By DIANE BRONCACCIO
Recorder Staff
ASHFIELD — Voters will consider a new zoning proposal for senior citizens’ housing, lowering the local voting age in Ashfield to 16, and Mohawk Trail Regional agreement changes that would enable Heath to close its elementary school and Rowe to join Mohawk as a high school member town.
The annual town meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, in Town Hall auditorium.
This year’s warrant seeks $2.8 million for education spending and $100,000 for broadband development capital costs.
There is also a debt-exclusion request to allow the town to borrow up to $100,000, in case it’s needed to be spent for landfill closure, to meet the town’s consent agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection.
According to Finance Committee Chairman Ted Murray, town officials are awaiting an engineering study to determine the cost, and the town may not need to borrow the full amount. Also, because any borrowing wouldn’t take place until fiscal year 2018, repayment wouldn’t start until fiscal year 2019. Murray said about $75,000 is to come off the town’s debt exclusion payment in 2019, so the effect on the tax rate might be very minimal.
Town cost estimates for the coming budget year are: $412,384 for general government; $207,894 for public safety; $600,000 for public works; $53,393 for health and human services; $77,972 for culture and recreation; $169,594 for debt; $54,410 for intergovernmental assessments; $176,578 for employee benefits and health care; $89,957 for ambulance; $70,925 for capital expenditures.
Other requested costs are: $15,000 for a Senior Center capital fund account; $25,000 for a new Town Hall repairs and maintenance account.
The senior citizens housing proposal, for people 55 and older, would allow individual development on a single lot, with up to six one- and two-bedroom homes. About 30 percent of each lot would remain as open space, exclusive of buildings, driveways and parking.
A petition article on the warrant is “A Resolution Related to the Risks of Climate Change,” calling upon the state and federal government to implement a fee on carbon-based fuels and distributing the proceeds to all households.
Another petition article asks to allow residents who are at least 16 years old to register to vote in town elections, town meetings and town caucus, sign all nomination papers, and other petitions authorized by town bylaws. However, those wishing to serve in elected positions would have to be at least 18 years old.