By Beth David, Editor
Fairhaven Town Meeting members will vote on 50 articles between the Annual TM and the Special TM, and more than $51 million in spending at TM on Saturday, 5/4.
In addition to the usual budget articles, road work, and annual articles that need to be renewed, TM will decide on several bylaw changes and salary changes for town employees and elected officials.
If article 12 passes as written, the Selectboard stipend will go up to $7500/year each, from $5572/year; the Town Clerk will start receiving $61,775 up from $56,775; and Board of Health members will receive $1938, up from $1436.
Other spending articles include the capital budget at $1.74 million and Community Preservation spending at $472,380.
The larger capital items include $265,000 for two way radio upgrade for the Fire Department; $250,000 for improvements to Union Wharf; $206,000 for lighting in the Fairhaven High School Performing Arts Center; $183,000 for a six-wheel dump truck with plow; $179,000 for dredging; $160,000 for a forestry bucket truck; $110,000 for the police department for traffic monitoring cameras; and money for the dog park, vehicles for public works and police departments; and fire alarm system upgrade.
The Community Preservation Committee is looking to appropriate $118,730 for the Millicent Library interior restoration project; $75,000 for the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House carriage house restoration project; $60,000 for porch and rails replacement at Anthony Haven; $55,000 for window restoration at the high school; $45,000 for the Fairhaven Tennis Association’s Livesey Park project; $16,000 for town hall terra cotta restoration; $12,000 for Riverside and Nasketucket cemeteries monument restoration project; and funds for the Academy Building, Washington Street firehouse, Fire Station #3 roof.
Bound to get significant discussion is article 9 of the STM, which amends the Town Administrator Act, to clarify separation of authority from the TA and the Board of Public Works. The BPW has had numerous discussions at their board meeting and with the Selectboard about conflicting language and who is responsible for setting salaries for BPW employees. There will most likely be changes made from the floor to the published article.
Other bylaw changes include an amendment to the wetlands by-law, adding restrictions within 100 feet of the buffer zone; an amendment to zoning bylaws to require a special permit for historic site reuse; adoption of a storm water management bylaw; and a new bylaw requiring that all meetings of all town boards, commissions and committees be recorded and broadcast over the local cable TV network, but it does not specify that the meetings must be available on demand online .
Town Meeting warrants are available at Town Hall, or online at https://www.fairhaven-ma.gov/board-selectmen/pages/town-meeting-warrant-archives
The warrant with Finance Committee report includes the figures and is available at https://www.fairhaven-ma.gov/sites/fairhavenma/files/pages/townoffairhaven_finance2019.pdf
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