LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town meeting will be asked to approve a $10.9 million operating budget as part of a 19-article warrant.

 

Town meeting is scheduled for June 14 at Lanesborough Elementary School starting at 6 p.m. The town election is scheduled a week later on June 21. The warrant for town meeting ranges in topics from the budget, to capital expenses, to a new bylaw imposing fines for false fire and security alarms.

 

The budget is proposed at $10,911,976, which is an increase from last year's $10,411,563 budget by $500,413. The majority of the increase is to make the first payments on the new building project at Mount Greylock Middle and High School. That $362,287 is outside of the Proposition 2 1/2.

 

The remaining $140,000 or so is mostly relating to some $132,221 worth of increases for health insurance, retiree benefits, Medicare, and school employee health insurance. 

 

The two largest sectors — Lanesborough Elementary School and Mount Greylock — showed a combined decrease. The elementary school is asking for a level-funded budget while Mount Greylock's assessment is declining by $13,549. The McCann Technical School budget is rising by $55,967 because additional students are attending there.

 

There is also savings to be seen in the Police Department because salaries are dropping by about $20,000 and the town won't need to pay out accumulated sick and vacation time as it had to last year with the retirement of the chief. However, there is a $4,200 boost in operating expenses in the department. Another $15,000 is being cut from landfill monitoring after last year's water line project on Ore Bed Road, which eliminated the need for many of the water tests required by the state. 

 

Other aspects of the budget include debt services — other than the school — rising by about $27,000, a $13,600 increase for the Highway Department's operating expenses; $8,000 increase for winter roads, and $2,000 for veterans' benefits.Overall, the changes to the budget are minimal compared to last year, except for the high school project.

 

Further down the warrant, on Article 8, town meeting is asked to approve transferring $20,000 of the town's free cash to the other post-employment benefits trust fund — an account designed to save up for retiree benefits after retirement that when fully funded will ultimately be where those benefits are paid from instead of the operating budget. The town has been adding a little bit each year to build that account.

 

Article 10 asks for approval to borrow $60,000 and appropriate $20,000 in free cash toward the purchase of a new highway truck. The next article asks for voters to approve spending $44,000, which will be combined with fund from the Baker Hill Road District, to purchase a new police vehicle. The next asks for $14,000 to purchase a snowmobile for the Fire Department. 

 

Article 13 would allow the town to spend $8,000 of its free cash to fund a study and grant application for water system upgrades at Berkshire Village.

 

Another article asks to use $200,000 in free cash to offset the tax rate. 

 

Article 18 is changes to a bylaw regarding fire and security alarms. The changes impose a service fee for businesses and residents with faulty alarms and requires the alarms to be registered. The first false alarm results in no fees but the second in the same 12-month period would call for a $100 service fee and the third would be $200. Subsequent false alarms will result in a $300 fee per offense. The intent of this law is to urge businesses and residents with alarms frequently malfunctioning to replace or repair them.

 

Article 3 asks voters to change the Cemetery Commission seats from an elected position to an appointed one; Article 4 asks voters to approve the Ambulance Enterprise funds; Article 5 asks voters to approve the Sewer Enterprise Fund; Article 6 calls for the acceptance of $230,826 from the Baker Hill Road District; Article 7 grants the authority for a number of revolving accounts to accept and spend revenue relating to those services; Article 14 allows the treasurer to spend money on roadways in anticipating of revenues to offset the costs; Article 16 grants the state easements to extend the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail into Pittsfield; Article 17 extends the earliest hour a business can sell alcohol on Sunday to 10 a.m.; and the final article calls for the joining of the Berkshire Mosquito Control Project.

 

The full warrant is available below.