GILL — Residents at the annual town meeting on Monday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall, will vote on a $3.32 million budget, vote on taking over an abandoned cemetery and consider moving forward with a proposal to install a solar field.
The budget would increase the tax rate on the average assessed home of $192,000 from $16.95 to $17.04, according to Town Administrator Ray Purington.
Voters will decide on the proposal to install a roughly 10-acre solar field on land owned by the Northfield Mount Hermon School. A solar company, Borrego Solar Systems Inc., will construct and operate the plant, said Purington.
The project already has the necessary permits from the Zoning Board of Appeals and the next step is getting town meeting approval to negotiate the agreement, Purington said.
The town is also voting to authorize the Selectboard to take over the 4.4-acre cemetery on Main and Mountain roads and all other assets of Riverside Cemetery Association. The association disbanded on Wednesday night, agreeing to abandon the property.
The association, a nonprofit that relies heavily on volunteer work, will continue to function and continue to bury people, until the town of Gill accepts the property, said Robert Perry, the association president.
Perry said that since the town is running out of space in town-owned cemeteries, the transaction would be a win for everyone involved.
The town Cemetery Commission, composed of three elected officials, would then be responsible for the upkeep of the property, said Purington.
There would be no impact on the taxpayers the first year because the association is prepaying the caretaking expenses. The association is also going to be transferring over its funds.
In future years, taxpayers could expect to see a $3 to $5 per year increase for the average tax bill, said Purington.
Voters will also decide on setting aside $3,600 for general operations at the recreation commission, which typically provides sports for youth, including fall soccer, winter basketball, spring lacrosse, spring baseball softball.
The town will also vote to pay off a $10,218 bond for replacing a boiler at Gill Elementary School, using the savings that was generated from the project.
The town will vote to authorize the Selectboard to work with the Gill-Montague Regional School District to explore potential building repairs at Gill Elementary School, including installing a new roof.
Parts of the roof are about 30 years old and reaching the end of their working life. “This is a way for the Selectboard to inform voters that there are things that need to be done,” said Purington. He said that the town did an assessment in 2012 of the roof and found that it was due for repair or replacement within five years.
Gill is also proposing to set aside $8,963 for the Gill-Montague School District, a 0.6 percent increase for the town.
Other potential future capital expenses that will be discussed at the meeting, include purchasing a police cruiser to replace a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria and a new backhoe for the highway department.
According to Purington, the amount of money that the town spends every year to rent a backhoe could be used to put down payments on a new backhoe.
The administrator anticipated that these items will be passed over and the town will return to discuss them at a later special town meeting.