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Date: 5/1/2019
HAMPDEN – Hampden will conduct it’s Annual Town Meeting of May 13 at 7 p.m., at the Bethlehem Church, 123 Allen St. Residents will have 25 Articles on which to discuss and vote.
Article One is a formality that presents the Annual Town Reports.
Article Two examines the town’s budget for the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). The total budget is $14,097,380. The largest portions of that budget are estimated at $7,633,905 for the town’s portion of the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District’s budget, $1,600,726 for the police department budget, and $556,667 for county retirement.
The budget was in flux right up until the Select Board finalized the Warrant on April 29.
Article Three is a for house-keeping item asking the town to authorize payment of any remaining bills from Fiscal Year 2018. There are none outstanding.
Article Four sets the spending limits for Revolving Funds that need annual approvals. The Building Department Fund would be set at $85,000, the Board of Health Fund at $20,000, the Cemetery Commission Fund at $25,000, and the Council on Aging Fund at $21,000. The Library Fund would be set at $3,000, the Conservation Commission Fund at $2,600, and the Planning Board Fund would be set at $10,000.
Article Five, the Enterprise Fund Transfer Station, asks that the town funds the recycling and trash programs.
Article Six would appropriate money for the two of Community Preservation Committee’s projects. One project is the purchase of just under 23 and a half acres, called West Brook II, from Russell and Laura J. Morton, estimated at $72,720. The second project involves the repair of the Prospect Hill Cemetery fence which would cost approximately $24,780. The Article would also appropriate necessary annual dues to Community Preservation Coalition.
Article Seven would appropriate money for the Conservation Fund for purchase of available land for conservation.
Article Eight accepts $256,649 in Chapter 90 funds from the state for Highway Aid.
Article Nine proposes the replacement of the current 1996 Mack Dump Truck used by the Highway Department. The replacement cost is $248,000.
Article 10 would appropriate money to build an addition on the Highway Garage at a cost of $280,000.
Article 11 directs any state aid provided to the Library to be available to the Library Trustees to use at their discretion.
Articles 12 and 13 are house-keeping items that would add $14,000 to the Assessor’s Stabilization Fund and pay $10,025 from the fund for FY20 Department of Revenue mandated programs.
Article 14 would establish a Capital Improvement Planning Committee, to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The Committee would study major, “non-recurring,” projects and deliver an annual report to be submitted to the Board.
Article 15 would allow for a six-month moratorium on the demolition of “historical” structures that might be detrimental to the town. The Historical Commission would advise owners on options that would preserve or restore such structures. Exceptions may be made for emergency demolitions in the interest of safety.
Article 16 provides up to $40,000 for a Fire House assessment and feasibility study to explore building an addition to the existing structure with the ability to hold a second modern tanker.
Article 17 would appropriate $500,000 for the replacement of the current 1991 water tanker used by the Fire Department. The article would authorize the town to finance the tanker through a bond.
Article 18 would provide $40,000 to hire a consultant and draft specifications for a new emergency radio system for the Police and Fire Departments. Police Chief Farnsworth has stressed the state of the current system is precarious and will fail given enough time.
Article 19 would set boundary lines for the “Allen Street/Wilbraham Road Improvement District.” Setting a district is the first step to procuring District Improvement Financing from the state which would be used for a proposed water and sewer system. A map of the proposed boundaries will be available with the Warrant at the meeting.
This is easily the most contentious article on the warrant, as many residents have speculated that the project will only benefit certain businesses in town, namely, the GreatHorse Country Club. GreatHorse would like to build condominiums, which some residents are against having in town.
Article 20 seeks up to $25,000 for a feasibility study looking at a Senior Center expansion, as the number of residents using the center grows.
Article 21 authorizes the Board of Selectmen to negotiate a 10-year recycling services contract with a MassDEP-approved vendor through a competitive bidding process.
Article 22 provides $11,164 for Hampden’s portion of the cost of a school resource officer at Minnechaug Regional High School. The cost of this article has remained fairly static for the last few years.
Article 23 would add $25,000 to the town’s Reserve Fund.
Article 24 appropriates funds to the General Stabilization Fund.
Lastly, Article 25 would use money from the General Stabilization Fund to reduce the FY20 tax rate.
A total of $436,164 is expended through warrant appropriations.