This year’s Annual Town Meeting warrant lacks a big draw, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. In fact, if 150 registered Abington voters don’t show up Monday night, Town Hall will lock its doors on July 1.
Is that a bit extreme? Maybe. But if the Town Meeting can’t get a quorum Monday night, the town’s legislative body won’t be able to vote on a Fiscal Year ‘24 budget. That’s kind of a big deal. The town will then have to try and reschedule Town Meeting, but that meeting, again, will have to draw a quorum.
So we’ll shout this so all can hear: THERE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR ABINGTON THAN THE TOWN BUDGET. It ensures our teachers and firefighters can get paid, that our seniors have a place to go for services, that our debt is serviced, and so on.
The Annual Town Meeting starts at 7 p.m., in the M/HS auditorium. All Abington residents are able to attend, but only registered voters are allowed to vote.
Selectmen did not invoke a pandemic-era state law and vote to lower the quorum as it has done the past couple years.
For the first time in recent memory, there will be no Special Town Meeting ahead of the Annual Town Meeting. Traditionally, a Special Town Meeting was held in order to make adjustments to the current fiscal year budget – late bills came in, a prior appropriation needed to be adjusted, a budget had a short fall, etc.
However, Town Manager Scott Lambiase said other towns have done away with the Specials based on rulings from municipal attorneys that current fiscal year business can be taken up so long as the article specifically states which fiscal year the matter involves. You’ll see that reflected in the warrant.
Moderator Shawn Reilly has put together a Town Meeting preview video.
Residents will be asked to approve a $65.6 million Fiscal Year ‘24 town budget, which represents a 4.1% increase over the current budget. More details on the budget are below.
The meeting agenda also includes $2.9 million in capital spending, and $366,000 in Community Preservation Act projects.
Here are details on the warrant articles:
ARTICLE 1: SNOW AND ICE COSTS
One benefit of this lame winter is lower snow and ice removal costs. The town had budgeted $100,000 – most municipalities under-budget snow and ice costs because it’s one account they can spend into deficit and make up later on. This article is asking for an additional $264,000 to make up the shortfall.
COST: $264,000
FUNDING SOURCE: Free cash
ARTICLE 2: PRIOR YEAR BILL
Sometimes vendors don’t send bills for services until after the fiscal year closes. Then the town needs permission to pay the bill. In this case its a series of bills from a local office supply company.
COST: $478.04
FUNDING SOURCE: Free cash
ARTICLE 3: SICK LEAVE BUY BACK
A pair of Abington/Rockland Joint Water Works employees are retiring and entitled to cash in a stockpile of unused sick time. Abington’s share is $35,000; Rockland will be asked to pay the same amount.
COST: $35,000
FUNDING SOURCE: Water department revenue
The $65.6 million town budget increases spending by about 4 percent. It expands a part-time position in the Assessor’s Office to full-time, restores a health coordinator position in the Health Department, provides funding for a Town Planner, and fully funds new contracts for the police, fire, and library employee unions. The school portion of the budget will increase by 7 percent, with $300,000 allocated for new positions. These positions include a new middle school special education teacher, a part-time ELE high school teacher, a full-time adjustment counselor at the Middle School, and part-time adjustment counselors for the Beaver Brook, Woodsdale, and High School.
ARTICLE 4: FY ‘24 OPERATING BUDGET
It’s worth noting that the Finance Committee vote on the budget was not unanimous. Members Greg Belezerian. Paul Hagerty, and Chris Murphy opposed it.
This year’s budget process was notable for some stronger than usual pushback from the Finance Committee on a couple points.
“It was certainly a journey to get there – lots of questions and no rubber stamps,” Finance Committee Chairman Daniel Eddy said. “We focused on town priorities. For example, the committee pushed to allocate operational funds for a Town Planner and discouraged borrowing where we could – a theme that will carry into next budget season.”
The committee also recommended not including funding for a full police department roster this year. A full roster features 30 uniformed personnel, including the chief. However, the department is still rebuilding its roster, and will only have, at most, 25 in uniform this year, including new recruits.
“We’re going to carry funding for only what we need right now,” Lambiase said. “The Chief feels we’re in a good position right now.”
The money for those five positions were used to help pay for new positions elsewhere, as well as new contracts.
“Scott and Andrew were VERY responsive to what we as a committee pushed for, probably the most responsive in the 9-10 years I’ve been on the committee,” said Matt Salah, the board’s vice-chairman, and past chairman.
COST: $65,569,253
FUNDING SOURCE: General Fund (property taxes, meals taxes, excise taxes, state aid)
ARTICLE 5: CAPITAL SPENDING
Abington ended the 2022 fiscal year with an approximate $2 million surplus, which, after being certified by the state, is classified as “free cash” that can be spent in all sorts of ways. For the past several years, Abington has chosen to spend most of its free cash on capital improvements and other purchases (with a smaller percentage going to the town’s savings funds). The town wants to spend $167,000 to replace three police cruisers, $210,000 to rewire the Plymouth Street/Centre Avenue intersection traffic lights, $75,000 for a new DPW truck, $100,000 for two new mowers, $200,000 for new student laptops, $105,000 for a new walkin cooler and freezer at the Woodsdale, $42,000 to resurface the Beaver Brook gym floor, $30,000 to replace the fire escape behind the Frolio, $60,000 for new fencing at Arnold Park, $50,000 for new fencing along the Centre Avenue edge of Island Grove Pond, among other things. In addition, the town wants permission to borrow $485,000 on a new ambulance.
The Water Works wants to spend $705,000 on 13 different projects, including $100,000 on treatment plant infrastructure, $50,000 to replace meters, and $60,000 on security upgrades.
The sewer department says it needs to spend $545,000, including $400,000 to overhaul the Walnut Street pump station.
The article does not include any projects for Strawberry Valley Golf Course. Course committee Chairman Steve Wakelin said the course just finished a $100,000 clubhouse renovation, and still have a number of other projects on its docket (such as a new well, new trees, new equipment purchases) to stay busy this year.
COST: $2,883,000
FUNDING SOURCE:Free cash, water bills, sewer bills, borrowing
ARTICLE 6: COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT PROJECTS
The town estimates it will collect $558,207 in Community Preservation Act funding next year, and is looking to spend $384,220 on projects around town. The Community Preservation Committee has recommended spending money on a new open space/recreation plan ($38,500), design work for the Green Wave Connector Trail from the Library to Broadmeadow Lane ($25,000), fence posts at Griffins Dairy ($23,100), interpretive historical signs ($9,620), Island Grove pavilion repairs ($50,000), a matching grant for a historical property inventory ($20,000), designs for Memorial Bridge repairs ($70,000), a deposit into the town’s Affordable Housing Trust ($100,000), and an action plan for the Housing Trust Committee ($20,000). Just under $174,000 would be deposited into a reserve fund, bringing that fund’s balance up to almost $606,000.
COST: $384,220
FUNDING SOURCE: Community Preservation Act funds
ARTICLE 7: STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
The town is responsible for the cost of transporting students to out-of-district vocational schools. This article allocates $16,016 for just that.
COST: $16,016
FUNDING SOURCE: General Fund
Article 8: HEALTH IMPERATIVE
The town annually allocates a small amount of money to help support social service programs. This organization provides violence prevention and intervention programs for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Cost: $5,000
Funding Source: General fund
Article 9: ARC of SOUTH SHORE FUNDING
As in past years, this article allocates a small amount of money to the ARC of South Shore for services provided to Abington residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Cost: $2,500
Funding Source: General fund
ARTICLE 10: PURCHASE VACANT LAND OFF CENTRAL STREET
In 2019, the Abington Health Department ordered a rundown single-family home at 199 Central Street be demolished. Nothing since has been built on the property, which is located next to the Police Station. However, the tax bills keep getting paid. Town Manager Scott Lambiase said he has offered the listed owners $163,000 – the assessed value – to buy it, but received no response. The land is now valued at $175,000. Lambiase said if the town continues to get no response, it may consider taking the property by eminent domain. “It’s a piece of property the town should probably acquire one way of the other,” Lambiase told the Finance Committee.
With the land next door being eyed for a new fire department/public works department complex, the property would likely be used as part of the project. The Finance Committee voted to support the article, however, Eddy, the committee chairman, voted no, and committee member Marty Golightly, who ordered the house demolished during his tenure as Abington’s Health Agent, abstained.
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
COST: $175,000
FUNDING SOURCE: Borrowing (likely as part of Fire Station project)
ARTICLE 11: ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Residents on Chapel Street, Cliff Street, Lake Street, Wilson Place, Hersey Lane, Shaw Avenue, Bicknell Hill Road, and Washington Street from Adams Street to Bedford Street should be very interested in this article. It allows the town to spend $500,000 to improve those roadways. Here’s the best part: because it would involve improving the roadway stormwater drainage infrastructure, it qualifies for federal ARPA funding.
COST: $500,000
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal ARPA funds
ARTICLE 12: ACCEPTING MARSHFIELD INTO THE SSVT DISTRICT
South Shore Technical High School is asking its member communities to allow Marshfield into the school district. School Superintendent-Director Thomas Hickey told selectmen this week that doing so will cost each town a couple of seats for students, but that some towns don’t always use their full allotment. Having Marshfield in the district will also make it cheaper for Abington if the district moves forward with a major school construction project.
COST: n/a
ARTICLE 13: FUNDING OF UNION CONTRACTS
The town has approved new contracts for the employee unions representing police officers, firefighters, and librarians. Under the terms, firefighters will be receiving pay raises of 3% annually for the next three years, plus education incentives and bumps in other benefits. Police officers will receive a retroactive 2% pay raise for 2022, and then raises of 1%, 1%, and .5%. However the contract also restores sizeable pay boosts when officers earn associates, bachelors, and masters degrees, as well as bumps in other differentials.
COST: $748,000 (This figure was updated 4/3, at 6:30 p.m., based on FinCom discussions.)
FUNDING SOURCE: General Fund
ARTICLE 14: VETERAN PROPERTY TAX WORKOFF PROGRAM
Mass. General Law Chapter 59, Section 5N, allows communities to establish a program that allows veterans to work off a portion of their property tax bill through volunteer service. This article does just that. The town already has one in place for seniors. Veterans can also take advantage of an existing abatement program.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
ARTICLE 15: ESTABLISH DESIGNATED SAFETY ZONES
State law also allows the cities and towns to establish 25 mile-per-hour safety zones in thickly settled areas without needing state approval. Currently, the town would have to do traffic studies and ask permission to reduce the speed limit on a non-state highway road. A number of neighborhoods across Abington have complained in recent years about speeding.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
ARTICLE 16: MATCHING GRANT FOR FIRE RADIOS
The Abington Fire Department is looking to replace its portable radios. It has a grant lined up but it requires a 5% match from the town. This article allocates the town’s share.
COST: $16,038.91
FUNDING SOURCE: Free cash
ARTICLE 17: WASHINGTON STREET BIKE LANE, PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS
Abington has received a $495,000 grant to construct a bike/pedestrian lane along Washington Street. The grant, however, does not cover the cost of designing the project. This article allocates $69,000 for that work.
COST: $69,000
FUNDING SOURCE: Free cash
ARTICLE 18: POLICE DEPARTMENT LEAVING CIVIL SERVICE
For decades, Abington Police officers have been hired through the state’s civil service program. A 2019 department study, however, recommended that the department leave the civil service program and hire officers directly through their own process. In their most recent contract, the Abington Police Union Mass Cop Local 476 approved this change. This article would authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the Mass. Legislature to exempt Abington police officers and leadership positions from civil service. There is a question whether this article will be taken up, however, as the town charter says the “appointment of all sergeants and patrol officers shall be in accordance with” state civil service rules. So the article may be delayed and included with the ongoing charter review process.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
Articles 19-22 are proposed changes to the town’s zoning bylaws. The Planning Board asked the towns’ consultant working on federally-required stormwater management regulations to identify possible green-friendly bylaw changes. These amendments are the ones the Planning Board felt worth advancing to a full town vote. [DISCLOSURE: The author of this news article is a member of the Planning Board]
ARTICLE 19: SAND AND GRAVEL OPERATIONS
This bylaw change would require companies running sand and gravel operations in town to set aside topsoil and then place it – or other healthy soils – back once operations cease. This is so the land will be able to heal afterwards, and won’t be left barren. It’s not clear whether there are any sand and gravel operations in town currently; the Planning Board said the bylaw would be good to have if there ever is one proposed.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
ARTICLE 20: PARKING LOT PAVEMENT REDUCTION
The Planning Board is interested in allowing commercial property owners to reduce the size of their paved parking areas, if the saved land is set aside for green space. This article would give commercial property applicants the ability to reduce the size of parking spaces from 10 feet wide to 9 feet wide, to reduce two-way traffic aisles from 24 feet to 23 feet, and use pervious materials for areas that will be used for overflow or minimally-used parking areas. This bylaw could not be used by developers just to increase the size of the building.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
ARTICLE 21: PARKING LOT BORDER STRIPS
Large parking lots currently need landscaped border strips that feature five trees every 300 linear feet. This bylaw changes it to one tree every 30 feet, with some exceptions for sight lines and such.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
ARTICLE 22: GREEN ROOFS
Commercial roofs currently can be made of wood, shingles, tar paper, and other materials. This article would also allow green roofs on commercial and industrial properties featuring landscaped areas. Doing so would allow property owners to reuse stormwater while maintaining eco-friendly roofs.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
ARTICLE 23: PRESERVING THE TOWN’S GREEN CANOPY
The town’s 2019 Master Plan found that Abington, despite increased development, had done a better job than some of its peers preserving its green canopy. This article looks to combine and rewrite the town’s existing tree-related bylaws into one that makes developers need to identify large mature trees on the site, make efforts to remove as few as possible, and replace them thoughtfully.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
ARTICLE 24: ISLAND GROVE PRESERVATION RESTRICTION
Island Grove Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. But not every part of the park has the same designation. Memorial Bridge, which stretches across Island Grove Pond from Lake Street to the park, needs to be rehabilitated, but it’s not clear whether the bridge is considered a historic structure. This article allows the Board of Selectmen to seek a historic preservation restriction for the bridge, which would make it eligible for state historic preservation grants.
COST: n/a
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
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