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Date: 5/28/2021
SOUTH HADLEY – On June 9 at 6 p.m., South Hadley residents will attend the Annual Town Meeting to vote on several articles outlined in the town warrant. The meeting, which will take place in the parking area of Saint Theresa’s Church at 9 East Parkview Dr., includes a number of articles residents will be voting on including giving the Selectboard the authority to defend lawsuits that may be brought against the town, budgetary items and permitting the use of hand-held devices to take and tally votes at the Annual Town Meeting.
Articles one and two
Articles one and two deal with the authority given to the town treasurer with approval of the Selectboard. Article one, if passed, would give the treasurer the authority to borrow money “from time to time” in anticipation of the revenue of the fiscal year starting on July 1.
Article two would also give the town treasurer further authority with the approval of the Selectboard. If passed, the article would give the treasurer the right to enter into “compensating balance agreements with bank offices” who are based in Massachusetts during FY22.
Articles three and four
Articles three and four deal with the authority of the Selectboard and giving them the authority to manage a couple of additional responsibilities. Article three, if passed, would allow the Selectboard to defend all legal suits that may be brought against the town for any reason during FY22. This would involve the board prosecuting suits on behalf of the town, engaging with legal counsel to prosecute suits and to settle any legal suit they may deem advisable.
Article four, if passed, will allow for the board to apply for and accept any federal or state grants and/or money as it is available. Additionally, the board would be authorized to spend any funds received through federal or state grants so long as they met the requirements of said grants.
Article five
Article five, if passed, would allow for the town to accept a “sum of money” for highway improvements. Additionally, they would allow for the determination of how the money should be provided and authorize the Selectboard to apply for, accept, spend and borrow in anticipation of state aid for related projects.
Article six
Article six deals with the updating of salaries for several elected official positions including the town moderator, Selectboard members and town assessors. If passed, the article would fix the salary and compensation during FY22. Article six is part of Massachusetts General Law that states that the salary and compensation of all town elected officials will be fixed by a vote at the Annual Town Meeting annually.
Article seven
Article seven asks residents to vote to adopt/re-adopt and accept the provisions of a section of Massachusetts General Law which establishes an other post-employment benefits liability trust fund. Additionally, the article would authorize the Selectboard and town treasurer to execute a declaration of the trust, creating an expendable trust to hold money appropriated to the fund, which would be held for the purpose of paying retiree health and health benefits to the trust. Lastly, the article would establish the town treasurer as the trustee of the fund and authorize the trustee to invest and reinvest money in the fund in accordance with the rules set up by the law.
Articles eight, nine and 10
Articles eight, nine and 10 all deal with financial policies within the town of South Hadley. Article eight, if passed, would authorize using a chapter of Massachusetts General Law to establish “prudent investor” guidelines, or a legal set of guidelines for trustees of investment portfolios, within and related to the town’s financial policies.
Article nine, if passed, would accept a subsection of Massachusetts General Law with regard to tailings and draft/check processing within and related to the town’s financial policies. Article 10, similarly, deals with the town’s acceptance of a different subsection of Massachusetts General Law regarding tax payment agreements and tax title processes within or related to the town’s financial policies. It would adopt the bylaw allowing for the treasurer of the town to enter into written payment agreements with any person(s) trying to regain ownership of real estate that the town took due to nonpayment of real estate taxes.
Article 11
If passed, article 11, would simply authorize total expenditures in the amount of $20,000 for the Buttery Brook Park revolving fund for the fiscal year, which will begin on July 1.
Article 12
Article 12, if approved, would raise, appropriate and transfer $49,525,631 from available funds to establish the town’s operating budget for FY22.
Article 13
Article 13 is related to the matter of the town releasing a portion of unrecorded sewer and drainage for which an easement is held by the town. The portion of sewer and drainage is on land known as Lot 35. The article describes the section of sewer and drainage occupied by a home on 15 Kimberly Dr. owned by residents Brittania Weatherspoon-North and Daniel North.
Article 14
Article 14, if passed, would amend a section of a chapter of the South Hadley General Bylaws to allow for the use of hand-held devices at the Annual Town Meeting for the purpose of taking and tallying votes. Currently, votes requiring a two-thirds approval are first taken with a yes or no vote, and then if the moderator is in doubt or seven or more voters immediately question the vote, a show of hands or standing vote shall be done. The article would allow for the use of hand-held electronic devices to make and tally votes at the discretion of the moderator.
Article 15
Article 15 deals with the town’s proposed purchase of a 20.7 acre property known as O’Meara et al Property. If the article is passed, the town would be allowed to appropriate $197,000 from the unreserved free cash fund to buy property, which will be managed and controlled by the Conservation Commission of South Hadley. Additionally, the commission would be authorized to file any and all applications needed for grants and/or reimbursements from the state on behalf of the town and for the commission to be authorized to enter into all agreements and execute any and all instruments that may be necessary on behalf of the town to affect the purchase.
Article 16
Article 16 involves a longstanding frustration for town residents, River Lodge Road. The roadway, which was initially built as a private way for the former Riverboat Restaurant but has since been developed as part of a housing project, has not been officially accepted as a town road. Prior to the acceptance of the road by the town, the developer of the project and owner of the Riverboat were required to make several improvements to the road which have recently been completed. If passed, article 16 would officially make River Lodge Road a formal town road.
Article 17
Article 17 deals with the preservation of the 210-acre Lauzier Farm along Alvord Street. The land, which is being purchased by the Kestrel Trust for the purpose of land preservation, requires the town to commit to a 10 percent grant match in the sum of $150,000. The sum is the last part of funding needed for the land to be purchased with the South Hadley Conservation Commission already having committed $40,000 and the state pledging $1,700. If passed, article 17 would allow the town to contribute the matching funds from unreserved free cash with the total sum being reduced by any fundraising received towards the effort.
Article 18
Article 18, if approved, would allow for the town to transfer $485,000 from waste water treatment plant (WWTP) retained earnings for several repairs and projects. Such repairs and projects include $85,000 for a plant roof repair and $400,000 for a generator replacement for WWTP operations.
Article 19
If passed, article 19 would allow for the transfer of $1,748,000 from the town’s unreserved free cash to make several capital purchases, repairs or replacements. Included in such projects include $1,300,000 for the dispatch communications system, $236,000 to purchase three new police cruisers, $82,000 for the dishwasher at the high school, $30,000 for a Smart Board at the high school and $100,000 to replace IT system servers related to municipal operations.
Article 20
Article 20, if passed, will simply allow the town to transfer $400,000 from the FY21 unreserved free cash. Of the $400,000, $200,000 is planned to be transferred to the stabilization fund and the other $200,000 is planned to be transferred to the capital stabilization fund.