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Date: 5/18/2021
TOLLAND – About two dozen Tolland residents gathered at the Public Safety Complex on May 10 for the annual Town Meeting where 18 articles were voted on.
The meeting began with residents voting to hear from Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District (STGRSD) Director of Finance and Operations Stephen Presnal, who discussed the budget for the school district for FY22. Presnal touted the district’s high percentage of students who remained in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following Presnal’s explanation, residents voted to raise and appropriate $492,132 for Tolland’s assessment for the 2021/2022 STGRSD school year. Residents then voted to incur debt from the STGRSD for the purchase of items in the FY2022 Capital Improvement Plan, which includes an upgrade of fiber optic networks, supplemental heating in the main entryway of Southwick Regional School, and grounds improvements on STGRSD properties.
The next significant article on the Town Meeting warrant was to approve the town budget for FY22. After extensive debate on the salaries of elected officials, the budget was approved with two votes going against it.
The next article was to raise and appropriate $9,360 for a floating office assistant for the town offices. Selectman Steve Dellagiustina said that a floating office assistant would allow for one person to be able to work in any of the town offices, which he said would be advantageous in the event that somebody else becomes sick or is unable to come into work.
“If a position opens up in one of those positions you have somebody that is already trained, who hopefully might be interested in seeking more work,” said Dellagiustina. The floating office assistant funds were approved with two people voting against it.
The next article was a vote to raise $6,000 for a firefighter’s stipend. Firefighters would receive part of the stipend if they attend 75 percent of department trainings, have gone through a six month probationary period, and have been on the job for at least one year. The article passed unanimously.
The next two articles proposed that the Town Clerk and Treasurer positions would become appointed positions rather than elected positions. Article 9 also combined the positions of Treasurer and Tax Collector. Dellagiustina said that changing the positions from elected to appointed would allow for the town to find more qualified candidates for the job. Both articles passed unanimously, but the issue will now need to appear on the town election ballot for it to become final.
Article 10 was to appropriate $270,000 to purchase a new dump truck for the town, and it passed unanimously with little discussion. Article 11 was a vote to raise and appropriate $24,000 to operate the trash enterprise fund. It also passed unanimously with no discussion.
Article 12 was a vote to appropriate $223,614.50 to fund bond payments due in FY22 for the previously approved purchases related to the Public Safety Complex and Department of Public Works, an excavator, a fire truck, and a new truck for the town. Article 12 passed unanimously.
Article 13 was for the purchase of four new breathing apparatus for the fire department for a sum of $37,099.52. The article was amended because it had originally listed an incorrect breathing apparatus and was changed to reflect what the fire department was actually seeking to purchase. The article passed unanimously with no discussion beyond the amendment.
Article 14 passed unanimously and appropriated and transferred $175,000 of free cash to be used for broadband expenses. After the passage of Article 14 it was pointed out that the town now had $187,301 remaining in the free cash account.
Article 15 was to approve a Senior Property Tax Workoff Abatement Program. It would have allowed persons over the age of 60 to volunteer for the town to reduce their property tax by as much as $1,500. Article 15 was the only article to fail on the town warrant. Some residents were concerned that the parameters for allowing seniors to volunteer were too loose. Assistant to the Selectmen Margaret McClellan said that she had been told that such programs can be “an administrative nightmare” in other communities. The article failed with 13 voting against it, 10 people voting for it, and one person abstaining.
Article 16 was a proposal to accept Massachusetts Department of Transportation Chapter 90 funds for the reconstruction of town roads. The article passed unanimously with no discussion. Article 17 proposed that the town should authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for and accept all authorized grants from the Federal Government and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The motion also passed unanimously with no discussion.
Article 18, the final article on the Town Warrant, was to authorize the use of revolving funds for departmental operations totaling $18,000. The article was approved unanimously, and the annual town meeting came to a close.