By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
4/30/09
Town Meeting members will have a lot to consider once Town Moderator Brian Walsh drops his gavel next week.
The 100-page warrant for Annual Town Meeting, which begins May 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Milton High School auditorium, contains 50 articles on matters ranging from wind turbines to affordable housing.
There are articles on zoning, one to bridge a snow budget gap and one to merge the town’s maintenance budgets.
There could also be an interesting debate over mosquitoes.
And there is also, of course, the fiscal year 2010 budget. Town Meeting will again have to consider scenarios with or without a tax hike to bring in additional revenue.
Without the passage of an override, the town faces the prospect of having to operate under a budget with $1 million less than this year, or $72.5 million. With the costs of utilities and services going up, and contractual pay raises to be paid, that means significant cuts would be necessary in most departments. The town can also expect to have somewhere around $770,000 less in state aid than it has to spend in the current budget.
Town Meeting members will have two budgets put before them, one that reflects override funding and one that does not.
Selectmen will have until the second night of Town Meeting, May 5, to determine the size of the override budget. They have planned a June 8 override election.
Meanwhile, Annual Town Meeting will have its hands full with a host of other issues.
Blue Hill Avenue Overlay Zone
Perhaps the most talked-about article leading into Town Meeting revolves around the future of Temple Shalom, the town’s only remaining Jewish house of worship.
The Temple, which has six decades of history in Milton, has announced it can no longer maintain in its current building at 180 Blue Hill Ave. due to its unsuitable size for the congregation. The article proposes the establishment of an institutional/business overlay, meaning the parcel of land would be rezoned to allow for commercial development.
The Temple’s proposal is to sell a portion of the land and downsize into a smaller, new building. On the land, a pharmacy and retail/office building would be constructed.
The Planning Board over several nights heard public testimony from residents, many of whom expressed opposition to the commercial aspect because they say it would encroach on nearby residences. Others said they would support the plan because it is the only way Temple Shalom can afford to keep its congregation in town.
The Planning Board voted to recommend further study of the proposal.
Wind Turbines
Another much-discussed article is a proposal to create new zoning for the town to build wind turbines.
Energy officials have said that two turbines, if placed in an area with sufficient wind, would produce enough energy to pay the entire energy bill for the town’s buildings, including the schools.
The town is currently undertaking a feasibility study funded by the state. The land where the zoning would apply is a town-owned parcel near Granite Links in the Quarry Hills area.
The estimated cost for each turbine is around $4 million, a portion or all of which could be covered with grants or federal stimulus money.
The Warrant Committee will recommend that the zoning be approved.
Affordable Housing Trust
Town Meeting will also be introduced to a proposal for the establishment of an affordable housing trust fund.
The trust would be a five-member board that would include a sitting selectman, according to the article.
The first order of the trust would be to accept $50,000 from the developers of the condos at 2 Adams St. The developer, Brockton-based STF Enterprises, has agreed to pay that portion for affordable-housing development.
However, the town currently has no way to oversee how that money is spent.
The Warrant Committee will also recommend a yes vote on that article.
Consolidated Energy Maintenance
Another article will propose the idea of consolidating resources between the town and school buildings.
The measure would allow school and town officials to enter talks to potentially create a new facilities department, with a director to oversee maintenance for all the town and school buildings, as opposed to departments doing it independently.
Selectmen established a review committee to study the idea and they have deemed it could be a source of cost and resource savings.
The Warrant Committee will recommend a yes vote.
Snow and Ice
One article recommends the town spend $488,073 from available funds – including the remainder of the town free cash – to cover a large deficit for winter storms.
The current budget had just $128,000 set aside for snow-and-ice removal and the town has spent around $728,000.
Some of the deficit would have to be carried into the FY 10 budget, which officials hope to cover in next year’s tax levy.
The Warrant Committee will recommend paying the bill.
Grave Liner Sales
A revolving account for the sale of cemetery grave liners has also garnered the Warrant Committee’s support.
An article submitted by the Cemetery Trustees would authorize them to establish a revolving account of up to $60,000 to buy and sell grave liners in bulk.
According to the committee, it would allow them to be less reliant on annual appropriations, as they could create their own revenue stream outside of the budget.
Mosquito Debate
Another citizens’ petition will ask Town Meeting to withdraw the town from the Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project.
Petitioners argue the annual cost to be in the program – $67,000 – isn’t worth it, and the town should explore cheaper alternatives.
However, the Warrant Committee and the Board of Health have expressed opposition to the petition.