Clarksburg Sets Special Town Meeting for Dec. 10
 The Finance Committee and Selectmen approved the warrant for next week's special town meeting. The warrant can be accessed here. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Voters will be asked to purchase a slice of land for $1 to install a new Gates Avenue Bridge.
The 35-by-522 foot easement on the north side of the current bridge will allow the town to avoid installing a temporary bridge that was estimated to cost $450,000.
The purchase requires a two-thirds vote.
Town Administrator Carl McKinney believed the town might have enough funds on hand to put in the pricey open-slip culvert being ordered by the state.
He estimated the cost at $270,000 to $280,000 at last week's joint meeting of the Selectmen and Finance Committee. The Chapter 90 account should have about $270,000 that can be used.
"We do have some money in our accounts now," he said, wondering if voters should be asked to authorize more just in case. "We can probably get by and do it at the town meeting in May or do the special town meeting to raise $10,000 toward Gates Avenue.
The Selectmen and committee members, however, thought it best to wait until the town had a bid in hand before asking for any money.
"We don't know it won't be $270,000," said Finance Committee member Mark Denault.
The purchase is one of 12 articles facing voters at the special town meeting next Wednesday, Dec. 10.
The warrant clears a number of delinquent bills and account transfers. Voters will be also asked to approve the trade-in of highway truck and hiring of a part-time worker for the Department of Public Works.
Many of the articles are repeats from a special town meeting in the September that had to be pulled when it was discovered the funds could not be accessed until the state certified them.
Since then, a process has been developed for all appropriate officials and departments to review articles.
Town Administrator Carl McKinney said the warrant had been checked off by the finance department and town clerk as well as DPW. The Finance Committee and Selectmen signed off on it last week.
The warrant includes two articles authorizing the transfer of funds from the Sewer Enterprise account: $17,851 to pay back the town for sewer repairs related to the East Road Bridge and $14,589.72 salaries for sewer related work (billing, maintenance, etc.) as allowed by law.
Four articles ask to raise and appropriate funds toward fiscal 2013 bills: $114 in gas inspector training reimbursement, $163.83 for the town report, $163.33 Memorial and Veterans Day flowers and $1,321.50 for water testing. All four require a nine-tenths vote.
Voters will be also asked to raise and appropriate $7,400 to pay for increased electrical costs for streetlights and to transfer $1,500 from the town administrator's salary account to the building inspector's.
The latter article was on the last special town meeting warrant but officials were unsure if it had passed. McKinney said he had checked with the town clerk who had documented its passage; Finance Committee member Lori Anne Aubin, however, was positive the article had been skipped. It was decided to revote the issue to be sure.
McKinney is recommending the hiring of a temporary DPW laborer this spring cost of $1,700 initially because of the expected demand on the highway foreman's time this coming year.
In addition to the Gates Avenue Bridge, West Cross Road is about to undergo a $920,000 reconstruction. The foreman has already been spending a quarter of his time every week dealing with paperwork for the projects, McKinney said, and will expected to be involved in the construction.
"We have a lot on our plate next year," he said, first suggesting the town hire a temporary full-time person. With about $1.2 million in construction planned, "$12,500 is a good investment to make sure it's done right."
Officials, however, questioned how much time would be actually be required and if full time would mean benefits.
"I want to hire what we need, not what we might need," Denault said.
After some discussion, it was decided to hire part-time worker at 19 hours and revisit the issue at the annual town meeting in May.
The meeting is Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Clarksburg School.
Tags: bridge project, special town meeting,
