SOUTHWICK – Registered voters have the opportunity to weigh-in on numerous articles during the Annual Town Meeting (ATM) and a Special Town Meeting (STM).
The STM begins at 6:15 p.m. in the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School auditorium.The first article on the STM is a transfer of $94,820 for various salary accounts, including $1,145 for the selectmen’s assistant, $1,830 for the chief administrative officer, $1,383 for the town clerk/treasuer/collector, and $1,290 for the building and grounds supervisor, among others.
A second article is to transfer $408.500 from free cash for several line systems, including roads, snow and ice removal, ambulance billing and veteran’s services. Other articles on the STM are also fund transfers, including two related to the SCADA system for the Department of Public Works. There are nine articles for the STM.
At 7 p.m., the ATM will begin, with 39 articles on the warrant. There are several housekeeping articles as well as numerous financial requests for consideration. including the town budget. Among the articles are a request to appropriate funds to design and construct a new water main in the Powder Mill Road area in conjunction with the sewer project. The existing water mains are old and undersized and an appropriation of $1,400,000 to pay costs of purchasing and installing water meters, including the payment of all costs incidental and related thereto, both requested by the Water Commission and DPW.
Another major fund request is to see if the Town will appropriate $300,000 to pay costs of sewer system design associated with sewer system improvements in the College Highway North area, including the payment of all costs incidental and related thereto; to determine whether this amount shall be raised by taxation, transfer from available funds, borrowing or otherwise, or to take any other action relative thereto, with a second article to appropriate $3,130,000.00 to pay costs of designing and constructing sewers in the Powder Mill Road area.
Town Meeting voters will also decide on a driveway bylaw to clarify the procedure for getting a driveway permit. To specify the extent and limits of the Town’s control over cuts into Town right of ways along approved Public Ways. The said control extends along the right of way encompassing the drainage and roadway infrastructure along with control extending 25 feet on to the property. Also set the procedure in place for possible allowance of a Common Driveway under certain circumstances.
Another article concerns a common driveway bylaw.
A complete list of all warrant articles is available o the town web site.
