HUNTINGTON – The town Board of Selectmen met on Wednesday evening in Town Hall before moving to Stanton Hall to meet with town officials to review the warrants and order for the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, June 5 at 7 p.m. in Stanton Hall, and for the Special Town Meeting to precede it at 6:30 p.m.
Huntington town officials meet to prepare for Town Meeting on Monday, June 5. (Photo by Amy Porter)
The longest discussion of the meeting centered on Article 10, Gateway Regional’s above minimum assessment to Huntington, which is $733,797 in the FY18 budget, compared to $527,709 in FY17. The above minimum assessment is largely based on the student census of March 1, which determines Huntington’s share of the student population at Gateway, currently at more than 29%.
Ed Renauld, chair of the Board of Selectmen, said the board is not recommending passage of the article as written. Darlene McVeigh, chair of the Finance Committee, said her committee is also not recommending passage as written.
Renauld said other towns altered the figure in their town meeting warrants, but Huntington’s attorney recommended keeping in Gateway’s figure, and amending it from the floor. Renauld was referring to the town of Russell’s Annual Town Meeting on May 8, at which the article for that town’s above minimum contribution (Russell was assessed the same as Huntington due to the same percentage share of students this year) contained the lower figure of $550,000. At that meeting, Russell School Committee member Lyndsey Papillon moved to amend the figure back to the original $733,797 requested by Gateway, but the amendment was defeated, and the lower amount passed, effectively voting down the school budget.
At the Huntington town meeting on Monday, Article 10 will be read by moderator George Peterson as written with the assessment of $733,797 for Huntington’s share of the over-minimum contribution to the budget for Gateway, and a motion will be made. Following that motion, Renauld will move to amend the figure, decreasing it by $68,000.
“Whatever we lower it to is a no vote, so the amount doesn’t really matter,” said treasurer Aimee Burnham at the meeting on Wednesday.
Renauld said if the town passes the amended lower figure, and Gateway’s budget does not pass four out of the six towns, the district will have to present another budget to the towns. If they come back with an above-minimum assessment equaling Huntington’s figure or lower, then the town would not have to call another special town meeting to vote on the budget. Any vote on an above-minimum contribution at the Annual Town Meeting will be taken by paper ballot, and will require a two-thirds majority to pass.
Two years ago, Huntington had to call three special town meetings to attempt to pass the Gateway budget, which never passed four of the six towns by the deadline of Dec. 1. After the failure to pass a budget, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Educaton (DESE) took control of the school for the remainder of FY16. Last year, the FY17 budget passed in May on its first try.
Currently, three towns including Blandford, Montgomery and Middlefield have passed the FY18 budget, with Russell voting it down. Huntington will vote at the Annual Town meeting on Monday, and Chester will vote on Saturday, June 10.
Huntington selectman Ed Renauld was feted for his birthday before the meeting on Wednesday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
The Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee are recommending approval of the other two Gateway articles, including the minimum contribution set by the state and transportation/debt, and also of the articles addressing vocational school tuition and transportation.
Other articles to be voted on at Monday’s meeting include transfers from Free Cash of $35,000 for a new police cruiser, and one to authorize the treasurer to borrow $180,000 for a new dump truck for the Highway Department. Another $35,000 transfer from Free Cash is being requested for the installation of a cooling system in the Stanton Hall and Town Hall buildings, which will be matched by $35,000 from the Stanton Fund.
Residents will also be asked to vote for transfers from the town’s stabilization fund of $10,000 for the purpose of holding a fireworks event in early Fall of 2017, and $300,000 for the repair of Searle Road bridge, the latter an amount that will be reimbursed by the Mass DOT’s Small Bridge Grant program.
In addition, the town will vote to amend the zoning bylaw to place a temporary moratorium on marijuana establishments. Planning Board chair Linda Hamlin said the purpose of the amendment is to allow the board to get a bylaw in place prior to the state issuing licenses. Hamlin said otherwise “we will have no control over what business may get a license.”
Hamlin also said that the moratorium was recommended by the town attorneys, who according to Hamlin said the town should get something in place in order to have a say. She said most planning boards are considering a moratorium. Police Chief Robert Garriepy said a moratorium is also endorsed by the Massachusetts Police Association.
