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Date: 11/9/2022
BLANDFORD — Town Administrator Christopher Dunne said the Special Town Meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 is an important one.
“There are at least a couple of very serious votes in there. It’s critically important that we have voters show up on the 14th, so I hope they will,” he said.
Dunne said the town is asking voters to transfer $75,000 from the Building Project Stabilization Fund to continue the services of the owner’s project manager and transfer $180,000 from free cash for design services for a new combined Fire and Highway department garage. The request will require a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
Town officials have been working on finding solutions to the needs of both departments for new facilities going back several years, as both current garages are outdated. The owner’s project manager (OPM) on the project is City Point Partners from Boston, who were hired in May 2021, and the engineering and consultant firm of Weston & Sampson has been selected to do the design work.
The town is also requesting a $6,240 transfer from the building project account for a building assessment by Weston & Sampson, which also requires a two-thirds majority vote.
“We have two facilities in need of replacement,” Dunne said. He said until the schematic design is complete, he is hesitant to come up with an estimate on the total cost of the project, but it will likely be between $4 million and $8 million.
Potential future funding sources are a USDA loan, rural facilities fund and a debt exclusion.
“In my opinion, we have not found a solution that allows only a new Fire Department garage to be built,” Dunne said. “If residents don’t vote for this, we’ll have to go back to the drawing board. It would be a shame if we can’t get this project to detailed cost estimates.” He added, “It’s going to be a challenge.”
Two more articles on the Nov. 14 warrant are votes to transfer $10,000 from the Library Building Stabilization Fund to undertake a feasibility study of expanding the Porter Memorial Library, and another $4,300 for a boundary and topographic survey. Both items also require a two-thirds majority vote.
“We’ve got a library from 1982. It’s adorable, but it’s not ADA-compliant and needs to be expanded in order to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act, and fit the patrons and programming. The feasibility study is the first step,” Dunne said.
Voters will also be asked to transfer $291,868.56 from broadband revenues to operate the Municipal Light Plant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and rescind a vote taken at this year’s June 6 Annual Town Meeting transferring $50,000 from free cash to defray broadband operating expenses.
Dunne said the town has already received $291,000 in user fees into its Broadband Enterprise Fund, and has a similar amount in certified free cash for the enterprise fund, which they will be able to use to shore up the stabilization account and put into a capital account. He said the broadband network is completely built out.
Other articles at the Town Meeting include a transfer of $50,000 from free cash to stabilize and secure the farmstead at Shepard Farm; a request to fund $20,000 for the tree warden’s ongoing Ash Tree Removal Project; $27,000 for repairs to the current Fire Department garage; and payment of prior year bills, among others.
The meeting is at Town Hall, 1 Russell Stage Rd., Blandford.