ERVING — Budget approvals, spending limits, and wastewater system inspections are among the 19 articles being voted on at Erving’s Annual Town Meeting.
Those qualified to vote at the town meeting will meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Erving Elementary School.
Erving’s proposed general operating budget for Fiscal Year 2019 is $4,050,632. This total includes amounts “for municipal purposes” relating to the categories of general government, public safety, public works, health and human services, culture and recreation and benefits.
Last year’s general operating budget was $3,751,319 — putting this year’s proposed budget at a nearly 8 percent increase. However, budget comparisons may not be exactly 1:1 as parts of the budget have been reorganized this year.
The town will also vote on $120,022.48 for the salaries of elected officials — an approximate 3.8 percent increase — and $391,000 for the purpose of “continuing annual appropriations” for various purposes including financial audit expenses, restoring permanent records, town building maintenance and streetlight repair.
Proposed capital improvements for FY19 include $155,000 toward roadwork and sidewalk repair, $28,000 for a Ford utility van, $45,000 for a police cruise, and $48,000 for Veterans Park Tennis Courts. Overall, the Capital Improvements grand total to be voted on at the meeting is $351,000.
Town meeting members will vote whether to appropriate $3,076,426 for Erving Elementary, $1,358,701 for “secondary education and expenses, and $544,254 for the town’s share of Franklin County Technical School’s funding.
The elementary school’s budget is roughly 4.4 percent up from last year and the secondary education budget is approximately a 1.7 percent increase. However, Erving’s share of Franklin County Technical School’s budget is about 8.8 percent down from last year’s share.
The proposed Water Department Enterprise Fund to be voted on is $92,481 and the proposed Wastewater Enterprise Fund is $746,817 — up about 4 percent from last year.
Also, the town will vote whether to appropriate $1,570,000 to build a replacement wastewater forced main line from the Arch Street pump station to Publicly Owned Treatment Works No. 2. Furthermore, the town will vote whether to appropriate $131,000 from the Wastewater Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings for “inspection, evaluation and associated work costs with the double barrel siphon that conveys wastewater to Publicly Owned Treatment Works No. 1.”
According to the town warrant, the siphon that brings wastewater from the end of Pratt Street to the treatment works is nearly 50 years old and has not been cleaned or inspected since it was installed. Additionally, the 6-inch force main from the Arch Street Sewer Pump Station to the second treatment works is also nearly 50 years old and has failed several times within the past years.
The warrant also claims that if this main is replaced, it “should not regularly burden the operating budget.”
Voting to appropriate $66,000 from the Water Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings to install pH monitoring equipment at the Ervingside Well House.
Voting to close the Stabilization Fund account and transfer it to the General Stabilization account.
Voting to establish a Special Purpose Capital Improvement Stabilization account to “fund capital improvement projects.”
Vote to authorize the town to form an agreement with Mass Development regarding the funding and repayment of hazardous materials cleanup for the land at 8 Papermill Road.
Vote to fix the maximum amount that can be spent during FY19 on Food Service and Facility Use at the Council on Aging. Both amounts will be limited to $10,000.
Reach Christie Wisniewski at:
cwisniewski@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 280