Reading, MA — During his liaison report at the Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Select Board member Mark Dockser announced, to the surprise of several of his colleagues, that he will not seek reelection to the board in the municipal election on April 8, 2025.
Dockser, who was first elected to the board in 2019 after having served on the Finance Committee, stated, “I’ve enjoyed my time serving the community on the board over the last six years. I plan to stay very active in town through Town Meeting if I get reelected and in some new roles going forward. I hope to shepherd the Center for Active Living project with the community in the coming months and remain actively involved in the Reading community that my wife Linda and I love so much.”
He continued, “Thanks, Reading, for allowing me to serve you and work with balance to move the community forward. I hope that this board and future boards will work to reestablish some of this balance and make Reading an even more welcoming community that prioritizes its citizens and their needs, respects its volunteers, and serves our growing age 60-plus populations as well as our students and families. You all will continue to be hearing from me.”
Other members of the board expressed surprise at the announcement while offering their well wishes, thanking Dockser for his long service to the town. Though not seeking reelection, Dockser will remain on the board until the April Town election.
Town Manager Contract
After an executive session, the board voted 5-0 to extend Town Manager Matt Kraunelis’s contract with the town to June 30, 2026. Chair Carlo Bacci shared that the entire board was in agreement over the contract. “Matt has responded positively to our feedback,” Bacci stated. “We want Matt to stay as long as he wants to stay.” Member Chris Haley followed, “I am really looking forward to working with [Matt] in the future.”
Trash Cart Rollout
Assistant Director of Public Works (DPW) Michael Kessman provided a presentation regarding the rollout of the new trash and recycling receptacles in town. He shared that the order for the carts has been placed and that residents are now able to request smaller or additional trash carts. The cost of the carts to the town is $879,022, slightly less than the $900,000 provided by Town Meeting for the project. The carts will allow for automated trash pick up which should help with negotiations for a new trash and recycling contract.
Kessman continued, reporting that carts will begin arriving during the first week of April. They will be assembled and then distributed to homes over a two—to three-week timeframe. The staging area for the assembly and distribution will be the gravel parking lot behind the Burbank Ice Arena. Once new barrels have been delivered, residents may begin using them immediately.
RUBBISH-AND-RECYCLING-CART-PROGRAM-UPDATEKessman also shared that residents wishing to dispose of the old barrels can take advantage of a special curbside collection on Saturdays in June, bring them to a rollout dumpster at the DPW garage, or use the annual recycling event this summer. He did note that residents are encouraged to find alternate uses for their old barrels instead of just disposing of them.
After a question from Bacci, DPW Director Chris Cole shared that letters have been sent to households that already have an installed second water meter regarding the Select Board’s vote to reignite the program. These residents have until February 24 to respond before the program will be open to anyone in the community.
Downtown Parking/ Kiosk update
Deputy Police Chief Christine Amendola provided some statistics to help guide the board in its discussion of the parking kiosk program at the two downtown municipal parking lots. The board suspended the program in November after local businesses raised concerns.
Amendola reported that there has been a steady increase in parking citations issued downtown over the past couple of years. This increase is paired with the increase in allowed parking time from two to four hours in the lots. She also noted that in the last ten years, there have been 205 new residential units in the downtown area, along with an additional 44,500 square feet of retail space, while no new municipal parking has been added. There have already been 60 downtown parking citations issued in 2025, which is on pace for a 40% to 50% increase in citations issued over 2024.
Parking-Enforcement-Data-2016-2018-2022-CurrenAmendola reported that 250 employee parking passes are available, but only 150 have been sold thus far. She also noted the number of parking spaces in the depot parking lot that go unused during the day.
“We have plenty of parking. It’s just not where some people want to park,” Amendola concluded.
In preparation for an upcoming discussion on the issue, Haley asked Kraunelis to determine how much the town could potentially recover from the resale of the kiosks that have already been purchased if the board chooses not to renew the program. The board plans to discuss and potentially vote on the issue on February 4.
Kraunelis led a brief discussion regarding potential uses for the current Pleasant Street Center if the town chooses to move forward with a new Center for Active Living (ReCAL) project. He shared that the building has a finished area of 4,320 square feet and is assessed at $869,000, though no commercial assessment has been done at this point. Select Board member Karen Herrick suggested that a commercial assessment of the property would be significantly higher.
Future of the Pleasant Street Center
The Pleasant Street Center is located in a multi-family A40 home with a lot size of 22,512 square feet, considerably smaller than the 40,000 square feet required by zoning. It is listed on the Massachusetts Registry of Historic Buildings.
Kraubelis outlined four possible broad areas of use for the space, including use by the town for office and meeting space, lease to a local nonprofit, sale of the property, or it could be gifted to the Reading Housing Authority, which could develop three or four apartments in the building. He cited examples from other communities that have used similar buildings as arts and performance spaces or in partnership with nonprofits such as local ARCS that create cafes and other employment opportunities.
The-Potential-of-the-Pleasant-Street-CentersmHaley suggested that the building needs to provide some form of revenue to the town to help offset the costs of the potential ReCAL project. Member Melissa Murphy added that she would not wish to lose the building as a town asset. Bacci noted that the town later regretted the sale of property in the past. Dockser encouraged a broad municipal use that could include town office space on upper levels while providing space for a non-profit such as RCTV, which currently is in “space limbo.”
MBTA Turnback Track
After several residents spoke during public comment regarding MBTA expansion plans, Bacci shared that MBTA officials will meet to hear resident concerns at the next Select Board meeting on February 4. He shared that he expects the MBTA to be forthcoming about why it wants to construct a new 4,500-foot-long spur north of the depot in Reading. “I hope the MBTA has good reasons, and they are not just jamming this down our throats,” Bacci added.
Kraunelis shared that the Conservation Commission could vote on the project as soon as February 12. He added that in a meeting between himself, the town’s legislative delegation, and MBTA officials, the MBTA admitted that it had not performed as much public outreach on the project as it should have and is seeking to correct that oversight. Haley and Herrick expressed concern over the extended time diesel engines could be idling in the area, with Herrick noting that the Board of Health would be responsible for enforcing idling standards.
Herrick also said that the MBTA was unaware that an environmental justice designation protected the area around Frank Tanner Drive. This designation is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment.
The Select Board adjourned at 10:20 pm.
