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Date: 4/25/2023
LUDLOW — Town Meeting will take place on Monday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ludlow High School auditorium.
There are currently 33 articles listed in the warrant. Most of the articles deal with appropriating and reallocating funds for town projects and events.
There are also articles submitted by the Planning Board to amend current zoning bylaws that could allow more profitable businesses to come to Ludlow.
The budget will not be discussed until Article 18.
Town Administrator Marc Strange said the budget can still change but as of April 18, he reported that at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting that they were $83,000 under levy capacity.
The proposed budget will be presented at Town Meeting.
He added, “Last year we were $65,000 or so maybe $35,000 around there before we got our local receipt numbers and we ended $200,000 under capacity. There is some work scheduled to be done on the Ludlow Mills before July 1 so that should help us.”
The Planning Board has hosted multiple meetings over the past three months to amend zoning bylaws that can benefit the overall economic development of the town.
Articles 22 and 24 deal with removing the current prohibition of marijuana establishments in order to adopt bylaws regarding recreational marijuana/cannabis establishment and medical marijuana treatment centers.
Voters approved two Town Meeting articles to permanently prohibit the establishment of retail marijuana shops or cultivation facilities at a Town Meeting in November 2017.
The Planning Board expressed its belief that cannabis is a growing and highly regulated industry that represents an economic development opportunity that can benefit the town.
Studies showed that as of January 2023, the marijuana/cannabis industry in Massachusetts has recorded over $5 billion in total cannabis sales, with $4 million in recreational sales and nearly $1 billion in medical sales since the commercial launch more than four years ago, according to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission sales data.
Articles 23, 25 and 26 would allow recreational marijuana establishments and medical marijuana treatment centers in town by also adding definitions and regulations for marijuana businesses that would be looking to bring their companies to Ludlow.
Articles 27 through 29 deal with amending zoning bylaws regarding self-service storage containers.
The articles would add self-service storage facilities to the town’s table of principal land uses while also adding parking guidelines and a definition of a self-service storage facility.
The Planning Board has discussed at recent meetings that they have seen an interest in developers developing self-service storage facilities.
Members would like to differentiate the use of self-service storage facilities from warehousing and allow them in appropriately zoned areas.
Planning Board Chair Raymond Phoenix said, “We have been shoehorning it in under warehousing because we have been trying to be a bunch of nice people and allow it in under something.”
Article 30 is looking to rezone a parcel of land at 0 Russell St. from Residence B to Industrial A to allow for more suitable uses for the property.
Article 3 was sent by the Board of Health and if approved at Town Meeting, will expand the potential sources of revenue that can be deposited into the Health Department’s “CPR Training” revolving fund.
The Board of Health said it wants to continue its focus on education and their request for the amendment of the Departmental Revolving Fund will include all trainings and purchasing of all training material and supplies that will be needed for each student/participant.
Articles 10 through 13 and 19 and 20 ask voters to approve the appropriations for upcoming town capital projects.
A recent facilities condition assessment on Town Hall, Ludlow Community Center, clubhouse at the Ludlow Country Club, the DPW building, the Hubbard Memorial Library and the public safety buildings identified over 300 projects totaling $12.5 million.
Articles 10 and 11 will appropriate funds as may be necessary for capital improvement projects and Westover Golf Course capital improvements.
Article 13 will appropriate $100,000 for the Building Infrastructure Article.
The Building Infrastructure Article was established at October 2012 Town Meeting to authorize the Board of Selectmen to expend such funds for the purpose of assessing and addressing the repairs, maintenance and construction of municipal buildings.
Article 19 will repurpose a total of $644,748 from previously authorized, but unspent, bond proceeds that were intended to be spent on repairs and improvements to the DPW, golf course buildings and East Street School.
Those funds will be reallocated for the upcoming Town Hall construction project, which includes a new roof, air gap barrier between the third floor and attic, remediation of asbestos ceiling tiles and new carpeting on the second and third floors.
Article 20 would authorize the town to borrow $2.4 million to pay for the required repairs and upgrades for the Public Safety Complex HVAC system. The facilities assessment expressed that the units are reaching their life expectancy and the safety of employees are the top priority.
Article 12 will appropriate $100,000 for the fiscal year 2024 reserve fund. Towns appropriate money into a reserve fund for “extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances”.
Articles 17 and 21 looks for the residents to approve new leases that will save the town money.
Article 17 allows the Westover Golf Commission to enter a four-year lease contract for 74 new golf carts.
Entering a four-year lease instead of a three-year lease, the annual payments will decrease from $88,690 to $73,428.
Article 21 deals with entering a 10-year lease agreement for the new Veterans Center at 487 Holyoke St.
The Board of Selectmen recently signed a three-year lease that costs the town $5,225 a month or $62,700 a year but extending the lease to 10 years, the costs go down to $4,750 a month or $57,000 a year for the first five years.
The rent would go back up to $5,225 a month for years six through 10.
Articles 14 and 15 focus on appropriating money for the stabilization fund and other post-employment benefits.
Article 16 would appropriate $76,630 for the purchase of new firearms for the Police Department.
Police Chief Daniel Valadas said the current pistols have been in service for over 10 years and the new weapons system will ensure that the police officers are properly equipped with a pistol and sighting system that should last well into the next decade.
Article four through six deals with setting the expenditures for the already established revolving funds and funding Celebrate Ludlow and the Commission on Disability.
Articles 9 and 10 would authorize the Board of Selectmen to utilize Chapter 90 funds they receive and enter a contract with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to accept the funds.
No town funding is required for those two articles. The estimated state Chapter 90 funds received for fiscal year 2024 is $684,586.
Article 31 would change the membership of the Capital Improvement Planning Committee which includes not having a Board of Public Works representative since the Board of Selectmen took over the responsibilities of the BPW.
Article 32 deals with the construction and roadway safety improvements for the Piney Lane Bridge to raise up to $50,000 to defray any associated costs.
Article 33 would authorize the town to use $550,000 in free cash to pay for repairs to the West Street and Cottage Street Bridges. Both projects are joint ventures with other towns and Ludlow would split the cost on each project.
A few Board of Selectmen members have expressed in the past that they would like to get away from a Town Meeting form of government.
Article 7 is asking for voters to approve raising and appropriating $25,000 and allow the town to hire a municipal government expert who would help create a new town charter.