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Date: 9/28/2022
LUDLOW – On Oct. 3, Ludlow is hosting a Special Town Meeting to discuss and vote on 11 different items.
Article One will address unpaid bills from years prior. Chapter 44, Section 64 of Massachusetts General Law allows towns which have unpaid or over-expended bills of prior years to pay such bills at Town Meeting by nine-tenths vote. Each expense is listed individually with the total being $16,456.86.
Article Two will go over raising $5,052.73 to replace the supply and attack firefighting hose. The Ludlow Fire Department applied for a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant in the amount of $55,580 to purchase new firefighting hoses as the others have reached their lifespan and are not compliant with the National Fire Protection Association standards. The $5,052.73 needs to be raised to match the required 10 percent match of a Federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
Article Three will go over the idea of changing the structure of the Capital Improvement Planning Committee (CIPC). The committee is currently made up of six members including the town administrator, who presents a five-year capital plan each year to the CIPC. The amendment would fix that conflict and expand the committee to an odd number of members and include a member from the Board of Public Works and one additional resident. Town Administrator Marc Strange said, “The town hasn’t been presented with a five-year plan in some time, so the goal is for me and the town accountant to get together and be able to come up with an idea to present to the town.” This would also bring the committee to seven members which will prevent any potential ties on a vote.
With Article Four, the Capital Improvement Planning Committee wants to clarify that capital outlay combined asset purchases totaling at least $20,000 must be for one project occurring at one location. This article is just for the committee and town to be on the same page with the wording to clarify what falls into the category of a capital item and what does not.
Article Five will bring up the idea to raise and appropriate $54,000 to create a new facilities director position and fix problems with the current facilities. The town’s insurance provider recommended the town dedicate resources to facilities management, including a professional point person and an annual maintenance plan. The town currently has neither of those in place. Repairs to town-owned buildings, including Town Hall, the Public Safety Complex, Hubbard Memorial Library, the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Community Center, and Westover Golf Course, are a significant annual expense. The Town Meeting created a Building Infrastructure Article and fund to pay for building repairs. Funding a facilities director would allow the town to create and execute a maintenance plan and otherwise manage the town’s buildings and grounds needs.
Article Six addresses the idea of establishing a veterans center. The Board of Selectmen want to expand the expand the services provided to the veteran’s population and would enable veterans and their families to obtain benefits and amenities that they deserve. This includes a food pantry where food items can be stored and veterans and families can be used when they need, telehealth access that expands access to medical appointments for veterans, veterans’ employment services where a computer will be set up for veterans to seek employment, and a meeting space to allow veterans’ groups to meet and host events. The article is looking to raise and appropriate $33,500 which would fund a rental space to this veterans center.
Article Seven seeks to raise and appropriate $47,000 to fund the three-year property assessment recertification. In fiscal year 2023 (FY23), there will be mandatory property reassessment program that did not make it into the FY23 budget. This money would pay for consultants to perform that reassessment.
Article Eight goes over the idea of designating Riverside Drive as a public way. It is currently considered a private road but making it a public way will give the town ownership to maintain and take care of it. Strange also said, “It adds to phase two to redevelop the mills over by Riverside Drive. Riverside Drive is a critical component of the regionally significant Ludlow Mills Preservation and Redevelopment Project. Riverside Drive will leverage the Mill #8 Clock Tower Mill.” Riverside Drive will enable access to the development of more than 60 acres of Light Industrial land and will support the development of over 500,000 square feet of Light Industrial buildings and the creation of over 950 associated jobs and add an estimated $2.0 MM annually to the municipal tax base.
Article Nine seeks to establish a Capital Improvement Reserve Fund Account for the purpose of funding capital improvement projects and, as part of that reserve fund establishment, to raise and appropriate and/or transfer $290,000 into that fund.
Article 10 seeks to raise and appropriate $150,000 to increase the School Department’s FY23 budget. The School Department’s FY23 budget was limited due to budgetary constraints. This additional $150,000 would support School Department programming for this school year.
Article 11 looks to fund a part-time local building inspector for $21,000. In 2010, a part-time local inspector was promoted into the Building Commissioner position and the part-time local inspector position was left vacant. This caused zoning complaints and code enforcement issues with non-emergency complaints have gone largely unaddressed. The number of recorded open complaints in the building department stands at 438 as of Sept 14. Since the part-time local inspector position has been left vacant, only 65 of the recorded complaints have been closed. The Ludlow Building Department is understaffed as compared to other communities. With new housing starts increasing in Ludlow and several planned developments about to commence, the Building Department’s ability to address complaints in a timely manner is dependent upon adding a part-time building inspector.
The meeting will take place at Ludlow High School at 7:30 p.m.