FinCom Reviews Warrant Articles

With just a couple of weeks left before the spring annual and special town meetings on May 11, the Mattapoisett Finance Committee on April 22 reviewed warrant articles with price tags heading to the vote.

The Board of Selectmen had been meeting with the Finance Committee and Town Administrator Michael Gagne for the past several weeks leading up to Town Meeting, asking questions and providing input. But suffice it to say, nearly everything was ready for a public airing. The Board of Selectmen accepted the warrant and voted on it during its April 28 meeting.

The Special Town Meeting warrant will feature appropriations to cover costs on a variety of disparate articles, such as additional funding for Phase 1B of the Bike Path and unexpected snow removal costs from historic weather conditions.

This warrant lists: $66,000 from free cash for engineering and permitting costs associated with the bike path; $400,000 for water main replacement on Mechanic Street; $205,000 for water main replacement on Cove Street; and $75,000 for snow removal. Some articles will be paid through free cash while others will be paid from enterprise funds, depending on the appropriate source.

The Finance Committee agreed with all requested amounts from the Special Town Meeting warrant.

As for the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting, there are presently 46 articles that voters will be asked to consider. Of those, a little over 50 percent relate to costs associated with running the town. FinCom members found nearly everything in order and agreed to recommend the articles reviewed.

Here’s a sneak peak at what voters can expect to find on the warrant that was accepted by the selectmen and released to the public:

– Elected officers’ compensation: This is year two of a three-year voted increase in salaries for elected officers of the town, such as moderator (up from $215 to $231), Board of Selectmen ($3,990 to $4,289), town clerk ($53,658 to $55,731) and highway surveyor ($72,629 to $75,940).

– OPEB liabilities: Once again, voters will be asked to approve appropriations to fund retirement-based obligations. This year, that sum is $343,736.

– Capital Plan funding: This amount, which was vetted and approved by the FinCom members, stands at $363,396 and features such items as public safety vehicles, a Highway Department truck with plow, pedestrian crossing signal lights on Route 6, and playground repairs at Old Hammondtown School.

There will be several articles for roadway and sidewalk repairs, wharf repairs, water and sewer needs, and freshwater well refurbishment. Voters will be asked to approve tens of thousands of dollars for these infrastructure improvements and upgrades.

The selectmen, during a previous meeting with Gagne, discussed the possibility of looking into re-routing the Eel Pond forced sewer main from its current position to one in a less environmentally sensitive area. That notion will appear as a funding request in an article titled “Design and costing new forced main at Eel Pond” for the sum of $40,000. If passed, that money would be used to fund engineering, design, and costing to a location that is better protected from storm damage.

The Special Town Meeting warrant was signed during a public meeting in Gagne’s office on April 24. On April 28, during the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Gagne submitted the final Annual Town Meeting warrant for signing and posting to the public.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee is scheduled for April 29 at 6:00 pm.

By Marilou Newell

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