Town officials endorse articles
Published on March 17th, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - Moving with purpose to later address the Fiscal Year 2005 budget typhoon, the Stoneham Board of Selectmen voted on endorsing each of the May 3 Town Meeting Warrant Articles at this week's meeting.
The board quickly rifled through the first four articles which concern placing each of the vacant town offices on the April 6 election ballot. The posts up for election include: Town Clerk, two Selectmen, one three-year term for School Committee, a one-year term for School Committee, a Board of Assessors position, two Library Trustees posts, one Board of Health member, one Planning Board post, and one Housing Authority seat.
The Selectmen likewise approved Articles 2, 3, and 4 which respectively chooses all other town officers, listens to the reports of town officers and committees, and then fixes the salaries of several elective officers and the boards of the Town for the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
The Selectmen began a pattern of differing opinion over Article 5, an article sponsored by Selectman Charlie Smith for the purpose of re-opening the Stoneham Arena lease for negotiation.
"I feel like a legal technicality held things up last time, and I think -- given the financial hard times -- we should try to come to an agreement with a third party to manage the rink," said Smith. "This makes a lot of sense to me."
Smith's argument, that the town coffers could still collect a previously estimated $60,000 sum due the town for leasing the building to FMC, fell on four sets of deaf ears in the Selectmen hearing room, however.
"I'm just uncomfortable with this leasing period being listed for up to ten years," said Selectman Tony Kennedy. "If this were more like three years as it was in the original management contract, then this might be a little more attractive...it's certainly something we can adjust at Town Meeting."
Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello agreed that the ten-year provision in the article was "too much", and that any lease agreement "should go back to the town each year, one year at a time."
"That's also beside the fact that I think we can run this rink and make some money at it," said Ciccarello. "If Reading can make money, then why can't we."
Smith pleaded his case but had to abstain from voting on a warrant article he sponsored, and eventually lost a 4-0-1 unfavorable voted initiated by Ciccarello. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to endorse Article 6, a petition to the Mass. Legislature to revoke the use of Civil Service in hiring the Stoneham Town Hall custodian. The Board deferred to the Conservation Commission on Article 7, a request for a Non-Zoning Protection Bylaw that would create a 25-foot no disturb strip adjacent to wetlands within town lines.
"Right now, when we challenge things or try to uphold the wetland buffer zone we have a policy rather than a bylaw," said Conservation Commission Chairman Bob Conway. "State officials have told us that we would be on much firmer legal ground with a bylaw in hand."
The Selectmen voted unanimously to authorize Town Administrator Dave Berry to lease portions of the Central Street firehouse to wireless service providers, and allow for installation of wireless antennas and related infrastructure.
Smith raised the issue that the Selectmen were about to endorse a "ten-year contract with wireless providers to lease the fire station's roof", but in the same breath voted against the same wording in the arena article.
"It doesn't seem consistent to me," said Smith.
"It is, it's a year-to-year agreement," said Ciccarello.
The length of the agreement was not included in the wording of the Article 8, and the Selectmen approved it by a 5-0 vote.
The Selectmen voted unfavorably on both Articles 9 and 10, which both seek to increase the number of Selectmen members from 5 to 7. Article 9, sponsored by Janice Houghton, was defeated by a 4-1 margin (Charlie Smith was the only official to vote favorably) as the Selectmen opined that the increased membership would further promote discord.
"It is hard enough to get a consensus with three members or five members, I can only imagine the difficulty with trying to merge seven opinions on a subject," said Pecoraro.
Smith said he thought it appropriate that seven precincts should have seven Selectmen, and that the current system may not be adequately representing the town.
Article was voted down by a 4-1 margin, with Smith as the again dissenting voice.
The Selectmen voted to approve Article 11 by a 4-1 margin to support the change of zoning usage for a piece of land on Emerald Court -- changing the area from an Educational District zone to a Residence A zone.
According to Kennedy, the sale of the 12,385 square foot lot adjacent to the high school could net the town approximately $200,000-250,000 in revenue.
While the Selectmen voted to endorse the article, Town Counsel Bill Solomon pointed out that the Planning Board would have to present a change in the situation from a year ago, when Town Meeting voted down the zoning change.
The Selectmen unanimously voted against Article 12 sponsored by John DeGeorge, a petition empowering the voters to decide on a Proposition 2 1/2 underride that would lower the tax levy.
"Why would we vote on this?" questioned Ciccarello. "If we have the money, we just wouldn't go up to the 2 1/2 percent when we set the tax rate...I don't understand this."
"A move like this would just absolutely devastate a town that is already going through hard times," added Chairman Mary Pecoraro.
The Selectmen likewise voted against recommending a reduction in the property tax owed by senior citizens living in the Town of Stoneham, Article 13 also sponsored by DeGeorge.
The Selectmen unanimously approved appropriating a sum of money to the Board of Assessors to pay for Interim Year Adjustments for all real estate adjustment and updates. According to Kennedy, the funding is not an expense to the town or a line item and comes from the Overlay Surplus Account.
Articles 15 and 16 deal with road work and drainage improvement to Franklin Street, Pine Street, and private land in the area of the Detention Basin adjacent to Rec Park, as well as areas around Spring Street, from Cardinal Road to East Street.
The Board of Selectmen voted to table Articles 17 and 18 concerning the shifting of funds from the stabilization to the Water and Sewer Account, including possibly returning funds to either the stabilization fund or the general fund.
The Selectmen stressed that the water and sewer maneuverings wouldn't adversely affect the water rate.
"The water rate has been the same for four years," said Finance and Advisory Board member John Warren.
The Selectmen elected to table both items, but were leaning toward leaving the $350,000 in the stabilization fund.
The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve Articles 19, 20 and 21, articles that will cost the town an estimated $610,000 to work on water main and fire hydrant work, as well as a pick-up truck and skid load for the Fire Department.
The Selectmen voted unanimously to endorse Article 22, a vote to borrow or raise $227,870 to repair and replace approximately 24,000 square feet of Middle School roof.
The Selectmen voted to table Article 23 in advance of finishing the Fiscal Year 2005 budget, as the funds would be used to amend the Fiscal year 20045 budget. The Selectmen, however, unanimously approved Article 24 to pay the prior year's invoices and bills, and likewise endorsed Article 25, which paves the way for an override question on a Special Election Ballot. Kennedy voted against the endorsement because "he wanted to see the numbers before he decided to vote for or against an override."
The Selectmen then rushed into budget discussion designed to come up with an additional $520,000 in cuts to town departments.
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