SHELBURNE — Townspeople will be asked to adopt a 3 percent general government budget increase and approve bylaws to protect town roads and rural neighborhoods from environmental impact by large-scale industrial siting projects such as the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.’s now-halted Northeast Energy Direct proposal.
The town meeting is scheduled for May 3 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall. However, town officials are hosting a pre-town-meeting forum at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Buckland Shelburne Elementary School. The forum is for town officials to explain town articles and answer residents’ questions.
The proposed town budget for the fiscal year that begins in July is $3,981,242 — roughly $150,000 above this year’s $3,831,940 spending plan.
But both the Selectboard and the Finance Committee are asking town meeting to reject the town’s $2,154,912 assessment request for the Mohawk Trail Regional School District. The assessment represents a $123,000 increase, of about 6 percent. The reasons for this recommendation will be discussed at the Wednesday forum.
Besides the budget requests, the town is asking voters to approve the following expenditures:
$35,000 for the Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund, to meet future town obligations for health insurance and other retiree benefits.
$52,000 to buy a new combination dump/sander body for the Highway Department, with $42,000 of it to come from “free cash” revenues.
$13,000 for legal and technical services related to the now-stalled Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project, with funding to come from “free cash.”
$7,000 from “free cash” to purchase a new electronic voting machine.
$26,858 to fund the Mohawk district’s capital budget.
$50,000 from the Stabilization Account to be used for ongoing renocations as Pratt Memorial Libraryt.
$6,000 toward the town’s 250th celebration in 2018.
Two bylaws drafted and proposed before the Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s Northeast Energy Direct was put on hold. They were designed to minimize the impact of heavy equipment, noise and traffic that might be created during the pipeline construction.
The Noise, Earth Removal and Related Disturbances Bylaw for Large Scale Industrial & Commercial Facilities would require extensive analysis of a large-scale commercial or industrial facility, including community and environmental impact analysis and the right of the town to hire a consultant at the applicant’s expense to conduct specified studies. Road-use and construction site analysis is also covered.
A complete copy of the draft bylaw is on the town website: townofshelburne.com
The “Local Road Preservation Bylaw,” also on the town website, spells out a procedure for making sure local town roads aren’t damaged by heavy construction equipment, and that users who damage roadways with heavy equipment are held responsible for paying for the damages.
Another bylaw, for Open Space Development, spells out an alternative residential land development option that would permit a “less sprawling” denser development if more open space is conserved, and if the development preserves the natural land contours, wetlands and habitat. This bylaw, which would be regulated by the Planning Board, is also available from the Town Clerk’s Office or on the town website.