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Date: 12/19/2022
SOUTHAMPTON – An Affordable Housing Trust to help with the town’s affordable housing percentage will soon be established after a Special Town Meeting vote passed the article by majority.
The Dec. 13 gathering of Town Meeting members at William E. Norris Elementary School saw 15 articles voted on in total from the special warrant.
Housing Authority member Joy Piper explained that article 14 would create a bylaw in which a trust to hold and direct funds to create affordable housing in line with state housing goals. The state requires a 10 percent minimum of available affordable housing units in a community and currently Southampton sits at 2 percent.
The trust will have a five-member board according to Piper and would be a strong tool for the town.
Resident Todd Barren spoke in favor of the article and said affordable housing is a critical need for the town due to where they currently sit.
“We are under state mandate to do something. If we do nothing, developers can come in and start housing programs that allow them to propose development,” Barren said.
Another resident expressed similar sentiments about establishing a housing trust in order to follow along with the state’s requirements. One resident asked if members of the trust would be compensated to which Piper responded they will not, and it is a volunteer board.
All 15 articles on the special town meeting warrant passed including the establishment of the housing trust.
Another item of note passed was article 7 which will allow appropriation of funds from the Community Preservation fund to the town’s required local match for a Mass Trails Grant in which the town has already received a total of $400,000 for design work on the Greenway. The required match is $100,000 for the town.
Town Administrator Ed Gibson let Town Meeting members know the town was planning and expecting a close on acquisition of the Greenway very soon. Greenway Committee member Mark Casas spoke in favor of the article and noted the design needed to be completed with this funding to receive the funding needed from the state to construct the Greenway bicycle path.
“It’s important for the town and quality of life,” Casas said.
Town Meeting members applauded following the unanimous vote to pass the article.
Article 1 was passed to transfer $6,000 from the group health insurance account to the retirement expense account to complete the town’s financial obligation for fiscal year 2023.
Article 2 was two requests for transfers for Southampton Police Department operating expenses. Passed unanimously, $32,000 from the police wage account will now go to the overtime account due to staff shortages, and $2,500 will go into the expense account for unexpected costs.
Town Meeting members also approved two requests to transfer funds for a payment toward the town ambulance debt. Article 3 has the town put $68,064 into the debt ambulance principal account and $850.80 to the debt ambulance interest account.
Article 4 was passed unanimously and will result in three transfers from the principal assessor salary account. $5,000 will be transferred into the assessor consultant account for property certification, another $5,000 will be transferred into the cyclical inspections account for a cyclical 10-year requirement, and a final transfer of $10,000 to go into the assessor expense account for cost manual and staff expenses.
Article 5 was passed unanimously The town will transfer $7,500 from the town legal expense account in order to pay a settlement in the matter of Swanson v. Town of Southampton. According to Town Administrator Ed Gibson, the transfer comes from a settlement with a town employee over a claim of pay disparity. The transfer will remove the item from litigation.
The unanimous passing of article 6 will have the town transfer $20,000 from the operational stabilization account for the use of securing, maintaining, demolition or any other functions required to prepare properties for sale by the Building Department. Gibson explained the article was requested by the Building Commissioner and removes the town’s liability and risk with demolition on a property in town.
Article 8 was a request from the Park Commission for $3,000 from community preservation surcharges to put up an additional Conant Park sign. The article was passed unanimously, and the new sign will be on the East Street side entrance of the park and will be identical to the other one.
Articles 9, 10, 11 and 12 all passed unanimously and were requests to amend current town bylaws. Article 9 combined wordings from two different bylaws into one new bylaw with more detail regarding littering and dumping materials on public ways or places.
Article 10 was an update of language to the town’s current soliciting and canvassing bylaw and article 11 replaced current bylaws regarding dogs and dog kennels with a new article. The change on article 11 will make it easier for residents to access information to dogs, dog licenses, kennels and complaints. The update brings the dog bylaw in compliance with 2022 Mass General Law dog regulations. Article 12 was a simple clarification in writing for the bylaw titled, “Curb Cuts.”
All town-owned vehicles will be marked with the town seal, a police badge or the Fire Maltese Cross for police and fire vehicles after article 13 was unanimously passed. Gibson said the article was brought forth because he and the Selectboard thought it would be important to have town vehicles labeled.
The final article of the night passed unanimously was article 15 which created a new bylaw establishing a “Humane Care and Treatment of Domesticated Animals” bylaw. The creation of the bylaw addresses violations that include abandonment and pets left in cars during bad weather and animals left outside for too long.