Cheshire Selectmen Accept Town Meeting Warrant
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen approved an 18-article warrant for the annual town meeting on June 14.
Interim Town Administrator Mark Webber brought forth a final draft of the town meeting warrant Tuesday he hoped the selectmen would approve so he could meet posting deadlines.
"We have to get this out the door," Webber said.
Beyond budgetary and annual articles, town meeting will have to consider 12 articles.
Webber quickly went through some of the articles and outlined their purpose and what they would accomplish.
• Article 4 will ask town meeting to use $260,000 from free cash to offset the tax rate and keep the budget under the levy limit.
• Article 5 will allocate $71,000 in free cash to make IT upgrades in town.
• Article 6 will use $7,200 in free cash to hire an accessing service to help the assessors review town utilities.
• Article 7 will allocate $15,000 in free cash to purchase a used truck to be used as the Fire Department's Brush Truck.
• Article 8 will repurpose $60,000 to make repairs to the fire station's floor and conduct a professional assessment of town buildings.
• Article 9 will adopt a general law clarifying the nomination paper process.
• Article 10 will alter the senior tax abatement exemption to broaden participation.
• Article 11 will allow the town to negotiate a pilot agreement with a solar developer.
• Article 12 will allow the town to borrow $235,000 to purchase a new dump truck with a plow wing. This will replace a 15-year-old truck that will be sold.
• Article 13 will allow the town to pull $150,000 from the Water Operation Surplus Account to make water main repairs on route 8
• Article 12 will allow the town to borrow $500,000 to complete the above-mentioned water main project. This debt will be paid by the water users.
Webber did note the town applied for a grant to offset costs.
• Articles 15 and 16 will change the town clerk and tax collector positions to appointed instead of elected.
• Article 17 would solicit the state to allow the town to adopt an elected official recall process. The selectmen reiterated that this was not aimed at any current elected official and was brought up a few times in the past.
In other business, the Selectmen agreed to lift the mask mandate in Town Hall in step with the state.
"I feel like at some point the Selectmen have to open Town Hall," Selectwoman Michelle Francesconi said. "I am comfortable following what was recommended by the state."
Town Hall has been open by appointment.
Francesconi noted that someone had placed a sign indicating that masks were required in Town Hall on the front door. She did know who did this and said the decision lies with the Selectmen.
Selectmen Mark Biagini felt officials should first confer with the Board of Health. He also felt different buildings and department heads should have the ability to make their own decisions in regard to mask wearing.
Francesconi felt it was time to reopen and noted those who wanted to wear masks can still do so. She said masks can still be offered and encouraged in certain departments and offices.
Highway Department Superintendent Robert Navin gave an update and said roads have been graded and more maintenance and repair work will begin in the coming weeks.
The Selectmen approved a $153,720 bid from All States Asphalt for chip sealing work. Work will extend to Outlook Avenue, Jenks Road, and Stafford Hill Road.
Navin said this will come from Chapter 90 funds and the one and only bid was lower than anticipated. He said this will allow the town to extend work down the trailer park road to the mailboxes.
The Selectmen accepted the second bid of $207,895.80 from LB Corp. for the Route 116 paving project. The bulk of this project is grant-funded.
LB was the lowest bid. Warner Brothers was the highest with a $298,305 bid. There were five bids in total.
Tags: town meeting 2021,
