3/19/2007 BOARD OF ASSESSORS Minutes

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TOWN OF M BOARD OF ASSESSORS i Minutes of the Meeting of Monday,, March 19, 2007 - Board Members Present: Also Present: Paul Andrews, Chairman .Jason Streebel, Director of Assessing Sheldon Holzer, Vice Chairman Gregg,Fraser, Clergy y Vice Chairman Sheldon Holzer called the meeting to order at 6:33 PIIS. REVIEW of MINUTES The minutes from the BOA meeting geld on Thursday, 2/15/07 were unanimously approved b the Board. i I BOARD of ASSESSORS REPORTS 1. Paul Andrews, Chairman. Paul Andrews reported receipt of a letter from .dames Long, Director of the Council on Aging, in response to a letter from the Board re: suggested charges to the application requirements for the C Aisponsored Senior Tax Work off Program. In his letter, Mr. Long expressed his appreciation for the suggested changes, and stated that he wound be working together with Jason Streebel to institute the recommended improvements to the application. 2. Sheldon Holzer,Vice Chairman. Sheldon Holzer reported that he was scheduled to start Assessing 101-State of Massachusetts in New Bedford next Monday, March 26, 2007. } . Gregg Fraser, Cleric. No report. DIRECTOR of ASSESSING REPORT 1. Jason Streebel reported that with regard to the Ashees Path Senior Apartments Complex, the financiers are concerned about the taxes. Normally, for something to be tax exempt, It would have to be owned by a tax exempt entity, which the housing authority is, and the development i one built for tax exempt purposes. The problem here is that the builder is not tax exempt organization. The builder has a management agreement with the housing authority to.run It and has the option to buy it down the road, and in return for millions of dollars of investment, they are going to get a tax credit. lin a letter from Patrick Costello, Town Counsel, he stated that in his opinion, the senior housing property(Assessors Map 62, Block 244)would qualify for continued tax exempt status pursuant to the provisions of G.L.c.590, /5, second clause, and c.1 1 BA 6, under the circumstances recited for the development and operation of the sher's Path Senior Apartments Complex. . Assessing office Contracts. Assessing contracts are now signed off by Joyce Mason, per the new Town Charter. Four recent contracts have been signed. . Form of Lists Mailing Responses. Jason Streebel reported that of the 3500 Form of Lists letters mailed out, 1151 have been returned, 877of those with very usable data, and 274 with unusable data. This is a 13 percentage rate of return which Jason Streebel felt was very good. OLD BUSINESS BOA Stipend. Jason Streebel distributed a revised copy of the Article prepared for presentation at Town h eating in May, which recommends restoration of the stipend for members of the BOA. 1