Residents make their voices heard at Town Meeting

May 18, 2018 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

Residents raised their voter cards at Wilbraham’s Annual Town Meeting on May 14.
Reminder Publications photo by Payton North.

WILBRAHAM –  Roughly 275 residents attended Wilbraham’s Annual Town Meeting on May 14. Several townspeople commented their surprise with the low-turnout. The Town Meeting Warrant was host to 58 articles ranging from the approval of the town’s budget, road paving, prohibition on recreational (non-medical) marijuana establishments, microbrewery regulations, helicopter landing areas and mixed use buildings.

Article Seven

Warrant article Seven was posed to residents in attendance to hear and act on the report of the Finance Committee together with the appropriations recommended by them, and to raise sums of money as deemed necessary for defraying the expenses of the town for the ensuing fiscal year.

Finance Committee Chairman Daniel Miles offered a presentation for the Committee, sharing that the town has a “strong free cash position” for $2.4 million. He went on to explain that the total proposed budget for fiscal year 2019 is $47,541,346, which is $649,772 under the tax levy limit. Approximately 54 percent of the budget is going toward education. Additional funding in large amounts are going toward public works, public safety and employee benefits.

Miles explained that future challenges for the town include the building of a new senior center, a middle school solution and maintenance of existing properties.

“Personnel are the most valuable asset, but also the most expensive,” Miles said.

Director of Finance, Operations and Human Resources Howard Barber presented for the School District and explained that there was a decrease to Hampden’s assessment due to an enrollment decrease.  Barber showed that there was a total enrollment decrease of 38 students, with a 49-student reduction in Hampden and an 11-student increase in Wilbraham. Since October 2011, Barber said, Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) enrollment has declined by 412 or 12.23 percent.

Continuing, Barber explained that there had been a total revenue increase of 15.93 percent, as the School Committee has committed $600,000 worth of school choice to suppress assessments.

Resident Matt Villamaino questioned, “I heard that we were up to $230,000 with the lawsuit with Hampden, is that true? Where is that money coming from?”

Barber responded that currently, there has not been a value specified for the legal fee.

“We’re currently working with additional contingency plans however I can’t disclose. There was not specifically anything budgeted when all of the circumstances developed,” Barber told Villamaino.

Moving forward, the town voted unanimously to approve Article Seven.

Article 21

Article 21 was in place to see if the town would vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from the stabilization fund or transfer from available funds $150,000 to repave, resurface and/or crack seal public ways. The article explains that this would provide the town with additional funding for re-pavement and road surface preservation of streets in Wilbraham. The warrant notes, this would be the seventh year of a ten-year effort to catch up on the DPW’s pavement management plan.

The motion carried unanimously.

Article 28

Article 28 was a Zoning Bylaw Amendment for a prohibition on recreational (non-medical) marijuana establishments.     

The warrant explained, “This housekeeping article seeks to amend the Wilbraham Zoning bylaw by deleting the temporary moratorium on recreational (commercial/non-medical) marijuana establishments that was adopted at the 2017 annual town meeting and by adding new language to the existing use regulations prohibiting such marijuana establishments in all zoning districts for improved administrative clarity pursuant to and in conformance with previous votes banning such marijuana establishments in the Town of Wilbraham passed at the Annual Town Meeting on May 15, 2017 and by referendum ballot at the 2017 Annual Town Election on May 20, 2017.”

Planning Board member John McCloskey stated that this article was an “administrative change to the Zoning Bylaws to accommodate what we did last year.”

Resident Andrew Levinton questioned, “What is the big deal about buying marijuana in this town?” To which he received no response.

The motion carried by a two-thirds majority, with roughly only eight residents voting against the article.

Article 29

Warrant Article 28 was in reference to a zoning bylaw amendment with microbrewery regulations. Essentially, McCloskey explained that this amendment would add to the definition of microbrewery regulations allowing for food and entertainment so long as proper permits are obtained.

The motion carried unanimously.

Article 30

Article 30 was also a zoning bylaw amendment in regard to helicopter landing areas in residential zoning districts. “The article seeks to amend the Wilbraham zoning bylaw by expressly prohibiting heliports, helipads and similar types of noncommercial private restricted landing areas as an accessory residential use in all residential zoning districts.”

This article produced much discussion, as Planning Board member James Moore explained that in the year 2000 there was a similar bylaw preventing this.  However, in 2006, the bylaw was determined by the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission to not be enforceable. He continued to share that in 2007 the town voted to delete this section in the bylaws, however as of January 8 of this year the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial court issued a decision that says the town can again insert this into the bylaws.

Self-described new Wilbraham resident, Rich Palentino stated, “I wouldn’t think we need to be this close minded or far sighted. Is there a local issue that brought this up?”

Moore stated yes, “A rumor which turned out to be inaccurate was going through town that someone wanted to put a helipad in a residential area. As it turned out, that didn’t happen.”

An additional resident chimed in, stating “This boggles my mind that we’re doing all of this over a rumor.”

Nonetheless, the motion carried by a two-thirds majority.

Article 32

Warrant Article 32 was a zoning bylaw amendment in relation to the conversion of an existing building to a mixed use building in the N.O. and N.S. zoning districts. “This article seeks to amend the Wilbraham zoning bylaw by adding new definitions and regulations to allow and existing commercial building in the Neighborhood Office (N.O.) or the Neighborhood Shopping (N.S.) zoning districts to be converted to a mixed use building by special permit from the Planning Board,” the warrant explains.

Resident John Broderick said, “These buildings could be torn down tomorrow and replaced with more modern buildings. The reason for this [article] is to try to make downtown more viable. I wouldn’t call it apartment buildings; it’s two, three, four apartment; one bedroom, expensive apartments to live in. That’s the idea this developer is trying to do something with these buildings that have been left vacant. I think it’s a good idea to help with downtown.”

Resident Michael Dane expressed his concern, stating, “The Planning Board doesn’t always work for us. This really is a long term thing to consider.”

Resident Judy Smerill added, “Mixed use buildings have been an important part of cities for ages. I think this sounds like a good idea to have people down there in that area. I heard some comment about Section 8 housing, and if that’s supposed to be put in there, what’s wrong with that? We’re supposed to be a welcoming town.”

When the article was put to a vote, the votes had to be counted as it was too close to determine a majority.  Following the voting count, 164 residents were for the article, and 100 against. The article did not carry due to it requiring a 2/3 vote.

Articles 52, 53 and 54

Articles 52, 53 and 54 were all proposed amendments to the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District agreement.  The School Committee recommended that the Town take no action, and the town voted on no action for the three articles.

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