ERVING — The controversial school budget, more than $900,000 in capital requests and a winter parking ban are among 27 articles up for approval on this year’s Annual Town Meeting warrant.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, at Erving Elementary School.
Approval of Article 7 would appropriate $3.54 million to operate Erving Elementary School in fiscal year 2024.
With the Finance Committee and Selectboard unable to find an alternate route to a balanced budget, Erving Elementary is facing staffing cuts as its budget heads to the Annual Town Meeting floor. The School Committee voted to cut $200,000 from staff salaries and $30,000 in special education transportation funding following a March 21 public hearing, a decision prompted by the Selectboard’s request to trim $332,000 from the FY24 budget. The School Committee intends to use $65,000 in grants, as well as the potential for cheaper transportation, to make up the difference.
To help offset funding issues, townspeople and town officials have discussed the prospect of enacting a budget override that would permanently increase taxes for Erving residents. Proposition 2½ overrides, which allow a community to tax residents and businesses above the 2.5% yearly levy increase, must be approved by residents.
“At Town Meeting, there is going to be an amendment to fully fund the school, so we’re going to have to figure it out then, or maybe ahead of time and plan for that override,” Mark Burnett, a sixth grade teacher and staff spokesperson at Erving Elementary, told the Selectboard last month.
Approval of Article 14 would allocate $911,000 to fund six requests, including $500,000 in upgrades along Bridge Street and Maple Avenue.
According to the town’s FY24 capital improvement plan, the retaining wall along Bridge Street, as well as the adjacent pump station, is failing due to “large washouts.” Renovations will involve improving drainage along the street to prevent this issue from recurring. The project will require milling and paving of the road and the Capital Planning Committee determined that it would be cost-effective to mill and pave Maple Avenue at the same time.
The town appropriated $250,000 toward the project in FY23, with plans to draw funding from Chapter 90, according to the improvement plan. Recent opinions of probable cost are higher than the initial appropriation request, however, necessitating more funding in FY24. The majority of this year’s funding will be drawn from free cash.
Other appropriation requests under Article 14 include $150,000 toward Fire Department ventilation systems, $125,000 toward a plow truck and sander, $100,000 toward a security and access system at the Police Department’s door, $20,000 toward consulting services to inventory historical structures throughout the town, and $16,000 toward legal and engineering services to update subdivision rules and regulations.
Approval of Article 26 would establish an overnight winter parking ban to be enacted between Nov. 30 and April 1.
The bylaw would prohibit the parking of vehicles on any public way between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. “for the purpose of ensuring public safety,” according to the bylaw. It would also allow for a ban to be declared outside of this time period in the event of a snow emergency.
Those who violate the ban may be fined and/or have their vehicle towed.
Other warrant articles involve appropriating $1.48 million in secondary education funding, allocating $528,017 for Franklin County Technical School-related expenses, appropriating $75,000 for wastewater capital projects and establishing an opioid settlement stabilization fund.
The 27-article warrant can be viewed at bit.ly/3LLmRfw.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.