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Date: 6/21/2023
CHESTER — Forty-nine residents at the Annual Town Meeting on June 12 passed all of the articles presented for a vote, with some discussion on a few.
With Chester’s and Russell’s votes on June 12, the Gateway Regional School District has passed its budget in all six member towns. Chester’s share of $1,606,927 and vocational share of $209,307 passed unanimously.
Select Board Chair John Baldasaro said over the past five years, Gateway has improved its budget negotiations, and the process is more transparent. “They did a great job,” he said.
He said there are seven vocational students in the budget, one more than last year.
There was some discussion on the acceptance of the Chapter 90 funds. Former Select Board member Jason Forgue said Chapter 90 funds are a great argument for residents to bring to the state Senate. He said Sen. Paul Mark got an increase in Chapter 90 this year that favors rural communities with less population.
Highway Superintendent Charles Dazelle agreed that it is necessary to “fight and fight for more money.”
In a conversation before the meeting with Dazelle, who recently moved to Chester from Huntington, he said he has a full crew of three, with two interns coming in for the summer on a 100% reimbursable grant from the Pre-Apprenticeship and Vocational School Program of the UMass Transportation Center.
Dazelle said the crew just finished replacing culverts that were washing out on Johnson Hill Road, a main road to Chester Hill. Workers are also putting the guard rail back up on Middlefield Street. Dazelle said he is working with the Select Board on culvert and guard rail installation, setting up street signs, and painting stairwells.
“I’m loving it up here,” he said.
The vote to raise and appropriate $25,000 for the Fire Truck Capital Fund passed unanimously. Baldasaro said there is currently $100,000 in the fund.
“As most of you know, this is Richie Small’s last year as fire chief,” he said, prompting a standing ovation for Small.
The town also voted to transfer $275,000 from free cash to the stabilization fund. Baldasaro said that will leave the town $15,000 in free cash, and $800,000 in the stabilization fund.
There was pushback from some residents on an article to raise $6,000 to maintain the tile floor in the Council on Aging room in the lower level of Town Hall, with one resident asking why the molding was torn away.
“The molding wasn’t torn away — there was so much moisture coming in from the wall, it washed away,” explained Council on Aging Director Ann Daley. She said the floors were put in 15 to 20 years ago, and while the tiles are probably not made with asbestos, the glue is, causing airborne asbestos when they come up. She said the general consensus is the floor is a safety hazard.
Forgue, who is also the town’s building inspector, said in numerous locations, the floor is beyond repair. He said the tile can be replaced, but not repaired, and the easiest shortcut is to cover it with other material.
Daley said there has been no additional leakage since the windows were sealed, and they have worked to dry the walls, which took many months. The plan is to install a floating wall with no molding, and seal the old floor. She said the Council on Aging side will improve handicap access by the door where ice tends to form, which is part of the process.
Daley said the $6,000 is the best quote from five different companies, which she started collecting earlier in the year. The funds passed, with six opposed.