to correspondence received from David Gendall, Director-Community and Customer Management at National Grid, the "work continuation team", employed to ensure uninterrupted service to gas customers during this lockout, includes approximately 600 contract employees and roughly 700 National Grid management employees, including supervisors who typically oversee their union employees. In a report, provided to the Board at our August 20, 2018 meeting, a review and survey of several ongoing construction projects indicated that a moratorium of issuing permits for National Grid may adversely impact the progress of those and future projects. The report also indicated an increased level of frustration from some developers of the current delay in services by National Grid. Developers spoke to the risk of shutting down their projects or seeking alternative energy sources because of National Grid's inability to meet time sensitive needs and deadlines. Additional correspondence, from Mr. Grenall, included in the report, further indicated and verified that National Grid is focused on emergency and mandated compliance work while doing a very limited amount of non-emergency work. He stated that they would do their best to prioritize the work and accommodate requests but the reality is that they won't be able to get to everyone. It would appear that issuing a moratorium on permits requested by National Grid would have minimal effect based upon the minimal amount of non-emergency work being performed. Under the current circumstances, the examples of non-emergency work described in the correspondence would be cases, we, as a Board, would hope to be prioritized and accommodated. A moratorium in those types of cases would do more harm than good. Public and employee safety should not be compromised. While it is recognized that all workers are mandated and required to have certifications to perform tasks, it is of concern that members of the "work continuation team" are less experienced and proficient, than the locked-out employees, at the work responsibilities and tasks they are now being called upon to perform. Additionally, the current management employees who would normally be providing oversight on employees and projects are now performing the tasks themselves with potentially less independent supervision. Union inspectors with project oversight responsibilities have been locked-out calling into question quality controls and raising potential safety concerns. The locked-out employees are first responders in emergency situations and are professionally trained and experienced. Our first responders, police and fire, and community-at-large rely on National Grid to provide the best skilled workforce. Until National Grid puts the locked-out employees back to work, the administration should coordinate the issuance of permits to National Grid with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The Town should request inspectors from DPU to provide verification of workers credentials and necessary oversight of all permitted activity. In the absence of DPU assistance, the administration, in its determination on a case-by-case basis, should provide adequate inspectional oversight by appropriately trained Town staff or contracted services. The costs associated with the additional oversight is to be added to the permitting fees and charged to National Grid. The administration should request that National Grid provide a list of workers and tasks assigned to each worker and their certifications for each permitted project. At the discretion of the administration, the listings will be forwarded to the DPU for verification of certifications. The administration should provide the Board, on a monthly basis, a list of activity and permit requests of National Grid. The administration, on behalf of the Board, through written correspondence, should encourage the state administration become more heavily involved in facilitating additional meetings between National Grid, Union representatives and federal mediators in an effort to resolve the disputes. The administration, on behalf of the Board, will forward this correspondence to appropriate National Grid management and reiterate and re-extend the Board's invitation for National Grid to address its concerns. Mr. Mauceri stated the memorandum is putting pressure on DPU; it would get the State to realize there is a problem and they need to get involved. Mrs. Manupelli completely disagrees with Mr. O'Leary's memorandum and stated it shifts all responsibility from National Grid and puts it on our administration, who is taxed enough already. MOTION BY: MR. O'LEARY SECONDED BY: MR. MAUCERI VOTED: 2-2 (MR. O'LEARY AND MR. MAUCERI IN FAVOR).” (Motion: O'Leary, second: Mauceri)

Read it in the official minutes, page 3 (PDF)

“MADAME CHAIR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 20, 2018 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES AS WRITTEN. MOTION BY: MR. O'LEARY SECONDED BY: MR. MAUCERI VOTED: 3-0 (UNANIMOUS) (MR. SCHULTZ AND MR. PRISCO ABSENT).” (Motion: O'Leary, second: Mauceri)

Read it in the official minutes, page 6 (PDF)

“MADAME CHAIR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 20, 2018 EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES AS WRITTEN. MOTION BY: MR. O'LEARY SECONDED BY: MR. MAUCERI VOTED: 3-0 (UNANIMOUS) (MR. SCHULTZ AND MR. PRISCO ABSENT).” (Motion: O'Leary, second: Mauceri)

Read it in the official minutes, page 6 (PDF)