Town Meeting Approves Public Works Appropriations, Scenic Road Bylaw

After a with a malfunctioning electronic voting system, Town Meeting approved the Scenic Roads Bylaw and $1.7 million for the new Department of Public Works facility.

On hand for town meeting was Edward N. Gadsby, Jr., the president of the Massachusetts Moderators Association, and a moderator of the town of Brookline, to observe the meeting processes. DeFreitas thanked Gadsby’s for his presence.

“On a side note, good thing he came tonight, and not Tuesday,” he joked.

Voters approved article 12, a motion to appropriate $1.79 million, $1.5 million of it from the town’s stabilization fund, for the “redevelopment and reconstruction of the Department of Public Works facility located at 9 Alpha Road."

According to Permanent Building Committee co-chairman Pat Maloney, work completed during the first phase of the building including an installed storm water management system, a new retaining wall and driveway, as well as a newly-engineered roof. A second phase for the public works building, costing approximately $3.1 million, would renovate vehicle storage and build new shower facilities and a salt storage structure.

The town was only asking for $1.79 million because approximately $1.4 million remains from the allocation for the building’s first phase. The public works building will likely include several more phases over 5 years or so until it reaches completion.

“If we are lucky enough to get the funding tonight, that will bring us up to about $8 million spent on the project thus far,” said Maloney. The final project is estimated to cost $13.123 million.

Several town meeting reps were concerned environmental problems because of the proximity of the town’s salt sheds to wetland areas.

DPW Director Jim Pearson assured reps that the town had substantial and adequate drainoff and filtering systems in place so that no salt would find its way into the water system.

 “This is all significant improvement (by the) Conservation Commission in accordance with the DEP storm water guidelines,” he said.

Bob Joyce, a rep from precinct 1, voiced opposition to additional expenditures that he said wouldn’t have been approved when the project was first proposed at $12.9 million.

“I’m opposed to this, and the reason I’m opposed to it is because we’re taking money out of the stabilization that we’ve built up the last few years,” said Joyce.  Joyce argued that $1.4 million had recently been cut from health benefits and that the town should not look to raise taxes another 2.5 percent.  “This could amount to a very very solid, sizeable, tax reduction (…) I think time has come for us to look at reducing taxes.”

Cohen told the assembly that the finance committee, finance director, and the town’s accountant have planned for the stabilization fund to be replenished above what is being borrowed.

“The reason I’m comfortable doing this and basically taking the $1.7 million from our stabilization fund is the fact that where the fund is at, but more importantly we anticipate (…) that we’ll return over $2 million to the free cash and stabilization fund at the end of this fiscal year.”

Town meeting reps also approved a new general bylaw which aimed to protect Chelmsford’s scenic roads.

The article “seeks to adopt specific regulations to ensure protection from tree cutting/removal” as well as stone wall removal on 9 scenic roads in Chelmsford. Regulation would only apply to trees over 6 feet and stone walls greater than 5 feet that are in the public way.

Six of the nine designated scenic roads have been surveyed and have concrete distances for public right of way. The remaining three still must be surveyed to determine how far right of way extends to property lines. Any changes that fall under the jurisdiction of the bylaw will be enforced by the Building Inspector.

Town meeting rep James Pinder was opposed to the measure and urged his peers to vote against it.

“This article is extremely heavy-handed,” he said. Pinder also thought the provision was “special treatment” for those living along scenic roads.

“Nobody’s looking for that,” he said. “What we need is to protect all the neighborhoods of this town.”

Community Development Director Evan Belansky told the reps that the bylaw would help inform residents and officials of the regulation and protection for scenic roads.

“This would improve awareness, create a level playing field regarding clear provisions, procedures, and protocols and create awareness as to what a scenic road is in and what it means in Chelmsford.”

Town Manager Paul Cohen paused briefly in the beginning of the meeting to recognize Pearson, who is retiring before next town meeting. Pearson has worked almost 30 years for the town. Pearson was initially hired as the town engineer in 1984 and moved to become the town’s first director of the DPW.

“Jim has been the best director of public works the town has ever had,” said Cohen, “Obviously Jim has served the community for (…) 28 years.”

Cohen thanked Pearson for his work in the town and presented him with a desk clock complete with thermometer and barometer.

“This will make sure that Jim has acceptable weather for his golf game,” he said.

Vote totals:

Article 11: No action

Article 12: 124 to 16  abstaining

Article 13: 140 to 0

Article 14: 142 to 0

Article 15: 142 to 0

Article 16: bylaw amendment 132 to 7, 2 abstensions

Article 17: $55 surcharge which will raise 840,000 for the CPC 131 to 3, 3 abstensions

Article 18: 1802 first school house appropriation 34,500 140 to 3

Article 19: 17,600 124 to 18, 1 abstainsion

Article 20:  139 to 1, 2 abstensions

Article 21: additional gravestones 139 to 0

Article 22: No action required

Article 23:  140 to 1

Article 24: 143 to 0

Article 25: 114 to 18, 9

Article 26:  119 to 14, 6

Article 27: No action required

Article 28: nonconforming uses and structures 121 to 19, 1

Article 29: solar activity 126 to 13, 1

Article 30: scenic roads 98 to 38

Article 31 129 to 1, 0