On October 20 at Town Meeting, Mattapoisett voters will face a 17-article Warrant. During their September 30 meeting, Mattapoisett’s Finance Committee approved all but three.
The three articles that the committee did not approve were outside their purview. Those three articles deal with proposed zoning bylaw changes; the other 14 required their careful consideration and review over the past several weeks. During this meeting, FinCom met with Superintendent of the Water and Sewer Department Nick Nicholson and Principal Assessor Kathleen Costello to discuss the final few articles in need of review.
The warrant still needs to be voted on and approved by the Board of Selectmen. The following is the working document.
Article 1: Acceptance of GL CH.59 Sec. 5L For Active Duty For National Guard and Reserve Personnel. Approval of this article would allow deployed service personnel to defer paying taxes during the length of their deployment. Costello felt it was the least we could do for those serving our country.
Article 2: Interest Reduction On Senior Deferred Taxes. Approval of this article would allow the Town to reset the interest on deferred tax payments by eligible taxpayers – must be 70 years or older and spouse must be 70 or older and income/assets must meet guidelines – from the current rate of eight percent to a lower rate. The percentage to be suggested to the voters will be determined by the Board of Assessors after reviewing rates used by other towns. Costello felt strongly that the current interest rate was too heavy of a financial burden on people already struggling.
Article 3: Petition For Special Enabling Legislation. Approval of this article will allow the Town to seek special legislation that would enable the Town to credit 100 percent of collected boat excise taxes to the Municipal Waterways Fund instead of the current 50 percent.
Article 4: Prior Year Bills. Approval of this article will allow the Town to appropriate $10,416 from Free Cash for the purpose of paying outstanding legal expenses of FY14.
Article 5: Regional Agricultural School Expense Appropriation. Approval of this article will allow the Town to appropriate $72,000 from the Regional School Expense Stabilization Fund to pay tuition for Mattapoisett students attending Bristol Agricultural High School.
Article 6: Funding for Road Improvements. Approval of this article will allow the Town to use the $275,000 cash raised from the sale of tax title properties for road repairs.
Article 7: Contribution To Capital Equipment Stabilization Fund. Approval of this article will allow the Town to appropriate $100,000 from Free Cash to fund the Capital Equipment Stabilization Fund.
Article 8: Contribution to Stabilization Fund. Approval of this article will allow the Town to appropriate $50,000 from Free Cash to fund the Stabilization Fund. This fund is used for unforeseen emergency events such as natural disasters.
Article 9: Funding of Easement for Bike Path. Approval of this article will allow the Town to appropriate $25,000 to secure the last easement needed for the bike path section proposed for construction from Mattapoisett Neck Road to Depot Street.
Article 10: Supplemental Budget Appropriation Water and Sewer. Approval of this article will allow the Town to appropriate $9,200 to supplement the FY15 Annual Operating Budget/Water and Sewer Department.
Article 11: Sewer Operating Budget FY15. Approval of this article will allow the Town to transfer $261,000 from Sewer Retained Earnings to cover projected revenue shortfall in the Sewer Enterprise Fund FY15.
Article 12: Fairhaven Sewer Apportionment of Sewer Costs for Mattapoisett. Approval of this article will allow the Town to pay $185,915 – Mattapoisett’s share of annual sewer system costs – to the Town of Fairhaven. Mattapoisett now uses 18 percent of the system’s capacity.
Article 13: Sewer Project and Grant Industrial Drive. Approval of this article will allow the Town to raise, appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds including state, Federal, or other grant sources to pay for the extension of public sewer service to the Mattapoisett Industrial Park. A second phase of this project will engage the residents north of #42 North Street to the municipal park and ride in dialog regarding the inclusion of their properties in this sewer extension. The town has submitted a state grant in the amount of $825,000 to help offset the anticipated $1.2 million price tag of the project. Betterment payments from Phase II will also offset the costs.
Article 14: Water Main Design and Engineering Costs. Approval of this article will allow the Town to appropriate $22,000 to replace the water main on Mechanic Street.
Articles 15, 16, 17: These three articles (in brief) are being proposed by Brad Saunders of D + E Management LLC (partners with Bay Club) via the Planning Board to see if voters will approve modifications that will allow Limited Industrial Districts to be used as open space, to see if voters will approve modifications that will allow the development of zero-lot line lots (duplex structures) where public water and sewer are available, and to see if voters will approve cluster housing developments in General Business Districts.
Town Meeting is scheduled for October 20 at 6:30 pm in the ORRHS Auditorium.
By Marilou Newell
