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Date: 5/23/2022
HOLLAND – Residents voted to pass over or suspend indefinitely 13 warrant articles of the 36 articles that formulated Holland’s Annual Town Meeting on May 17 at Holland Elementary School.
One of those articles included Article 20 – having five members on the Finance Board, all to be appointed by the town moderator. Andy Harhay, member of the Finance Board, said at the start of the fiscal year, they only had two members on the board, although they are required to have five. He noted that they were able to obtain more, which got them through fiscal year 2022 (FY22) and developing the budget. However, he said moving forward, they are looking for about four additional residents to step forward and become a member.
John Scott, member of the Finance Board, said Annual Town Meeting was his last night on the board, as he has resigned. He complimented the other members for “doing a great job,” however, he said he does not have the skills required to do this type of work.
Harhay said ideally, they would like a resident who lives in Holland year-round and has the necessary skills to join the board.
Board of Selectmen member James Whalen said he was one of the two members who voted ‘no’ on this article. He explained that he also wants someone to join this board who is a year-round resident and doesn’t travel elsewhere for several months throughout the year. Additionally, he said an issue is that seasonal residents may not be registered voters. He encouraged residents at the meeting to join the committee.
Article 1
Article 1 did not require a motion or vote, as it referred to choosing by ballot all necessary town officers for the ensuing terms: selectmen, three-year term; assessor, three-year term; Board of Health member, three-year term; cemetery management, three-year term; constable, three-year term; highway surveyor, three-year term; Holland School Committee, three-year term; library trustee, three-year term; measurer of wood and bark, three-year term; moderator, three-year term; Planning Board, member, five-year term; Planning Board member, two-year term; town clerk, three-year term; and water commissioner, three-year term.
This article will be determined by ballot during town election on June 14. Registered voters are asked to visit the Holland Community Center, 40 Brimfield Rd., between the hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., to cast their ballot.
Article 2
Article 2 passed, allowing for hearing reports of the town officers and outstanding committees. A report was given by the Finance Committee. They provided an overview of the FY23 budget. The budget was broken down into the top four categories:
? Elementary school: $2,967,114
? Regional school: $1,456,748
? Public works (road work and tree removal): $1,301,126
? Employee benefits: $899,476
Article 5
Residents voted to approve Article 5, to establish FY23 spending limits for the revolving funds listed in Chapter 4, Financial Affairs, Section 8, Department Revolving Fund of the General Bylaw, all as set forth below:
Cemetery commission, $5,000; library trustees, $600; electrical inspector, $10,000; plumbing inspector, $5,000; Zoning Board of Appeals, $5,000; Fire Department, $10,000; animal control officer(s), $5,000; Conservation Commission, $5,000; Planning Board, $5,000; building commissioner, $24,000; Board of Health, $15,000; and community center, $10,000.
Remaining articles
Article 3, which was approved by the town, will fix the salary and compensation of all employees and officers of the town, expenses and outlays of town departments. According to the spreadsheet provided to residents at the meeting, the total funding is $7,793,393. This will be in effect on July 1, 2022.
Article 4 was approved, to accept and appropriate funds provided to the town by the state under Chapter 90 and such other funds as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Transportation may provide. This also authorizes the Select Board of their duly authorized representative, to enter contracts with Commonwealth of Massachusetts Highway Division for Chapter 90 money allocated to the town by the state.
Article 6, which was approved by the town, will raise and appropriate, transfer or borrow a sum of money to pay prior fiscal year invoices.
Article 7 was a vote to raise and appropriate or transfer $5,440 to cover the snow and ice expenses account deficit. The motion passed.
Similarly, Article 8 was approved, to raise and appropriate or transfer $4,986 to cover the snow and ice wages account deficit.
Article 9 was a transfer of $44,000 from FY22 Sichol Land Loan Principal to fund FY23 Sichol Land Loan Principal budget line. Harhay explained that they put this money into Sichol last year, as they expected to close on this property. The property did not close, so the money was moved to the next fiscal year.
Article 10, which was approved by the town, will transfer the balances between FY22 accounts identified as follows: scoreboard gift, $46; backstop gift, $50; recreation equipment gift, $3,055.82; kennel gift, $20; law enforcement trust, $0.34; and MTA tourism Ggrant, $200.
Article 11 passed, to raise and appropriate or transfer up to, but not exceeding $4,000 for technical upgrades for library equipment.
Article 12 referred to the town raising and appropriating, transferring, or borrowing up to $5,000 to add a security system and upgrade the fire system. The motion passed.
Article 13 was approved by the town, to raise and appropriate, transfer, or borrow up to, but not exceeding $3,000 from free cash, to replace the current drop box receptacle. The current one that the town has had for two and a half years is not waterproof, resulting in flooding and freezing in the winter. With the purchase of a new one, officials are hopeful that this will be the final one – to keep for documentation – which is its purpose.
Article 14 passed, to raise and appropriate, transfer, or borrow up to, but not exceeding $2,500 to purchase materials needed for proper storage records requiring permanent retention.
Article 15 was approved by voters, to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds $75,000, to install bituminous concrete pavement along 1,340 linear feet of Old County Road.
Residents made a motion to “pass over” Article 16, resulting in no discussion. The article pertained to the purchasing of an all-wheel skid steer.
Article 17 required a ? vote and received unanimous approval to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, up to, but no more than $782,000 to purchase and equip, including all incidental and related costs, an attack pumper [Engine 1] equipped for structure fire use to replace the now 24-year-old attack pumper. Fire Chief James Gagne said it is suggested to replace these pumpers every 20 to 25 years. He added that this will be a sister truck to Engine 2.
Article 18 focused on accepting the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 17E, enacted as Chapter 380, Section 2, of the Acts of 200. A motion was made to pass over this article indefinitely, due to improper documents being provided in the Annual Town Meeting packet. The motion was seconded and approved by the town.
Article 19, a companion article to 18, was also passed over due to improper documentation.
Article 21 was not voted on, pertaining to signs in town.
Residents voted to pass over Article 22, to amend the Zoning Bylaw Section 7C, Medical/Adult Use Marijuana.
Articles 23 through 25 were not voted on, referring to amending zoning and general bylaws.
Article 26, which was approved by the town, will amend the General Bylaw Chapter 3, Town Meetings. The town used to host Annual Town Meeting on the last Tuesday in May, compared to now hosting it on the third Tuesday. Residents agreed to return to what they used to have.
Article 27 passed, to amend the wording in General Bylaw Chapter 7, Section 7.2.1.
Article 28 also passed, to add subsection 4.1.1.12 Juneteenth to the Personnel Bylaw, Section 4, Holidays.
Article 29 focused on combining its elected town treasurer and elected tax collector to become an appointed town treasurer/collector. Whalen made an amendment to this article, by adding that there be an ad hoc committee to determine the appointment. The amendment was voted on and approved by residents. Although this article was approved as amended, Jeffrey Blake, town attorney, said residents will need to do a ballot vote on this article at town election.
Articles 30 and 31 received motions to skip over, pertaining to dam repair and cyclic stabilization accounts.
Article 32, which was approved by the town, will raise and appropriate or transfer $10,000 to the cyclic stabilization account.
Article 33 passed, to raise and appropriate or transfer $38,656 from free cash to the roadway stabilization account.
Article 34 did not receive a vote on the transferring of a sum of money to the capital stabilization account.
Article 35 was a vote to raise and appropriate or transfer $100,000 to the tree warden account. Brian Johnson of the Highway Department said this pertains to dead trees. They have over 700 trees marked in town. “We’re doing the best we can,” he said. “We’re working with National Grid and we’re hoping to get a big grant from the state,” to assist in the tree removal.
Residents voted to pass over the last article, Article 36, for a sum of funds to enter the highway road improvement account.