Hampden prepares warrant for Special Town Meeting

Sept. 16, 2020 | Sarah Heinonen
sarah@thereminder.com

The Hampden Select Board discusses finalizing the Special Town Meeting warrant with members of the town’s Advisory Board via Zoom.
Photo credit: youtube.com

HAMPDEN – The Town of Hampden will be conducting its Special Town Meeting on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at Thornton W. Burgess School.

There are 11 articles on the warrant. Articles 2, 8, 10 and 11 would use funds from the town’s free cash account, which has a balance of $435,000.

The first article considers the purchase of a new police cruiser. Originally, the topic was set to be voted on at the annual town meeting in May, but it was pushed to the special town meeting to spread out the impact of big-ticket items.

Article 2 will provide the tree warden with an additional $100,000 from the town’s free cash account to finish removing dead and dangerous trees located on town property. This is the second $100,000 installment to remove the dead trees, which pose a public safety hazard during storms. Trees across the region were decimated by an infestation of gypsy moths in 2016 and 2017. Tree Warden Dana Pixley identified over 400 trees in need of removal during a summer 2019 audit of the town’s trees.

Article 4 would amend the zoning by-law to allow for an “EMT operational base” to be located in town. As explained by Select Board Chair Donald Davenport at the Sept. 14 board meeting, the current zoning language prohibits an emergency service company from operating out of a town building. Action Ambulance, a private ambulance company with which the town has contracted began running out of a building on East Longmeadow Road on July 1, and this language change adapts the by-law in light of the town’s contract. The by-law regulates the use of the operational base, as well as parking, signage and storage of vehicles.

Article 6 would allow the select board to negotiate a PILOT agreement with the Ameresco company which is in the regulatory process of putting a large–scale ground-mounted solar facility on top of the former town dump. A PILOT agreement is one in which the company pays a structured yearly amount to the town rather than property taxes, which can vary from year to year.

At the Sept. 14 select board meeting, Advisory Board Co–Chair Doug Boyd questioned taking up this question at a special town meeting, which is generally reserved for housekeeping measures and time-sensitive issues. Select Board Member John Flynn explained that the goal was to begin collecting revenue from the solar project in time for the next budget cycle, rather than waiting for the 2021 annual town meeting to receive the town’s permission.

The fire station was recently surveyed as part of an expansion feasibility study and found to have a safety issue in which exhaust from vehicles running in the fire station can create a dangerous buildup of chemicals in the building. Article 7 seeks funding to mitigate hazardous conditions through one or more of several potential solutions, such as the rental of temporary office trailers. Future funding will be sought to permanently renovate or rebuild the fire station.The language in Article 7 was changed shortly before the warrant was signed to specify the purpose of the requested funding.

The town is carrying roughly $565,000 in outstanding short term debt. Article 8 would use $190,000 from free cash to pay down a portion of that debt. Boyd said at the Sept. 14 meeting that paying off debt would take advantage of current low interest rates. Town Treasurer Dick Patullo disagreed with that move. He said that the money would be better spent lowering the tax rate, in addition to the $125,000 already set aside for that in Article 11.

“We use debt to try to flatten spikes in the tax rate,” Patullo said. He added that the strategy has worked well in previous years and future municipal income is “unpredictable at best.” Generally, the town tries to keep increases to the tax rate between 2 percent and 2.5 percent. Select Board Chair Donald Davenport agreed with Patullo and said he would rather put the money toward keeping the tax rate low for residents.

Interim Town Administrator Bob Markel noted that quickly paying off debt on items that the town will use for years to come “squeezes” current taxpayers and gives a break to taxpayers who will use the amenities in future years.

Article 10 would return about $182,000 from free cash to the stabilization fund to pay back a portion of the $300,000 taken from the account at annual town meeting to fund expenditures. The stabilization account is similar in purpose to a savings account for the town.

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