Lanesborough Sets 2015 Town Meeting Warrant

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The Board of Selectmen finalized the warrant on Tuesday.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town meeting will be voting on 27 articles on Tuesday, June 9.
 
The largest article is for the proposed $10.4 million budget, which is about $360,0000 more than last year.
 
The majority of that budget is for education, with the Finance Committee recommending spending $6.4 million on the three schools the town's students attend — Mount Greylock Regional, McCann Technical and Lanesborough Elementary.
 
Mount Greylock assessment is proposed to see an increase of a $102,870 over this year for a total of $2,726.051. The elementary school budget and the McCann assessment have both decreased.
 
The Mount Greylock figure will come with a split recommendation because the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen approved different numbers. The Selectmen refused to support a last-minute increase of $15,896 (because of a decrease in another area that request is closer to $11,000) for middle school meetings and a late bus. The Finance Committee, however, is supporting the full request.
 
McCann's assessment is decreasing by $36,177 and the elementary school budget was cut by $182,000. The large cuts came after eliminating seven positions in the special education department. 
 
However, that dramatic decrease is somewhat offset by the Selectmen agreeing to put an additional $25,000 in the town's reserves for the school. Originally, Town Administrator Paul Sieloff wanted to create a new line item for that but instead legal counsel suggested just adding that total to the town's reserves. Town officials are proposing a total of $65,000 in the reserve fund with $25,000 earmarked with the understanding that it is for the school.
 
On the capital side, there are a number of projects mostly eyed to come from the free cash account and borrowing. The town has a little over $300,000 in free cash from previous years that has been certified by the state and nearly all of that is eyed for capital projects.
 
Borrowing is planned for some of the larger projects including $150,000 to complete the waterline project to Ore Bed Road. 
 
The town is currently constructing a new line up the road. The project comes years after poisonous chemicals were found in a resident's well and suspected to be from the landfill. The town has been required for a number of years to do routine testing of the water in homes and around the landfill. 
 
Two years ago, the state Department of Environmental Protection found a new chemical and required unanticipated testing that drained the reserve account. The town then embarked on the waterline project to alleviate future unanticipated expenses and reduced the amount of routine testing. Town meeting approved last year $199,000 for the project but it became more costly. The town is now asking for the authority to borrow $150,000 to finish it.
 
"[Article 8] allows us to complete the project and transfer the water line to the Water Department," Sieloff said of an accompanying article with legal language giving the town authority to transfer ownership.
 
Another large borrowing is for a new fire truck. Last year the town put aside $100,000 toward a new truck that is costing $480,000. This year, the town is asking for $100,000 more, the authority to use $50,000 from the Baker Hill Road District and then borrowing the remaining $230,000. The town is hoping not to have to borrow because the Fire Department has applied for a grant but it isn't known if the town will receive it.
 
"We're still hopeful that we will get the grant," Sieloff said.
 
The free cash articles include transferring $20,000 to the other post-employment benefits (OPEB) trust fund. The trust fund is created to start saving for the future benefit obligations of retirees. Currently, as with many cities and towns, the benefits for a retiree is factored into the budget. In recent years, accounting professionals have suggested putting extra aside each year to pay for the retiree benefits the town will ultimately be paying the current employees.
 
Another article is to spend $20,000 for repairs to Town Hall. Another is $20,000 into the stabilization account. The town is asking for $10,000 to support projects the Energy Committee is working on to reduce energy costs — currently the group does not have a budget. The town is looking to spend $15,000 for road improvements around Pontoosuc Lake. 
 
Town meeting will also be asked to decide whether to require residents to remove snow and ice from in front of their properties or have the town do it. Article 16 creates a bylaw that requires residents to remove the snow within 24 hours or be fined $100. Should that fail, Article 17 asks for $60,000 to be appropriated from taxes to buy a skid-steer with attachments so the Highway Department can do it. Should the first article pass, the Selectmen said they will ask for residents to vote down the skid-steer.
 
Article 22 asks town meeting to give the Highway Department the authority to maintain and make repairs to private ways. Currently, there are a number of roads the town feels should be maintained for safety and access. However, they don't have the authority to do so. The Selectmen were uncertain about the article because while the town does currently do it, the Selectmen were concerned that it would mean the town would then have to do it for all private roads.
 
The town is also proposing new bylaws for docks on Pontoosuc Lake to help alleviate disputes among neighbors. This is the latest attempt of crafting a bylaw for docks, rafts, floats, and moorings. Town officials have tried numerous times to craft a law but each time it was rejected.
 
Town meeting will also be asked to give the Police the authority to tow illegally parked vehicles.
 
"This is a typical towing article. It gives the Selectmen the authority to come up with towing provisions," Sieloff said, such as creating tow zones. 
 
The night will end with a citizens petition asking the town to oppose the Kinder Morgan's Northeast Energy Direct gas pipeline project.

Tags: town meeting 2015,   town meeting warrant,   

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Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation Scholarships

LUDLOW, Mass. — For the third year, Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation (BWPCC) will award scholarships to students from Lanesborough and Hancock. 
 
The scholarship is open to seniors at Mount Greylock Regional High School and Charles H. McCann Technical School. BWPCC will select two students from the class of 2024 to receive $1,000 scholarships.
 
The scholarships will be awarded to qualifying seniors who are planning to attend either a two- or four-year college or trade school program. Seniors must be from either Hancock or Lanesborough to be considered for the scholarship. Special consideration will be given to students with financial need, but all students are encouraged to apply.
 
The BWPCC owns and operates the Berkshire Wind Power Project, a 12 turbine, 19.6-megawatt wind farm located on Brodie Mountain in Hancock and Lanesborough. The non-profit BWPCC consists of 16 municipal utilities located in Ashburnham, Boylston, Chicopee, Groton, Holden, Hull, Ipswich, Marblehead, Paxton, Peabody, Russell, Shrewsbury, Sterling, Templeton, Wakefield, and West Boylston, and their joint action agency, the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC). 
 
To be considered, students must submit all required documents including a letter of recommendation from their school counselor and a letter detailing their educational and professional goals. Application and submission details will be shared with students via their school counselors. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 19.
 
 MMWEC is a not-for-profit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts created by an Act of the General Court in 1975 and authorized to issue tax-exempt debt to finance a wide range of energy facilities.  MMWEC provides a variety of power supply, financial, risk management and other services to the state's consumer-owned, municipal utilities. 
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