By Beth David, Editor
Acushnet voters will decide on 47 articles on the annual Town Meeting warrant totaling $32,721,908 on Monday, 5/14. FY19 expenditures include $29,172,995 for the operating budget, up from $28,224,714 for FY18.
Spending articles, that will be funded by a variety of sources, including enterprise accounts (accounts set aside for specific purposes, such as sewer, water and golf), Community Preservation Act funds, surplus revenues, fees from permits and licenses, etc. total about $3.5 million.
Article 11 asks to appropriate $329,000 for capital expenses for police and fire, including radio replacements, defibrillators and other equipment; and to take $80,000 from EMS receipts to reimburse the stabilization fund for costs associated with buying and repairing Ladder 1 that the fire department recently acquired.
Article 19 requests $342,500 from water and sewer funds for a 10-ton truck for the highway department ($230,000), a mini-excavator for the water department ($52,500), and a remote meter read system for the water department ($60,000).
Article 20 asks for $25,000 for repair or replacement of the septic system at the library.
Article 21 requests $284,00 for the School Department for a variety of repairs, including renovation to the boys bathroom at the elementary school, roof maintenance, playground improvements, security cameras, and repairs to the driveway at the schools.
Article 24 asks for $50,000 for a site plan review related to the proposal by PJ Keating to move its asphalt plant closer to South Main Street.
Article 25 asks for $125,000 for repairs and improvements to the senior center building, including ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant showers and a full-building generator. If approved, the building can be upgraded from a “warming center” to an emergency shelter during storms.
Other spending article requests include: allocating $172,500 in Community Presevation funds according to state requirements.
CPA fund requests include $35,000 to the Buzzards Bay Coalition to acquire the Tripp’s Mill Brook Headwaters property in article 32. That article also asks for $35,000 in other funds for the same property. A grant will reimburse $35,000 for that project.
CPA funds are also requested from the affordable housing balance ($138,000) to upgrade the fire alarm system at Presidential Estates, a Housing Authority property, and $40,000 for siding at the same complex; $14,500 from CPA historic preservation funds for the Long Plain Museum; $50,000 in CPA funds for the Parting Ways Building; $10,000 for the roof of the utililty building at Pope Park; $6,500 for an ADA compliant ramp at the Quaker Meeting House; $50,000 for the fields at the schools.
Article 27 asks TM to raise the elderly deferment from property taxes to $50,000/year from $40,000. The exemption defers payment until the property is sold, it does not exempt payment.
Town Meeting will also be asked to vote on a variety of non-spending articles including the makeup of the Soil Board; bylaws changes; zoning bylaws; transferring the former Russell Memorial Library building on Main Street to the Acushnet Housing Authority for veterans housing.
TM will also be asked to vote on prohibiting the existence of recreational marijuana establishments in Acushnet.
One article that seems destined to genreate some discussion is Article 32, which requests $35,000 in CPA funds to be given to the Buzzards Bay Coalition to acquire the Tripps Mill Brook Headwaters property. The selectboard was not unanimous in its vote on the article, with board member Kevin Gaspar voting against it. The controversy arises from the BBC’s intent to exempt six acres from the conservation restriction to create buildable lots that can be sold to generate income for the BBC to help it buy the property. Mr. Gaspar told the Neighb News (see 4/1918 issue) that he intended to speak against the proposal at Town Meeting because he felt the BBC was not honest in its presentation to the board. The town had the right of first refusal to buy the property because it had been in Chapter 61A, which grants agricultural use tax breaks. The town signed over its 61A rights to the BBC with the understanding that the property would be saved as open space and open to the public for passive recreation such as hiking.
•••
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Y6V5ARRYH689G
Click here to download the entire 5/10/18 issue: 05-10-18 CherryBlossom
