CHARLEMONT — For the second, four-hour night of this year’s annual town meeting, about 90 residents got through 13 more warrant articles — leaving seven articles left to be taken up on a third night of annual town meeting.
It’s scheduled for Wednesday, June 8, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Hawlemont Regional School.
Most of the night was spent deliberating a $376,150 debt-exclusion article that would raise money above the tax levy limit to replace unsafe, worn-out vehicles for the police, fire and highway departments, and buy new fire hose, Scott Air packs and bottles for firefighters.
In the end, voters approved the debt-exclusion override by a paper ballot vote of 58 – 15. However, the provision also requires a “yes” vote at the ballot box before the town can temporarily raise taxes above the town’s 2½-percent levy limit. Although the debt exclusion wouldn’t affect taxpayers until 2018, it would add $1.51 to the tax rate for the roughly three years of the loan, according to the Finance Committee.
Some residents were uneasy about spending money for vehicles when the town’s closed bridges were not on the town’s warrant. Selectman Sarah Reynolds explained that some of the bridges needing repair may qualify for grants, and that the town would not be asked for money until grants and other revenue sources are pursued.
When asked why the town couldn’t replace its 2000 Mack with a used truck, instead of a $170,000 new truck with snow plow equipment, Highway Superintendent Gordon Hathaway replied, “You just can’t run junk anymore. You’ve got to be ready and good to go at 2 or 4 a.m. in the morning. You’re carrying seven to eight cubic yards of sand. You’re running up hills, and it takes three hours to make a (snow-plowing) round. … And everybody wants to be first.”
Fire Chief Douglas Annear said 1,000 feet of the town’s fire hose had to be taken out of service and two of its ladders were taken out of service after an inspection. He said the Scott Air Packs were obtained at the same time with grant money, which is why they are all failing at the same time. He said hoses purchased before 1987 are not permitted to be used, unless they are now inspected yearly and pass inspection.
Annear said his greatest concern is being responsible for firefighters who may be responding to emergencies with inadequate equipment. He said it’s not just a matter of safety for the responders, but also for those who call police or fire for help.
Besides approving all three Mohawk Trail Regional School District’s regional agreement amendments, voters also OK’d spending $54,000 as the town’s 25-percent share for design, engineering and construction of the Mountain Road bridge that was damaged in Tropical Storm Irene five years ago. FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is to pay the remaining 75 percent of repairs.
After being told the town had no choice but to pay tuition for its vocational students, voters agreed to take $84,096 from the town’s “free cash” account to cover unanticipated Franklin County Technical School students who attended school this fiscal year. Town officials said they would look into whether joining the Tech School district would be financially better for the town, and that they will work with the school on getting better communication about anticipated Charlemont students.
Residents also spent $6,000 to repair, insulate and replace windows in the fire and ambulance station and $14,000 on Hawlemont pre-kindergarten programs, to attract young families to enroll their children at Hawlemont for their full elementary school years.
Some of the items to be purchased through the debt exclusion were priorities last year, but were postponed because of other town needs. The town tax rate rose from $17.09 per $1,000 valuation in 2015 to $19.60 this current year. If all of this year’s expenditures are approved, the town will see an 8 percent tax increase of about $291 for the average tax bill. The town government budget was essentially level-funded, but school costs — especially due to increased vocational education costs — grew by $159,216, a 9-percent increase.
On Wednesday, town meeting voters will consider whether to levy a 3-percent recreation tax — the first to be levied in Massachusetts — as a way to generate revenue for the town’s volunteer ambulance service, which is needed both for town residents and for customers of the ski resort, zip line and whitewater rafting companies in town. The tax would be added to the fees commercial outdoor recreation companies in town charge their patrons and would be deposited quarterly in the town’s general fund.
Another new revenue source could be a 0.75 percent meals tax, to come from restaurants and eateries in town.
Also, voters will be asked to approve zoning bylaw changes for its village district, to change the date of the annual town election, and to approve a capital planning bylaw. The purpose of the capital planning bylaw is to establish a plan for scheduled inspections, repairs and replacement of the town’s capital assets, to avoid spikes in capital costs, as the town is seeing this year.