Gateway Budget, Zoning
Board Vacancies Discussed
by Amy Porter
Hilltown correspondent
The Russell Select Board held its regular meeting last night with Chairman Nancy Mezger, Pandora Hague and Keith Cortis in attendance.
At the meeting, Chairman Nancy Mezger asked for a report on the Gateway Budget.
Town administrator Nancy Boersig reported that Gateway Budget Version 2.1 will be voted on Wednesday night by the Gateway School Committee, after Version 2.0 was rejected last week by one vote. She said the difference in the new version is the reduction of funding for the stabilization fund.
Boersig said Russell’s increase is still over $100,000. She said that she is in the process of drafting a town budget right now. “I’m not looking very good right now, about half a million dollars off,” Boersig said.
Pandora Hague said that she will be attending the School Committee meeting, adding, “I really think we should be trying to involve the powers that be, because they have taken so much away,” referring to the loss of state revenue to the Gateway district.
Hague said Dr. David Hopson, Gateway Superintendent, suggested people write letters, too. “We’re 1,700 people. If the residents of the town write, it all adds up in the end.” Hague said she’ll be writing a letter, and suggested people write to the governor, and “right on down the list.”
Following the meeting, Nancy Mezger said, “We understand what Gateway is going through, but the towns can’t absorb much more. All we want to do is provide a quality education that we can afford.”
In other town matters, George Blanchard was nominated for another term as Animal Control Officer.
Keith Cortis announced that work to fill in the town pool will be started in two weeks.
Nancy Mezger said this time last year thirty people had not bought stickers for the transfer station, but due to the imposition of new late fees, that number has been reduced to four, with two of them having already applied.
“It worked,” Mezger said.
A meeting was announced on April 5 for the Gateway Regional Emergency Advisory Team , and a discussion ensued as to who would attend.
Keith Cortis said, “If you join, some of your emergency management monies will go into their pool, then if you need it, you have to ask for it back.” Cortis said this discussion was “going around” the towns. A decision was made by the Select Board not to attend the regional meeting. “We need to keep every penny in our town,” Mezger said.
A motion was made to accept “with regret” Ronald Merritt’s letter of resignation from the Russell Zoning Board for personal reasons. Dana Huff will also be moving out of town, leaving three vacancies on the board. Nancy Boersig said there are several pending issues that need to be addressed in upcoming weeks, including the Holiday Hill Wind Project. Nancy Mezger said, “Effective immediately, we need a zoning board.”
Peter Ledit of the Water Committee had expressed concern to Nancy Boersig, town administrator, about the Woronoco bridge, following a water pipe break. After a discussion of the many concerns around the condemned bridge, Chairman Mezger requested that Ledit be asked to come and speak to the Select Board at an upcoming meeting.
