By Beth David, Editor
Fairhaven Town Meeting will be presented with a balanced budget on Saturday, 5/4/24, though the process has been painful to close a $2.2 million shortfall. The town worked hard to close the gap through a variety of cuts and increased fees, although not without controversy. At the urging of town hall, the Board of Public Works instituted a trash fee of $100/year, to be billed quarterly. It will raise about $700,000.
The BPW also reduced staff by not filling some vacant positions; and some town departments will be sharing administrative staff.
According to the Finance Committee’s letter to TM Members, the School Department, “was able to secure funds to close the remaining $447,000 deficit.”
Police, Fire and Highway Departments all saw a reduction in overtime funds.
FinCom also notes that the town has the smallest general fund capital budget of the last seven years and “includes the smallest expenditure on roads in memory.”
“With expenditures still outpacing revenue, our financial situation will need to be closely monitored,” writes the FinCom. “It is possible there will be more difficult choices down the road.”
The General Fund Operating Budget includes a side-by-side list of last year’s actual budgeted amounts and this year’s proposed FY 2025 amounts for departments adding up to a $60.1+ million operating budget. The School Department’s FY 2025 budget is $24,702,183, up from $23,53,641 last year; plus $2,626,000 for New Bedford Voc-Tech; and $310,100 for Bristol County Agricultural High School; for a grand total of $27,638,283 for education.
The Public Safety budget, which includes Police/Animal Control, Fire/ EMS, Building Department, Marine Resources, and Weights & Measures is $9,929,993, an overall increase of $423,715. This reflects an increase in the salary and wages line item of $532,080 and a decrease in the operating expenses of $108,365, from last year.
The BPW administration (office) took a hit in salaries and wages, presumably not filling some vacant positions. Last year’s salaries and wages line item was $223,502, this years is $86,615, a $136,887 reduction. Highway, Parks, and Tree departments all saw increases in the salaries line item.
Overall, the BPW budget is $4,379,011 for FY 2025, up from $4,305,068 in FY 2024, an increase of $73,943.
Community Services, which includes the Council on Aging, Veterans Services, Millicent Library, Recreation Department, Tourism, and some smaller boards, had an overall reduction, totalling $2,129,289 for FY 2025, down from $2,265,793 for a difference of $235,504.
The COA salary line item took the biggest hit there, going from $189,296 last year to $153,873 this year, a difference of $25,423. Veterans Services also saw a reduction in salaries, going from $98,592 in FY 2024 to $92,433, a difference of $7,159.
The total for all departments is $60,196,998, up from $58,355,901 last year for a difference of $1,841,097.
The town’s revenue comes from three main sources: property taxes, state aid, and local receipts.
Property taxes are estimated at $35,117,531. Local receipts come from excise taxes and fees, such as building permits, licenses, etc. The budget includes $9,869,098 from local receipts, which is about 92% of the expected revenue.
The state has not finalized state aid to municipalities yet, so the town has estimated aid at $13,262,920 based on a variety of sources, including the house budget and the governor’s budget. In any case, about $9.7 million of it is Chapter 70 funds, which have to go to the school department; and about $2.7 million is unrestricted funds.
Town meeting will be asked to authorize the BPW to use Chapter 90 funds, which are from the state for road work, but a dollar figure is not in the article.
In addition to the operating budget, Town Meeting will be asked to vote on a number of other spending articles, including appropriating funds from the various enterprise funds, such as sewer and water. That money comes from fees and is restricted for use in those departments, e.g., sewer fees go into the sewer enterprise fund and are used to fund the sewer department.
This year, the water enterprise fund will use $3,765,381 for the water operating budget; the sewer enterprise fund will use $4,784,497; $240,144 for the Town Cable TV; $156,903 for the School Department Cable TV.
Additional spending articles include $1,328,206 in free cash for capital equipment in a variety of departments, including $300,000 for a tub grinder for the recycling center, $400,000 for vehicles in the BPW department, and $125,000 for road work; $185,000 for gear equipment and $69,900 for a bucket truck for the fire department; $140,306 for police department cruiser replacement.
Other free cash expenditures include $300,000 in retirement payouts for next year, with the town expecting a lot retirements across town departments; a grant writing consultant ($60,000); zoning bylaw consultant ($25,000); maintenance/repairs to town facilities ($50,000), and the Recreation/Senior Center building ($17,780).
The BPW will ask town meeting to borrow $1,000,000 for maintenance of the Sconticut Neck Road water tower.
Capital projects for the sewer department include $250,000 for an inflow and infiltration study, $500,000 to replace the South Street Pump Station; $75,000 for a pump.
Article 11 asks to borrow $20,645,527 for a town-wide Fiber Optic Internet System, petitioned by the Broadband Study Committee. The Select Board has recommended passing over the article. The FinCom has not made a recommendation, saying in its letter that it expected the article to be modified, and they would make a recommendation at TM.
Article 12 seeks approval to appropriate $1,182,800 in Community Preservation funds for 13 projects, including repairs to Fairhaven High School ($92,700 for boiler room roof), Millicent Library ($385,700 for electrical upgrades), Town Hall ($150K for east retaining wall), Anthony Haven ($100,000 window replacement). The expenditures also include $277,000 for the Macomber Park BMX track; $110,000 for the town to purchase a Conservation Restriction on the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Carvalho Woods ($80K), and to create public access enhancements ($30K).
Town Meeting will also be asked to change the time period for assessing new construction. This one time change will allow the town to reap the benefits of an extra six months of new growth for this budget cycle. After this year, assessments will go from June to June, instead of January to January.
Article 17 asks TM to increase most Fire Department fees.
Article 18 makes changes to Chapters 87, 206, and 405 of the bylaws regarding “Animals.” The article includes 14 pages of changes, including the addition of a lot of definitions and changes to enforcement. The article was petitioned by the police department and animal control officer.
The Planning Board has recommended a number of changes to the bylaws in Articles 19, 20, 21, and 22.
Article 19 makes extensive changes to the stormwater management bylaw, deleting large portions and adding large portions.
Article 20 makes zoning changes, including language to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), commonly known as in-law apartments. (See 4/25/24 issue for related op-ed, “The Unfinished Bylaw: Accessory Dwelling Units.) The change would make ADUs by right instead of requiring a special permit.
Article 20 also recommends changes to Chapters 198, 65, 306, 316, and 322. The zoning changes require a 2/3 vote, but the state has carved out an exception for ADUs, allowing for a simple majority.
The article proposes extensive changes in a variety of areas, including adding uses, such as health and dental offices, shipping containers, storage units; and changes to tattoo parlors, and artist studios; makes private docks by-right in all zones.
The same article (20) also makes changes to the fence bylaw; solar farm bylaw; adds a section, 198-33, that defines six uses, including shipping container.
Article 20 also changes the eight-member Planning Board’s election cycle from two members every four years, to two members every three years, which would allow for half the board to be replaced every three years.
The article also removes all language requiring applicants to pay fees at the time of application. The whole section, 306-1 is crossed out with no language replacing it.
Article 21 creates a Flow Neutral bylaw, which will regulate connection to the town’s sewerage system. The article was petitioned by the BPW.
Article 22 amends, Chapter 76: Tree Warden, striking some language and adding other language pertaining to the tree warden’s qualifications.
Article 22B would create a new bylaw, Chapter 88 regulating public shade trees. It is petitioned by the BPW, Conservation and Sustainability, Planning and Tree Warden.
Three Citizens Petitions are also on the warrant.
Article 23 asks for a street light on a pole at Bass Creek Road on West Island.
Article 24 asks TM to allow Southcoast Pickleball to seek a restaurant/all alcohol license from the state.
Article 25 asks TM to rescind its vote from last year banning nips in liquor stores, and asks that it be put to a town-wide vote.
Town Meeting documents are available on the town website under the Town Moderator’s page: https://www.fairhaven-ma.gov/town-moderator/pages/annual-town-meeting-information
The town code (bylaws) is available at https://ecode360.com/39115533
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Click here to download the 05-02-24 issue: 05-02-24 JrTreeWardens
Click here to download Patrick Carr’s response letter: CarrResponseSeaspray
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