Rodney Henrikson remembered
The board had a moment of silence for Rodney Dexter Henrikson, the former owner of Henrikson’s Dairy, and past chairman of the Abington Board of Selectmen. Henrikson died on Jan. 8, following a long battle with cancer. He was also on the board of directors at Abington National Bank and an active congregant at First Baptist Church of North Abington.
John “Viper” Force
Selectman Mike Kolodziej recognized John “Viper” Force on his retirement following 36 years on the Abington Fire Department. Kolodziej said Force was a mentor to many young firefighters, including himself. “He was a huge asset, I learned a lot from him,” Kolodziej said.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Selectman Tim Chapin reminded residents that the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for March 20, at 1 p.m. The last two parades were scaled down drastically due to COVID and just featured longtime parade organizer Jack Bailey driving the parade route with some family and friends. The 2022 version, as of now, will return to its full-sized version. Bailey is looking for any group interested in entering a float, vehicle, or marching group. Those interested can contact Bailey and the parade committee at kjbailey@verizon.net or by calling 781-878-7785.
Class II License Approved
Selectmen unanimously approved a Class II license for Damion Bennett, who is operating Bentech, a web-based auto sales company. The company will operate out of 929 Brockton Ave. The vote is pending based on Bennett showing that he has a formal lease at the property.
Dorsey Street, Murphy Street, and Cynthia Road
Selectmen advanced a proposal to accept Dorsey Street, Murphy Street, and Cynthia Road as public roads. The three roadways make up a subdevelopment known as Century Estates. They are currently considered private roadways owned by the project developer, Rosen Realty. Based on the Board of Selectmen’s recommendation, the Planning Board will now hire an engineer to make sure the roads are built correctly and in good shape. It will then be up to Town Meeting to decide whether to formally accept the roads, which means all plowing, paving, and other repairs are the town’s responsibility.
Budget Update
Town Manager Scott Lambiase told selectmen that half-way through the current budget year the town’s expenses and revenues are “tracking appropriately,” meaning there are no signs of any deficits springing up. In terms of the FY ‘23 budget, Lambiase said the governor is expected to release his budget either at the end of this week or early next week. That will provide cities and towns with their first glimpse of state aid numbers. With state tax revenues up
“significantly,” as well as meals and marijauan taxes up, state aid reductions aren’t expected.
For the Annual Town Meeting, Lambiase expects there to be a zoning article that would extend the marijuana overlay district to portions of Chestnut Street. A company (no name given yet) has expressed interest in opening a large cannabis growing and manufacturing operation at the new commercial complex at 500 Chestnut Street, but those uses currently aren’t allowed in that area. The Planning Board at its last meeting said the new overlay district should be restricted to cultivation and manufacturing, and not allow retail sales.
Lambiase also expects to propose [placing conservation restrictions on a handful of town-owned properties. Those properties include land off Chestnut Street and Rockland Street.