Acushnet faces 13 articles at STM - Fairhaven Neighborhood News

By Beth David, Editor

Acushnet will vote on 13 articles on the warrant of the Special Town Meeting on Monday, 10/17, including an article to correct an error going back at least 10 years. The meeting is at 7 p.m at Ford Middle School. Any Acushnet registered voter may attend and vote on article.

Acushnet has undergone some staff changes, especially in the finance area. According to the Finance Committee message on the warrant, the current Finance Department did a “stellar job identifying some past bookkeeping omissions/ errors and made the necessary corrections.”

The Selectboard’s message also addresses the issue, noting that the Town Administrator, Finance Department, and Treasurer/Collector’s office examined the town’s financial records and accounts.

“This team encountered accounting errors and financial omissions that, after discussion with and advice from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, needed to be rectified. The adjustments in this Article are what is needed to correct past errors. The new Finance team will continue to review the Town’s financial records to ensure that the mistakes of the past are corrected and are not carried forward.”

According to Town Administrator Jamie Kelley in a phone interview, the problem has been going on for at least 10 years. The School Department has had a line item for school choice in their budget. However, the state also allocated funds. So the school department got the funds from the state and from the tax levy.

Article 2 makes adjustments to a number of spending articles, including the School Department mistake. The article takes $136,788 from the school choice, but also adds to the school budget from other sources, to help make up the difference.

“It’s not a wash, but it’s close,” said Mr. Kelly.

“Unfortunately, the company which does our auditing did not identify these issues and notify our Finance Departments, past or present,” wrote the FinCom in its message. “Rest assured, the Finance Department in collaboration with our Town Administrator and Board of Selectmen will be implementing measures to ensure proper fiscal record keeping going forward.”

Article 2 also appropriates funds for a number of salary items. Mr. Kelly said the additional funds will increase salaries for two finance positions the town has been having trouble filling because the salaries are too low.

Article 2 also appropriates $40,000 for turnout gear for the Fire Department. The equipment is old and outdated, said Mr. Kelly.

The article also: adds $25,000 for fuel expenses due to high fuel costs; reduces the Veterans Office appropriation by $30,000 due to reduced case load.

The article also reduces sewer department expenses by $90,000 and water by $70,000 to reflect changes due to the pandemic. The latest consumption rates were estimated based on the time that people were home more due to COVID restrictions, causing a spike in usage.

Article 5 transfers $60,500 from the Sewer Enterprise Fund to complete Phase 4 of the infiltration and inflow investigation program, which detects leaks and looks for cross contamination with the stormwater system.

Article 7 appropriates $80,000 from a variety of sources to supplement a $250,000 grant the town received for Fiber Optic connectivity. The grant will cover all external costs of running cables and wiring to town buildings. The article provides funding for costs inside the buildings.

The project will provide fiber optic connectivity to all town buildings, including the schools.

The Community Preservation Committee’s projects include four open space projects and four historic preservation projects. The article appropriates $4,570 for soccer fields irrigation; $30,000 for upgrades to Pope Park; $125,000 to resurface basketball courts/installation; $3,800 for patio roof repair at the Long Plain Museum; $23,100 for the LP Museum window repair; $9,720 for lP Museum fence installation; $14,192 for the floor in the Perry Hill Church.

An item in the CPC article from the Buzzards Bay Coalition asking for $85,000 to purchase a piece of land for preservation, under the open space provision, was not recommended. Mr. Kelly said Mattapoisett also has to vote on it because the parcel extends to both towns. He said the town can revisit the proposal in the annual town meeting next year.

The warrant also includes two zoning articles.

Article 12 regulates large-scale ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installations of 200kw or greater. The new bylaw requires at least three acres of land, increases setbacks, and requires replanting of trees with a trunk wider than 12 inches.

The town placed a moratorium on solar farms at the annual spring TM this year, to give the town time to create regulations around installation of the facilities.

The bylaw requires a setback of 150 feet from property lines.

Before the moratorium, the solar facilities fell under a general section of the bylaws, “which has proven inadequate in addressing public health, safety and maintaining the rural characteristics of the community,” reads the explanation in the warrant. “The purpose of the new by-law is to provide clear and comprehensive regulations for the placement, design, construction, operation, monitoring, modification, and removal of such installations to promote and address public safety and minimize the impacts on scenic, natural and historic resources, and promote public health and welfare.”

Another bylaw would change zoning around Bradford Street from Residential A to Residential Village. The article affects two lots. It would create greater conformity in the Village district, and allow for four houses to be built, instead of two.