Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles

ARTICLE 1: To choose a MODERATOR and a TREE WARDEN, both for one year terms. A SELECT BOARD MEMBER, A BOARD OF ASSESSORS MEMBER, TWO (2) FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, A SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER, A BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBER, TWO (2) CONSTABLES, A PARK COMMISSIONER, , and A SEWER COMMISSIONER all for three year terms; A PLANNING BOARD MEMBER and a LIBRARY TRUSTEE, both for five years; A SELECT BOARD MEMBER for an unexpired term (two (2) years); A BOARD OF ASSESSORS MEMBER for an expired term (two (2) years); A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBER for an unexpired term (one (1) year); A SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER for an expired term (two (2) years).

To vote on the following question:

“Shall the Town of Ashfield be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the purchase of a truck and plow for the highway department?”

Polls to be closed at 6:00 PM.

ARTICLE 2: To act on the reports of the Town Officers.

ARTICLE 3: To see if the Town will vote to set the salary compensation for all elected officials of the town (Select Board, Board of Assessors, Board of Health, Moderator, Tree Warden and Constable) as provided by MGL Chapter 41, Section 108, to be made effective from July 1, 2010, as contained in the budget, or act relative thereto.

ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for VOCATIONAL SCHOOL EXPENSES AND EDUCATIONAL CAPITAL EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Capital 117,566
Vocational 430,000

ARTICLE 5: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds $1,818,364 to pay for REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES or act relative thereto.

ARTICLE 6: To see if the Town of Ashfield shall allow the Mohawk Trail Regional School District to establish stabilization funds in accordance with M.G.L. c. 71 section 16G½ for capital projects with regard to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District High School and Middle School or act relative thereto.

ARTICLE 7: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for AMBULANCE SERVICE or act relative thereto:

Highland Assessment 20,241
Radio Assessment 1,200

ARTICLE 8: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds $3,000 to pay for the RESERVE ACCOUNT, or act relative thereto.

ARTICLE 9: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for GENERAL GOVERNMENT EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Appeals Board 150
Elected Assessor Chair 0
Elected Assessor Salaries (2) @ 1,250 0
Assessor’s Clerk 12,808
Assessor’s Expenses 25,900
Accounting Expenses 0
Auditor 9,500
Conservation Commission 900
Bonds 1,200
Insurance Buildings/Liability 33,000
Office Expenses 0
Office Supplies/Expenses 5,650
Postage 250
Computer/Internet 2,500
Planning Board 700
Elections 3,500
Registrars of Voters 400
Town Administrator 27,816
Street Lists 500
Municipal Town Clerk Salary 7,628
Municipal Town Clerk Asst. 10,868
Town Clerk Expenses 100
Town Report 500
Collector 16,754
Town Collector Expenses 9,182
Town Counsel 10,000
Town Hall Maintenance 7,000
Town Hall Utilities 14,000
Elected Select Board Chair 0
Elected Select Board Salaries (2) @ 1,250 0
Select Board Expenses 800
Elected Moderator 0
Treasurer Salary 12,509
Treasurer Expenses 1,500
Tax Title 13,000
TOTAL 228,615

ARTICLE 10: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available fund the following sums of money to pay for the following CAPITAL EXPENDITURES or act relative thereto:

Ambulance Capital 3,205

ARTICLE 11: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for PUBLIC SAFETY expenses or act relative thereto:

Animal Control Salary 1,729
Animal Control Expenses 550
Fire Chief’s Salary 2,594
Fire Chief’s Expenses 340
Fire Department Expenses 29,250
Fire Department Utilities 7,110
Fire Department Fuel 2,500
Emergency Management 1,000
Lake Dam Inspection 1,500
Police Chief Salary 48,375
Police Sergeant Salary 0
Police Department 39,135
Police Department Fuel 6,000
Drug/Alcohol Testing 300
Tree Warden 0
Tree Warden Expenses 4,000
TOTAL 144,383

ARTICLE 12: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for CULTURAL/RECREATIONAL EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Belding Memorial Library 29,700
Belding Memorial Park 10,855
Veterans Graves 720
TOTAL 41,275

ARTICLE 13: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for SANITATION SERVICES or act relative thereto:

Hilltown Resource Management 5,825
Transfer Station 68,100
Transfer Station Utilities 900
Inspector of Animals 350
TOTAL 75,175

ARTICLE 14: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for HEALTH SERVICES or act relative thereto.

FRCOG Health 7,412
Health Board Expenses 900
Elected Board of Health Salaries 3 @ 450 0
TOTAL 8,312

ARTICLE 15: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for HIGHWAY AND ROAD EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

General Highway 26,700
Labor 152,756
Machinery Maintenance 31,500
Highway Fuel 41,500
Highway Department Utilities 12,600
Uniforms 0
Highway Superintendent 51,374
Winter Roads 85,424
Street Lights 0
Lake Dam Maintenance 1,000
TOTAL 402,854

ARTICLE 16: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate an additional sum up to $145,000 to meet the Town’s share of the costs of purchasing a new truck for the highway department to serve the Town of Ashfield; that to meet such appropriation the Town Treasurer with the approval of the Select Board, be authorized to borrow up to the sum of $145,000; provided that the borrowing authorized hereunder shall be contingent on the passage of a debt exclusion under Proposition 2½.

ARTICLE 17: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for HUMAN SERVICES EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Council on Aging 22,162
Local Council 50
Veterans’ Council 3,705
Veterans’ Benefits Local 1,000
TOTAL 26,917

ARTICLE 18: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for EMPLOYEE BENEFIT EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Health Insurance 66,800
Medicare/FICA 11,000
Retiree Benefit-Health 10,500
Retirement Sys. Contributions 70,392
Sick Leave (Departing Employee) 0
Vacation/Personal (Departing Employee) 0
Unemployment 35,300
Workers Compensation 12,000
TOTAL 205,992

ARTICLE 19: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for FRANKLIN REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Core Assessment 15,313
Accountant 17,423
Software 1,250
Procurement 2,200
Radio Maintenance 2,360
Inspector Program 39,999
TOTAL 78,545

ARTICLE 20: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $135,400 from the Sewer Enterprise Fund for sewer expenses and to meet that appropriation by raising $125,400 from sewer charges and transferring $10,000 from retained earnings of the Sewer Enterprise Fund for a total of $135,400 to pay for SEWER EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Salaries and Benefits 72,350
Fixed Operating Costs 2,000
Volume Based Costs 56,050
Emergency Fund 5,000
TOTAL 135,400

ARTICLE 21: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the following sums of money to pay for DEBT EXPENSES or act relative thereto:

Short Term Interest 7,500
Town Common Principal 15,000
Town Common Interest 3,300
Highway Debt 85,099
TOTAL 110,899

ARTICLE 22: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the following Revolving Fund Accounts pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 53E ½, to account for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009 or act relative thereto:

Revolving Fund Authorized to Spend Revenue Source Use of fund FY2011 Spending Limit
Dog License and Control Town Clerk Licenses, fines and donations Supplies, animal care, by law permitted expenses
$2,500
Park
Park Commission Program fees, donations Park Expenses
$1,500

Library

Library Board of Trustees Fees, rental Library expenses
$2,000

ARTICLE 23: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to appoint a select board member to serve as Emergency Management Director, and to supervise him in that position, while he continues to serve as a select board member, or act relative thereto.

ARTICLE 24: To see if the Town will vote to adopt the following non-criminal disposition bylaw for the violation of Board of Heath private well regulations

Non-criminal disposition: Whoever violates any provision of the Board of Health’s “Private Well Regulations”, may be penalized by the non-criminal method of disposition as provided in MGL Chapter 40, Section 21D.

Each day on which any violation exists shall be deemed to be a separate offense. For the purpose of this provision, the penalty to apply in the event of a violation shall be as follows:

First violation: written warning
Second violation: $100.00
Third and subsequent violations: $200.00

B.
Enforcement of this bylaw shall be implemented by the Board of Health or its designated agent.

ARTICLE 25: To see if the Town will vote to enter into immediate discussions with other Western Massachusetts municipalities with the intent of entering an inter-municipal agreement, by and through the Select Board, pursuant to Chapter 40, Section 4A of the Massachusetts General Laws, for the purpose of establishing a universal, open access, financially self-sustaining
communication system for the provision of broadband service, including high-speed Internet
access, telephone and cable television to the residents, businesses and institutions of these
municipalities; or act relatives thereto.

ARTICLE 26: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to accept and expend any grants and/or gifts that may become available, or act relative thereto.

ARTICLE 27: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to dispose of any unused town-owned equipment and/or property, or act relative thereto.