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Date: 6/1/2022
WARE – About 130 residents gathered at Ware Junior Senior High School for Annual Town Meeting on May 23, after the May 9 meeting received low voter turnout, leaving them unable to host the meeting due to not having a quorum.
Residents were given an electronic keypad to vote on during the meeting.
When it came time to vote on Article 18, pertaining to the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) budget, questions arose among residents as Town Moderator Kathleen Coulombe went over each line item.
The Finance Committee made an amendment to the initial budget appropriation of $33,193,045. The amendment was to reduce the Fire Department salaries, ambulance salaries and health insurance.
Lynn Nenni, chairman of the Finance Committee, said they spent hours reviewing the budget. She noted that although the committee agreed on the majority of the budget, they did make two amendments.
“We heard from several taxpayers that they were concerned with keeping the tax rate low,” said Nenni. She added that they reviewed projections prepared by the Town Accountant that display revenues and expenses up to four years. She said if everything were to stay the same in three years as it is now, the town will be heading toward a “deficit situation in the general fund operating budget.”
Nenni went on to say that they met with department heads including Town Manager Stuart Beckley and Interim Fire Chief Christopher Gagnon, to which Gagnon indicated that due to the Mary Lane closure and ambulances now having to transport to Palmer, the department is “under stress.” Due to this, Nenni said the department needs to add four more people for this year and two in the following year, to make up for the additional time they need to respond to these calls.
Several residents expressed their concerns with the response time of public safety.
John Morrin, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said the board does not support this amendment and supports everyone staying safe in town.
Gagnon encouraged residents not to approve the amendment put forth by the Finance Committee. He said although he understands the costs related to adding new positions, they are necessary.
This amendment to the budget failed, with 89 voting no, 27 yes.
The second amendment made by the Finance Committee was to increase Inspectional Services/Code Enforcement Salaries to $15,000.
Nenni said this was an effort to keep the tax rate manageable and to grow the tax base. She said they would like to encourage commercial development and in order to do this, tax rates must be manageable.
This amendment to the budget passed with 55 yes, 52 no.
After the amendments were made and funding was added to Article 18, the budget will raise and appropriate $33,008,045 from taxation and $200,000 from available free cash for a total appropriation of $33,208,045 to defray the charges and expenses of the town, including debt and interest for FY23. The motion passed with 87 yes, 12 no.
Articles 1 through 6
Articles 1 through 6 pertained to FY22.
Article 1 was the appropriation of $4,929.26 to pay unpaid bills from prior fiscal years of the fire, schools, Senior Center, Town Clerk and Water Departments. This amount is being transferred from available free cash. Coulombe said because this payment of bills was from a prior fiscal year, it required a ? vote to pass. With 122 voting yes and 6 no, the motion passed.
Articles 2-6
Article 2 passed with a majority vote, to amend the following line items for the FY22 town budget:
Assessor purchase of services: $50,000
Snow and ice supplies: $40,012
Immunization and physicals: $3,000
Facilities maintenance: $35,840
Total: $128,852
And to fund these increases by transfers as follows from:
Principal Assessor Salary: $50,000
Snow and ice salaries: $17,512
Unemployment: $25,500
Short term debt: $35,840
Total: $128,852
Article 3, the appropriation and transferring of $32,000 from free cash to purchase a portable restroom was defeated, with 89 residents voting no, 41 yes.
Article 4 passed, to appropriate and transfer $500,000 from available free cash to fund the Other-Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Liability Trust Fund. Coulombe said this has become a standard article on the Annual Town Meeting warrant.
Article 5, another standard article, was approved by the town to appropriate and transfer $200,000 from free cash to fund the Stabilization Fund. Residents passed Article 6, to appropriate and transfer $200,000 to the Capital Stabilization Fund from free cash.
Consent Articles
Articles 7 through 15 were on the consent agenda. All of the articles, aside from Article 13 were voted on and passed under one motion. A resident asked to “hold” Article 13 and vote on it separately.
The articles that passed include hearing reports of the town committees, board and departments; authorizing the Treasurer/Tax Collector with the approval of the Board of Selectmen to enter into compensating balance agreements during FY23; accepting all state and federal educational grants for Ware Public Schools in FY23; to fix the salaries of several elected town officers for FY23 and more.
Article 13 was taken out of the consent agenda, to be voted on separately. This article refers to appropriating and transferring $421,861 to be expended for road repairs in anticipation of reimbursement by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Highway Department under the Chapter 90 State Highway Aid Program. Residents ultimately voted to approve the article with 123 yes, 8 no.
Articles 16 and 17
Article 16, which was approved by the town, will adopt the budget for the Water Enterprise. The following sums will be appropriated for FY23:
Salaries: $331,220
Operating expenses: $433,300
Capital: $78,500
Budgeted Surplus to Separate Reserve Fund: $197,834
Total: $1,040,854 - to be raised from department receipts.
Similarly, Article 17 was approved to appropriate the following sums for the Sewer Enterprise FY23:
Salaries: $273,850
Operating Expenses: $574,750
Capital: $105,000
Total: $953,600
Approximately $793,280 of this funding will be raised from department receipts, $105,000 from available free cash and $55,320 from taxation.
Remaining articles
Article 19 received a majority vote to appropriate $35,000 from free cash to fund the Employee Compensated Absences Reserve Fund.
Article 20 referred to amending the town’s general bylaws by adopting the vacant properties section within the Unkempt and Vacant Property Bylaw. This required a ? vote. The article passed with 91 in favor and 10 opposed.
Article 21 also required and received a ? vote, to amend the town’s zoning bylaw.
Residents voted to approve Article 22, to add a new section to the town’s zoning bylaws: Temporary Moratorium on the sitting of Large-Scale Solar Battery Storage Facilities. The motion required a ? vote and passed with 86 in favor, 19 opposed.
Article 23 passed, to amend Article 5 of the town of Ware Home Rule Charter. The Ware Housing Authority will consist of five members to serve five-year staggered terms.
Article 24, the appropriation of $100,000 from available free cash for the town’s share of the purchase and equipping of a Regional Animal Control Shelter, passed by majority vote.
Article 25 passed, to establish a special purpose stabilization fund, to be known as the Road Repair Stabilization Fund.
The town voted to approve Article 26, which establishes a Tree Warden position.
Article 27, which was passed, will appropriate $390,000 for the purchasing of an ambulance for the Fire Department.
Article 28 passed to appropriate $180,000 for the purchasing of a snowblower for the Department of Public Works.
Article 29 also passed to appropriate $75,000 to purchase and outfit a tractor for the Parks and Recreation Department.
Article 30 received a majority vote to approve the appropriation of $250,000 for design, purchase and installation of a playground in Grenville Park. The Parks Commission will use an additional $60,000 of trust funds for this project.
Article 31 will appropriate $515,000 to design, purchase and install an updated Supervisory Computer and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for the Water Department. The motion passed.
Article 32 passed to appropriate $100,000 to purchase and install fire hydrants in town.
Articles 33 and 34 were motions to dismiss. The motions passed.
Lastly, Article 35 passed to appropriate $100,000 of available funds to be used to address impacts related to marijuana use and retail establishments.