Annual Town Meeting is Monday Night

Patch File Photo

Chelmsford’s Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. at The Chelmsford Senior Center, 75 Groton Road.

Officials told Town Meeting members in the warrant packet that they will be facing some unique challenges including:

• The town’s Chapter 70 and 90 funding from the state was significantly less than they had hoped for
• A dramatic rise in medical costs for active and retired employees
• A substantial increase in Middlesex retirement costs
• The town’s Nashoba Tech assessment rose more than 10% for the 185 Chelmsford students in attendance.

There are 22 articles on the Town Meeting warrant. Below is a quick summary on each:

• Article 1: To hear reports of the Town Officers and Committees; or act in relation thereto.

• Article 2: This Article amends the Fiscal Year 2015 operating budget by using $208,000 from the Finance Committee Reserve Fund, $20,497 from insurance proceeds and $5,400 from the Community Services Expenses line item.

• Article 3: This Article would appropriate $8,522 from the Finance Committee Reserve Fund to pay bills from previous fiscal years.

• Article 4: This Article appropriates $2,818,047 for the FY2016 Nashoba Valley Technical School District Assessment.

• Article 5: This Article seeks the appropriation of $52,400,000 for the proposed Fiscal Year 2016 Chelmsford Schools Operating Budget.

• Article 6: This Article seeks the appropriation of $59,896,325 for the proposed Fiscal Year 2016 General Government Operating Budget.

• Article 7: This Article seeks the appropriation of sewer user fee revenue in the amount of $3,715,488 to fund the proposed FY2016 Sewer Enterprise Fund Budget.

• Article 8: This Article seeks the appropriation of $30,000 for the proposed FY2016 Golf Course Enterprise Fund Budget.

• Article 9: This Article seeks the appropriation of $400,000 to be used by vote of the Finance Committee for extraordinary and/or unforeseen purposes.

• Article 10: This Article seeks the appropriation of funds for collective bargaining agreements.

• Article 11: This Article authorizes $650,000 for renewal of the annual revolving funds in the above amounts for Town Clerk, Council on Aging, Police Department and Inspection Department.

• Article 12: This Article seeks the appropriation of $3,271,491 to finance the FY2016 Capital Improvement Program. After applying $1,403 of recaptured funds and $257,935 of bond premiums, the new amount to be borrowed is: $3,012,153.

• Article 13: This article would appropriate $825,000 from the Sewer Improvement Impact Fund for the reconstruction of the Progress Avenue Pump Station.

• Article 14: This article would increase the total amount of abatements that may be granted under the Senior Citizens Property Tax Work-off Abatement Program. The amount would increase by $25,000 from $75,000 to $100,000 per year.

• Article 15: This Article transfers $50,000 of funds from grave and lot sales to a fund used for Cemetery Improvement and Development.

• Article 16: This Article would appropriate $10,000 to the Community Action Program.

• Article 17: This Article would accept the Community Preservation Committee’s plan for FY2016 which would appropriate $743,466 for debt service, $50,000 for administrative expenses, $95,000 for each of the three areas of open space, historic preservation and community housing and $150,000 for budgeted reserves.

• Article 18: This article would appropriate Community Preservation Committee funds for the restoration of land for recreational use.

• Article 19: This Article would allow the Swain Road landfill site to be leased as a solar energy farm.

• Article 20: This article would authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire an easement at 40 Billerica Road and Wilson Street.

• Article 21: This article would authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire a drainage easement at 24 Linwood Street.

• Article 22: This article would accept Bittersweet Land as laid out by the Board of Selectmen.

View the full spring session Annual Town Meeting Warrant >>>